This week on Pathfinder, we’re excited to bring you a special one-off episode, made possible by Astroscale U.S., the Denver-based subsidiary of Astroscale, a global provider of on-orbit servicing solutions. This episode dives into the DoD’s push to integrate commercial in-space servicing, assembly, and manufacturing (ISAM) capabilities to enhance flexibility, resilience, and sustainability in military space operations.

Joining the discussion are retired Colonel Dennis Wille, Senior Director of Business Development for National Security at Astroscale US, and John “Patsy” Klein, Senior Fellow in Strategy at Falcon Research and a leading expert in space policy and strategy. Together, we unpack how ISAM technologies are transforming space operations and advancing U.S. leadership in the domain.

This episode covers:

The DoD’s commercial space integration strategy and ISAM’s role in enhancing operational resilience
The challenges and opportunities of managing space debris and enabling active debris removal
How ISAM capabilities like refueling, repair, and inspection are reshaping spacecraft lifecycles
The critical role of commercial partnerships in supporting national security objectives
The future of space operations and the technologies poised to drive innovation

And much, much more…

• Chapters •

00:00 - Intro

04:12 - What is ISAM and why is it so important to the DoD's space strategy?

06:08 - Patsy's role in commercial integration of ISAM

08:49 - What is the DoD's commercial space strategy?

10:57 - Astroscale's priorities

14:53 - Why does the government care about debris removal?

16:18 - Why does space junk removal help the US to maintain leadership in space?

19:30 - PLEO and commercial opportunity

22:49 - Tech capabilities being developed at Astroscale

26:50 - Mature ISAM capabilities that we have today

29:23 - Astroscale and DoD partnership

31:07 - Government vs commercial customer makeup prediction

32:19 - Policy/regulatory hurdles for ISAM

34:17 - What will it take for commercial to become a bigger part of Astroscale's business?

37:09 - Does ISAM have an education issue?

39:18 - Technical gaps in ISAM

40:50 - What technological advancements should we anticipate?

42:24 - What defense strategies will ISAM create?

45:06 - How Astroscale positions themselves against competitors

47:59 - Advice for investors interested in ISAM

49:28 - How can the US maintain their leadership role in space?

51:53 - Book recommendations

• Show notes •

Astroscale’s website — hhttps://astroscale-us.com/

Mo's socials — https://twitter.com/itsmoislam

Payload’s socials — https://twitter.com/payloadspace / https://www.linkedin.com/company/payloadspace

Pathfinder archive — Watch: https://www.youtube.com/@payloadspace

Pathfinder archive — Listen: https://pod.payloadspace.com/episodes

• About us •

Pathfinder is brought to you by Payload, a modern space media brand built from the ground up for a new age of space exploration and commercialization. We deliver need-to-know news and insights daily to 19,000+ commercial, civil, and military space leaders. Payload is read by decision-makers at every leading new space company, along with c-suite leaders at all of the aerospace & defense primes. We’re also read on Capitol Hill, in the Pentagon, and at space agencies around the world.

Payload began as a weekly email sent to a few friends and coworkers. Today, we’re a team distributed across four time zones and two continents, publishing five media properties across multiple platforms:

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ISAM in Defense Strategy, with Patsy Klein (Falcon Research) and Dennis Wille (Astroscale U.S.)

Valley of Depth