Why Should I Care About Satellites? | Ian Cinnamon #499 | The Way I Heard It

What happened in this episode?

Mike Rowe interviews Ian Cinnamon, a 33-year-old technology founder and chief executive of Apex, a Los Angeles-based company that builds satellite “platforms” (the chassis and core systems that customers can adapt for different missions). Cinnamon argues satellites are embedded in everyday life through GPS, communications, weather monitoring and imagery, and says a broad satellite outage would disrupt aviation and other critical systems.

Cinnamon describes orbital safety risks, including debris cascades, and claims that a small share of satellites are manoeuvrable — a capability he says is being used by “peer adversaries”. He alleges Russian satellites are currently moving towards a commercial satellite used in Ukraine and suggests Russia may be trying to disable it. He also presents a scale comparison between the US and China, claiming China has announced plans for more than 12,000 government satellites in coming years, versus about 200 launched by the US government last year.

On the industrial side, Cinnamon criticises long-standing “cost-plus” procurement as an incentive for bespoke, slow satellite builds. He says Apex is attempting a manufacturing approach akin to assembly-line production, with a “software-enabled” line built around trained human technicians rather than heavy robotics. He gives workforce growth figures (about 350 employees, up from around 100 a year earlier) and says Apex can build more than 200 satellites annually, with prices ranging from about $3.5m to $13.5m. Rowe steers the discussion towards risk tolerance, safety culture, and building a skilled workforce for aerospace manufacturing.

What are the key points?

• Cinnamon says most people interact with satellites daily via GPS, connectivity, weather data and imagery.
• He alleges Russian satellites are manoeuvring towards a commercial satellite used in Ukraine and may be aiming to disable it.
• He claims China has announced plans for more than 12,000 government satellites in coming years; he contrasts this with about 200 US government satellites launched last year.
• Cinnamon says satellites typically have planned end-of-life burn-up timelines to limit orbital debris.
• Apex claims to be standardising satellite platforms and selling them with posted prices rather than cost-plus bespoke contracting.
• Cinnamon says Apex has grown to roughly 350 employees and can build more than 200 satellites per year, priced roughly $3.5m–$13.5m.

Which topics are covered?

How is this page sourced?

Programme

The Way I Heard It with Mike Rowe

Published

21 August 2026

Duration

33m

Original episode

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