In episode 101, Ben chats to Kirsten Whittingham, President of Max Space. Kirsten shares insights into her diverse and impressive career in the aerospace industry, from generating significant revenue at Axiom Space to overseeing the development of innovative expandable habitats at Max Space. The conversation delves into the unique technology behind Max Space's scalable habitats, the challenges and milestones ahead, and the future of space habitation. Kirsten also discusses her work with the Cosmic Girls Foundation, aiming to address gender inequality in the space industry and inspire more young girls to pursue STEM careers.

OUTLINE:

Here’s approximate timestamps for the episode.

00:14 Intro to

00:48 Introduction to Kirsten Whittingham

01:28 What is Max Space?

04:57 Inflatable

06:21 Mission in 2026

09:00 What is a soft goods?

10:22 Psychology of inflatable structures

12:20 How big could they be?

13:50 Experience from Axiom

17:35 Raising money for space startups

20:50 Sustainability

23:08 Private/public partnerships

25:55 Uses of Max Space habitat from research, manufacturing, space debris and sport?!

27:50 Cosmic Girls Foundation https://www.cosmicgirls.org/donate

30:45 CGF Initiatives

32:02 Advice to young people

35:10 Vision for the future of the space industry

37:53 Wrap Up and socials

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Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/getmaxspace/about/

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