‘The Sky Is Not The Limit': Space Force In New Mexico
Gabe Mounce, Director of the Tech Engagement Office with the Air Force Research Lab New Mexico, and Matthew Fetrow, Senior Scientist with the USSF, explain what this newest military branch is focused on. University researchers, local tech companies, and Kirtland Air Force Base are playing crucial roles that New Mexicans may not know about.
How are private companies teaming up with the government to launch the future of space defense? And could space tourism really take off in our lifetime?
'How do we predict when a satellite is gonna fail, right?' Mounce said. 'Or how do you better monitor the health of a satellite? And as you can imagine, that's really important because it's an object that's remote in orbit, we can't access it. Despite the fact that we have an international space station, we do not have enough yet capability for astronauts to be fixing satellites – yet.'
Mounce explains how locally developed technology is helping to solve that very problem. Listen to the full discussion above to learn why New Mexico is becoming a key player in the space race.
Watch Gabe's TED Talk mentioned in the episode
Read more about how start-up companies are paired with USSF and DoD
Stay informed with the latest news by subscribing to the New Mexico News Insiders podcast wherever you listen. Download new episodes of the New Mexico News Insiders every Tuesday, starting around 5:30 a.m., Mountain time. Episodes are available on most podcast platforms, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Podbean, among others.
You can also watch our podcasts in video form, both on-air and online. Tune in to an abbreviated version of the New Mexico News Insiders podcast on broadcast television every Wednesday at 10:35 p.m. on Fox New Mexico. Full video episodes are posted on KRQE's YouTube page at youtube.com/krqenews13.
Having trouble finding the show? Try searching your favorite podcast player with the term 'KRQE' or 'New Mexico News Insiders' (without the quotes). You can also use the links above to find the podcast on each service or listen to the audio player at the top of this post.
If you have a question, comment, or suggestion for who should be interviewed on the podcast, let us know! Email your hosts at chris.mckee@krqe.com or gabrielle.burkhart@krqe.com.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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