In a move that sounds less like military doctrine and more like a corporate sourcing strategy, the Space Force is putting its 'commercial first' mantra into action. Colonel Tim Trimailo recently sat down with Mike Gruss on the SpaceNews podcast 'Space Minds' to explain how the service is working with industry. The discussion covered what the Space Force wants from new companies, how it's broadening its search for partners, and the pressing need for speed that's driving this whole commercial courtship.

This pivot towards the private sector is framed, with no small amount of dramatic flair, against what the promotional copy calls 'an ever-evolving threat landscape.' Enter Nightwing, a company that has apparently been 'hardwired to defend the nation.' Their marketing promises 'deep expertise and an unwavering commitment to U.S. national security,' operating 'at the edge of complexity' to deliver 'some of the world’s most technically advanced capabilities.' Their mission, should you choose to believe the ad copy, is to 'see what others don’t, go where others won’t, and achieve what others can’t.'

For those wanting to follow this burgeoning public-private romance, 'Space Minds' is the new audio and video podcast from SpaceNews hosting these conversations. The weekly show focuses on 'inspiring leaders, technologies and exciting opportunities in space,' featuring interviews with scientists, founders, and other experts who presumably love to talk about space almost as much as they love breathing.

New episodes, hosted by David Ariosto, Mike Gruss, and other SpaceNews journalists, drop every Thursday. You can watch them on SpaceNews.com or on their YouTube, Spotify, and Apple channels. The podcast even offers an email registration, promising 'exclusive access' to each episode as soon as it goes live, provided you consent to receive communications from SpaceNews and its partners. It's the modern media bargain: your inbox for their content.