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- [00:02]
Alice Carruth
You're listening to the N2K space network.
- [00:11]
Dave
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- [01:30]
Alice Carruth
I'm Alice Carruth and this is T -20 seconds. NASA welcomes Senegal as the 56th signatory to the Artemis Accords 4 Tawaki has received $5.8 million from New Zealand to exp as a center of aerospace innovation. The Australian government invested $5 million in Gilmour Space to accelerate the development of Eris's next generation liquid rocket engine. Thalassilania Space has signed a contract with the Italian Space Agency to carry out the preliminary design phase of a multi purpose habitation module for the lunar surface. Arianespace launched the VV27 mission from Europe's spaceport in French Guian. Stay with us after today's headlines. For the Aerospace Corporation's monthly Nexus segment, Parker has guests Vanessa Clark from Catalyst Space, Joe Anderson from Northrop Grumman Space Logistics and Cosmic's Greg Richardson on the show to talk all things ISAM foreign. We're kicking off today's show with an update on Europe's launch schedule. Arianespace successfully launched Airbus Defense and Space's C03D satellites as well as the CNES's microcarb satellite. Late on Friday. The mission, called VV27 was performed using an Ariane space operated Vega C rocket launched from Europe's spaceport in French Guiana. The four satellites in the CO3D constellation were placed into sound synchronous orbit at an altitude of 495 km and were separated 2 by 2, 54 minutes after liftoff. The microcarb was placed in a sun synchronous orbit at an altitude of 650 km and separated an hour and 41 minutes after liftoff. Microcarb is designed to map sources and sinks of carbon dioxide on a global scale. ESA coordinated and procured the launch of microcarb on behalf of the European Commission as part of its in Orbit Demonstration in Orbit Validation program and there's no downtime for Arianespace. They've just announced that they plan to launch Umetsat's Metop SGA1 satellite with Ariane 6 as early as August 12. The mission, designated VA264 will be the second commercial flight for Ariane 6. The satellite will be the first of the next generation of European polar orbiting weather satellites. Metop SGA1 will host a total of six atmospheric sounding and imaging instrument missions. They will provide optical, infrared and microwave observations, essential data for weather forecasting, climate monitoring and a wide range of other services and applications. Amongst its hosts, Metop SGA1 will carry the new Sentinel 5 atmospheric monitoring mission, part of the European Commission's Copernicus program and we're staying in Europe for the next story. Thales Alania Space has signed a contract with the Italian Space Agency to carry out the preliminary design phase of a multi purpose habitation module for the lunar surface. Known as mph. The module will be the first truly dedicated lunar surface habitation asset under the Artemis agreements between NASA and the Italian Space Agency. The MPH module will safely house astronauts during their missions, provide support for surface operations, enable scientific research experiments both with and without a crew and will have the ability to move on the surface. It will be designed for a 10 year operational life and will serve as a permanent surface habitat capable of operating with other elements of the Artemis architecture. MPH is planned for launch in 2033. We're heading down under now. Gilmour Space is preparing for the inaugural flight attempt of the ERIS rocket again. The launch window runs all week starting on Tuesday, July 29 from 7:30 till 5:30 local time in Queensland. Gilmour Space's Eris Test Flight 1 will be the first Australian made rocket to attempt orbit and the nation's first orbital launch in over 50 years. The company also received new funding. The Australian government invested $5 million under the government's Industry Growth program to accelerate the development of ERIS next generation liquid rocket engine. Over in neighbouring New Zealand, Tawaki has received $5.8 million from the nation's government to expand its role as a center for aerospace innovation and a hub for launching, testing and developing techn. With permanent special use airspace now in place, companies like Kia Aerospace, Sios Aerospace and Dawn Aerospace are already testing next generation technologies. Tawaki says that the new funding will help scale operations, attract new customers and strengthen the region's position in the global space and advanced aviation sectors. And NASA welcomed Senegal as the latest signatory to the Artemis Accords late last week. Acting NASA Administrator Sean Duffy said in the press release, with Senegal as the 56th signatory, I am proud to further President Trump's strong legacy of global cooperation in space. The Director General of the Senegalese space Agency signed the Artemis Accords on behalf of the nation at an event in Washington, D.C. with the Senior Bureau Official for African affairs at the U.S. department of State and the Ambassador of Senegal to the US Also participating in the event. And that wraps up today's top five stories. But there's always more going on in the industry. Our producer Liz Stokes joins us now with the other stories that we're watching today. Happy Monday, Liz. What do you have for us?
- [07:25]
Liz Stokes
I have three additional stories today. Reuters is reporting that NASA expects 20% of its workforce to depart the agency SpaceX crew 11 astronauts have arrived in Florida ahead of their launch to the ISS, and BAE Systems has delivered NOAA's SWFO L and NASA's Carruthers Geocorona Observatory satellites ahead of their launch. Is that last one related to you, Alice?
- [07:51]
Alice Carruth
No, Liz, I'm a Carruth, not a Carruthers. But both clans hail from Scotland. I wish I had a space observatory named after me though. Please remind the crew where they can find out more about those stories.
- [08:02]
Liz Stokes
We include links to the original sources of all the stories mentioned throughout the show in the selected Reading section of our Show Notes. Those links can be found on the episode page of our website. Simply head to space.n2k.com Click on today's.
- [08:16]
Alice Carruth
Title hi T Miners Crew. If you'd like daily updates from us directly in your LinkedIn feed, be sure to follow the N2K T Miners page over on LinkedIn. And if you're more interested in the lighter side of what we do, here we are Tminus Daily on Instagram. That's where we host videos and pictures from events, excursions and even some behind the scenes treats. Links are in the Show Notes and we hope you'll join us there.
- [09:01]
Dave
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- [09:41]
Alice Carruth
I'll hand you over to Parker Wyszek from the Aerospace Corporation for this month's Nexus segment now.
- [09:50]
Parker Wyszek
And you're in the Nexus, courtesy of the T Minus Space Daily Podcast. My name is Parker Wyschek with the Aerospace Corporation and today we're talking ISAM with an all star panel from industry. We're joined by Joe Anderson, Vice President of Northrop Grumman Space Logistics Vanessa Clark, former founder and CEO of Atomos and which was acquired earlier this year by Catalyst Space Technologies, where Vanessa is now Vice president of Program and Mission Management. Both are leaders within the industry consortium, the Consortium for Space Mobility and ISAM Capabilities, or cosmic, of which Greg Richardson is the Executive Director, who's also joining us today. And full disclosure, Aerospace is the consortium management entity for cosmic. So Jo, real quick at the top, could you kind of characterize the ICM market for us, please?
- [10:48]
Joe Anderson
To characterize ISAM market, I think we've got to look at both the supply side and the demand side. On the supply side, our company, Space Logistics is still the only company with services actually in orbit. We've got two of our mission extension vehicles in orbit today. They've delivered in excess of nine years of life extension to satellites in geo orbit, so showing great, great demand in that regard. It only covers one small subset of isam. We talk about isam. It's servicing, assembly, manufacturing, and so there's a broad spectrum of the technology readiness across that entire term. On the demand side, there is ample demand from our customers for these types of services. The issue is there's very limited supply. There's been no supply until our mevs a few years ago.
- [11:43]
Parker Wyszek
Vanessa, how do you characterize the ISAM marketplace from your perspective as Industry Caucus.
- [11:48]
Alice Carruth
Chair of Cosmic yeah, so very similar to what Joe said. Like there is a lot of pent up demand, but there is really only one player in the market delivering services. So there is so much room for growth. ISAM is really a movement. It's a collection of potential missions that we do, but it shifts the paradigm in the industry where we are no longer constrained by launch, we are no longer constrained by the inability to repair, upgrade, relocate spacecraft. So it has the potential to totally Change how we do space missions. So ISAM, that revolutionizes the industry, allows manufacturing, assembly of systems on orbit is what I really see as next generation stuff. So when we look at the marketplace today, there are a whole bunch of companies who are focused on the here and now. Like what mission sets do customers want today? And there are lots of them. And then there are also companies that are looking further afield as to what comes next. Once we master the technologies and make this commonplace, once we overcome some of the barriers to entry to this sector, what should we be building? So where is the puck going and where should we be? So it's very exciting, but we are very much in stage one, which is do initial missions that have desperate customers today.
- [13:05]
Parker Wyszek
Greg, you are the executive director of Cosmiq. Talk about how Cosmiq, the community, has grown over time since it was established by NASA a couple years ago.
- [13:16]
Greg Richardson
COSMIC is the nationwide consortium for ISAM in space, servicing, assembly, manufacturing. And as a nationwide consortium, we try to bring together government, industry, academia to talk about who's out there, what are they doing, where are their challenges they're facing, what are the challenges they're seeing in the road coming up. And then by combining all those perspectives, by combining forces, by working shoulder to shoulder on identifying problems and figuring out how to solve them, we can see where we as the US ISAM community need to go to make sure that these services become available, reliable, routine, safe and effective. There's a whole spectrum of missions. The way that Joe and Vanessa just described it, some of those missions are things that happen today with today's technology, on today's spacecraft. I think continuing to invest in both technology maturation so that the type of missions that we can do expand into the future, as well as investing in on orbit demonstration to provide heritage, to show that these are as safe, reliable and effective as the operational users need them to be. Those are both areas where investment from the government side is needed. And that will create the number of players that Joe is talking about so that the supply matches the demand. It will create the new capabilities that Vanessa's talking about to try to expand what's possible in the future.
- [14:36]
Parker Wyszek
So I want to quote the GAO report here, which says that ISAM is a potential paradigm changer in space. Development of ISAM technology faces challenges largely related to what experts call the chicken and egg problem. ISAM service providers are hesitant to develop technology into servicing products until there is a user base, I.e. buyers and users, I.e. buy, are hesitant to design and deploy satellites that can be serviced until Those products are available, means tested and proven with some of that heritage you just described. So we talk about the risk, we talk about the technology needing to be proven. First Joe and then Vanessa. How do you respond to that?
- [15:21]
Joe Anderson
Yeah, so when I think about risk, there's really two key pieces to it. There's the technology risk itself for the services we're providing. And looking at the types of services we're providing today in orbit, rendezvous and docking is not new. Rendezvous and docking has been done since the 1960s. The second part of the risk, not just the technology, it's the heritage piece. You know, my company is fortunate that, you know, we're part of a business that has already matured their capabilities of performing those technologies. Of course, it's a big challenge for other startups that are just coming into the industry. They have a different hurdle, a different challenge to now also prove their heritage.
- [16:05]
Parker Wyszek
Agree. And Vanessa, we heard that from you at Cosmic Convergence in June. You kind of foot stomping the need for test beds, need for more testing capacity. What would you like to see to advance the industry from a testing and proving standpoint?
- [16:23]
Alice Carruth
So I do think we need a nationally owned test asset on orbit for ice emissions. So this doesn't have to be a dedicated system that we design, build, launch. This could be a US government satellite, it could be semi retired and in its semi retirement, it could be a target for rendezvous, proximity operations and capture testing. And then in the future we could expand that platform and capabilities, add additional upgrades, interfaces, systems. So there is really an on orbit testbed that is very analogous to near term targets for isam. Now the reason I think we need this is not just for technology maturation, it's also to remove a lot of the barriers to entry. So for ISAM missions, a lot of the customers who want services today, they always ask the question when you go demonstrate this mission on a different spacecraft before you come and do it on our operational asset. The reason why I'm recommending this is right now the cost to not just get to orbit, but to demonstrate these technologies is effectively a barrier to entry. That right now some of the larger players, certainly Northrop Grumman Space Logistics is enduring as a competitive advantage. I want us to all compete based on the quality of service that we provide and pricing, not who got there first and got over this huge hump, this activation energy to provide services first. So this is essentially lowering the activation energy for future ISAM missions.
- [17:57]
Parker Wyszek
People coming to space, more capabilities and space systems coming into space. Greg, I think this for you Is the point?
- [18:05]
Greg Richardson
Absolutely. One of the things that Cosmic has as our mission statement is making ISAM services and operations routine. That we want to get out of this language of technology demonstration and into this language of operations. The way to do that is to make sure that you've got sufficient heritage that make sure you've got safe, reliable and effective systems so that the operational users who want to buy services have confidence that that service will be there when it's needed, at the price that's needed, at acceptable risk to perform the services that allow them to make their spacecraft better longer and just continue to operate the way that they need to.
- [18:42]
Parker Wyszek
I want to home in on what may be the actual chicken and egg point, which is the lack of test opportunities and the lack of sustained investment. And these are both listed in this GAO report as rationales for the lack of demonstrated capability. So which comes first, the investment or the test opportunities?
- [19:06]
Alice Carruth
I think that the financing side needs to be improved fast. Early stage companies in particular, they have two types of capital that they can draw on right now. One is customer revenue. But customers want to see heritage already. They don't want to fund the development. So companies like Catalyst are really reliant on venture capital investment now. That's only one small pool of money. I think we have an opportunity now, particularly with things like the Office of Strategic Capital, particularly with a lot of the changes that are going on in the global financial markets. Why don't we diversify the financial mechanisms by which we can invest in technologies like this? Things such as program financing, not just underwriting government contracts, which are quite a few lenders do today, but underwriting and capitalizing commercial contracts. What is a good form of a commercial ICM contract that would allow a lender to provide the upfront capital for that mission? I think this is work that OSC and the government could be doing to make sure that America stays at the forefront. So finance first and then testing second. We want to get to a point where a lot of these companies have enough heritage that customers are willing to fund Delta Development and fund those missions. So it's going to be a national fight. And this is why I really am excited to participate with Cosmic and try to bring the consortium forward together to solve some of these problems as a group, because one company can't solve it alone.
- [20:41]
Joe Anderson
So test beds are really, really crucial. I agree with that. And there are lots of different opportunities for test beds. One of them in the near future will be our mission robotic vehicle that we've been building in partnership with darpa it will be launching a year from now. It'll be in GEO orbit a year after that. Unfortunately, very slow electric propulsion, orbit raising takes a little longer to get up to GEO orbit, but once it's there, it's a great platform. It's a 13 year lifetime for us. And we'll have opportunities to utilize that robotic vehicle to demonstrate new servicing technologies as well as help new companies get their heritage by delivering their tools, their capabilities to the mrv. And then we can demonstrate them, use them in GEO orbit, and thereby help grow that heritage for those customers.
- [21:37]
Parker Wyszek
Greg, we've talked just now about some of the, the results and outputs that converging in a cosmic community that you've assembled and are leading the value statement there. What has been your kind of main takeaway watching all of these diverse players and the three sectors of the space enterprise come together in this way.
- [22:05]
Greg Richardson
One of the things that I see in hearing all these different perspectives is that we have more in common. We have more things that we want to do together. And that's true whether you've got government demand, whether you've got industry supply or even industry demand. We've got things that we all know we need to do. And Vanessa talked about that in terms of on orbit testbeds and the ability to expand the number of providers that can operate through those testbeds. Joe's offering one of those test beds. I think one of the challenges that we can address together is this idea that we need more systems that have flight heritage. And so in having that, it provides us systems what they need to continue to operate in a resilient, reliable and robust way. Whether that testbed is something that is developed on a civil side, a defense side, a commercial side, that testbed is needed. And not just one, but a variety of testbeds that are unique to different applications and operation modes. If commercial develops that and offers that as a service, you know, you can rent space on a test bed, you can perform operations with that. That's one mode of operations. Another is government says this is something that benefits all of us and they decide to invest in something that can be opened to the entire community. Each of those are viable models. And I think as we continue to talk, we can figure out what's the path that makes the most sense. Is there just one path or could we take more than one of these paths? Because we don't want just one single instance to be the center of the hourglass when everything has to flow into it. We want a variety of different capabilities. We want enough capacity to deal with that latent demand that all wants on orbit demonstrations. All of those are goals that we're working together through cosmic to close to.
- [23:45]
Parker Wyszek
Offer your main points, I'd like for you to build off a tagline. ISAM is real today. What's the next one liner?
- [23:53]
Alice Carruth
ISAM is real today. We just need to reduce the activation energy for more companies to be on orbit and deliver these services.
- [24:03]
Joe Anderson
ISAM is real today. We have to help our customers understand that there's a new capability that this is bringing to service and maintain assets in orbit that has never been available before. So we need the government, we need our commercial entities all to be thinking about their basic budgets and principles of how they do things in this new way that they can now service and maintain assets in space.
- [24:31]
Greg Richardson
ISAM is real today. It lets us make the space systems of today and tomorrow more resilient, more reliable, more robust, more flexible, more cost effective. Let's move beyond demonstration. Let's move to operations. Let's make this a routine part of space missions.
- [24:48]
Parker Wyszek
Let's move. Let's do it. That'll be all for us today here in the Nexus. Thanks to Joe Anderson, thanks Vanessa Clark and thanks Greg Richardson. Thanks to T minus as always and thank you the Listener, for continuing to join us. We'll see you next time in the Nexus.
- [25:16]
Alice Carruth
We'll be right back.
- [25:23]
Dave
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- [26:13]
Alice Carruth
Welcome back. A few short months ago we observed what we thought was the demise of space tourism company Space Perspectives. But it seems that the high altitude balloon company has been thrown a lifeline from Spain. Madrid based company EOS Xspace has acquired what was once its US rival Space Perspective. Space Perspective had built momentum with its spaceship Neptune capsule and its successful test flight name Excelsior, reaching nearly 100,000ft in September 2024. But severe financial issues in early 2025, staff furloughs, loss of facility access and operational silence left its future in doubt. Eos Xspace has been developing its own helium balloon system to lift pressurized capsules carrying seven passengers and a pilot to roughly 40 kilometers, which is around 131,000ft, offering multi hour luxury experiences with panoramic windows, mood lighting, onboard bar and a loo, all without rocket fuel emissions. EOS X plans to operate from Seville, Spain and Abu Dhabi, targeting commercial flights by mid to late 2025 with ticket prices between $160,000 to around $240,000. With the new acquisition, EOSX base gains Space Perspectives Technology and Test Flight Heritage while pledging that the US Entity will continue operations with full autonomy under US Leadership and retain part of its existing team. The deal includes plans for a US Launch facility at Kennedy Space center and a new R and D hub in Silicon Valley. This move positions EOS X to combine European and American expertise in luxury balloon tourism, potentially shaping the next era of calm, sustainable journeys to the edge of space. We wish them all the best of luck and hey, we're open to a flight if you ever need some media coverage. And if you don't ask, you don't get right.
- [28:03]
Parker Wyszek
Foreign.
- [28:11]
Alice Carruth
That'S it for T Miner Space for today. Brought to you by M2K 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 the show, please share a rating and review in your podcast app. Please also fill out the survey in the show notes before August 31st, or you can send me 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 cyber security professionals grow, learn and stay informed. As the nexus for discovery and connection, we bring you the people, technology and ideas shaping the future of secure innovation. Learn how@n2k.com N2K's producer is Liz Stokes. We're mixed by Elliot Peltzman and the amazing Trey Hester with original music by Elliot Peltzman. Our executive producer Jennifer Iban, Peter Kilpe is our publisher and I'm N2K senior producer Alice Carruth. Our incredible host, Maria Barmazes will be back on the air tomorrow, so please stop complaining about the British voiceover. I'm sorry. Thanks for listening.
- [29:43]
Dave
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