# Hypersonic Launch: A New Era in Space Exploration

`video: [LongShot Space | Spotlight Video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qAUZpskowIc&t)`

### A Journey Through Time: From Jules Verne to Modern Rocketry

Humans have been captivated by the cosmos since our earliest days, with the concept of space travel dating back to 1865 when Jules Verne published From the Earth to the Moon. This story inspired many, including Konstantine Tsiolkovsky, one of the founding fathers of modern rocketry and astronautics.

### Rockets, Wars, and the Race to Space
The Paris Gun, a giant siege gun used during World War I, was an early example of space travel principles applied to warfare. Despite its terrifying potential, it served mainly as a psychological weapon. Throughout the 20th century, rocket technology evolved rapidly, with pioneers like Robert Goddard and Wernher von Braun laying the groundwork for the modern space race.

### From Competition to Cooperation
As the original space race came to a close, competition gave way to collaboration, with the US and Russia joining forces on projects like the Shuttle-Mir and International Space Station programs. However, interest in space exploration waned, and the Space Shuttle program ended in 2011.

### The X Prize and the Dawn of a New Era
In the 1990s, Peter Diamandis created the X Prize to rekindle excitement for space development. This led to a new era of space exploration, with companies like SpaceX and many smaller startups entering the scene and revolutionizing the industry.

### Small Satellites and the Growing Space Economy
Falling launch costs and widespread technological adoption have led to an unprecedented era of accessibility for new players in the space industry. Small satellites now make up 94% of all spacecraft launches, and the global space industry includes thousands of private companies, investors, and state organizations.

## Hypersonic Launch: The Future of Space Travel

LongShot, a cutting-edge aerospace company, is working on a hypersonic launch system that could revolutionize space travel. As hypersonic technologies become a focus of global competition, LongShot is poised to play a vital role in testing and development. After that, they may help usher in a new economy and civilization building in space. 

Join Us on This Exciting Journey
We hope you enjoyed this first episode of The Garage, exploring Longshot's hypersonic launch system and the fascinating history of space exploration. Stay tuned for more insights into our potential future in space, and a special thank you to Mike Grace, Founder and CEO of Longshot, for sharing his expertise.

The Garage by Credo is a podcast about invention and innovation, exploring the minds of innovators throughout history and shining a light on the products that are transforming the world today. 

longshot - garage

WATCH: A Hypersonic Shift – Exploring Cheaper, Safer Space Travel with LongShot Space

# Testing is critical to growth

Watch as Plasmos completes a successful hot fire test of its engine on their second attempt. It's a running theme here at Credo; testing often in order to learn quickly and iterate. SpaceX has deployed this model successfully, and now startups like Plasmos are adopting the ethos in order to move faster through product development.

`video: [Plasmos Hot Fire Test](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nkvxCoNLrdc)`

As you can tell by the backdrop and rudimentary setup, Plasmos is taking a very scrappy approach towards testing. It's rare to get this type of access at such an early stage of development. We think it's really cool that Plasmos is truly building in public and giving  people a close up look into how a 21st Century rocket company is built. 

## Big Bang

For someone who has never been part of a rocket engine testing, I wasn't sure what to expect. I arrived at the testing site, a large boat yard an hour outside of Los Angeles, in the late afternoon of August 2nd. Ali and a few members of his team were stacking cement cinder blocks in an effort to create a makeshift test stand for his rocket. 

After everything was connected and rigged up, it was go time. The small crowd that began to gather- it's not difficult to find a crowd for any type of rocket launch- were moved to a safe distance and Ali took center stage. 

What followed was a loud bang followed by the unmistakable hum of an engine that has come to life. The 2nd hot fire test for Plasmos was a success. 

## Onward

The successful test means that Ali and Plasmos now move to the next stage of iteration. Many more tests will follow and not all will be successful. But what's impressive is that in a year's time Plasmos has gone from concept to a live test-firing. 

It's a testament to Ali, the team, and 21st century advancements like additive manufacturing. 

The road is still long, and the journey has only begun, but progress is surely being made. 

Watch as Plasmos completes a successful hot fire test of its engine on their second attempt

hotfire test

Plasmos Hot Fire Testing - Successful 2nd Test

## Modern Design.. 10 Years in the making

Tim Huntzinger is an industrial designer passionate about transportation. He first conceived of Xoto while working on his graduate thesis at Arts Center College of Design. As a motorcycle rider he had his share of unnerving experiences, which ultimately ignited a passion in him to discover a safer way to ride. He envisioned a 4-wheel drive leaning vehicle, which was the first iteration of what is now known as Xoto.

`video: [Xoto | Spotlight Video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yZeJQ0OGDNU)`

## 3 Wheels > 2

Two wheeled motorcycles and bicycles work great, until they don’t. If you hit that patch of gravel, or the wrong pothole, or the wet spot on the road, things can go bad very quickly. Oftentimes it can be a life or death situation, which Tim experienced first hand. With three wheels on the ground you can lose traction on all wheels and the vehicle will still stay upright. This means that you can get all the benefits and fun of a motorcycle, but with a much safer ride.

# Leaning Brings Stability, Fun, & Safety

We had the chance to ride Xoto, and it's hard to describe the feeling. It's unlike any vehicle we have ridden, yet it feels so natural. Xoto's patented leaning system is designed in such a way that it is slim and compact when moving in a straight line, but when turning the rear wheels spread further apart resulting in a more stable vehicle exactly when you need it. This makes the riding experience stable, safe, and also a ton of fun. With the rear wheels turning when you lean, it gives the feeling of surfing on land as you ride! Words don’t do justice to the sensation, but you will know what we are talking about when you feel it. It is intuitive and feels natural! 

Learn more about Xoto: https://www.work40.io/companies/xoto

Learn more about Tim: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tim-huntzinger-1b88743/

Our "Creator" video series puts the spotlight on 21st Century builders, tinkerers & inventors. These are people working on novel products, services & technologies with the aim to positively impact society. Get to know Xoto, the first electric 3 wheel drive leaning moto. 


Xoto

Creator Spotlight | Xoto - The FIRST three wheel drive leaning electric moto

`video: [Automoutus | Automation at the Curb](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sb9nv6kgbns&t=4s)`

Automotus is growing their team. Check out their showcase page to learn more: https://www.work40.io/companies/automotus

Check out how "Future of Cities" startup, Automotus, will transform how cities move with their computer vision technology at the curb. 

Auto

Future of Cities: Automation at the Curbside | Automotus Spotlight

`video: [Kiwibot | Robot Delivery](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vNNIvIiie_g)` 

The Kiwibot team is growing. Check out the open roles here: https://jobs.wrkhq.com/kiwibot

For this installment of the "Future of Cities" series, we explore Kiwibot's robot delivery technology. Are people ready to share the streets and public spaces with robots? We'll find out soon enough!

Kiwibot is growing. Learn more here: https://www.work40.io/companies/kiwibot

Kiwibit

Future of Cities: Robot Delivery | Kiwibot

`video: [Rollo | Hyperlocal Autonomous Delivery](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kAbeJf0R870)`

Learn more about Rollo: https://www.work40.io/companies/rollo-motion

For the first installment of our future of cities series, we take a look at how Rollo's hyperlocal autonomous delivery vehicle is leading restaurants and cities into the 21st Century. 

Rollo Hero

Future of Cities: Episode 1 | Rollo 

### Starting with the problem

We set out to build the Work 4.0 platform because we saw an opportunity to introduce something impactful at the intersection of media, culture and work. For most of us, the media we consume and the work that we do is not inherently productive or meaningful. Many of us go through the motions as we passively consume content and dispassionately run through our daily lists of never-ending tasks. Our hope is that by bringing you unique stories of innovation via passionate creators, you might be inspired to do work that matters. Or, at the very least, you might learn something new about how the world might be changed for the better. 

### Future of Cities

We chose the "Future of Cities" as our flagship video series for a couple reasons. First, most of us in the United States, and the world for that matter, live in big cities. In fact, the [UN projects](https://www.un.org/development/desa/en/news/population/2018-revision-of-world-urbanization-prospects.html) that by 2050 nearly 70% of the global population will live in urban areas. Basically, we are all in this together. If we don't collectively get our sh!t together, problems like emissions, housing, access to vital resources, pollution and congestion are going to spiral out of control. In a world that feels increasingly negative and divided, we are seeing a lot of reasons to be optimistic about the future, especially the future in dense urban areas. There are incredibly passionate people out there who are introducing innovative solutions that promise to make our cities smarter, more resilient, and more equitable in the future. We are excited to bring you these stories. 

### Technology as a catalyst, not a panacea

Most of the startups we will be spotlighting are harnessing modern forms of technology to bring about positive change. With advancements in areas like AI, sensors, IoT, cloud computing, and 3D printing, it is possible for creators to introduce world-changing products faster and with less capital than ever before. We are talking about flying taxis, urban agriculture, delivery robots, and smart resource management tools. Emboldened by modern technology, there's a new class of purpose-driven innovators whose combined efforts promise to introduce solutions that will radically change cities, and by extension, the world, for the better.

Though we are bullish on the potential for technology to ignite positive change, it won't be without potential downsides. Technology is a catalyst for change, but not a panacea. Issues like privacy, loss of jobs to automation, and equity, could be exacerbated by new technologies if we are not careful. As we bring you these stories we will always keep these risk factors top of mind, and will explore them mindfully. 

### Purpose-driven Work

Our ultimate goal with this series, and with our platform in general, is to inspire you to do work that matters. By sharing the real, authentic side of innovation, we aim to make it more accessible. At the very least we want to provide meaningful entertainment and help people learn something new along the way. Our ideal is to use our content to inspire you to action. We hope you discover a problem or company that moves and inspires you to jump on board. The companies we spotlight are all growing like crazy and looking for talented people that are aligned with their mission and vision for the future. Our time here is limited, and if we are going to work, we might as well have fun and do something that has potential for impact. 

Why we decided to create a videos series that puts the spotlight on startups that are creating the "Future of Cities"...