Private space companies have big plans, from setting up space hotels and factories to powering missions to distant planets. But to do those things, they first will need to figure out how to build in space to avoid the cost, difficulty and limitations of shipping parts up to space from Earth. On this episode of Tech News Briefing’s special series about the developing space economy, host Zoe Thomas explores the hurdles to building in space and the technologies being developed to overcome them.

The modern space race has taken off, thanks in large part to the growing role played by private companies. As businesses send up more missions, build their own space stations and even think about mining the moon, they will need to find and train new types of workers. On the first episode of Tech News Briefing’s special series about the developing space economy, host Zoe Thomas looks at space jobs that go beyond astronauts.

A new era of human activity in space is taking shape, one increasingly defined by private companies rather than government agencies. This week on a special series of Tech News Briefing, we’ll examine some of the thorny questions raised by the privatization of the space industry: How will it get built? What technical hurdles stand in the way? And who gets a say in what its future looks like? Zoe Thomas hosts.

Software that detects warning signs of violence could help teachers, principals and counselors identify possible school shooters before they act. But the technology comes with limitations and raises questions about students’ privacy. WSJ family and tech columnist Julie Jargon joins host Zoe Thomas to discuss where this software is being used and how effective it can be.

Amazon wants its gadgets, such as home-assistance robots and Kindle readers, to connect people to the world around them. The company’s senior vice president of devices and services, David Limp, spoke with WSJ Senior Personal Tech Columnist Joanna Stern about how the company hopes to do that and whether antitrust concerns could derail those plans. Zoe Thomas hosts.

The use of technology in healthcare boomed during the pandemic and led to record investment in health startups. At The Wall Street Journal’s Future of Everything Festival, WSJ reporter Chip Cutter spoke with Zus Health CEO Jonathan Bush about what's next for the sector. Zoe Thomas hosts.

Elon Musk’s plans to buy Twitter are creating chaos and uncertainty inside the company, according to staff. Employees say they don't know what their jobs will look like, and some say it is taking a financial toll on them. WSJ tech reporter Deepa Seetharaman joins host Zoe Thomas to discuss what this could mean for Twitter and its workers.

After a 13-year financing bonanza that saw hundreds of companies reach billion-dollar-plus valuations, the fun may be over for tech startups. WSJ reporter Heather Somerville joins host Zoe Thomas to discuss why investors are closing their wallets and what startups are doing to stay afloat.

Cryptocurrency values have been plummeting recently, raising questions about investors’ safety and regulations. At The Wall Street Journal’s Future of Everything Festival, WSJ crypto editor Jenna Telesca spoke with Binance.US CEO Brian Shroder about how the crypto exchange is tackling these issues. Zoe Thomas hosts.

Augmented-reality headsets are already being used in some workplaces. What will it take for them to be more widely adopted? At The Wall Street Journal's Future of Everything Festival, Senior Personal Tech Columnist Joanna Stern spoke with senior executives from Magic Leap, a company pushing to make AR an everyday reality in our lives, about the challenges it faces. Zoe Thomas hosts.