Cold Star Project

Cold Star Project

By Jason KaniganBusiness
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Cold Star Project episodes

  • Mike Read - What Does The ISS Have To Do With The Commercialization of Space? - CSP S05E03

    Mike Read is in the role of Manager, ISS Business and Economic Development Office at NASA Johnson Space Center. But what does the International Space Station have to do with the commercialization of space? Cold Star Project host Jason Kanigan asks Mike:


    • You have a non-engineering background yet are in the space field. Tell us about how this happened
    • What is the scope of your responsibilities in the ISS Business and Economic Development Office? 
    • What constitutes a success over the period of a year? 
    • Can you share some recent wins?
    • How long is the ISS expected to be available?
    • If/when commercial operators have private space stations in orbit, is NASA expecting to simply be a customer?
    • Who do you want to speak with? What makes a good discussion or project for you?  


      • Useful Links:  


      Houston, We Have a Podcast 2019 interview with Mike Read: https://www.nasa.gov/johnson/HWHAP/space-tourism-and-commercialization 


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


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

      43 min
    • Paul Rulkens - How Do We Lead And Manage Smart People? - Cold Star Project S04E11

      High performance culture expert Paul Rulkens returns to the Cold Star Project, and this time we're discussing how to manage smart people. In "brain" organizations, people have strong opinions and they're often right. So how do you lead these intelligent, educated and strong willed people to achieve great results?  


      Cold Star Project host Jason Kanigan asks Agrippa Consulting founder Paul Rulkens:  


      What does “High Performance Culture” mean from Paul Rulkens’ perspective? How do you know when you have it / what’s the target to be aiming for? What does a “success environment” really mean? (is your performance management geared towards accelerating the best, or is it designed to gradually improve the average? This distinction is the secret to creating outliers.)  


      Regarding managing smart people… What % would you typically find “smart people” in organizations? Is it the same as “high performers”?  “Only small chunks of your own time matter”--let’s discuss.  


      What about people who will say something like, “I line up my tasks and appointments so that I have maximum impact every moment I can? Surely larger amounts of my time and attention matter more than that!”  Assuming we have an 80/20 Rule application here (maybe it’s more like 98/2) how do we apply this as leaders of smart people? What circumstances demonstrate this concept?  


      When you don’t know as much about the subject matter as the smart people around you, what should you do? How can you pull the best out of your smart team?   


      As the leader, how can you add value to verify the smart people on the team are thinking accurately? What are your three platinum questions when you lack knowledge of any subject matter, and how do you use them? If you’re not a subject matter expert, what can you coach your team on? What else can you do?  


      Smart people often disagree. What should you do as a leader if your team has disagreements?  Regarding Succession planning with smart individuals, what are the 5 actions you can take when important people leave?  


      USEFUL LINKS:  


      Past appearance of Paul Rulkens on the Cold Star Project: https://coldstarproject.com/yts02e56paulrulkens 


      Paul Rulkens website: https://www.paulrulkens.com/


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


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

      41 min
    • Jonathan McDowell - Are We Building Enough Space Infrastructure Starting With JWST? - CSP S02E94

      Harvard-Smithsonian astrophysicist Jonathan McDowell is back on the Cold Star Project, and our topic is space infrastructure. From the Deep Space Network though JWST and Starlink, host Jason Kanigan and Dr. McDowell discuss what our experience so far has been and what our priorities in the field should be. Cold Star Tech founder Jason Kanigan asks Dr. Jonathan McDowell about Starlink altitude charts, recent discoveries regarding black holes, new space technologies, how JWST missions are determined, and more!


      USEFUL LINKS:

      JWST Observing Schedule: https://www.stsci.edu/jwst/science-execution/observing-schedules


      Jonathan's Space Report website: https://www.planet4589.org/space/jsr/jsr.html


      Dr. McDowell's previous appearance on the Cold Star Project: https://coldstarproject.com/auS02E24JonathanMcDowell


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

      46 min
    • Becky Schultz - When Should We Be Thinking About SBIR/STTR Product Commercialization? - CSP S05E02

      CEO of Compass Technology Group LLC Becky Schultz joins host Jason Kanigan on the Cold Star Project, and our topic of discussion is commercialization of products developed through SBIR/STTR grant funding. Jason asks Becky:


      • Tell us about your background and its relevance to SBIR/STTR awards  
      • What was your initial intention in getting grant money: to develop tech/IP, or move towards commercializing a product? Why?  
      • Share your experience with the grant awards process…quirks, takeaways, frustrations
      • What problem were you solving and how did you know the market would be interested in buying?  
      • Your focus on commercialization ⏤ success stories, struggles (supply chain, scaling manufacturing processes?)
      • What do you recommend for those seeking grant funding, in terms of purpose/focus/approach/expectation.


        • Useful Links:  

        Compass Technology Group LLC website: https://compasstech.com/

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

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


        29 min
      • David Carroll - How Does Product and Customer Development Work With Phase I and II SBIRs?

        CU Aerospace President David Carroll 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. Carroll:  

        • 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

          37 min
        • Chris Stott - Can We Really Have Data Storage On The Moon? - Cold Star Project S02E93

          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

            41 min
          • Marco Cross - Space From the Front Lines - Cold Star Project S02E92

            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

                    54 min
                  • Nicholas Borroz - What Are The Common Business Challenges Of Space Companies - CSP S03E21

                    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

                      24 min
                    • Gordon Roesler - A Space Superhighway?

                      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

                      24 min
                    • Arthur Alphin - Emotion vs Expertise, Precedent vs Fact: Could You Be Fooled? CSP S04E10

                      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

                      51 min

                    About Cold Star Project

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                    The Cold Star Project digs into the challenges of scaling fast that tech and Space manufacturing founders encounter. Money does not solve all problems--so what now? Listen in to discover what scaling…