Cold Star Project Jason Kanigan

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 banning hydrazine. Ref: REACH https://www.esa.int/Enabling_Support/Space_Engineering_Technology/ESA_responding_to_EU_s_REACH_chemical_law 



Aphelion Aerospace website: https://aphelionaerospace.com/ 



OpEx Society: https://www.opexsociety.org 



Talk to Cold Star: https://coldstartech.com/talktous

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 they resisting or embracing the change
Are you seeing out-of-sector venture capital more willing to fund space startups? What should these VCs be cautious about and look for as positives?   



USEFUL LINKS:  



Quilty Analytics website: https://www.quiltyanalytics.com/ 



Screenshot of space art: https://coldstarproject.com/quiltyart 



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