Justin Breen is a successful entrepreneur, author, and journalist who has made a name for himself in the world of public relations. As the founder and CEO of the global PR firm BrEpic Communications, he has helped numerous clients gain media exposure and achieve their business goals through storytelling. In addition to his work as a PR expert, Breen is also the author of two books, "Epic Business" and "Epic Life."

But what sets Breen apart from other entrepreneurs is his unique approach to life and work. Breen believes that success comes from having the right mindset, an abundance mindset, which is the belief that there are enough resources in the world for everyone. He also values his personal life just as much as his work life and understands that having a robust, active personal life is essential to achieving success.

Since the 1950s, governments have funded the space industry. It wasn't until the 2000s, that billionaires like Musk, Bezos, and Branson started to make headway. Today, with decreasing launch prices, select smaller enterprises are having success with private funding. It's a new dawn in the space era, and financing is still a challenge. 

"I know how much money will be made off a mine in Chile," one investor said. " I don't know what's happening in space tomorrow." 

Tim Chrisman is a former Army and intelligence officer, with extensive finance experience. Now, as the  Executive Director of The Space Foundation and the Association for Space Finance, he works to incentivize financial development in space.  The Space Industry needs the financial tools, strategies, and overall infrastructure to further advance space efforts, and there are limited options right now.  

Here are a few key takeaways: 

• Recently, there have been attempts to make space more accessible by incentivizing markets, creating innovation zones and making comparisons with other infrastructure investments. 

• The agreement around bringing private market finance into the space industry is met with broad agreement but difficulty in coalescing everyone around the same idea due to conflicting agendas There is recognition that space is important, and the next step has been educating Congress members.

• Politicians are noticing that space benefits them personally and there has been a move to support the industry due to its job creation potential. Highlighting that many space-related jobs pay 20-40% higher than the national average has helped create positive traction for the sector. Personalization is necessary to spark interest in space among voters and politicians.

• Combining venture capital with donations to non-profits could help fund space projects.

• Infrastructure bills are being discussed to make space investment more palatable.

• Large private equity firms are working to model risk for long-term investments in space, but that is a challenge.

• Cognitive changes are still needed to transition people's understanding of what space can provide.

• China and Russia have clear visions for their military-commercial sectors in space. Leaders in the US Space sector are calling on US leaders to develop a clear vision and mission in the space sector. 

Learn more at F4Fspace.org.

Follow Tim Chrisman on LinkedIN and Twitter.

Follow Michael Bloxton on LinkedIN, Twitter, and Instagram.  

Entrepreneurs and good leaders are not always one of the same. While great leaders aren't necessarily entrepreneurs, the greatest often are. And, while great entrepreneurs aren't always great leaders, the best and most successful usually are - or they find people who are. Becoming either, is a transformational journey, and that’s exactly what Michael Bloxton and Shannon Graham discussion Episode 7 of Nebula Space Enterprise, Inc’s Your Place in Space Podcast.

Shannon Graham is a life coach, motivational speaker, and author of two books: Revolution of Self and Expand. Learn more at ShannonGraham.com. He and host Michael Bloxton, CEO and Founder of Nebula Space Enterprise, Inc., discuss what leadership and visionary leadership actually is. Here are a few takeaways  about transformational leadership from Graham’s perspective: 

• Leadership is the ability to lead people from one place to another. Visionary leaders see the world differently than how it is. They have a vision of the world that the majority of people don’t see, and they have good reason to believe that it’s possible. Their job is not only to lead people but to be able to communicate that vision in a way that people believe in it to the point that they want to be a part of it. Any movements that could change the world need visionary leaders.

• The benefit of having multiple people work on the same project is synergy. Even the most skilled workers can are limited to their own perspective. They can only be as smart as they naturally are. Having various perspectives brings focus and increases the possibility of realization.

• There are a number of pitfalls that potential leaders can face. Some of them are a lack of self-confidence, inability to communicate, and lack of self-awareness. The last one is the most important because if you are self-aware, you can self-correct in the other areas. Graham also points to accountability as a key factor in successful leaders. Radical responsibility is essential to growth and ultimately, success. 

• The Science of Success and the Art of Fulfillment are intertwined but can be drastically different as they are subjectively defined by the individual.  If you are not happy with yourself, a sense of true success and fulfillment can be difficult to achieve. 

• When faced with tough decisions, the best question to ask yourself is “What do you want?”When asked, many respond with what they do not want instead. You must dig deeper. Most people have an acceptable answer, the answer they think they deserve, and then the real answer - you should be digging for the real answer. 

  
  Get more of Your Place in Space at NebulaMedia.Space and MichaelBloxton.com.

Daniel Suarez is a New York Times best-selling author, TED Global speaker, and former systems analyst whose works explore the causes and impacts of rapid technological change. 

His first book, Daemon, explored cyber warfare and social media manipulation, while "Kill Decision" focused on lethal autonomy and robotic weapons that make decisions without human input. Change Agent touches on the potentiality of weaponized facial detection technology and genetic editing and how societies could be affected by concentrating war capabilities in small groups of people rather than relying on society at large for approval. Delta-V, however, is an aspirational, yet realistic tale, of the future of space exploration

Critical Mass, his seventh novel, invites readers to the new frontier via private space exploration, as opposed to government-driven programs. This inspiring story illustrates how humanity can cooperate to explore space. Through a believable creative vision and story, 
Suarez hopes to encourage people to embrace space as a real and necessary part of humanity’s environment and to encourage the daring pioneers to build the bridge to our final frontier. It works. He’s received several notes from readers about how his work has inspired them, including one who went on to pursue astronomical engineering 

Suarez’s authorial platform gained him access to experts in various scientific and technological fields enabling him to more deeply understand their work and bring it into mainstream awareness through a viable story. Suarez encourages other creatives to do as he has done: attend space conferences, bridge gaps between disciplines, and make connections between experts to help cross-fertilize great ideas. He believes that humanity must choose now if it wants an expansive celestial civilization in the limitless vistas beyond. There is a brief window of opportunity to get there successfully. 

Space matters now, and it matters to every human on this planet, whether they realize it or not. With lunar landings, Mars expeditions, and images from far-off galaxies, space may seem out of reach. The reality is, the world’s governments are heading to space because Earth’s resources are scarce, and it matters who gets there first. 

Michael Bloxton and Peter Stridh, co-founders of Nebula Space Enterprise, Inc. discuss what Nebula and her subsidiaries are doing to bridge the gap between Earth and Space for humanity, and the opportunity that awaits. Nebula Media’s Head of Marketing, Ashleigh Chevalier, hosts. 

Nebula Space Enterprise’s mission is to “provide all of humanity access to deep space and all of its resources.” It’s a multi-year, multi-generational goal, but Stridh and Bloxton both hope that the infinite resources of space available to humanity, will alleviate widespread conflict and strain on resources on a global scale.

There are six companies in Nebula Space Enterprise’s Phase 1: 

Nebula Compute

Nebula Blockchain

Nebula Cybersecurity
Nebula Incubator
Nebula Space Systems

Nebula Media

Bloxton explains his vision for Nebula and his pursuit of space arrived when he was holding his firstborn son and the future ahead was not what it should or wanted it to be for him. He wants to do everything he can to ensure his children and future generations have what they deserve. Stridh worked for 25 years in global tech and saw the rise of IBM and other technology companies. He believes space is the next necessary step for humanity, and opportunity awaits entrepreneurs and software developers. 

In his time in telecommunications, Bloxton realized that most parts of the world that are not currently connected to the internet do not have a way to connect to the world that would be practical. Digging fiber optic cables in the Sahara Desert or in the Amazon rainforest was never a project that anyone would be willing to take on, but half of the human population is not connected to the internet. Space is the way to connect these people to the rest of the world.

With more connectivity comes more data usage, and Space transmits information quickly: satellite images, telecommunications, and more. The satellites of today are cheaper and have far more computing power than ever before which means that it’s getting easier and less expensive to launch satellites.

Bloxton thinks that the largest roadblock to the expansion of the space sector is bad business models. Space tourism, for instance, is a low-opportunity model at this point: only a select few will be able to pay for that experience. Space companies and new entrepreneurs should be seeking to solve real problems and meet immediate needs to realize true success and provide scalable space-based solutions and businesses. Stridh agrees, that the opportunity in space, is now.

Nuclear has been with us for a long time and was originally developed to power machinery, like submarines, before being adapted to power plants. Accidents have occurred in the past, but these were at plants that generally had old, early-generation plants with pressurized water reactors. Currently, there is a renaissance in the nuclear energy sector, and the newer approaches are safer and cleaner than they have been in the past. The fears over using nuclear power come from first-generation nuclear power plants, while Ultra Safe Nuclear Corporation (USNC) and other younger companies are working with fourth-generation technology. The leap in technology from first to fourth is astounding - like going from dial-up to fiber-optic!

USNC encases its fuel in ceramic, which allows them to increase its energy output without compromising safety. In space, this change in technology allows USNC to output even more energy.

The safety features that are necessary for using nuclear energy on Earth do not necessarily apply to its application in space. For instance, a common precaution when building a terrestrial nuclear power plant is to ensure the safety of the community that will be utilizing it and housed near the plant.  Space, though, is devoid of additional people who could be harmed by nuclear energy, and more focus can be placed on output. There are actually guidelines in the United States for launching nuclear material into orbit. These guidelines haven’t been utilized yet, as further testing is needed, but the outlook is promising.

Concerns about nuclear radiation released into space are largely inconsequential. Not only is space already inundated with solar radiation, but the distances between objects in space are tens of kilometers apart and larger than the ‘safety, keep out’ zones of even the largest power plants on Earth. There are also provisions in the guidelines for launching nuclear material into space that insist it stays in ‘nuclear safe orbit.' This means that even if we lose control of a nuclear reactor, it will stay in orbit until it is inert. In essence, the reactor would not reenter Earth’s atmosphere for thousands and thousands of years.

Many don't realize Space-based nuclear power plants aren't a new concept. Russia has three nuclear reactors in space already! US-operated USNC is testing a Space-based system that could “beam"  and transmit data and, eventually energy. It is the same technology that is currently used with cell phone towers to transmit everything from calls to video to text messages. The next logical step is to use it to transmit energy for the purposes of emergency and short-term, temporary power needs. Imagine if in disasters, when the power grid goes down, we could simply beam energy to them until the power grid came back up - or beam power to military teams? 

Nebula Space Enterprise CEO, Michael Bloxton, and Nebula Blockchain CEO, Nic Payne, discuss the future of blockchain technology, blockchain’s potential role in space, and what it can do for the future of humanity as a whole. 

After spending nearly a decade in organizational development, Nic transitioned to the tech world after a 22-week coding boot camp and a year in the industry. Through that, he learned what blockchain could do to connect people, and how powerful it is. 

Throughout human history in any given era, Nic comments, society has been defined by technology to advance and how they organize themselves. This has been true since the first human societies. 

“Blockchain allows us to organize ourselves, pay our resources, and pursue common goals...” Nic continues. Overall, blockchain will allow humans to connect and self-organize at a species level in ways that have never been possible before.

And let’s be clear, cryptocurrency and blockchain are not the same things. Cryptocurrency is an application of blockchain technology, it is a currency built on the blockchain. This is a true intersection of the upcoming “Web 3.”

Mike clarifies that “Web 1” is where people could “read” on the internet; Web 2 enabled people to “read and write,” on the internet, and Web 3 is an entirely different elevation. Web 3 potentially offers a pivot in ownership and transparency in data communications. It could be particularly relevant in secure voting processes, for example. Blockchain technology is part of what could enable this pivot. 

But why move blockchain tech to space? There are many reasons, but an essential reason is the amount of energy it takes to compute terrestrially.  Computing and data storage requires an enormous amount of resources, including thousands of gallons of potable water and releasing tons of carbon emissions. Space-based computing infrastructure and technology alleviate these stresses. 

As a mechanism to empower humanity in space, and contribute to solving some of humanity's great challenges, Nic has co-founded DASA, or the Decentralized Autonomous Space Alliance, a DAO committed to providing ownership, access, and answers to its members. This space-based DAO is meant to connect humanity across the world and provide equal access to a free living space domain.

Listen to Episode 3 of Your Place in Space: Why Space-Based Blockchain, Crypto, and DAO is the Way of the Future to learn more. 

She is a renowned author, scholar, and speaker. Her extensive research and deep knowledge of global space powers and space policy have made her insights invaluable to the world’s leaders and decision-makers.  Dr. Namrata Goswami joins Michael Bloxton, CEO and Founder of Nebula Space Enterprise, in Episode 2 of the Your Place in Space podcast to discuss Space Powers in the World Today.

Key Take Aways

• While 77 countries currently have space programs, including smaller countries like Uganda and Singapore, the United States, China, and Russia are leading the race to dominate space. Many don't realize how close this space race is.  China has written space dominance into The China Dream (China’s constitution) and Russia has already launched nuclear power plants into space. India is making competitive strides. (Learn more about freedom in space in Episode 1 of Your Place in Space, The Space Race for Freedom with Lt. Gen. Steven Kwast, USAF (RET).)

• The US leads in terms of space technology and capacity, but China is close behind. Russia inherited the Soviet Union's space program when the USSR collapsed, making them a third major space power. India is the fourth major global space power making great strides in the private sector. 

• China’s CEO and chairman set the vision and path forward for the corporation (i.e. country), and everything else is there to support 
  them. This top-down structure is different from that of India or the US, where there is more pushback against decisions made by those
  in charge.

• Dr. Goswami highlights that the Communist Party of China is ideologically driven. They view themselves as having been humiliated during a century of colonialism and exploitation by Western powers. Their focus is on developing China in a way that showcases the attractiveness of Chinese communism to the world and rejuvenates Chinese civilization and culture. 

• China has spent many years and a lot of money on STEM to produce a skilled workforce that can contribute globally. India has focused on developing engineering institutes to develop skills within as well.  A primary difference between the US and China in R&D investment allocation is where the investment is coming from. In the US, it’s Silicon Valley. In China, it’s the government. 

• Despite a stark contrast in political and cultural values, there are opportunities for American engagement with China's space program, including setting global rules and regulations, potentially through the United Nations (UN). 

• In the next few years, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will play a critical role in ensuring that space remains accessible and open to middle powers. The UAE has strong military power projection capabilities and close relationships with countries like Russia, a leading global space power.

• The US government needs a clear vision to maintain a lead in the space race. That being said US Constitution was written to empower the federal government to support infrastructure, not do everything. There is hope for success in space with today’s entrepreneurs in the private sector. Because of this, there is a real opportunity for humanity and for morality. While most people are good and want good things, there are bad actors out there, and it is essential to structure space governance for the good of all people. 

Michael Bloxton, CEO & Founder of Nebula Space Enterprise, Inc, interviews Lieutenant General Steven Kwast, USAF (RET). After serving 33 years in the US military, during which he trained hundreds of thousands of troops and received five medals for distinguished service, he continues to be a champion for freedom in space.

Key Take Aways: 

• Space can benefit humanity both on Earth and in the greater Universe. Many don’t realize how reliant we already are on space and space-based technology. This opportunity is not lost on global powers and governments. Over 75 countries have space programs, with the US, China, and Russia leading.

• With the great opportunity in space, comes the potential for great profit, a struggle for power, and a resulting potential for human exploitation. As the west and Americans know it, freedom may not be defined the same way by other countries and governments seeking to dominate space. Freedom in space and on Earth is not guaranteed. This is why Kwast has pushed for creating a United States Space Force. 

• It has been difficult for people to realize the universal picture and what is at risk if the US does not move quickly. Other countries, such as China, Russia, and India, are investing a lot of money in their space programs. China is not far behind us in investment, and they have written space dominance into their constitution. To compete, the US must not only invest financially, but invest in a unified mission and vision to achieve the same, and fast, or there is much to lose. The country with the high ground is the country with the military and economic advantage. 

• Space already plays a prominent role in humanity’s existence, whether it is acknowledged or not. Starlink and Ukraine is just one example. Space governance will shape the future of humanity and it must be designed carefully so all may pursue happiness freely and enjoy the benefits the universe has to offer.