Space's next pioneers aren't wearing spacesuits

太空的下一批先锋并未身着宇航服

Round Table China

2026-01-21

28 分钟
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单集简介 ...

For the first time, the story of space isn't just about astronauts. It's about farmers using satellite data, engineers designing zero-gravity labs, scientists discovering new drugs, and policymakers crafting the rules. The architects of our future in space are building it from the ground up. On the show: Niu Honglin, Steve & Fei Fei
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单集文稿 ...

  • Discussion keeps the world turning.

  • Translating the trends and deciphering the headlines.

  • This is Roundtable.

  • I'm Neil Holen.

  • From rockets to roses, from satellites to space factories, in our previous episode,

  • we've established that China's commercial space industry is moving from ambition to application.

  • Here is a useful way to think about the future of it.

  • Commercial space is not just selling lunches, it's selling optionality.

  • Optionality for industries to test ideas that are impossible on Earth.

  • optionality for companies to shorten R&D cycles,

  • optionality for countries to build new growth engines when traditional industries slow down.

  • And that's where things get interesting.

  • So today, let's see why the next chapter is not only written by astronauts alone, but by farmers,

  • engineers, scientists,

  • and policymakers who may never leave Earth yet are already shaping humanity's future beyond it.

  • For today's show, I'm joined by Fei Fei and Steve Hatherly.

  • Now pull up a chair and join the conversation.

  • Once space becomes affordable, it becomes useful.

  • And once it becomes useful, everyone wants a piece of it.

  • So who's actually benefiting and who's paying the price?