T-Minus Space Daily

The Ax-4 mission will “realize the return” to human spaceflight for India, Poland, and Hungary, with each nation’s first government-sponsored flight in more than 40 years. While Ax-4 marks these countries' second human spaceflight mission in history, it will be the first time all three nations will execute a mission on board the International Space Station (ISS).  We speak to Axiom’s Chief Scientist Dr. Lucie Low to find out more about the science experiments that will be joining the crew on the mission. You can connect with Lucie on LinkedIn, and find out more about Ax-4 on Axiom’s 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

ispace lost communication with its RESILIENCE lunar lander, and was forced to conclude its mission. US President Trump threatens to cancel subsidies and contracts with Elon Musk’s companies and Musk threatens to decommission the Dragon Capsule in retaliation. Dhruva Space has announced a strategic partnership with France-based Sodern ArianeGroup, 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 Status Update on ispace Mission 2 SMBC x HAKUTO-R Venture Moon Musk: SpaceX will ground spacecraft used to shuttle astronauts, cargo to space station Dhruva Space and Sodern ArianeGroup Strengthen Indo-French Space Ties with HORUS Star Tracker In-Orbit Demonstration on LEAP-2 P-30 Mission Dawn Aerospace Update on LinkedIn Maritime Launch Receives Additional Infrastructure Reimbursement Approval for Over $10 Million from the Province of Nova Scotia for an Additional Small Launcher Launch Pad Mynaric Advances Laser Communications with Product Deliveries and Technology Milestones RTX and Northrop Grumman conduct successful rocket motor tests for U.S. Army's Next-Generation Short-Range Interceptor The Indian pilot set for a historic space journey on Axiom-4 Amity University Chhattisgarh Collaborates with NASA to Launch the State's First AERONET Atmospheric Monitoring Station Experimental Sounding Rocket Association T-Minus Crew Survey Complete our annual audience survey before August 31. 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

Russia plans to integrate its homegrown Gigachat artificial intelligence model into IT systems on the International Space Station. The Commercial Space Federation has formed a new Space Supply Chain Council. Planet Labs published their financial results for the period ended April 30, 2025, 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. Andy Aldrin, CEO and President of the Aldrin Family Foundation. You can connect with Andy on LinkedIn, and learn more about the Aldrin Family Foundation on their website. Selected Reading Russia plans to integrate homegrown AI model into space station- Reuters The Commercial Space Federation Announces the Creation of the Space Supply Chain Council (S2C2) Planet Reports Financial Results for First Quarter of Fiscal Year 2026 Voyager Closes $200 Million Credit Facility What time will Japan's ispace Resilience probe land on the moon today? How to watch it live- Space Eta Space tackles cryogenic boil-off with in-orbit refuelling Core Components for NASA’s Roman Space Telescope Pass Major Shake Test In the news today: Former astronaut, minister Marc Garneau dead at 76- thecanadianpressnews.ca T-Minus Crew Survey Complete our annual audience survey before August 31. 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

Impulse Space has raised $300 million in a Series C funding round. Redwire’s advanced lunar and Martian manufacturing technology, Mason, has passed Critical Design Review (CDR). Astroscale UK has successfully completed the Critical Design Review for the ELSA-M In-Orbit Demonstration 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. Selected Reading Impulse Space Secures $300 Million Series C to Accelerate the Future of In-Space Mobility Redwire Receives NASA Approval to Advance Cutting-Edge Manufacturing Technology for Building Infrastructure on Moon and Mars Astroscale’s ELSA-M spacecraft completes Critical Design Review Maxar and Saab Agree Strategic Partnership to Develop Multi-Domain Battlespace Solutions and Advance Europe’s Space-Based Capabilities DIU selects new companies for the Hybrid Space Architecture project. (Maxar Interview) Planet Expands Business with Welsh Government for Land and Natural Resource Management Rocket Lab Schedules Third Electron Launch in 24 Days to Deploy Next Mission for iQPS Reflect Orbital Selected for SBIR Phase II Contract by AFWERX to Advance Satellite-Based Sunlight Redirection Technology IonQ Completes Acquisition of Lightsynq, Accelerating Quantum Computing and Networking Roadmap America’s First Spacewalk - NASA Two space vets added to Astronaut Hall of Fame as one awaits launch- collectSPACE T-Minus Crew Survey Complete our annual audience survey before August 31. 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

US Space Systems Command (SSC) has awarded a $1.2 billion contract for 10 Epoch 2 space vehicles for the US Space Force’s (USSF’s) Resilient Missile Warning Tracking (MWT) architecture to BAE Systems Space and Mission Systems. Jacobs has been selected by the US Space Force to provide operations, maintenance and integration support services for the branch’s Eastern and Western ranges. Voyager Technologies is seeking to raise as much as $319 million in an initial public offering, 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 Ellison Anne Williams, CEO at Enveil.  You can connect with Ellison on LinkedIn, and learn more about Enveil on their website. Selected Reading USSF strengthens resilience in missile warning, tracking with new Epoch 2 constellation in MEO- Space Systems Command  Jacobs Wins $4B Space Force Contract for Range Operations Support Rocket Lab Successfully Launches 10th Electron Mission for Multi-Launch Customer BlackSky Space, Defense Firm Voyager Seeks to Raise $319 Million in IPO - Bloomberg iRocket and Wilbur Ross-Backed BPGC Acquisition Corp. Announce a $400 Million Merger Letter of Intent for a Business Combination to Transform the Space Launch Industry and List iRocket on Nasdaq Maritime Launch and T-Minus Engineering Announce Plans for Hypersonic Suborbital Launches from Spaceport Nova Scotia The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Space Bureau Accepts for Filing Globalstar’s C-3 Petition for Advancing Mobile Satellite Services Network Expansion York Space Systems Completes Successful Preliminary Design Review for SDA's T2TL-Gamma Ahead of Schedule’ First Axiom Space-Tested Research Drug Goes to Clinical Trials: Accelerating Cancer Research in Microgravity  Redwire Awarded Contract from Aspera Biomedicines to Investigate Cutting-Edge Cancer Treatment in Space T-Minus Crew Survey Complete our annual audience survey before August 31. 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 has withdrawn the nomination of Jared Isaacman to head NASA. The eighth GPS III space vehicle launched from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on Friday. Maxar Space Systems has been awarded a contract by EchoStar Corporation to manufacture EchoStar XXVI, 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 https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/114605559474286180 Another Lockheed Martin-Built GPS III Satellite Lifts Off into Orbit Maxar Space Systems Selected to Build High-Power EchoStar XXVI Satellite Uganda Hosts First Workshop for the African Development Satellite Project - Space in Africa ispace Completes Success 8 of Mission 2 Milestones Trailblazing STEM Educator Amy Medina Jorge Completes Spaceflight on Blue Origin’s NS-32 Mission - AIAA - Shaping the future of aerospace North Korea no longer bans military use of space for defense purposes SES’s O3b mPOWER System Receives Platinum Space Sustainability Rating T-Minus Crew Survey Complete our annual audience survey before August 31. 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

You can learn more about AWS in Orbit at space.n2k.com/aws. Our guests on this episode are Clint Crosier (Maj Gen, Air Force/Space Force Retired), Director, AWS Aerospace and Satellite and Jeff McLain, Cloud Security Architect at United Launch Alliance. 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 AWS Aerospace and Satellite 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Northrup Grumman has invested $50 million into Firefly Aerospace to further advance production of their co-developed medium launch vehicle, now known as Eclipse. Chinese startup Space Epoch has completed its first sea recovery test of a verification rocket. Jaguar Space is collaborating with The Karman Project in a multinational partnership, 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 Northrop Grumman Invests $50 Million in Firefly Aerospace to Advance Medium Launch Vehicle Named Eclipse™ Chinese rocket completes vertical sea recovery test to boost reusable technology India's Protoplanet and Jaguar Space sign MOU Snowdonia Space Centre Officially Opens with Support from UK Space Agency Elevating Europe in space for fifty years Watch SpaceX launch advanced GPS satellite for US Space Force today in record-short turnaround New Shepard's Crewed NS-32 Mission Targets Liftoff on Saturday, May 31- Blue Origin Momentus to Host Portal Space Systems’ Inaugural On-orbit Demonstration Mission- Satcom UNOOSA "When the sky falls" 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

UK ISAM company Space Forge has increased its global footprint, opening a new office in Portugal. Singapore’s Defence Science and Technology Agency (DTSA) is collaborating with the AST SpaceMobile to enhance connectivity. Karman Space and Defense has acquired Industrial Solid Propulsion, 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 Michael Geist, Vice President of Product Management at SES Space & Defense. You can connect with Michael on LinkedIn, and learn more about SES Space & Defense on their website. Selected Reading Karman Space & Defense Acquires Industrial Solid Propulsion (“ISP”), a Leading Supplier of Energetic Propulsion Technologies for Next-Generation UAS, UAS Intercept and Rocket-Assisted Takeoff Systems Space Forge launches EU Expansion with new Portugal office DSTA Partners With AST SpaceMobile To Extend Network Coverage From Space Xodiac’s 176th Flight Update NASA Helps with Progress on Vast's Haven-1 Commercial Space Station Voyager Onboards With U.S. GSA Government-wide OASIS+ Contract Altair Signs MoU with Georgia Institute of Technology to Spur Aerospace Innovation Hickenlooper, Cantwell, Lummis, Wicker Reintroduce Bill to Clear Space Junk, Protect Space Exploration USRA's Research Institute for Advanced Computer Science Announces Release of an Open-Source AI Foundation Model for Extreme Weather, Built in Collaboration with BCG X AI Science Institute and NASA 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

SpaceX’s Starship test flight 9 fails to meet its mission objectives. Rocket Lab to acquire payload development and manufacturing company Geost for $275 million. Sierra Space has been awarded a NASA contract to study the use of the Company’s expandable space station technology on the moon, 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 Starship's Ninth Flight Test Rocket Lab Enters Payload Market with Agreement to Acquire Geost, Positioning Itself as Disruptive Prime to U.S. National Security Sierra Space Awarded Lunar Logistics Contract by NASA Call for Evidence: Finding Regions of Scientific and Operational Interest for a European Lunar Exploration Infrastructure Ahead of the launch: What is the Tianwen-2 mission? - CGTN NASA’S EZIE Begins Study of Auroral Electrojets 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