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In this episode of At the Boundary, retired U.S. Coast Guard Rear Admiral Mark Fedor joins GNSI’s Dr. Tad Schnaufer for a wide-ranging conversation on how space is rapidly emerging as a critical domain for national security, commercial innovation, and operational risk.

What does a retired Coast Guard Rear Admiral know about space? As it turns out, quite a lot. Fedor is currently Executive Vice President with a veteran-owned company (Operator Solutions), which specializes in rescue, recovery, and operational support services for outer space missions.

Drawing on his decades of maritime leadership and his current work supporting commercial space missions, Fedor explains why the growing launch volume is creating new demands for astronaut rescue, space vehicle recovery, and hazard response. The discussion explores space debris, private astronauts, space tourism, and the rise of space-based manufacturing and orbital supply chains with potential military and commercial applications. Fedor also draws compelling parallels between governing the maritime commons and the need for international norms in space.

As commercial activity accelerates and regulation struggles to keep pace, the episode highlights the strategic, legal, and human challenges shaping the future of space operations—and why preparedness on Earth remains essential.

Episode Links:

Operator Solutions
St. Petersburg Conference on World Affairs "Space: International Collaboration and Competition" (Feb 10-11, 2026)

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At the Boundary from the Global and National Security Institute at the University of South Florida, features global and national security issues we’ve found to be insightful, intriguing, fascinating, maybe controversial, but overall just worth talking about.

A "boundary" is a place, either literal or figurative, where two forces exist in close proximity to each other. Sometimes that boundary is in a state of harmony. More often than not, that boundary has a bit of chaos baked in. The Global and National Security Institute will live on the boundary of security policy and technology and that's where this podcast will focus.

The mission of GNSI is to provide actionable solutions to 21st-century security challenges for decision-makers at the local, state, national and global levels. We hope you enjoy At the Boundary.

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