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?  

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

Topic: Lightweight hardware prototyping/process

Topic: Selling space, talking about the dream of exploration

Topic: Future of space engineering as I see it

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:

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?  

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:

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

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:

USEFUL LINKS:  

Ansuz Capital website: https://ansuzcapital.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

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?

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/58a4a32ce4fcb5d8f00b7243/1487184684871/Destruction+and+Creation_3+Sep+1976.pdf

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

Get new episodes directly in your inbox: https://www.coldstartech.com/msb 

Talk to Cold Star: https://www.coldstartech.com/bookcall

Nicolas Chaillan is the past Chief Software Officer for the US Space Force and Air Force. He lead a number of software initiatives in the US Department of Defense (DoD) and has demonstrated an impressive ability with project and change management. Host Jason Kanigan asks Nic:

For those who haven’t heard of you yet, please give us the highlights of your DoD involvement and CSO experience

How did you make the move to becoming a US citizen and becoming employed by the state in important roles?

Can you explain DevSecOps for those outside the tech field? Why is it important and how have you contributed to US national security and administrative effectiveness with it?

You’ve made no secret of the cultural and change management issues inside DoD that frustrated your work. This was what really caught my attention, as such issues are found in nearly all large organizations and are the kinds of problems I’ve seen up close for over 20 years as a change agent and OpEx guy. Can you share with us some stories exemplifying these problems, and what you recommend to improve the situation?

The Waterfall vs Agile development methodology argument has been going on for some time. But according to yourself and other DoD officials I’ve spoken with, one has clearly outperformed the other and “actually works”. What has your experience been and why do you so strongly promote the methodology?

You’ve repeatedly sounded the alarm about TikTok: what’s the problem with this app and why is it a danger to Americans?

The tech we’re talking about--logistical and operational, decision making, infrastructure security--has a huge impact and yet is operating at a level out of sight of the general public. In a perfect world according to Nicolas, how do you see the strategic direction of US effort being applied to reach the operational state you envision? Let’s paint that picture.  

USEFUL LINKS:  

Link for Platform One, Iron Bank, Big Bang and more: https://software.af.mil/dsop/services/ 

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

Get new episodes directly in your inbox: https://www.coldstartech.com/msb 

Talk to Cold Star: https://www.coldstartech.com/bookcall