#202 Steve Kwast – How China is Mining the Moon and Weaponizing Space

Steve Kwast and others discuss the innovations and changes in the space technology sector, focusing on the development of sustainable infrastructure and the revolutionary potential of reusable rocket technology.

Spacebuilt Develops Modular, Reusable Space Infrastructure for New Capabilities

Steve Kwast, along with Dennis Wingo, has started Spacebuilt, a company that specializes in building space infrastructure with the capacity for in-space construction. Their approach aims to create space structures that form part of an ongoing business case for construction and logistics in space, rather than contributing to the problem of space junk.

Spacebuilt Offers Affordable, Upgradeable, and Refuelable Large-Scale Space Structures to Prevent Space Junk

Spacebuilt is framed as an infrastructure and logistics company capable of building anything in space. Kwast explains that the company has modular elements qualified for space and has completed missions to the International Space Station and the moon. The philosophy behind Spacebuilt's approach is to assemble component parts in space, much like "Lego box" logic, which adds resilience and avoids damage from launch. This model enables satellites to be upgraded indefinitely through robotic mechanisms, allowing engineers to replace components as needed and reducing the need to launch new satellites—therefore cutting down on space junk.

Company's Approach Aims to Make Space Accessible and Unlock Opportunities Like Solar Power Generation and Transmission From Space

Spacebuilt envisions an accessible space environment with opportunities in various sectors such as solar power generation and energy transmission. By constructing satellites in space, Spacebuilt can build large structures, which are not constrained by the size of a rocket’s tip. These structures can be made large enough to capture solar energy, convert it, and supply it for use on Earth. The company's mission includes a permanent presence in space, surpassing the limited scope of astronauts on the International Space Station, and ventures into asteroid mining and solar power investment to beam energy to Earth.

Global Transport via Reusable Rocket Technology

Spacex Pioneers Reusable Rockets to Cut Space Transportation Costs

Elon Musk's SpaceX has substantially lowered the cost of space travel by using reusable rockets, reducing the price of space flight by a factor of ten. Despite initial s ...

The possibility of harnessing energy sources from space is quickly transitioning from science fiction to tangible strategy, as Steve Kwast and guests discuss upcoming advancements in space solar power and the mining of Helium-3 on the Moon.

Space Solar Power Nears Viability With Wireless Earth Transmission

Steve Kwast reveals technology developments for capturing the sun's intense energy in space and transforming it into radio waves to beam back to Earth.

Space Solar Energy: Convert To Radio Waves and Beam To Earth Rectennas for Efficient Electricity

Solar arrays in space can absorb solar power, convert it to radio waves, and beam it down to Earth to be received by a rectenna, which converts it back into electricity. This method is unaffected by weather and atmospheric conditions, leading to a more efficient energy transmission.

Kwast also describes Tesla's concept, which the Air Force Research Lab and the X-37 spacecraft have demonstrated by beaming solar power from the sun down to a rectenna on Earth. The technology is promising, with initial efficiency levels aiming for 80%.

Powering Remote Areas Lacking Traditional Infrastructure

This technology can potentially eliminate the need for traditional power plants, as rectennas could become the new "power plant", harnessing energy from space and disseminating it using the existing power grid. Kwast emphasizes space solar power's potential to supply electricity to remote locations without the need for conventional infrastructure.

Steve mentions Genesis Systems, which produces devices that extract water from the air—comparable to air conditioners—and can run solely on solar power. This technology could provide both power and water to remote areas that lack traditional utilities.

Helium-3 From Moon: Revolutionary Clean Energy Source

The discussion shifts to the potential of Helium-3, a scarce element on Earth but abundant on the Moon, to revolutionize clean energy.

Lunar Helium-3 Abundance: Sca ...

The realm of quantum technologies promises groundbreaking applications but also introduces profound concerns and peculiar possibilities.

Quantum Sensing Detects Slight Earth Movements With Precision

Quantum sensing's ability to detect any movement on Earth with unprecedented precision significantly impacts various sectors.

Quantum Sensing Unlocks New Military, Intelligence, and Commercial Uses

This enhanced precision suggests new uses for quantum sensing in military, intelligence, and commercial industries because it can be done with low energy levels and low costs.

Quantum Computing Threatens to Render Encryption Methods Obsolete

The advent of quantum computing poses a serious threat to cybersecurity by potentially rendering encryption methods obsolete.

China's Lunar Helium-3 Quantum Computing May Crack Cryptographic Systems

With China's mining of helium-3 from the Moon, they could use this element to effectively cool quantum computers, necessary for their operation at approximately 80 millikelvin, thus achieving quantum supremacy that could crack current cryptographic systems. Microsoft has already announced significant advancements in quantum computing, which require such extreme cooling.

Quantum Communication Could Enable Time Travel and Rewrite History

Quantum communication based on entangled particles could alter our conceptions of communication and history.

Quantum Entanglement Enables Instant Communication and Can Erase Evidence

Steve Kwast highlights the potential for this technology to enable instantaneous communication over any distance, a property of quantum entanglement known as "spooky action at a distance." However, a bizarre aspect of quantum communication is that if a third party observes this communication, it could vanish as if it never took place, essentially allowing for the erasure of historical events.

Kwast even speculates on the ability of quantum technologies to enable for ...

Steve Kwast and others explore the intricate relationship between innovation and the obstructive forces of established entities, government bureaucracy, and existing regulations.

Innovators Encounter Resistance and Ostracism From Established Entities

Kwast details the complex and often adversarial environment that confronts innovators, from the cultural resistance within organizations to the challenges posed by the entrenched military-industrial complex.

"Military-Industrial Complex" and Special Interests Hinder New Tech Adoption

Discussing the barriers to innovation, Steve Kwast refers to President Eisenhower's caution about the "military-industrial complex," revealing how established companies and special interests resist new technologies that threaten the status quo. For instance, the initial resistance SpaceX faced from entrenched interests in the space industry—those who were profiting from the established economic model of single-use rockets—demonstrated this clash. Despite the ridicule and doubt, and even after SpaceX's success, lobbyists continued to exert influence to protect the conventional methods.

Kwast underscores the problematic system where companies leverage congressional support to resist technological change, particularly innovations like reusable rockets. He suggests that deceit is used to sustain power and control among a few, a factor that delays the adoption of emerging technologies like space-based energy. The issue is compounded by the existing power structures’ incentive structures that discourage change or risk-taking, often stifling the advancement of potentially transformative technologies.

Overcoming Biases and Fear of Change: A Challenge For Innovators

Kwast shares personal experiences, noting that a desire to belong and loyalties can feed resistance to change. He describes innovators as often feeling ostracized and lonely because they challenge established norms. Using history as a backdrop, he highlights the inherent bias and resistance to abandoning traditional practices, as exemplified during the transition from calvary to mechanization in the army. Innovators must navigate these biases and the prevalent fear of change that can lead to illogical conclusions and act as an impediment to embracing new methodologies.

Governments Can Both Enable and Inhibit Technological Progress

Government bureaucracy and regulation can stiflingly encircle innovation, and their role is critical in either advancing or impeding technological progress.

Regulation, Taxation, and Bureaucracy Can Stifle Innovation; Strategic Government Investment Can Accelerate It

Steve Kwast discusses bureaucracy as a hindrance, citing government resistance to adopting cutting-edge technologies like autonomous vehicles for warfare or water extraction systems for space launches. Government actions can discourage innovation, exemplified by the difficulty Elon Musk encountered when regulatory issues prevented the use of a new water system in Texas, solely because the state had not established a taxation method for the water extracted.

Ryan echoes these sentim ...

The development of advanced technologies, particularly in the arenas of space and artificial intelligence (AI), is reshaping global power dynamics and posing intricate societal challenges, as explored by Shawn Ryan and Steve Kwast.

Dominance in Space Capabilities Grants Economic and Military Power

The conversation underscores that the nation which dominates space technology, much like historical maritime powers dominated the seas, will command economic and military superiority globally.

China's Space Tech Investment, Including Nuclear Power, Threatens Strategic Advantage

Kwast highlights that while the U.S. is investigating countermeasures to electromagnetic threats, China is significantly outspending the U.S. in space capabilities, a disparity that could jeopardize the U.S.'s strategic advantage. China’s presence on the Moon and its helium-3 mining activities threaten to upend other nations' strategic benefits, as leveraging helium-3 for energy and quantum computing could allow China to dominate energy and information markets.

Kwast also discusses challenges in observing China’s actions on the Moon’s far side, further adding to global vulnerabilities. Moreover, China’s strategy of space logistics and infrastructure may shift the dynamics of the energy and information markets on Earth. He raises concerns about China’s advancements in space, such as building infrastructure that could monitor and destroy objects in orbit, and their potential to monopolize power irresponsibly. Shawn Ryan shares apprehensions about China's presence on the Moon and the lack of an equivalent American response.

U.S. Must Prioritize Advanced Space Infrastructure to Maintain Leadership

To uphold its leadership, Kwast underscores the need for the U.S. to focus on affordable space logistics infrastructure. Superior space capabilities, he suggests, contribute to a prosperous, secure future, as currently illustrated by SpaceX's progress. Kwast points out that SpaceX's innovation offers America a competitive edge that must be sustained for continued geopolitical leadership.

Kwast commends President Trump’s recognition of space's strategic importance and the creation of a space force. He acknowledges that America must defend against China’s capabilities to ensure the nation's protection and strategic edge. He also contends that space infrastructure is pivotal for the future and stresses the necessity for America to move forward in exploration and innovation.

Technologies Can Enhance or Threaten Freedom and Prosperity

Equitable Distribution and Responsible Development of Transformative Technologies Are Essential to Avoid Harmful Outcomes

While the details were not explicitly provided in this podcast segment, the broade ...