Podcast Summary: T-Minus Space Daily — "As New Glenn levels up, Starship stumbles."
Host: Maria Varmazes, N2K Networks
Date: November 21, 2025
Episode Overview
This episode covers a pivotal week in space industry developments, with a strong focus on the fierce competition between Blue Origin’s New Glenn and SpaceX’s Starship rockets. It also highlights significant global news from European and UK space agencies, new investments and tech projects, and noteworthy scientific research aboard the International Space Station. Regular segments include a weekly space launch roundup and lighter coverage of a moss survival experiment in the vacuum of space.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Blue Origin’s New Glenn Advances
[02:03]
- Blue Origin announced significant upgrades for New Glenn aimed at boosting payload performance and launch frequency.
- Upgrades will affect propulsion, structure, avionics, reusability, and recovery operations.
- Enhancements will be rolled out in future missions, starting with NG3, elevating New Glenn into the “super heavy” class to compete with SpaceX’s Starship.
- Introduction of a new "New Glenn 9x4" variant for higher capacity/performance missions, alongside the current 7x2, giving customers more launch options for mega-constellations, lunar and deep space, and national security.
“The aim is to upgrade New Glenn to an additional super heavy class to rival SpaceX’s Starship. Hmm, things are getting interesting.” – Maria Varmazes [03:05]
2. SpaceX Starship Setback
[04:04]
- SpaceX faced a major setback as Starship booster 18 sustained significant damage during static testing at Starbase, just after its factory rollout.
- During the first ops of version 3 (with numerous design fixes), video shared online showed a destructive event at the rocket's lower half.
- The incident comes at a critical moment, just as Blue Origin announces its New Glenn advances.
“The images look pretty bad. This was the first Starship version 3, … intended to have many design fixes and upgrades … to improve reliability and performance.” – Maria Varmazes [04:45]
3. Record U.S. Launch Cadence
[05:25]
- A Falcon 9 Starlink launch marked the 100th launch from Florida for 2025, easily surpassing previous records.
- The Space Force's Eastern Range now hosts more than a third of global orbital launches, quadrupling its orbital launch rate in five years.
“Bravo. Seriously. … What a sign for things to come in this growing space industry of ours.” – Maria Varmazes [07:13]
4. European & UK Space Initiatives
[07:38]
- The European Space Agency (ESA) announced a new central hub for exploration activities in Cologne, Germany, consolidating teams and new infrastructure for human and robotic exploration.
- New €20 million facility expected by end of 2028.
- The UK Space Agency is investing £6.9 million in next-gen satellite technology across five projects, emphasizing connectivity, refueling, 5G NTN, and advanced optical communications.
5. Additional Business News
[09:35]
- Janus Henderson (investment group) announced a strategic investment in Star Lab Space (details undisclosed).
- Spaceport America (US) and Maritime Launch (Canada) both hosted suborbital launches this week.
6. Weekly Launch Roundup
Space Traffic Report with Alicia Siegel, NSF
[12:29] – [18:57]
Highlights:
- 4 Falcon 9 launches from Florida — Mostly Starlink Group 6, V2 mini satellites.
- Notably, SpaceX’s 150th mission of the year achieved.
- Multiple boosters complete 8th, 12th, 23rd, and 24th flights.
- Vandenberg AFB: US-Europe Sentinel 6B climate mission launched; marked the 500th Falcon booster reflight.
- Wallops, VA: Electron “Haste” suborbital flight for hypersonic research.
- China: Chang Zheng and Electron launches with unknown payloads and Earth imaging satellites; technological advancements and environmental data focus.
- Looking ahead: At least 10 launches anticipated next week, including Russian military, ISS crew, Korea’s Nuri rocket, ESA’s Vega C, and more Starlink rideshares.
“This mission brings the total number of Starlink satellites launched up to 10,444. Of these, 1,394 have de-orbited and 7,778 are now in their operational orbit.” – Alicia Siegel [17:18]
7. Science Spotlight: Moss Survival in Outer Space
[19:51]
- Japanese researchers reported moss spores survived nine months on the exterior of the ISS, enduring the vacuum of space and cosmic radiation.
- Over 80% survived and retained vitality, capable of reproduction upon return to Earth.
- Findings could inform future space habitat design and stress-resilient biology.
“To just about everyone’s surprise and delight ... the answer is a resounding yes. … The space-exposed moss were able to spawn new moss growth when they got back home. And no, that is not the start of some sci-fi cautionary tale.” – Maria Varmazes [20:30]
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
- On Starship mishap:
“I'm just going to say it, the images look pretty bad.” – Maria Varmazes [04:35] - On launch record:
“Until 2020, the annual launch rate from the pads at Cape Canaveral … only twice exceeded 25 orbital launches in a year. So again, Bravo to all involved.” – Maria Varmazes [06:45] - On moss experiment:
“Truly, moss is a role model for us all, surviving and thriving in the ultimate extreme environment. She’s in her resilience era, babe.” – Maria Varmazes [21:37]
Timestamps for Important Segments
- Blue Origin New Glenn upgrades: [02:03 – 04:04]
- SpaceX Starship mishap: [04:04 – 05:25]
- US launch record (Falcon 9): [05:25 – 07:13]
- European Space Agency Cologne hub: [07:38 – 08:50]
- UK satellite investment news: [08:50 – 09:35]
- Space industry investment briefs: [09:35 – 10:00]
- Weekly space traffic report: [12:29 – 18:57]
- Moss survival study: [19:51 – 22:31]
Tone and Style
The episode combines journalistic clarity with friendly enthusiasm, making industry news accessible and engaging for professionals and enthusiasts alike. Maria Varmazes adds personality to technical updates with wry humor and thoughtful context.
Additional Resources
- Links to detailed coverage and project information are included in the episode’s show notes at space.n2k.com.
This summary brings you up to speed on the hottest launches, industry shakeups, scientific curiosities, and policy news shaping the global space sector as of late November 2025.