Episode Details

Space’s biggest bottleneck may be on Earth, not in orbit. In this Sourcery episode, host Molly O’Shea talks with Bridgit Mendler about Northwood Space’s new 185,000-square-foot factory in El Segundo and the overlooked ground segment powering satellite communications. This condensed summary cuts the original episode down to a quick listen, highlighting how Northwood is building a full-stack solution for antennas, digital signal processing, deployment, and software integration. Learn why Mendler believes the space industry has focused on spacecraft while leaving networking infrastructure stuck in the 1990s, how the company plans to manufacture hundreds of antennas, and why fiber, power, land, and licensing shape ground-station strategy. The conversation also covers venture capital, startup execution, government procurement, and how Northwood aims to turn “bits into dollars” for the growing space economy. Listen now to get the key ideas in minutes.