This morning, I spoke at the Italian Senate in the occasion of the meeting for the approval of first Italian Space Law.
I have highlighted these three points:
1. Made in Italy and industrial sovereignty
In the space sector, keeping companies under Italian ownership is crucial. We need a strategy to encourage national investments and attract foreign capital without losing control over strategic technologies.
2. Data policy and space infrastructure
We need infrastructure like the Iride constellation, but also sustainable models for data management. Why not allow Italian companies to enhance and commercialize this data, creating a virtuous ecosystem?
3. SMEs: not just suppliers, but innovators
SMEs in the space sector should not be seen merely as suppliers to large corporations but as key players in innovation. We need policies that support their growth and international expansion.
The future of space in Italy starts here. Now is the time to build a competitive, sustainable, and truly Made in Italy ecosystem. 🚀
Have you studied the fluid dynamics at school?
Inside the ISS, 250 miles above the earth, the Soft Cell experiment shows what happens when one fundamental force disappears: gravity.
And when gravity turns off, fluids reveal behaviors we never see on Earth:
- Water becomes perfect spheres
- No convection — patterns appear with mathematical purity
- Mixing slows to near-zero, enabling precision at the atomic scale
- Interfaces behave like living sculptures
Microgravity becomes the cleanest physics lab in existence.
Why it matters (real impact):
+ 20× more ordered protein crystals → better drug design
+ 10–100× more uniform materials → higher-performance semiconductors & alloys
+ More accurate rocket fuel slosh models → safer launches
+ Improved climate and turbulence simulations
+ Better life-support and water recovery systems for spaceflight
This isn’t sci-fi — it’s industry-changing science happening right now.
The Soft Cell proves one thing: ✨ Sometimes nature shows its most elegant physics only when we leave Earth behind.
#SpaceTech via @oxford.mathematics #FluidDynamics#Innovation#Physics#ISS#Engineering#AdvancedMaterials#PharmaInnovation#Aerospace#DeepTech#Research#FutureOfScience
Let’s pause for a moment and recognize there are THREE commercial spacecraft in-route to the Moon right now! ispace, inc.’s Resilience lander, Firefly Aerospace's Blue Ghost lander, and most recently, Intuitive Machines Machine’s Athena lander. There’s a plethora of science and technology demonstrations being conducted through these missions - many with a common thread of gathering data for or even demonstrating aspects of space resource utilization:
🚀 Lunar Outpost will demonstrate the first sale of space resources to a customer with their MAPP rover!
🚀 Honeybee Robotics, a Blue Origin Company will conduct subsurface drilling of lunar regolith in an attempt to investigate lunar ice deposits!
🚀 ispace, inc. is carrying a water electrolyzer experiment to evaluate processes in the lunar environment that could one day help derive oxygen and hydrogen from lunar ice deposits!
🚀 Intuitive Machines will test a short-range ballistic hop with “Grace”, its Micro Nova Hopper, to attempt measuring hydrogen within a permanently shadowed region!
And there’s much more…from 4G/LTE communications, to characterizing dust plumes on landing, to demonstrating technology for lunar dust removal...and that’s just a fraction of the payloads. These efforts pave the way for smartly and efficiently using the resources of our nearest celestial neighbor to advance off-world economic development and enable our ability to sustainably live beyond Earth…and it’s being executed by nimble and innovative commercial companies. The future of space commerce and sustainable space exploration is now, and it’s arriving at the Moon!
Photo/Image credits: iSpace, Firefly & Intuitive Machines
Note: This post reflects my personal views and doctoral research initiatives related to lunar sustainability and development and is not be reflective of professional endorsement associated with my employer.
China’s Tiangong space station successfully conducted the world’s first in-orbit demonstration of artificial photosynthesis, producing oxygen and ingredients for rocket fuel. This innovation is significant for long-term space exploration, including a potential crewed moon landing before 2030.
The experiments used semiconductor catalysts to convert carbon dioxide and water into oxygen, while also generating ethylene, a hydrocarbon vital for rocket propellants, showing critical technologies for resource production and human survival in space.
Unlike the International Space Station, which relies on electrolysis for life support, Tiangong’s technology mimics natural photosynthesis, converting CO2 into oxygen and fuels, marking a significant leap in sustainable space exploration.
https://lnkd.in/e26K4396
NASA astronaut Drew Feustel learning to walk again after spending 197 days in space!
NASA astronaut Drew Feustel experienced significant challenges relearning to walk after spending 197 days on the International Space Station.
The reasons are:
1) Muscle Atrophy and Bone Density Loss: Prolonged exposure to microgravity weakens muscles and reduces bone density. This makes it difficult for astronauts to support their own weight and coordinate movements upon returning to Earth's gravity.
2) Vestibular System Disruption: The inner ear, responsible for balance, becomes disoriented in space. This can lead to dizziness, vertigo, and difficulty maintaining equilibrium upon return. Feustel's experience highlights the physiological challenges astronauts face during and after long-duration space missions.
3) Rehabilitation: Astronauts undergo rigorous rehabilitation programs to regain strength, balance, and coordination. This typically involves physical therapy, exercise, and specialized training.
It takes time and effort for astronauts to fully recover and adapt to Earth's gravity after spending months in space.
Many leaders still think of space as a distant frontier.
That mindset is quickly becoming outdated.
The commercial space economy is no longer just about rockets and missions. It is becoming a new layer of infrastructure that is already reshaping industries on Earth—from agriculture and telecommunications to logistics, finance, energy, and national security.
What changed?
Access and economics.
Reusable launch systems, private investment, smaller and more powerful sensors, and growing demand for data have transformed space from a government-led effort into a rapidly expanding commercial platform.
History shows a clear pattern: when access improves, innovation accelerates. We saw it with computing, the internet, mobile, cloud, and AI. Space is following the same path.
The question leaders should be asking is not, “Are we in the space industry?”
The real question is: How will space-enabled capabilities change the way value is created in our industry?
Organizations that recognize this shift early can form partnerships, experiment with new capabilities, and build advantage while the market is still taking shape. Those who wait until the opportunity is obvious may find themselves competing on someone else’s terms.
In my latest article, I explore why the commercial space frontier deserves far more attention in the boardroom and what leaders should be doing now to anticipate the opportunities ahead.
#SpaceEconomy#SpaceTech#Innovation#Leadership#FutureOfBusiness#HardTrends#AnticipatoryThinking
🌍 The Next Global Powers Won’t Be Decided on Earth
They’ll be the ones building infrastructure in orbit, on the Moon & beyond.
Space is no longer just a scientific pursuit, it's a strategic high ground and an economic multiplier. And countries are voting with their wallets.
📊 National Space Budgets 2024 Highlights (approximate):
🔹 USA: $62B+ (NASA + DoD + private subsidies)
🔹 China: $12B – rapidly expanding lunar and military capability
🔹 EU (ESA): $9.3 B – collaborative but fragmented
🔹 Japan: $4.9 B – burgeoning private sector
🔹 India (ISRO): $1.9 B – high ROI, low-cost mission excellence
🔹 UAE, South Korea, Japan, Australia: All investing & expanding
Over 100 nations now have active space programs or satellite interests.
The pattern is clear: those who invest upstream today will own downstream value tomorrow in communications, climate intelligence, AI in space, defense resilience, lunar logistics, and in-space manufacturing. At the frontier, innovation follows infrastructure and infrastructure follows budget.
What do MRI machines, GPS, solar panels, and water purification tech have in common? They all trace their roots to space program investments.
🔹 For every $1 invested in NASA, the U.S. economy gains $7–$14 in return via tech spinoffs, high-skill jobs, and industry stimulation (NASA Tech Transfer Program).
🔹 The global space economy surpassed $546 billion in 2023, and is projected to reach $1 trillion by 2030 (McKinsey & Space Foundation).
🔹 Countries with top space investments (USA, China & EU) lead in AI, quantum computing, aerospace & precision manufacturing proving space tech is a gateway to multi-sector innovation.
🔹 Over 1,600 commercial products have spun off from NASA technologies alone including memory foam, infrared ear thermometers, and fire-resistant materials.
🌐 Nations that dominate space lead in dual-use technologies (military + civilian applications) and benefit from national security, data sovereignty, and exportable tech IP.
💡 Investing in space isn't optional—it's a strategic move to future-proof economies.
Let's talk: Which space-originated tech do you think had the biggest impact on Earth?
Innovation has gravity & it's orbiting the nations willing to commit.
#SpaceEconomy#NationalBudgets#OrbitalInfrastructure#SpaceInnovation#GeoStrategy#AerospaceLeadership#NewSpace#GovernmentInvestments#DeepTech#SpacePolicy#MoonToMars#SpaceDominance
Deloitte's 2026 industry Outlook: Aerospace and Defense explores long‑standing pressures (digital transformation, supply chain fragility, talent gaps, and geopolitics) which now intersect with new considerations such as Agentic AI and autonomous systems.
Five defining trends for 2026:
💡 AI & Agentic AI scaling across decision‑making, logistics, maintenance, and procurement.
💡 Aftermarket remains a major revenue engine, with AI‑enabled predictive maintenance rising.
💡 Supply chain resilience becomes critical amid material shortages, labour gaps, and geopolitical challenges.
💡 Contracting & procurement evolve with faster pathways, non-traditional entrants, and greater emphasis on commercial solutions.
💡 AI‑driven workforce shifts toward multidisciplinary, AI‑fluent talent to meet accelerating digital needs.
Growth depends on optimising existing assets, strengthening sustainment, and scaling digital/AI capabilities across fleets, supply chains, and operations.
For the complete insights, refer to the full article here: https://lnkd.in/gfe9PfDGChris LewinRobert HillardEllen Derrick
At Arlula we saw 2025 reshape Earth Observation. In 2026 I see 3 key trends shaping the industry.
1.) From pixel sales to satellite services
Most major EO operators are moving beyond "imagery-as-a-product" toward hardware-led and "Satellite-as-a-Service models". Control, availability, and tasking flexibility now matter as much as resolution.
2) The rise of sovereign EO programs
Civil, defence, and intelligence organisations are investing heavily in national EO capability. More than 40 countries have announced plans to build or expand sovereign constellations, driven by resilience, security, and assured access.
3) Virtual constellations became the default model
GEOINT strategies are being rewritten around hybrid access with a mix of commercial capacity and sovereign systems, orchestrated together rather than treated as separate pipelines.
Taken together, these shifts are changing;
- How satellite imagery is generated,
- Who controls access,
- Who the real buyers are,
- And how EO systems need to be architected.
Ten years ago, EO was optimised for selling pixels.
The next decade will be about operating infrastructure at scale, across constellations, missions, and algorithms.
That’s the gap Earth Observation Data Infrastructure (EODI) is starting to fill.
#EarthObservation#GEOINT#DualUse#SovereignCapability#EODI
Artemis is not (just) about the Moon.
It is about building the operating system for a sustained human presence beyond Earth.
For all the attention on launches and landings, the more important shift is structural. The Artemis program marks a transition from singular missions to repeatable capability. Logistics, refuelling, interoperability, and mission cadence are the real milestones. The Moon is the beta test.
If this is an operating system, its contours are already visible. Standardised docking interfaces, refuelling protocols, and open communication layers form the APIs of space. Platforms like the Lunar Gateway act as routing nodes, while commercial landers function as modular components. What is being built is not a mission stack, but an extensible architecture.
What is emerging is a different execution model. NASA is no longer the sole builder. It is the architect and anchor client. The hardware layer is increasingly driven by firms like SpaceX and Blue Origin, where iteration cycles are faster and capital is deployed with a different risk tolerance.
NASA optimises for assurance through redundancy. The private sector optimises for progress through iteration. The result is not a compromise, but a reconfiguration of how national capability is delivered.
This model is not without friction. Timelines slip, systems fail testing, and sustainability standards are still being negotiated. Yet even delays are being absorbed into a system designed for iteration rather than perfection.
That architectural choice does not just shape how missions are built. It determines who gets to participate, and on what terms.
Competing frameworks are now crystallising, including efforts such as the Chinese Lunar Exploration Program. But framing this purely as a race misses the deeper dynamic. Space has always evolved through a mix of competition and cooperation. The International Space Station remains one of the most complex joint engineering projects ever undertaken, even as geopolitical conditions have shifted. Even at moments of terrestrial tension, collaboration had persisted, including Russian launches carrying American astronauts.
The real contest is not footprints on regolith. It is whose technical standards, safety norms, and resource frameworks become the default for others to adopt.
Because in the end, the advantage will not lie in a single mission, but in the architecture that makes many missions possible. After all in the long arc of spaceflight, leadership won’t be measured by who arrives first, but by whose standards become the foundation for what comes next.