25. Solar Sailing, Preventing Cyber Attacks, Space Trash Robot

The Next Byte Podcast · 6 Jul 2021 · 21m

What this episode covers

Hosts Daniel and Forbode discuss three engineering topics: NASA's development of a packable carbon composite boom for deployable solar sails, Columbia University researchers' creation of a zero-overhead memory attack prevention system called 'Zero', and Embry-Riddle University students' design of a solar-sail-powered robot to clean up space debris. The conversation covers the materials science behind the booms, the technical mechanism of the security tool, and the operational logic of the space trash collector.

Most relevant to

makers and hobbyists and early-stage companies

Topics

Mentioned

Companies
NASA, Columbia University, Embry-Riddle University, SpaceX, Microsoft, Google, Visa
Products
Zero

Other shows on the same ground, closest first.

  • Robot Talk · 23m

    Episode 100: Robots in space - Mini Rai

    Mini Rai, founding Director of Orbit Rise and former Global Chair in Robotic Engineering at the University of Lincoln, discusses the challenges and future of orbital and planetary robotics. She details the harsh environment of space, including radiation and thermal extremes, and explains how Orbit Rise is developing autonomous robots for active debris removal and in-orbit recycling to support a circular space economy. Rai also highlights the technology transfer between space robotics and nuclear decommissioning, specifically applying walking robotic manipulator concepts to fusion reactor maintenance.

  • Robot Talk · 33m

    Episode Two - Space Robotics: out of this world

    Xander Hall of Airbus Defence and Space explains the engineering challenges of in-orbit assembly and the RemoveDEBRIS mission, which tested harpoons, nets, and drag sails to capture space junk. Dr. Arthur Bouton from the University of Surrey discusses the Marcel lunar rover, a wheel-legged hybrid designed to navigate steep obstacles and loose soil more effectively than passive rovers. Stephanie Pau of the Hamlyn Centre at Imperial College London explores wearable technology in spacesuits, focusing on integrating sensors for brain-computer interaction and improving wearability for astronauts.

  • Over the Air · 22m

    Computing in the Cosmos: Sophia Space's Mission to Move Data Centers Into Orbit

    Rob DeMillo, CEO of Sophia Space, explains the company's mission to deploy orbital data centers, starting with modular 'tiles' for edge computing before scaling to full 'string of pearls' configurations. He details the thermal engineering of these one-meter compute units, which leverage the 4 Kelvin vacuum of space for efficient heat dissipation without moving parts. DeMillo also discusses the operational challenges of self-managed hardware in orbit, the current state of space debris, and his predictions for commercial space activity, including asteroid mining and robotic Mars exploration.

  • Robot Talk · 25m

    Episode Thirty-Seven: Yang Gao

    Professor Yang Gao from the University of Surrey and the STAR Lab discusses space robotics, focusing on autonomous systems for planetary exploration and debris removal. She details the lab's work on biomimetic drilling mechanisms inspired by wood wasps for terrestrial utility applications and their contributions to ESA missions like VMMO and ExoMars. Gao also explains the development of visual navigation and capture technologies for the CLEAR mission to remove space debris, highlighting the synergy between extreme space environments and harsh terrestrial conditions.

  • Catalyst · 47m

    Beaming 24/7 solar… from space

    Sanjay Vijendran, lead for the SOLARIS initiative on space-based solar power at the European Space Agency, explains the technical and economic viability of beaming 24/7 solar energy from geosynchronous orbit to Earth. He details the four main components—launch, solar collectors, phased array antennas, and ground receivers—and argues that reusable rockets like SpaceX's Starship and mass-produced satellite hardware have lowered costs enough to make the concept economically plausible within 10-15 years. Vijendran highlights ongoing pilot projects by Caltech, the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, and the Japanese Space Agency, while addressing safety concerns regarding radio frequency exposure and the critical need for increased R&D funding to bridge the gap between current demonstrations and commercial gigawatt-scale systems.

The summary, chapters and topics are generated from the episode’s audio by this directory, not written by The Next Byte Podcast. The episode itself belongs to its publisher.