161: Hybrid Rockets and 3D Printing Fuel with Vaya Space

Beth sits down with three members of Vaya Space, a hybrid rocket engine and small satellite launcher company!  Mickael Buswell, Brian Ha, and Grant Begley explain how they’re working to offer frequent, reliable, economical, and environmentally-friendly small satellite launch opportunities in precise orbital placement…by using hybrid rockets that are redefining the cost, performance, and safety of space access! Using their proprietary technology, STAR-3D™ hybrid rocket engines are produced by 3D printing fuel grains using thermoplastic material. It’s pretty incredible, and it’s all in this episode of Casual Space!  Learn more about Grant Begley: Grant is the Chief Executive Officer at Vaya Space. In addition, Mr. Begley is CAPT. USN (RET, a Former Pentagon Senior Advisor for Unmanned Systems, Office of the Under Secretary of Defense.  He served as the former Director of Stealth, Counter Stealth-Technology, Policy & Advance Programs for the U.S. Dept. of Defense, and a Team leader for the White House “Roadmap for U. S. Robotics 2013” project. Grant Begley also serves on the Board of Directors for the Association of Unmanned Vehicles International.  Learn more about Vaya Space, their unique rockets and innovative production methods and hybrid rocket propulsion technology here: https://www.vayaspace.com/ Check out Brian Ha: Brian got his start in aerospace engineering at San Jose State University in Silicon Valley. He discovered a passion for building aerospace startups are after joining a satellite-imaging company called Skybox Imaging in 2014. There he was introduced to the relatively niche, but endlessly interesting, engineering specialty known as “Guidance, Navigation, and Control”. After realizing he lacked the necessary technical depth to be a GNC engineer, he decided to leave sunny California in 2017 to pursue a Master’s degree at the University of Michigan. Two brutal mid-western winters later, he earned his GNC degree and joined Northrop Grumman out in Phoenix, Arizona to build launch vehicles and missiles. After realizing that he does not like the “dry heat”, he joined small-sat launch provider Vaya Space out in Cocoa, Florida. These days, Brian deals with torrential rainfall and summer thunderstorms as he leads the GNC design of Vaya’s first orbital launch vehicle. Perhaps one day he'll find a climate that suits him. Mickael Buswell: Is a structural designer who's interested in applying organic design and mass optimization principles to revolutionize space structures and mechanisms, ranging from launch vehicles, to satellites, and ultimately space stations/habitats.