Episode 13 — Who Pays to Clean Up Space? The Business of Protecting Earth's Orbits with Andrew Faiola

Space is getting crowded — and nobody's cleaning it up. But what if someone could?

In this episode of The Space Curious Podcast, host Arn Terry sits down with Andrew Faiola, Commercial Vice President and Director at Astroscale UK, the company pioneering orbital servicing and active debris removal. We dive deep into the technology, the business case, and the moral imperative behind keeping Earth's orbits safe and sustainable for future generations.

Modern life depends on satellites — communications, navigation, weather forecasting, financial transactions, and Earth observation. But with thousands of defunct spacecraft and millions of debris fragments orbiting our planet, the orbital environment is becoming increasingly congested and dangerous. If we don't act, the consequences won't stay in space.

What we discussed:

• Andrew's journey — from a curious kid launching model rockets to a commercial leader in the space industry
• Commercial leadership in space — what a Commercial Director actually does day-to-day
• Space debris — one of the most underestimated threats to modern civilisation
• The Kessler Syndrome — cascading collision effects in orbit
• Astroscale's three core capabilities — Inspect, Service, and Remove
• Rendezvous and Proximity Operations (RPO) — the fundamental technology behind orbital servicing
• Who pays to clean up space? — governments, defence, and the commercial transition
• The ELSA-M mission — docking with and removing a OneWeb spacecraft
• A circular space economy — moving beyond disposable satellites
• Careers in space sustainability — opportunities in a growing sector
• Myth busting — "There's so much room up there, why worry?"
• Orbital servicing by 2030 — Astroscale's ambition to become the "AA of space"
• The moral compass of space sustainability — why profit can't come first
• Quickfire round — launching vs. servicing satellites, LEO vs. GEO, and the most underestimated threat in orbit
• A safe orbital future — what decisions our generation needs to make now

Guest: Andrew Faiola — Commercial VP & Director, Astroscale UK
Host: Arn Terry — The Space Curious Podcast
Connect with Arn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arnterry/
Join the Space Curious group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/18018020/

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Are you hiring? Reach Arn Terry to discuss mission-critical talent across the space, satellite and defence sector.
Space and aerospace recruitment: https://danielernest.com/de-orbit