TRL11 announced recently that it has closed a pre-seed funding round of over $3 million, which enables the expansion of its team, leasing of a facility, and launching of two prototype video payloads to Low Earth Orbit (LEO). TRL11 aims to make full-motion video solutions commonplace in all space applications.
Typical video solutions in space are far behind those used in the media and entertainment (M&E) industry – which has invested billions of dollars in advancing sensors, edge processing, transmission, and the AI/ML of full motion video over the past few decades, according to Verheem. And the M&E industry supports a much higher volume of video products in circulation and typically has quick refresh cycles which fuel rapid and ongoing innovation. This helps hone and mature video products over time, which explains why M&E is ahead of the Aerospace industry.
Under his lead, TRL11 is going to be bringing some of the best video solutions and expertise from M&E into the nascent space market, targeting on-orbit applications such as mission confirmation, space domain awareness, and proximity operations like docking or debris removal.
As the common phrase “space is hard” suggests, the operating environment is uniquely harsh but many technologies and techniques used in media map well to space, and with the right modifications and the right support could perform well in space.
Two New Executive Team Members
TRL11 also announced today the addition of two new executive team members: Rodney Grubbs and Vijay Shravah to its management team.
Rodney Grubbs
Grubbs, a renowned NASA Space Imaging Expert with over 20 years experience with cutting-edge video systems in space, will lend his expertise to lead specifying, designing, and deploying TRL11’s full motion video systems into the harsh environment in space.
Grubbs was a Principal Investigator for many firsts in Space Imagery, including the first live HDTV and UHD downlinks, the first digital cinema camera, and the first 3D HDTV camera. And he recently served as the Imagery Lead for NASA’s Artemis Program, and as Project Manager for the Crew Handheld Camera which will provide iconic imagery of humanity’s return to the moon.
Grubbs maintains Emeritus status with NASA and will continue to Chair the Motion Imagery & Applications Working Group, part of the Consultative Committee for Space Data Systems, which establishes interoperable standards for space communications.
Vijay Shravah
Shravah joins as VP of Business Development and signals a new era of growth for TRL11 – which is going to utilize its cutting-edge video solutions for space applications such as improved space domain awareness and to assist in proximity operations.
Shravah brings over 17 years of experience, including a decade between NASA and Lockheed Martin. And his deep understanding of the aerospace industry, coupled with his more recent entrepreneurial experience at early-stage space companies such as Starfish Space, will help TRL11 achieve significant traction with both government and commercial customers.
Shravah’s appointment at TRL11 marks an exciting new chapter for both him and the company. And having made its first dedicated business development hire, TRL11 is now poised to serve a much-needed market of video solutions for the space domain.
KEY QUOTES:
“I’ve always been a sci-fi space nerd, but I never thought it could be a career path. However the recent explosive growth in the number of launches to Low Earth Orbit creates some real challenges and thus exciting new opportunities, some of which can best — or sometimes only — be solved with full motion video solutions in orbit.”
“The bandwidth is obviously not there yet to support every one of the many applications of video that are possible in space, but it’ll come. We’ve been through similar transitions in other industries before, more than once. Time and time again, video finds a way to add new value to just about every industry on Earth. Space will be no different. That’s why I love video and why it will always continue to shine as a key enabling technology.”
— Nicol Verheem, TRL11 Founder and CEO, who is a serial entrepreneur, and Technical Oscar and Emmy award winner
