Hello Podcasters,
A short work week here in the United States means a short note, but not a short podcast. In this week’s episode we have a one-on-one interview with Rogues Space Systems Founder Jeromy Grimmett.
In a nod to transparency, when I was preparing for this interview, I found that Rogue is a wee bit controversial among folks I respect, yet I’m not entirely sure why. Is it the fact that the company is less than four years old? Or that the company is headquartered in Gilford, New Hampshire, a gorgeous lakeside town with a population hovering somewhere above 7,800? Or is it something else entirely?
I wonder because Rogue has an enviable fistful of Department of Defense contacts that use Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) awards, which are highly competitive. This episode marks Rogue’s latest achievement: no-kidding space heritage.
The November 11 launch of Rogue’s Barry-1 aboard SpaceX’s Transporter-9 mission put the company’s first Orbot - an agile satellite - into orbit with a payload coming from the commercial-sector customer, IVO Ltd.
Right off of Rogue’s website, “Barry-1 is a demonstration vehicle”, that was developed using DoD dollars won through the SpaceWERX Orbital Prime Program, a mechanism managed by AFWERX with a focus on space. The demonstration is to test the company’s proprietary Scalable Compute Platform (SCP), which uses artificial intelligence “to aggregate data from multiple sensors and process it in real-time, enabling fast onboard decision-making.”
Anything that can cut down the time it takes to gather and analyze actionable data about in-space objects, like satellites in the operational scenario of a rendezvous and proximity mission, is of great interest to the U.S. Space Force, but so too is having the right tools for the right job.
The Barry-1 launch came less than two weeks after Rogue won another AFWERX contract, which if successful, will lead to the in situ 3-D printing of the right tools to diagnose, maintain, or repair satellites.
In this episode Grimmett explains the Rogue plan: To have a fleet of Orbots, of different models, that are artificially intelligent to independently make decisions within specified parameters; equipped with cutting edge sensors; capable of creating the right tools for any job; and get the job done.
Who’s in this episode
Jeromy Grimmett - Founder, and CEO of Rogue Space Systems
Last notes
As I said, this week is a short one. So while I’m not giving you more to read, I did find this very cool website that is tracking Barry-1’s journey in orbit.
Also, look out for this week’s episode at the end of this week, when we’ll cover SpaceX’s Starship Flight Test Two, what was a fail and what was a win, and the Chinese answer to the mega space lance system.
Wishing you and yours a Happy Thanksgiving.
Ad Astra,
Laura
