"We have to bring people together. If we want a functioning ecosystem, we have to break these silos."

On the occasion of International Women’s Day 2026, this special episode of Space Café Radio brings together host Laura Todd, Senior Advisor and Editor at SpaceWatch.Global, with Prof. Dr. Rafaela Kraus from the University of the Bundeswehr Munich for a thought-provoking conversation about innovation, education, and the future of Europe’s space and defense ecosystems.

Prof. Kraus works at the intersection of entrepreneurship, technology transfer, and innovation ecosystems, supporting startups and young innovators in security, defense, and space technologies. In this discussion, she shares insights on why diversity of perspectives - across disciplines, experiences, and backgrounds - is not only a matter of fairness, but a critical capability for building resilient innovation ecosystems.

The conversation explores key challenges facing Europe today, including fragmented markets, underdeveloped capital ecosystems for deep-tech startups, and the need to better connect universities, industry, policymakers, and investors. Prof. Kraus emphasizes that innovation rarely happens within isolated sectors - it thrives at the boundaries between disciplines, cultures, and industries.

Laura and Rafaela also reflect on the role of education in shaping future talent. Beyond technical expertise, the next generation of engineers and innovators must develop leadership, economic understanding, communication skills, and entrepreneurial thinking to transform breakthrough ideas into real-world capabilities.

Another powerful theme of the episode is how space and technology are communicated to society. Too often they are framed as either overly complex or inherently dangerous. Instead, Prof. Kraus suggests presenting space exploration as a long-term human endeavor - comparable to the great cathedral-building projects of past centuries - ambitious, collaborative, and inspiring.

Looking ahead, the discussion highlights the importance of breaking down institutional silos, modernizing public-sector structures, and fostering interdisciplinary collaboration across academia, startups, and established industry players.

For International Women’s Day, Prof. Kraus leaves listeners with an inspiring message: follow your passion, connect across boundaries, and help build the ecosystems that will shape the future of space and technology.

Or, as Laura Todd put it: "Go for what you enjoy, your passion, and what you love."

Space Café Radio brings you talks, interviews, and reports from the team of SpaceWatchers while out on the road. Each episode has a specific topic, unique content, and a personal touch. Enjoy the show, and let us know your thoughts at

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From Mars to the Moon: The UAE’s Bold Space Vision

In this powerful episode of Space Cafe Radio, recorded live at the Middle East Space Conference 2026 in Muscat, Oman, Torsten Kriening sits down with H.E. Salem Al Marri, Managing Director of the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC), to reflect on one of the most remarkable space transformations of the past two decades.

From its beginnings in Earth observation with DubaiSat-1 to developing fully indigenous satellite systems, MBRSC has evolved into a project-driven powerhouse - focused not on bureaucracy, but on delivery.

But the story does not stop in orbit around Earth.

🚀 The UAE’s Hope Mars Mission proved that ambitious deep space exploration is possible - even for a young space nation.

🛰️ The astronaut program has delivered long-duration ISS missions and the first Arab spacewalk.

🌕 As a partner in Artemis program, the UAE is building the Gateway airlock - securing seats to lunar orbit, and aiming ultimately for the Moon’s surface.

Salem Al Marri makes one thing clear: these missions are not symbolic milestones. They are capability engines.

Every astronaut mission fuels human life sciences research.

Every deep space challenge strengthens engineering excellence.

Every rover built pushes national talent further.

MBRSC’s philosophy is simple yet powerful:

Think bigger than what seems possible - and build the talent to match it.

From landing a rover on the Moon’s far side to one day placing an Emirati footprint on the lunar surface, the UAE is not chasing headlines - it is building long-term capability.

And perhaps the most inspiring moment of the episode?

When asked what success looks like, Salem Al Marri answers without hesitation:

A human from the UAE standing on the Moon.

That is the vision.

That is the ambition.

And the journey is already underway.

Space Café Radio brings you talks, interviews, and reports from the team of SpaceWatchers while out on the road. Each episode has a specific topic, unique content, and a personal touch. Enjoy the show, and let us know your thoughts at radio@spacewatch.global

We love to hear from you. Send us your thought, comments, suggestions, love letters

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Please visit us at SpaceWatch.Global, subscribe to our newsletters.
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Refueling the Future: How Orbit Fab is Building Gas Stations in Space

Join host Maria Varmazis from T-Minus Space Daily as she sits down with Daniel Faber, CEO of Orbit Fab, at Commercial Space Week in Orlando, Florida for this special guest production for Space Café Radio.

In this fascinating conversation, Daniel reveals how his company is revolutionizing space operations by building the critical infrastructure that will unlock humanity's multi-planetary future - refueling stations in orbit.

Discover:

• How Orbit Fab expanded from a single employee to 25 people in the UK in just three years
• The shocking moment China refueled a satellite and outmaneuvered US spacecraft by burning six years of fuel in 10 minutes
• Why military leaders are finally saying "we need this NOW" after years of skepticism
• The technical challenges of docking spacecraft in a plasma environment with tens of thousands of volts of potential difference
• How self-driving car technology is being repurposed for autonomous spacecraft docking
• Daniel's vision for space refineries that could process asteroid materials into rocket fuel
• Why upgrading satellites in orbit could reduce costs by 90% and increase demand a hundredfold

From hydrazine to xenon, from LEO to GEO, Orbit Fab is building the industrial chemical supply chain that will enable satellite servicing, space manufacturing, and eventually - asteroid mining.

As Daniel says: "Getting humanity off Earth is going to be the most significant thing that's happened since we crawled out of the ocean. Why would I work on anything else?"

Space Café Radio brings you talks, interviews, and reports from the team of SpaceWatchers while out on the road. Each episode has a specific topic, unique content, and a personal touch. Enjoy the show, and let us know your thoughts at radio@spacewatch.global

We love to hear from you. Send us your thought, comments, suggestions, love letters

Support the show

You can find us on: Spotify and Apple Podcast!

Please visit us at SpaceWatch.Global, subscribe to our newsletters.
Follow us on LinkedIn and X!