Episode Details

SpaceX is monopolizing launches with its Falcon 9 rockets, stuffing them with Starlink satellites and leaving little room for competitors—booking every slot through 2028 and 2029. For satellite startups without their own rockets, it’s a nightmare: building expensive hardware only to find no ride to orbit. Meanwhile, rivals like Blue Origin and ULA are also struggling with delays. Enter Rocket Lab, which just bought Iridium for $8 billion—a bold move to secure launch access and bypass SpaceX’s chokehold. The deal lets Iridium launch next-gen satellites faster and cheaper, while Rocket Lab bets that owning both rockets and satellites is the future of guaranteed space access. This power shift mirrors past tech monopolies: when one player controls the infrastructure, customer dependence becomes risky—and companies are waking up to the need for self-reliance.

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