Privateer Space - Steve Wozniak

[grythumn]

Yet another space startup.

Privateer Space is working to keep space safe and accessible to all humankind. Co-founded by Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak and Ripcord founder Alex Fielding, Privateer will be providing private audiences a glimpse into the companies future plans at AMOS Tech 2021 in September

https://www.privateer.com/

The sky is no longer the limit. We are in stealth mode. We'll see you at AMOS in September 2021 in Maui, Hawaii.

Video seems to imply an earth sciences focus? "So here's to taking care of what we have so the next generation can be better, together."

[Phil Stooke]

Space junk cleanup?

[grythumn]

Space junk cleanup?

That's what this article claims.

https://3dprint.com/283866/apples-steve-wozniak-to-clean-up-space-junk-with-desktop-metals-titanium-3d-printing/

Guess we'll find out in a few days.

[rakaydos]

Space junk cleanup?

That's what this article claims.

https://3dprint.com/283866/apples-steve-wozniak-to-clean-up-space-junk-with-desktop-metals-titanium-3d-printing/

Guess we'll find out in a few days.

The biggest problem with space junk cleanup is how to monetize it. since Russia still owns the paint chips that have fallen off russian boosters, (just as one example) deorbiting those paint chips without buying them off Russia first is a whole international incident. You need to find someone willing to pay to have less junk (actual junk, like paint chips and dead sats, not just thousands of starlinks doing their jobs) in orbit.

[Davidthefat]

Also, wonder why they would start a new venture instead of being an investor in one of the other "space junk" companies.

[Eric Hedman]

Also, wonder why they would start a new venture instead of being an investor in one of the other "space junk" companies.

Maybe they have a different idea on how to do it.

[Phil Stooke]

"The biggest problem with space junk cleanup is how to monetize it. since Russia still owns the paint chips that have fallen off russian boosters, (just as one example) deorbiting those paint chips without buying them off Russia first is a whole international incident."

True, but ownership implies liability if damage is done by even a tiny fragment, and a desire to avoid liability may encourage cooperation.  It needs to be negotiated but it's probably not as big a problem as all that.

[dglow]

Space junk cleanup?

That's what this article claims.

https://3dprint.com/283866/apples-steve-wozniak-to-clean-up-space-junk-with-desktop-metals-titanium-3d-printing/

Guess we'll find out in a few days.

The biggest problem with space junk cleanup is how to monetize it. since Russia still owns the paint chips that have fallen off russian boosters, (just as one example) deorbiting those paint chips without buying them off Russia first is a whole international incident. You need to find someone willing to pay to have less junk (actual junk, like paint chips and dead sats, not just thousands of starlinks doing their jobs) in orbit.

Wow, for real? We need a law of the sea for space, where ‘sunk’ becomes ‘without power’ or ‘uncontrolled’.
I can’t imagine anything that would lead to better orbital hygiene than militaries working to protect their gear’s secrets.

[jongoff]

Space junk cleanup?

That's what this article claims.

https://3dprint.com/283866/apples-steve-wozniak-to-clean-up-space-junk-with-desktop-metals-titanium-3d-printing/

Guess we'll find out in a few days.

They're supposedly a sponsor at the AMOS conference out in Maui this week, which is focused on space situational awareness, space traffic management, and active debris mitigation (among other things). So, yeah a non-trivial chance that they're planning on competing with Astroscale in this market.

~Jon

[Steven Pietrobon]

Well obviously, they are going to remake Mercury and have it dock to something in space!

[abaddon]

I'm a big fan of the Woz, dating back to my days as the very young and proud owner of my first computer, an Apple IIe (with 64k memory expansion!).  Looking forward to hearing more about this endeavor.

[edzieba]

since Russia still owns the paint chips that have fallen off russian boosters, (just as one example) deorbiting those paint chips without buying them off Russia first is a whole international incident.

If the name 'privateer space' is anything to go by, their business model may be "yeah, we've grappled your trash you left in orbit, whaddaya gonna do about it?".

[Toast]

Space junk cleanup?

That's what this article claims.

https://3dprint.com/283866/apples-steve-wozniak-to-clean-up-space-junk-with-desktop-metals-titanium-3d-printing/

Guess we'll find out in a few days.

The biggest problem with space junk cleanup is how to monetize it. since Russia still owns the paint chips that have fallen off russian boosters, (just as one example) deorbiting those paint chips without buying them off Russia first is a whole international incident.

I agree the problem is monetization, but not in the way you describe it. I don't see any conceivable course of events where Russia throws a fit about somebody deorbiting their paint chips (or other debris). It's like litter--people who throw trash on the side of the road aren't going to throw a fit because you cleaned it up. The problem isn't getting the cleaners to buy the litter, the problem is getting the litterers to buy the cleanup.

[Jarnis]

Obvious solution is to change the game via some international legislation;

If you leave junk in orbit that does not decay within a prescribed window on its own (say, a few years), it is up for grabs for anyone to actively clean up and whoever launched it up there gets to pay a fee when the cleanup is done

This would give an economic incentive to keep the orbit clean and an incentive for someone to invest in active debris cleanup, as every paint chip is a moneybag.

The hard part is to get everyone to agree on such a scheme with moneybag values that are large enough to make it feasible to run a company doing that cleanup.

[high road]

Space junk cleanup?

That's what this article claims.

https://3dprint.com/283866/apples-steve-wozniak-to-clean-up-space-junk-with-desktop-metals-titanium-3d-printing/

Guess we'll find out in a few days.

The biggest problem with space junk cleanup is how to monetize it. since Russia still owns the paint chips that have fallen off russian boosters, (just as one example) deorbiting those paint chips without buying them off Russia first is a whole international incident.

I agree the problem is monetization, but not in the way you describe it. I don't see any conceivable course of events where Russia throws a fit about somebody deorbiting their paint chips (or other debris). It's like litter--people who throw trash on the side of the road aren't going to throw a fit because you cleaned it up. The problem isn't getting the cleaners to buy the litter, the problem is getting the litterers to buy the cleanup.

If you look at the NSF livestream with Jonathan Mcdowell, you'll see it makes much more sense to clean up the big stuff than the small stuff. It takes as much effort for each individual piece, but big stuff has the potential to dramatically increase the problem where small stuf does not. Russia and the US are not going to like people taking a look at their old satellites

[edzieba]

Russia and the US are not going to like people taking a look at their old satellites

A bunch of public looky-lous buzzing your secret squirrel satellites would add some incentive to proactively deorbiting your satellites at end-of-life, and getting rid of any still up there.

[su27k]

Russia and the US are not going to like people taking a look at their old satellites

A lot of big debris are old upper stages which I assume they don't mind being looked at, most belongs to Soviet/Russia: https://spacenews.com/upper-stages-top-list-of-most-dangerous-space-debris/

[Asteroza]

Russia and the US are not going to like people taking a look at their old satellites

A bunch of public looky-lous buzzing your secret squirrel satellites would add some incentive to proactively deorbiting your satellites at end-of-life, and getting rid of any still up there.

Is there much that can be determined by direct observation though, particularly if the telescope cover is closed? Or is the concern that once OTV servicers are a thing, an inspection bot might poke a fiberscope inside to look around, maybe hook up a debugger to the boards to try and extract any data such as secret keys like a surgical laparoscopy robot, or take some" souvenirs"?

[Steven Pietrobon]

Is there much that can be determined by direct observation though, particularly if the telescope cover is closed? Or is the concern that once OTV servicers are a thing, an inspection bot might poke a fiberscope inside to look around, maybe hook up a debugger to the boards to try and extract any data such as secret keys like a surgical laparoscopy robot, or take some" souvenirs"?

I think that would be a violation of the Outer Space Treaty, as you are not allowed to interfere with satellites from other countries without permission. See Article IX.

https://www.unoosa.org/oosa/en/ourwork/spacelaw/treaties/outerspacetreaty.html

[libra]

Wow. So, of the 20 most threatening LEO large derelict objects, 20 are Zenit second stages ? With Envisat immediately behind them.

Did Sea Launch desorbited its own stages ? or are those, relics from before their times - different Zenits ?