Shawn Murphy

Space is useful as a platform because of it's ability to cover large geographic areas with very little infrastructure. Inversion takes advantage of this for physical cargo distribution. I sat down with Sandra Erwin at SpaceNews to talk about Inversion's upcoming flight in October and how Inversion is thinking about the market of cargo storage and delivery from space. Check out the great article here: https://lnkd.in/gkEtyFPh

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Timelines are still TOO LONG! "Westinghouse and Radiant are now working to finalize their preliminary documented safety analyses, a key step before they can demonstrate their test units at Idaho’s DOME. Both companies aim to commercialize their microreactors by about 2030, which will require a license from the NRC. In the mean time, DOME testing will provide critical operational data to support potential regulatory approval." 5 years from now? Can that be 1 year? Why not? Why not, really? https://lnkd.in/eyw9_tGp #nuclear

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Glad to see an industry near and dear to me starting to "green" up - space. https://lnkd.in/enpWRU42 All fossil fuel-based liquid hydrogen and liquid methane rockets can use renewable natural gas (RNG) as the fuel feedstock which, in CleanBay's case, would actually make the rocket Carbon Negative! In the case of liquid methane, you can liquify RNG as a direct replacement. For liquid H2, the RNG can be used to produce "carbon-zero" liquified Hydrogen through a few additional steps. Rocket Lab, SpaceX, Blue Origin, ARIANESPACE, NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and United Launch Alliance (ULA), CleanBay is ready to help with a carbon-negative or carbon-zero fuel solution. #space #aerospace #defense #congress #whitehouse #NASA #renewables #RNG #cleanenergy #renewableenergy

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The most current #Space podcast on #Biomanufacturing, #Biotech and more. Rhodium Scientific is pleased to be highlighted as a pioneering company turning space into a trillion-dollar hub, reshaping terrestrial industries with our high-throughput science platforms in #microgravity. Listen to this podcast and let me know where you would invest in the space industry in 2025. #LeadingSpaceBiotech #BusinessOfScience Anna Brady-Estevez, Curtis Hill, Kevin Engelbert, ROSE M. HERNANDEZ, Ph.D., Dyan, Anne Cheever, Jason Kelly, Adam Arkin, Armand Dichosa, SynBioBeta, National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS), International Space Station National Laboratory, NASA Office of Small Business Programs, National Science Foundation (NSF), Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA)

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I am pleased to share some exciting space updates from the last week that are impacting the SpaceTech ecosystem: China’s Chang’e 6 Mission Success - China’s Chang’e 6 has made a historic achievement by delivering the first-ever samples from the lunar far side. This milestone marks a significant step in lunar exploration, providing unprecedented data and insights about the moon's composition and history. Pixxel’s Landmark 350th iDEX Contract - Our portfolio company Pixxel, a pioneer in cutting-edge hyperspectral earth-imaging technology, has secured a unique iDEX contract to develop Miniaturized Multi-Payload Satellites. This contract, a first-of-its-kind in the industry, represents a significant leap in space technology and underscores Pixxel's leadership in the field. SpaceX hired by NASA to destroy the ISS after it retires in 2030 - NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration will have a spacecraft from Elon Musk’s SpaceX to guide the International Space Station’s destruction after its retirement in 2030. NASA awarded an $843 million contract to SpaceX to build the so-called “U.S. Deorbit Vehicle.” The SpaceX-built vehicle will effectively destroy the ISS by pushing the station into reentry from orbit. Lockheed Martin’s $977.5m Contract Extension - Lockheed Martin has secured a $977.5 million contract extension for the development and deployment of missile-warning satellites. This contract extension highlights Lockheed Martin's crucial role in national security and space defence. The enhanced capabilities of these satellites will provide better detection and tracking of missile threats, bolstering global security infrastructure. Check out the full stories via this link here - https://lnkd.in/e5364sj4

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Thanks Defense Advancement for picking up news on the release of Skyborne Technologies Cerberus MI armed Group 2 UAS - still one of the only types of kinetic and non-kinetic modular payload small UAS on the market. Value proposition: 1. Cost per shot (lower than an FPV with a warhead) 2. Organic strike capability in a man-packable form 3. Re-usable and re-loadable 4. Minimal training (if you can fly a ISR Group 1/2 UAS, you can fly and target with Cerberus) 5. Using standard military inventory ammunition (approved by DoDs)

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Some big news recently regarding Archer and Anduril teaming up to develop a hybrid electric version of an eVTOL for military use. This announcement will reverberate far and wide as we digest the implications of a potential pivot to hybrid from the battery-electric architecture that paved the way for the introduction of powered-lift aircraft like the Midnight shown here. The eVTOL in general suffers from anemic range, payload and endurance compared to the conventional helicopter. This is mostly due to the comparatively poor energy density of today's batteries which must be integrated in bulk to power a vertical lift aircraft with a very restricted mission profile at best. Batteries used by most eVTOL frontrunners have a range of around 100 miles or less when reserves are factored in. They are also inherently heavy and take up a lot of space (large mass), cutting into the payload that can be carried. These limitations have caused the USAF Agility Prime Program to conclude the pure battery-electric eVTOL has no future next to a hybrid that leverages the latest turbo generator technology favoring combustion, and in the best case will run on SAF to appease the environmentalists. The paragraph on "Range and Payload" included in the illustration below was sourced from a recent post by a recognized enthusiast in AAM. It reflects initial thinking that may overstate the potential benefits and largely ignores the tradeoffs associated with a retrofit of the Archer Midnight with a hybrid power plant. As you might expect, pursuit of this may also dilute the original value proposition of the eVTOL. Although hybrid can significantly improve the range of a battery-electric platform the suggestion it can service a mission of more than 500 miles is just a guess and ignores several sources of drag on the Midnight that may preclude meeting this goal. This includes the six stopped lifters that serve no purpose in forward flight, six large booms needed for strategic distribution of the propulsors, and the fixed tricycle landing gear. I also wonder how the payload can be increased by a whopping 1,000 lbs given a gross weight of 6,500 lbs. on the Midnight. This calls for an offsetting reduction in battery mass which may be possible but ignores the additional weight of the turbo generator, a sophisticated power management system, more safety features and other components introduced by hybrid. Bottom line, I will be surprised if there is a much of an increase in payload at all after the fuel tanks are topped off. A hybrid will also be noisier, more complex and dirtier (unless fueled by SAF) than a pure battery-electric platform. This runs counter to the quiet, simple and green proposition that has propelled the eVTOL to the forefront of the investment community in aerospace. Trying to retrofit a complex product for better performance often comes at a steep price, so it will be interesting to see how things shake out. Expect it to get ugly ;) #eVTOL #hybrid #AAM

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Zachary Kallenborn is an MPhil/PhD student in King’s College London’s Department of War Studies. Marcel Plichta is a PhD candidate in the School of International Relations at the University of St. Andrews and lead instructor at the Grey Dynamics Intelligence School. "Drone warfare is best understood as a call-and-response innovation cycle, with each side responding to the other’s innovation. Whether drone offense or defense dominates will vary based on advancements in technology, the degree to which adversaries adopt those technologies, as well as supporting doctrine, organization, training, leadership, personnel, and facilities. In the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh War, drones gave Azerbaijan a significant military advantage because Armenia had limited defenses. Meanwhile, US forces in the Middle East are continually bombarded with low-cost drones from various terrorist and insurgent groups. Attackers are improving their drones too—Iran’s new jet-powered Shahed-238, for instance, boasts increased speed, albeit with a higher cost—and doing so more and more quickly. This accelerating cycle of innovation may also manifest differently across domains as drones are increasingly used on land, at sea, and beneath the waves. While much focus has been given to drones and drone countermeasures, little analysis has looked at the tactical and strategic implications of counter-countermeasures. US policymakers must correct this oversight to ensure US forces are equipped with the tools they need in an increasingly drone-saturated global operational environment. Counter-countermeasures should be based on a detailed understanding of adversary countermeasures because to break drone defenses, you first must know what defenses you’re breaking. "

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Now we've launched new satellite data science competition named "Identifying Deforestation Driver", oping OSS tools called solafune-tools which helps you to use satellite data easily. Let's Hack The Planet!!

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In a recent interview with Paul Brinkmann of Aerospace America, a publication of AIAA, we get into some of the finer what-if details of #AAMInfrastructure standards and fire code. Understanding that this is an area of technology that is evolving daily and that what we knew yesterday is often different than what we understand today, developing standards and codes in this ever-changing landscape requires constant input from all stakeholders. That said, I encourage those who are interested to check out NFPA-418, Standard for Heliports and Vertiports, and provide Public Input as you see fit to help guide the next revision cycle. NFPA-418: https://lnkd.in/gRX2mv4w NFPA Free Access: https://lnkd.in/gfAzyXbV Vertical Flight Society Vertical Aviation International NASAO - National Association of State Aviation Officials General Aviation Manufacturers Association NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration Federal Aviation Administration NFPA Clint Harper, C.M. Nicolas Zart Raymond Syms Ricarda Bennett Kathryn Wright Jeff Wright Tom Schuman #uam #vtol #evtol #technology #advancedairmobility #vertiport #heliport #firesafety #firecode #faa #nfpa #nasa Jim Sherman

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The use of ground resources especially in the development and maintenance of urban and suburban centers has a long documented history in the form of maps, blueprints, architectural, and environmental impact studies, etc. However, as most of that infrastructure ages and new infrastructure is added or replaced, historical and prospective data will, at best, address near-term and near-local environmental issues. For example, on July, 2019, a sinkhole developed at the Church Ranch exit on US 36 in Westminster, Colorado due to environmental changes in soil conditions . At the time, the Colorado Department of Transportation requested $20.4M for a repair that could be avoided if the road, which was recently refurbished, had proper monitoring. This is an example where environmental sensing especially due to human activity can play a crucial proactive role. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is leading the charge to assess such issues in a very healthy and efficient way through this RFI. I highly encourage all those working in real-world problems related to sensing to bring up their expertise and vision to the table so society does not fall prey to avoidable environmental problems in the future. #environment #sensing #planning

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I've only started interacting with the VC world recently. I've had the privilege of providing market insights for a couple firms and leading a technical evaluation of an investment candidate for a third. The deepest exposure I've had has been as I've joined AM Craft - Aviation Additive Manufacturing Services and become part of their growth efforts with Change Ventures. This article from Andris K. Berzins does a great job providing the VC perspective on why we're so excited by what we're getting done at AM Craft. #3dprinting #additivemanufacturing #aerospaceanddefense #aerospace #aviation

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ICYMI: Last week, I posted an article on my Forbes column to talk about the Modular Open Systems Approach (#MOSA), which is now required by law for very #DoD major defense acquisition program. So, if you expect to work on US #military #rotorcraft development efforts in the future, you should read this. In addition, the NATO Next Generation Rotorcraft Capability (#NGRC) program will require MOSA, and commercial aircraft efforts will likely all look at modular and open systems approaches. In other words, just about everyone should get familiar with MOSA, how to incorporate it into aircraft developments and why. https://lnkd.in/ek-tn2nf Bell Flight #V280 #Valor #FLRAA #FVL #AAM #eVTOL #Standards #OpenSystems #Modular

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https://lnkd.in/eguEWZx6 Following this closely. Seems to be common themes regarding geometric asymmetry and high EM fields. Parallels with the EM drive and many others albeit different variants and explanations. Of course, as I think Sagan said, extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence. Nonetheless, if a technology could be hugely disruptive, why wouldn't you investigate it, even if the probability of a new discovery is very low? It's not as though we have a complete description of the Universe. Many gaping holes we need to solve.

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Payload activation is now underway following the successful completion of the commissioning phase of LizzieSat-1 (LS-1) by Sidus Space. The Payload operations phase aims to fulfill customer needs, goals, and objectives while optimizing LizzieSat-1 performance to achieve mission success within required power, thermal, attitude control, and data downlink constraints. Sidus expects to achieve primary objectives in the coming weeks.

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Nice to see the The New York Times do fusion but the article Raymond Zhong put out is decidedly mid. Yes everyone knows Commonwealth Fusion Systems is the big fusion fish with $2B raised and the many upstarts working on alternatives to Tokamaks in WI, CA and the PNW. The post even ends with the obligatory quote from Dr. Crowley at PPPL cautioning against aggressive timelines for Q>1 and commercial deployment in the 2030's. The article completely missed the recent $1.2B in announced fusion rounds (congrats Pacific Fusion, Zap Energy ,Marvel & Excimer!). Nor did it talk about the developing narrative around Nuclear energy and powering the massive demand from Ai datacenters. Specifically, there is a very interesting story around a race to massive deployment scale between fusion, that still needs to solve technical hurdles, and fission with human created hurdles: regulatory, (Russian) uranium fuel supply chain and how this will all play out under a new administration. Overall I rate this NYT article a C+: boring and unoriginal ... cool pics of ITER & SPARC under construction though! For some great articles on fusion check out: 1) The always excellent Lisa Stiffler at GeekWire: https://lnkd.in/gxGBSGGS 2) Tim De Chant at TechCrunch: https://lnkd.in/gm6Vzxna 3) Jennifer Hiller at The Wall Street Journal: https://lnkd.in/gFCHbmrb https://lnkd.in/g2CtbFdB

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Leveraging AI To Keep Pace With Nonlinear Change https://lnkd.in/eDzBMFfz

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Thanks to Ron F. from General Atomics' Electromagnetics Division for inviting me to opine on the challenges and opportunities of space nuclear power and propulsion. As it turns out, we have quite a bit of both. Opportunities first. I've said it before but it's worth repeating: Elon and his superb team at SpaceX have dismantled the LEO bottleneck. And that has opened the door to innovations of every kind - at least in LEO. But what it's really done is enable us to envision how we will go to (and play in) higher orbits, offering us a chance to define what sort of infrastructure we will build the future space economy *on*. The future is not LEO - it's the entire solar system. So: It won't be chemistry or solar power that get us moving, not if we're serious about creating a gold rush to orbit. Both are too constrained and deficient (i.e., insufficiently energy- and power-dense) to rapidly and efficiently connect the dots in cislunar space, and provide the megawatts on demand we know we'll need, whether the use case is civil, commercial, or defense. That leaves us with nuclear - and it's going to be fission for awhile, despite noteworthy quantities of money flowing into fusion. We can make this work - but we have to get to orbit and prove ourselves now. If we don't? Well, sunk cost is very real (see SLS). If you have it, you use it - even if it doesn't make sense. Let's make sure that what we put on orbit makes sense - commercial sense, defense sense, civil sense. Challenges? Well, we're all capital-intensive plays with some uncertainty in our regulatory story and that combo tends to scare the 💩 out of most private investors. I'd love to be introduced to any visionary folks out there with some discretionary dollars who share my passion for the space gold rush and want to find a way to get involved that gets us out and moving during our lifetimes - while we can have some fun. We can do this. 🚀 https://lnkd.in/ezq6yv_G

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"While primarily known for commercial space initiatives such as the Dream Chaser reusable space plane and Orbital Reef space station, Sierra Space is looking to strengthen its foothold in the national security sector, with a particular emphasis on satellite technology.... The contract falls under the SDA’s Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture, specifically the Tranche 2 Tracking Layer, a component of the Defense Department’s low Earth orbit constellation. The satellites are scheduled to launch in 2027." https://lnkd.in/gnhdHGh2

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