The Kármán Line

29:31

Tim Peake: "Put a human and our best robot with AI on...

The Kármán Line ·

2026/09/25

What is the true balance between human spaceflight and robotic exploration when it comes to science, inspiration, and decision-making capabilities? How is space transitioning from a niche frontier to an everyday commercial workplace? What role do regulatory frameworks, such as the United Nations, the Artemis Accords, and the Astra Carta, play in keeping orbit and the lunar surface safe and sustainable? And how can the UK Government act as an "anchor customer" to bridge the commercial

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28:52

Alisha Fuller-Armah: A story so sensational it made...

The Kármán Line ·

2026/09/18

How can a malleable, plant-based bio-leather grown off-grid in Scotland transform under extreme heat into an RF-transparent, rock-like ceramic shield? What does Draconite mean for the economics of spacecraft re-entry and thermal protection systems? How does self-taught material science disrupt traditional "old space" gatekeeping and university lab paradigms? What are the dual-use applications of biomimetic thermal shields across space re-entry, defence satellite protection, and terrestrial wildfire

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22:11

The UK National Space Strategy: Groundbreaking...

The Kármán Line ·

2026/09/11

Does the Government's latest space strategy properly connect defence, civil policy and commercial space growth? How will the MOD and DSIT merge procurement approaches? What are the specific outcomes targeted across the four core focus areas: Satcoms, Space Domain Awareness, Launch, and In-Orbit Servicing, Assembly, and Manufacturing? How do freedom of action and assured access balance sovereign UK capabilities with NATO and ESA alliances? And what major regulatory, insurance, and procurement changes

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34:47

Hetti Barkworth-Nanton: Turning swords into ploughshares

The Kármán Line ·

2026/09/03

How does Ploughshare turn Ministry of Defence owned R&D into commercial businesses serving wider society? Why has commercialising defence technology historically been "suboptimal," and how is the newly launched Technology and Growth Alliance (TAG) shifting the dial? How can classified innovations be declassified by separating the underlying core technology from its military application? What structural changes are required in UK venture capital to build "bolder, braver" scale-ups capable of

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28:58

Satellite Applications Catapult: Ruthless selection,...

The Kármán Line ·

2026/08/27

How does the Satellite Applications Catapult evaluate and select "high-potential" space ventures? What role does commercial matchmaking, tech validation, and international growth strategy play in scaling startups into global leaders? How can the UK shift from passive R&D grants to an "Olympic-style" industrial policy that goes all-in on world-class space "winners"? What structural changes—such as rapid regulatory approvals, sovereign capital funds, and secure defence gateways—are needed to cut a

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28:50

Spaceport Cornwall: From Virgin Orbit to multi-use...

The Kármán Line ·

2026/08/20

What really happened at Spaceport Cornwall after the 2023 Virgin Orbit launch? Why, from an operational and regulatory standpoint, was the failed mission actually a success? How can spaceport infrastructure and segregated airspace be repurposed for high-volume drone testing, hypersonic flight, and returning spaceplanes? What is the true definition of "assured launch," and why is domestic launch capability crucial for national resilience? How is Cornwall evolving beyond its launch heritage into a

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41:11

Dual-Use & Working Together

The Kármán Line ·

2026/08/13

What does "dual-use" technology truly mean? What happens when academia, industry, and government join forces at an institution like NESST? What connects the London Olympics and the MoD’s Skynet satellite system? And are policy and legal hurdles holding back the full potential of dual-use tech?In this episode, Dave Moody - Director of the North-East Space Skills and Technology Centre (NESST) at Northumbria University - joins Alice Bunn and Jonners to explore the critical dual-use elements of space

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28:31

Spaceports: Past, Present, and Future

The Kármán Line ·

2026/08/06

Does the UK still have its adventure spirit? With other countries getting the jump on UK launch, can the nation take advantage of the pathway forged in Cornwall? What commercial opportunities arise when the government plays a more active role in launch? Should a spaceport just be viewed as a normal piece of infrastructure, and how can it connect to its local setting? How can the space industry take on climate challenges head-on?Spaceport builder Melissa Quinn joins Alice and Jonners to talk launch,

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40:16

How to build future facing talent pipelines that...

The Kármán Line ·

2026/07/30

How have skill requirements in the UK space sector shifted from foundational engineering to critical system architects and project managers? How does a landscape of over 1,900 specialised companies compare to vertically integrated giants like SpaceX? What impact will the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) and UK Space Agency (UKSA) re-merger have on scaling up space businesses? How can the UK leverage international partnerships and domestic "national champions" to accelerate

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25:04

Unlocking Very Low Earth Orbit (VLEO) and how the UK...

The Kármán Line ·

2026/07/23

Why is the orbital region between 10 km and 500 km currently empty? How can operating in Very Low Earth Orbit (VLEO) transform Earth observation, direct-to-device mobile connectivity, and telecommunications? How does VLEO solve the LEO problem of satellite collisions and failures creating space debris that lingers for decades? How do you solve the extreme engineering challenges of atmospheric drag, atomic oxygen corrosion, and continuous propulsion? And how is the UK positioning itself as a global

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36:50

The Karman Line Live in Cornwall: Bottlenecks,...

The Kármán Line ·

2026/07/14

How is geopolitics disrupting standard launch operations? Why are nations, including the UK, looking to build localised infrastructure rather than rely on giant space operators like the US? And rather than overriding local communities and sensitive environments, how can the next generation of spaceports prioritise “space for good”?Why is the space industry a communications basket-case? For a sector so clearly cool and exciting, how is it that the storytelling becomes pigeon-holed for “billionaires

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29:37

Ian Taylor: To protect satellites in space, “find...

The Kármán Line ·

2026/07/09

Why does the UK struggle to scale-up early-stage innovations? Must the Government move from being a core funder to a primary procurer? And how do we define sovereignty in an age where standalone defence is complex? Does true sovereignty mean carefully selecting international partners and alliances?If modern space infrastructure, like maritime surveillance and drone tracking, relies on dual-use military and civilian technology how do commercial and security sectors ensure this becomes second nature

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39:03

The truth about in-orbit manufacturing and bringing...

The Kármán Line ·

2026/07/03

What is the “commercial paradigm shift” that transitions space research into commercial space production? How does this shift help build a global supply chain for high-value terrestrial industries? Why will manufacturing substrates like gallium nitride or diamond in space allow companies to bypass decades of Earth-bound defect correction research? How do we move from building complex, multi-million-pound machines that we burn up on re-entry to reliable methods for bringing satellites back to Earth

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15:39

The UK Defence Investment Plan (DIP) and its impact...

The Kármán Line ·

2026/07/02

What are the critical sovereign capabilities that DIP will be funding? Does DIP do enough to acknowledge the role of space as national infrastructure that underpins the UK defence stack? How will geospatial imagery and ISR data translate into active frontline capabilities? Can the UK securely guarantee that its international systems can operate without external interference? And why are “responsive launch” and assured access to space missing from the DIP?Join Jonners and the Head of Policy at

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40:18

The UK space economy: Government pivot, launch...

The Kármán Line ·

2026/06/25

Did you know that the UK space industry is roughly the same size as the UK music and video games industries? And that beyond direct revenue, nearly £1 in every £5 of UK GDP is supported or enabled by satellite services? Or that, because the UK public sector budget is 0.2% of GDP compared with 0.8% for the EU, our market is more commercially driven and innovative?So how to get to the next level? Should the UK Government pivot its role from grant provider to “anchor customer”? Should the UK build more

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37:25

Orbital Data Centres: Why reality might not match the...

The Kármán Line ·

2026/06/18

What are orbital data centres (ODCs) and how do they differ from orbital edge computing? How do they solve the bottleneck of transmitting massive volumes of data from space to Earth? How believable is the central premise of the SpaceX IPO, that because space offers unlimited real estate, solar energy and natural radiative cooling it is therefore the future of Earth’s AI computing needs? Why are some experts sceptical and is there a danger that while AI demand is real, the infrastructure market could

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14:49

Lord Heseltine: "You’re just playing in toy town”

The Kármán Line ·

2026/06/11

Lord Heseltine tells the story of the birth of the European Space Agency. Why post-Apollo, when the US was spending £1.2 billion a year on space, the whole of Europe was spending just £200 million. Why the birth of ESA was driven by the self-interest of three major countries. Why the US general with a $29 billion budget for the Star Wars project wanted to invest in Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh. Why, the idea that Britain could compete alone with the technologies that were accumulated and

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28:28

Space sustainability: Turning orbital debris into a...

The Kármán Line ·

2026/06/03

The idea of 14,000 satellites in low earth orbit sounds pretty scary but in context there’s over a million cars on the road in the UK alone and low earth orbit is a really big 3D space. So, should people be worried about space sustainability? Shouldn’t they just relax and remember there’s loads and loads of space out there?Or should they still be scared? What happens when satellites do cross paths? If they’re all part of the SpaceX Starlink constellation they’ll talk to each other instantaneously

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35:14

Space comms: why rockets really aren’t the story

The Kármán Line ·

2026/05/18

Why do people in the space sector think they have a comms problem and yet the public at large think space is sexy? Should we stop evangelising about the technology that gets stuff into space rather than the core marketing message? After all, KFC is about the chicken not the trucks that deliver it.What are the leadership opportunities in the UK from launch in Scotland and what is the “environmental conscience” behind that endeavour? And how did we end up with kids in St Austell working on global

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37:38

Space law: are existing legal frameworks fit for...

The Kármán Line ·

2026/05/07

With a mind boggling 1.8 million satellites filed for launch before 2030 how are we going to manage the congested and contested realm of space? We know about warfare in space but how about lawfare in space? Who actually owns the moon? More pointedly, who owns the resources of the moon? How useful are the UK’s regulatory frameworks and how do you dispose of a fridge in low earth orbit?Join Alice, Jonners and international lawyer Joanne Wheeler, “the single powerhouse behind many of the space business

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