T-Minus: Space-Cyber Briefing

Latest Episodes:

Proposed 24% cuts to NASA’s budget. May 05, 2025

Show notes

The US Administration released the President's budget for Fiscal Year 2026 with a proposed 24% cut to NASA spending. Australia’s Gilmour Space Technologies has been given Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) approval for the maiden launch of its Eris orbital rocket. Octogenarian Chinese Engineer Li Licheng has signed up for the inaugural ‘Interstellor’ Human Spaceflight, and more.

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T-Minus Guest

Aegis Space Law Attorney’s Bailey Reichelt and Jack Shelton bring you the Aegis Space Law monthly segment.

You can connect with Bailey Reichelt and Jack Shelton on LinkedIn, and send your questions to space@n2k.com.

Selected Reading

President Trump’s FY26 Budget Revitalizes Human Space Exploration - NASA

Set the clock: Gilmour to open May 15 launch window

Chinese scientist Li Licheng signs up for space travel aged 84- South China Morning Post

Army creates space career field for enlisted soldiers - SpaceNews

Lunar Assay via Small Satellite Orbiter (LASSO)

Capella Space One of the First Aerospace Companies to Achieve CMMC Level 2 in Compliance with 110 NIST SP 800-171 Revision 2 Security Requirements

National Astronaut Day

Donate to Higher Orbits

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NASA’s Flight Opportunities Program. May 03, 2025

Show notes

NASA’s Flight Opportunities program sits within the agency’s Space Technology Mission Directorate. The program provides strategic integration between researchers, mission stakeholders, and flight providers, as well as other NASA programs, to maximize impact for technology advancement and ensure that the researcher community is actively engaged in available flight test opportunities. We find out more from Program Executive Danielle McCulloch.

You can connect with Danielle on LinkedIn and learn more about FOP on the NASA website.

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New vendors selected for USSF spacecraft procurement. May 02, 2025

Show notes

The United States Space Force (USSF) Space Systems Command’s (SSC’s) Department of Defense (DoD) Space Test Program office selected 12 vendors for $237 million spacecraft procurement through the Space Test Experiment Platform (STEP) 2.0. The US Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) has awarded Ursa Major a $28.5 million contract for responsive space, hypersonic, and on-orbit propulsion. Lockheed Martin has completed assembly and testing of NASA's Orion Artemis II spacecraft, and more.

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T-Minus Guest

NASASpaceflight.com brings us the Space Traffic Report.

Selected Reading

Space Test Experiments Platform 2.0 To Bolster USSF Spacecraft Procurement

AFRL awards Ursa Major $28.6M for hypersonics

Lockheed Martin Completes Orion Development for Artemis II Mission to the Moon

NASA Set to Fly South Korean CubeSat on Artemis II Test Flight

New Polish Space Agency Chief Named After Abrupt Exit of Predecessor

Aerospacelab Secures Groundbreaking Contract with JAXA through Mitsui Bussan Aerospace

US space agency Nasa will not fund study on China’s moon sample: American scientist

Raft Awarded Another Space Force OTA to Advance Secure Data Transformations

NASA’s SPHEREx Space Telescope Begins Capturing Entire Sky

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ATMOS Space Cargo expands its footprint. May 01, 2025

Show notes

ATMOS Space Cargo has secured new investment and has established a new French subsidiary in Strasbourg. German’s Space Agency DLR has completed the qualification campaign for the Callisto reusable rocket demonstrator’s Top Block. Axiom Space has signed an agreement with Germany’s North Rhine-Westphalia, and more.

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T-Minus Guest

Our guest today is Joshua Broom, the Head of Space at the UK Department for Business & Trade (DBT).

You can connect with Joshua on LinkedIn.

Selected Reading

ATMOS Expands European Foundation with Expansion Ventures Investment and New French Subsidiary in Strasbourg.

DLR Wraps Up Qualification of Key Callisto Rocket Element - European Spaceflight

North Rhine-Westphalia and Axiom Space establish partnership

Sidus Space and Saturn Satellite Networks Sign Memorandum of Understanding to Support Development of Next-Generation GEO Satellite Platform

OSC Places Orders for Commercial COLA Gap Pathfinder

Slingshot Aerospace Expands Global Footprint with New Canadian Headquarters in Ottawa

USSF reinforces resilience of National missile warning architecture through SBIRS Survivable Endurable Evolution Operation Acceptance

Science, industry, and advocacy groups unite in opposition to deep cuts to NASA science

Station Maneuvers to Avoid Orbital Debris - NASA

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Welcome home to the Shenzhou-19 crew. Apr 30, 2025

Show notes

The three-person Shenzhou-19 crew has returned to Earth. Satellite manufacturing company Apex has raised $200 million in a Series C funding round, and True Anomaly closes an oversubscribed $260 million round. Spire Global to design, build and operate 16 satellites with enhanced second-generation payloads for Myriota, and more.

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Selected Reading

China's Shenzhou-19 crew returns to Earth after 183-day space journey - CGTN

Apex Raises $200 Million in Series C Funding to Increase Productized Satellite Bus Manufacturing

Announcing Our $260M Fundraise

Myriota Expands Agreement with Spire Global to Scale its IoT Constellation with 16 More Satellites

Alpha FLTA006 - Firefly Aerospace

UK researchers access more quantum and space Horizon funding - GOV.UK

V2X Awarded $140 Million Task Order to Support a Key Space Force Tracking and Instrumentation Station

Axiom Mission 4

Help Classify Galaxies Seen by NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope!

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Want to hear your company in the show?

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Want to join us for an interview?

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T-Minus is a production of N2K Networks, your source for strategic workforce intelligence. © N2K Networks, Inc.

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Amazon Project Kuiper satellites are operating in LEO. Apr 30, 2025

Show notes

The United Launch Alliance (ULA) launches the first batch of Amazon Project Kuiper satellites. Firefly launches the FLTA006 Message in a Booster mission for Lockheed Martin but experiences a second stage anomaly. Arianespace successfully launched the ESA’s Earth Explorer Biomass satellite from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana, and more.

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T-Minus Guest

Our guest today is Dr. Debra Emmons, Aerospace Corporation’s Vice President and CTO.

You can check out the Aerospace Corp. on LinkedIn or on their website.

Selected Reading

United Launch Alliance Successfully Launches Amazon’s First Operational Satellites

Alpha FLTA006 - Firefly Aerospace

Arianespace Successfully Launches ESA’s Biomass Satellite

Rivada Expands Outernet Access to 33 Countries, Secures $16 Billion+ in Global Business

China launches internet satellite group - CGTN

Lawmakers vote on controversial SpaceX beach closure bill amid backlash

Radian Aerospace lays out its plan to create reusable re-entry vehicle for hypersonic tests

When Satellites Go Dark - Persistent Cyber Assaults and The Growing Blind Spot

T-Minus Crew Survey

We want to hear from you! Please complete our 4 question survey. It’ll help us get better and deliver you the most mission-critical space intel every day.

Want to hear your company in the show?

You too can reach the most influential leaders and operators in the industry. Here’s our media kit. Contact us at space@n2k.com to request more info.

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T-Minus is a production of N2K Networks, your source for strategic workforce intelligence. © N2K Networks, Inc.

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USSF to expand payload processing facility access. Apr 28, 2025

Show notes

The United States Space Force (USSF)’s Space Systems Command (SSC) today awarded a National Security Space Launch (NSSL) Space Vehicle (SV) Processing Commercial Solutions Opening (CSO) contract to Astrotech Space Operations (ASO). Firefly Aerospace scrubs the Message in a Booster mission for Lockheed Martin. China is working on a traffic management system to better organize satellite placement and operations, and more.

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Our guest today is David Schleeper, RS&H Project Manager.

You can connect with David on LinkedIn, and learn more about RS&H on their website.

Space Systems Command Expands Commercial Space Vehicle Processing Capacity

Alpha FLTA006 - Firefly Aerospace

China plans space traffic management system amid commercial satellite boom

AST SpaceMobile and U.S. National Science Foundation Establish Coordination Agreement Between Satellite and Ground-Based Astronomy Operations

Space Flight Laboratory (SFL) Announces Key Milestone in Development of Aspera Space Astronomy Microsatellite Mission

Space Foundation, Space Workforce for Tomorrow, and International Space University Sign MOU to Advance U.S. Space Workforce Development

Trump administration cancels lease for NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies lab in New York City

New Director Space appointed at the South Australian Space Industry Centre – SASIC

Axiom Space Appoints Tejpaul Bhatia as CEO

Old Soviet spacecraft to fall to Earth in early May 2025

We want to hear from you! Please complete our 4 question survey. It’ll help us get better and deliver you the most mission-critical space intel every day.

You too can reach the most influential leaders and operators in the industry. Here’s our media kit. Contact us at space@n2k.com to request more info.

Please send your pitch to space-editor@n2k.com and include your name, affiliation, and topic proposal.

T-Minus GuestSelected ReadingT-Minus Crew SurveyWant to hear your company in the show?Want to join us for an interview?

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Mentorship with the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation. Apr 26, 2025

Show notes

The Astronaut Scholarship Foundation (ASF) was created in 1984 by six Mercury 7 astronauts. Since then astronauts from the Mercury, Gemini, Apollo, Skylab and Space Shuttle programs have pursued the mission to encourage university students pursuing scientific excellence. The prestigious Astronaut Scholarship is known nationwide for being among the largest merit-based monetary scholarships awarded to undergraduate STEM juniors and seniors. ASF has a life-long relationship with each Astronaut Scholar and provides them with mentors, professional and personal development and networking with astronauts. Former NASA Astronaut Christopher Ferguson joins us to talk about the power of mentorship along with his mentee Vikas Patel.

You can read more about the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation on their website.

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T-Minus Crew Survey

We want to hear from you! Please complete our 4 question survey. It’ll help us get better and deliver you the most mission-critical space intel every day.

Want to hear your company in the show?

You too can reach the most influential leaders and operators in the industry. Here’s our media kit. Contact us at space@n2k.com to request more info.

Want to join us for an interview?

Please send your pitch to space-editor@n2k.com and include your name, affiliation, and topic proposal.

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JAXA’s Strategic Space Fund Phase 2. Apr 25, 2025

Show notes

Japan’s Space Agency (JAXA) releases phase 2 of its ¥1 Trillion, 10-year Strategic Space Fund. Planet Labs has signed a multi-year contract with EMDYN. MaiaSpace has selected the Łukasiewicz Research Network’s Institute of Aviation to develop the engine that will power its kick stage, and more.

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Elysia Segal from NASASpaceflight.com brings us the Space Traffic Report.

JAXA | 宇宙戦略基金事業（第一期）技術開発テーマの実施機関を決定

Japan Releases Phase 2 Of Its ¥1 Trillion, 10-year Strategic Space Fund - Patent

Planet Signs Three-Year Contract with EMDYN, Providing Satellite Data for Intelligence, Insurance, and Security Solutions

MaiaSpace Selects Łukasiewicz–ILOT to Develop Kick-Stage Engine

OroraTech Brings World’s Largest Wildfire Satellite Constellation to the United States

Alpha FLTA006 - Firefly Aerospace

Booz Allen and Meta Successfully Demonstrate AI Vision Language Model for Space

Shanghai launches plan to lead development of China’s commercial space sector

ispace Completes Success 6 of Mission 2 Milestones

We want to hear from you! Please complete our 4 question survey. It’ll help us get better and deliver you the most mission-critical space intel every day.

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Please send your pitch to space-editor@n2k.com and include your name, affiliation, and topic proposal.

T-Minus GuestSelected ReadingT-Minus Crew SurveyWant to hear your company in the show?Want to join us for an interview?

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Happy 35 years of Hubble Space Telescope. Apr 24, 2025

Show notes

China launches the Shenzhou 20 spacecraft with three astronauts to the Tiangong Space Station. Katalyst Space has acquired in-space servicing company Atomos Space. The United States Space Force’s (USSF) Space Systems Command (SSC) has awarded a $2.9 million contract to Raft LLC for the development of an Application Programming Interface (API), and more.

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T-Minus Guest

Our guest today is Troy Morris, Co-Founder & CEO for Kall Morris Inc.

You can connect with Troy on LinkedIn, and learn more about KMI on their website.

Selected Reading

China launches Shenzhou 20 astronauts to Tiangong space station

Katalyst Space Technologies has announced its acquisition of Atomos Space

API Gateway to Boost USSF Space Superiority Through Enhanced Data Access

Firefly Aerospace Awarded AFRL Contract to Develop Ceramic Matrix Composite Rocket Engine Nozzle Extension

Sierra Space Advances Space Station Technology With Hypervelocity Impact Testing at NASA White Sands

NBA Hall of Fame Legend Rick Barry to Join Fellow Inaugural Astronauts on Historic Titans Genesis Spaceplane Mission

State Of The Space Industrial Base 2024

Hubble offers a new view of Sombrero galaxy

T-Minus Crew Survey

We want to hear from you! Please complete our 4 question survey. It’ll help us get better and deliver you the most mission-critical space intel every day.