Episodes
Wednesday Nov 10, 2021
Garrett Harwood – Founder/CEO of Eagle Shield Inc.
Wednesday Nov 10, 2021
Wednesday Nov 10, 2021
In this episode:
We meet Garrett Harwood, founder of Eagle Shield Inc., a premier provider of energy-saving products for home and business that were developed using a technology originally created by NASA. Eagle Shield’s products are space-certified through Space Foundation’s Space Certification Program.
Prior to Eagle Shield, Garrett was vice president of sales for a billion-dollar fitness center with locations in the United States, Europe, and Asia. He is a graduate of Harvard Business School with a degree in administration, and also holds an MBS in Green Sustainability from San Francisco Institute of Architecture.
In our conversation, Garrett discusses how the lessons he learned in his previous career in the fitness industry helped to lay the groundwork for Eagle Shield, the space technology at the core of their product and its applications, how radiant barrier reflective insulation works, how use of the insulation has moved beyond residential homes to private and commercial properties, and where he’d like to take Eagle Shield next.
In describing how reflective insulation works, Harwood says, “Deep space is -460º [F] below zero. Why wouldn’t you have a heater in an astronaut uniform? Because your own body heat is 98.6 degrees [F]. So, by having the reflective insulation in the astronaut uniform, you’re reflecting your own body heat back in, keeping you comfortable.”
Learn more about Eagle Shield by visiting https://eagleshield.com/
Introductory and closing music: Paint the Sky by Hans Atom © Copyright 2015, licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/hansatom/50718 Ft: Miss Judged
Wednesday Aug 11, 2021
Sam Mastovich – General Manager, Keystone Compliance
Wednesday Aug 11, 2021
Wednesday Aug 11, 2021
In this episode:
We meet Sam Mastovich, general manager of Keystone Compliance. He joined the company more than 10 years ago following a career in commercial banking. What started as a three-person, one-location Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) testing lab is now a 40-person, four-location, EMC, mechanical, wireless, package and product safety testing lab. Their many testing capabilities also make them a perfect partner for aerospace companies.
In our conversation, Sam discusses how Keystone tests EMC, how Keystone grew to be more than just an EMC test lab, how all these tests relate to space technology, some of the general test programs Keystone provides for space companies, the more common mistakes that manufacturers make, and the new tests that he sees being developed as we venture further into space.
In describing how seldom consumers consider the testing that goes into the products they purchase, Mastovich says, “What we do is what every consumer takes for granted. We go to Target or Walmart or ... on Amazon, we order something, bring it home, plug it in—and it doesn’t kill us... So, that’s basically what we as consumers just take for granted.”
To learn more about Keystone Compliance, visit keystonecompliance.com.
Introductory and closing music: Paint the Sky by Hans Atom © Copyright 2015, licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/hansatom/50718 Ft: Miss Judged
Wednesday Jul 28, 2021
Robert Brumley – Cofounder/Chairman of CommStar Space Communications
Wednesday Jul 28, 2021
Wednesday Jul 28, 2021
In this episode:
We meet Robert Brumley, cofounder and chairman of the CommStar space companies. CommStar intends to deploy the CommStar-1 satellite to cislunar orbit in 2023, serving as a high-capacity data relay satellite in the cislunar service area. CommStar-1 is being designed in cooperation with Thales Alenia Space to serve as a hybrid satellite able to receive and relay both radio-frequency and laser-optic communications — serving demand for bidirectional data communications between the Earth and the Moon for commercial, civil science, and government customers.
Brumley was a Senate-confirmed Presidential appointee in the Reagan administration, serving in both terms. During that time, he acted as the Executive Director of the Commercial Space Working Group of the National Security Council, and the Economic Policy Council. He is also a retired Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve. Bob has extensive executive experience in the management and financing of early-stage ventures, particularly in aerospace, telecommunications, and defense.
In our conversation, Brumley explains what the vast cislunar area of space means to private companies like CommStar, why it’s so important to have this kind of infrastructure closer to the Moon, how the system will provide the same internet and communications services on the Moon as we currently have on Earth, and how a similar configuration could potentially be considered as infrastructure for other locations in deep space.
In discussing the growing importance of the cislunar service area, Bob says, “People are just learning: What is cislunar? And what is that to do with the Moon? And is there a real commercial opportunity outside what the government is doing? And within the last six months — particularly what we've experienced — the answer is yes, and there is real excitement about bypassing what would be low Earth orbit and going deeper.”
To learn more about CommStar Space Communications, visit https://commstar.space/
Introductory and closing music: Paint the Sky by Hans Atom © Copyright 2015, licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/hansatom/50718 Ft: Miss Judged
Wednesday Jul 14, 2021
Daniel Lockney – NASA Technology Transfer Program
Wednesday Jul 14, 2021
Wednesday Jul 14, 2021
In this episode:
We meet Daniel Lockney, the Technology Transfer Program executive at NASA Headquarters in Washington, D.C. NASA has a long history of finding new and innovative uses for its space and aeronautical technologies, and Lockney is the agency’s leading authority on those technologies and their practical applications on Earth.
Daniel is responsible for agency-level management of NASA intellectual property and the transfer of NASA technology to the public. In this role, Lockney oversees policy, strategy, resources, and direction for the agency’s technology commercialization efforts.
In our conversation, Lockney explains how the Technology Transfer office bridges the gap between space technology and our needs on Earth, how space technology impacts Earth’s economy, and some of the most interesting secondary applications of space technologies he’s seen.
Describing the significant uptick in commercial applications of NASA-developed technologies, Daniel says, “Over the past decade, a quintupling of the amount of commercialization we've typically seen from NASA... Our patent licensing is through the roof. You know, we used to average about 20, 25 patents licensed per year — now we're hitting 150 to 175 easily.”
To learn more about the Technology Transfer Program at NASA, visit https://technology.nasa.gov.
Introductory and closing music: Paint the Sky by Hans Atom © Copyright 2015, licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/hansatom/50718 Ft: Miss Judged
Wednesday Jun 16, 2021
Trevor Bennett – Cofounder of Starfish Space
Wednesday Jun 16, 2021
Wednesday Jun 16, 2021
In this episode:
We meet Dr. Trevor Bennett, cofounder of Starfish Space — a software, robotics, and autonomous space infrastructure company developing satellite servicing and space debris capture missions. Their current products include the Otter space tug, Cephalopod software, and Nautilus capture mechanism.
Trevor earned his PhD in Aerospace from the University of Colorado where he was a NASA Space Technology Research Fellow and was also spotlighted in the Aviation Week “20 Twenties.” Trevor has worked at both NASA Goddard and NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) on robotic missions, and for Blue Origin on the New Glenn launch vehicle.
In our conversation, Bennet explains what led him to cofound Starfish Space and focus on these specific aspects of the space ecosystem, why space debris is a critical issue from his perspective, what sets Starfish apart from other companies developing technologies for space debris capture, the company’s upcoming in-orbit test launch on a SpaceX Falcon 9, and more.
In explaining the role that Starfish Space would like to play in the space infrastructure of the future, Trevor says, “If we are able to provide some component of that industry and do in-space mining, in-space recycling, in-space manufacturing — I think that’s really where the space industry kicks off and starts doing amazing things.”
To learn more about Starfish Space, visit starfishspace.com.
Introductory and closing music: Paint the Sky by Hans Atom © Copyright 2015, licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/hansatom/50718 Ft: Miss Judged
Wednesday Apr 21, 2021
Tom Smokov & Craig Fairclough — Water Pure Technologies
Wednesday Apr 21, 2021
Wednesday Apr 21, 2021
In this episode:
We meet Tom Smokov, Cofounder and CEO, and Craig Fairclough, President, of Water Pure Technologies. Over the past 25 years, Smokov’s entrepreneurial vision has driven innovations in the way water is treated and filtered. He’s worked with federal, state, and international water quality codes, and his research has been focused on the development of safer, long-term solutions for point-of-use water treatment based on proven science and testing. Craig Fairclough came to Water Pure after 18 years in sales management, and together their goal is to provide the best possible drinking water throughout the world.
In this conversation, our guests explain how the water we believe to be clean can still contain bacteria, viruses, heavy metals, pesticides, pharmaceuticals, or hormones. Using a Nano Water Filtration Technology codeveloped by NASA for use on the International Space Station, these contaminants can be reduced by 99.999999%. Water Pure Technologies believes that clean drinking water is a human right, and they participate in many humanitarian efforts to supply clean water to regions of developing nations in need.
In discussing the high performance of their filter, Smokov says, “This is a game-changing filter, as far as its ability to save lives, treat lots of water, and it really does a great job. It's got the highest reduction of bacteria and viruses tested to date.”
To learn more about Water Pure Technologies and their line of products, visit waterpuretechnologies.com.
Introductory and closing music: Paint the Sky by Hans Atom © copyright 2015, licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/hansatom/50718 Ft: Miss Judged
Wednesday Mar 17, 2021
Alan Mittelman – Founder, CEO, and President of Eagle Eyes Optics
Wednesday Mar 17, 2021
Wednesday Mar 17, 2021
In this episode:
We meet Alan Mittelman, Founder, CEO, and President of SunTiger, Inc./DBA Eagle Eyes Optics. In the late 1980s, Alan acquired this unique intellectual property for lenses adapted from an innovation originally developed by physicists at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), and used by astronauts while building the International Space Station (ISS). The technology can both protect vision and enhance sight by selectively blocking ultraviolet light and blue light radiation.
This became the foundation of SunTiger, and after utilizing SunTiger’s U.S. and Japanese patents to refine the technology, Mittelman negotiated a manufacturing/distribution relationship with Mitsubishi Gas Chemical of Japan. Within two years, his wholly owned company in Japan became the world’s largest manufacturer and distributor of polarized polycarbonate lenses to the sunglasses industry.
Today, the Eagle Eyes product line is comprised of hundreds of models for every style preference, and almost every light condition including bright sunlight, night driving, low-light conditions, computer screen viewing, gaming, office wear, travel, and occupational safety glasses. Continually finding ways to bring their glasses to high-risk populations, Eagle Eyes also regularly donates glasses to Space Foundation education initiatives, and Carolyn Blashek, founder of Operation Gratitude.
In describing NASA’s initial development of the technology, Alan says, “These NASA scientists —physicists — knew that radiational light was harmful to the human eye. They knew that welders needed very, very heavy protection here on Earth. So, of course, being that there is no ozone in outer space, just mere protection from the sun is much more important.”
To learn more about Eagle Eyes and their products, visit EagleEyes.com.
Introductory and closing music: Paint the Sky by Hans Atom © copyright 2015, licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/hansatom/50718 Ft: Miss Judged
Thursday Feb 25, 2021
Jonathan Gardner – Deputy Senior Project Scientist, James Webb Space Telescope
Thursday Feb 25, 2021
Thursday Feb 25, 2021
In this episode:
We meet Dr. Jonathan Gardner, the Deputy Senior Project Scientist for the James Webb Space Telescope and the Chief of the Laboratory for Observational Cosmology in the Astrophysics Science Division at NASA Goddard. He received his bachelor’s degree in Astronomy in Astrophysics from Harvard University, and then attended graduate school at the University of Hawaii, earning a master’s degree and a PhD in Astronomy. He began working on Webb as a member of the Ad-Hoc Science Working Group in the late 1990s, and then joined the project as the Deputy Senior Project Scientist in 2002.
The James Webb Space Telescope project began in 1996 and is currently scheduled for launch on October 31, 2021. It will be the largest and most powerful space telescope ever built and launched into space — 100 times more powerful than the Hubble Space Telescope, and it promises to fundamentally alter our understandings of the universe. The telescope is an international collaboration between NASA, the European Space Agency, and the Canadian Space Agency, and with an almost $10 billion price tag it's one of the most expensive space missions in history.
In our conversation, Dr. Gardner explains how Webb will be able to see the first light created in the universe after the big bang 13.5 billion years ago, how it will create a 3D model of our universe together with Hubble, how it’ll have the capability to detect signs of life in the atmospheres of 300+ exoplanets, and he tells us when the public will begin to see images of what Webb is observing.
Sharing what he's looking forward to most about the mission, Gardner says, “I’m most excited about the fact that whenever we put up a new capability that is a hundred times better than anything that’s happened before ... we find discoveries that we really were not expecting.”
To learn more about the James Webb Space Telescope, visit webb.nasa.gov.
Introductory and closing music: Paint the Sky by Hans Atom © copyright 2015, licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/hansatom/50718 Ft: Miss Judged
Wednesday Feb 17, 2021
Joe Urso — Founder/CEO ActivePure Technologies
Wednesday Feb 17, 2021
Wednesday Feb 17, 2021
In this episode:
We meet Joe Urso, Founder, Chairman and CEO of ActivePure Technologies, LLC. Urso purchased the former Electrolux North America in 1998 and has transformed the company into what is now an industry leader in creating healthy indoor environments. Their air-cleansing technology, initially used exclusively by NASA on space missions, has been reengineered for use in a range of portable and installed units that serve both residential and commercial markets, including healthcare, education, and hospitality. It is for this adaptation that ActivePure Technologies was inducted into the Space Technology Hall of Fame in 2017.
In our conversation, Joe explains how he took the concept of the space-based ethylene scrubber and adapted the technology to build a family of products that benefit people in their everyday lives. He also shares his passion for bringing peace of mind to everyone who uses their line of products, and testimonials of people’s lives who have been changed because of ActivePure’s ability to eliminate bacteria, viruses, and allergens.
Joe describes a time in the mid-1990s when he attended a global summit at the White House where leaders were discussing plans to address a future bacterial or viral pandemic. Regarding the technology now known as ActivePure, Joe says, “So, when I saw this technology, the early stage of it, I thought ‘My gosh — this has a chance to make a difference.’”
To learn more about ActivePure Technologies, visit https://www.activepure.com/
Introductory and closing music: Paint the Sky by Hans Atom © copyright 2015, licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/hansatom/50718 Ft: Miss Judged
Wednesday Nov 18, 2020
John Olver – Emisshield, Inc.
Wednesday Nov 18, 2020
Wednesday Nov 18, 2020
In this episode:
We meet Dr. John Olver, President, CEO, and founder of Emisshield Incorporated, located in Blacksburg, Virginia. Dr. Olver has extensive experience working in the engineering, environmental, chemistry, and physics fields, and has more than 20 patents and/or patent applications in numerous industries.
In our conversation, Dr. Olver discusses how emissivity ― the ability to radiate ― inspired him and his team to build upon an existing technology developed by NASA for heatshields in the X-33 and X-34 programs. His company, Emisshield, uses this protective ceramic coating concept to make existing materials more thermally efficient across multiple commercial platforms, including power generation, aerospace, and even textiles. John also explains the company’s two priorities while advancing the technology: Keeping the concept environmentally friendly, and simple enough to be applied by everyday hardware store tools.
“We’re enhancing thermal performance, be it heating or cooling of any piece of material,” Olver says. “What we’re really doing is taking the technology from NASA and making composite materials and structures that enhance cooling and/or heating up for an industrial process, or everyday use in clothing, or anything like that.”
To learn more about Emisshield visit http://www.emisshield.com.
Introductory and closing music: Paint the Sky by Hans Atom © copyright 2015 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/hansatom/50718 Ft: Miss Judged