I just got this from Shafer Corporation:
Schafer Corporation Signs Licensing Agreement with MoonDust Technologies LLC
PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 21, 2011
Schafer Corporation Licenses Space Commercialization Technology to MoonDust Technologies, LLC
Albuquerque, NM – The Schafer Corporation, a scientific and engineering company, has signed a Licensing and Development Agreement with MoonDust Technologies, LLC (MDT) of Tucson, AZ to give them exclusive, worldwide production and marketing rights for a unique line of products resulting from the use of Schafer’s Proprietary microgravity production technology. Although well known for their defense-related space capabilities, Schafer has been developing and evaluating technologies for commercial space applications since 2008.
The Agreement grants MDT the exclusive right to produce and sell these products worldwide and provides Schafer with royalties on the sales. As part of the agreement, Schafer will provide MDT with technical and engineering support focused on the design and development of space hardware. “We’re excited about this opportunity,” said Schafer Corporation President Tony Frederickson. “For over 40 years, visions of space-based commercial ventures have been driven by the advantages of microgravity fabrication for a range of high-value products. We’re pleased that Schafer technology will play a part as this dream at last nears reality.”
“We were blown away,” said MoonDust Technologies CEO Rick Gibson. “When we saw what they had developed it was a no brainer; form the company and let’s do this. The impact will be stunning – we’re looking at a broad range of transformational products involving medical, information, and DOD applications.”
MoonDust Technologies, LLC was created as an affiliate of the Medusa Group of companies in Tucson, AZ. Dan Hodges, CEO and President of Medusa said “Notably, Schafer’s micro-gravity technology allows us to solve some extremely difficult technical issues and create solutions and products that are desperately needed, but simply couldn’t be solved with earth-bound processes before. This approach is the only way to go.” MDT expects to have sample products available for industry review next summer, 2012.
About Schafer Corporation
Schafer Corporation, formed in 1972, is a leading-edge technology company providing high quality products and professional services to government and industry customers. Schafer’s legacy is rooted in space, optical, and directed energy programs. Today, our knowledge and experience supports all branches of the military, the Department of Defense, Department of Homeland Security and NASA. In addition to our legacy competencies, we support these customers over a broad set of disciplines including system engineering, technology management, missile defense, commercial space, net-centric systems and communications, nano-fabrication, modeling and simulation and agile software development.
For more information, please visit: www.schafercorp.com
Contact: Rhonda Peyton P: 505-338-2856
About MoonDust Technologies, LLC
MoonDust Technologies, LLC (MDT) was created in 2011 by Rick Gibson with its headquarters located in Tucson, AZ. MDT is an OEM product company that specializes in the production of unique materials that can only be manufactured in microgravity environments. MDT owns exclusive rights to Proprietary technology that has been developed by leading edge defense and advanced aerospace companies.
For more information, please visit: www.MoonDustLLC.com
rpeyton@schaferalb.com
MoonDust Media Relations: Rick Gibson
p: 520-661-6797About Medusa
Medusa comprises a group of five affiliated companies specializing in electromagnetic, ultrasound and aeronautical research, development and operations. With broad operational expertise, MRO and laboratory facilities, the Company has unique large corporation capabilities with the attention to detail and customer needs which emanate from a small company atmosphere.
For more information, please visit: www.medusa.com
Medusa Media Relations: Darrin Holman p: 520-512-5299
Via Rich Glover at Shafer, who says that “…if successful, this is a game changer.”
Moondust and Medusa’s websites are single images, no content. Shafer’s website says nothing relating to this, other than a press link to some deal with UP Aerospace, so IMHO they are pimping UP Aerospace’s suborbital services to defense clients. No biggie.
I don’t know Mike – I think you might be too quick to dismiss. Schafer’s been around for over 30 years and Medusa has 5 companies (at least) operating under that umbrella – took some digging to find that out. I researched Moondust and it is in fact new. So maybe nothing or maybe something good.
Bigelow and Blue Origin had nothing on their sites for many years … now they have stuff posted. I’ll wait and see.