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Where Will the Money Come from in Space Sustainability?

On the Space to Grow podcast, Astroscale's Chris Blackerby and Charity Weeden interview CEO and founder Nobu Okada to explore the commercial, policy, and technological dimensions of space sustainability. The conversation addresses where funding will come from to support responsible space operations, debris removal, and long-term orbital stewardship.

This story was produced through MarketScale. See how Sciences teams put it to work with Executive Thought Leadership.

By Chris Blackerby · AstroscaleCharity WeedenChris BlackerbyFunding
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Key takeaways

01

Identifying viable commercial and governmental funding models for space sustainability initiatives.

02

International policy frameworks are critical to enabling scalable, responsible space operations.

03

Astroscale's leadership discusses the technology roadmap and business case for satellite servicing and debris removal.

On the Space to Grow podcast, Astroscale’s Chris Blackerby and Charity Weeden bring their compelling experience and expertise to map out the technology, international policy, and scalability that will define the next generation of space exploration.

Space to Grow has an exciting episode featuring Astroscale CEO and Founder Nobu Okada. In this interview, Chris Blackerby and Charity Weeden talk to their boss and the man behind bringing awareness and industry to the space sustainability market.

Okada’s career didn’t begin in space, although space was certainly mesmerizing to him early. He traveled to the U.S. to attend Space Camp as a teen, something Weeden did, as well. The love story with space wouldn’t be a major part of his life for years. His career included work in Japan’s Ministry of Finance, as a consultant with McKinsey, and leading IT startups.

“The commercial role of space sustainability is coming, with awareness raised in the past few years” – Nobu Okada

Okada said starting Astroscale was a journey to do something different. He was looking for hot topics in space and found sustainability. He attended a global conference in April of 2013.

“No one had solutions or were taking any actions to clean up space.” So, he decided to hold that torch, founding Astroscale a week later. Since then, he’s raised over $191 million.

Raising money for any business is challenging, for space-related startups, maybe even more so because it’s not a quick return. Okada said, “Investors are simple and focused on ROI. The rules are making them feel secure, confident, and happy. We also carefully designed the terms and conditions for each series.”

Okada admits the very first series was a leap of faith for investors. “We had big passion, people, and no technology. At that point, people are investing in you.”

Since then, the company has proved the market is there. Still, it’s a slow process to transform space into a sector where commercialization is a bigger part of the picture. Now, the biggest customer for space-related solutions is government. Okada believes a turning point is coming. “We have to create the future, not wait for it. The commercial role of space sustainability is coming, with awareness raised in the past few years,” he noted.

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Chris Blackerby

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About the Experts

CB
Chris Blackerby

COO, Astroscale

Chris Blackerby is Chief Operating Officer at Astroscale, a company focused on satellite servicing and the long-term sustainable development of space. He has a background in space policy and international affairs, including prior roles at NASA. He co-hosts the Space to Grow podcast alongside Charity Weeden.

LinkedInCompany
CW
Charity Weeden

VP, Global Space Policy

Astroscale

Charity Weeden serves as Vice President of Global Space Policy at Astroscale, where she focuses on international regulatory and policy frameworks for space sustainability. She co-hosts the Space to Grow podcast with Chris Blackerby.

LinkedIn
NO
Nobu Okada

CEO and Founder

Astroscale

Nobu Okada is the Founder and CEO of Astroscale, which he established in 2013 with a mission to secure the safe and sustainable development of space for future generations. Under his leadership, Astroscale has become a leading commercial provider of satellite servicing and debris removal solutions.

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