Meet Commander Reid Wiseman, the responsible for the success of the Artemis II mission once it launches. Photo courtesy of NASA

The world now knows the names of the four Houston-based astronauts who will launch in the first crewed moon mission in 50 years. NASA's Artemis II will see the first woman and person of color helming a lunar voyage, a first since the agency's history.

Astronaut Christina Hammock Koch, herself part of a history-making astronaut class and first all-female spacewalk— will join Victor Glover — the first person of color heading to the moon. Rookie Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen rounds out the crew with Commander Reid Wiseman.

Building on the unmanned Artemis I mission to the moon that concluded in December, Artemis II is slated to launch around November 2024, per NASA. In a scene familiar to space fans, the Artemis II crew will deploy inside the cozy Orion spacecraft that will sit atop the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket from Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

Artemis II's crew will spend some 10 days in orbit and even venture farther than the 1.4 million miles logged by Artemis I, adding to the historic nature of the journey. After moon orbit, the spacecraft will return to Earth for splashdown and recovery — always a celebrated moment after the highly anticipated takeoff.

Data gathered from Artemis II will pad information from Artemis I in effort to create a permanent moon outpost. On the moon, crews will learn how to live and work away from Earth, which will pave the way for the eventual mission to Mars. A planned Artemis III mission may launch in 2025 or '26, per NASA, which picks up from the last trip, Apollo 17 in 1972. The Artemis III mission, NASA promises, will see the first woman and person of color on the moon.

CultureMap caught up with a very busy Wiseman, who is now responsible for the success of the Artemis II mission once it launches. Hailing from Baltimore, Maryland, the 47-year-old earned his master's degree from Johns Hopkins University and is a decorated naval aviator, serving in the Middle East as a fighter pilot. The Artemis II mission commander completed a 165-day trip to the International Space Station in 2014 and was most recently chief of the astronaut office, per his bio. He has two sons with wife Carol, who passed away from cancer in May 2020.

The Artemis II crew was announced earlier this week. Photo courtesy of NASA

CultureMap: Congratulations, Commander. As Artemis II's leader, you are joining lunar mission commander names like the first man on the moon, Neil Armstrong, and Apollo 13's Jim Lovell. Do you allow yourself to think like that?

Reid Wiseman: Thank you. I do not allow myself to think like that. I think if you get to meet this crew — Victor Glover, Christina Koch, Jeremy Hanson — I really think we would say we want this to be so routine. We want Artemis II to be so successful and so long term that people completely forget about us. We're just that initial little stepping stone. I really hope that's the case. I am flying with an incredible group of heroes and I can't wait to go get this job done.

CM: What does it mean, as mission commander, to have the safety — and the lives — of these amazing and history-making astronauts in your hands once you launch?

RW: It means everything to me.

CM: You and the crew are so incredibly accomplished in your own individual spaces. Yet when you get to NASA — as Christina Koch once told me — you're kind of learning anew. What are you learning now?

RW: When you look at our crew, our next step is to learn about the spacecraft that will be operating in deep space. It's a very capable, very redundant, robust machine. So we have to get in the classroom, we've got to learn about all the capabilities, but we also have to get out and see the workforce.

We'll be the first humans to ever ride on this vehicle. And there's a lot of unknowns. We have a lot of systems to test. Uh One was very successful.

We need to hit the books and then we need to get in the sim [simulator], we need to practice simulations, learn how we all operate together as a team and then learn about the failure modes of the vehicle, how we can work around to keep ourselves safe and keep the mission going. And then after that, I think we'll be ready to look at Florida — and head out to the moon.

CM: Do prior lunar flight commanders and icons — like Armstrong and Lovell — serve as role models? How about the astronaut network in general?

RW: I think we look at those legends as their heroes, but they are also friends. Those folks really gave their lives to our nation and when they landed on the moon for the first time. But the amazing part for us as younger astronauts is they're still heavily engaged in everything we do right now.

I talked to Jack [Harrrison] Schmitt just a few months ago. Dave Scott still comes by every time he can to talk about geologic processes on the moon. Like these guys are our friends. It's really, really neat.

Neil Armstrong was amazing. John Young was incredible — he led our office for a number of years. Those guys are heroes to us for sure. When you look at who has taught me the most about being an astronaut, it's the folks I flew with on my first mission. It's the folks that I've worked with in the astronaut office. Now, I've seen some exceptional examples of leadership and followership and both skills are critical to be an astronaut.

CM: You learned you'll be headed to the moon — the dream adventure of billions all over the world— in the most office kind of way, we hear.

RW: Uh yeah, we all goofed up [laughs]. We missed the meeting. The chief astronaut put a placeholder on my schedule for a different topic. I was actually at a doctor's office and the doctor just walked in. So, I missed the first part of the meeting and I was able to use Microsoft Teams and dial in towards the end.

When the camera popped up, I saw the chief astronaut — who I expected to see for my meeting. But then, I also saw Norm Knight, our director of flight operations. I also saw Victor Glover and Christina Koch. And I was like, ‘oh boy, I think I just missed something big here.’

CM: Well, we've all missed meetings. But this was big — like headed to the moon big.

RW: Right [laughs]. It turned out that both Christina and Victor also missed the beginning of the meeting. So, we all showed up in perfect harmony.

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This article originally ran on CultureMap.

The history-making team was announced at Ellington Field near Johnson Space Center in Houston. Photo via LinkedIn

NASA names four astronauts heading to the moon at Houston event

ready for liftoff

NASA and the Canadian Space Agency announced the four astronauts who will be onboard the Artemis II mission around the moon yesterday at an event at Ellington Field near NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.

The 10-day mission is slated to put the first woman and the first person of color on the moon.

“For the first time in more than 50 years, these individuals – the Artemis II crew – will be the first humans to fly to the vicinity of the Moon. Among the crew are the first woman, first person of color, and first Canadian on a lunar mission, and all four astronauts will represent the best of humanity as they explore for the benefit of all,” says JSC Director Vanessa Wyche. “This mission paves the way for the expansion of human deep space exploration and presents new opportunities for scientific discoveries, commercial, industry and academic partnerships and the Artemis Generation.”

The crew assignments include:

  • Commander Reid Wiseman, who has logged more than 165 days in space in two trips. He previously served as a flight engineer aboard the International Station and most recently served as chief of the Astronaut Office from December 2020 until November 2022.
  • Pilot Victor Glover, who served as pilot on NASA’s SpaceX Crew-1 mission in 2021. This will be his second trip to space.
  • Mission Specialist 1 Christina Hammock Koch, who set the record for longest single spaceflight by a woman with a total of 328 days in space and participated in the first all-female spacewalks. This will be her second flight into space.
  • Mission Specialist 2 Jeremy Hansen, representing Canada. Hansen is a colonel in the Canadian Armed Forces and former fighter pilot and has served as Capcom in NASA's Mission Control Center at Johnson Space Center. He was the first Canadian to lead a NASA astronaut class. This will be his first flight into space.

Meet the four astronauts who will return humans to the moon. Photo courtesy of NASA

“NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Hammock Koch, and CSA astronaut Jeremy Hansen, each has their own story, but, together, they represent our creed: E pluribus unum – out of many, one," NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said. "Together, we are ushering in a new era of exploration for a new generation of star sailors and dreamers–the Artemis Generation.”

Artemis II is slated to build upon the uncrewed Artemis I mission that was completed in December. The crew will be NASA's first to aboard the agency's deep space rocket, the Space Launch System, and Orion spacecraft. They will test the spacecrafts' systems to ensure they operate as planned for humans in deep space before setting course for the moon.

NASA's Artemis program collaborates with commercial and international partners with the goal of establishing a long-term presence on the moon. Lessons learned from the missions are planned to be used to send the first astronauts to Mars.

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Texas robotics company expands in Houston with service-focused automation technology

order's up

Snazzy sombrero-wearing robots are gliding over to your table, carrying chips, salsa, and drinks, electronic eyes wide open on its interactive screen, ready to serve. The bot, provided by the new Houston franchise branch of RobotLAB Inc., debuted at Johnny Tamales Tex-Mex Cantina in Missouri City last week.

The restaurant's owner, Anil Patel, arranged for a one-month trial rental of the machine. But so far, he tells InnovationMap that he’s pleased with his “no-brainer” decision to add a small food delivery robot, which he says has huge marketing potential.

“I’m a sucker for technology. You look at it, and I think this is the future,” says Patel, who used to work in the health care industry.

That vision is shared by Elad Inbar, founder and CEO of Dallas-based RobotLAB, who in July expanded his company’s Texas franchise operations with the opening of a Houston branch.

“For many years, robots were toys — for geeks. You had to build them yourself, program them yourself,” Inbar says.

Elad Inbar is the founder and CEO of Dallas-based RobotLAB. Photo courtesy of RobotLAB

But the electronics revolution that brought handheld phones to the mainstream inspired Inbar to turn that concept to robotics when he formed RobotLAB in 2007.

“To me, this was completely a wake up call — seeing the market shift, and you know, bringing the opportunity to the mass market,” he says.

The company started by providing small robots to schools, and the company now works with two-thirds of the school districts in the country, Inbar says, touting that it is the "largest, most experienced" robotics company.

Keith Edwards, who owns RobotLAB’s Houston franchise with his brother Daniel, said his office aims to provide 50 robots in its first year of operation. While the use of robots has become more common globally, especially in Asian hotels and restaurants, for American business owners, robots are definitely not a standard decision, Edwards says.

The challenge lies in educating them about how robotics provides a solution for staffing shortages, Edwards says. With the touch of a button, the robot used in Patel’s restaurant can be programmed to sing happy birthday and deliver a dessert, or return dirty dishes back to the kitchen sink.

Through its franchisees, RobotLAB has already set up robots inside numerous restaurants, including eight food delivery models at four Houston locations of revolving sushi bar Kura Sushi.

Wings Over Frisco in the Dallas metro area and entertainment complex AREA 254 in Killeen also use RobotLAB food delivery robots. In August, the Tulsa International Airport introduced, on a trial basis, “Cloi,” another bot from RobotLAB, that guides visitors and has a selfie feature.

RobotLAB provides some 50 types of robots, Inbar says, ranging in function from cleaning, warehouse stacking, to food delivery, with plans and potential for more.

The company also has a presence in the senior living space, with a humanoid life-sized interactive robot named Pepper, that works with residents who suffer from dementia. While no Houston senior communities have yet come on board, Inbar says the company works with assisted living communities in Dallas, Wisconsin, New Jersey and Virginia.

One of RobotLAB's devices specializes in senior care facilities. Photo courtesy of RobotLAB

RobotLAB does not manufacture the robots, but provides the models, which can be purchased or leased. The company partners with manufacturers all over the world to provide the robots.

The cost to purchase a robot outright ranges widely, anywhere from $3,400 for an autonomous vacuum cleaner to $32,000 for a life-sized model, according to the website.

It provides one-on-one service for all aspects of implementation and any repair.

The proof of concept and related costs for the trial run for the Johnny Tamales robot was $2,990, Edwards says, which would apply toward a possible purchase of the $9,500 robot.

The daily labor cost, according to Inbar, for a food delivery robot amounts to about $15 to $17 a day, and for cleaning robots, about $27 a day.

The delivery robots run on a battery charge which lasts which lasts from nine to 13 hours, depending on the model. A cleaning robot does not last as long, but can clean 20,000 square feet on a single charge, Inbar says, and discharge dirty water, charge itself and return to work.

In the coming weeks, Inbar says he plans a demonstration with area firefighters at a training facility in Dallas, to show them bots that can clear debris, fight fires and help perform rescues.

The fastest-growing sector of his business now is the cleaning robot, as the service industry, in particular, struggles with labor challenges, Inbar says. The Houston office just sold its first cleaning robot, Edwards said.

“There is more demand for cleaning automation, simply because people don’t want to do the job anymore,” says Inbar. “We are hearing from everyone, in every market sector, from hotels, to assisted living facilities, to warehouses, you name it, supermarkets — even movie theaters. They can’t find people to clean. Putting that on autopilot, in a way, is the solution."

Edwards and Inbar say RobotLAB’s customized local service and connection provides the missing integration link for many business owners, who are intrigued by robots but may be way of what is involved with the equipment.

“We are basically the car dealership model of robotics,” Inbar says.

Christina Garavaglia, executive director of the Southeast Texas region of the Texas Restaurant Association, says the industry usually adapts cutting-edge technology early on, and robots are no exception.

“One of the primary reasons for this is that technology, hopefully, if it does what it’s intended, provides a lot of efficiency, and can help with some of the very tight margins that all of our restaurants work with,” she says.

Local restaurateurs have generally had positive reactions to robots, she says.

RobotLAB has food delivery robots rolling out in Houston. Photo courtesy of RobotLAB

Eric’s Restaurant at the Hilton University of Houston Hotel was the first Texas restaurant to introduce a robot two years ago, as part of its student training, Garavaglia says, adding that she expects more restaurateurs to come on board.

The industry has “barely scanned the surface” in leveraging the potential for robots to maximize efficiency and create a unique customer experience, she said.

Jim Lewis, president of AREA 254, a 45,000-square-foot entertainment complex in Killeen, purchased three robots from RobotLAB and began using them in January.

The robot keeps the food warm, in its enclosed shelves, and frees up the servers. One robot can carry up to four pizzas, and go from table to table in one trip, directed by a software system activated by the QR code order at the table. And, just as important for Lewis, the robots provide the “fun, cool factor.”

“People love it, and robots put smiles on people’s faces,” Lewis says. “My guess is that it will pick up a lot of steam, especially in the family entertainment space, where buildings are so big. The robot provides a very practical solution to moving food long distances.”

Inbar says his company does not want to replace human labor with his robots, rather enhance it and free up time for humans while filling a labor gap prompted by a shift that began in the wake of the COVID pandemic.

“This is where the challenge is. They need people to move boxes in warehouses, cook, and clean floors, so automation is the solution,” Inbar says.

Garavaglia says restaurant servers may even see their tips increase, as they can engage longer with customers as the robot handles other chores. The gap between the tip and the amount of work done to earn it would close, she explains.

Most high-end restaurants pride themselves on the customer experience, she said, and “that can only be provided by a human person.”

“Feeling a trust, sense of connection, that is really a human trait, a human characteristic. So long as that is the case, human servers and human employees will always be necessary,” she says.

Texas outshines California, takes top spot on new solar energy ranking

report

For the first time, Texas has passed California in the second quarter of 2024 to become the top solar state in the country.

The American Clean Power Association's quarterly market report found that, by adding 3,293 megawatts of new solar year-to-date, Texas has the most utility-scale solar capacity installed, comprising 20 percent of the overall U.S. solar fleet. The American Clean Power Association, which represents over 800 energy storage, wind, utility-scale solar, transmission, and clean hydrogen companies, found that Texas is home to 21,932 megawatts of capacity.

By utilizing clean energy initiatives, Texas included 1.6 gigawatts of new solar, 574 megawatts of storage, and 366 megawatts of onshore wind. With more than 28,000 megawatts, Texas had the highest volume of clean power development capacity in the second quarter. About 163,000 megawatts of capacity overall are in the works throughout the United States. Texas ranks No. 1 for total operating wind capacity and total operating solar capacity, and comes in second for operating storage capacity.

Texas again led in production levels with clean power construction projects nationally, which boasts more than 19,000 megawatts worth of clean power energy currently under construction. With almost 28.3 gigawatts in advanced development or under construction, Texas continues to come in at No.1, as California is next with over 16.4 gigawatts in the state’s project pipeline.

California added more than 1,900 megawatts of new clean power capacity in the second quarter, with its clean energy development behavior leaning more towards adding storage, which amounts to 60 percent of California’s year-to-date clean power installations.

According to the report from SmartAsset, the Lone Star State has the most clean energy capacity at 56,405 megawatts due to its sheer size for solar capacity, but continues to trail states with similar geographic characteristics in overall clean energy prevalence.

Another report published by the U.S. Energy Information Administration, says Texas will make up 35 percent of new utility-scale solar capacity in the U.S. this year, followed by California (10 percent) and Florida (6 percent).

While Texas’ solar efforts have shown positive trends, the state ranked No. 38 in a report by WalletHub that determined it was the thirteenth least green state.

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This article originally ran on EnergyCapital.

Houston innovators to know this week

who's who

Editor's note: Every week, I introduce you to a handful of Houston innovators to know recently making headlines with news of innovative technology, investment activity, and more. This week's batch includes an academic researcher, an energy tech leader, and a recently passed Houston innovation champion.

Ken Nguyen, principal technical program manager at bp

Ken Nguyen, principal technical program manager at bp, joins the Houston Innovators Podcast to discuss the company's new partnership with NASA. Photo courtesy of bp

The recently announced partnership between bp and NASA is a match made in Houston. The energy giant, which as its United States headquarters in Houston, entered into a Space Act Agreement with NASA to combine resources and efforts with innovation in mind.

"Houston has always been known as the Space City, and we're also known as the Energy Capital of the World, but there hasn't always been collaboration," Ken Nguyen, principal technical program manager at bp, says on the Houston Innovators Podcast. "The challenges that NASA is facing is very similar to the challenges that the oil industry faces — we operate in very harsh environments, safety is the most critical aspect of our operation, and now the economic business model for NASA has changed."

Nguyen explains that while both bp and NASA are navigating similar challenges and changes within their industry, they are going about it in different ways. That's where the opportunity to collaborate comes in. Read more.

Paul Frison, founder of the Houston Technology Center

Paul Frison, the founder of the Houston Technology Center, has died. Photo via dignitymemorial.com

The Houston innovation ecosystem is mourning the loss of one of its early leaders, Paul Frison, who died on September 5. He was 87.

A long-time Houston businessman, Frison founded the Houston Technology Center in 1999 and served as its CEO and president. The organization evolved into Houston Exponential several years ago. Frison remained active within Houston innovation until 2020.

“Paul Frison was a visionary and energetic leader who always presented a positive outlook on what the Houston technology entrepreneurship community could become," Brad Burke, associate vice president for industry and new ventures at Rice University's Office of Innovation, remembers. "He was one of the pioneers in the community who established the Houston Technology Center as one of the early leaders of the Houston ecosystem. I admired how he helped launch the ecosystem and created the platform for many others to build upon.” Read more.

Alamgir Karim, professor at the University of Houston

Alamgir Karim was instrumental in the new discovery. Photo Courtesy of University of Houston Office of Media Relations

A flask of Houston’s rain helped answer a long-running question about the origin of cellular life.

The solution is proposed by two University of Houston scientists, William A. Brookshire Department of Chemical Engineering (UH ChBE) former grad student Aman Agrawal (now a postdoctoral researcher at University of Chicago’s Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering) and Alamgir Karim, UH Dow Chair and Welch Foundation Professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering, and director of both the International Polymer & Soft Matter Center and the Materials Engineering Program at UH. They were joined by UChicago PME Dean Emeritus Matthew Tirrell and Nobel Prize-winning biologist Jack Szostak in an article published last week in Scientific Advances. Read more.