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Foreign you're listening to the N2K space network.
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At Thales. They know cybersecurity can be tough and you can't protect everything. But with Thales you can secure what matters most. With Thales industry leading platforms, you can protect critical applications, data and identities anywhere and at scale with the highest roi. That's why the most trusted brands and largest banks, retailers and healthcare companies in the world rely on Thales to protect what matters most applications, data and identity. That's Talas T H A L E S learn more@talasgroup.com Cyber.
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Today is October 1, 2025. I'm Maria Varmazas and this is T minus.
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T minus 20 seconds to Los Tdris.
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Australia has renewed agreements with the United States and the United Kingdom that strengthen Collabor4 Astroscale has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with High Earth Orbit Robotics, better known as heo. Portal Space Systems has successfully tested a solar thermal propulsion system. Blue Origin has unveiled a new program to map lunar resources. Thales Alenia has signed a contract with ESA for the Secure and cryptographic or SAGA mission. 0Happy Wednesday everyone. Although it is not so happy for US Federal employees who are currently stuck in limbo. The United States government shut down at 12:01am last night and this obviously has a big impact on the space industry affecting NASA, noaa, the FAA and the launch ranges here in the United States, as well as just about anyone who does business with the US Government, which again is a lot of folks in the space industry. So we will see how this plays out in the coming days and possibly weeks, and what long term impact it has on planned programs. But for now we hope, like I suspect all Americans do right now, that the impasse will be resolved quickly and we wish our very best to all of those in government service who are directly impacted right now. With that said, let's move on to our intel briefing items for today. Telesalinia has signed a contract with the European Space Agency for the Secure and Cryptographic or saga, mission. The contract covers the system definition and preliminary design of a fully European end to end quantum key distribution system for governmental use. The SAGA mission aims to demonstrate a Quantum Key Distribution or QKD service that will enable secure QKD provision via a space segment consisting of a single Low Earth Orbit QKD satellite and they aim to develop an access segment made up of four space quantum Quantum Communication Infrastructure access nodes that will be strategically distributed across Europe and a control segment that's responsible for system operation and its integration with the Terrestrial Euroqci Infrastructure ESA's SAGA mission has been developed in close collaboration with the European Commission as the space based element of the European Quantum Communication Infrastructure Initiative, known as euroqci, and the project is supported by multiple European space agencies, with additional agencies expected to join as the mission advances and expands its objectives. The mission is funded under ESA's Advanced Research in Telecommunications Systems, which is part of the Directorate of Connectivity and Secure Communications. Blue Origin has unveiled a new program to map lunar resources Blue Origin says Project Oasis is a multi phase initiative aiming to identify key lunar resources from orbit, assess them on the ground and harness them in situ. Project Oasis is being conducted in partnership with Luxembourg and its national space Agency. It'll be led by Blue Origin's Space Resources center of Excellence and the company's international office in Luxembourg. GOM Space and ESRIC in Luxembourg are also supporting this project and the campaign aims to create the most detailed, high resolution maps to date of lunar water ice, helium 3 radionuclides, rare earth elements, precious metals and other materials that are all crucial for humanity's expansion into space. For the benefit of Earth, Portal Space Systems has successfully tested a solar thermal propulsion system. The demonstration was conducted at operational temperatures inside a vacuum chamber, validating the core technology powering Portal's spacecraft Supernova. Portal says Supernova is being developed for space superiority through rapid maneuverability and long duration missions. The test campaign was conducted at Portal's Washington facility and demonstrated full power high temperature operation of the company's patented 3D printed heat exchanger thruster, confirming predicted performance under flight like conditions. Congratulations to them. Astroscale has signed a three year Memorandum of Understanding with High Earth Orbit Robotics, better known as HEO or heo. The agreement deepens an existing partnership to develop and deliver critical capabilities for monitoring, assessing and ultimately servicing allied defense, government and commercial assets. The companies are collaborating to build the tools to track, manage and service spacecraft in orbit, and they want to enhance the resilience of satellites that underpin daily life on Earth. From GPS navigation and national defense operations to weather forecasting and by sharing technology, data and expertise, Astroscale and HEO are aiming to drive forward the commercial and technical foundation needed to secure the future of space. And that theme of collaboration continues at the International Astronautical Congress, or iac. This week, the US and Australia have signed a framework agreement that strengthens collaboration in aeronautics and space exploration between the two nations. Potential areas for cooperation include space exploration, space science, earth science, including geodesy, space medicine and life sciences, aeronautics, research and technology. NASA has collaborated with Australia on civil space activities since 1960, when the two countries signed their first cooperative space agreement. And as part of an existing partnership with the Australian Space Agency, Australia is developing a semi autonomous lunar rover which will carry a NASA analysis instrument intended to demonstrate technology for scientific and exploration purposes. And the rover, or rover, if we want to call it by its real name, is scheduled to launch by the end of this decade through NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services, or CLPS initiative. Additionally, the UK Space Agency and the Australian Space Agency have renewed the Space Bridge partnership at the iac. The framework arrangement builds on the initial Space bridge established in 2021 and is designed to strengthen collaboration, exchange expertise and and create new opportunities across both nations space sectors. And that wraps up today's top five stories from the space industry. Stay with us for details on funding opportunities to get your payloads on the ISS. But before we get to that, N2K senior producer Alice Cruth joins me now with a look at some of the other stories that we are watching. Alice, what are you looking at?