{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"Space Stakes: The Business of the New Space Race","title":"Who Keeps NASA’s Spacecraft Connected as Its Relay Fleet Ages? — November 5, 2026","html":"<iframe width=\"100%\" height=\"180\" frameborder=\"no\" scrolling=\"no\" seamless src=\"https://share.transistor.fm/e/e96b4ca8\"></iframe>","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":726,"description":"NASA’s Ka-band relay awards aim to develop commercial service compatible with existing spacecraft, but the work begins with concepts and later phases depend on options. The episode also covers SpaceX’s terrestrial network plans, a conditional LeoLabs loan commitment, and concerns over Russian satellite approaches.\nNASA Announces Ka-Band Satellite Relay Awards for Space Communications — NASA\nViasat, SES, and Astranis Win NASA Ka-band Relay Contracts — Via Satellite\nSpaceX Strikes Deal with Qualcomm for Terrestrial Component of Starlink Mobile Network — Via Satellite\nSpaceX and Qualcomm post — @business on X\nDepartment of War's Office of Strategic Capital Signs $150 Million Conditional Loan Commitment With LeoLabs, Inc. — U.S. Department of War\nRussian Military May Have Rehearsed Attack on Finnish Satellite, Specialist Warns — The Moscow Times\nSatellite approach post — @reuters on X\nChapters\n00:00 Today's headlines\n00:47 NASA relay concepts for three companies\n01:54 Qualcomm base stations for Starlink Mobile\n03:02 Conditional loan for LeoLabs radar\n04:05 Russian satellite approach to ICEYE X36\n05:21 NASA trying to replace aging TDRS\n08:29 Concept awards and a working relay service\nSpace Stakes is an AI-voiced podcast, built and run by a real person. Nothing in this episode is financial advice.\nFollow Space Stakes: subscribe on YouTube · Apple Podcasts · Spotify\nMore from Brian Lampert: Quickly Quantum, the daily quantum computing briefing, and Concrete Compute, the daily AI infrastructure briefing. Transcripts and every episode: space-stakes.kngoworld.chatgpt.site.","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/nyaLFXa2ttfx9M9mPzUM3GElEJH7pfmkmAcNiSR-ELQ/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS9mZGY1/NTM1MDE3MTIwNjMx/ZDJhOGJmOGM4OGZl/ODFhOC5wbmc.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}