Charlie McGillis is a retired USAF Colonel with a 26-year career, finishing as Director of Intelligence for the 14th Air Force (Space), where she led intelligence efforts supporting Air Force space forces and national objectives. She brings more than 30 years in defence and space leadership, including driving advances in space simulation and operator training across military and commercial sectors.

Charlie now serves as a Non-Executive Director on the Zendir board, sits on the BZV Investment Committee, and is a member of the Department of Commerce TraCSS Independent Review Board. She has been named one of the Top 30 Space Executives to Watch, advises Project Air Power, and mentors with CDL Space. She is Founder and CEO of 2 Polaris and Beyond, LLC.

In this episode, Charlie joins Peta and Sean for a wide-ranging conversation on what space actually looks like as a contested domain today versus when she retired in 2014 (2,000 active satellites then, over 16,000 now), how the threat picture has shifted from static infrastructure to maneuvering satellites, rendezvous operations, and what she calls dog fighting in space, and why the decision timelines for operators have compressed dramatically as a result.

We dig into Zendir and the live-virtual-constructive training gap: there is currently no certification required to fly a satellite, and Charlie makes a compelling case for why that has to change and why physics-true simulation is the only way to close it. She explains what made Zendir the board seat she said yes to, and why workshops like the one she facilitated at Catalyst Campus in Colorado Springs are how the light-bulb moments actually happen.

The conversation also covers what she calls the conversations the industry is not having: jamming that goes unreported every day, the legal gray zone around debris collection and orbital maneuvering, satellite theft by adversaries, and her case for space nuclear as a capability the industry must be willing to discuss openly. Charlie closes with direct advice for Australian founders looking to enter the U.S. space market: understand the mission, integrate into what already exists, get your CMMC level two in order, and do not wait for the U.S. to lead. Australia needs to build sovereign space capability and bring something distinct to the fight.

🔗 GUEST LINKS

• Charlie McGillis LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charliemcgillis/
• 2 Polaris and Beyond: https://www.2polarisandbeyond.com/

Host Links:

• Peta Ellis (Host): https://www.linkedin.com/in/petaellis
• Sean Singleton (Co-host): https://www.linkedin.com/in/sean-singleton-b616292/
• BZV YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@BeatenZoneVenturePartners/videos
• BZV Website: https://beatenzone.vc

Production:

Produced at ⁠The Podcast Boss⁠ ⁠podcast studio in Brisbane

Recorded on Riverside FM. thepodcastboss.com