Charles Beames

Contributor at Forbes

Aerospace Investor | Chairman of @YorkSpaceSystem, @SpiderOak, @TrustPointGPS, & SSA Former | President Vulcan Aerospace & Pentagon Official (Space & Intel)

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Articles

Space Superiority: Why The Space Force Must Lead In AI Warfare

1 month ago | forbes.com | Charles Beames

The dimensions of modern warfare have shifted so suddenly and in such a way that even our country’s newest service is neither preparing for nor even really thinking much about. Today’s battles are defined as much by interconnected networks and the software-driven systems on them as by the kinetic effects of traditional weapons.
The Commercial Space Revolution: Critical Lessons For The Space Force

2 months ago | forbes.com | Charles Beames

After years of hesitation, the national security space community is finally boarding the commercial space train, one that many of us have been pushing for since the early 2000’s. The momentum is exciting, but long overdue. In the past decade, the United States has seen a transformation in space capabilities, driven not by government labs or legacy contractors, but by private capital and market-driven innovation.
The guardian’s rifle: why mission-essential space support cannot be outsourced

2 months ago | spacenews.com | Charles Beames |Angel Smith

In matters of national defense and credible deterrence, some capabilities are simply too vital to outsource. If they falter, armies lose battles and nations can lose wars. Today, commercial space services are more capable than ever. The U.S. military increasingly relies on them for flexibility, speed and innovation.
Apollo To Blue Ghost: How Commercial Space Conquers The Final Frontier

Mar 2, 2025 | forbes.com | Charles Beames

There are moments in the modern space era that compel all of us to stop and reassess their place in the new Space Race. When Paul Allen and Burt Rutan’s SpaceShipOne became the first privately built vehicle to reach space twice in two weeks, it signaled the dawn of a new commercial spaceflight era. When Elon Musk’s Falcon 9 rocket proved reusability at scale, it revolutionized launch economics and unlocked unprecedented access to orbit.
How Commercial Space Conquers The Final Frontier

Mar 2, 2025 | upcontent.link | Charles Beames
Why AI Mastery Determines Space Dominance

Feb 13, 2025 | forbes.com | Charles Beames

What began as an MIT graduate’s pandemic project – a simple curiosity-driven experiment – may be the wake-up call that pushes the space community to take artificial intelligence (AI) seriously. At least, it should be. The New York Times recently spotlighted Corey Jaskolski, an MIT-trained AI graduate, whose lockdown musings turned into a breakthrough with serious national security implications.
The secret to delivering Trump’s Iron Dome program

Feb 6, 2025 | breakingdefense.com | Charles Beames |Alyssa Schonhaut

There is no leadership principle more universally recognized and validated than this: “You get what you reward.” Whether training service dogs at New Skete Monastery or deploying an “Iron Dome” missile defense system in orbit, the key to success is the same: Incentivize the right behaviors and, just as crucially, refuse to reward the wrong ones. Yet, when it comes to urgent national security needs, Washington’s default response follows an all-too-familiar script.
How Private Capital And Innovation Will Redefine U.S. Space Strategy

Jan 8, 2025 | forbes.com | Charles Beames

Today’s space sector is at an inflection point, poised to capitalize on the tech sector’s gains from cloud computing and artificial intelligence. Just a decade ago, the space economy was dominated by large, school bus-sized satellites. These billion-dollar workhorses served military, intelligence, and civil agencies well for decades, with slow improvements made to their subsystems.
How To Achieve Government Efficiency In Space

Dec 18, 2024 | forbes.com | Charles Beames

Four years ago, in the flurry of activity during Donald Trump’s transition into the White House, an innocuous decision was made by the incoming President. This decision revealed his instincts as a successful businessman, and it emphasized the value of competition as a lever to secure a more efficient supply chain at the best value for the customer. At the time, the military’s vaunted F-35 fighter program was facing the usual overruns that routinely plague complex weapon systems.
Maintaining American leadership: Space Force funding and legislative autonomy

Dec 2, 2024 | copernical.com | Charles Beames |Angel Smith

HomeNewsMaintaining American leadership: Space Force funding and legislative autonomy Write a comment Five years after its establishment, the United States Space Force remains hindered by its dependence on the Air Force for both funding and legislative access.