T-Minus: Space-Cyber Briefing

Lunar Outpost was founded on the belief that resources from the moon can be used for the betterment of humankind. The space mobility company has recently unveiled its new Eagle Space Truck and has plans for new vehicles to traverse the lunar surface. Find out more from  Lunar Outpost Cofounder and Chief Strategy Officer, Forrest Meyen. You can connect with Forrest on LinkedIn, and learn more about...

Lunar Helium-3 Mining (LH3M) is at the forefront of the green energy revolution and the quantum computing era, tapping into the Moon’s rarest and most strategic resource, Helium-3. Beyond enabling nuclear fusion, the cleanest and most efficient energy source, helium-3 is critical for cooling quantum computers, which will revolutionize information processing and may provide unmatched strategic info...

Find out the thoughts of host Maria Varmazis and producers Alice Carruth, Jennifer Eiben, and Elizabeth Stokes on what the highlights in space were in 2025, and what they’re looking forward to in 2026. 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. Share your feedback. What do you think about T-Minus Space Daily? P...

US-based national security company CACI International has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire ARKA Group. FAA documents detail aviation risks from SpaceX Starship explosion. A spate of recent global launches show uneven outcomes. 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 Ou...

Rocket Lab awarded an $816 million prime contract by the U.S. Space Force. The Space Development Agency made multiple awards to build 72 Tracking Layer satellites for Tranche 3. NATO’s suspicions about a new ASAT weapon from Russia. 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 Dave Bittn...

From radiation-hardened hardware to edge computing in deep space, AI is moving off the ground and into one of the harshest environments imaginable. Ralph Grundler is the Director of Space Business Development and Space R&D at Aitech Systems. He shares his decades of experience from  building computers that don’t just survive space—they think there. We’ll explore how AI-rated systems are flying tod...

US President Donald Trump has signed an Executive Order (EO) titled Ensuring American Space Superiority. Rheinmetall is partnering with ICEYE to fulfil a 1.7-billion-euro or $2 billion order from the German Armed Forces. HawkEye 360 has completed the acquisition of Innovative Signal Analysis supported by equity and debt financings totaling $150 million, and more. Remember to leave us a 5-star rati...

Jared Isaacman has been confirmed as the new NASA Administrator. Rocket Lab launched the STP-S30 mission for the US Space Force’s (USSF’s) Space Systems Command. Redwire Corporation has been contracted by The Exploration Company to provide two docking systems for Nyx, 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 I...

An Ariane 6 rocket launched two Galileo satellites from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana. A European Space Agency (ESA) contract awarded to ArianeGroup in 2021 for the development of an Ariane 6 kick stage will reportedly be adapted to cover its evolution into an orbital transfer vehicle (OTV). India’s Digantara Industries has raised $50 million in a funding round to develop sovereign space sur...

The US and France held a joint orbital exercise as part of the Multinational Force Operation Olympic Defender. EraDrive has raised $5.3M in a seed round to scale the production of their space traffic management system. The US Department of State is seeking qualified individuals to participate as private sector advisors for a discussion group on space situational awareness (SSA), and more. Remember...

Starfish Space has successfully completed an autonomous rendezvous and proximity operations (RPO) mission in low Earth orbit with Impulse Space. Rocket Lab has marked a milestone with the successful deployment of its first dedicated launch for JAXA. Mission Space has announced its intention to launch its second on-orbit payload with Rogue Space Systems, and more. Remember to leave us a 5-star rati...

Canadian Space Mining Corporation (CSMC) is focused on lunar nuclear power and next-generation quantum sensing. We spoke to Daniel Sax, founder and CEO of CSMC, about how CSMC evolved from lunar exploration into developing micro-reactors for the Moon and the Arctic, as well as quantum gravity sensors that could transform subsurface mapping for both Earth and planetary science.  You can connect wit...

Lawmakers in the US have reintroduced a bipartisan bill to help commercial satellite owners and operators defend against growing cybersecurity threats to satellites. Satellite manufacturer K2 Space has raised  $250 million in Series C funding at a $3 billion valuation. Fortastra has emerged from stealth and has raised over $8 million in seed financing, and more. Remember to leave us a 5-star ratin...

Starcloud has successfully trained and run the first large AI model in space. DARPA has awarded BAE a Phase 2 contract to advance autonomous space-based surveillance. Firefly Aerospace will host Volta Space Technologies’ wireless power receiver on Firefly’s Blue Ghost Mission 2 lander on the far side of the Moon, and more. Remember to leave us a 5-star rating and review in your favorite podcast ap...

MDA Space has signed a partnership agreement with the Government of Canada and Telesat Corporation to develop and deliver military satellite communications (MILSATCOM) capabilities. SpaceX launched the NROL-77 mission on a Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida yesterday. China set a new record, launching three rockets in less than 19 hours, and more. Remember to leave...

The US Senate Commerce Committee has voted to advance the nomination of Jared Isaacman to lead NASA. The Soyuz MS-27 crew has returned to Earth. Muon Space has been awarded a $1.9 million Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Direct to Phase II contract by SpaceWERX, 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 an...

ICEYE has secured €150 million in new funding. NASA has selected two science instruments designed for astronauts to deploy on the surface of the Moon during the Artemis IV mission. Cosmonaut Sergey Ryzhikov to hand over command of the ISS to four-time space flyer NASA astronaut Mike Fincke, and more. Remember to leave us a 5-star rating and review in your favorite podcast app. Be sure to follow T-...

Nearly 15 years after its inclusion in a 2011 annual appropriations bill, the Wolf Amendment remains a hotly debated topic reflecting many of the core geopolitical and philosophical issues at the heart of the debate over the U.S.-China relationship on matters of space and more. The Aerospace Corporation has created a series of debates arguing for and against retaining the amendment. We spoke to Br...

Canada has announced its intention to contract MDA Space to build, test, and launch an additional radar imaging satellite. HawkEye 360 has been awarded a contract extension from the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) and the Commercial Systems Program Office (CSPO) to expand its ongoing work. NASA has extended its Cooperative Agreement with CASIS to manage the International Space Station Nationa...

NASA Administrator nominee Jared Isaacman faced questioning on Project Athena and future NASA priorities at his Senate confirmation hearing. Space Leasing International (SLI) has signed an agreement for the purchase of two of AscendArc's Ka-band satellites with a combined value of over $200 million. Shield AI and Sedaro are partnering to advance autonomous operations in orbit, and more. Remember t...

The UK Space Agency (UKSA) announces new funding to drive sovereign space innovation. The US administration's nominee for the NASA leadership role, Jared Isaacman, appeared in front of Congress today. Nuclear energy startup Antares has raised $96 million in a Series B funding round, and more. Remember to leave us a 5-star rating and review in your favorite podcast app. Be sure to follow T-Minus on...

The European Space Agency (ESA) has approved a €1.35 billion spending plan to support space defense programs across its 23 member states. The European Space Agency (ESA) has said that a German astronaut will be the first European to fly to the moon with a future NASA-led Artemis mission. Deloitte has contracted Spire Global to design, build and operate eight satellites for Deloitte’s on-orbit cybe...

The European Space Agency’s (ESA’s) Member States commit €22.1 billion Euros in contributions at the annual ministerial meeting. Europe's Vega C rocket launched an advanced Korean Earth-observation satellite from French Guiana. A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched on November 28 from Vandenberg Space Force Base for the Transporter-15 mission, and more. Remember to leave us a 5-star rating and review...

Robert Hutchings Goddard was an American engineer, professor, physicist, and inventor known as the godfather of modern rocketry. He is credited with creating and building the world's first liquid-fueled rocket, which was successfully launched on March 16, 1926.  By 1915, his pioneering work had dramatically improved the efficiency of the solid-fueled rocket, signaling the era of the modern rocket...

Should space be designated as critical infrastructure? What are the threats we’re facing in space for cybersecurity? We tackle these questions with our guest Jake Braun, former White House Principal Deputy National Cyber Director and chairman of DEF CON Franklin. You can connect with Jake on LinkedIn. Remember to leave us a 5-star rating and review in your favorite podcast app. Be sure to follow T...