Charles Beams is a triple threat. He's worked for the government, has managed a billion-dollar investment portfolio, and now leads two private companies.

Beams is currently the chairman of cybersecurity firm Spider-Oak and executive chairman of Small Satellite Manufacture York Space Systems.

He also co-founded the Small Satelliance and previously ran late Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen's bulk in Aerospace. He also co-founded the Small Sat Alliance and previously ran late Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen's

Vulcan Aerospace.

He also worked extensively in intelligence, retiring from the Air Force as a colonel,

and during the Obama administration, oversaw the acquisition process for the Defense Department's

Space and National Intelligence programs.

Beams, who, to be clear, has not received a government briefing on this topic,

seemed like a very good person nonetheless to add some broader context to the downed Chinese high-altitude balloon,

which the Pentagon has also just disclosed, was not the first to breach sovereign airspace over the continental United States.

I actually personally think it was, it was a deliberate kind of trial balloon, if you will, right?

Just to learn how we would react, see how we would react to such a sort of slight provocation,

but sort of a deniable provocation.

In this episode, we discussed satellite sleuthing, cyber security in space, and what it was like working for the original space billionaire.

I'm Morgan Brennan and this is Manifestis.

There's so much to get to with you.

And I think what's so unique about you is the fact that you have a background in intelligence.

You have a background in commercial space and in the private sector and investing.

You also have a background with the DoD and on the national security side specifically.

So I do because of that and because of this unique

intersection of all these expertise that you carry, I do want to start with this balloon situation

because it did capture the public's attention and we're still finding out more details,

...