Yesterday's showdown at the United Nations Security Council meeting could be described in a number of ways.
One way could be that the United States and Japan led draft resolution to reaffirm the peaceful use of outer space seemed like a move to force Russia's hand to declare their use of weapons in space.
And another way to look at it could be simply, it was a Willy-wagging contest.
Now, we'll let you decide that one, dear listener.
Today is April 25th, 2024.
I'm Maria Varmausis, and this is T-minus.
Russia vetoes a UN draft resolution on the peaceful use of outer space.
China launches a new crew to Tiangong.
Redwire signs an MOU with Boryang.
And our guest today is Jason Mishoud, founder and CEO at Stardust Technologies.
I'll be speaking to Jason about his mission to empower the space industry through innovations and technologies in science with the goal of making space more accessible to humanity.
Stay with us.
Let's dive into our Thursday briefing, shall we?
And it will come as no surprise to most, if not all of you, that yesterday's vote at the United Nations Security Council on a weapon-free outer space agreement was quashed.
By a vote of 13 in favor to one against with one abstention, the Security Council rejected the draft resolution, which was introduced by Japan and the United States.
Russia was the one against, and China was the one in abstention.
The draft resolution called on member states to refrain from placing nuclear weapons in orbit around the Earth.
The resolution would also have called on all member states not to develop nuclear weapons specifically designed to be placed in orbit.
And the vote was in response to the U.S. assessment that Russia is developing a new satellite carrying a nuclear device.
In a statement in response to the veto, the White House said this, "We have heard President Putin say publicly that Russia has no intention of deploying nuclear weapons in space.
If that were the case, Russia would not have vetoed this resolution."
Linda Thomas Greenfield, the U.S. ambassador to the UN, posed the question that many of us were also asking after the veto.
"Why, if you are following the rules, would you not support a resolution that reaffirms them?
What could you possibly be hiding?"
And in response, Russia claims that the draft resolution is a cynical ploy with hidden motives.
U.S. evidence of Russia's supposed space-based nuclear weapon has not been shared with the public, we should note.
Still, let's hope that this isn't the move that triggers conflict in Leo.
China has launched a new crew of astronauts to their Tiangong space station.
The three-astronaut Shenzhou-18 mission lifted off atop a Long March 2F rocket from China's Juchuan spaceport earlier today.
Shenzhou-18 will be the seventh crewed mission to Tiangong.
And the outpost is already occupied by the three astronauts of the Shenzhou-17 mission, who are wrapping up their six-month orbital stint.
And if all goes according to plan, then the crew will arrive at the space station later today.
And the new Shenzhou-18 crew have been tasked with installing space debris protection reinforcements for extra-vehicular piping, cables, and critical equipment during their mission, according to Chinese media.
The work is due in part in response to the news that the Tiangong space station has been damaged, or rather, had been damaged, by space debris.
The Chinese space station was hit at some point at the end of last year, and has since been repaired during two recent space walks.
Tiangong-1 reportedly suffered a partial loss of power supply due to the impact of the space debris on the solar wing's power cables.
China has not disclosed what kind of debris impacted the orbiting station.
China has said, though, that it has enhanced its capability to precisely forecast the orbits of the space station since that impact, and optimize the procedures for space collision warning and avoidance, and also reduce the false alarm rate by 30%.
Staying in China for a moment, China's President Xi Jinping shared with attendees of the China-Latin American and Caribbean states' space cooperation forum that China is ready to work with Latin American and Caribbean countries.
China wants to build high-level space cooperation partnerships, promote space technology to better benefit both peoples, and continue to promote the building of a community of China and the Latin American and Caribbean countries with a shared future.
The event, co-hosted by the China National Space Administration, or CNSA, and the Hubei provincial government, took place in Wuhan on Wednesday.
The forum showcased the high-level political trust between China and the Latin American and Caribbean countries.
Moving on now, Red Wire has signed a memorandum of understanding with South Korea's Boryeong Corporation to support Boryeong's Humans in Space program, which is a global initiative committed to advancing knowledge and innovation that support the well-being of humanity through space experiments.
Through the memorandum of understanding, Red Wire intends to facilitate research experiments on orbit, funded through the Humans in Space program, and provide mission management services.
Red Wire will also serve as a partner for the Third Annual Humans in Space Challenge, which is a global competition for researchers and innovators addressing the impact of space on human well-being.
Challenge winners will be awarded investments and research awards, alongside opportunities to participate in tailored mentorship programs led by space industry experts.
Last year, 12 participants were awarded, and this year's challenge launches on April 29th.
Thailand's MuSpace and Advanced Technology Corporation have entered into a memorandum of understanding with RBC Signals International.
The MOU, effective from March 1st, 2024, is the beginning of a collaboration aimed at exploring opportunities related to satellite ground station facilities in Thailand and Southeast Asian countries.
The press release states that, with their combined expertise and resources, the parties are well positioned to explore and capitalize on the opportunities in this space.
Moving all the way over to the other side of the planet now, and Saksivord Spaceport has been granted a Range Control License by the UK Civil Aviation Authority to enable the company to provide a number of safety critical services before and during launch.
The regulator's latest license for Saksivord means it can issue warning notices to keep people out of hazardous areas, perform surveillance of those areas, and monitor the progress of rockets in flight.
The announcement follows the granting of a spaceport license by the Civil Aviation Authority to Saksivord in December 2023, and the CAA was quick to point out that a Range License is a legal requirement ahead of a space launch but is not in itself permission to launch.
Speaking of spaceports, ANNOVA SCOSHA's Maritime Launch Services has signed a letter of intent to lease a containerized tracking and telemetry station from the spaceport company.
The service will provide support for an inaugural orbital launch from Canada, with options to purchase multiple units as maritime launch operations ramp up.
Maritime launch plans to offer this mobile tracking service on its first orbital mission, which is slated for 2025.
And Honeywell reported Q1 financial results that met or exceeded the company's guidance.
The company also reiterated its full-year sales, segment margin, adjusted earnings per share, and cash flow guidance ranges.
The company reported strong growth in aerospace technologies, which was up overall 18%.
And that's it for our briefing for today.
Hold details on that financial report from Honeywell, along with further information on all the stories that I've mentioned, and as always, be found in our show notes.
We've also included an announcement from Aegis Space, a missile contract for RTX and an RFI released by the UK Space Agency for spacecraft, satellites, and launch vehicles.
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[MUSIC] Our guest today is Jason Michaud, founder and CEO at Stardust Technologies.
Now Jason does a lot of outreach with indigenous populations in Canada, and I asked him how he got involved in space.
So I come from a small little village called Uberville.
It's about, I want to say, 10 hours or so from Toronto in the wonderful province of Ontario.
And it's really Lumberjack dominated industry and now mining more.
And one of the big things is growing up.
I never really had any opportunities to explore careers in computing or space for that matter.
That was super far out.
So essentially when I was growing up, most of my family was saying, like, don't go to college.
You don't even need to finish really your high school because you can get into the mill and they're going to pay for your college afterwards.
But that's great if that's what you like doing.
But unfortunately, if you like something else, there's zero expectations for our kids.
And we decided to change that and really create these opportunities for our kids.
And one of the big things that was really hard is when we got involved in the space industry was essentially being able to find a sense of belonging in people.
And in Canada, it's extremely hard because there's not much for stemming kids.
So when I was asked after we did a lot of parabolic flights in Zergy and participate on some research with the NRC and the Canadian Space Agency, I wanted to bring that back to our indigenous and northern communities because our kids never have these opportunities.
When we did workshops and activities for the kids, people would tell them, like, hey, I'm not smart.
Like the kid would say I'm not smart enough to go to university or even leave my community.
And unfortunately, when I started in business, I was told I wouldn't last more than six months.
And here I am 10 years later.
So it's frustrating.
But let's not let the circumstances of our bird define what we can do.
And we decided, let's take this model and let's bring it to our communities in the north.
And last year, we did our second festival where we get indigenous youths into space careers and to learn all about it.
And this year, we're really looking forward to have all our partners out there.
Wow.
OK.
That was just the intro.
My gosh.
That is such an incredible story.
And I think I'm sure you've told this many times.
And I know a lot of people can relate that being told that, you know, certain dreams aren't worth pursuing or you're not worth being educated.
I know that is in my family as well.
I'm very familiar with that.
So thank you for doing what you do.
And I would love to know how did you get interested in space?
So basically, when we started in college learning about virtual reality and optic feedback, and how can I take such a cool technology from video games and translate it into something that could be utilized to help people?
So we got involved in the mining industry back then and the mining industry, as I say, no offense, but it's an old boys club and it's very hard to break into new technology prior to COVID.
So we got really great connection, good partners out there and whatnot.
But one of the things that was a big breaking point, a big changing point is when we heard Scott Kelly on the ISS saying that mental health was one of his biggest struggle in space.
So he said, why can't we use virtual reality and optic feedback technology so that people could have connection with their family from space?
So what we went to develop is a solution called Serenity so that astronauts can hug their loved one almost in real time from the ISS.
They can feel the hug and feel more connected.
Because the biggest issue for going and building a base on the moon or Mars is not going to be just not really technology.
We have mostly technology.
It's the human.
I guess money is a problem.
But I mean, the human factor is the biggest one.
And we can't fix that.
That's what we should prioritize in the space industry.
Yeah.
Jason, I'm picking up that thread from so much of what you've already told me.
I've only just met you, but I'm feeling that human connection through space, which is so often missing.
When I have these conversations, they're often very, I know if I was to anyone have interviewed, but they can often be very dry and we're often very technical.
And having that human connection, you're absolutely right.
I mean, what are we doing any of this for?
If we're not for human connection?
Yeah, what's the point?
Exactly.
And also, if not to improve communities that are underserved, underrepresented.
So tell me a bit more about the work that you're doing there, especially within indigenous communities.
I'd love to learn more.
100%.
So every year we host, so it was formerly the Stardust Festival.
Now it's called Anangoka Festival.
In order of my late father, that was Anishinaabe.
In Anangoka means there are many stars.
And our vision and our mission is to show to these kids the opportunities that we never had growing up, that they can be them.
But what we do is we bring people that have done similar roles like NASA astronaut or even people that are like directors or even marketing and whatnot so that these kids can see themselves in those stories, the struggles, how they got to where they're at and not necessarily just how would I say, to find a mentor in these people and to feel like, hey, I belong in this industry, but to break down those barriers that makes it so that you see that person on the podium, but they didn't make it overnight.
No one makes it overnight.
And if we can have people that are there back and back with our kids to inspire them, these little things can change lives.
They sure can.
You must have a lot of stories of when you've interacted with the kids, when you've seen them, that moment of inspiration.
Any favorites you want to share?
Well, one thing that we really like, and that's with my friend Diana Phillips, the first time we went to the metagamy school, actually, we did a workshop, launched a little rocket during lunch, and the kids got to play, build a lunar lander.
And that's when they announced Jeremy Anson going to the moon.
Yes.
And we had a little countdown.
And one of the girls, she got super excited, really liked it.
And I guess not too far after that, with our partners at Metagamy, they hosted a community feast.
And essentially that day, that parent approached me, and she's like, so you're the reason my daughter wants to become an astronaut.
She talks about it all the time.
Oh, that's so great.
That was wonderful.
And Diana can vouch on that too.
That's so wonderful.
That really does change lives.
It really does.
When she grows up, she's going to remember that.
And she'll be thinking in the moment, that's so wonderful that you're facilitating that.
It's powerful.
It's truly powerful.
So I've been told like multiple times that dreams go to die in the north.
Let's change a narrative.
And rather than waiting for people to bring us to the table, let's rank the table.
That's how I see it.
Can you tell me a bit more about the other things that Star Dust is doing as well?
So I started us.
We have lots of partners.
We know a lot of people, and we've traveled quite a bit extensively, met some incredible people.
And we've been creating this facility called TAO, which is an analog for more for the human connection in the crew dynamics.
And what we understand is maybe the government is not completely ready to have the camp on the moon, but industry is, and we're not going to wait.
And as soon as you start having more than six people on the moon, you're going to have 20 people, maybe a hundred people.
That's when the human connection is so important.
And in order to do that, we have to understand that humans are not perfect.
And the sooner we do that, the better we can have prevention for problems that can arise.
We can't be naive if everything's going to happen in space.
That's true.
We're bringing humanity.
We're going to change overnight.
So if you're telling me we're going to build rockets or anything on the moon eventually to go to outer space or to send satellites, well, we already used more than 5,000 people on Earth right now just to build one rocket.
So we're going to have hundreds, thousands of people in the next decade or so, maybe two.
So we're preparing for that with our TAO location, doing our first crew missions this summer.
And we're going to have about 20 people for two weeks in isolation in a former NORA facility that was converted into a mushroom farm.
The journeys these things go on really truly is.
So it's 23,000 square feet and it can accommodate 20 people and it has the capacity to grow food for 50,000 people.
So we're not going to run out of food.
That's good.
But it's going to be very interesting and very game changing in the North.
Apart from that, we're announcing also our Prometheus suit.
So with partners, we've been developing a training space suit that can be used to go underwater but also that has augmented and virtual reality so that the astronaut that's underwater rather than swimming underwater, he's actually swimming like if he was on the ISS.
So it gives them more that feel of immersion.
Not only that, the suit is used for our analog TAO and it is meant to be fully augmented with AI voice.
Kind of like chat GPT meets Alexa, but private database, not access to everything on the internet but to some degree.
Yeah, otherwise you can just come on there.
I mean, could you imagine you'd be on the moon and you're like, I need medical assistance and it starts playing the songs, staying alive instead.
Or it's like, here's some memes.
Is this what you wanted?
No.
Cat memes are not what I need right now.
I mean, it's helping me destress, but you know.
So we've been developing that extensively and that's part of our announcement.
Apart from that, we've been really focused on developing our space center with our partners on Togamy, on over a thousand acres of land where we are building a space camp and other opportunities for training right in the north and so that the youth don't need to leave the community.
We're able to use the skills that's already available and our uniqueness of the landscape so that these kids are able to create the aerospace community right in their backyard rather than to go to a corporate world that's going to suck you in.
We'll be right back. .
Welcome back.
Okay.
When you read the headline, signs of spiders from Mars.
Could you be forgiven for thinking that the arachnids are taking over the solar system?
Nightmare fuel, right?
Still, the signs of spiders captured by the European Space Agency's Mars Express are not what they seem.
It's not the owls this time.
It's the spiders.
These spiders are actually small, dark features that form when spring sunshine falls on layers of carbon dioxide deposited over the dark winter months.
So not real spiders, no.
The sunlight causes carbon dioxide ice at the bottom of the layer to turn into gas, which subsequently builds up and breaks through slabs of overlying ice.
The gas then bursts free.
The gas then bursts free in Martian springtime, dragging dark material up to the surface as it goes and shattering layers of ice up to a meter thick.
The result of all this?
The emerging gas, laden with dark dust, shoots up through the cracks in the ice in the form of tall fountains or geysers before falling back down and then settling on the surface.
That is really wild.
And then this creates dark spots that are very spidery looking between 45 meters and 1 kilometer across.
Nascolines eat your heart out.
This is super neat.
This same process creates characteristic spider-shaped patterns etched beneath the ice.
And so these dark spots are a telltale sign that spiders may be lurking below.
Pretty neat, actually.
So no, there aren't actual real spiders on Mars, but the patterns captured by the Mars Express and the ExoMars Trace gas orbiter are quite beautiful.
So we suggest following the link in our show notes to see them for yourself.
That's it for T-Minus for April 25, 2024.
For additional resources from today's report, check out our show notes at space.n2k.com.
We're privileged that N2K and podcasts like T-Minus are part of the daily routine of many of the most influential leaders and operators in the public and private sector.
From the Fortune 500 to many of the world's preeminent intelligence and law enforcement agencies.
This episode was produced by Alice Carruth, mixing by Elliot Peltzman and Trey Hester, with original music and sound design by Elliot Peltzman.
Our associate producer is Liz Stokes.
Our executive producer is Jen Iben.
Our VP is Brandon Karp.
And I'm Maria Varmausus.
Thanks for listening.
We'll see you all tomorrow.
T-Minus.
