The launch of Rubin Observatory's alert system marks a breakthrough in astrophysics, giving scientists a real‑time stream of changes across the sky, from brightening stars to newly spotted asteroids. It’s one of the final steps before the Legacy Survey of Space and Time, which will scan the southern sky every night for a decade with unprecedented precision. Dr. Bob Blum joined Federal Drive host Terry Gerton to share why this moment is so scientifically—and cosmically—exciting.

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When I ask you to name the most important figures for human space travel, who's the first person that pops in your head? I'm going to bet it wasn't Robert H. Goddard. Well a new book makes the case that that shouldn't be the case. Robert Goddard's Massachusetts tells the story of the man who created the first liquid fuel rocket, along with his other accomplishments that eventually helped shape the space travel we see today. I recently got the chance to speak with the author of the book, Kevin Schindler, who is a historian for Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona.

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When it comes to government contracting, one of the more complicated arenas can be space procurement. How do you ensure compliance in a field where there are many unknowns and research is the main purpose of the purchase. It can be tricky, but there is some precedent for these kinds of deals and many who are well-versed in it. One of them, Per Midboe, who is a senior counsel with Crowell & Moring, and has a background in procurement law for the Navy. I recently had the chance to speak with Per about what he's seeing today in the world of space contracting.

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Within ongoing military operations on Earth, we're already seeing the implementation of AI technologies. I say on Earth because in the future, we could possibly see space warfare as rivals jockey for position above the planet. In an arena where there may not be much visibility or time for humans to properly make decisions. It may come down to who has the more advanced AI technologies to make them for us. I know this sounds like a lot of future speak, but it's not as far away as you may think. I recently had the chance to discuss this and other topics with Belinda Marchand, she's the Chief Science Officer for Slingshot Aerospace.

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From robotic arms designed to remove space debris to technologies that could just as easily disable a satellite, the same new space capabilities can serve both peaceful and military purposes. Yet there’s no universally agreed-upon definition of what qualifies as dual-use—making governance, transparency, and international cooperation far more complicated. Researchers at the RAND Corporation are now taking a look at this idea, to explore why that definition gap matters, how different regions of the world view the issue, and what it could mean for the future of space security and sustainability. I recently got the chance to speak with two of those researchers. Bruce McClintock is lead of the RAND Space Enterprise Initiative, and Krista Langeland is a senior physical scientist at the RAND Corporation.

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India is opening the door wider to foreign investment in areas like satellite manufacturing, launch vehicles, and space infrastructure. At the same time, it still has local content rules and regulatory requirements that U.S. companies need to navigate.

To talk through what that means for American businesses—and how the U.S. and India are shaping their commercial space relationship in 2026 and beyond—I recently spoke with Liz Pullin, special counsel at Jenner & Block.

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I had the privilege of speaking with Dr. Brandon Thorne, the new Senior Vice President for Energy Programs at the Universities Space Research Association. With more than 20 years of leadership across nuclear science, national labs, and national security, he steps into this role as USRA sharpens its focus on advanced nuclear innovation, AI-enabled energy systems, and emerging quantum technologies. We discussed what this new era of energy transformation means for the nation and what’s next for USRA.

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With the recent passage of the 2026 NDAA, we’re digging into one of the biggest questions facing U.S. national security right now: if defense spending rises toward $1.5 trillion in 2027, what should that money actually deliver—especially for the U.S. Space Force?

My next guest argues that any meaningful boost in defense funding should prioritize the Department of the Air Force, including a Space Force that’s still young, understaffed, and working to consolidate America’s military space responsibilities.

David Deptula is Dean of the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Power Studies. We spoke about what the ideal funding situation for the Space Force could look like.

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