We are IBX.
Dear Friends,
Thank you for joining us as we highlight the latest news about IBX and the affiliated companies led by Kam Ghaffarian. This new quarter brings a lot of big news. Let's dive right in. Here is what we have in this newsletter:
- Note from Kam: The power of "belief" in business success
- Intuitive Machines is going public
- X-energy breaks ground on America's first commercial-scale advanced nuclear fuel facility
- Axiom Space to build the first Artemis Moonwalking spacesuits
- Quantum Space announces plans for first mission
- Limitless Space Institute focused on inspiring a new generation of space explorers
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For many years I have been studying the power of "belief" as part of my spiritual and business journey. I have come to truly believe that the life we are experiencing and the success, or lack thereof, is because of our "belief system." In other words, if we conceive and believe it, we can achieve it. That is the reason I called my innovation family office, IBX. The name stands for Imagine, Believe, Execute. It is the power of belief that connects our imagination and our dreams and makes them our reality.
If we study the people in history that have accomplished incredible feats, we will discover that they all had tremendous belief in achieving their objectives. Successful people like Thomas Edison, Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Steve Jobs, and others could only have succeeded in their journeys if they had clarity and determination in their beliefs to achieve their objectives.
Belief is quite powerful. Time Kight of Focus 3 shares the following maxim: the power of belief resides in one's ability to do four things:
- Belief creates vision.
- Belief creates strength of will.
- Belief creates resilience.
- Belief ignites and activates.
I challenge you to examine and re-examine your belief in yourself and in your dreams. Clear and release limited thinking and replace them with focused, positive thoughts toward your objectives. Belief is the main ingredient in creating success. May your beliefs lead you to extraordinary success.
Thanks,
Kam |
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Intuitive Machines to go public via SPAC merger
Intuitive Machines, a leading space exploration, infrastructure, and services company founded in 2013, and Inflection Point Acquisition Corp. (Nasdaq: IPAX, IPAXU, IPAXW), a special purpose acquisition company, announced that they have signed a definitive business combination agreement that will result in Intuitive Machines becoming publicly listed. Upon the closing of the transaction, the combined company will be named Intuitive Machines Inc., and its securities will be listed on Nasdaq. The full details are here.
Former NASA Exploration Leader hired as Chief Scientist.
Ahead of Intuitive Machine’s first of four planned lunar missions, they announced the appointment of Ben Bussey, Ph.D., as Chief Scientist. Dr. Bussey will be responsible for interacting with the international science community to enable collaborations for exploring the Moon utilizing Intuitive Machines' landers and lunar data relay satellites. He will also play a leading role in working to maximize the scientific return of Intuitive Machines' lunar payloads. The appointment comes as Intuitive Machines prepares for the final assembly and integration of its lunar lander, Nova-C, which will take NASA payloads to the Moon to help lay the foundation for human missions.
Learn more here.
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X-energy building America's first commercial-scale advanced nuclear fuel facility
X-energy's TRISO-X facility broke ground and began construction activities on North America's first commercial-scale advanced nuclear fuel facility in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. TRISO-X LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of X-energy, aims for the plant to be commissioned and operational by 2025. The TRISO-X Fuel Fabrication Facility (TF3) will be the genesis of future commercial-scale advanced nuclear energy innovation and deployment, creating more than 400 jobs and attracting an investment of approximately $300 million. A partnership with East Tennessee's Oak Ridge community and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE).
In 2020, the DOE's Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program (ARDP) selected X-energy's reactor technology to receive initial funding as part of a $3.2 billion program to develop, build, and demonstrate operational advanced reactors by the end of the decade.
Watch a video recap of the event here.
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Axiom Space selected to build the first Artemis Moonwalking spacesuits
Axiom Space was selected to build the first Artemis Moonwalking spacesuits. This is the first task order award under NASA’s Extravehicular Activity Services (xEVAS) Contract, which has a base value of $228.5 million. The new spacesuits by Axiom Space will provide astronauts with advanced capabilities for space exploration while providing NASA commercially developed human systems needed to access, live, and work in microgravity as well as on and around the Moon. The Axiom spacesuits' evolvable and flexible design will also enable Axiom to serve commercial customers in low Earth orbit and fulfill future space station goals that support a commercial space economy. Learn more here.
Expanding the International Community of Space Explorers
In recent weeks Axiom has announced a number of new customers for their private astronaut missions and for the future Axiom Station. Saudi Arabia purchased two seats on Axiom Mission 2 (Ax-2), currently set to launch no earlier than the Spring of 2023. Canada and Axiom signed an MOU to explore the development of future space infrastructure and opportunities for sustained access to space, including the potential for Canadian astronauts to fly on future Axiom-sponsored missions. Türkiye will fly its first astronaut with Axiom Space in a historic deal signed at the International Astronomical Congress in Paris last month. The Axiom team met with New Zealand while at IAC to reaffirm their recent MOU to advance world-leading studies in science and technology and support the country’s space industry.
Learn more here.
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Quantum Space announces plans for first mission
Quantum Space announced its first operational mission to cislunar space will launch in October 2024. Known as QS-1, the mission will be the first step in establishing a superhighway between the Earth and the Moon by deploying commercial capabilities that enable spacecraft to operate in and travel through cislunar space and beyond more effectively and efficiently.
QS-1, which will include partners GEOST, LLC and Blue Canyon Technologies (BCT), will fly in cislunar space primarily around the two Earth-Moon-Lagrange Points 1 and 2 (EM-L1 and EM-L2) to establish commercial operations for the company. Key mission objectives will include producing space situational and space domain awareness data products, hosting customer payloads, advanced cislunar navigation methods, and autonomous station keeping. Read more.
Expanding Partnerships with Industry Leaders
In recent weeks Quantum Space signed a number of agreements with space and technology companies to strengthen capabilities. Recently Quantum announced a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Axient for space systems development on government and commercial missions and projects for existing and new customers. This partnership will deliver value through new technologies and innovation by leveraging the complementary skills and capabilities of both Quantum Space and Axient. Learn more here.
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Philanthropic Focus: Limitless Space Institute inspires all to think beyond our solar system
Limited Space Institute, an independent 501(c)3 organization, continues to focus its efforts on inspiring a new generation of explorers. The Limitless Educator Program received numerous applications for this effort which will see the winners convene in Houston next February for a week of activities developing new classroom materials geared to teach students about deep space exploration.
LSI personnel supported presentations at the STARMUS VI conference in Armenia, St. Michael in Kentucky, and NASA Interns at JSC. Additionally, LSI conducted two outreach events engaging middle school and high school students at Burbank Middle School in Houston and the TWST 4 Girls group at the Northwest Houston Center - Prairie View A&M University.
LSI’s Eagleworks Lab Conducts Groundbreaking Research
R&D in the Eagleworks lab continues on exploring the physic and applications of the custom Casimir cavity prototypes. The team conduced passive voltage measurement tests (microvolt level) using high-quality EMI shielding hardware onsite at JSC. The data findings are in alignment with data collected using other test approaches, and the team is working to increase the magnitude of the effect. If successful, this nascent work may lead to disruptive technological applications pertinent not only to deep space exploration but numerous critical terrestrial applications.
Learn more here.
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In the News:
- Intuitive Machines Announces Filing of Registration Statement on Form S-4 (Release)
- The era of civilian traveling in space a talk with Kam Ghaffarian and Michael López-Alegría (World Knowledge Forum)
- Quantum Space announces first cislunar mission (Space News)
- Canada eyes new astronaut flights with Axiom Space (Space.com)
- Commercial Lunar Network Completed Ahead of IM-1 Moon Mission (Release)
- X-energy Announces Carol Tansley as Vice President, UK New Build Projects (Release)
- Axiom Space to fly Saudi astronauts (Space News)
- Limitless Space Institute announces 2nd biennial LSI Grants awards (Release)
- Curtiss-Wright and X-energy Sign Preferred Strategic Supplier Agreement to Advance the Deployment of the Xe-100 Generation IV Advanced Small Modular Reactor (Release)
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