The Space Show Presents Anastasia Prosina, Friday, 9-18-26
Meeting Summary:
The meeting was a Space Show episode featuring guest Anastasia Prosina, a space architect and entrepreneur who discussed her work with Stellar Amenities Lab and the challenges of advancing human spaceflight technologies through the mid-TRL gap. She explained her background in space architecture, her experience with various projects, and the difficulties in securing funding and support for human-centric technologies in space. The conversation covered topics such as the lack of investment in human life support systems, the role of humans versus robotics in space exploration, and the importance of long-term thinking in space policy and settlement planning. Participants John Jossy, John Hunt, Marshall, and Ajay asked questions about lunar base sequencing, artificial gravity, nuclear energy, and the broader implications of space settlement. Anastasia also mentioned her upcoming book on consciousness and space, and the group discussed the current state of space policy, funding, and the challenges of integrating space settlement into mainstream spaceflight discussions.
Detailed Summary:
The group discussed the upcoming Starship 14 launch scheduled for next Thursday at 7 PM Central Time, which will carry Starlink version 3 satellites and potentially attempt a ship catch on the next mission. John Hunt shared details about attending a local fair in Coal Camp, Missouri, where he saw antique tanks, participated in school reunions, and had discussions about scientific topics. The conversation also briefly touched on Elon Musk’s appearance at the All In summit, which John Hunt had missed and planned to watch later.
David welcomed Anastasia Prosina, a space architect and entrepreneur, as the guest for the one hour session. Anastasia discussed her 10-year career in space architecture and commercialization, including her work at Excalibur Almaz, MIT Media Lab on self-assembling spacecraft concepts, and her current company Stellar Amenities Lab. She explained the challenges in maturing space technologies between TRL 4 and 7, noting that many meaningful technologies “die” due to lack of funding and market demand for scalable solutions. Anastasia described her new Stellar Amenities Lab, which is six months old and aims to mature technologies, infuse capital, and spin out companies focused on near-term human space exploration, particularly on the lunar surface.
Anastasia and David discussed the current state of investment in human space flight. Anastasia explained that while 2026 saw the highest investment in the private space sector, less than 1% went to human space flight initiatives, with most investment focused on infrastructure rather than human components. She noted that while venture capital tends to avoid human-focused projects due to economic reasons, national and strategic investors may be more interested, particularly following a new directive from the national security department in August 2026 prioritizing crew systems. Anastasia outlined her lab’s goal to build a sophisticated dataset of human body responses to space to better understand aging processes and DNA changes caused by space travel.
Anastasia discussed the challenge of making a business case for human space exploration, drawing parallels to the evolution of consumer electronics and wearable health technology, where initial skepticism gave way to significant investment as people recognized the value of health monitoring and longevity. She explained that while robotics offers advantages like durability and reduced life support needs, humans remain valuable for scientific discovery and preserving consciousness, though she acknowledged the economic arguments against human missions. The discussion also covered lunar habitation sequencing challenges, with Anastasia describing a four-phase framework for moon base construction and highlighting the need to align incentives and determine goals before establishing the proper construction sequence.
Ajay and Anastasia discussed the growing interest in lunar missions and architecture, with Ajay mentioning his friend’s work on hopper designs. Anastasia shared details about her fellowship at Evermay in DC, where she focuses on space policy and human spaceflight, and discussed her background in space architecture and urbanization planning for Mars. Ajay invited Anastasia to a US Chamber of Commerce meeting about aviation and space next Wednesday, and David joined briefly to ask about TRL (Technology Readiness Level) goals for human spaceflight.
Anastasia talked about the challenges in technology maturation, particularly the gap between TRL 4 and 6 where technologies struggle to secure sustainable funding. She explained that early innovations receive initial funding but face difficulties accessing larger NASA contracts due to insufficient technology readiness, often leading to project stagnation. The discussion also touched on artificial gravity space stations, with Anastasia noting the significant financial challenges and lack of funding for such large-scale projects, referencing the 50th anniversary of O’Neill studies on space colonization.
David and Anastasia discussed the difference between space settlement and human spaceflight research, with David questioning why these topics are often treated separately rather than being integrated into broader human spaceflight discussions. Anastasia explained that current NASA grants and funding structures focus on specific components rather than comprehensive settlement systems, reflecting short-term planning horizons that don’t align with the long-term nature of city development and settlement establishment. The conversation highlighted how budget constraints and grant requirements limit research scope, with Marshall adding that lava tube habitats face similar exclusion due to these limitations.
Our Space Show Wisdom Team continued talking about Anastasia’s work on lunar habitats, particularly lava tubes, and her forthcoming book about consciousness and space exploration. The conversation covered technical aspects of lunar habitation, with John Jossy clarifying that initial moon bases would not be permanent settlements but rather learning outposts. Ajay inquired about nuclear fission energy in lunar habitats, which Anastasia confirmed is part of longer-term plans but not her current focus area.
Attendees: Dr. David Livingston (Host), John Jossy, Michael J Listner, Dr. Ajay Kothari, Marshall Martin, Paige Lazarus, John Hunt, Anastasia Prosina, our guest of honor.
Special thanks to our sponsors:
American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Helix Space in Luxembourg, Celestis Memorial Spaceflights, Astrox Corporation, Dr. Haym Benaroya of Rutgers University, The Space Settlement Progress Blog by John Jossy, The Atlantis Project, and Artless Entertainment
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