Companies Leverage eSpace Resources To Maximize Probability Of Business Success

If you've ever had a great idea about something to do with spaceflight, then read on. eSpace: The Center for Space Entrepreneurship, today unveiled the first three companies participating in the eSpace incubator. Selected from an applicant pool of more than 30 companies, the three participating companies have access to eSpace resources designed to maximize the probability of their business success.

"I've been down the road of the space company entrepreneur," said Scott Tibbitts, executive director for eSpace. "When I started the space company, Starsys Research, I didn't fully understand what I was getting into. From pricing, sourcing, regulations and beyond, you need to know a lot more than just your technology. That's where eSpace comes in with our contacts, experience, facilities and funds. We know how to help build space companies. And based on the response we've received, there are a lot of entrepreneurs out looking to start entrepreneurial space companies."

Created with the intention to replicate eSpace centers throughout the United States, the strong response to eSpace is accelerating those expansion plans. eSpace is supported by the Air Force Research Lab, and plans are already in the works for a second center at the AFRL in New Mexico. eSpace also anticipates additional applicants to the highly selective process of inclusion in the incubator.

Companies that participate in the eSpace incubator enjoy an environment that is unique in the nation for the creation and evolution of entrepreneurial space companies. Participating organizations can overcome the barriers to entry for space technology companies by leveraging a suite of eSpace resources, including physical space, financial grants, access to successful entrepreneurs as mentors, access to investment capital, and access to aerospace infrastructure, manufacturing facilities and relationships.

The first group of companies invited to participate in eSpace include"

• Zybek Advanced Products, Inc., an established engineering, system development, and manufacturing company, is expanding its advanced plasma business to include the production of "lunar simulant," or synthetic moon rock, based on specifications supplied by NASA. Immediate applications of lunar simulant include testing the performance of landers, rovers and other equipment bound for the moon. Future applications may include synthetic gem production and green technologies such as ground water remediation.
• Space Awareness Services uses commercial telescopes and specialized software to track orbital objects and provide customized data and services to private and public sector satellite organizations. Immediate applications include establishing timely and accurate orbits of space debris so that operators can avoid collisions with satellites, rockets, etc.  Future applications may include any that require knowing the precise location of debris, satellites, rockets and other objects in space. The importance of having this information became apparent earlier this year, when for the first time in history, two spacecraft unexpectedly collided, destroying both and creating thousands of new pieces of "space junk." 
• Net-Centric Design Professionals designs and develops complex computer networks used for communications between spacecraft and end-user organizations on Earth. With an emphasis on bringing cyber-security into space, NDP ensures that satellite information gets to users at the right place and in the right format to enable timely decision making. Applications include the distribution of space-derived information (such as satellite imagery) to government, industry and academic users.

FMI: http://espacecenter.org http://espacecenter.org/blog