T-Minus Space Daily

Texas approves Starbase’s city status as the FAA greenlights increased SpaceX Super Heavy launches from Boca Chica. The German Federal Agency for Cartography and Geodesy has signed a seven-figure contract with Planet Labs. ClearSpace has successfully completed Phase 2 of the CLEAR mission for the UK’s first Active Debris Removal (ADR) project, and more. Remember to leave us a 5-star rating and review in your favorite podcast app. Be sure to follow T-Minus on LinkedIn and Instagram. Selected Reading SpaceX Starship Super Heavy Project at the Boca Chica Launch Site- Federal Aviation Administration Welcome to Starbase: Texas has a new city home to Elon Musk's SpaceX Planet Signs 7-Figure Contract Expansion with the German Government, Enabling Land and Water Management from Space  ClearSpace Completes Phase 2 of Mission CLEAR, Strengthening UK’s Leadership in In-Orbit Services USSF strengthens Missile Warning Mission with FORGE Enterprise OPIR solution effort award- Space Systems Command  Star Catcher and Satlyt Partner to Unlock Scalable Edge Computing with On-Demand Orbital Energy Space Force eyeing international launch sites to increase 'resilience' - Breaking Defense ispace Completes Success 7 of Mission 2 Milestones Bringing the Moon to the Classroom- MDA Space 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. T-Minus is a production of N2K Networks, your source for strategic workforce intelligence. © N2K Networks, Inc. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stratolaunch’s Talon-A2 vehicle successfully completed its second hypersonic flight and recovery last month. D-Orbit has signed a contract with SpaceX for additional launch capacity on upcoming Transporter rideshare missions. Rivada Space and Pulsar Solutions to partner on secure connectivity, and more. Remember to leave us a 5-star rating and review in your favorite podcast app. Be sure to follow T-Minus on LinkedIn and Instagram. T-Minus Guest Our guest today is Chuck Cynamon, President of Telesat Government Solutions. You can connect with Chuck on LinkedIn, and learn more about Telesat on their website. Selected Reading Stratolaunch Successfully Completes Reusable Hypersonic Flight and Recovery with Talon-A2 Vehicle D-Orbit signs contract with SpaceX for expanded launch capacity on upcoming rideshare missions  Rivada Space Networks Announces Partnership with Pulsar Solutions The Sea God Sees- Rocket Lab ispace LinkedIn Quantum Systems raises €160M as it targets global leadership in aerial intelligence solutions Japan creating battery that can run for 100 years in outer space – SatNews 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. T-Minus is a production of N2K Networks, your source for strategic workforce intelligence. © N2K Networks, Inc. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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. Remember to leave us a 5-star rating and review in your favorite podcast app. Be sure to follow T-Minus on LinkedIn and Instagram. 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 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. T-Minus is a production of N2K Networks, your source for strategic workforce intelligence. © N2K Networks, Inc. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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. Remember to leave us a 5-star rating and review in your favorite podcast app. Be sure to follow T-Minus on LinkedIn and Instagram. 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. T-Minus is a production of N2K Networks, your source for strategic workforce intelligence. © N2K Networks, Inc. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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. Remember to leave us a 5-star rating and review in your favorite podcast app. Be sure to follow T-Minus on LinkedIn and Instagram. 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 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. T-Minus is a production of N2K Networks, your source for strategic workforce intelligence. © N2K Networks, Inc. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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. Remember to leave us a 5-star rating and review in your favorite podcast app. Be sure to follow T-Minus on LinkedIn and Instagram. 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 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. T-Minus is a production of N2K Networks, your source for strategic workforce intelligence. © N2K Networks, Inc. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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. Remember to leave us a 5-star rating and review in your favorite podcast app. Be sure to follow T-Minus on LinkedIn and Instagram. 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! 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. T-Minus is a production of N2K Networks, your source for strategic workforce intelligence. © N2K Networks, Inc. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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. Remember to leave us a 5-star rating and review in your favorite podcast app. Be sure to follow T-Minus on LinkedIn and Instagram. 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. Want to join us for an interview? Please send your pitch to space-editor@n2k.com and include your name, affiliation, and topic proposal. T-Minus is a production of N2K Networks, your source for strategic workforce intelligence. © N2K Networks, Inc. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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. Remember to leave us a 5-star rating and review in your favorite podcast app. Be sure to follow T-Minus on LinkedIn and Instagram. 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 is a production of N2K Networks, your source for strategic workforce intelligence. © N2K Networks, Inc. T-Minus GuestSelected ReadingT-Minus Crew SurveyWant to hear your company in the show?Want to join us for an interview? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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.Remember to leave us a 5-star rating and review in your favorite podcast app.Be sure to follow T-Minus on LinkedIn and Instagram.T-Minus Crew SurveyWe 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.T-Minus is a production of N2K Networks, your source for strategic workforce intelligence. © N2K Networks, Inc. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices