CU Aerospace President David Caroll kicks off a new season of the Cold Star Project as we discuss the challenges of productizing a new space tech invention. After the struggle of winning an SBIR, then developing the technology, what are the hurdles to commercializing the result? Host Jason Kanigan asks Dr. Caroll: What problem were you aiming to solve when you applied for the specific SBIR we're discussing today? Who was the customer or target user? How did you discover that a focus on having a customer was critical and a good starting point for tech development? What challenges did you have in getting the award, and then running the program? What conditions or advantages does having a partner eg. U of Illinois bring to the table? What have you seen in terms of grant awards that has made you scratch your head? USEFUL LINKS: CU Aerospace website: https://cuaerospace.com/ OpEx Society: https://www.opexsociety.org Get new episodes directly in your inbox: https://www.coldstartech.com/msb Talk to Cold Star: https://coldstartech.com/talktous
Chris Stott has created several successful space businesses and organizations. Yet when he first told me about his stealth project a few months ago, I was more than a little skeptical. Could data storage on the Moon actually work? Now that Lonestar Lunar has come out of stealth mode, Chris can explain what the company is doing and why. Cold Star Project host Jason Kanigan asks Chris Stott: What problem are you solving? Who will use it? How did the business case present itself? How was the executive team chosen? Why is it cheaper to build a data center on the Moon rather than on Earth? What are the steps involved in implementing your solution? Who are you dependent upon eg. launch provider to put equipment there? Do you have sites chosen? What improvements do you need to make to commercial data storage & transmission equipment to have it survive this environment? In your other life at Mansat you’ve developed considerable competency in the field of spectrum. Given the volume of data I imagine you’ll be moving back and forth, is there any extra requirement? How should early adopters contact you? USEFUL LINKS: Lonestar Lunar website: https://www.lonestarlunar.com/ Previous appearances by Chris Stott on the Cold Star Project: https://coldstarproject.com/chrisstottcoldstar Playlist: https://www.coldstartech.com/play OpEx Society: https://www.opexsociety.org Get new episodes directly in your inbox: https://www.coldstartech.com/msb Talk to Cold Star: https://coldstartech.com/talktous
Marco Cross recently completed his Masters degree in space engineering at Brown University, and is now Engineering & Commercialization Advisor at Cold Star Technologies. His experience includes developing and commercalizing products, chief engineer on satellite design projects, and commercial space launch. Host Jason Kanigan and Marco Cross discuss: Topic: SBUDNIC satellite Mission overview Learnings from building a multidisciplinary team Learnings from super lean/super fast construction Topic: Lightweight hardware prototyping/process Industrial design process in the context of mechanical/space engineering Use what’s available, not what’s theoretically best Prototyping always starts with good learnings up front -I’ve seen a lot of people fail because they get super far down the process without front-end validation Topic: Selling space, talking about the dream of exploration Why selling the idea of space is important NASA budgets are shrinking relative to GDP Is space recession proof? Topic: Future of space engineering as I see it Smallsats take over large satellites More COTS -Constellation-based sensing overtakes large singular sensing systems, like JWST Machine learning processing necessary for interpolation of data Future areas that need articulation/opportunities for innovation in space. USEFUL LINKS: SBUDNIC article by Brown University: https://engineering.brown.edu/news/2022-05-16/sbudnic-satellite-launch Transporter Launch video: https://youtu.be/CAgiFU3NAo0 Marco’s video "Space Engineering Is Hard And Here’s Why": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lNGZYQvCfUM OpEx Society: https://www.opexsociety.org Get new episodes directly in your inbox: https://www.coldstartech.com/msb Talk to Cold Star: https://coldstartech.com/talktous
Space industry analyst Nicholas Borroz moved from America to New Zealand to get a PhD in International Business, and ultimately start a space consultancy. But how did he break into the field, and what has he learned about the business of space--and the approach of most space sector companies to it? Space business owners, students and inventors seeking venture capital will find important information in this discussion. Cold Star Project host Jason Kanigan asks Nick: How did you end up in NZ? Peace Corps, doctorate … Tell us about your journey in the space industry What sorts of services do you offer at Rotoiti? And also, importantly, what you don’t do; What sorts of clients do you work for: segment, geography, and sector); How did you choose these areas of service focus? What are some common difficulties you notice space industry market actors facing? How can NZ/Oz companies & US companies work together on space projects? USEFUL LINKS: Rotoiti website: https://rotoiti.space/ OpEx Society: https://www.opexsociety.org Talk to Cold Star: https://coldstartech.com/talktous
In this special episode Dr. Gordon Roesler, past DARPA Program Manager and president of Robots In Space, joins Cold Star Tech's Jason Kanigan to elaborate on his idea of a "Space Superhighway". We have logistics systems on Earth, and they provide teremendous economic value: how can we have a similar system in space? USEFUL LINKS: Dr. Roesler's article on The Hill: https://thehill.com/opinion/technology/576673-lets-build-a-superhighway-in-space/ White House NSTC paper: https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/04-2022-ISAM-National-Strategy-Final.pdf OSTP request for comment: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2022/05/04/2022-09549/notice-of-request-for-comment Talk to Cold Star: https://coldstartech.com/scheduleonce
We are simply not as "science-y" as we think we are. People presented to us as experts, precedent, and emotions non-factually impact our decisions--and can put the wrong people behind bars for a long time. Fashion of the moment, storytelling, and "they way we've always done things" can be enemies of improvement. Do you believe you're immune to such influences? Lt. Col. Arthur Alphin is a firearms & ballistics expert and weapons systems engineer. In this role he is called upon in court to demonstrate how the opposing side's so-called "scientific" tests, representation of events and other issues in shooting cases simply aren't true. I discovered Art as the creator of a West Point video training series about weapons, and ask him here to elaborate on his experience and observations concerning the validity of court proceedings when it comes to shootings. You likely be extremely surprised and disturbed. USEFUL LINKS: Antiaircraft round screenshot referred to around 37:00: https://coldstarproject.com/alphinscreenshot Arthur Alphin's website https://arthuralphin.com/ Accompanying this discussion I recommend forensic criminologist Dr. Ron Martinelli's appearance on the Cold Star Project: https://coldstarproject.com/ytS02E02RonMartinelli OpEx Society: https://www.opexsociety.org Get new episodes directly in your inbox: https://www.coldstartech.com/msb Talk to Cold Star: https://coldstartech.com/talktous
Experienced space startup founder Matthew Travis returns to the Cold Star Project. What has his journey and pivot been like as he finds product-to-market fit in the space industry? What need is there for environmentally friendly propulsion for space launch and spacecraft? Host Jason Kanigan asks Matt: What indicators have you found that point to a need for environmentally friendly propulsion technology for space launch? Who’s your customer? How did you focus on nanosatellites as your target market? How will this technology impact the marketplace and the planet’s ecosystem? Tell us about your journey in developing this technology. What R&D hurdles and successes have you experienced? When it comes to the operational areas of Sales and Production, what have you learned? Especially since this is not your first space company. USEFUL LINKS: NASA’s Green Propulsion Roadmap: https://ntrs.nasa.gov/api/citations/20180006412/downloads/20180006412.pdf The European Union is moving toward bann...
Space industry analyst Chris Quilty joins host Jason Kanigan on the Cold Star Project to discuss what makes a good startup in the field. As a 20+ year veteran of space and satellite analysis, Chris founded Quilty Analytics in 2016. Jason asks Chris: What was it that made you realize opening your own firm was a better idea after 20 years of working for another firm? You speak about benchmarking in your profile ⏤ what indicators do you look for that demonstrate a good investment? Are space startups offering the exit opportunities investors want? How far are we from having a true “commercial space industry”? What’s your opinion of SPACs and how gun-shy do you believe investors will be going forward? You’ve stated that you believe the regulatory environment for space firms has become more favorable. Can you explain what has been happening and factors contributing to this? How is the defense and intelligence community reacting to the emergence of a commercial space industry. Are the...
Venture capitalist Adam Anderson got into the space industry by way of cybersecurity. He knows what it takes to start up successful businesses--and when to get out of your own way as the founder so the business can grow further. Host Jason Kanigan asks Adam: How did you get involved in space investing? What was your journey to get to now? What level have you been involved in in space investing? (company size, maturity level at start/end, pre/post revenue) Has there been an evolution in your choices? What “brutal lessons” have you learned by being a space industry investor? What’s the most frustrating thing you keep seeing? - How important is the tech when the leadership of a startup is pitching you? What’s the thing you keep banging your head against the wall about, wishing people would have ready to bring to you when they come to pitch? Is there a consistently encountered hurdle when moving from pre- to post-revenue? Anything blocking the move from zero to one? What have you no...
Are there new and unexpected ways to gather and interpret data in the space domain awareness field? More Cowbell Unlimited founder John Bicknell thinks so. Combining interests in operations research and national security, John looks to develop valuable predictive insights. Cold Star Project host Jason Kanigan asks John Bicknell: what is your background and how did you get into space? How do you perceive the emerging space environment? How do you see the role of the US military in space? What is your view of the state of Space Domain Awareness, and what can be improved in it? USEFUL LINKS: More Cowbell Unlimited Website: https://morecowbellunlimited.com/ John Bicknell LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnbicknell/ LinkedIn company page: https://www.linkedin.com/company/morecowbellunlimited Twitter handle: @morecowbellultd COL John Boyd USAF article: Boyd, J. 1976. “Destruction and Creation.” https://static1.squarespace.com/static/58a3add7e3df28d9fbff4501/t/58a4a32ce4fc...