Commercializing Satellite Propulsion, featuring Louis Perna of Accion Systems

Tough Tech Today with Meyen and Miller

No longer the domain of strictly nation-states, 'new space' is undergoing a wave of commercialization and growth. Two key engineering challenges, observed Louis Perna, are in-space communications and propulsion. He and his co-founder, Natalya Bailey, launched Accion Systems to provide cost-effective electrospray propulsion for satellites.
While the complexities of space travel are something that many members of society may recognize, less obvious may be the terrestrial challenges spacefaring tech developers face: designing and manufacturing hardware, cultivating an interdisciplinary team, and working through unit economics of complicated systems. Louis details his insider's view of the privatization of space, one electrospray ion thruster at a time.
Show Notes
– Episode page, transcript, and podcast listening links: https://toughtechtoday.com/commercializing-satellite-propulsion-with-louis-perna/
– Louis Perna on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/louis-perna-6b237621
Topic Timecodes
01:10 Electrospray propulsion is...
02:54 Transitioning tech out of a lab
04:50 The Global Founders' Skills Accelerator
05:36 Space industry inflection point
06:54 Lowering satellite costs
07:31 Failure as an option
08:53 Two challenges: communications and propulsion
09:53 Designing for mass manufacturability
12:01 Making thousands of thrusters
12:53 Kessler Syndrome responsibility
14:54 Avoiding a 10,000-year delay on spaceflight
16:51 Maneuvering in space
19:01 Cubesats and modular design
20:55 What if a low-cost satellite threatens a billion dollar satellite?
22:35 How to recruit a team to build complex systems
26:39 Rocket science is tough, but commercializing rocket science is tougher
29:00 Making something manufacturable
30:32 Learning supplier relations and quality monitoring
31:34 An entrepreneurial seed?
33:53 Having a partner at your side
37:32 Space to remain the domain of nation-states?
39:42 The Earth-focus of commercial space
41:04 Manufacturing thruster components in space
43:14 Water propellants
43:59 Space-testing thruster tech
45:54 The enticement of Very Low Earth Orbit
47:09 Air-breathing satellite propulsion
48:36 Advice for a fellow scientist-engineer
Tags
Satellite Propulsion, Ion Thrust, Electrospray, Louis Perna, Accion Systems, MIT

Capítulos

1. Commercializing Satellite Propulsion, featuring Louis Perna of Accion Systems (00:00:00)

2. Electrospray propulsion is... (00:01:10)

3. Transitioning tech out of a lab (00:02:54)

4. The Global Founders' Skills Accelerator (00:04:50)

5. Space industry inflection point (00:05:36)

6. Lowering satellite costs (00:06:54)

7. Failure as an option (00:07:31)

8. Two challenges: communications and propulsion (00:08:53)

9. Designing for mass manufacturability (00:09:53)

10. Making thousands of thrusters (00:12:01)

11. Kessler Syndrome responsibility (00:12:53)

12. Avoiding a 10,000-year delay on spaceflight (00:14:54)

13. Maneuvering in space (00:16:51)

14. Cubesats and modular design (00:19:01)

15. What if a low-cost satellite threatens a billion dollar satellite? (00:20:55)

16. How to recruit a team to build complex systems (00:22:35)

17. Rocket science is tough, but commercializing rocket science is tougher (00:26:39)

18. Making something manufacturable (00:29:00)

19. Learning supplier relations and quality monitoring (00:30:32)

20. An entrepreneurial seed? (00:31:34)

21. Having a partner at your side (00:33:53)

22. Space to remain the domain of nation-states? (00:37:32)

23. The Earth-focus of commercial space (00:39:42)

24. Manufacturing thruster components in space (00:41:04)

25. Water propellants (00:43:14)

26. Space-testing thruster tech (00:43:59)

27. The enticement of Very Low Earth Orbit (00:45:54)

28. Air-breathing satellite propulsion (00:47:09)

29. Advice for a fellow scientist-engineer (00:48:36)