Do we need highways for space?

In this week's episode of Space Minds, Luca Rossettini, Founder and CEO of D-Orbit sits down with host David Ariosto. The conversation starts with Luca's journey from aspiring astronaut to space industry entrepreneur. Luca recounts his experience working at NASA Ames, his near-success in becoming an astronaut in Europe, and his subsequent decision to build D-Orbit. He outlines the company’s mission to develop a logistics infrastructure capable of transporting goods, people, information, and energy between Earth, Mars, the asteroid belt, and the Moon. Luca also highlights D-Orbit's accomplishments, including completing 19 successful space missions and deploying over 180 payloads using their cargo vehicles.Luca delves into the company's broader vision of a circular economy in space, where instead of clearing debris, they aim to recycle and repurpose it. He explains that D-Orbit’s strategic roadmap is divided into steps, each targeting a specific market while building towards the ultimate goal of sustainable space infrastructure. He emphasizes the importance of sustainability and views space debris as a valuable resource that can be recycled and used to construct satellites and other assets directly in orbit. Additionally, he describes the company’s role in testing new technologies in space, ranging from AI systems to quantum payloads.Luca also discusses the challenges and opportunities presented by the evolving space economy, noting that D-Orbit operates across commercial, institutional, and defense sectors.Space Minds Podcasthttps://spacenews.com/space-minds-podcast/