T-Minus Space Daily

NASA now will target March as the earliest possible launch opportunity for the Artemis II launch. SpaceX has acquired xAI. A SpaceX Falcon 9’s second stage experienced an off-nominal condition during preparation for the deorbit burn after launching Starlink satellites on Monday, 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 Sara Harris, Executive Director of the Midland Development Corporation.  You can connect with Sara on LinkedIn, and learn more about the Midland Development Corporation on their website. Selected Reading NASA Conducts Artemis II Fuel Test, Eyes March for Launch Opportunity SpaceX - Updates SpaceX X Update Singapore to launch space agency in response to global investment surge- Reuters ispace and Dymon Sign Agreement Regarding Development of Payload Transportation Box for Integration into Lunar Landers We’re HAMming it up at New Mexico Museum of Space History! 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 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

CesiumAstro Inc. has secured $470 million in growth capital. SpaceX has unveiled a novel Space Situational Awareness (SSA) system called Stargaze. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has issued an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to inform and support the decision on whether to issue SpaceX a new, or modify their existing, vehicle operator license for Starship-Super Heavy at Launch Complex-39A, 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 Bailey Reichelt from Aegis Space Law and Matthew Linton from Linton Space Law bring us Space Law FAQs. Selected Reading CesiumAstro Closes $470M in Series C Capital for Rapid U.S. Growth in 2026 Stargaze: SpaceX’s Space Situational Awareness System FAA Environmental Impact Statement on SpaceX Starship at KSC FCC Filing- SpaceX Orbital Data Center System Amazon asks FCC for extension for Leo satellite internet service NASA Selects Axiom Space for Fifth Private Astronaut Mission to International Space Station ispace and Dymon Sign Agreement Regarding Development of Payload Transportation Box for Integration into Lunar Landers Blue Origin to Pause New Shepard Flights for No Less Than Two Years 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 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

Eric Anderson, Founder and CEO of SynMax and former financial market intelligence pro, builds data-agnostic intelligence from commercial satellite imagery. He discusses shifting from finance to space data, how AI turns images into quantitative signals, tradeoffs between edge compute and bandwidth, scaling product priorities, and future opportunities beyond low-Earth orbit.

The US Army is now accepting applications for a new enlisted career track focused entirely on space operations. Varda Space has successfully completed the reentry of its W-5 capsule.SpaceX is reportedly considering a merger with Tesla and artificial-intelligence company xAI, 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 Army seeks Soldiers to become space operations specialists  Varda Space Industries Successfully Executes W-5 Mission Reentry, Debuting Vertically Integrated Satellite Bus Elon Musk's SpaceX said to consider merger with Tesla, Bloomberg News reports- Reuters Tesla invests $2 billion in Musk's xAI and reiterates Cybercab production starts this year- Reuters L3Harris quarterly revenue misses estimates on government shutdown pressures- Reuters EU SST closely monitors upcoming re-entry of space object ZQ-3 R/B I bought “Remove Before Flight” tags on eBay in 2010—it turns out they’re from Challenger 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 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 China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) has shared plans to develop space-based data centers. A SpaceX Falcon 9 vehicle launched the GPS III-9 Space Vehicle 09 for the US Space Force (USSF). The US Space Systems Command (SSC) has released a draft request for proposals (RFP) for the Hybrid Architecture and Development for Experimental Systems, or HADES, contract, 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 Brian Miske, Americas Space Leader for KPMG. You can connect with Brian on LinkedIn, and find out more about KPMG on their website. Selected Reading China plans space‑based AI data centres, challenging Musk's SpaceX ambitions- Reuters U. S. Space Force Field Commands successfully launch GPS III Space Vehicle 09 into orbit Space Systems Command Issues Draft RFP for HADES Contract NASA’s SpaceX Crew-12 Begins Quarantine for Space Station Mission York Space Systems Announces Pricing of Upsized Initial Public Offering NASA’s Arcstone Instrument Successfully Completes Primary Mission 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 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 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 space@n2k.com 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 ⁠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

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 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

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 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

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 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