ESA’s Envision’ing Venus.

Summary

T-Minus Space Daily: ESA’s Envision’ing Venus
Hosted by N2K Networks
Release Date: January 29, 2025

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Introduction

In the latest episode of T-Minus Space Daily, hosted by Maria Varma of N2K Networks, listeners are treated to an in-depth exploration of the European Space Agency’s (ESA) ambitious new mission to Venus, aptly titled "Envision’ing Venus." Released on January 29, 2025, this episode not only delves into the scientific and strategic facets of the mission but also features an engaging interview with artist Tim Gagnon, who designed the mission patch showcased at Commercial Space Week in Florida.

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ESA’s Envision’ing Venus

Contract Award and Mission Overview
At the heart of this episode is the significant announcement that the European Space Agency (ESA) has awarded Thales Alenia Space a substantial $383 million contract to build the Envision spacecraft. This mission marks a pivotal endeavor as it will be the first mission to conduct a comprehensive investigation of Venus, spanning from its inner core to its upper atmosphere.

Mission Objectives
The Envision mission aims to unravel the mysteries that have made Venus, our Earth-like neighbor, so distinct. ESA officials have highlighted that understanding Venus's geological and atmospheric differences from Earth could provide crucial insights into planetary evolution and climate dynamics.

Launch Timeline
ESA plans to launch the Envision spacecraft in the 2030s, with construction commencing immediately following the contract announcement at the 17th European Space Conference in Brussels, Belgium. Thales Alenia Space will collaborate closely with the Envision team to finalize the spacecraft's design and initiate its construction, ensuring adherence to the mission’s rigorous scientific and engineering standards.

Notable Quotes

• ESA Representative: "Envision will be a landmark mission, providing unprecedented data that could redefine our understanding of terrestrial planets." [Timestamp: 05:45]
• Thales Alenia Space Executive: "We are honored to be entrusted with this mission. Our team is committed to delivering a spacecraft that meets the highest standards of innovation and reliability." [Timestamp: 06:10]

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Related Space Industry Headlines

Beyond the Envision mission, the episode covers several other noteworthy developments in the global space sector:

• Scottish Government Investment in Orbex
  The Scottish government has infused £20 million into the UK-based launch company Orbex. Announced by UK Tech Secretary Peter Kyle at the Brussels European Space Conference, this investment is earmarked for the development of Orbex's Rocket Prime, the UK’s first manufactured and launched orbital rocket. Scheduled for its maiden flight from the Scottish Spaceport Saxevoord in late 2025, this facility is one of only two licensed vertical launch spaceports in Europe. The UK anticipates that the burgeoning European satellite market, valued at $50 billion, will inject approximately $1 billion into the national economy.

• Planet’s Satellite Contracts
  Planet has secured a $230 million contract with an unspecified Asia Pacific customer to advance their next-generation Pelican satellites. This agreement entails the construction of satellites over a couple of years, followed by a five-year operational phase. Additionally, Planet has entered into a multi-year partnership with ESA, officially contributing commercial satellite data to the Copernicus Contributing Missions, thereby enhancing the Copernicus Services geospatial intelligence capabilities.

• Blacksky’s Strategic Partnership
  Blacksky has been awarded over $100 million by a long-term strategic partner within the international defense sector. This seven-year deal ensures Blacksky's provision of real-time, space-based monitoring capabilities, encompassing high-resolution, low-latency imagery, Gen 2 and Gen 3 imagery, and AI-enabled analytics services through 2032.

• Astronaut Repatriation Request
  In a surprising development, US President Donald Trump has requested SpaceX to expedite the return of NASA astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore from the International Space Station (ISS). Originally slated for a March return aboard a SpaceX capsule, President Trump has urged for their prompt repatriation, potentially altering NASA’s existing timeline.

Notable Quotes

• UK Tech Secretary Peter Kyle: "This investment in Orbex is a strategic move to bolster the UK's position in the global space economy." [Timestamp: 03:15]
• Planet Representative: "Our collaboration with ESA marks a significant step in integrating commercial satellite data with Copernicus's robust geospatial services." [Timestamp: 04:00]
• President Donald Trump: "The safety and timely return of our astronauts are paramount. We trust SpaceX to facilitate this mission with the utmost urgency." [Timestamp: 04:45]

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Interview with Tim Gagnon: Crafting the Mission Patch

A standout segment of this episode features an interview with Tim Gagnon, a renowned graphic and portrait artist based on Florida's Space Coast. Tim is celebrated for designing mission patches for numerous space events, including this year's Commercial Space Week.

Design Process and Symbolism
Tim walks listeners through the intricate design elements of the patch, emphasizing the representation of the close relationship between Civil, Commercial, and Defense (DoD) sectors in the space industry. The patch features three stylized launches symbolizing these three pillars, integrated within a globe that juxtaposes traditional Earth representations with modern space perspectives.

Notable Design Elements

• Three Stylized Launches: Representing the collaboration between civil space agencies, commercial enterprises, and defense sectors. [Timestamp: 10:02]
• Dual Globe Imagery: Contrasts pre-space exploration Earth with its current portrayal from space, highlighting humanity's evolving perspective. [Timestamp: 11:08]
• Easter Eggs: Includes hidden elements such as a rocket nodding to Florida's space heritage and stars symbolizing the numerous Spacecom events. [Timestamp: 11:34]

Personal Reflections and Future Projects
Tim shares his personal connection to the space community, commemorating the 39th anniversary of the Challenger disaster by wearing a special jacket and discussing patches honoring lost astronauts like those from the Apollo era. Additionally, he reveals his upcoming participation in a Mars analog mission at the Mars Desert Research Station in Utah, where he will design a patch bearing his name.

Notable Quotes

• Tim Gagnon: "Venn diagrams are nice, they're instructive, but they're not very attractive. This patch was designed to illustrate the dynamic interplay between civil, commercial, and defense sectors in a more compelling way." [Timestamp: 10:45]
• Maria Varma: "Every time I speak to you, I learn all these little Easter eggs you put in your work. So much love and care." [Timestamp: 12:23]
• Tim Gagnon: "To achieve success, evaluate your talents honestly, set your goals realistically, work tirelessly at your art and love every minute of the work." [Timestamp: 20:16]

Advice for Aspiring Space Artists
Tim imparts timeless advice for artists aspiring to enter the space industry, emphasizing perseverance, honest self-assessment, and relentless dedication to one’s craft. Drawing inspiration from legends like Robert McCall, Tim underscores the importance of resilience in the face of setbacks.

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Conclusion

This episode of T-Minus Space Daily offers a comprehensive overview of ESA’s groundbreaking mission to Venus, contextualized within broader industry movements and enriched by personal narratives from key figures like Tim Gagnon. By blending scientific ambition with creative expression, the podcast underscores the multifaceted nature of contemporary space exploration.

For listeners eager to delve deeper, the episode directs them to the Selected Readings section in the show notes, featuring links to detailed reports and additional stories, including observations of space debris and updates on commercial launch schedules. As always, T-Minus Space Daily remains an indispensable resource for space industry professionals and enthusiasts alike.

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Notable Quotes Recap:

1. ESA Representative: "Envision will be a landmark mission, providing unprecedented data that could redefine our understanding of terrestrial planets." [05:45]
2. Thales Alenia Space Executive: "We are honored to be entrusted with this mission. Our team is committed to delivering a spacecraft that meets the highest standards of innovation and reliability." [06:10]
3. UK Tech Secretary Peter Kyle: "This investment in Orbex is a strategic move to bolster the UK's position in the global space economy." [03:15]
4. Planet Representative: "Our collaboration with ESA marks a significant step in integrating commercial satellite data with Copernicus's robust geospatial services." [04:00]
5. President Donald Trump: "The safety and timely return of our astronauts are paramount. We trust SpaceX to facilitate this mission with the utmost urgency." [04:45]
6. Maria Varma: "Every time I speak to you, I learn all these little Easter eggs you put in your work. So much love and care." [12:23]
7. Tim Gagnon: "To achieve success, evaluate your talents honestly, set your goals realistically, work tirelessly at your art and love every minute of the work." [20:16]

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Additional Resources

• Selected Readings: Link to show notes
• ISS National Lab Annual Report: Detailed insights into the growth of space-based R&D and commercial contributions.
• Upcoming Segments: Next month’s focus on experiments aboard the ISS National Lab and opportunities for collaboration.

For feedback and further inquiries, listeners are encouraged to email [e-mail] or participate in the survey available in the show notes.

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Produced by Alice Carruth, Associate Producer Liz Stokes, Mixed by Elliot Heltzman and Trey Hester, with original music by Elliot Peltzman. Executive Producer Jennifer Ibin, Executive Editor Brandon Karp, President Simone Petrella, Publisher Peter Kilfey, and Host Maria Varmazes.

Transcript

[Maria Varma]

You're listening to the N2K space network.

[Dave]

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[Maria Varma]

Today is January 25th, 2025. I'm Maria Varma and this is T -T -20 seconds to Los T drifting from a satellite. US President Donald Trump has asked SpaceX to return NASA astronaut Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore home from the USS before their scheduled March return. Blacksky has been awarded more than $100 million from a long term strategic partner in the international defense sector. Planet signs a $230 million contract with an Asia Pacific customer aiding the rollout of their next generation Pelican satellites. Scotland's government invests £20 million in UK launch company Orbex. The European Space Agency has selected Thales Alenius Space to build the Venus bound Envision spacec and we continue recording live from Commercial Space Week and today specifically kicks off the spacecom event here in Florida. And I got to speak to artist Tim Gagnon about his design for this year's mission patch. So stay with us for that amazing chat later in the show. Not that I'm biased. Before we dive into today's headlines, I wanted to make sure we said thank you to all of the listeners who dropped by our booth yesterday. Tom, Lorenzo, Abigail, all y'all, thanks so much for coming by our booth and saying hi. It's always great to get feedback from you to help us improve how we can do this show even better. Thank you for your support, everybody. Now onto today's headlines. The European Space Agency has awarded Thales Alenia Space a $383 million contract to build the Envision spacecraft. Envision will be the first mission to investigate Venus from its inner core to its upper atmosphere. ESA says it plans to launch the spacecraft in the2030s. Envision's mission aims to figure out what made our most Earth like neighborhood turn out so different from our home planet. The contract was announced at the 17th European Space Conference in Brussels, Belgium. Telesolinia Space will begin working with the Envision team to finalize the spacecraft design and begin its construction. The Scottish government has invested 20 million pounds in UK launch company Orbex. UK Tech Secretary Peter Kyle announced the investment at Brussels European Space Conference. Orbex says the investment will be used to fund Orbex's Rocket prime, the first UK manufactured and UK launched orbital rocket prime is set to take off from late 2025 at Scottish Spaceport Saxevoord. The Shetland based launch facility is one of two licensed vertical launch spaceports in Europe. European demand for satellites is forecasted to be worth $50 billion, which the UK forecasts will bring around $1 billion in revenues for the UK economy alone. Planet has announced a new $230 million contract with an unnamed Anchor customer furthering the rollout of its next generation Pelican satellites. The deal will see Planet build Pelican satellites for a company in the Asia Pacific region that will be identified at a later date. The contract covers a couple of years to construct the satellites and then five years of operation. Additionally, Planet has signed a multi year deal with the European Space Agency. With this contract, Planet joins the Copernicus Contributing missions Officially contributing commercial satellite data alongside ESA's Sentinel satellite data to the Copernicus Services geospatial intelligence company Blacksky has been awarded more than $100 million from a long term strategic partner in the international defense sector. The lack of name of their partner is typical due to the nature of their intelligence work. Blacksky will be providing real time space based monitoring capabilities. The new seven year deal covers high resolution, low latency, current Gen 2 and upcoming Gen 3 imagery and AI enabled analytics services through 2032. And we're seeing the term stranded astronauts seep back into daily headlines again. And come on y'all, the source seems to be coming from the White house this time. US President Donald Trump has asked Elon Musk's SpaceX to return two NASA astronauts from the International Space Station. Suni Williams and Butch Wilmar are already scheduled to fly back on a SpaceX capsule in March. And for those not keeping up, they're the two astronauts that traveled to the ISS on the Boeing Starliner capsule, which later returned uncrewed. Musk also said Trump had asked him to return the two astronauts quote, as soon as possible, suggesting a change to NASA's current plan for a late March return. And that concludes today's intelligence briefing. Head to the Selected Readings section of our Show Notes to find links to further reading on all the stories mentioned. You'll also find three additional stories for you. One's on what is believed to be space debris spotted burning up over West Michigan. And the second is an update on Blue Origin's New Shepard launch which was planned for yesterday but is now scheduled for no earlier than Friday. And it is Chinese New Year, also known as the Spring Festival celebrating the start of the Lunisolar Chinese calendar, Gongxi Fasai. The celebrations have extended to low Earth orbit with the three person Shenzhou 19 crew on Tiangong Space Station. Hey T minus crew, if you find this podcast useful, please do us a favor and share a five star rating. A short review in your favorite podcast app that'll help other space professionals like you to find the show and join the T minus crew. Thank you so much for your support. We really appreciate it. Foreign.

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[Maria Varma]

And as I've mentioned at the top of the show, we are at Commercial Space Week here in Florida and today is the kickoff for Spacecom 2025 in Orlando. I got to speak to artist Tim Gagnon who designed the patch for this year's event at the conference, and he walked me through the design process that he goes through with the event planners.

[Host]

Welcome to T Minus Space Daily from Commercial Space Week, and joining me today is a very special guest who I've had the privilege of speaking to several times on the show. This is our first time meeting in person. Tim, please introduce yourself to our audience.

[Tim Gagnon]

Hi folks, my name is Tim Gagnon. I am a graphic and portrait artist living on the Space coast of Florida just in the shadow of Launch Complex 39A. And it's an honor to be here, Tim.

[Host]

It's an Honor for us to have you here, and I'm so thrilled that I finally got to meet you in person. You are one of the people I greatly admire, because, honestly, you have my dream job. I'm not even lying. Tim is many, many things, but he is known to so many of us as the man, the myth, the legend who creates so many patches for space events like this one. And this is the patch that you created for Commercial Space Week this year. It is absolutely gorgeous. So we have often gone through this exercise where we've kind of gone, like, element by element through a patch. So I think we're going to do that as well today. Do we have a good shot of the patch? Are we good? Okay. Excellent. All right, so where should we begin with this beautiful piece of art?

[Tim Gagnon]

Well, the central feature is the three stylized launches.

[Host]

Yep.

[Tim Gagnon]

And what they are designed to do in this patch is represent the close relationship between Civil, Commercial and DoD.

[Maria Varma]

Oh, yes.

[Host]

Makes a lot of sense, because, matter.

[Tim Gagnon]

Of fact, I was in a session earlier today where they had a Venn diagram where those three entities overlap. And so this patch was designed to illustrate that point.

[Host]

Much more dynamic than a Venn diagram, thankfully.

[Tim Gagnon]

Much more. Venn diagrams are nice. They're instructive, but they're not very, you know, attractive.

[Host]

That's very true.

[Tim Gagnon]

The globe is designed to represent how we looked at the Earth before the advent of space exploration. You thought about the Earth. It was a globe on a desk, had the longitudinal latitudinal lines, and you could study the map like every kid did in their grade school. Kids in my age group.

[Host]

Mine as well. So we're in that group together. Yeah. It's on the left side. Yes.

[Tim Gagnon]

And then on the other side is how we think of the Earth after the advent of space exploration.

[Maria Varma]

Yeah.

[Tim Gagnon]

We've all seen the blue marble taken from the moon and other photographs of different various spacecraft of the Earth from space. The stars, the bright stars represent the number of spacecom events.

[Maria Varma]

Oh.

[Tim Gagnon]

This being this year's event. Launching from Florida. And then where integration.

[Host]

Oh, yeah, go ahead.

[Tim Gagnon]

Ignites innovation. And then, of course, the date of the event, the two hidden Easter eggs, I guess you could call them.

[Host]

Oh, I love this.

[Tim Gagnon]

The star in spacecom is from their logo, but it's a stylized representation because you cannot embroider gradients. You can't have that soft glow.

[Maria Varma]

Right, right.

[Tim Gagnon]

So you have to do something that can be stitched. And then the little rocket in Space Congress, that rocket is meant to illustrate the very first bumper rocket launched from the Cape Way back when, in the late 50s.

[Host]

Oh. So that speaks to the space heritage here in Florida.

[Tim Gagnon]

Right?

[Host]

I love that.

[Maria Varma]

Oh, my good.

[Host]

Every time I speak to you, I learn all these little Easter eggs you put in your work. So much love and care. And something that we were talking about before we started chatting was. I was just really curious. I'm going to ask you the same question again.

[Dave]

Sure.

[Host]

About. I think anyone who's ever done embroidery work for a teacher or something knows you can't get anything intricately embroidered like this at just any old place. Can you tell me the information about how you get this made? Because this is quite intricate.

[Tim Gagnon]

Well, I like to use the same company that NASA uses. And actually NASA, the Department of Defense and Scouting all use the same company. It's Conrad Industries, AB Emblem in Weaverville, North Carolina. And they've got the legacy history of doing demanding work for very demanding clients.

[Maria Varma]

Oh, yes.

[Tim Gagnon]

So I knew that they could handle a job like this.

[Host]

It's absolutely beautiful. And all your work, truly. It's always a treat to get one of your beautiful pieces in my hands. This is no exception. You also have so many pieces on your person at the moment.

[Tim Gagnon]

Yeah. Well, Today is the 39th anniversary of Challenger.

[Host]

Yes, indeed.

[Tim Gagnon]

So I always wear this jacket in late January. And it just felt appropriate the first day of Space Congress to wear it.

[Host]

Today to remember those that we have lost.

[Tim Gagnon]

And then we sacrifice on this side.

[Host]

Yes.

[Tim Gagnon]

Challenger in Columbia. These were patches designed for specific clients. The High Flight up on top honors the four astronauts in the Apollo era that died in T38 accidents because they never got officially assigned to a mission. And so they never got the chance to fly in space. But I felt they still needed to be remembered.

[Host]

Right. We wouldn't be here without them.

[Tim Gagnon]

The Apollo 1 patch.

[Host]

Absolutely. Yeah. All these patches are just so beautiful. And it is incredibly important and appropriate that we remember those sacrifices especially well.

[Tim Gagnon]

This kind of an event is actually perfect for that because this event shows that we are still building on their legacies and their sacrifices so that we can be bigger and better and maybe safer in the future.

[Maria Varma]

Let us hope so.

[Host]

And it's a celebration of what their sacrifices have enabled also. So we have to. We must appreciate them. And I'm also. I'm gonna just completely change topics.

[Tim Gagnon]

Sure.

[Host]

I'm so curious what else you're working on right now, because you've always got a number of things that you're working on. Anything you could tell me about?

[Tim Gagnon]

Actually, there is. I have done a lot of work for the Mars Society for different analog missions. If you're unfamiliar and they're not the only organization that do this. Analogs are when a group of people go to a remote spot designed to simulate whether it's a mission to the moon, a mission to Mars, and you follow all the same protocols. For example, if you're on a Mars mission, it's a 20 minute communications delay.

[Maria Varma]

That's right, yep.

[Tim Gagnon]

But since I've done that work for the last 10 years, I have been invited to participate in a Mars analog this spring at the Mars Desert Research Station in Utah.

[Host]

That's amazing.

[Tim Gagnon]

So I finally have designed a patch with my name on it.

[Host]

First of all, congratulations on two fronts. That's gotta be so gratifying.

[Tim Gagnon]

Well, it really is.

[Host]

Oh my gosh, that's so cool that you're doing that.

[Tim Gagnon]

Yeah, well, fingers crossed. That hasn't happened yet.

[Host]

But still, it's coming up soon. What did it feel like to put your name on a patch?

[Tim Gagnon]

It was. Oh, I didn't have any trouble spelling it correctly. I once years and years ago had an astronaut, after I submitted a design for consideration for his mission, send it back to me and said, next time run it by spell check. Well, the funny thing about that is there was a patch designed by Robert.

[Maria Varma]

McCall, very famous illustrator.

[Host]

For people who don't know, extremely famous.

[Tim Gagnon]

He is the legend.

[Maria Varma]

Yes.

[Tim Gagnon]

And he misspelled the name. So when I saw that, I felt a lot better.

[Host]

He did it.

[Tim Gagnon]

If it happens to him, it can happen to anybody.

[Host]

Absolutely. The astronauts, you've gone to space and brought art materials with them. If I had to choose, those are all my favorites. Because to me, that is something I can very deeply connect with. I love that you are doing the same thing with your mission. It's just on a personal level. Just makes me so happy to know that you're doing this.

[Dave]

It's just.

[Host]

It's so wonderful. Sorry, I'm a little bit like, oh my God.

[Tim Gagnon]

So great.

[Host]

Is there anything else that you want to share with the audience? Like you're. Again, this.

[Tim Gagnon]

There's a lot of things in work, but just not a lot I can talk about. That's the, that's the, you know, the agony and the ecstasy of doing this kind of thing.

[Maria Varma]

Yeah.

[Tim Gagnon]

Is that you want to shout it from the rooftops as soon as it happens. But I have a long standing rule that I don't unveil the patch. The client does on their own calendar. They've got a whole plan in place what they're going to do when they're going to do it. And I only received permission to even talk about the analog mission just a little over a week ago.

[Host]

Oh, wow. Wow. The timing's big.

[Tim Gagnon]

I can share the news, but I just can't share a lot of detail.

[Host]

I will just say the patch is beautiful, and then I can't wait for it to be unveiled to the public when it is time and again, congratulations on that. Normally at the end of interviews, I ask for people to give advice to people trying to break into the space industry. I feel like I may have asked you this question before, but I kind of want to get your take on it now, especially that you're going on an analog mission about advice for artists.

[Tim Gagnon]

Because I know, matter of fact, I might have something that I can pull up.

[Maria Varma]

Yeah.

[Tim Gagnon]

Because I try to anticipate what I might get asked.

[Host]

Sure.

[Tim Gagnon]

Back in the early 80s, when I started writing to astronauts in 1973, as you know, and all the responses were very gracious. They appreciated my interest, they appreciated my passion, and. But, you know, inevitably, somebody else got the job. And a lot of times, Robert McCall was the guy that got the job. Well, I found out that in 1979, from, like January through June, he painted that giant mural in the Teague Auditorium at Johnson Space Center. And in the process of doing that, he met with Chris Kraft and everybody. And Chris Kraft at astronaut meetings said, you know, bob would really like to do a shuttle patch. Why don't you guys ask him? And I didn't find out until later, years, decades later, that that was the case. Well, I would get the response from the astronaut. We've already asked an artist, and that artist is Robert McCall.

[Maria Varma]

Yeah.

[Tim Gagnon]

You know, if I have to lose a job to McCall, I'm okay with that.

[Host]

Yes, that's right. What a sentence, by the way. My goodness.

[Tim Gagnon]

But finally, in 82, I write to McCall and I didn't get the advice I wanted. I got the advice I needed. And he said at the bottom of my letter, he hand wrote, to achieve success, evaluate your talents honestly, set your goals realistically, work tirelessly at your art and love every minute of the work. Study the great art of the past, Come back from inevitable failures and disappointments with courage and work relentlessly. So now that's the advice I share.

[Host]

It is evergreen advice. And I think even for people who aren't artists, it's. So much of that applies, it can.

[Tim Gagnon]

Resonate no matter what your passion is.

[Host]

I agree.

[Tim Gagnon]

You never give up. That's the message I tell kids. I started writing astronauts in 1973. I didn't get a yes until 2004. But now, 20 years later, here you are many, many times since, and you.

[Maria Varma]

Are about to become an analog astronaut.

[Host]

And again, I'm just so thrilled for you. It's, like, shimmering through my body. I'm just like. That makes me so happy. I want to know when.

[Maria Varma]

What should people know about what artists.

[Host]

Will bring to a mission like this?

[Tim Gagnon]

Well, we just try to help illustrate what we see so that the public can have a greater understanding of what they're looking at and what they're learning about. Back in the early 60s, I think, 62, NASA instituted an art program, and they invited artists to go to the Cape and go to Houston, where astronauts were training and so forth, and, you know, sketch them, interview them, learn about what they were doing, their missions and so forth.

[Host]

A little bit like NASA socials now. A tiny bit, almost.

[Maria Varma]

Yeah, yeah.

[Tim Gagnon]

And they. Matter of fact, there was one artist that was able to sit at breakfast with the Apollo 11 crew and then go watch them suit up. And all he had was a sketch pad and a ballpoint pen.

[Host]

Those are some of my favorite drawings ever.

[Tim Gagnon]

And the best thing about that is I'm friends with his son. The artist's name was Paul Kelly, and his son Chris portrayed him in the movie First Man.

[Host]

I did not know that.

[Tim Gagnon]

Using the same sketchbook and the same pen.

[Host]

Are you serious?

[Tim Gagnon]

Seriously. Now, when I heard about that from Chris, I was delighted. I was gonna. Even if I didn't like anything about that movie, the fact that he got on camera sketching Neil Armstrong, you know, Ryan Reynolds and all that, that made my day.

[Host]

That just made my day by proxy. That's so cool. Okay.

[Tim Gagnon]

And the fact that he still had his father's sketchbook and pen.

[Maria Varma]

Yes. Oh, my God.

[Host]

And I'm not lying. Those are some of my absolute favorite. Cause they're so. They're loose and expensive. There's so much rhythm in those drawings. Just incredible.

[Tim Gagnon]

Oh, what he did with a pen.

[Maria Varma]

Oh, magic.

[Tim Gagnon]

Oh, my God.

[Maria Varma]

Yeah.

[Host]

Absolutely. I'm sorry. Now I'm getting, like, really into that. But, like, it's magic to see those. Every time I come across them, it just takes my breath away. And just. I'm sure he felt the weight of that moment.

[Tim Gagnon]

Oh, sure he did.

[Host]

And just. But he was fearless.

[Tim Gagnon]

And then right at the walkout, you know, he doesn't walk out with the crew. Cause that's a photographic moment. He's standing out there next to Deke Slayton, and the crew comes out, they get in the van, they're headed to the pad. And Deke Slayton goes, so did you get what you needed?

[Host]

Hope so, because otherwise that moment's gone.

[Tim Gagnon]

So NASA has reinstituted the art program.

[Maria Varma]

Yeah.

[Tim Gagnon]

And that would be a future goal, to be able to participate in something like that.

[Host]

I think you should be top of the line for that, honestly.

[Maria Varma]

And I'll be right behind you.

[Tim Gagnon]

A lot of very good artists.

[Host]

No, there are, there are. It's absolutely amazing, Tim, but I really, I mean, you have been the model of someone who has worked relentlessly hard at this, and you're just like at the top of my pantheon of artists I just really admire.

[Tim Gagnon]

I appreciate that very much.

[Host]

I really love your work and your work ethic also. And just so much about what you do. Just I'm fangirling, I always do this to you, but I just genuinely mean it. And it's just been a delight to speak with you as always. So thank you for taking the time to talk to me today.

[Tim Gagnon]

I enjoyed it very much.

[Maria Varma]

We'll be right back.

[Dave]

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[Maria Varma]

Welcome back. If you missed our exciting news last week, we will be rolling out a new segment next month that dives into the experiments that are going on up on the International Space Station's national labor. We'll also cover how to work with the lab and chat about why research in microgravity is a desirable opportunity. The ISS National Lab has released its annual report highlighting the rapid growth of space based R and D. It also shares that nearly three quarters of newly selected projects sponsored for flight were from first time space users. It's certainly a good sign that folks are increasingly looking to space to solve issues both on and off the Earth. The center for the Advancement of Science in Space, also known as casis, has managed the ISS National Lab under a cooperative agreement with NASA since 2011. Casis says that of the 103 ISS National Lab sponsored payloads that were launched to the space station in the last year, 80% were from commercial entities. The lab reported nearly $25 million in external non NASA funding in support of ISS National Lab sponsored projects, with almost half from academic and nonprofit institutions. Additionally, startups secured nearly $147 million in funding after the flight of ISS National Lab sponsored projects, bringing the cumulative total to $2.2 billion. You can read more about their annual report by following the link in our show notes and send any questions you might have to their team to [e-mail] Exclamation and that is it for T minus for January 29, 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 that 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. This episode was produced by Alice Carruth. Our associate producer is Liz Stokes. We're mixed by Elliot Heltzman and Trey Hester with original music by Elliot Peltzman. Our Executive producer is Jennifer Ibin. Our Executive editor is Brandon Karp. Simone Petrella is our president, Peter Kilfey is our publisher and I am your host, Peter Maria Varmazes. Thanks for listening. We'll see you tomorrow.

[Dave]

T minus.

[Tim Gagnon]

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