T-Minus Space Daily – “SpaceX to Buy More Spectrum”

Date: November 6, 2025
Host: Maria Varmazis, N2K Networks
Guest: Yani Barghouti (CEO & Co-founder, Cosmic Shielding Corporation)

Episode Overview

This episode delivers a comprehensive daily update on the business, policy, and technology developments shaping the space industry, with a focus on SpaceX’s acquisition of more wireless spectrum licenses and a deep dive into innovations in radiation shielding and AI-enabled chips for space. Featured guest Yani Barghouti discusses Cosmic Shielding Corporation’s advancements in nanocomposite shielding and its implications for space-based data centers, cost-effective satellite operations, and national security.

Key Headlines (News Roundup)

[01:02–02:18]

• SpaceX to Acquire Spectrum from EchoStar:
  $2.6 billion deal to purchase AWS-3 licenses for expanding SpaceX’s mobile and satellite communications capabilities, pending regulatory approval.
• Kratos to Acquire Orbit Technologies:
  $356 million acquisition to enhance Kratos’ satellite communications for defense and various platforms.
• Reflex Aerospace Raises €50 Million:
  Largest Series A in European newspace to date, targeting sovereign satellite constellations for defense and intelligence.
• Starcatcher Sets Wireless Power Transmission Record:
  Achieved over 1.1 kW power beaming at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, furthering their Starcatcher Network orbital energy grid.
• Portal Space Systems Introduces Starburst Spacecraft:
  ESPA-class, rapid maneuver spacecraft with live payload launch scheduled on SpaceX Transporter 18 (Q4 2026).

Memorable Quote:
“What do you call a company that keeps buying up all of the spectrum licenses? … A conglomerate, of course.”
— Maria Varmazis ([01:32])

Contextual Detail:

• SpaceX’s spectrum acquisition complements a prior $17B deal (September 2025).
• AT&T remains the largest buyer from EchoStar earlier this year ($23B for 50 MHz nationwide).

In-Depth Interview: Radiation Shielding, AI Chips, and Data Centers in Space

Featuring Yani Barghouti, CEO & Co-founder, Cosmic Shielding Corporation
[11:41–23:06]

Introduction to Cosmic Shielding Corporation (CSC)

• CSC specializes in nanocomposite shielding for space and defense, solving a longstanding challenge: “Staying there is the next hardest thing [after getting to space].”
• Shielding solutions enable commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) hardware—like Nvidia GPUs and SSDs—to operate safely in orbit.

Notable Quote:
“Apart from getting to space, staying there is the next hardest thing.”
— Yani Barghouti ([11:55])

Success with Nvidia AI Chips in Space

• Previous mission shielded Nvidia Jetson GPUs, demonstrating dramatically reduced error rates—without needing expensive chip-level hardening.
• Large-scale testing at major accelerator labs (e.g., HIMAC, TRIUMF, NASA’s GRACE Radiation Lab) confirmed nearly an order-of-magnitude reduction in single event effects (failures from space radiation).
• Highlight: Reduction in severity of the remaining events—a novel result.

Quote:
“We tested shielded and unshielded and then aluminum shielded structures at [multiple] accelerators … At each case we were able to show a significant near order of magnitude reduction in single event effects.”
— Yani Barghouti ([13:39])

Advancing Predictive Models for Shielding Needs

• New project (backed by Space Systems Command and AFRL) to develop a semi-empirical software tool, modeling exact shielding requirements for future hardware.
• Goal: Replace expensive, time-consuming physical testing with simulation—an industry leap, as prior tools (like CREAM96) are outdated and incompatible with current sub-90nm technology.

Quote:
“There’s a huge gap in simulating the effects on the chips ... all the old tools like CREAM96, they just cannot give you an accurate representation.”
— Yani Barghouti ([15:38])

Funding & Demand

• $2M from Air Force TACFI, $2M in matching funds from customer contracts (unusual for this type of grant—shows strong customer pull).
• Energetic market demand since the Nvidia mission announcement.

Implications: Space Data Centers & National Defense

• Reliable COTS shielding is key for future space-based data centers (compelling for power savings and sustainability).
• Critical for missile defense and military uses where rad-hard parts are scarce.
• Enables quick qualification of commercial hardware for high-radiation (or intolerant of errors) mission profiles.

Quote:
“The ability to essentially take COTS components and quickly de-risk them to be used in these high-risk applications … That’s actually an area we’ve been getting a ton of support from, from the government.”
— Yani Barghouti ([19:49])

Next Steps: Scalable Productization

• Move toward providing coated, ready-to-integrate shielding materials for broader satellite manufacturing and structural applications—beyond just component-level protection.
• Focused on launching new product lines in early Q1 2026.

Quote:
“Rather than having engineers work to figure out how do I even integrate this material … we’re developing ready to go coated variants of the material … for any form factor.”
— Yani Barghouti ([21:20–22:18])

Other Industry Headlines

Curated by Alice Carruth ([07:49])

• Firefly completes SciTech acquisition.
• Leidos leads StarLab’s US space assembly.
• Raytheon UK secures UK Space Domain Awareness contract.
• ESA testing Ecosmic’s Space Domain Awareness on ESA satellites.
• ispace (Japan) awarded lunar base construction tech development.

Fun Science Story: "Dead Civilization" Headline Explained

[23:06–27:28]

• Popular Mechanics’ headline—about a possible space artifact from a “dead civilization”—humorously refers not to aliens, but to the USSR:
  • Arjuna 2025 PN7 likely a fragment from a failed 1967 Zond 1 Venus mission, resurfacing as a “quasi-moon.”
  • Previous similar event (May 2025) with Cosmos 482 (Venera mission) re-entering.
  • Reflection on space debris legacies and history—not extraterrestrial activity.

Notable Quotes – Quick Reference

• “What do you call a company that keeps buying up all the spectrum licenses? A conglomerate, of course.” — Maria Varmazis ([01:32])
• “Aside from getting to space, staying there is the next hardest thing.” — Yani Barghouti ([11:55])
• “We were able to show a significant near order of magnitude reduction in single event effects.” — Yani Barghouti ([13:39])
• “There’s a huge gap in simulating the effects on the chips ... all the old tools ... just cannot give you an accurate representation.” — Yani Barghouti ([15:38])
• “That dollar goes further, so to speak, for all involved.” — Maria Varmazis ([20:44])
• “The ability to essentially take COTS components and quickly de-risk them…that’s actually an area we’ve been getting a ton of support from, from the government.” — Yani Barghouti ([19:49])

Timestamps for Major Segments

• 00:58 – Daily headlines round-up
• 01:30 – SpaceX/EchoStar spectrum deal details
• 07:49 – Additional industry headlines
• 11:41 – Interview: Yani Barghouti, Cosmic Shielding Corporation
• 23:06 – Science story: USSR “space debris” as new “quasi-moon”
• 27:28 – Outro

Tone and Delivery

The podcast maintains a lively, witty, and deeply informative tone throughout, balancing authoritative reporting with accessible explanations and an undercurrent of dry humor—particularly in the loosening up of dense technical topics and poking fun at sensational science headlines.

This summary captures the essence and depth of the episode, focusing on key industry news, technical advances in space shielding and simulation, and broader implications for the space sector.