For the love of launch and conquering the sun.

Summary

Podcast Summary: T-Minus Space Daily – "For the Love of Launch and Conquering the Sun"

Release Date: February 14, 2025

Host: Maria Varmazes
Publisher: N2K Networks
Website: https://space.n2k.com/

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Introduction

In the February 14, 2025 episode of T-Minus Space Daily, host Maria Varmazes delves into a myriad of pivotal developments within the global space industry. From groundbreaking contracts and significant funding rounds to critical cybersecurity concerns, this episode offers a comprehensive overview of the current landscape shaping space exploration and defense.

Key Announcements and Contracts

Firefly Aerospace Secures US Space Force Contract

One of the standout stories covered by Varmazes is the United States Space Force’s Space Systems Command awarding a $21.81 million launch service contract to Firefly Aerospace for the Victus Soldier mission. This initiative marks the Space Force’s latest tactically responsive space mission aimed at providing rapid on-orbit support to combatant commanders.

Jason Kim, CEO of Firefly Aerospace, emphasized the company's commitment:

“Firefly has ramped up our Alpha production line to meet that demand and provide flexibility to support the Space Force's urgent needs that keep us ahead of the game.”
(04:12)

Victus Soldier represents the third Space Force mission supported by Firefly’s responsive Alpha launch system, building on previous successes with the Victus Knox and Victus Hayes missions. Firefly plans to maintain an Alpha rocket on standby for immediate deployment upon receiving launch notices from the Space Force.

K2 Space's Series B Funding and Expansion

K2 Space announced a substantial $110 million Series B funding round, propelling the company towards scaling its operations. This milestone coincides with the opening of their new 180,000 square foot factory in Torrance, California, and the successful first in-space demonstration of several critical in-house developed components.

Varmazes highlighted K2 Space’s ambitious plans:

“The company says it intends to use the funding to ramp up mass production of its multi-orbit high power satellite platform and their first customer mission called Gravitas is scheduled to launch in 2026.”
(05:30)

Since its inception, K2 Space has attracted $180 million in equity funding and secured over $50 million in government and commercial contracts, positioning itself as a formidable player in the high-power satellite market.

European Space Agency's HYDRON Project Contracts

The European Space Agency (ESA) has made significant strides with two major contracts:

1. DXC Technology Contract: Tasked with developing an enterprise AI platform named Ask ESA, this initiative aims to facilitate the rapid and secure deployment of Generative AI agents and other AI-driven solutions within the agency. The platform leverages technology from French startup Mistral AI, enhancing ESA’s capability to manage vast amounts of data efficiently.

   Varmazes posed a thought-provoking question to listeners:

   “What would you ask Ask ESA?”
   (06:15)

2. Thales Alenia Space Contract: ESA has partnered with Thales Alenia Space to develop the second element of the HYDRON Project, known as Element K2. This component focuses on creating a low Earth orbit satellite collector equipped with advanced optical communication capabilities and a robust ground segment infrastructure. The HYDRON system is designed to evolve into a multilayered network, enhancing data availability, increasing user data rates, and reducing communication costs.

Starcatcher Industries' SBIR Phase 1 Award

Starcatcher Industries was selected by AFWorks for the SBIR Phase 1 program to advance space-to-space power beaming technology for vehicles in low Earth orbit (LEO). This funding will validate Starcatcher’s innovative approach to establishing the first space energy grid, addressing power limitations in existing space assets.

Varmazes previewed an upcoming interview:

“We’re going to be speaking to Starcatcher next month about their network, so make sure you tune in for that chat.”
(06:55)

Space Traffic Report

Alicia Siegel, Senior Producer at N2K, presents the Weekly Space Traffic Report, detailing the week’s significant launches and upcoming missions.

Notable Launches

1. SpaceX Falcon 9 – February 8, 2025 (19:18 UTC)

   • Payload: 21 Starlink satellites (8 V2 mini and 13 direct-to-cell)
   • First Stage: B1078, on its 17th flight, successfully landed on the drone ship Of Course I Still Love You.

2. Rocket Lab Electron – February 8, 2025 (20:43 UTC)

   • Payload: 5 Kanae satellites for Internet of Things (IoT) applications
   • Mission Name: IOT for You and Me

3. Changjiang 8A – February 11, 2025 (09:30 UTC)

   • Payload: Up to 8 Guo Wang Space Internet satellites
   • Highlights: Enhanced second stage with increased propellant capacity and upgraded engines, boosting payload capacity by ~40%.

4. SpaceX Falcon 9 – February 11, 2025 (02:09 UTC)

   • Payload: 23 Starlink V2 mini satellites (total launches for the week: three on the same day)
   • First Stage: B1071, on its 23rd flight, marked as the fifth booster to achieve this milestone.

Future Launches

• February 15, 2025: Falcon 9 from Florida carrying additional Starlink satellites.
• February 17, 2025: Falcon 9 from Vandenberg launching Starshield satellites for the National Reconnaissance Office.
• February 18, 2025:
  • Starlink Group 1012: First to utilize the new drone ship landing zone in the Bahamas.
  • Rocket Lab Electron: Launching BlackSky’s third-generation satellites.
• February 20, 2025: Falcon 9 from Vandenberg initiating Starlink Group 15 missions.

Siegel concluded the report by noting the impressive total of 7,929 SpaceX satellites launched, with 6,264 in operational orbit as of the reporting week.

Cybersecurity in Space

Transitioning from space operations to the critical intersection of cybersecurity, Varmazes addressed a significant vulnerability discovered in the US satellite communication system Iridium. Highlighting the collaborative efforts with the Cyberwire, she recounted how two German white hat hackers, known as Sec and Schneider, intercepted text messages sent via Iridium.

Key Points:

• Despite the DoD’s secure gateway and encrypted traffic, the hackers could identify and locate DoD users within a 4km radius.
• The exploitation utilized readily available components: an Iridium antenna, a software-defined radio receiver, and a basic computer like the Raspberry Pi.
• Varmazes stressed the importance of proactive security measures:

  “Please, let’s use this example as a polite warning to fellow space enthusiasts to start thinking a little harder about what security is in place at your company and with your assets.”
  (17:50)

She encouraged listeners to enhance their cybersecurity posture, offering N2K's expertise:

“If you’re a little unsure where to start, you know, we can actually help with that. Just drop us an [e-mail] and we’ll gladly help steer you in the right direction.”
(18:30)

Additional Updates

In the segment wrapped by producer Alice Carruth, Varmazes shared additional space stories, including:

• Japan's Resilience Lunar Lander: Preparing for its inaugural journey around the moon.
• I Space and King Fox University of Petroleum and Minerals: Signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to collaborate on lunar exploration initiatives.

Varmazes teased future content:

“We have an update to yesterday's kicker story... links to all the stories mentioned can be found in our show notes [e-mail] just click on this episode title.”
(07:38)

Conclusion

The episode concluded with reminders about upcoming shows and interviews, notably featuring Jeff Thornburg from Portal Space on T-Minus Deep Space, and a special episode from Spacecom 2025 with James Draper, Director of the Cape Canaveral Space Force Museum.

Varmazes also emphasized the importance of listener feedback to continually enhance the podcast’s value:

“Your feedback ensures we deliver the insight that keep you a step ahead in the rapidly changing space industry.”
(19:45)

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Notable Quotes:

• Jason Kim, CEO of Firefly Aerospace:

  “Firefly has ramped up our Alpha production line to meet that demand and provide flexibility to support the Space Force's urgent needs that keep us ahead of the game.”
  (04:12)

• Maria Varmazes on Cybersecurity Vulnerability:

  “Please, let’s use this example as a polite warning to fellow space enthusiasts to start thinking a little harder about what security is in place at your company and with your assets.”
  (17:50)

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Resources and Further Reading:

• Show Notes: space.n2k.com
• Contact: [e-mail]
• JoinDeleteMe Promo: JoinDeleteMe.com with promo code N2K

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Stay Tuned:
Don’t miss tomorrow's episode of T-Minus Deep Space, featuring an in-depth interview with Jeff Thornburg from Portal Space, and more expert insights into the evolving space industry.

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Follow Us:

• Twitter: @space_n2k
• LinkedIn: N2K Networks

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This summary aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the key discussions and insights from the "For the Love of Launch and Conquering the Sun" episode of T-Minus Space Daily. For the full experience, listeners are encouraged to tune into the podcast directly.

Transcript

[Maria Varmazes]

Foreign. You're listening to the N2K space network.

[Dave]

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[Maria Varmazes]

Today is February 14th, 2025. Happy Valentine's Day. I'm Maria Varmazes and this is t -t min 20 seconds. Starcatcher Industries has been selected by AFWorks for SBIR Phase 1 to advance space to space power beaming for vehicles in leo. The European Space Agency has awarded a contract to DXC Technology to develop an enterprise AI platform. ESA has signed a contract with Telus Alenia Space to develop element number two of the high throughput digital and optical network otherwise known as hydron project K2. Space has raised $110 million in a series B funding round. The United States Space Force's Space Systems Command has awarded a launch service contract to Firefly Aerospace for the branch's newest tactically responsive space miss. And it is Valentine's Day today. Hope you didn't forget. So we're sharing the love for launch with our [e-mail] who will be bringing us the space traffic report, wrapping all the launch news from the week that's just passed and taking a look at what's to come up in the next seven. Happy Friday, everybody. You made it. Let's dive into today's intelligence briefing. The United States Space Force's Space Systems Command has awarded a launch service contract to Firefly Aerospace for $21.81 million for Victus Soldier, which is the branch's newest tactically responsive space mission. Victus Sol is an early operational capability to enable the United States to rapidly respond to on orbit needs and provide flexibility to combatant commanders. The Victus Sol Launch Service contract was completed on the Orbital Services Program 4 indefinite delivery indefinite quantity contract managed by the Rocket Systems Launch program within SSC's Assured Access to Space Program Executive Office. The Space Safari Office is the lead organization for the USSF's tactically responsive space initiatives and is the end to end mission lead for Victus Sol. Jason Kim, CEO of Firefly Aerospace, said in the press release that Firefly has ramped up our Alpha production line to meet that demand and provide flexibility to support the Space Force's urgent needs that keep us ahead of the game. Victis S.O.L. is the third US Space Force mission that Firefly will support with its responsive Alpha launch surface. Firefly Aerospace says they will build on the lessons learned from the Victus Knox and Victus Hayes missions. The company will continue to launch other government and commercial missions while maintaining an Alpha rocket on standby for the Space Force. Then at an unknown time, the Space Force will give Firefly a notice to launch for space vehicle deployment. Moving on to K2 space now and they have raised $110 million in a series B funding round and the Milestone comes as K2 celebrates the opening of its new 180,000 square foot factory in Torrance, California and the success of its first in space demonstration flying a number of critical components developed in house. Since its inception, K2 Space has raised $180 million in equity and won over $50 million in government and commercial contracts. The company says it intends to use the funding to ramp up mass production of its multi orbit high power satellite platform and their first customer mission called Gravitas is scheduled to launch in 2026. The European Space Agency has signed a contract with Thales Alenia Space to develop element number two of the high throughput digital and optical network project also known as hydron. The contract will see the development of a low Earth orbit satellite collector equipped with advanced end to end optical communication capabilities along with a comprehensive ground segment infrastructure. And the system builds onto the element number one creatively named Leoring developed by Kepler Communications announced last year which will allow HYDRON to evolve into a multilayer system with terminals linking between LEO and geostationary orbit and the Earth. Element number two will extend data availability to enhance user data rates and reduce cost. Speaking of the European Space Agency, they have awarded a contract to D Technology to develop an enterprise AI platform called Ask ESA and ESA is looking for the platform to enable the Space Agency to quickly and securely build and deploy Gen AI agents and other AI power solutions. The new platform will be based on generative AI from French startup Mistral AI and will allow the agency to efficiently access high volumes of documents and data. And it's got us wondering, what would you ask? Issa and Starcatcher Industries has been selected by AppWorks for a Siber Phase 1 to advance space to space power beaming for low Earth orbit spacecraft enhancement and the funding will go towards validating Starcatcher's core space to space power beaming tech and enhance them for military readiness. The company is developing the first space energy grid, aiming to address the power limitations in space assets. Starcatcher Network is aiming to beam significant levels of broad spectrum energy to spacecraft in LEO and beyond and we're going to be speaking to Starcatcher next month about their network, so make sure you tune in for that chat. And that concludes our briefing for this day of love. Our producer Alice Carruth has extra love for more space stories that didn't make today's Top five.

[Alicia Siegel]

Yes, Maria, we have an update to yesterday's kicker story. Japan's Resilience Lunar Lander is getting ready for its first jaunt around the moon. And speaking of I Space, they've also signed an MOU with King Fox University of Petroleum and Minerals to collaborate on lunar exploration opportunities. Of course, as always, links to all the stories mentioned can be found in our show notes [e-mail] just click on this episode title and Maria, it's been some time since I've made you groan at one of my dad jokes, so I have some Valentine's puns for you.

[Maria Varmazes]

Oh goodness.

[Alicia Siegel]

Go ahead, brace yourselves. Are you made of dark matter because you're irresistible? I must be a comet because I can't help but tail you. Our love is like a black hole it just keeps pulling me in. Can I be your satellite Because I.

[Maria Varmazes]

Want to revolve I think it's enough. Hey T Minus crew, Tune in tomorrow for T Minus Deep Space. It's our show for extended interviews, special editions and deep dives with some of the most influential professionals in the space industry. Tomorrow we have Jeff Thornburg from Portal Space talking about tactical responsiveness on orbit and on demand. Check it out while you're buying all the candy that goes on sale tomorrow, preparing for your next work trip to Florida like I am. Yes, I'm heading back there next week and hope to see another launch. Fingers crossed. Or just relaxing after another busy week in the space industry. You don't want to miss it. Oh, and one last note, Monday is a federal holiday here in the United States, so we won't be sharing the daily intelligence briefing, but we will have another great chat from Spacecom 2025 running. Our guest will be James Draper, the director of the Cape Canaveral Space Force Museum. Definitely tune in for that chat.

[Dave]

Cyber threats are evolving every second, and staying ahead is more than just a challenge, it's a necessity. That's why we're thrilled to partner with ThreatLocker, the cybersecurity solution trusted by businesses worldwide. ThreatLocker is a full suite of solutions designed to give you total control stopping unauthorized applications, securing sensitive data, and ensuring your organization runs smoothly and securely. Visit threatlocker.com today to see how a default deny approach can keep your company safe and compliant.

[Maria Varmazes]

On Fridays, we catch up with all the week's launch news, thanks to the Space Traffic Report and our friends at nsf.

[Alice Carruth]

I'm Alicia Siegel for nsf, and this is your weekly Space Traffic Report for T Minus Space. We started off the week with a Falcon 9 lifting off from Florida on February 8th at 19:18 UTC from Space Launch Complex 40. Onboard were 21 stars Starlink satellites headed to low Earth orbit. Eight of them were regular Starlink V2 mini satellites, while the other 13 were direct to cell satellites. The first stage for this mission, B1078, was flying for a 17th time and it successfully landed on SpaceX's drone ship, a shortfall of gravitas. Later that day we had Rocket Lab's first launch of 2025 with its Electron rocket taking flight on February 8th at 2043 UTC from the company's launch site in New Zealand. Electron was carrying a batch of five Kanae satellites into low Earth orbit for this mission. These Kanae satellites are part of a constellation of 25 small satellites dedicated to Internet of Things applications, which is why Rocket Lab named this mission IOT for you and me. Rocket Lab is still under contract to launch another batch of kinase satellites on Electron, which should take place later this year. And speaking of batches of satellites and supporting constellations in low Earth orbit, this week we also had three launches on the same day, all delivering batches of SA satellites in support of constellations in low Earth orbit. The first of these three took place from California, with the Falcon 9 lifting off on February 11th at 2:09 UTC from Space Launch Complex 4 East. The rocket was carrying 23 Starlink V2 mini satellites into low Earth orbit. As usual, the first stage for this mission, B1071, was flight proven and was flying for a 23rd time, making it the fifth booster to fly that many times. As a veteran flyer, the booster successfully landed on SpaceX's drone ship of course I Still Love youe. Later that day, we had a new rocket debut from China. The first flight of the Changjiang 8A took place on February 11 at 9:30 UTC from Launch Complex 2 at the Wenchang Satellite Launch Center. The rocket was carrying a batch of Guo Wang satellites into low Earth orbit. The Cheongjang 8A rocket is an improved version of the standard Changjung 8 rocket. The rocket shares the same first stage and booster configuration, but the second stage has been widened to match the diameter of the core stage. The second stage has also been redesigned to include a common bulkhead tank design instead of using separate tanks, which gives the rocket's second stage a larger propellant capacity and performance. To compensate for the increased propellant capacity, the second stage is also fitted with upgraded engines with more thrust. All in all, these upgrades increase the rocket's payload capacity by about 40% compared to the standard Changjung 8. Despite the experimental purpose of the flight, the rocket was carrying the second batch of operational Guo Wang Space Internet satellites. Little is known about the size and mass of these satellites and it's unclear how many of them were carried on board, but early tracking Data from the US Space Force indicates that up to eight satellites may have been on board the Chungjiang 8A during this mission. Also on February 11, we had another Starlink launch, this time from Florida. The mission started at 18:53 UTC from Space Launch Complex 40 and was carrying another mix of 13 direct to cell and 8 Starlink V2 mini satellites into low earth orbit. The first stage for this mission, B1, was flying for an 18th time and it successfully landed on SpaceX's drone ship. Just read the instructions with the Starlink launches performed this week, SpaceX has now launched a total of 7,929 satellites into orbit, of which 899 have re entered and 6,264 have moved into their operational orbit. Going into next week, we'll have many more Starlink launches, with the first one coming up on February 15th from Florida. The four hour launch window for that mission is set to open at 5:00 UTC. A few days later, we'll have another Falcon 9 from Vandenberg carrying a batch of Starshield satellites for the National Reconnaissance Office as part of the agency's proliferated space architecture. The roughly two and a half hour window for this mission is set to open on February 17th at 13:18 UTC. Later in the week we'll have another Starlink launch, but this one will be special. The mission Starlink Group 1012 will be the first to try out the new droneship landing zone in the middle of the Bahama, Bahamas. Those in the area will be able to see the RE entering first stage and will likely hear a sonic boom as a result. The roughly four hour launch window for this mission is set to open on February 18th at 23:00 UTC. If schedules hold shortly after that, an Electron will be launching from New Zealand again with the first satellite of BlackSky's third generation of satellites. The mission, called Fasten your space Belts is currently set to take place within a launch window that opens on February 18th at 23:50. And towards the end of the week we'll have another Starlink launch from Vandenberg. And this one's somewhat special too, as it's the first launch of a new group of starLink missions. Group 15. The roughly four hour launch window is set to open on February 20th at midnight UTC. I'm Alicia Siegel for NSF and that's your weekly Space Traffic Report. Now back to T minus Space.

[Maria Varmazes]

We'll be right back.

[Dave]

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[Maria Varmazes]

In case you haven't noticed, N2K is my employer and that stands for news to knowledge by the way. And it started out as a cybersecurity company and we're still a cybersecurity first company. So we love stories when space and cyber collide. So it should come as no surprise that When German white hat hackers decided to intercept text messages sent via the US satellite communication system Iridium, it was our colleagues at the Cyberwire that shared the news with us. And by the way, white hat hackers are ethical hackers who hack with the permission of a company or organization to discover vulnerabilities and improve security. So put your mind at ease there. I won't lie. My initial reaction to this news was, that's super cool, but you know, I meant bad because, you know, it's important to secure your assets and the space is, well, how do we say it politely? A little behind the curve when it comes to protecting against vulnerabilities. And sometimes it takes the good guys to show us what we're doing wrong. So two white hat hackers with the nicknames Sec and Schneider highlighted severe vulnerabilities and services that tens of thousands of users from the US DoD rely on. And yeah, it's easy if you know how. Even though the DoD uses a secure gateway to route and encrypt its traffic, the hackers were able to see which devices were connecting via the DoD pathway. And then that allowed them to identify and locate DoD users with an accuracy of about 4km using a home assembled eavesdropping kit consisting of a commercially available Iridium antenna, a software defined radio receiver, and a basic computer like the Intel N100 mobile CPU or just the Raspberry PI minicomputer. All off the shelf stuff, right? So please, let's use this example as a polite warning to fellow space enthusiasts to start thinking a little harder about what security is in place at your company and with your assets. And if you're a little unsure where to start, you know, we can actually help with that. Just drop us an [e-mail] and we'll gladly help steer you in the right direction to increase your knowledge and awareness about the cybersecurity industry and what risks are out there. And also, if I may add, tune into the Cyberwire. That's another great resource for you. And that's it for T minus for February 14th, 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. Hopefully you love it. Haha. Your feedback ensures we deliver the insight 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 or send an email to space2k.com we're privileged 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 makes it easy for companies to optimize your biggest investment your people. We make you smarter about your teams while making your teams smarter. Learn [e-mail] N2K Senior Producer is Alice Carruth. Our producer is Liz Stokes. We're 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. Thanks for listening. Have a great long weekend and we'll be back on Tuesday.

[Dave]

T minus.