Jobs, Jobs, Jobs in Space!

Statistics from the June 3rd, 2010 article "You're no Rocket Scientist" which stated that "this celebrated job demands a lot of education and know-how and the pay isn't what you think." Photo c/o Baseline Magazine.

According to a 2011 Aerospace Industries Association (AIA) position paper, the US is "not producing enough qualified workers to fill important jobs at aerospace companies and the shortfall will increase as retirements grow."

The paper indicates that, "among our largest companies, 57 percent of the workforce is 45 or older, meaning that within 10 years well more than half of their employees will become retirement eligible. Fifteen percent of the aerospace engineering workforce will be eligible for retirement in 2012. Among our largest companies, 29.43 percent of the engineering workforce will be eligible to retire in 2016."

All of which, while it might not seem like good news to the overall industry, is certainly good news to anyone looking to make a career as an astronaut or a rocket scientist, especially if they're willing to relocate. Those looking to work in the space industry might want to check out some of the sites listed below.

• The 15th Annual Aerospace and Defence Top 100 growing Companies of 2012 - What better place to start than with the biggest and fastest growing firms in this area. Produced jointly by top accounting firm PricewaterhousCoopers and online publication of record Flight International, the 15th annual Aerospace Top 100 report outlines the trends in the industry and ranks the top companies by revenues and profitability.

• Astronauts4Hire - A US based, 501(c)(3) non-profit formed in 2010 to recruit and train qualified scientists and engineers for the rigors of spaceflight. The organization conducts a range of activities related to commercial astronaut workforce development and train its members as professional astronaut candidates who can assist researchers, payload developers, and spaceflight providers with mission planning and operations support.

• The Canadian Auto Workers (CAW) - Although not the typical career path imagined by the average future astronaut wannabe, it's worth noting that Canada's largest private sector union also represents aerospace employees at Boeing Canada (Local 2169), Bombardier/ de Havilland (Local 112), Cascade Aerospace (Local 114), CMC Electronics, Magellan Aerospace/ Bristol (Local 3005) and Pratt and Whitney Canada (Local 510).

• The Canadian Space Agency (CSA) Career Page - Interesting background on CSA hiring policies, procedures and opportunities for students, fellowships and funding. The CSA is also home to the Canadian Space Directory, a listing of 100+ organizations directly involved in Canada's space industry.

• The European Space Agency (ESA) Career Page -Vacancies and useful career facts.

• HE Space - Denmark  based, specialist supplier of manpower for space programs with offices in the Netherlands, Germany and the US. The firm also manages the Jobs in Space Linked-In group.

• The International  Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAMAW) - Representing a variety of automotive and aerospace workers across Canada and around the world.

• Jobs in Space - The global space industry forum for posting vacancy notices and resumes.

• NASA Jobs - A public listing of available National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) openings.

• The NewSpace Global listing of top 300 NewSpace companies - This list is divided up into three smaller lists covering the 100 most influential privately held newspace companies (the NSG 100), a second list covering 100 additional privately held newspace companies perceived as being "on the bubble" of growth (NSG OTB) plus a third list of top rated publicly traded space companies (the NSG PTC). A surprising number of companies on these three lists are Canadian and a surprising number of the rest have offices and employment opportunities in Canada.

• The Satellite Today Career Center - Focused on US based jobs in the commercial satellite industry. Includes a comprehensive satellite companies web directory. 

• The SpaceRef Career Center - A new service hoping to leverage "the 425,000 unique readers who visit SpaceRef, NASA Watch, SpaceRef Business, SpaceRef Canada and the Astrobiology Web each month" and are also looking for employment.

• Space Careers - French based, English language site focused on "the top jobs and the best talents in the industry." Contains a jobs center (where job hunters and recruiters register), a space industry directory, a news and resource section with space news RSS feeds and a LinkedIn page. Maintained by Spacelinks, a specialist staffing consultancy focused on the European space and defense industry.

• The Space Job Center - Czech Republic based employment service focused on the space industry founded in 2010 by "a group of professionals from different industries that transitioned to the space sector."

• The Space Telescope Science Institute (STSI) listing of Employment Opportunities - Located on the Johns Hopkins University Campus in Baltimore, Maryland, the STSI manages both the Hubble Space Telescope and its successor, the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). They offer "the wonder of 21st century space exploration in a job that offers a competitive salary and generous benefits."

• The Wikipedia listing of government agencies engaged in space exploration - Categorized according to capabilities and including links to the listed agency's primary website. One stop shopping for those inclined towards government service. 

• The Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) open positions page -  The company that built the worlds first "commercial spacecraft" has dozens of job openings covering a wide range of expertise. 

Expect the industry pay rate to increase over the next few years as retirees open up positions needing to be replaced and the industry continues to grow. 

Ad Astra Approaching its "Colliers Moment"

Franklin Chang-Diaz. Photo c/o Ad Astra Rockets.

          by Brian Orlotti

Ad Astra Rockets, the Houston-based company founded by a former NASA astronaut to develop a new type of space propulsion, is raising money via Kickstarter to make a documentary explaining the technology.

"Our goal is to produce a full-length video, full of stunning animations that describe the way in which we intend to use our technology to transform space transportation," Franklin Chang-Diaz, retired NASA astronaut and founder of Ad Astra Rockets, said in the Houston-based firm’s Kickstarter video describing the planned documentary.

Chang-Diaz holds a doctorate in plasma physics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and became an astronaut in 1980, flying on seven NASA space shuttle missions. He founded Ad Astra in 2005 to work on the Variable Specific Impulse Magnetoplasma Rocket (VASIMIR).

VASIMR is a high efficiency plasma drive with the interesting ability to "shift gears" by trading exhaust velocity for thrust and vice versa. For more details, check out the March 1995 NASA technical paper Rapid Mars Transit with Exhaust Modulated Plasma Propulsion and the 2004 MarsWeek Conference paper VASMIR: Express Flight to Mars. Graphic c/o Atomic Rockets website.

The VASIMIR engine uses radio waves to ionize and heat a propellant into a plasma, which is then accelerated by magnetic fields to generate thrust. The plasma provides a constant and efficient thrust, building up speed over time. VASIMIR’s main advantage over traditional chemical rockets is efficiency: various studies have concluded that a VASIMIR engine would use up to 90% less fuel while carrying equivalent tonnage to chemical rockets. This efficiency could greatly reduce mission costs, significantly improving the economics of spaceflight.

The technology does have disadvantages. VASIMIR’s low thrust-to-weight ratio and its need for a vacuum to operate make it unsuitable for launching payloads from Earth’s surface.

Chang-Diaz has pitched VASIMIR as a breakthrough technology that would enable a crewed mission to reach Mars in less than 40 days, compared to 2.5 years using chemical rockets. VASIMIR’s ‘always-on’ ability (i.e. constant thrust) would greatly reduce travel time and, by extension, mission risk. But Ad Astra's founder forsees many other applications for VASIMIR, including:

• Orbital reboosting of space stations
• Lunar cargo delivery
• Satellite repositioning, refueling, maintenance and repair
• Cleanup of ever-growing ‘space junk’
• Ultra-fast deep space robotic missions

VASIMIR is not without its critics, however. For the past few years, Chang-Diaz and VASIMIR have been engaged in a feud with Mars Society President Robert Zubrin (a first outlined in the August 1st, 2011 Space Review article ‘VASIMIR and a new war of the currents’). Zubrin, a nuclear & astronautical engineer, has attacked VASIMIR on various technical and ideological grounds. In his acidic July 11th, 2011 Spacenews article ‘The VASIMIR Hoax,’ Zubrin referred to VASIMIR as a “hyper drive” and “hoax” which “must be exposed”.

This book, outlining interesting lessons from the past, is also useful for understanding space advocacy issues today. It's freely available, in PDF format, from the National Space Society (NSS) website. 

Zubrin’s main criticisms of VASIMIR are that it is less efficient than other types of electric thrusters now in use, requiring unrealistically efficient power sources, and that electric propulsion is not necessary to reach Mars (and so its development should not be funded). To his credit, Chang-Diaz has kept his poise throughout, never stooping to Zubrinesque histrionics, but calmly addressing criticisms point-by-point an in this press release on the Facts About the VASIMR Engine and its Development, from the Ad Astra Rocket website.

The VASIMIR feud seems to be a reflection not so much of the technology itself but rather of the weakness and ineffectuality of traditional space advocacy groups. We see the same tired parochialism; the endless squabbling over the thin slices of a shrinking pie rather than the coming together to grow the pie.

For all its flaws, VASIMIR is a technology that has, clearly, captured the imagination (and dollars) of many. Ad Astra's Kickstarter campaign has seen impressive results.

Over 33 days from July 9th - August 12th, 2013, Ad Astra Rockets surpassed its $46,000 USD goal, receiving over $76,000 in pledges as of early Monday morning (August 12th). With this new influx of funds, Chang-Diaz can now spread the word on VASIMIR to a larger audience. Kickstarter is to Chang-Diaz what Collier’s was to Von Braun.

Winning the public’s hearts and wallets will achieve more than sectarianism ever will.

In the 1950s, Collier's Magazine published a series of articles on how "Man will Conquer Space Soon," based on the plans of Willy Ley, Werner von Braun and others, which helped popularize the idea of space travel and led directly to the Apollo program.

Muncy: ISS Processes "Too Strict" for Commercial Business!

Space Frontier Foundation board member and founder Jim Muncy..

          by Allison Rae Hannigan

If space industry professionals can be called nerds and geeks, and policy professionals are “wonks,” then what does that make a space policy professional? A wonky nerd? A geeky wonk? Either way, it doesn’t sound very cool.

And Jim Muncy, of the space policy consultancy, Polispace, pretty much matches the description: someone totally wonky and into nerd/geekism, not quite cool enough to be in the ‘in’ crowd but very, very smart, and really popular amongst his own space people.

During the recent NewSpace 2013 Conference hosted by the Space Frontier Foundation (SFF), I was able to snag some time to interview Muncy, and learn more about him.

He was one of the three co-founders of the SFF (along with space activist Rick Tumlinson and current SFF board chairman Bob Werb), when 25 years ago, they decided that it was going to be all about how to make space settlement happen. In essence, he wanted to create a positive and hopeful future in space for our country and our species.

He still wants to do that, and he told me that his life’s mission is to “accelerate the human breakout into space.” He does this by helping space companies create strategies to ‘not swim uphill all the way,” which means he mitigates some of the risk factors inherent in this industry. Muncy said he helps companies avoid problems of barriers by what he called the “forces of darkness,” presumably in reference to the regulatory issues being faced right now.

Jim Muncy (left) with CASIS Chief Operating Officer Duane Ratliffe, Dr. Ioana Cozmuta from NASA Ames, and Commercial Spaceflight Federation President Michael Lopez-Alegria at a panel discussion during the NewSpace 2013 Conference in Silicon Valley, CA from July 25th - 27th. During the discussion, one person in the audience became visibly frustrated over having had an idea for a commercial activity to test aboard the ISS and money to back it, but no access to CASIS because the idea was considered not relevant. Muncy referred to past examples of rock concerts or other artistic endeavors. Photo c/o Allison Rae Hannigan.

As an example of a regulatory barrier, Muncy discussed the International Space Station (ISS) and how safety issues have prevented companies from being able to demonstrate the capabilities needed for future voyages to the Moon, Mars, asteroids, and beyond. He sees the ISS is as a test bed to better explore space, and if businesses could be allowed to do more creative tests of enabling technologies, then they can mitigate risks to their business plans sooner rather than later, closer to Earth rather than farther away.

For instance, a process for storing and transferring cryogenic propellants will need to be worked out on orbit as part of some of the proposed endeavors such as going to Mars or the asteroids. Current NASA safety review processes make attaching tanks of propellant to the ISS too costly and prohibitive. Yet, the capability promises even more fuel on orbit so that companies can do more complex and safer operations in space.

Canadian space tourist Guy Laliberté aboard the ISS in October, 2009, introduced various acts which included U2, Shakira and Peter Gabriel as part of the "Moving Stars and Earth for Water" concert. Retired Canadian Space Agency astronaut Chris Hadfield also organized concerts while aboard the ISS.

During the session he moderated at the conference, “International Space Station on a Grander Scale: Probing Our Way Forward”, Muncy referred to the current space business and commerce environment as being designed more by engineers than by people who understand economics. Specifically in reference to ISS utilization, Muncy told me that the ISS was not really set up for research, no matter what NASA might state publicly. He said that if we really cared about maximizing research utilization and benefits, we would try to make the ISS the most effective and foremost laboratory available.

The reality, Muncy told me, is that ISS is “first and foremost” a human spaceflight platform, with research in second place.

Muncy used the relatively new, quasi-private entity, the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space (CASIS) as an example of how space research is not being effectively promoted as a potentially commercial endeavor for the ISS. CASIS was set up to “maximize” ISS utilization, but Muncy referred to the CASIS business model as “screwy” and said that “NASA must give it a way to charge for some parts of it.” He said that a better way would be to have a more hybrid model to help pay the way, and he wondered how CASIS can motivate itself if they can’t charge for it.

Which led me to ask the question, “Where are the markets for space station utilization?” Readily-available markets would certainly make life a lot easier for CASIS to follow a more entrepreneurial model. In response, Muncy referred to the quip by author Arthur C. Clarke about the first amphibians on dry land -- they would never have thought of fire at that point. Which, he explained, means that we just don’t know yet what the markets are, and that we haven’t been able to do the work yet to find them. Also, he admitted that no single “killer app” seems to be out there, and that the market is more likely one of a constellation of uses. He said, “NASA really never turned over the keys of using ISS to users to give the greatest chance of maximizing utility.”

Allison Rae Hannigan.

Muncy gets very ‘geeky’ with the technology he’s describing, but all he’s saying is that the processes in place now for the ISS are too strict for commercial businesses to be allowed to implement sensible development programs for future space enterprises. This is a barrier to entry for entrepreneurs looking to build viable business plans and seek investment.

He ended the conversation with the advice that we need to “force NASA and the ISS into a broader context as a system, rather than a project.” And Jim Muncy is the one in the front lines, working with NASA and the culture in Washington, D.C., trying to help NewSpace companies be able to get up that hill a little easier.
_______________________________________________________________

Allison Rae Hannigan, is an impassioned space industry specialist focused on development opportunities, marketing, communications and business related to microgravity research. She is also a free-lance consultant who has helped set up and manage email marketing campaigns, newsletters, and customer relationship management applications. 

She can be reached at AstroAllie5@gmail.com.

Silly Season at the Space Agencies

Star Trek actor William Shatner with an image of astronaut Chris Hadfield. The actor spoke with the astronaut on February 7th, but "appeared to have no enthusiasm for the project," according to Blacklock's Reporter.

The summer "silly season," typified as a period during the latter half of the summer when the real news-makers are on vacation and less important, frivolous stories can gain traction and be exposed to a wider audience, is well and truly underway.

Here are a few of the more amusing recent examples in this genre, from space:

• Blacklock’s Reporter, a daily online-only publication based in Ottawa that covers parliamentary and departmental affairs, has accused retired Canadian Space Agency (CSA) astronaut Chris Hadfield of having "had ghostwriters" to support social media activities during his recent trip to the International Space Station (ISS). The claim has been picked up by others, such as the August 4th, 2013 TVA Nouvelles article "Le fils de Chris Hadfield prend sa défense" and the August 5th Sun News article "Hadfield's son denies space dad had Twitter ghostwriter." The original July 8th, 2013 Blacklock's post, titled "Spaceman had Ghostwriters," only gained traction after it was included in the August  5th, 2013 issue of Blacklock's Reporter. It referenced documents received under the Federal government Access to Information Act and at least one "on the record" interview with CSA communications manager Anna Kapiniari to bolster the point that "Hadfield was directed by communications staff as he ate spinach, clipped his nails and invoked Star Trek at the International Space Station."

"Wheeeeee...." Photo c/o Kibo Robot Project.

• As outlined in the August 4th, 2013 Russia Today article "Robohope: Talking robot sent to ISS to ‘get along’ with humans," a small, 34 centimeter (13 inch) android resembling the classic manga character Astro Boy, has been sent to the International Space Station (ISS) aboard the latest Japanese HTV-4 cargo resupply mission, in what the article called "a historic attempt to befriend robots and humans." Jointly designed by the University of Tokyo, Toyota Motor Corp and Dentsu Inc. to speak Japanese, recognize voice and emotions and even "learn," its main conversation partner will be Japanese astronaut Koichi Wakata, scheduled to arrive for his second ISS mission in November 2013. Dōmo arigatō, Mr. Roboto. 

• As outlined in the August 2nd, 2013 NBC News Science article "Applicants for one-way trip to Mars to descend on Washington, DC," while it's theoretically possible that there were indeed a "million Martians" hidden around the periphery of the weekend event organized by Mars One, a non-profit organization promoting a permanent human colony on Mars, it's also highly unlikely that there was anywhere near that many humans. The event was organized to kick off the US promotional efforts for what is essentially a television program about people who would like to go to Mars, although the promoters are insisting that actual trips to the red planet are being organized. The organizers estimate the cost of landing the first four settlers will be about $6Bln USD and plans to fund the costs by selling advertising for a reality TV program that would document the mission's progress, from astronaut selection through the settlers' first few years on Mars.

Friends of the Canadian Space Industry

In his 1954 science fiction novella "Sucker Bait," author Issac Asimov postulated the need for a "synthesist," or academic generalist able to correlate apparently unrelated facts from different areas to draw useful conclusions and avoid the limitations of narrow overspecialization.

Of course, Asimov wasn't alone among science fiction writers with this concept. There were synthesists in John Brunner's "Stand on Zanzibar," synthesists in James Hogan's "Inherit the Stars" and "nexialists" in A. E. van Vogt's "Voyage of the Space Beagle."

Reality also mirrors this pattern, at least if you're an entrepreneur (perhaps the very definition of generalist) in the Canadian space industry. Here are some of the organizations you'll likely come across.  

• The Aerospace Industries Association of Canada (AIAC) – A not-for-profit organization advocating on aerospace policy issues that have a direct impact on aerospace companies and aerospace jobs in Canada. Heavily involved in the November 2012 Aerospace Review, the second volume of which was focused almost entirely on the Canadian space industry. Ex-Canadian Space Agency (CSA) astronaut Chris Hadfield will be speaking at the upcoming 2013 AIAC Aerospace Summit, in Ottawa from October 16th - 17th.

• The Alliance for Commercialization of Canadian Technologies (ACCT) – An advocacy group for technology transfer and commercialization. Membership includes "more than 110 academic-based research organizations including universities, hospitals, colleges and polytechnics" according to the website. The organization possesses useful connections with a variety of mostly US based intellectual property and venture funding organizations.

• The Canadian Advanced Technology Alliance (CATA Alliance) – The largest hi-tech association in Canada. Originally focused on software and telecommunications, CATA has recently partnered with CGI to move into the healthcare market.

• The Canadian Aeronautics and Space Institute (CASI) – A nonprofit technical organization for aeronautics, space and remote sensing. Host for a variety of annual events including the upcoming 65th International Astronautics Congress (IAC), which will be held in Toronto from September 29th - October 3rd.

• The Canadian Association for the Advancement of Science (CAAS) - Established to encourage, recognize and promote the values and excitement of science and engineering, and to enhance the links between our educational system, industrial base and the wider community. A multidisciplinary organization with an open membership to everyone regardless of age, race or educational background.

• The Canadian Association of Defense and Security Industries (CADSI) – The “voice” the Canadian defense and security industries and organizers of the annual CANSEC trade shows.

• The Canadian Association of Rocketry listing of affiliated organizations - A self-supporting, non-profit organization whose sole purpose is to promote development of amateur rocketry as a recognized sport and worthwhile activity.

• The Canadian Association of Science Centres - An organization promoting and encouraging public involvement with Canadian public science centres and the organizations needed to support them.

• The Canadian Astronomical Society – Founded in 1971 and incorporated in 1983 as a society of professional astronomers devoted to the promotion and advancement of knowledge of the universe through research and education. Membership is open to persons with a professional involvement with these goals in astronomy and the related sciences.

• The Canadian Foundation for the International Space University (CFISU) – The charitable organization promoting the International Space University (ISU) in Canada.

• The Canadian Science Policy Centre - Organizers of the yearly Canadian Science Policy Conference.

• The Canadian Space Society (CSS) – A non-profit corporation promoting Canadian space activities. Organizes the annual Canadian Space Summit. 

• Canadian Solar Industries Association (CanSIA) - An industry lobby group representing 650 solar energy groups throughout Canada.

• CANEUS – A non-profit organization fostering the development of Micro and Nano Technologies (MNT).

• The Centre for Commercialization of Research - A member of the International Commercialization Alliance (ICA) focused on commercializing research from public institutions.

• The Centre for Spatial Law and Policy - Focused on legal and policy issues associated with geo-spatial data and technology.

• Engineers Canada - The national organization of the 12 provincial and territorial associations that regulate the profession of engineering in Canada and license the country's more than 260,000 members of the engineering profession.

• Friends of the CRC – An association of alumni of the Communications Research Centre (CRC), the government department responsible for most of Canada’s early satellite launches. Provides articles on early Canadian efforts by some of the people who were actually there. 

• The Geological Association of Canada - A national geoscience society, publisher and distributor of geoscience books and journals.

• The Geomatics Industry Association of Canada (GIAC) – Canada’s premier source of information on geomatics, the discipline of gathering, storing, processing, and delivering geographic or spatially referenced information. 

• Mitacs – A national, not-for-profit research organization, developing the next generation of Canadian innovators.

• Polytechnics Canada - The "voice of leading research-intensive, publicly funded colleges and institutes of technology." Strong advocate for moving some of the government money focused on R&D out of universities and into colleges and trade schools.

• The Royal Astronomical Society of Canada - 4,000 members, including about 500 "unattached" members from remote parts of Canada and around the world and strong chapters in Vancouver and 28 other centres across the country.

• The York Technology Alliance - Typical of efforts across Canada (although perhaps more successful), this association acts as a centre point of the technology cluster for York Region and the Greater Toronto Area.

Asimov didn't just write one story on the perils of scientific overspecialization. Others include "The Dead Past" and "Profession."

Over time, he would even begin to practice what he preached, making himself into a professional generalist by writing popular science books on a number of different fields along with the "The Intelligent Man's Guide to Science," an overview of the topic as a whole.

From NewSpace 2013: Interview with a Giver

Venture capitalist Steve Jurvetson presenting at NewSpace 2013. Photo c/o Allison Rae Hannigan.

          by Allison Rae Hannigan

Reading about Steve Jurvetson is not the same as meeting him in person, as I found out last week at the NewSpace 2013 Conference organized by the Space Frontier Foundation, which was held in Silicon Valley, California from July 25th - 27th.

Steve is a founder and Managing Director at Draper Fisher Jurvetson (DFJ), a Silicon Valley based venture capital firm which has backed more than 400 companies in "disruptive categories" including Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX), Synthetic Genomics and Tesla Motors since forming in 1985.

And many of these eclectic investments are because of Steve, who is also into amateur rocketry, collects Apollo artifacts and donates money to space-related organizations such as the B612 Foundation (a group preparing to map near-Earth asteroids) and the Lunar Orbiter Image Recovery Project (an effort to create a digital archive of data drawn from the analog tapes of Apollo missions). As an investor, the man is quite literally a giver.

NASA Deputy Administrator Lori Garver at NewSpace 2013. NASA photo by Bill Ingalls.

In person, Steve is a fast-paced man, who gives of his time and thinking freely. My first glimpse of him was on Thursday, the day before he was scheduled to speak, and he was practically sprinting through the foyer outside the conference rooms.

We met briefly Friday morning, outside a Q&A with Lori Garver, Deputy Administrator of NASA, and he gave me a minute of his time to connect before he gave Lori a gracious greeting and exchange of pleasantries. And then he was off, probably to give more time to others.

He told me he set our interview for after his talk on purpose, so that a lot of the preliminaries could be dispensed with in advance. Indeed, his talk, pictured here, covered his early influences (Dungeons & Dragons, and Richard “Lord British” Garrriott) as well as his hobby of launching really big amateur rockets. He made reference to his recently-reported love of collecting artifacts from the Apollo space program.

His presentation was swift, content and detail rich, full of stunning imagery, inspiring quotes, and even some video of SpaceX’s Grasshopper rocket testing. Key points he offered were that a systems design approach is where the true value lies in an enterprise, and that reusable rockets are the way to bring down costs and allow stimulation of space markets. Well, we all know that already, don’t we?

Allison Rae Hannigan with  Geoff Notkin, one of the Meteorite Men at NewSpace 2013.

Between lunch and our scheduled meeting was an entire session of the conference, and when I popped out ten minutes prior to our meeting time, he had barely progressed a hundred feet from the banquet room. I was chatting with Geoff Notkin, of the TV show, Meteorite Men when Steve and an entourage of supplicants converged in front of the table displaying many meteors and similar artifacts. A lengthy and intricate discussion of meteorites ensued, which was a delight to observe, as neither man knew about the other’s relative celebrity, yet they found common ground in a shared passion.

After two more impromptu pitches, one for which Steve asked my permission to delay our meeting, and the other I offered out of compassion for the young entrepreneur who had been doggedly waiting his turn to pitch to the rock star VC, I finally sat down with Steve and could ask him questions of my own.

And I promptly forgot all that my editor had prepared me to ask. Steve had started a cross-room banter with a young couple about the Inspiration Mars competition, and then started talking about how he wanted to go to the moon, which then segued into a discussion about how his wife doesn’t even like to fly in small planes, and so on. He talks fast, gives lots of information, and I became overwhelmed trying to keep up with him, taking lots of notes, cursing my prejudice in high school against short hand class, and losing my train of thought completely.

Inspiration Mars, a US based 501(c)3 nonprofit organization founded by Dennis Tito intending to launch a manned mission to flyby Mars in January 2018

So, I relied on my favorite subject, microgravity and the potential for factories in space. He had not mentioned anything in his talk about Low Earth Orbit (LEO) infrastructure, and I was curious to know whether he saw any future in it. And the spigot opened. More copious note-taking ensued.

He started thinking out loud, following a clear and logical process to get to his point.

First, he reviewed what he knows about the subject, as he seems to be mostly informed by the frequent “pitches” he hears. He told me that he’s seen pitches for broadband, polar, constellations of satellites, earth observation, on orbit servicing, and so on. He said he’s held back on ideas he’s seen for on-orbit fuel depots, because of the chicken/egg dilemma. Why build gas stations before cars?

Steve Jurvetson up close.

Then he started focusing on inherent issues with a hypothetical scenario, worrying first about roadblocks. He made a comparison with software being dependent on ship dates and other problems that hold up delivery along the value chain. In this case, he worried that the end date of the International Space Station (ISS) is currently projected for 2020, and that could be a problem for a research-based microgravity business.

He started giving ideas off the top of his head about what would make business sense. He said he didn’t have much expertise in BioTech. His input assumptions in this scenario were “to not bet on the market” and “what you bring back is small.”

He went down a logic path that darted from one concept to another, first considering how 3D structures behave without gravity, and the need to find something that can’t be made on earth. He mulled over factors such as how much time in space is available, and whether space-based testing of prototypes is the best way to go, so that we can do things better on earth as a result. He considered materials science, where his experience lies, and the possibility of growing zeolite crystals.

When his mind went to seeds that could be brought back and grown on earth, his eyes lit up with a new idea: genetic synthesis. Given a lower error rate in space, a seed/strand of DNA could be brought back to earth. Voila, output idea.

Allison Rae Hannigan.

So, in the course of several minutes, I could see the wheels spinning in his head, hear him thinking out loud about something he’s not thought about much, and give a thoughtful, knowledgeable response. Most people just say, “There’s no market, and it’s not worth it.”

Steve Jurvetson is a giver. He gives his time, his opinion, thoughts, and he gives his passion. At the end of his talk at lunch, he shared about technology to help us live a longer and fuller life. That embodies what Steve gives the most of – himself, for a long time to come.
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Allison Rae Hannigan, is an impassioned space industry specialist focused on development opportunities, marketing, communications and business related to microgravity research. She is also a free-lance consultant who has helped set up and manage email marketing campaigns, newsletters, and customer relationship management applications. 

She can be reached at AstroAllie5@gmail.com.

CASSIOPE, UrtheCast and Others Face Ongoing Launch Delays

The CASSIOPE satellite towering over Canadian Space Agency (CSA) astronaut Jeremy Hansen in 2009. According to the caption on the  CSA webpage, the satellite was then scheduled for launch in 2010. Photo c/o CSA.

Much like another industrial age icon, the railroads which never seemed to run on time, the typical modern day rocket launch is almost always behind schedule.

Recent Canadian examples of this include the Cascade Smallsat and Ionospheric Polar Explorer (CASSIOPE) small satellite, currently scheduled for a September 5th, 2013 launch and two UrtheCast high definition cameras originally set for a October 16th, 2013 launch to the International Space Station (ISS), but now postponed until at least November.

Steve  Bochinger.

In fact, anyone with even a cursory interest in tracking the "Worldwide Launch Schedule" updates on the SpaceFlight Now website would normally notice more launch delays than launch dates.

And according to Euroconsult chief operating officer Steve Bochinger, there is very little which can be done to improve the situation, at least over the short term. "When you include all categories of launch vehicles, such as those required for large geostationary telecommunications satellites, the total market is clearly under-supplied," said Bochinger in a recent phone interview.

An image of the July 1st, 2013 Proton-M launch just seconds before it crashed. According to the July 10th, 2013 Space Safety article "Proton Launch Failure Update: Culprit Found," investigators believe the crash occurred because the angular velocity sensors in the first stage were installed upside down. Photo c/o Roscosmos.

And by "under-supplied," Bochinger means that there is simply not enough reliable rockets to go around.

Recent launch failures such as the February 1st, 2013 Sea Launch mission to launch the Intelesat 27 satellite (which fell into the Pacific Ocean fifty-six seconds after launch as described on the Russian Space Web) and concerns over the July 1st, 2013 failure of the workhorse Russian Proton rocket are further constricting the market.

So while some of the more successful launch providers, such as the French based Arianespace (with over 50 consecutive Ariane 5 launches completed since 2002) are certainly benefiting, most satellite operators and providers are scrambling to find rides in the current tight market, which is generally anticipated to remain "under-supplied" for at least a few more years.

The SpaceX Falcon family of rockets. The expected September 5th, 2013 launch of the Canadian CASSIOPE satellite aboard a Falcon-9 will be the first use of the upgraded Merlin 1D engines, expected to generate approximately 56 percent more sea-level thrust than the Merlin 1C engines used on all previous Falcon 9 vehicles.

According to Bochinger, the first real break for satellite developers and operators could occur later this year, when the Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) Falcon-9 Heavy rocket becomes operational, but will depend on multiple SpaceX launches at a demonstrated low price.

As outlined in the May 29th 2012, Space-X press release "INTELSAT signs first commercial Falcon Heavy Launch Agreement with SpaceX,"  the new system will be designed to meet "both NASA human rating standards as well as the stringent US Air Force requirements for the Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) program, making it an attractive solution for commercial, civil and military customers."

But SpaceX isn't going to be the only new player on the block over the next few years. As outlined in the June 20th, 2013 China Daily article "China seeks to boost share of satellite market," the Chinese will be rolling out the next generation of Long March 5 heavy lift rockets in 2015 as the first step in an effort to expand their share of the international launch market to 15% by 2020. Since 2005, China has launched satellites for Nigeria, Venezuela, Pakistan, Turkey, Argentina and Ecuador.

India is also continuing with the development of its troubled Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) as outlined in the July 23rd, 2013 NBC News story "India plans to launch first Mars mission, test large rocket this year."

But perhaps the biggest potential launch breakthrough is Stratolaunch Systems, with its plans for huge carrier aircraft capable of launching large multi-stage boosters into a variety of orbits. Founded in 2011 by Microsoft co-founder Paul G. Allen and Scaled Composites founder Burt Rutan (who had previously collaborated on the creation of Ansarii X-Prize winner SpaceShipOne), the new system is scheduled (even if not altogether expected) to roll-out in 2015.


Stand by for adventure when these new systems roll out as the satellite markets react to the expanded capacity.

Whatever Happened to the National Aerospace and Defence Framework?

The Industry Canada website at http://strategis.ic.gc.ca/epic/internet/inad-ad.nsf/en/ad03860e.html where the 2005 National Aerospace and Defence Strategic Framework can still be accessed.

Seven years before the November 2012 Aerospace Review, led by David Emerson, presented its findings to then Industry Minister Christian Paradis, another review with much the same mandate also attempted to chart the future of Canadian aerospace.

It failed, but at least two of the senior participants in the earlier process surfaced again as senior contributors to the 2012 review.

A slightly younger David Emerson in 2005, when he was the federal Industry Minister in the Paul Martin government.

And while there is certainly nothing wrong with knowledgeable public policy makers continuing to contribute to important areas where they possess acknowledged expertise, the failure of the 2005 initiative is a reminder that these sorts of things really only move forward with active and ongoing public participation, no matter what any particular mandarin might mandate.

Originally released under the short lived Paul Martin minority liberal government in November, 2005 and titled "The National Aerospace and Defence Strategic Framework," the fifty-nine page document was at the time described as "a 20-year vision aimed at helping leaders in the aerospace, defence and space sectors identify where and how they can be globally competitive."

The document came out of something called the Canadian Aerospace Partnership (CAP), publicly unveiled in April 2005 as a "private/ public sector partnership" to bring together industry, government, academia, and labour representatives.

As outlined in the April 19th, 2005 press release "Canadian Aerospace Partnership Begins Work Toward National Aerospace Competitive Strategy" CAP membership included the federal Minister of Industry along with provincial ministers responsible for industry and economic development from Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, British Columbia and a variety of others. 

Dave Caddy speaking at the 2012 Innovation Nation Robotics Competition.

Participants included the then CAP co-chair (and MacDonald Dettwiler VP) Dave Caddy, who remained involved in the process seven years later as the chair of the Emerson Space Working Group Report and David Emerson (who was then the Industry Minister in the Paul Martin liberal minority government). Emerson even contributed an introduction to the 2005 document, where he stated that that it would:

... provide the basis for the continuing development of federal aerospace and defence industrial policy (plus provide) the foundation for continued collaboration between industry stakeholders to maintain Canada’s role as a leading player in the global aerospace and defence industry...

Of course, the the Aerospace Industries Association of Canada (AIAC) was also heavily involved with both reports as befitting its mandate as the "national organization that promotes and facilitates Canadian competitiveness in the global aerospace industry" as outlined on the AIAC website.

Then CSA president Marc Garneau in 2004.

Unfortunately, the final report, as outlined in the November 25th, 2005 Defense Industry Daily article "Canada Unveils National Aerospace Industry Strategy" was almost immediately superseded by events.

For example, the 2005 report doesn't talk much about the space component of the aerospace industry, which was unfortunate since the then Canadian Space Agency (CSA) president Marc Garneau was just about to resign to run for public office as a member of the Liberal party. He'd be replaced by two short term "acting" presidents (Carole Lacombe and Guy Bujold) and ex-Telesat president Larry Boisvert who, as outlined in the September 25th, 2010 blog post "Who Was Larry Boisvert," resigned as a direct result of the January 2008 MDA announcement that it was selling it's space focused business to US firm Alliant Techsystems (ATK).

That sale was eventually blocked by the Canadian government and led directly to the current confusion in the Canadian space industry, which flowed directly into the 2012 Emerson Report and an entire second volume focused on "Reaching Higher: Canada's Interests and Future in Space."

Here's hoping that the 2012 report, especially that second volume, doesn't also end up being superseded by events.

Preparing for the 2013 Newspace Business Plan Competition

Tom Olson at the 9th Annual Expanding Canada's Frontiers Symposium in Toronto in January 2012.

According to Thomas Olson, the emerging newspace industry is both "multidisciplinary" and "cross-contextual."

 
That's why those vying for the $135,000 USD in total prize money provided by the NASA/Ames Emerging Space Office (ESO) and Alliant Techsystems (ATK) for the upcoming 2013 NewSpace Business Plan Competition include such a wide range of diverse ideas and concepts.

But more are needed. During a phone interview on Friday, Olson reminded potential applicants who may still be sitting on the fence to register online before the August 22nd, 2013 deadline passes. Olson, one of the founding partners of the Exodus Consulting Group, is currently working under contract to the Space Frontier Foundation (SFF) to organize the event.

The competition, originally expected to be held as part of the annual NewSpace 2013 Conference in Silicon Valley, California from July 25th - 27th, will now be held in Silicon Valley in October 2013, as a stand alone event. 

2011 NewSpace Business Plan competition winner Jon Goff poses with his 1st place check. This year's winner will take home $100,000 dollars. Photo c/o Altius Space Machines.

Of course, previous competitions have also championed a wide range of ideas, inventions and concepts which have included: 

• "Electrically-throttled propellants" built from a new type of "smart energetic materials" able to act as igniters and thrusters for rocket motor and squib applications (Digital Solid State Propulsion LLP).

• A new type of high bandwidth, low weight, inflatable reflectors, booms and solar array components which were pitched as being suitable for a variety of telecom applications (Space Ground Amalgam, the 2012 competition winner).

• Therapeutics which used RLIP76 proteins to create medical countermeasures against radiation exposure and chemical threats (Terapio Corporation).

• Rendezvous and docking solutions for connecting metal, plastics, glass and even asteroids which utilized a "resettable adhesive gripper" mechanism to capture objects which lack "pre-installed" docking targets (Altius Space Machines, the 2011 competition winner).

Peter K. Homer, representing Flagsuit LLC being presented with the NewSpace 2009 Business Plan Competition 1st prize. Flagsuit LLC was founded in 2007 to commercialize technology developed through the 2007 NASA Astronaut Space Suit Glove Competition. Photo c/o Sam Coniglio

The competition is focused on "new, independent ventures in the seed, start-up, or early growth stages" which will "advance the NewSpace movement" as outlined on the NewSpace 2013 Business Plan Competition website. Examples listed include:

• Entrepreneurial space firms directly involved in launch systems hardware technology and supporting infrastructure such as data acquisition, communications, exotic fuels, space suits, flight safety and other areas.

• Space related process engineering power systems, bioregenerative systems, tourism, media, software, and other supportive solutions.

• Space-scalable technologies primarily developed to solve problems on Earth for commercial benefit and profit, but also scalable to solve key long range space problems in areas like biotechnology, nanotechnology, medicine, radiation mitigation, smart materials, alternative energy and next-gen IT hardware.

The competition also favors start-ups and small firms by generally excluding buy-outs, expansions of well-established companies, real estate syndicates, tax shelters, franchises, licensing agreements for distribution in a different geographical area. However, licensing technologies from universities or research labs are encouraged, assuming they have not been commercialized previously. 

According to Olson, the intent is to "reach out to start-ups and universities to promote entrepreneurship." However, regardless of niche, applicants must be able to explain why their product or service helps with the economic development of space.

A maximum of ten teams will be chosen from the registrants and invited to compete and network with space industry executives, investors, and successful entrepreneurs who will be in attendance as both guests and judges at the October event. Unfortunately for Canadians, entries must have at least 50% US-citizen ownership to qualify for any prizes offered through US Government agency grants.

Congratulations to the New Industry Minister

James Moore, the new Minister of Industry under Prime Minister Stephen Harper.

James Moore, the conservative MP for Port Moody/ Westwood/ Port Coquitlam has replaced Christian Paradis as the Federal government Minister of Industry. The announcement was made Monday morning as part of a long expected cabinet reshuffle.

Among his many other new responsibilities (which include economic development, corporate affairs and telecom policy), Moore will be the minister responsible for the Canadian Space Agency (CSA).

Christian Paradis, the new Minister of International Development and Minister for La Francophonie

He will also be the public face of the official government response to the Federal Review of Aerospace and Space Programs and Policies (the "Emerson Report"), which was originally presented to then Industry Minister Christian Paradis in November 2012 as part of a two volume independent review of the "aerospace and space industry" which assessed both the CSA and the much larger commercial aerospace industry.

The 140 companies and organizations listed in the Canadian Space Directory generated $3.483 billion CDN in revenue and employed 7500 Canadians in 2011 according to the 2011 State of the Canadian Space Sector Report.

As outlined in the December 12th, 2012 blog post "What the Space Volume of the Aerospace Review Actually Says," the report recommended "narrowing" the CSA mandate to the point where it would no longer be a "policy-making body" or be "directly involved in designing and manufacturing space assets purchased by the government."

Incoming CSA president Walter Natynczyk.

According to the report, the CSA should instead advise and support the Industry Minister (then Paradis and now Moore), act " as a technical supervisor" to project specific committees and to the Minister of Public Works (to help negotiate "co-operative agreements with other countries space agencies") and co-manage (along with the National Research Council) anticipated new space technology development.

Acting CSA president Gilles Leclerc.

Under these recommendations, the CSA would continue to conduct its own research, operate its existing satellite inventory and maintain the Canadian astronaut program. 

In conjunction with the reduced role and new oversight, the report also recommended the stabilization of the overall CSA funding at existing levels, plus recommended the expansion of funding for programs which support the development of space technologies for the enhancement of industrial capabilities, such as the Space Technologies Development Program (STDP), by an additional $10M per year over each of the next three years.

To be fair, the appointment of the new minister, along with the appointment last month of a new CSA president (retired general Walter Natynczyk, who is is expected to take over from acting CSA president Gilles Leclerc in August) doesn't necessarily mean either the adaption of a new or the continuation of an existing policy.

What it does mean likely won't be discovered for a few months yet. Stay tuned.