T-Minus Space Daily

Rocket Lab has been awarded a contract by the US Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) to launch the Neutron for a Rocket Cargo mission that supports point-to-point cargo transportation. Rocket Lab, MDA Space and BlackSky release financial updates. mPower Technology secures $21 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 LinkedIn and Instagram. T-Minus Guest Elysia Segal from NASASpaceflight.com brings us the Space Traffic Report. Selected Reading Rocket Lab Partners With U.S. Air Force for Neutron Launch for Re-Entry Mission Rocket Lab Announces First Quarter 2025 Financial Results, Posting Quarterly Revenue of $123m Representing 32% Year-on-Year Growth BlackSky Reports First Quarter 2025 Results MDA Space Reports First Quarter 2025 Results mPower Technology Closes Over $21M Series B Funding Round Led by Razor's Edge and Joined by Shield Capital European Space Agency announces new cooperation with Indian Space Research Organisation ATMOS and ARX Robotics Form Space Defence Alliance to create European Platform for Orbital Readiness Exclusive: Axelspace eyes June IPO, sources say, latest Japan space startup to seek a listing- Reuters Oracle-M Hot Fire Test: A Major Milestone in Cislunar Space Situational Awareness and National Security- Space Systems Command  Reentry prediction Soviet-era Venera Venus lander (Cosmos-482 descent craft) – Rocket Science T-Minus Crew Survey We want to hear from you! Please complete our 4 question survey. It’ll help us get better and deliver you the most mission-critical space intel every day. 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

Interlude announces contracts with the US Department of Energy (DoE) and Maybell Quantum to deliver helium-3 and unveils the first prototype of their lunar excavator. IonQ plans to launch a global space-to-space and space-to-ground satellite quantum key distribution network and acquire Capella Space Corporation. The Office of Space Commerce’s (OSC’s) Traffic Coordination System for Space (TraCSS) is expanding its Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with SpaceX, 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 Joe Schurman, Principal Aerospace & Defense Sector AI Leader and US Space Program Leader at PwC. You can connect with Joe on LinkedIn, and learn more about PwC’s Next in Space Report on their website. Selected Reading U.S. Department of Energy Buys Helium-3 from U.S. Space Resources Company Interlune in Historic Agreement Space Resources Company Interlune Unveils Full-Scale Prototype of Excavator for Harvesting Helium-3 from the Moon Interlune Announces Maybell Quantum as First Commercial Customer to Buy Helium-3 IonQ Announces Plans for First Space-Based Quantum Key Distribution Network TraCSS Expands CRADA Efforts with SpaceX Sierra Space Marks Third Testing Milestone With Space Force R-GPS Satellite Program Rheinmetall and ICEYE plan to establish a joint venture – satellite production and other space solutions in the new Rheinmetall Space Cluster ICEYE opens Research & Development and Manufacturing Center in Valencia, Spain Dave Gallagher Named 11th Director of JPL as Laurie Leshin Steps Down India delays 1st Gaganyaan astronaut launch to 2027- Space NASA to Explore Additional Methods to Send VIPER to Moon Lunar laser: China makes 1st daytime laser-ranging measurement from Earth to the moon- Space T-Minus Crew Survey We want to hear from you! Please complete our 4 question survey. It’ll help us get better and deliver you the most mission-critical space intel every day. 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

Texas approves Starbase’s city status as the FAA greenlights increased SpaceX Super Heavy launches from Boca Chica. The German Federal Agency for Cartography and Geodesy has signed a seven-figure contract with Planet Labs. ClearSpace has successfully completed Phase 2 of the CLEAR mission for the UK’s first Active Debris Removal (ADR) project, 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 SpaceX Starship Super Heavy Project at the Boca Chica Launch Site- Federal Aviation Administration Welcome to Starbase: Texas has a new city home to Elon Musk's SpaceX Planet Signs 7-Figure Contract Expansion with the German Government, Enabling Land and Water Management from Space  ClearSpace Completes Phase 2 of Mission CLEAR, Strengthening UK’s Leadership in In-Orbit Services USSF strengthens Missile Warning Mission with FORGE Enterprise OPIR solution effort award- Space Systems Command  Star Catcher and Satlyt Partner to Unlock Scalable Edge Computing with On-Demand Orbital Energy Space Force eyeing international launch sites to increase 'resilience' - Breaking Defense ispace Completes Success 7 of Mission 2 Milestones Bringing the Moon to the Classroom- MDA Space T-Minus Crew Survey We want to hear from you! Please complete our 4 question survey. It’ll help us get better and deliver you the most mission-critical space intel every day. 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

Stratolaunch’s Talon-A2 vehicle successfully completed its second hypersonic flight and recovery last month. D-Orbit has signed a contract with SpaceX for additional launch capacity on upcoming Transporter rideshare missions. Rivada Space and Pulsar Solutions to partner on secure connectivity, 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 Chuck Cynamon, President of Telesat Government Solutions. You can connect with Chuck on LinkedIn, and learn more about Telesat on their website. Selected Reading Stratolaunch Successfully Completes Reusable Hypersonic Flight and Recovery with Talon-A2 Vehicle D-Orbit signs contract with SpaceX for expanded launch capacity on upcoming rideshare missions  Rivada Space Networks Announces Partnership with Pulsar Solutions The Sea God Sees- Rocket Lab ispace LinkedIn Quantum Systems raises €160M as it targets global leadership in aerial intelligence solutions Japan creating battery that can run for 100 years in outer space – SatNews T-Minus Crew Survey We want to hear from you! Please complete our 4 question survey. It’ll help us get better and deliver you the most mission-critical space intel every day. 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 released the President's budget for Fiscal Year 2026 with a proposed 24% cut to NASA spending. Australia’s Gilmour Space Technologies has been given Civil Aviation Safety Authority  (CASA) approval for the maiden launch of its Eris orbital rocket. Octogenarian Chinese Engineer Li Licheng has signed up for the inaugural ‘Interstellor’ Human Spaceflight, 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 President Trump’s FY26 Budget Revitalizes Human Space Exploration - NASA Set the clock: Gilmour to open May 15 launch window Chinese scientist Li Licheng signs up for space travel aged 84- South China Morning Post Army creates space career field for enlisted soldiers - SpaceNews Lunar Assay via Small Satellite Orbiter (LASSO) Capella Space One of the First Aerospace Companies to Achieve CMMC Level 2 in Compliance with 110 NIST SP 800-171 Revision 2 Security Requirements National Astronaut Day Donate to Higher Orbits T-Minus Crew Survey We want to hear from you! Please complete our 4 question survey. It’ll help us get better and deliver you the most mission-critical space intel every day. 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

NASA’s Flight Opportunities program sits within the agency’s Space Technology Mission Directorate. The program provides strategic integration between researchers, mission stakeholders, and flight providers, as well as other NASA programs, to maximize impact for technology advancement and ensure that the researcher community is actively engaged in available flight test opportunities. We find out more from Program Executive Danielle McCulloch. You can connect with Danielle on LinkedIn and learn more about FOP on the NASA 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. T-Minus Crew Survey We want to hear from you! Please complete our 4 question survey. It’ll help us get better and deliver you the most mission-critical space intel every day. 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 United States Space Force (USSF) Space Systems Command’s (SSC’s) Department of Defense (DoD) Space Test Program office selected 12 vendors for $237 million spacecraft procurement through the Space Test Experiment Platform (STEP) 2.0. The US Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) has awarded Ursa Major a $28.5 million contract for responsive space, hypersonic, and on-orbit propulsion. Lockheed Martin has completed assembly and testing of NASA's Orion Artemis II 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. T-Minus Guest NASASpaceflight.com brings us the Space Traffic Report. Selected Reading Space Test Experiments Platform 2.0 To Bolster USSF Spacecraft Procurement AFRL awards Ursa Major $28.6M for hypersonics Lockheed Martin Completes Orion Development for Artemis II Mission to the Moon NASA Set to Fly South Korean CubeSat on Artemis II Test Flight New Polish Space Agency Chief Named After Abrupt Exit of Predecessor Aerospacelab Secures Groundbreaking Contract with JAXA through Mitsui Bussan Aerospace US space agency Nasa will not fund study on China’s moon sample: American scientist Raft Awarded Another Space Force OTA to Advance Secure Data Transformations NASA’s SPHEREx Space Telescope Begins Capturing Entire Sky T-Minus Crew Survey We want to hear from you! Please complete our 4 question survey. It’ll help us get better and deliver you the most mission-critical space intel every day. 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

ATMOS Space Cargo has secured new investment and has established a new French subsidiary in Strasbourg. German’s Space Agency DLR has completed the qualification campaign for the Callisto reusable rocket demonstrator’s Top Block. Axiom Space has signed an agreement with Germany’s North Rhine-Westphalia, 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 Joshua Broom, the Head of Space at the UK Department for Business & Trade (DBT). You can connect with Joshua on LinkedIn. Selected Reading ATMOS Expands European Foundation with Expansion Ventures Investment and New French Subsidiary in Strasbourg. DLR Wraps Up Qualification of Key Callisto Rocket Element - European Spaceflight North Rhine-Westphalia and Axiom Space establish partnership Sidus Space and Saturn Satellite Networks Sign Memorandum of Understanding to Support Development of Next-Generation GEO Satellite Platform OSC Places Orders for Commercial COLA Gap Pathfinder Slingshot Aerospace Expands Global Footprint with New Canadian Headquarters in Ottawa USSF reinforces resilience of National missile warning architecture through SBIRS Survivable Endurable Evolution Operation Acceptance Science, industry, and advocacy groups unite in opposition to deep cuts to NASA science Station Maneuvers to Avoid Orbital Debris - NASA T-Minus Crew Survey We want to hear from you! Please complete our 4 question survey. It’ll help us get better and deliver you the most mission-critical space intel every day. 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 three-person Shenzhou-19 crew has returned to Earth. Satellite manufacturing company Apex has raised $200 million in a Series C funding round, and True Anomaly closes an oversubscribed $260 million round. Spire Global to design, build and operate 16 satellites with enhanced second-generation payloads for Myriota, 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 China's Shenzhou-19 crew returns to Earth after 183-day space journey - CGTN Apex Raises $200 Million in Series C Funding to Increase Productized Satellite Bus Manufacturing Announcing Our $260M Fundraise Myriota Expands Agreement with Spire Global to Scale its IoT Constellation with 16 More Satellites Alpha FLTA006 - Firefly Aerospace UK researchers access more quantum and space Horizon funding - GOV.UK V2X Awarded $140 Million Task Order to Support a Key Space Force Tracking and Instrumentation Station Axiom Mission 4 Help Classify Galaxies Seen by NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope! T-Minus Crew Survey We want to hear from you! Please complete our 4 question survey. It’ll help us get better and deliver you the most mission-critical space intel every day. 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 United Launch Alliance (ULA) launches the first batch of Amazon Project Kuiper satellites. Firefly launches the FLTA006 Message in a Booster mission for Lockheed Martin but experiences a second stage anomaly. Arianespace successfully launched the ESA’s Earth Explorer Biomass satellite from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana, 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. Debra Emmons, Aerospace Corporation’s Vice President and CTO. You can check out the Aerospace Corp. on LinkedIn or on their website. Selected Reading United Launch Alliance Successfully Launches Amazon’s First Operational Satellites Alpha FLTA006 - Firefly Aerospace Arianespace Successfully Launches ESA’s Biomass Satellite  Rivada Expands Outernet Access to 33 Countries, Secures $16 Billion+ in Global Business China launches internet satellite group - CGTN Lawmakers vote on controversial SpaceX beach closure bill amid backlash Radian Aerospace lays out its plan to create reusable re-entry vehicle for hypersonic tests When Satellites Go Dark - Persistent Cyber Assaults and The Growing Blind Spot T-Minus Crew Survey We want to hear from you! Please complete our 4 question survey. It’ll help us get better and deliver you the most mission-critical space intel every day. 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