China’s record-breaking investment in a private rocket company.

Summary

T-Minus Space Daily – China’s Record-Breaking Investment in Private Rocket Companies

Podcast: T-Minus Space Daily by N2K Networks
Episode Date: February 18, 2026
Host: Maria Varmazes
Special Guest: Michelle Lucas, CEO and Founder of Higher Orbits

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Episode Overview

This episode spotlights China's unprecedented private sector investment in space launch companies—most notably iSpace's record $730 million raise for reusable rockets, aiming to rival SpaceX. Alongside, other major stories on international space partnerships and advances in space infrastructure are unpacked. In the feature segment, host Maria Varmazes interviews Michelle Lucas, CEO and Founder of Higher Orbits, exploring a decade of impact in STEM outreach and the organization’s future plans.

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Key News Segments & Insights

1. China’s Private Rocket Boom

Timestamp: 01:15–03:15

• iSpace’s Record Raise:

  • iSpace (not to be confused with Japan’s ispace) has secured $730 million in investment to fuel its reusable rocket program, which directly positions the company as “a domestic alternative to SpaceX and its Falcon 9 rocket launch.” (01:30)
  • “It’s not a small raise. In fact, it’s a new record for the biggest investment in a private company building rockets in China.” (01:43)

• Other Chinese Startup Momentum:

  • Space Epoch also landed new funding in a Series B round (amount undisclosed), targeting a 2026 launch with a sea recovery attempt—expanding China’s launch flexibility for responsive missions. (02:10)
  • Space Epoch’s maritime landings and stated move into “large scale development” highlight China’s rapid commercial space maturation.

2. International Collaboration Highlights

Timestamp: 03:15–04:15

• Voyager Technologies & Atmos Space Cargo:

  • Adding end-to-end microgravity mission solutions, Voyager will be Atmos’ integration/implementation partner, with Atmos supplying “free flying orbital vehicles with controlled and precise return capability.” (03:30)
  • Both companies “will mutually refer customers and mission opportunities across their network.” (03:48)

• Kepler & Nanoavionics Partnership:

  • Canadian Kepler Communications picked Kongsberg Nanoavionics as its preferred European partner for optically connected missions up to 500 kilos.
  • This partnership aims for “faster and more secure optical communications” using US Space Development Agency standards, and offers Nanoavionics’ customers access to Kepler’s Optical Data Relay network and On-Orbit Compute Services. (04:00–04:50)

3. Space-Based AI & Wildfire Detection

Timestamp: 04:50–05:38

• Loft Orbital & SmartSat CRC’s Joint Demo:
  • New project will demonstrate AI-driven wildfire detection from low Earth orbit (LEO), processing data onboard the satellite for near real-time analysis—instead of sending data to Earth for processing.
  • “The satellite will do the thinking in orbit,” signifying growing sophistication in edge AI applications for rapid natural disaster response.

4. Industry Trends: Smarter Space Infrastructure

Timestamp: 01:15–05:38

• The day’s news features ongoing themes of “access control and smarter space infrastructure” that underpin future commercial and governmental space use.

---

Interview Feature: Michelle Lucas, Higher Orbits CEO

Timestamp: 07:46–21:40
Maria Varmazes interviews Michelle Lucas at Commercial Space Week, reflecting on 10 years of Higher Orbits, the ‘Go for Launch’ program, and the personal stories—and systemic change—behind STEM outreach.

1. Higher Orbits Milestones:

- Celebrating 10 Years

• Higher Orbits marks its 10th anniversary as a 501(c)3 nonprofit, with the 100th ‘Go For Launch’ program scheduled at its original location—Deerfield High School, Illinois—with astronaut Dottie Metcalfe Lindenberger.

  “Our plan is to run our 100th Go for Launch on the 10th anniversary of the first Go for Launch, at the same location, with the same astronaut.” (08:15, Michelle Lucas)

2. Reflections on Impact

- Changing Lives, Building a Tribe

• Lucas shares how the program has touched thousands of students, some of whom later report being inspired toward space careers.

  “We’ve reached thousands of students over these 10 years... Sometimes they come back five years later and, like, ‘Hey, by the way, I just graduated with my degree in astrophysics and I was inspired by the Go for Launch I went to.’ And I’m like, whoa, where have you been the last six years?” (09:21, Michelle Lucas)

• The initiative "was a little pet project on the side” and became her life’s passion—working 70-80 hours a week:

  "What I definitely didn’t envision was how all-consuming my passion for this would become.” (10:41, Michelle Lucas)

3. The Power of Showing Up & Broadening STEM

- Reaching Beyond Self-Identified STEM Students

• Lucas emphasizes that about half of participants aren’t initially interested in STEM; some attend because “my mom made me come.”

  “I’m not above bribery... In the immortal words of astronaut Marcia Ivins, ‘If you feed us, we will work.’ That works for astronauts, it works for students.” (13:00, Michelle Lucas)

• She highlights the power of helping students “find their tribe,” which expands personal and professional networks and exposes them to new possibilities.

  “Helping students find their tribe... some of those students who weren’t so excited about STEM—when we show them what the actual possibilities are versus what they think the possibilities are—suddenly it’s a whole new world for them.” (13:23–13:36, Michelle Lucas)

4. Stories of Transformation

- Testimonies of Lasting Change

• Lucas shares the story of “Abby,” a student uninterested in STEM, who ultimately graduated with an aerospace degree and now works as a manufacturing engineer:

  “Abby just graduated from CU Boulder with an aerospace engineering degree last May... And this is from a student who was like, ‘Yeah, I don’t know, maybe professional lacrosse. I kind of like looking at the stars. That’s fun.’” (16:26–16:37, Michelle Lucas)

• Another example: a student interested in painting and crochet, now sees how “you need people to tell that story” in science and industry through communications and graphics.

  “The average engineer is not amazing at telling the story... that is one of my goals, to make all of our students better communicators as well.” (17:34–17:43, Michelle Lucas)

5. Building a Lasting Community

- Higher Orbits Alumni Network

• Higher Orbits is launching its first alumni meetup (“Alumni rendezvous”) in Chicago, bringing together past participants with industry stakeholders:

  “We’re going to be able to bring students back from across the country to meet each other, to share their stories, and also bring in industry to talk with them. Because this is our future workforce.” (19:35–19:46, Michelle Lucas)

• A personal full-circle moment: the Dragon capsule at Chicago’s Museum of Science and Industry that carried the first Go for Launch student experiment to space—a symbol of coming home and inspiring the next generation.

  “I saw the new unveiling of everything, and I was just tears, because it is this full circle moment for Higher Orbits, but also for me personally as the little kid who was in love with space in Chicago.” (20:37, Michelle Lucas)

---

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

Chinese Investment Theme

• “It’s not a small raise. In fact, it’s a new record for the biggest investment in a private company building rockets in China.”
  (01:43, Maria Varmazes)

STEM Transformation

• “We’ve reached thousands of students over these 10 years... Sometimes they come back five years later and, like, ‘Hey, by the way, I just graduated with my degree in astrophysics, and I was inspired by the Go for Launch I went to.’ And I’m like, whoa, where have you been the last six years?”
  (09:21, Michelle Lucas)

• “What I definitely didn’t envision was how all-consuming my passion for this would become.”
  (10:41, Michelle Lucas)

• “Abby just graduated from CU Boulder with an aerospace engineering degree last May... And this is from a student who was like, ‘Yeah, I don’t know, maybe professional lacrosse. I kind of like looking at the stars.’ That’s fun.”
  (16:26–16:37, Michelle Lucas)

• “Helping students find their tribe... some of those students who weren’t so excited about STEM—when we show them what the actual possibilities are versus what they think the possibilities are—suddenly it’s a whole new world for them.”
  (13:23–13:36, Michelle Lucas)

Community and Legacy

• “The capsule that is on display there now, the Dragon capsule... happens to be the capsule that carried our first ever Go for Launch student experiment to space.”
  (20:36, Michelle Lucas)

---

Timeline of Major Segments

| Timestamp | Segment | |------------|---------------------------------------------------------------| | 01:15–03:15| China’s iSpace funding, record raise, and Space Epoch update | | 03:15–04:15| Voyager-Atmos, Kepler-Nanoavionics, and optical comms news | | 04:50–05:38| Loft Orbital/SmartSat CRC’s AI wildfire detection demo | | 07:46–21:40| Feature Interview: Michelle Lucas, Higher Orbits 10th year | | 23:00–26:49| Perseverance Rover Mars anniversary: legacy and milestones |

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Original Tone & Style

• The tone moves from brisk, data-driven news updates to a warm, inspiring, and deeply personal conversation about educational impact, aspiration, and space community.
• Maria Varmazes, the host, maintains an engaging, forward-looking, and inclusive style, using stories and personal insights to enrich the episode.

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Summary

This episode stands out for connecting big-picture industry shifts—especially China’s escalating private rocket investment and international partnerships—with the grassroots power of STEM education to inspire and diversify the future space workforce. Michelle Lucas’s stories offer a powerful reminder of how opening doors and building supportive communities can reshape not just individual lives, but the entire trajectory of space innovation.

Listeners come away with an understanding of:

• China’s rising private space sector and its global implications
• Growing sophistication (and international collaboration) in space enterprise
• The vital importance of outreach, real-world mentorship, and inclusion in STEM

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For more stories, insights, and to connect with the daily space community, visit space.n2k.com.

Transcript

[A]

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[B]

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[A]

Today is February 18, 2026. Maria I'm Maria Varmazes and this is T minus.

[C]

T minus.

[A]

Loft Orbital and SmartSat CRC are partnering to demonstrate wildfire detection from low Earth orbit using AI. Kepler Communications has chosen nanoavionics as its preferred European partner for optically connected connected missions. Voyager Technologies is working with Atmos Space Cargo to expand in space logistics and re entry capabilities. China's Space Epoch has secured new funding and is targeting a 2026 launch and sea recovery attempt. China's I Space has raised $730 million to advance its reusable rocket ambitions. Today's guest is Michelle Lucas, CEO and founder of Higher Orbits. The STEM Nonprofit is celebrating 10 years of their programs this summer and has a lot of big plans for 2026. Find out more after today's headlines. Today we're tracking capital flows, reusable rockets, optical links and AI at the edge. There is a clear theme running through these stories that would be access control and smarter space infrastructure. So let us dive in. First up, China's commercial launch sector just got a serious boost. China's ispace, which is not to be confused with Japan's company of the same name, has raised $730 million to advance its reusable rocket ambitions. It's positioning itself as a domestic alternative to SpaceX and its Falcon 9 rocket launch. It's not a small raise. In fact, it's a new record for the biggest investment in a private company building rockets in China. And it's not just Ispace that is making headlines in China. Space Epoch has also secured new funding and is targeting a 2026 launch and sea recovery attempt. The company closed a Series B financing round of an undisclosed amount last week. Their maritime landings expand flexibility and open up more responsive mission profiles. The company says that the funding means that Space Epoch has entered a stage of large scale development. Voyager Technologies is working with Atmos Space Cargo to expand in space logistics and reentry capabilities. The companies have signed a memorandum of understanding and Voyager Europe will serve as ATMOS integration and implementation partner, while Atmos will provide free flying orbital vehicles with controlled and precise return capability, enabling end to end microgravity missions from launch through on orbit operations and return to Earth. Both companies will mutually refer customers and mission opportunities across their network. And staying with the transatlantic partnerships theme, Canada's Kepler Communications has chosen nanoavionics as its preferred European partner for optically connected missions. Kongsberg Nanoavionics will be Kepler's preferred European satellite bus provider for its hosted payload initiatives aboard spacecraft up to 500 kilos in mass. The non exclusive preferential partnership is for missions that require seamless access across the Kepler network. It's also aimed at satellite operators that are seeking to transition to faster and more secure optical communications that are built on the US Space Development Agency's standards. Through this agreement, nanoavionics will start offering its own customers access to Kepler's Optical Data Relay network and On Orbit Compute Services, an optional feature within its portfolio of intersatellite link solutions. And for our last story today we are heading to Australia loft Orbital and SmartSat CRC are partnering to demonstrate wildfire detection from low Earth orbit using AI. The demo will see the companies approaching wildfire detection a little differently because instead of sending raw data back to Earth for processing, the satellite will do the thinking in orbit. Loft will deploy SmartSat CRC's wildfire detection application, its on orbit satellites and the project will serve as a high tech demo of near real time software based wildfire detection from low Earth orbit. And that my friends wraps up today's intel briefing. You can learn more about all of the stories mentioned throughout this episode and by following the links in our show notes and Hey T minus crew. We've only got two more daily programs coming your way and we want to thank you very much for sticking with us these last three years. We are working right now behind the scenes to update the T minus format and we would love to hear your input. Your feedback, after all does help us shape the kind of content that you want to hear. So if you have ideas or suggestions, come on and send them our way. You can email us@c space2k.com and that is the word space at the letter n, the number 2 and the letter k.comn2k and thanks.

[B]

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[A]

I recently caught up with Michelle Lucas, CEO and founder of Higher Orbits, during Commercial Space Week in Florida to hear the latest news with the STEM outreach organization.

[C]

We celebrated 10 years of existence in August. And what I mean by existence is so we filed all the paperwork to become a 501C3, but I wouldn't do anything until we got that paperwork from the IRS that says yay verily. And so on August 10, 2015, we got that piece of paper and that was when we started planning for running actual events. And that is the big 10 year anniversary that we're about to celebrate is we will have our 10th anniversary of the Go for Launch program this June. Oh, and so that's really, I mean, don't get me wrong, we're excited about the 10 years of existence, but the 10 years of running go for launch, that's 10 years of active student engagement. And our plan is to run our 100th go for launch on the 10th anniversary of the first gopher launch at the same location, which is Deerfield High School in Deerfield, Illinois, a northern suburb of Chicago, with the same astronaut, Dottie Metcalfe Lindenberger.

[D]

Oh, it's all full circle.

[C]

It is totally full circle.

[A]

Right?

[C]

And it was Dottie and I were talking the other day and she's like, has it really been 10 years? I'm like, I know, like, where did the time go?

[D]

Okay, so when you reflect back on 10 years and all of the students.

[A]

That you've met and all, all of.

[D]

The science that they've been doing and all the mentoring that's been going on, I mean, my brain just kind of stops. I'm just like, that is a lot.

[A]

Of lives that you have changed.

[C]

Well, I feel fortunate to get to be a little part of so many students journeys and maybe a slightly bigger than little part of some more. Right. We've reached thousands of students over these 10 years and some of them, you know, we only see them for two or three days and then we don't necessarily see them. Sometimes they come back five years later and like, hey, by the way, I just graduated with my degree in astrophysics and I was Inspired by the gopher launch that I went to. And I'm like, whoa, where have you been the last six years? I'm so excited. This is amazing. And then we have some who continue to engage with us, and we've created opportunities for them to come to conferences, to have more mentorship. And so I feel fortunate every day that I get to be part of the journey for these students, whether they end up in this industry or elsewhere.

[D]

Yeah, yeah. And I imagine when you started this 10 years ago, there was sort of a vision that you had that I'm.

[A]

Sure has evolved from this point.

[D]

Like, this is what's going to happen, but then this is what has actually happened. I'm sure surpassed your expectations. But can you tell me about any evolution in thought in that time?

[C]

Yeah. And I laughed because it's one of those things, that vision. I probably didn't have as big of a vision as I could have. And I definitely didn't have a business plan, which is also funny. People are like, what's your business plan? I'm like, my plan was to try and do something in it, not totally fall apart.

[D]

Right. That sounds like a plan.

[C]

Great plan. Right? Don't have my NBA, but it seems to be working okay. So I started this as a little pet project on the side. I wanted students, kids to have access to space, inspired STEM in their quote unquote backyards, as I like to say. And the idea was I was gonna run this once in a while, you know, try and inspire students, help our workforce. What I definitely didn't envision was how all consuming my passion for this would become. And it went from being this side pet project to my 70 to 80 hour a week passion. And if I could have more hours in the day, I would spend more hours in the day because it's not work to me. I love it. And being able to interact with these students, show them what our community is in the space world, give them tools to excel here or wherever they want. I've been fortunate to do some cool things in my life.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

I don't think there's anything cooler than what I get to do with higher orbits.

[D]

I know. I was going to say, you worked at NASA before, so that's pretty cool.

[C]

And for all my astronauts that are listening, I love y'. All, but like, the kids, like, they're kind of where it's at.

[D]

I love that.

[C]

I actually had a couple astronauts at IAC in Milan go. So what's more difficult? Training us or training students? And I'm like, yeah, I don't know that y' all want me to answer that question.

[D]

Okay, so what is the answer to that question?

[C]

The answer is 100% edited.

[D]

Fair.

[B]

Fair.

[D]

Fair. Fair. Yeah. I was gonna say that the passion that you must encounter from these kids and imagination and just seeing all that potential there, that's gotta be just. Whenever I get a little sliver of that in my own little world, it's always. I feel so energized. Yeah, that's just gotta be. It's gotta be like that on steroids for you. I just gotta imagine.

[C]

This is why I tell people who are like, you need more work, life balance. You work too many hours. I'm like, I get energy from these students and their passion and their creativity. And the reality is, about half of them who come to us are excited about STEM already, and we can help them elevate the other half. I'm not gonna lie, Maria. They come in and they're like, yeah, I'm here. Cause my mom made me come.

[D]

Yes, of course.

[C]

My teacher told me I had to go to this or.

[D]

I don't know.

[C]

I guess I'll hang out with an astronaut for a couple of days. And I heard she feeds us pizza and donuts. True. I do. Like, I'm not above bribery.

[A]

Food matters.

[C]

Look. In the immortal words of astronaut Marcia Ivins, if you feed us, we will work. That works for astronauts. It works for students. But what I love is that both of those sets of students can come together. They form friendships. This is the other part of it. Right. I'm trying. It's a byproduct, but it's also a passion of mine. Helping students find their tribe.

[D]

Yeah.

[C]

Other students who are like them.

[A]

Yep.

[D]

And.

[C]

And some of those students who weren't so excited about stem. When we show them what the actual possibilities are versus what they think the possibilities are.

[D]

Yeah.

[C]

Suddenly it's a whole new world for them.

[D]

I love that.

[C]

And that all. That all brings me joy. It brings me energy. And people have asked me, like, well, how long do you intend to do this? Well, for as long as it's fun. And you know what? It's pretty darn fun. And I don't see this ending anytime soon.

[D]

That's amazing. I love that you said about helping.

[A]

The kids find their tribe.

[D]

Because I know when we have, like, these macro conversations about workforce development and working with kids, like educational development, all those kinds of things, there's. I feel like sometimes. And this is not specific to you, I just feel like in the conversation, it can be well, you know, the.

[A]

Kids who are interested in stem, they.

[D]

Find their way to us and it's like.

[C]

But there are so many kids who.

[A]

Don'T know that they're interested.

[D]

And to me, it's like reaching those kids, or they've never had the opportunity, or they've never just had somebody to say, these are the possibilities, or just never had the time.

[C]

Like, there's so many just. They just.

[D]

There's a small barrier that can just go away with just being able to show up to a thing.

[C]

Absolutely.

[D]

I kind of want to ask what.

[A]

Your favorite stories are.

[D]

Like that. And I'm sure you have a million. Can you pick any? Because I.

[C]

It is hard, but I have a couple. And one of them is there's this kiddo, and she's one of the OG space kids. And I say that because I have had the privilege of taking the only US students to the International Science School in Australia since 2019. So she was part of that cohort.

[A]

Wow.

[C]

And every night they would come say goodnight to me in the dorms. And on like, maybe night two, they're like, good night, space Mom. And from there it became that I became space mom. I refer to them as my space kiddos. Oh, my God. And when people are like, you can't call them kids, I'm like, well, they're my space kids, so I 100% can call them kids. But Abby came to us in 2017 in Gilbert, Arizona, and she walked in and she's like, I don't know. You know, I kind of like to lay on the ground and look at the stars, but, like, there's nothing in STEM for me. That's not my world. That's. I couldn't do that.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

And as I was talking with her, I said, well, what is it you're interested in? What is it you think you might want to do? I try hard to not ask, what.

[D]

Does it want to do?

[C]

What does it want to say? That's a lot of pressure, right?

[D]

Yeah, I didn't. Never knew how to answer that question ever.

[C]

And the other part of it is the jobs that will exist 4, 6, 8 years from now might not exist now.

[A]

That's very true.

[C]

It's, you know, anyways, she's like, well, I don't know. I guess maybe I'd like to be a professional lacrosse player. And I remember thinking, I didn't know that was a thing for guys. Never less girls, but cool kid, like, you know, knock yourself out. Well, Abby was like, I like, I get emotional because Abby, she Soaked in every bit of this and realized afterwards, maybe. Maybe there is a place in this for me. Her team one ended up having their experiment flown to space. Abby, who hated speaking in public, suddenly was on the NASA what's on board? Press conference with me out at Wallops Island.

[D]

Yeah.

[C]

Abby just graduated from CU Boulder with an aerospace engineering degree last May. Oh, my God. And she's working. Oh, my God. As a manufacturing engineer.

[D]

Wow.

[C]

In Colorado.

[D]

Oh, my God.

[C]

And this is from a student who was like, yeah, I don't know, maybe professional across. I kind of like looking at the stars. That's fun. And it's part of why I'm also so passionate about this attitude. You said people are like, oh, the kids in STEM will find us. Okay, but what about the kids who don't know that STEM is for them?

[D]

Exactly it. Yes.

[C]

And the thing is, they think. Most students think STEM is this very narrow pipeline, and the reality is, it's huge, including what you all do. This is stem. This is talking about STEM topics. What's happening in industry. I have another student who in Tallahassee was like, yeah, you know, I like to crochet and paint. I was like, what kind of painting? She's like, you know, I'm kind of like a little old lady. Like, Bob Ross paintings.

[D]

Sounds awesome.

[C]

And I was like, you know what? I love that for you. That's fantastic.

[D]

That's science right there.

[C]

Absolutely. And she was part of the winning team and is looking at this industry or STEM in general totally differently of like, oh, wait, you need people to tell that story.

[D]

Yes.

[C]

You need people to do those graphics.

[A]

That's right.

[C]

I'm like, correct. Because the average engineer is not amazing at telling the story. I mean, that is one of my goals, is to make all of our students better communicators as well.

[A]

Oh, there you go.

[C]

But we need people to be able to tell the story in different ways. And I can verbally tell a great story, but you don't want me to draw anything. Trust me, it ain't pretty.

[D]

Well, we do need all sorts of skill sets, for sure. And it's very heartening to see and hear communications getting its love. And I strongly agree. I think it's extremely crucial. And I think even for those of us who have a more traditional STEM background, knowing what the possibilities are at a younger age, it does expand horizons. And also, I think back on myself when I was in high school, and I just didn't know what possibilities were out there for me. And I was just like, I like space I like science, but I don't know what kind of world I would want to enter and how much it would have helped me. Just again, this is very personal, but how much it would have helped me to have encountered something like what you do. Just open my mind to the possibilities because I, I remember being in college going, I'm trying to figure this out now.

[A]

It felt a little late, but if.

[D]

I had known earlier how much of a difference that would have made for me. So I can only begin to imagine the kids that you have impacted. Like incredible.

[C]

Well, I am super excited that with our 10 year anniversary. So for years as I've brought students to conferences and we just had six students at AIAA SciTech, we'll have four students at the Space Traffic Management Conference and Austin next month, panels at both of them with our students when I bring them together and to the point of finding their tribe. Most of these students haven't met each other before. Right. And so they get together and they're like, space mom. Space mom. We love meeting other space kids.

[D]

Yeah.

[C]

Can we have like a meetup? And for years I'm like, oh, that's adorable. You think I have time for that win? And the money tree in the backyard, like, it still hasn't sprouted, but like, I'll work on that.

[D]

Like, I love y'.

[C]

All. I wish I could make this happen.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

Well, for our 10th anniversary, we are so we're doing the first ever Higher Orbit's Alumni rendezvous. It's going to be in Chicago.

[D]

Nice.

[C]

And so we're going to be able to bring students back from across the country to meet each other to share their stories and also to bring in industry to talk with them. Because this is our future workforce.

[A]

That's right.

[C]

And no matter what's happening in industry in today's day and time, we still need to be looking forward to 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 years. And these students are part of that pipeline. And so I'm really excited for them to get to hang out together. I'm also excited because they're going to get to go to the places that were meaningful to me as a child. So I grew up in Chicago.

[D]

Yep. Yep.

[C]

And the Museum of Science and Industry was the place that like I, I loved.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

And, and it's not, it's not as robust as Kennedy Space center, obviously, but it was the first time that I got to see these things.

[D]

Yes.

[C]

And so the students were going to have an event at the museum. And one of the other full circle moments is the capsule that is on display there now, the Dragon capsule. It happens to be the capsule that carried our first ever go for launch student experiment to space.

[D]

Oh, my God.

[C]

And so when I saw the new unveiling of everything, like, I was just, I was just tears because it is this full circle moment for higher orbits, but also for me personally as the little kid who was in love with space in Chicago. And so I get to share this with our students. I'm so excited about that. And they get to share with each other and become the network like we all are here. Right. It's part of why I like bringing in the conferences to meet people. But I also love for them to be able to see my interactions with my colleagues like you and Alice and our friends at BRPH and Metronome, understanding that we are a space family.

[D]

Yeah, it's true.

[C]

And so they get to have their own little subset of the space family of being the higher orbits family. And then they get to go out into the world and be part of the bigger family, but always know they can come back to each other.

[A]

We'll be right back.

[B]

Most security conferences talk about Zero Trust. Zero Trust World puts you inside. This is a hands on cybersecurity event designed for practitioners who want real skills, not just theory. You'll take part in live hacking labs where you'll attack real environments, see how modern threats actually work, and learn how to stop them before they turn into incidents. But Zero Trust World is more than labs. You'll also experience expert led sessions, practical case studies, and technical deep dives focused on real world implementation. Whether your blue team, red team, or responsible for securing an entire organization, the content is built to be immediately useful. You'll earn CPE credits, connect with peers across the industry and leave with strategies you can put into action right away. Join us March 4th through the 6th in Orlando, Florida. Register [e-mail] and take your Zero Trust strategy from theory to execution.

[A]

Welcome back. Do you remember what you were doing on July 30, 2020? Well, unless you were a medical professional or supporting one, probably not a whole lot. Well, you'd be forgiven for not remembering any current events on that day, so I will just jog your memory for you. It is the day that the Mars Perseverance Rover was launched. And Perseverance, or Percy, as we all really tend to call her, made her incredible landing on Mars some months later on.

[D]

Yeah, you guessed it.

[A]

That would be today, February 18th, but back in 2021. So yes, perseverance has now officially been a Martian resident for five years. And Percy was not alone. She had a friend come along with her on her trip and that was ingenuity or Ginny the Mars Copter and the very first aircraft to achieve flight on another planet. And thanks to the proven success of Ingenuity, we are now seeing many more missions to other worlds planned with copter style exploration. But yes, it has been five years since Perseverance started her mission to look for potential signs of life on the red planet. And What a packed five years it has been after all. In July 2024, perseverance roved up to Chaiava Falls. And after a year long examination of the data she collected last year we had one of the biggest scientific stories you could possibly imagine that maybe, maybe, maybe what we were looking at were actual biosignatures. We've never had a maybe, maybe, maybe situation like this before. So going from hey, that's definitely never had life to hey, potentially it could have, that actually is monumental. That is incredible. That is history changing. And that was all thanks to the Perseverance rover who is still going strong on Mars. So do you remember what was encoded on the innermost patterns of Perseverance? Parachute. It was the motto Dare mighty things Perseverance. And Ginny and her support teams at JPL have done that and then some. So here is to many, many more years of daring, mighty things. Foreign. Is brought to you by N2K CyberWire. We'd love to know what you think of our podcast. Your feedback ensures we deliver the insights that keep you a step ahead in the rapidly changing space industry. If you like our show, please share a rating and review in your podcast app. Please also fill out the spot survey in the show notes or send us an email to space2k.com we're proud that N2K CyberWire is part of the daily routine of the most influential leaders and operators in the public and private sector. From the Fortune 500 to many of the world's preeminent intelligence and law enforcement agencies, N2K helps space and cybersecurity professionals grow, learn and stay informed. As the nexus for disposal, discovery and connection, we bring you the people, the technology and the ideas shaping the future of secure innovation. Learn [e-mail] N2K Senior Producer is Alice Carruth. Our producer is Liz Stokes. We are mixed by Elliot Peltzman and Trey Hester with original music by Elliot Peltzman. Our executive producer is Jennifer Ibin. Peter Kilpe is our publisher and I am your host, Maria Varmazes. Thank you for listening. We'll see you tomorrow.

[C]

T minus.

[B]

If you only attend one cybersecurity conference this year, Make It RSAC 20, happening March 23rd through the 26th in San Francisco, bringing together the global security community for four days of expert insights, hands on learning and real innovation. I'll say this plainly, I never miss this conference. The ideas and conversations stay with me all year. Join thousands of practitioners and leaders tackling today's toughest challenges and shaping what comes next. Register [e-mail] cyberwire26. I'll see you in San Francisco. Ever wished you could rebuild your network from scratch to make it more secure, scalable and simple? Meet Meter, the company reimagining enterprise networking from the ground up. Meter builds full stack zero trust networks including hardware, firmware and software, all designed to work seamlessly together. The result? Fast, reliable and secure connectivity without the constant patching, vendor juggling, or hidden costs. From wired and wireless to routing, switching, firewalls, DNS security and vpn, every layer is integrated and continuously protected in one unified platform. And since it's delivered as one predictable monthly service, you skip the heavy capital costs and endless upgrade cycles. Meter even buys back your old infrastructure to make switching effortless, transform complexity into simplicity, and give your team time to focus on what really matters, helping your business and customers thrive. Learn more and book your [e-mail] cyberwire that's M E T E R.com cyberwire.