Kate van Dam spent her early career as a Marine Corps attack helicopter pilot and now works as a strategic leader at SkyFi, a company focused on making geospatial data more accessible. In this Astro Ben Podcast interview, host Ben Gamble asks her how that journey from the cockpit to the space industry happened.
Kate explains SkyFi's goal of opening up satellite imagery and geospatial data, and the ethical and privacy questions that come with it. She also talks about how her military background shapes the way she thinks about strategy, how AI and machine learning are changing geospatial analysis, upcoming projects, and Austin 4 America, which offers free tickets.
If you are interested in Earth observation, satellite data or career paths into the space industry, this episode is worth a listen. The episode is sponsored by SkyFi. For more, hear Jonathan McDowell on tracking space objects or Mark Sasson on recruiting in the space industry, or browse the full Astro Ben Podcast archive.
What you will hear
Kate's path from Marine Corps attack helicopter pilot to strategy at SkyFi
SkyFi's goal of making geospatial data more accessible
The ethical and privacy implications of geospatial data
How her military background shapes her strategy
AI and machine learning in geospatial analysis
Upcoming projects and Austin 4 America
Guest links
SkyFi: Website, Planet single-order tasking blog post, LinkedIn, X, Instagram
Also mentioned: Austin 4 America
Listen
Play this episode on Libsyn | Spotify | Apple Podcasts | YouTube
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