Final Thoughts

A monthly collision of visionaries, disruptors, and builders
shaping the next frontier.

I thought, “Surely they need to use steel in space.” I HAD to go. It was presented by Space Workforce Incubator for Texas (SWIFT) and Space Force Association. I started to dream I would attend and somehow be tapped to be an astronaut. (That didn’t happen.)

Amazing journey

The event was held at Capital Factory downtown, one of those places where it seems like a lot of apps are being built. I don’t build apps, and my connection to space is rather tenuous.

My last space foray came in 1986, when I was a child, and I went to see Halley’s Comet at the Griffith Park Observatory in Los Angeles.

I tried to sign up for a list of those who would be there to see the comet again in 2061. Unfortunately, I was too old, narrowly missing the age cutoff. I was reminded that by the comet’s next go-around, I would most likely be dead. Turns out space is a rather cruel place.

Still, that was then. I had to soldier on in the interest of steel. Also, there was free beer.

Aim high

Among the people in technical polos and athleisure, I ran into one of the event organizers.

He said for the spacecrafts themselves, it’s largely a composites game, but there is some amount of stainless steel.

Now, here at SMU, lately we’ve talked a lot of tariffs, and, on occasion, I’ve talked myself a bit of AI. So I was shocked when he then told me that he sees a time-horizon of under three years for a revolution in space technology. It’s definitely happening, according to him. Rocket fast.

And that means factories, and materials, and that’s going to mean steel.

Perhaps because of my Halley’s fiasco, I haven’t really been keeping up with all things space, aside from catching the occasional meme about a SpaceX launch.

But he informed me that, actually, China is aiming to have a manned moon landing by 2030. And the US is trying desperately to beat them. Now, if the smartphone in your pocket has more computing power than the entire Apollo program, you’d think that would be an easy lift. But a moonshot is still a moonshot, no matter if you are iPhone or Android.

So it’s nice to know that behind the scenes of all the current craziness, mankind is still aiming for the stars. Whole worlds of possibility could open up. That is, if all the decarb comes to naught, there’s still a Plan B on the table involving a booster rocket. And a trip into the great beyond. What do you think HRC volatility is like in the Andromeda Galaxy? Perhaps we will soon find out…

Steel Summit 2025

Speaking of astronauts, did you know that we will have a real live one speaking at Steel Summit in Atlanta this year? Yes, Shane Kimbrough joined the NASA team at the Johnson Space Center in September 2000. And he will be a featured speaker at the conference.

Steel, astronauts, and over 1,000 of your esteemed colleagues. Does it get any better?

If you haven’t yet, there’s still time to register here. We’ll be over the moon to see you. Well, at least we’re getting there.