A glimpse at Euclid’s cosmic atlas.

Summary

Episode Summary: "A Glimpse at Euclid’s Cosmic Atlas"
Release Date: March 19, 2025
Podcast: T-Minus Space Daily by N2K Networks

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Introduction

In this episode of T-Minus Space Daily, host Maria Varmazes delves into the latest developments in the global space industry, highlighting significant missions, collaborations, and technological advancements. The episode provides listeners with an in-depth analysis of the European Space Agency's (ESA) Euclid mission, recent strategic partnerships in the space sector, and noteworthy events such as Crew 9's return from the International Space Station (ISS).

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ESA’s Euclid Mission: Unveiling the Cosmic Atlas

Timestamp: [01:04]

Maria Varmazes kicks off the episode by discussing the first batch of data released from ESA's Euclid mission. Euclid aims to create a comprehensive cosmic atlas to map the universe and understand dark energy and dark matter.

• Key Highlights:
  • Data Volume: Euclid has already identified 26 million galaxies within just one week of observations, with the most distant being 10.5 billion light-years away.
  • Sky Coverage: The mission has captured 63 square degrees of the sky so far, equivalent to more than 300 full moons.
  • Future Prospects: Upon completion, Euclid is expected to map 14,000 square degrees of the sky, covering one-third of the visible universe in high-quality detail.

Notable Quote:

"Euclid has scouted out three areas in the sky where it will eventually provide the deepest observations of its mission. It is amazing, and it sets the scene for the broad range of topics that the dark universe detective Euclid is set to address with its rich data set."
— Maria Varmazes [02:15]

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Strategic Collaborations and Investments in the Space Sector

Timestamp: [03:30]

Maria transitions to discuss recent strategic partnerships and investments shaping the space industry landscape:

1. Norway's Andøya Spaceport and ExoLaunch Collaboration:

   • Objective: Develop an integration facility at the Nordmelle spaceport village.
   • Goal: Establish a hub for the small satellite market in Europe.
   • Current Status: Awaiting details on development timelines and project costs.

2. OHB's Expansion into the UK:

   • Investment: Multi-million pound funding from German space company OHB.
   • Outcome: Creation of a new UK subsidiary at the Bristol and Bath Science Park, aiming to generate up to 50 specialized jobs in satellite and spacecraft development.
   • Support: Backed by the UK Department for Business and Trade, Space West Cluster Invest Bristol and Bath, and the UK Space Agency.

3. Valerian’s ESA-Funded Contract:

   • Funding: €3.6 million co-funded by ESA’s Business Applications and Space Solutions Program.
   • Project: Development of an AI and satellite data-enabled traffic monitoring and incident detection platform.
   • Impact: Enhances nationwide road network safety and efficiency, targeting a 50% reduction in serious traffic accidents.

Notable Quote:

"Valerian's platform uses deep data fusion to process very large volumes of current and historical traffic related data to instantly deliver a holistic real time overview of single corridor road traffic."
— Maria Varmazes [04:45]

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Crew 9’s Successful Return from the ISS

Timestamp: [07:50]

A significant portion of the episode covers Crew 9's splashdown following their mission aboard the ISS:

• Splashdown Details:
  • Location: Off the coast of Florida.
  • Crew Members: Nick Alexander, Sunita Williams, Butch Wilmore, and one other.
  • Reception: Greeted by a pod of dolphins at the Gulf waters, adding a heartwarming visual to the event.

Notable Quote:

"The daylight event was watched by millions across the globe as the fate of Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore captured the attention of global media and they were even greeted in the Gulf waters by a pod of dolphins. It was super cute."
— Maria Varmazes [06:30]

Contributor Insight:

"I really think the dolphins stole the show thanks to the incredible drone work at the landing site."
— Unnamed Contributor [07:50]

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Firefly Aerospace's Blue Ghost Mission Completion

Timestamp: [10:51]

Maria provides an update on Firefly Aerospace's Blue Ghost mission:

• Mission Status: Blue Ghost has completed its mission and is now in monument mode.
• Achievements:
  • Captured high-definition photos of a lunar sunset from various angles.
  • Observed the lunar horizon glow, a phenomenon first noted during the Surveyor missions and by Apollo moonwalkers.
  • Documented interactions between the lander's rocket plume and the moon's surface using 9,000 photo frames processed in 3D.

Notable Quote:

"During the sunset, you can see the lunar horizon glow as sunset scatters throughout the dust hovering near the moon's surface. It's a phenomenon first observed during the Surveyor mission and seen by Apollo moonwalkers as well."
— Maria Varmazes [10:15]

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Additional Resources and Closing Remarks

Timestamp: [08:07] & [09:22]

Maria mentions additional resources available in the Show Notes, including:

• An RFI from NOAA on commercial space capabilities.
• Customer updates from Rocket Lab and BlackSky.
• A new product announcement from Spire.
• A story from Defense One on China's alleged space dogfighting practices.

She encourages listeners to rate and review the podcast to help other space professionals discover the show.

Closing Quote:

"Your feedback ensures we deliver the information that keeps you a step ahead in the rapidly changing space industry."
— Maria Varmazes [09:22]

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Episode Conclusion

Maria wraps up the episode by emphasizing the continuous advancements and collaborations propelling the space industry forward. She highlights the importance of staying informed through reliable sources like T-Minus Space Daily to navigate the dynamic landscape of space exploration and technology.

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Note: Advertisements and sponsor messages have been excluded to focus solely on the episode's content.

Transcript

[Maria Varmazes]

Foreign you're listening to the N2K space network.

[Alice Cruise]

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[Maria Varmazes]

Today is March 19, 2025. I'm Maria Varmazes and this is T minus T minus 20 seconds to losing NASA's CRE returns to Earth, completing their rotation on the International Space Station. 4 Valerian has been awarded a 3.6 million euros co funded contract from ESA's Business Applications and Space Solutions program. Germany's OHB announces a new subsidiary based at the Bristol and Bath Science park in the uk, Norway's Andoya Spaceport and Exolaunch to collaborate on an integration facility as Isar Aerospace receives their launch license for the site. ESA releases the first batch of survey data from the Euclid mission, including a preview of its deep fields Happy Wednesday everybody. Everybody. Let's dive into today's intelligence briefing and we're kicking off with the first batch of data shared from the European Space Agency's Euclid mission. If you're looking for six minutes to get lost in space today, then ESA has you covered with the collage of images that it has recently shared. The visuals include numerous galaxy clusters, active galactic nuclei, and transient phenomena, as well as the first classification survey of more than a mere 380,000 galaxies and 500 gravitational lens candidates, compiled through combined artificial intelligence and citizen science efforts. It is amazing, and it sets the scene for the broad range of topics that the dark universe detective Euclid is set to address with its rich data set. ESA describes the first information gathered as unlocking a treasure trove of information for scientists to dive into and tackle some of the most intriguing questions in modern science. Euclid has scouted out three areas in the sky where it will eventually provide the deepest observations of its mission. In just one week of observations, with one scan of each region so far, Euclid has already spotted 26 million galaxies. The farthest of those are up to 10.5 billion light years away, Euclid is on a mission to map the sky after all. So far it has captured 63 square degrees of the area that it can see, the equivalent area of more than 300 times of the full moon. The data shared has already given an impressive preview of the scale of Euclid's grand cosmic atlas. When the mission is complete, this atlas will cover one third of the entire visible sky, which is about 14,000 square degrees in high quality detail. So yeah, seriously, go check out the images from this data dump. It is really worth your time. Norway's Andoya Spaceport has announced a strategic collaboration with EXO Launch. The partnership aims to leverage ExoLaunch's satellite processing expertise for Andoia Spaceport's planned integration facility in the spaceport village at Nordmelle. It's hoped that the facility will become a hub for the small satellite market in Europe. No further details were shared about the timeline for the facility's development or the cost of the project. The announcement comes as Isar Aerospace prepares for their first launch from the spaceport. Isar Aerospace has received a launch operator license for their vehicle spectrum's first test flight and plans to lift off within a launch period beginning tomorrow the 20th of March, and we wish them the best of luck. Over to the UK now and Bristol's space sector has received a multimillion pound investment from German space company OHB. The funding is expected to create up to 50 specialist jobs in Bristol working on satellites and exploration spacecraft. OHP's initial investment will create a new UK subsidiary based at Bristol and Bath Science park to develop tech for satellites and spacecraft. The move was secured by the UK Department for Business and Trade, working together with the Space West Cluster Invest Bristol and Bath and the UK Space Agency. The announcement supports the UK Government's plan for change in delivering more skilled jobs, higher living standards and productivity growth across the nation and staying in the UK. Valerian has been awarded a 3.6 million euros co funded contract from the European Space Agency's Business Applications and Space Solutions Program. The contract will support the development and demonstration of an AI and satellite data enabled traffic monitoring and incident detection platform designed to enhance nationwide road network safety and efficiency. Valerian's platform uses deep data fusion to process very large volumes of current and historical traffic related data to instantly deliver a holistic real time overview of single corridor road traffic. The company says it enables road traffic authorities in Europe, the United States and Central and Latin Americas to adopt a proactive road traffic management approach while achieving a double percentage reduction in serious traffic accidents and you knew this story was coming. Last night, Crew 9 splashed down in a Dragon capsule off the coast of Florida after completing their rotation on the International Space Station. Finally, huh? The daylight event was watched by millions across the globe as the fate of Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore captured the attention of global media and they were even greeted in the Gulf waters by a pod of dolphins. It was super cute. All four crew members exited the spacecraft with smiles and waves to the team on the SpaceX recovery vessel. They underwent standard medical assessments with NASA and SpaceX before heading by helicopter back to the mainland. The crew were later transferred to Houston where they will continue to undergo debriefs before enjoying some much needed time off. Welcome home to Nick Alexander and of course Butch and sunny. And N2K senior producer Alice Cruise was at the Crew 9 launch with the NASA social event last September. What was it like to watch them return to Earth last night?

[Unnamed Contributor]

Alice I wish I could have been there in person to see the splashdown, but it was exciting to watch on TV as Nick and Alexander completed their mission along with Sonny and Butch. I really think the dolphins stole the show thanks to the incredible drone work at the landing site.

[Maria Varmazes]

They absolutely did. It was stunning to see. Do you have any other stories for us today?

[Unnamed Contributor]

Alice yes, we've included five additional links today in the Selected Readings section of our Show Notes. The first is an RFI from NOAA on commercial space capabilities. Then we have customer updates from Rocket Lab and Blacksky, along with a new product announcement from Spire. And finally we have a story from Defense one on China apparently practicing dog fighting in space.

[Maria Varmazes]

And where can we find those stories?

[Unnamed Contributor]

Links to all the stories mentioned throughout the show can be found in the Show Notes on the podcast platform that you download us from. You'll also find the link links in the episode page on our website which can be [e-mail] just click on this episode title.

[Maria Varmazes]

Hey T minus Crew. If you find this podcast useful, please do us a favor and share a five star rating and short review in your favorite podcast app. It'll help other space professionals like you to find the show and join the T minus crew. Thank you so much. We really appreciate it. We'll be right back.

[Alice Cruise]

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[Maria Varmazes]

Foreign welcome back. Firefly Aerospace's Blue Ghost has completed its mission and shut down now or put otherwise it is in monument mode. As we covered on Monday's show and the day before it signed off for good, Blue Ghost took a series of high definition photos of a lunar sunset from a couple of different angles, which Firefly took and put together to make a video of the view. Notably, during the sunset, you can see the lunar horizon glow as sunset scatters throughout the dust hovering near the moon's surface. It's a phenomenon first observed during the Surveyor mission and seen by Apollo moonwalkers as well. And there actually are quite a few high definition videos from this mission. Many of them are of instrumentation payloads on Blue Ghost as they go about completing their missions. You can see NASA's Lunar Instrumentation for Subsurface Thermal exploration with rapidity, or the Lister Drill drill into the lunar surface in HD. Or there's a video courtesy of 9,000 photo frames captured by NASA's stereo cameras for lunar plume surface studies or scalps studying the interaction between the lander's rocket plume and the moon's surface not just HD. But once they process it in 3D. So expect lots more videos and findings from the Blue Ghost mission. 1 as analysis of all that great data continues. That's it for T minus for March 19, 2025, brought to you by N2K CyberWire. For additional resources from today's report, check out our show [e-mail] we'd love to know what you think of this podcast. You can email [e-mail] or submit the survey in the show notes. Your feedback ensures we deliver the information that keeps you a step ahead in the rapidly changing space industry. N2K strategic workforce intelligence optimizes the value of your biggest investment your people. We make you smarter about your team while making your team smarter. N2K Senior Producer is Alice Carruth. Our producer is Liz Stokes. We're mixed by Elliot Peltzman and Trey Hester with original music by Elliot Peltzman. Our executive producer is Jennifer Ibin. Peter Kilby is our publisher and I am your host, Maria Varmazes. Thanks for listening. We'll see you tomorrow. T minus.

[Unnamed Contributor]

Foreign.

[Alice Cruise]

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