Morgan Stanley Ideas Podcast

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 Moon Landing. In 1969, Neil Armstrong’s first steps inspired advancements that led to everything from modern kitchen appliances to the Internet. But 50 years later, space exploration isn’t limited to government-funded missions, launches, and astronauts. Now, private companies are leading today’s “space race” and will help us enter a new era of growth—with satellites. In our season finale, we look toward the stars to see how the satellites of the future could help improve life here on Earth. We start in Washington State with Chris and Libie Cain, a husband and wife fishing team, whose albacore tuna business is strained by illegal fishing practices — one of the many problems that may soon be solved by satellites. Then, we talk to Mike Safyan, the V.P. of Launch at Planet Labs, a start-up that’s revolutionizing how satellites scan the Earth. Planet currently has over 150 satellites capturing data that it licenses to scientists and industry leaders who wa