
Shenzou 20 crew heads to Tiangong. Katalyst acquires Atomos Space. USSF SSC selects Raft to develop an application programming interface. And more.
Loading summary
Alice Carruth
Foreign.
Troy Morris
You're listening to the N2K space network.
Maria Valmas
What's the common denominator in security incidents? Escalations and lateral movement. When a privileged account is compromised, attackers can seize control of critical assets with bad directory hygiene and years of technical debt. Identity attack paths are easy targets for threat actors to exploit, but hard for defenders to detect. This poses risk in active directory, entra ID and hybrid configurations. Identity leaders are reducing such risks with attack path management. You can learn how Attack path Management is connecting identity and security teams while reducing risk with Bloodhound Enterprise powered by SpectreOps. Head to SpectreOps IO today to learn more SpectreOps. See your attack paths the way adversaries do.
Unknown
Foreign.
Alice Carruth
24Th 2025 I'm Alice Carruth and this is T minus.
Unknown
T minus 20.
Troy Morris
Seconds to Los T dress.
Alice Carruth
Sierra Space has completed hypervelocity impact trials of its live habitat at NASA's White Sands Test Facility.
Unknown
4.
Alice Carruth
Firefly Aerospace to develop a ceramic matrix composite nozzle extension for applications in liquid rocket engines. The United States Space Forces Space Systems Command has awarded Raft LLC $2.9 million for the development of an application programming interface. Catalyst Space has acquired InSpace servicing company Atomospace China launches the Shenzhou 20 spacecraft with three astronauts to the Tiangon Space Zero. Our guest today is Troy Morris, co founder and CEO of Cal Morris, Inc. Troy caught up with Maria varmazes at the 40th Space Symposium and shared an update on the recent KMI demonstration on the International Space Station. Stick around for more on that in the second part of the show. Happy Thursday everyone. We're kicking off today's Intel Briefing in China a little after 5:15pm in Beijing today. A Long March 2F rocket topped with the Shenzhou 20 crew spacecraft lifted off from the Zhouxuan Satellite Launch Center. The three person crew included Commander Shen Dong, who is returning to space for the third time. The spacecraft docked with the Tiangon Space Station around six and a half hours after launch. The crew was greeted by the incumbent Shenzhou 19 taikonauts. The current commander will hand over control of Tiangong to the incoming Shenzhou 20 astronauts who will begin their six month long mission aboard the space station the Shenzhen. 19 astronauts are due to depart for Earth on their own spacecraft with their return scheduled for April 29. Catalyst Space has acquired InSpace servicing company Atomos Space. Catalyst says it plans to continue operating the 20,000 square foot facility in Broomfield, Colorado where Atomos builds and tests its spacecraft. Key members of the Atomos team will also join Catalysts following the transaction, including Atomos co founder Vanessa Clark. The merged teams plan to develop and launch spacecraft capable of rendezvous and docking to perform life extension spacecraft upgrades and space domain awareness. Catalyst says it will leverage the Atomos Quark spacecraft to serve missions for both commercial satellite operators and Defence customers. The U.S. space Force's Space Systems Command has awarded a $2.9 million contract to Raft LLC. Development of an Application Programming Interface, or API. SSC says the API Gateway is an enhancement tool that expands data accessibility and enhances interoperability with Unified Data Library, which is a cloud based multi classification repository that serves as a central hub for accessing and managing data to support Space Force operational systems. The Space Force says many producers of data have legacy data messaging formats that cannot be read by modern API endpoints, making much of this data unusable. An API Gateway addresses this issue by transforming and translating legacy and some current data messaging formats into modern API endpoints. This capability is also automated which enables these functions to be performed in real time, thus making data more accessible, available and usable for military purposes at the speed of need. We all know that data is king in the space industry, right? Firefly Aerospace has been awarded a contract from the Air Force Research Lab to develop a ceramic matrix composite nozzle extension for applications in liquid rocket engines. Firefly says that this lightweight material improves rocket performance by increasing launch vehicle payload capability while lowering production costs compared to industry standard metal based nozzle extensions. Firefly plans to design, build and test a composite based nozzle extension to validate the material. Once developed and validated, the composite nozzle extensions will enable future responsive space applications that support U.S. national security and the larger commercial space industry. Sierra Space has recently conducted hypervelocity impact trials at NASA's White Sands Test Facility in my hometown of Las Cruces, New Mexico. The trials aim to optimize the structural integrity of Sierra Space's large integrated flexible environment habitat known as Life. Sierra Space says the goal of this NASA supported testing was to refine a shield for the company's expandable flexible space station structure to make it capable of withstanding impacts from hazard on orbit. The impact testing was conducted under an unfunded Space act agreement called Collaborations for Commercial Space capabilities. It used NASA's two stage light gas gun to replicate micrometeoroid and orbital debris traveling at speeds around 7 kilometers per second. Sierra Space says the successful testing marks a key milestone in developing the Life Habitat as a solution for long duration space missions. Additional testing will further refine Life Habitat ahead of its first launch to low Earth orbit And that concludes Today's Intelligence Briefing. N2K producer Liz Stokes has the stories that didn't make today's top five. What do you have for us?
Liz Stokes
Liz Alice we have two additional links for listeners in the selected reading section of our show. Notes. The first is on the crew for the inaugural Titans Genesis space plane mission which is due to launch in 2029. And the second is the State of the Space Industrial Base 2024 report which has just been released by New Space Nexus.
Alice Carruth
All good stuff for us to be reading up on. Liz, can you remind us all where those links can be found? Please?
Liz Stokes
Links to all the stories mentioned in the daily episodes can be found on our website, space.n2k.com simply click through the daily podcast pages.
Alice Carruth
Hey T Miners crew. If your business is looking to grow your voice in the industry, expand the reach of your thought leadership or recruit talent, T miners can help. We'd love to hear from you. Send us an email@space2k.com or send us a note through our website so that we can connect about building a program to meet your goals.
Maria Valmas
Bad actors don't break in, they log in. Attackers use stolen credentials in nearly nine out of 10 data breaches. Once inside, they're after one thing. Your data. Varonis AI powered data security platform secures your data at scale across LAS SaaS and hybrid cloud environments. Join thousands of organizations who trust Varonis to keep their data safe. Get a free data risk assessment@varonis.com.
Alice Carruth
We recently caught up with Troy Morris from Cal Morris Inc. At the 40th Space Symposium in Colorado Springs. Troy spoke to host Maria Valmas about KMI recent demonstration on the International Space Station.
Troy Morris
Troy, good to see you.
Unknown
Good to be here.
Troy Morris
Yeah, nice to see you in person. My goodness.
Unknown
Yeah, it's a fun change. And that's some of the joy of you know these conferences when they're well attended is finding the folks you've been talking to online for.
Troy Morris
I know, right?
Unknown
Long times.
Troy Morris
I know. Well, it was a few months since we last chatted and then it was a while before then. So good to see you. For our audience who I feel like we should do an intro.
Unknown
That generally helps.
Troy Morris
Yeah, generally helps. So who are you? Troy.
Unknown
Yeah. Hello there, I'm Troy Morris. I'm one of the co founders and I serve as CEO for Call Morris Inc. At kmi. We are an in space logistics and mobility company currently operating on the iss. But I'm sure we won't talk about that at all.
Troy Morris
No, no, no. Yeah. So yeah. What else is going on? No.
Unknown
So, yeah, we're proudly based in Marquette, Michigan, and so it's something that we're bringing innovation from a unique place. And so happy to talk more about a lot of things today.
Troy Morris
Yeah. Okay, so I'm looking at this incredible facsimile. So this is. Tell me what I'm looking at here. Exactly.
Unknown
Yeah. So for those that are able to see the static video, we'll. We'll also be able to share some of the video from Station. But what we're seeing here is my terrestrial model of the Reach arm end effector. So this is a mechanical linkage. This unit here is seven linkages. It is missing most of the fun parts because I have to take it through tsa, which they're kind of rough sometimes, as well as it's itar safe. So I can bring it around to international events and show a lot of our partners from around the world that are. Whoa. How are you doing that? This can be that first stepping stone to understanding. So the arm is about the length of my arm, but it's, again, smaller than what the Future Flyer will be, but very similar to what is currently on station. Yeah.
Troy Morris
So tell me. So we did talk about this last time, but just to refresh everybody's memories, what Reach has done on the iss.
Unknown
Yeah. So in a wonderful partnership and sponsorship by casis, the center for the Advancement of Science in Space, and through the International Space Station National Lab. I think I got the full titles there.
Troy Morris
You got it. Yeah.
Unknown
No, but working with them has been fantastic. So they helped work us from an early startup to where we're at now today of getting our arms on station. So not just one, but six of them. So we can test four of our arms at a time in each of the cardinal directions on the Astrobee. And so the Astrobee is standing in for our Future Flyer. And so by using the Astrobee, we're able to do now nearly 200 capture cycles of the Astrobee propelling forward like our spacecraft will. The Reach arms deploying just like they will and capturing again and again, a test target, a client that we've built that we can swap out from solar cell to Mylar to aluminum, you know, the major components that make up every sa humans have ever launched.
Troy Morris
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Unknown
So it's been able to give us, you know, not just a good example, hundreds of good test cases, and we've really pushed the bounds in some great scientific ways.
Troy Morris
Oh, I was gonna say, I can feel that enthusiasm from across the table. That's so awesome. And I'm hearing a lot of the future statements about what y'all are working on next now that you've had this incredible many, many series of fantastic demonstrations on the iss. So what are you looking at now with the future?
Unknown
Yeah. So the first thing is regrettably, we need to bring it home. And I say regrettably cause we first started with being given permission. Four sessions with the crew. Fantastic. Our team loved it. They learned so much, prepped so much with so much that we were working with from NASA Ames, Marshall, Johnson, so many great centers. And they went really well.
Troy Morris
Yeah.
Unknown
And so we were actually awarded two more sessions. So we're, you know, six for four, which is more than 100% always good. And we're trying to squeeze one more. But we do want to get the hardware back down with upcoming downmass, which is at a privilege and a premium on the space station. So there was conversation of should we continue and just keep testing more. I think that the crew might enjoy having a nice friend that they can play catch with. But it is something we unfortunately need the hardware back. The pictures we've gotten from Don and others on station are good. But once you can really tear into this hardware and check everything we need, there's the mission coming forth in 2027. So we need to get the hardware back now so we can really evolve the technology and be ready for that future case.
Troy Morris
What do you look at when it comes back down? Is that something you can tell us about? Like what do you actually investigate when it comes back down?
Unknown
So you know, it's something that's a little bit hard after seeing how many it's operated on Earth. And then on station, it's a little buddy reach has about the tensile strength of a toddler's hug, but the grip strength to move cars. So it kind of reminds me of that baby from the Incredibles.
Alice Carruth
Jack.
Unknown
Jack. Just like cute, adorable, but also extremely strong in the right ways. And so we have to dissect it.
Troy Morris
You're taking apart. Jack, Jack.
Unknown
It's hardware. It's just hardware, I swear. And so being able to dissect and evaluate some wear, tear, how some componen worked, there were some components that didn't fully function. That's perfect. That's what we're doing. You don't want to have everything perfect because that means you're not pushing it to the limit.
Troy Morris
Right, right, right.
Unknown
And so we've pushed it to the envelope, we've pushed it past the envelope. We've re established what the Envelope is. And so now it's just testing that, taking some components apart, comparing them to new productions as well as I can't make my engineers sit still. So every day that we have not been doing operations, they're, oh, what if we tweak this? What if we prove that now that we saw that data before we get hard numbers, they're just taking the video input and be like, we can improve that component by a percentage of a percentage. I'm like, yes. So comparison to what we launched nearly a year ago, to what we've been building now, to what it'll be in the future.
Troy Morris
Yeah, I was gonna say the optimizing process and also I imagine the art of the possible, imagining what new things y'all could do, like new capabilities. Is that also part of that conversation?
Unknown
It is. It's not directly tied to, you know, the downmass and the operations on iss. It's a lot of the conversations I've been having this week.
Troy Morris
Yeah.
Unknown
Being able to talk with some of those in national, some of those that are in the commercial space, it's really changing the conversation from, hey, we'd like to do something neat in the future. Sure, kid, whatever. To, hey, this is our capability we're demonstrating right now. And it's fantastic to have a colonel turn to his staff and say, get them on my calendar. Oh, I was never this popular in high school, but I can at least do something good now.
Troy Morris
That's very validating.
Unknown
So being able to connect with those customers and figure out partnerships that are going to be moving forward for everything from end of life, servicing, life extension. Cheers. To our good friends over at Space Logistics for their announcements to, you know, being that tow truck in space.
Troy Morris
Yeah.
Unknown
So it's something that this is really opening up the aperture for the appetite of the industry. I don't know if I could say that twice fast. But it's something that. It's really changing the industry in a good way.
Troy Morris
You know, it's amazing. We met last year and, you know, we here at Team Mindus have sort of been watching y'alls journey since we started, what we've been doing. And it's been amazing how validating it has been for you all to see your vision really happening and being so, you know, enthusiastically brought on board by the industry. It's been just really incredible to see and what, again, a validation of the hard work that you all have been putting into this incredible technology.
Unknown
I appreciate it. And it's also appreciated to all of our team, our partners, our backers I mean, again, like I said at the beginning, we're from Michigan. Not exactly the first state most people think of for aerospace excellence. Except for the NASA launches we had in the 70s, the amazing technical schools some up the road. We're trying to start our first actual major at my alma mater for space.
Troy Morris
There you go.
Unknown
I was in Ann Arbor on Friday talking to the University of Michigan for investment, national security and deep tech. That's us. We sit at the middle of that Venn diagram. So it's about bringing the capabilities of the arsenal of democracy that Michigan has historically been bringing that to the national space. And so yeah, we're authentic, we're real, we're raw, we're Midwestern, but. But we're making stuff happen that's so amazing.
Troy Morris
Yeah, tell me a bit about all the other stuff that y'all are working on. Cause you as a company, you're also growing and doing, starting trying to get a new major at U. Michigan, also amazing school. So that's not a small thing either.
Unknown
So I should correct. We are not Wolverines, we are Wildcats. So we're from Northern Michigan University.
Troy Morris
Northern Michigan. Still.
Unknown
One of our angels is alumnus of University of Michigan. So he brought us down there, you know, nothing bad going below the bridge for those that understand the two peninsulas. So yeah, we're, we're heavily involved in building that next generation. My partner who's out here with me now, he was just talking with Embry Riddle and some partnerships we're gonna be trying to do with them in the state of New Mexico.
Troy Morris
Huge.
Unknown
Cause we have representation across seven or eight states now with employees.
Troy Morris
Wow.
Unknown
So we've grown quite a bit.
Troy Morris
Yeah, you have. My goodness.
Unknown
So yeah, the growth is fantastic. We're still very capital efficient for those investors who might be listening. But it's something that we can do things the right way without the ping pong tables of startups in the past. There's a way to be effective, effic and do it the right way. And so that's what our growth is about, is investing in that next generation workforce development, something we continue to do. Local development, education. I spend more time than I might like in D.C. helping to educate our representatives, congress folk, senators. And they're receptive. I will say that they are receptive. So it's something that, you know, with all that's happening in this nation, in this world, there are things that we can make safe, we can make space safer, we can do things safely, we can help each other. Collaboration. And so I continue to try and beat that drum as best I can.
Troy Morris
That's awesome. Thank you for doing that. And I've heard many folks in your situation saying similar things like, I'm in D.C. a lot, but it is so important. Onward and upward to all of you. It's so great to catch up with you. Trey, thank you so much for joining us today.
Unknown
Thank you for having me.
Alice Carruth
We'll be right back.
Maria Valmas
Secure access is crucial for US Public sector missions, ensuring that only authorized users can access certain systems, networks, or data. Are your defenses ready? Cisco's security service Edge delivers comprehensive protection for your network and users. Experience the power of zero trust and secure your workforce wherever they are. Elevate your security Strategy by visiting cisco.comgo.sse that's cisco.com go SSE.
Unknown
Foreign.
Alice Carruth
Welcome back. We love a bit of space history on this show, and we especially love the opportunity to share the love for our favorite space telescope. On this day, April 24, 1990, the Hubble Space Telescope launched to orbit on the Space Shuttle Discovery. Yes, it's been 35 years of the Hubble Space Telescope. It's completely transformed the way that we see the universe. From unveiling the mysterious depths of distant galaxies to helping us peer into the birth of stars and planets, Hubble has been our cosmic time machine. Over these 35 years, it's captured some of the most breathtaking images I've ever seen, like the Pillars of Creation, the Eagle Nebula, and the stunning deep field images that show us galaxies billions of light years away. These images aren't just beautiful, they're scientific gold, providing clues about the universe's age, its expansion, and the way it evolves. But Hubble didn't just give us pretty pictures. It's been integral in shaping our understanding of dark energy, proving the existence of black holes, and helping scientists measure the universe expansion rate, which is still a hot topic of debate. And of course, it's inspired generations of scientists, astronomers, and curious minds. So here's the 35 years of groundbreaking discoveries and stunning images. Hubble may be nearing its final years, but its legacy will last forever. And go and check out the latest image of the Sombrero galaxy that's been shared to celebrate the occasion. Hubble still manages to take my breath away. That's it for T minus for April 24, 2025, brought to you by N2K Cyberwire. For additional resources from today's report, check out our show notes@space.n2k.com we're privileged that N2K podcasts like T Minus are part of the daily routine of many 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. 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 Eisenhower. Peter Kilpy is our publisher and I'm N2K senior producer Alice Carruth. Thanks for listening.
Unknown
T minus.
Maria Valmas
And now a word from our sponsor. Spy Cloud identity is the new battleground and attackers are exploiting stolen identities to infiltrate your organization. Traditional defenses can't keep up. Spy Cloud's holistic identity threat protection helps security teams uncover and automatically remediate hidden exposures across your users from breaches, malware and phishing to neutralize identity based threats like account takeover, fraud and ransomware. Don't let invisible threats compromise your business. Get your free corporate darknet exposure report@spycloud.com cp cyberwire and see what attackers already know. That's spycloud.com cyberwire.
T-Minus Space Daily: Celebrating 35 Years of the Hubble Space Telescope
Podcast Information:
Host: Alice Carruth
Timestamp: [00:00] - [01:20]
Alice Carruth opens the episode by introducing the day's topics, including recent achievements in the space industry and a special interview with Troy Morris, CEO of Cal Morris Inc. The introduction sets the stage for a comprehensive overview of significant space-related developments.
Timestamp: [01:29] - [19:02]
Alice Carruth delivers a series of news updates covering various space industry advancements and contract awards:
Sierra Space: Successfully completed hypervelocity impact trials of their live habitat at NASA's White Sands Test Facility.
Firefly Aerospace: Awarded a contract to develop a ceramic matrix composite nozzle extension for liquid rocket engines, enhancing rocket performance and reducing production costs.
U.S. Space Forces Space Systems Command: Granted Raft LLC a $2.9 million contract to develop an API Gateway, enhancing data accessibility and interoperability for Space Force operational systems.
Catalyst Space’s Acquisition of Atomospace: Catalyst Space has acquired Atomospace to expand its capabilities in spacecraft rendezvous, docking, life extension, and space domain awareness. Key personnel, including co-founder Vanessa Clark, are transitioning to Catalyst.
China’s Shenzhou 20 Mission: Launched by a Long March 2F rocket, carrying three astronauts to the Tiangong Space Station. The mission marks Commander Shen Dong’s third spaceflight, with a six-month mission duration.
Notable Quote:
Maria Valmas emphasizes the importance of identity security in space operations:
“Identity attack paths are easy targets for threat actors to exploit, but hard for defenders to detect.”
[00:10]
Timestamp: [09:20] - [19:02]
Guests: Troy Morris, CEO of Cal Morris Inc.
Interviewer: Maria Valmas
Key Discussion Points:
KMI Demonstration on the ISS:
Troy Morris discusses the successful deployment and testing of Reach arms on the International Space Station (ISS). These mechanical linkages have undergone nearly 200 capture cycles, demonstrating their reliability and effectiveness in space operations.
Quote:
“We’ve pushed it to the envelope, we’ve pushed it past the envelope. We’ve re-established what the Envelope is.”
[14:15]
Future Developments and Mission Preparation:
With upcoming missions scheduled for 2027, Cal Morris Inc. is focusing on retrieving hardware from the ISS to analyze wear and tear, ensuring the technology is robust for future applications. This includes refining components and enhancing the Reach arm’s capabilities.
Quote:
“Being able to connect with those customers and figure out partnerships that are going to be moving forward for everything from end of life, servicing, life extension.”
[15:28]
Company Growth and Workforce Development:
Troy highlights the company’s expansion across multiple states, partnerships with educational institutions like Northern Michigan University and Embry-Riddle, and efforts to influence national space policies through advocacy in Washington, D.C.
Quote:
“We’re authentic, we’re real, we’re raw, we’re Midwestern, but we’re making stuff happen that’s so amazing.”
[16:21]
Collaboration and Industry Impact:
The discussion underscores the importance of collaboration between commercial and national space sectors, positioning Cal Morris Inc. as a key player in advancing space logistics and mobility solutions.
Quote:
“It’s really changing the industry in a good way.”
[15:54]
Timestamp: [19:56] - [22:37]
Host: Alice Carruth
Alice Carruth dedicates a significant portion of the episode to celebrating the 35th anniversary of the Hubble Space Telescope. She reflects on Hubble's profound impact on astronomy and our understanding of the universe.
Key Highlights:
Launch and Achievements:
On April 24, 1990, Hubble was launched aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery. Over the past 35 years, it has provided unprecedented images of the cosmos, including iconic pictures such as the Pillars of Creation and the Eagle Nebula.
Scientific Contributions:
Hubble has been instrumental in groundbreaking discoveries, including insights into dark energy, the existence of black holes, and precise measurements of the universe’s expansion rate. These contributions have significantly advanced cosmology and astrophysics.
Legacy and Inspiration:
Beyond its scientific achievements, Hubble has inspired generations of scientists, astronomers, and space enthusiasts. Its stunning visuals continue to capture the imagination of people around the world.
Closing Remarks:
Alice encourages listeners to view the latest images captured by Hubble, such as the Sombrero Galaxy, celebrating Hubble's enduring legacy.
Notable Quote:
“Hubble may be nearing its final years, but its legacy will last forever.”
[19:56]
Timestamp: [07:30] - [17:44]
Producer: Liz Stokes
Alice Carruth and Liz Stokes mention supplementary content available on their website, including:
Titans Genesis Space Plane Mission: Details about the inaugural mission scheduled for 2029.
State of the Space Industrial Base 2024 Report: A comprehensive report released by New Space Nexus, providing insights into the current state and future trends of the space industry.
Listeners are directed to visit space.n2k.com for access to show notes and additional resources.
Timestamp: [19:02] - [22:37]
Alice Carruth wraps up the episode, acknowledging the contributions of the production team and sponsors. She reiterates the importance of Hubble's legacy and invites listeners to engage with N2K Networks for more in-depth space intelligence and analysis.
Production Credits:
Hubble's Enduring Impact: Celebrating 35 years of Hubble underscores its monumental role in astronomy, providing both stunning imagery and critical scientific data that continue to shape our understanding of the universe.
Advancements in Space Technology: Updates on companies like Sierra Space, Firefly Aerospace, and Catalyst Space highlight the ongoing innovations driving the space industry forward, from habitat resilience to advanced propulsion systems.
Commercial and National Space Collaboration: The interview with Troy Morris emphasizes the growing synergy between commercial entities and national space initiatives, fostering advancements in in-space logistics and mobility.
Data Security in Space Operations: The segment on identity security by Maria Valmas underscores the increasing importance of cybersecurity measures in safeguarding space operations and assets.
For More Information:
Visit space.n2k.com to explore detailed show notes, additional resources, and access to exclusive space industry reports.