T-Minus: Space-Cyber Briefing

The European Union has officially and metaphorically switched on the IRIS2 secure satellite communications network, the homegrown 10.6 billion Euro European alternative to Starlink. ESA and EUMETSAT have finalized their agreement on the EPS-Sterna constellation. Planet Labs has signed a new agreement with the Surveying and Mapping Authority of Slovenia, 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  Les Lake,  Vice President of Business Development at All Points Logistics. 

You can connect with Les on LinkedIn, and learn more about All Points Logistics on their website.

Selected Reading

EU Deploys First Satellite Service in Bid to Limit US Dependence (Bloomberg)

EU space agency signs contract to launch Galileo satellites with Ariane 6  (Reuters)

EUMETSAT and ESA set to start the implementation of EPS-Sterna (EUMETSAT)

Planet Signs Enterprise Agreement with Slovenian Government to Support Agriculture, Urban Planning and Disaster Management (Business Wire)

NASA lines up WDR for SLS ahead of Artemis II (NSF) 

NASA Launches Its Most Powerful, Efficient Supercomputer (NASA)

ESA’s Biomass goes live with data now open to all (ESA) 

Share your feedback.

What do you think about T-Minus Space Daily? Please take a few minutes to share your thoughts with us by completing our brief listener survey. Thank you for helping us continue to improve our show. 

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 [email protected] to request more info.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Northwood Space has raised $100 million in a Series B funding round and announced a new $50 million US Space Force (USSF) contract. NASA has selected Intuitive Machines (IM) as part of 34 global volunteers chosen to track the Artemis II Mission. Blue Origin plans to spend $71.4 million to expand thruster production in Alabama, 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 David Buck, Lt. Gen., USAF (Ret.), President, BRPH Mission Solutions.

You can connect with David on LinkedIn, and learn more about BRPH on their website.

Selected Reading

Northwood Space secures a $100M Series B and a $50M Space Force contract- TechCrunch

NASA Selects Intuitive Machines to Support Tracking for Artemis II

NASA Selects Participants to Track Artemis II Mission

Huntsville approves development agreements with Blue Origin and SPX to create more than 450 new jobs

MDA Space And Hanwha Sign MOU To Pursue Korean Military Cons

NASA Welcomes Oman as Newest Artemis Accords Signatory

Europe’s First Meteorological Infrared Sounder Reveals the Atmosphere in 3D

Share your feedback.

What do you think about T-Minus Space Daily? Please take a few minutes to share your thoughts with us by completing our ⁠brief listener survey⁠. Thank you for helping us continue to improve our show. 

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 ⁠[email protected]⁠ to request more info.

Want to join us for an interview?

Please send your pitch to ⁠[email protected]⁠ 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

Vandenberg Space Force Base (SFB) in California has released a new strategic plan outlining priorities for 2026 and beyond. A winter storm is the latest delay to finalizing budget decisions in the US. Palladyne AI’s subsidiary, GuideTech, has secured a contract with Portal Space Systems to support the development of next-generation, maneuverable spacecraft platforms, 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 Bittner, host of The Cyberwire, and cybersecurity executive Brandon Karpf, join us for the monthly space and cyber segment.

Selected Reading

Vandenberg Announces New Strategic Plan

What’s Happening in Space Policy January 25-31, 2026 – SpacePolicyOnline.com

Palladyne AI Secures Next-Generation Spacecraft Contract, Unlocking New High-Growth Opportunity

Stratolaunch Raises Significant Capital to Further Accelerate Hypersonic Capability at Scale

MACH-TB 2.0 Program Award to Explore Reusable & Recoverable Hypersonics Testing - NSTXL

ESA - Flight ticket initiative: more tickets booked, flying with RFA One

Breaking News: Orbex Denmark Fails, Scottish Operation Has a Buyer? - Orbital Today

NASA is about to send people to the moon — in a spacecraft not everyone thinks is safe to fly- CNN

Sidus Space and Maris‑Tech Achieve Integration Milestone for LizzieSat‑4 Mission

Artemis II Crew Enters Quarantine Ahead of Journey Around Moon - NASA

Share your feedback.

What do you think about T-Minus Space Daily? Please take a few minutes to share your thoughts with us by completing our brief listener survey. Thank you for helping us continue to improve our show. 

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 [email protected] to request more info.

Want to join us for an interview?

Please send your pitch to [email protected] 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

On January 28, 1986, Space Shuttle Challenger broke apart 73 seconds into its flight, killing all seven crew members aboard. It was an accident witnessed by millions who were tuning in to see the first teacher, Christa McAuliffe, on her first mission. Instead of a statue in memory of the lives lost that day, the families of the Challenger Crew established the Challenger Center to honor the crew’s mission to inspire future generations of explorers.  Former NASA Astronaut Dorothy Metcalf-Lindenburger is the incoming chair of the Challenger Center Board of Directors and shared how the education facilities are marking the 40 years since the Challenger disaster.

You can connect with Dottie on LinkedIn, and find out more about the Challenger Center 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.

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 [email protected] to request more info.

Want to join us for an interview?

Please send your pitch to [email protected] 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

D-Orbit has raised $53 million in a Series D funding round. Loft Orbital was selected as the prime contractor for France’s Démonstrateur des Éléments Souverains d’Imagerie Radar (DESIR) program. Aalyria has been selected by the US Air Force Research Laboratory’s (AFRL’s) Rapid Architecture Prototyping and Integration Development (RAPID) program to advance software solutions for managing complex military space communications networks, 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

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

Selected Reading

D-Orbit Secures $53M Series D Funding to Accelerate M&A and In-Space Computing Capacity – SatNews

Loft Selected as a Prime Contractor for France’s First Space-Based Radar Imaging Program

Aalyria Selected by U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory for Space Data Network Experimentation (SDNX) Program

Tomorrow.io Announces DeepSky, the World's First AI-Native Space-Based Weather-Sensing Constellation

Chinese capsule damaged by space-junk strike returns to Earth (video)

Spire Global Selected by AiDASH to Bring Space-Powered Weather Intelligence to Vegetation Risk Platform for Electric Utilities

Blue Origin Completes 38th New Shepard Flight to Space

Study shows how earthquake monitors can track space junk through sonic booms - ABC News

Share your feedback.

What do you think about T-Minus Space Daily? Please take a few minutes to share your thoughts with us by completing our brief listener survey. Thank you for helping us continue to improve our show. 

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 [email protected] to request more info.

Want to join us for an interview?

Please send your pitch to [email protected] 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

Blue Origin has unveiled a new satellite communications network called TeraWave. Rocket Lab held its first launch of 2026 with “The Cosmos Will See You Now” mission for Open Cosmos. Lunar Outpost has announced a new In‑Orbit Demonstration to support the launch, integration, and on‑orbit operations of Thermal Architecture Components (TACOS), 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. Melissa Patton from Patton Consulting Group.

You can meet Melissa at SpaceCom in Orlando January 27-30.

Selected Reading

Blue Origin Introduces TeraWave, a 6 Tbps Space-Based Network for Global Connectivity

New Glenn-3 to Launch AST SpaceMobile’s BlueBird Satellite- Blue Origin

AST SpaceMobile Announces Timing of BlueBird 7 Orbital Launch, Advancing Direct-to-Device Cellular Broadband Connectivity

New Shepard Mission NS-38 Updates - Blue Origin

Rocket Lab Delivers Mission Success on First Launch of 2026 for New Customer: Open Cosmos- Markets Insider

Rocket Lab Neutron Test Update

New In‑Orbit Demonstration Mission Awarded: TACOS (Thermal Architecture COmponentS)

Thales Alenia Space selected by CNES and DGA for payload and user ground segment for France’s DESIR radar imaging space mission

Orbex’s Subsidiary in Denmark to File for Bankruptcy - European Spaceflight

Share your feedback.

What do you think about T-Minus Space Daily? Please take a few minutes to share your thoughts with us by completing our brief listener survey. Thank you for helping us continue to improve our show. 

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 [email protected] to request more info.

Want to join us for an interview?

Please send your pitch to [email protected] 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

SWISSto12 has secured €73 million in financial support from European Space Agency (ESA) member states through the HummingSat ARTES partnership project. Canada Rocket Company (CRC) has emerged from stealth with $6.2 million CAD in seed funding from entirely Canadian investors. Starfish Space has been awarded a $52.5 million contract by the US Space Force’s Space Development Agency (SDA) to provide Deorbit-as-a-Service for satellites within the Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture, 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

€73 Million From ESA Member States Towards HummingSat – SWISSto12’s Next-Gen Affordable, Compact Satellite, to Meet Growing Demand for Commercial and Sovereign Communications

Canada Rocket Company wants Canada to stop hitching rides to space- BetaKit

Starfish Space Awarded First Ever End-of-Life Disposal Contract for a LEO Constellation

New NASA Artemis Payloads To Study Moon’s Terrain, Radiation, History

Orion Space Solutions to operationalize IARPA system for space debris detection and tracking

Astra Ships 110 Satellite Engines, Focuses on 2026 Test Flight of New Rocket

The first commercial space station, Haven-1, is now undergoing assembly for launch - Ars Technica

Comtech Receives Space Components Award Exceeding $5 Million to Support Critical Civil Space Program

Space sector eyes further investment growth in 2026 after record year- Reuters

Share your feedback.

What do you think about T-Minus Space Daily? Please take a few minutes to share your thoughts with us by completing our brief listener survey. Thank you for helping us continue to improve our show. 

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 [email protected] to request more info.

Want to join us for an interview?

Please send your pitch to [email protected] 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 Artemis II Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft reached Launch Pad 39B after a nearly 12-hour journey from the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) . Gilmour Space Technologies has raised $217 million Australian dollars in a Series E round. The UK Space Agency UKSA) has supported the opening of a new £20 million space innovation hub in Buckinghamshire.

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 Christian Davenport, Journalist, and Author of "Rocket Dreams".

You can connect with Christian on LinkedIn, and learn more about his books on Amazon.

Selected Reading

NASA’s Moonbound Artemis II Rocket Reaches Launch Pad

Gilmour secures $217 million in private investment- Australian Space Agency

Westcott Space Hub opens to boost UK space innovation and create hundreds of jobs - GOV.UK

York Space Systems Announces Launch of Initial Public Offering

BlackSky Lands Multiple Gen-3 Expansion Contracts as Early Access Pilot Programs Pivot into Renewal Deals

Share your feedback.

What do you think about T-Minus Space Daily? Please take a few minutes to share your thoughts with us by completing our brief listener survey. Thank you for helping us continue to improve our show. 

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 [email protected] to request more info.

Want to join us for an interview?

Please send your pitch to [email protected] 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

Signals Intelligence (SIGINT) is the practice of intercepting and analyzing electronic signals, like phone calls, emails, radar, and telemetry, to gather actionable intelligence for national security, defense, and military operations. It’s primarily conducted by agencies like NSA, but over the last decade many companies in the commercial sector have grown in this vital area of national defense, especially in space. Our guest is Dave DeWalt, CEO of NightDragon, who shared why his firm is investing in tech and space. 

You can connect with Dave on LinkedIn, and learn more about NightDragon 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.

Share your feedback.

What do you think about T-Minus Space Daily? Please take a few minutes to share your thoughts with us by completing our brief listener survey. Thank you for helping us continue to improve our show. 

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 [email protected] to request more info.

Want to join us for an interview?

Please send your pitch to [email protected] 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 Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 NASA/NOAA Appropriations Bill cleared the US Senate. Eutelsat has signed a deal with French space startup MaiaSpace for future launches of its low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites. Isar Aerospace is targeting its second flight and qualification mission from the company’s dedicated launch complex at Andøya Space in Norway from January 21, 2026, 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

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

Selected Reading

US Senate passes bill to boost federal science spending after White House sought major cuts- Reuters

Final FY2026 NASA/NOAA Appropriations Bill Clears Senate, White House is Next – SpacePolicyOnline.com

Starlink-rival Eutelsat signs deal with Europe's MaiaSpace to launch satellites- Reuters

Isar Aerospace targets second launch not earlier than 21 January 2026

China launches AlSat-3A remote sensing satellite - CGTN

U.S. Space Force switches rockets for upcoming GPS satellite launch – Spaceflight Now

Nigeria grants satellite permits to BeetleSat, Satelio and Amazon's Kuiper - Reuters

AST SpaceMobile Awarded Prime Contract Position on U.S. Missile Defense Agency SHIELD Program

Share your feedback.

What do you think about T-Minus Space Daily? Please take a few minutes to share your thoughts with us by completing our brief listener survey. Thank you for helping us continue to improve our show. 

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 [email protected] to request more info.

Want to join us for an interview?

Please send your pitch to [email protected] 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