T-Minus: Space-Cyber Briefing

JAXA's Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM) lunar probe has survived its second lunar night. Commercial lunar landing company ispace has raised $8.1B yen ($53.5 million), in a stock sale. Earth Observation company Planet, filed  financial results for the period ended January 31, 2024, and more.  Remember to leave us a 5-star rating and review in your favorite podcast app. Miss an episode? Si...

The Federal Communications Commission has denied SpaceX’s request to use certain mobile satellite services spectrum authorized to Globalstar and Dish in the Gen2 Starlink constellation. Vast Space is being sued by a former engineer who claims he was fired for refusing to use improper radio frequencies in designs for the Haven-1 space station. Spire Global says it is expanding its East Asian operat...

The UK Space Agency is offering Up to £60 million for proposals that will help boost the UK’s satellite communications sector. NASA has chosen the first science instruments designed for astronauts to deploy on the surface of the Moon during Artemis III. China launched a Long March-6 rocket, carrying an environmental monitoring satellite called Yunhai-3 02, and more.  Remember to leave us a 5-star...

Boeing and its subsidiary Aurora Flight Sciences are suing Virgin Galactic, alleging theft of trade secrets and failure to pay $25 million for their collaboration on a new “mothership”. Ingersoll Rand has announced its intention to purchase ILC Dover for approximately $2.33 billion. Apex has announced a successful demonstration of end-to-end capabilities of the Aries platform, and more. Remember t...

The US Space Force requests an additional $1 billion from Congress for projects not included in the fiscal year 2025 budget. Russian Soyuz MS-25 mission carrying NASA astronaut Tracy Dyson, Russian Oleg Novitsky and Marina Vasilevskaya of Belarus arrives at the International Space Station. The UK Space Agency is opening new headquarters at the Harwell Science Campus’ Space Cluster in Oxfordshire,...

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has successfully conducted the Pushpak Reusable Landing Vehicle LEX 02 experiment flight at the Aeronautical Test Range in Chitradurga. The US Department of Defense and the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) are working with three companies to provide logistics services enabling low-cost, responsive access to geostationary and other orbits beyond low Earth...

Many of us know that the Moon pulls on our oceans, driving the tides, but did you know that it smells like gunpowder? Or that it was essential to the development of science and religion? Rebecca Boyle, science journalist and author of “Our Moon: How Earth's Celestial Companion Transformed the Planet, Guided Evolution, and Made Us Who We Are” shares her research and thoughts on the future of missio...

Rocket Lab launches the NROL-123 satellite for the National Reconnaissance Office, from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport within NASA Wallops in Virginia. Varda Space has released results from its first orbital drug manufacturing mission called Winnebago-1. Roscosmos aborts the Soyuz MS25 mission 20 seconds ahead of liftoff, and more. Remember to leave us a 5-star rating and review in your favor...

Northrop Grumman's making a concept study about a possible moon train for DARPA's 10 year lunar architecture capability study, or LunA-10. Intelsat has announced an expanded partnership with Eutelsat Group related to that company’s OneWeb low-earth orbit constellation. Blue Origin has announced that they will demonstrate Blue Ring’s mission operation capabilities and core flight systems on the Dar...

The United States and Japan are co-sponsoring a UN Security Council resolution that calls for a ban on any nuclear weapons in orbit. Benchmark Space Systems has successfully deployed its next-gen Xantus electric propulsion aboard Space Solutions’ 12U cubesat in low Earth orbit. Terran Orbital’s subsidiary Tyvak International has delivered the Hera Milani satellite to the European Space Agency, and...

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has awarded a $15.5 million contract to Parsons Corporation for system integration and cloud management services for the Traffic Coordination System for Space (TraCSS). Maxar Technologies’ first two of six planned high-resolution WorldView Legion satellites have arrived at Vandenberg Space Force Base, ahead of launch as soon as April. Scie...

Lonestar Data Holding’s Independence payload was delivered as part of the successful Intuitive Machine’s IM-1 Odysseus Nova-C lander mission that touched down on the south pole of the Moon on February 22, 2024. From the surface of the Moon, Lonestar successfully completed the first ever data center test in their proof-of-concept demonstration. Lonestar’s CEO and Cofounder Chris Stott shares with u...

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has proposed a new regulatory framework to facilitate collaborations between satellite operators and cell phone companies. Redwire Corporation reported revenues for the full year 2023 increased 51.9% to $243.8 million. Astra Space Investors are requesting a legal review of the private sale of the company to founders Chris Kemp and Adam London, and more....

SpaceX launches Starship for a third test flight from Boca Chica. Lunar mining company Interlune says that it has raised $15 million, adding to previous rounds of angel investments. The European Space Agency, the German space agency DLR and the Free State of Bavaria have signed a letter of intent to collaborate on the development of lunar mission control capabilities at ESA's Columbus Control Cent...

Rocket Lab successfully deploys a fourth synthetic aperture radar satellite to Synspective’s Earth-observation constellation. Space One’s Kairos vehicle exploded seconds after launch from the Kii peninsula in western Japan.  The FAA has requested $57.13 million for its Office of Commercial Space Transportation (AST) for fiscal year 2025, and more. Remember to leave us a 5-star rating and review in...

Redwire Corporation and Eli Lilly announce a second spaceflight mission to conduct research on chronic diseases in microgravity. NASA has requested $25.384 billion for the 2025 fiscal year, the exact amount it received in fiscal year 2023. Crew 7 astronauts splashed down safely in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Florida early this morning, and more. Remember to leave us a 5-star rating and rev...

Science Applications International Corp (SAIC) awarded a $444 million to support Digital Transformation, Acquisition, Modernization and Modification (DTAMM) for the US Space Force's Space Systems Command and Space Launch Deltas (SLDs) 30 and 45. NASA Administrator Bill Nelson discussed the agency’s goals for the benefit of humanity during the annual State of NASA. The SpaceX Dragon Capsule carryin...

Simone Petrella is the President of N2K Networks, a news to knowledge media company. N2K offers training and testing in cybersecurity in addition to podcasts covering cyber, intelligence and space. Simone has spearheaded a study with the Women in Cybersecurity organization to help identify gaps in the workforce where training and opportunity lags for women and underrepresented people in the workpl...

It's International Women's Day! Viasat and Rocket Lab are teaming up. An end to Astra drama as they go private once again. The first entirely privately funded rocket might launch from Japan tomorrow. Remember to leave us a 5-star rating and review in your favorite podcast app. Miss an episode? Sign-up for our weekly intelligence roundup, Signals and Space, and you’ll never miss a beat. And be sure...

Nobody's having an easy time of things right now but NASA especially is feeling budgetary pressure. The Planetary Science Caucus is back. Airbus invites startups to its summer 2024 accelerator program. China’s Mars Sample Return mission is “progressing smoothly,” and more. Remember to leave us a 5-star rating and review in your favorite podcast app. Miss an episode? Sign-up for our weekly intellig...

NASA celebrates the newest class of Astronaut graduates as it puts out a call for new applicants. Terran Orbital is awarded an Indefinite-Delivery/Indefinite-Quantity (IDIQ) contract with a $45 million ceiling value by NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate. The UK Government has included up to £160 million for the connectivity in low Earth orbit program known as CLEO in the Spring Budget, an...

SpaceX launches the Transporter 10 rideshare mission carrying 53 payloads to low Earth orbit. Terran Orbital has been awarded a $15.2 million contract to supply Ambassador Class satellite platforms complete with solar arrays and support equipment to the Air Force Research Laboratory, and more. Remember to leave us a 5-star rating and review in your favorite podcast app. Miss an episode? Sign-up fo...

NASA’s SpaceX Crew-8 are currently on their way to the International Space Station, after they launched late last night from Launch Complex 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Lockheed Martin’s makes a bid to acquire Terran Orbital for $600 million. NASA is shutting down a more than $2 billion project to test satellite servicing like fueling in space, citing higher costs and schedule de...

Robert Kurson is the author of Rocket Men: The Daring Odyssey of Apollo 8 and the Astronauts Who Made Man's First Journey to the Moon. Find out what inspired him to document the lives of Astronauts Frank Borman, Jim Lovell and Bill Anders. You can learn more about Robert Kurson’s novels on his website. Remember to leave us a 5-star rating and review in your favorite podcast app. Miss an episode? S...

The US Department of State has concluded an administrative settlement with The Boeing Company to resolve 199 violations of the Arms Export Control Act and the International Traffic in Arms Regulations. High winds and rough seas in the Atlantic have pushed back the launch of SpaceX Crew-8 Saturday at 11.16pm local time at the earliest, and more.  Remember to leave us a 5-star rating and review in y...