Recently retired American/Canadian NASA Astronaut Dr. Andrew J. Feustel has joined the Canadian Space Mining Corporation as their Executive Vice President of Strategy.
It’s a move that will certainly inspire some confidence in this ambitious small startup that has big designs related to the Moon and beyond.
Feustel who flew on four space missions and who has spent 225 days 9 hours 16 minutes in space was most recently NASA’s Acting Chief of Astronauts until this past February. He was also the commander of the International Space Station in 2018 and flew on the Space Shuttle Mission STS-125 where he helped repair the Hubble Space Telescope.
Feustel’s education included getting his Ph.D. from Queens University and according to Wikipedia “his thesis investigated seismic wave attenuation in underground mines and measurement techniques and applications to site characterization.”
Feustel also “worked as a geophysicist for the Engineering Seismology Group, Kingston, Ontario, Canada, installing and operating microseismic monitoring equipment in underground mines throughout Eastern Canada and the United States.”
His NASA experience, background as a geophysicist and Canadian connection was certainly something that was attractive to the Canadian Space Mining Corporation.
The Canadian Space Mining Corporation is based in Toronto and relatively little is known about them including how much funding they have. While they have participated in public events they generally keep to themselves as many startups do.
They state that they are focused on resource utilization, energy, and healthcare. This is reflected in the the three awards they’ve received from the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) in the past year. This includes most recently $1M to develop a nuclear fission reactor for the Moon. Last December they also received a $2M award from the CSA to develop a prototype of a space health tool for the Connected Care Medical Module program. And last June they received a smaller CSA award ($248K) for prospecting in lunar orbit and on the surface.
Other key people at Canadian Space Mining Corporation include Adam Gryfe as their Chief Operating Officer who has a background that includes in the education and medical tools. As well, Marc Donato is the Executive Vice President Engineer. Donato was formerly with MDA where he was Vice President & General Manager, Robotics and Automation.
In a press release Daniel Sax, CEO of the Canadian Space Mining Corporation said “We are honoured to have Drew join our team. His exemplary track record as a NASA astronaut, his working experience as a geophysicist, and his dedication to pushing the boundaries of space exploration will bring unparalleled insights to our work in space healthcare, energy, and ISRU.”
Dr. Feustel also stated that “I am thrilled to be joining the Canadian Space Mining Corporation.. My passion for space exploration and background in mining and oil and gas industry operations aligns perfectly with CSMC’s mission and vision. I believe CSMC is at the forefront of pioneering space operations for key sectors that will have broad benefits for our civilization here on earth. I look forward to contributing on this exciting journey.”