Alicia Siegel (8:47)

Alice Maria we have three additional links today in the selected Reading section of our show Notes. The first is a white paper from Seraph in Space on the role of space tech in Europe. The second is a report on an exercise on space weather preparedness. Then we have an in depth blog on Don Pettit's astrophotography. You can also go back and listen to his live chat with nsf, which we shared back in December. And an early Happy birthday to Don.

Maria Varmazes (9:13)

Indeed. And all of those links can also be found on our website space.n2k.com 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. And tomorrow we actually have two episodes for you, an AWS In Orbit show on automated satellite management with cognitive space recorded at Space Symposium, by the way. And we also have a deep space chat with Jim Myers talking about space vulnerabilities. Check them both out while you're preparing for the egg hunt, dyeing your eggs, eating all the candy collected in said egg hunt, or simply recovering from eating all the candy from the egg hunt, or just relaxing, whatever. Or in my case, getting ready to roast some lamb. For those celebrating Happy Easter, and for those that aren't, go and enjoy the discount candy from Sunday. Either way, you don't want to miss Foreign.

Alice Carruth (10:26)

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 Threat Locker, the cyber security solution trusted by businesses worldwide. Threat Locker 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 (11:08)

And now with our weekly Space Traffic Report is alesia Siegel from NASASpaceflight.com Foreign.

Alicia Siegel (11:17)

I'm Alicia Siegel for NSF, and this is your weekly Space Traffic Report for T Minus Space. Starting off the week, we had the launch of a Falcon 9 from Vandenberg lifting off on April 12th at 12:25 UTC. The mission, NROL 192 carried the latest batch of Starshield satellites for the NRO's proliferated space architecture constellation. This was the ninth Falcon 9 launch in support of that Constellation, with the agency expecting a handful more before the end of the year. The booster for this mission was a veteran, flying for a 24th time and successfully landing on SpaceX's drone ship. Of Course I Still Love youe Next Moving to Florida we had another two Falcon 9 launches this week. The first one lifted off from Launch Complex 39A on April 13th at 53 minutes past midnight UTC. The mission carried a mixed batch of Starlink V2 Mini and Starlink Direct to Cell satellites on board the first stage for this mission, B1083 was flying for a 10th time, becoming the 19th booster in the Falcon fleet to fly 10 or more times. This flight also marked the 400th time that a Falcon booster was re flown after completing its primary mission, it successfully landed on SpaceX's drone ship, a shortfall of gravitas the other launch from Florida was another Starlink, but this one was special. The mission started off from space Launch Complex 40 on April 14 at 4:00 UTC. The rocket was carrying 27 Starlink V2 mini satellites into low Earth orbit, but the special Treat was the first stage for this mission, B1067, which flew for a record 27th time. This life Leader booster is now the first to have flown that many times and it may just keep pushing the record because success successfully returned to Earth landing on the deck of Just read the instructions and most importantly, returned in one piece back to Port Canaveral this week we also had a Blue Origin launch with New Shepard's 31st flight launching on April 14th at 13:30 UTC from West Texas. Unlike other flights of New Shepard, this one was notable as it was the first all female crew since Valentina Tereshkova's historic first woman in space flight in 1963. And also due to its particular passengers on board were NASA engineer and STEM advocate Aisha Bowe, civil rights activist Amanda Wynne, film producer Carrie Anne Flynn, TV host Gayle King, singer Katy Perry, and TV journalist Lauren Sanchez. Now, of course, given the notoriety of some of these passengers, the flight has appeared widely in mainstream media and has also received a number of criticisms. But one thing's for certain, it definitely promoted space tourism awareness. As for the rocket side of things, both booster and capsule touch down safely and in one piece after the flight, which means they'll both be back in the flow for a future mission. To wrap up the week, we had the launch of a Minotaur 4 from Vandenberg after more than eight years since its last launch from Space Launch Complex 8. Minotaur sprung to the skies on April 16 at 19:33 UTC. Much like its previous missions, this one was a classified launch for the Department of Defense, in particular for the National Reconnaissance Office. As is common with classified missions, not much is known, although given the performance of the Minotaur 4 rocket, this launch most likely went into a low Earth orbit. Next week in space traffic, we'll have a few more launches, a flyby in deep space space, and also a return from space. From SpaceX, we're expecting two Starlink launches and one Star Shield launch launching from Vandenberg and Cape Canaveral on Monday. The company is also aiming to launch its next Commercial Resupply Services mission to the International Space Station with its Dragon spacecraft later that same day. SpaceX is also expected to launch its third bandwagon mission as part of its SmallSat rideshare program. Both launches, CRS 32 and Bandwagon 3 will feature a return to launch site landing, so expect lots of sonic booms if you're in the Space Coast. But On Sunday, before SpaceX launches its next Dragon to the ISS, we'll also have the return of the Soyuz MS.26 spacecraft with Alexey Ovchinin, Ivan Wagner and Don Pettit on board. Prior to their departure, Alexei Ovchinin will hand over command of the station to Takuya Onishi, who launched onboard SpaceX's Crew 10 mission just last month. And out in deep space this weekend, NASA's Lucy spacecraft will meet with asteroid 52246 Donald Johansson. The closest approach of just less than 1000 kilometers away is expected to take place on April 20th at 1751 UTC. This will be the second asteroid the spacecraft visits in its over decade long mission to explore the main asteroid belt and Jupiter's Trojan asteroids. I'm Alicia Siegel for NSF and that's your weekly space traffic Report. Now back to T minus space.

Maria Varmazes (15:54)

We will be right back.

Alice Carruth (16:02)

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 Spectrops. Head to Spectorops IO today to learn more. Spectrops see your attack paths the way adversaries do.

Maria Varmazes (17:01)

Welcome back. If you've ever seen a picture of a classic spiral galaxy, you know, think of it the Grand Arms sweeping around a glowing core. Chances are you have looked at a picture of Messier 83, otherwise known more commonly as M83. It's also nicknamed the Southern Tinwheel, and it is a stunning barred spiral about 15 million light years away in Hydra, which is cosmically practically next door. M83 is one of the closest and brightest galaxies of its kind, and you can actually see it with binoculars. And it's beloved by stargazers the world over. M83 is famous for its intense star formation and for hosting multiple supernovae. But for all of its fireworks, one key feature has remained oddly absent a confirmed supermassive black hole at its center. Until now, maybe. Astronomers using the James Webb Space Telescope may have just found the long sought evidence of a hidden active galactic nucleus. In other words, a growing supermassive black hole at M83's core. For decades, scientists suspected that one might be there, but it seemed either dormant or shrouded in dust. Past instruments couldn't get a clear look at it. Good thing we have the Webb Space Telescope and its incredible instrumentation like the Mid Infrared Instrument, or miri. MIRI pierced the dust and revealed highly ionized neon gas near the nucleus, gas so energized that it can't be explained by stars or supernovae alone. That kind of ionization typically points to an active galactic nucleus pumping out radiation, meaning M83's black hole may not be so sleepy after all. As with many scientific advancements, I'm couching my language here because nothing is yet certain, and there are always other possibilities that are being considered to explain what's going on here. But the signs are that M83 may have a black hole at its center, and those signs are at least compelling. ESA's recent post about this discovery notes that the Atacama Large Millimeter Submillimeter Array, or alma, and the Very Large Telescope, or vlt, both have follow up studies planned to help us get a better understanding of what exactly may be going on here. If confirmed. This upends decades of assumptions about M83 and demonstrates Webb's incredible power to uncover hidden galactic engines. Galaxies we thought we understood might be hiding far more beneath their dust. And these kinds of revelations are one of the main reasons why Webb was built, after all. So watch this space. But M83 might not just be a photogenic spiral. It could also be harboring a secret cosmic monster at its foreign that's it for T minus for April 18, 2025, brought to you by N2K Cyberwire. For additional resources from today's report, check out our show notes@spare.n2k.com we'd love to know what you think of this 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 or send an email to space2k.com we are 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 team teams smarter. Learn how@n2k.com N2K's 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 wonderful weekend.

Alicia Siegel (21:11)

T minus.

Alice Carruth (21:25)

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