Italy shoots for the stars.

Summary

T-Minus Space Daily - “Italy Shoots for the Stars”

Podcast: T-Minus Space Daily (N2K CyberWire)
Host: Maria Varmazes
Date: October 7, 2025

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Overview

This episode of T-Minus Space Daily dives into major developments in the European space sector, with a spotlight on Italy's ambitious plans to bolster satellite production and reinforce its leadership in the space industry. It covers critical updates from Japan’s ISPACE, a significant policy push in the US regarding NASA’s budget, and provides a deep expert analysis on trends in Earth observation, AI, and cybersecurity in space from Torsten Kriening of SpaceWatch Global following World Space Business Week in Paris.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Italy’s Satellite Ambitions

• [02:44] Italy, in partnership with Telespazio and the Italian Space Agency, is investing €100 million to open a satellite manufacturing facility near Rome.
  • The facility will span 21,000 square meters.
  • It aims to produce up to 100 satellites annually for civil and defense purposes.
  • Leonardo CEO, Roberto Cingolani, signals Italy’s intention to "become global players in the satellite market."
  • The hub will anchor Italy’s forthcoming low Earth orbit dual-use constellation and is seen as a step towards matching or surpassing US and Chinese space industrial capacity.

2. Europe’s Satellite Mega Merger Hits a Snag

• [03:25] Merger discussions are ongoing between Airbus, Thales, and Leonardo to consolidate their space systems divisions but have stalled, mainly over allocation of production responsibilities.
  • If successful, this would reshape Europe’s space manufacturing landscape.

3. Japan’s ISPACE Expands Global Lunar Activities

• [04:00] ISPACE announced several new ventures:
  • Japan: Co-developing a lunar water-sensing satellite.
  • Taiwan: Carrying Taiwan Space Agency’s payloads on an ISPACE mission scheduled for 2028.
  • Europe: Delivering NASA’s MSOLO instrument to the lunar surface via ISPACE Luxembourg, supporting helium-3 reconnaissance.
  • CEO Takeshi Hakamada positioned ISPACE as "pioneering the forefront of Japan's space technology."

4. US Policy Movers Despite Shutdown

• [05:35] The ongoing US government shutdown has slowed some sectors, but FCC Chair Brendan Carr is pushing forward regulatory reforms:
  • Declared “October Space Month” at the FCC.
  • Proposed to streamline satellite and ground station application approvals, aiming for an “assembly line” approach for straightforward cases.
  • Seeks to update siting rules to open more spectrum to satellite operators.
  • Carr: "We'll replace a default to no at the agency with a default to yes framework."

5. Urgent Advocacy to Protect US NASA Science Funding

• [06:55] The Planetary Society, with CEO Bill Nye and hundreds of advocates, lobbied Congress to halt a proposed 47% cut to NASA’s Science Mission Directorate, warning it would devastate US exploration.
  • Bill Nye [07:08]:

    “This is not a luxury, it is a responsibility...When it comes to exploration, there is no private option. There is no business case for the search for extraterrestrial life...NASA science is a bargain. For every dollar spent, at least 3 come back into the economy.”

  • NASA’s science investments cited as generating over $20 billion in economic growth and supporting 80,000 jobs.

6. World Space Business Week – Earth Observation, AI & Cybersecurity

Interview with Torsten Kriening, SpaceWatch Global

• [11:35] – [18:25]

  • Earth Observation (EO) as a Dual-use Tool:

    • EO’s significance in recent conflicts (e.g., Ukraine) and for both commercial and defense users.
    • Technological advances and commercial availability of high-resolution imaging (down to 10-30cm).
    • Will Marshall (Planet) deal: "30 satellites, every 30 minutes, 30cm resolution over global landmass." [12:56]
    • Speed of data delivery ("not just resolution, it's the speed") is pivotal for defense applications.

      “If you deliver it four hours later, then your picture...it’s definitely too late.” [13:55]

  • Edge Processing, AI, and Spectral Limitations:

    • Edge computing is essential to filter and process data on satellites before downlink (e.g., only sending useful images, not clouds).
    • Importance of spectrum as a finite resource.
    • “Spectrum is not an infinite source. It is a finite source and we have to use that wisely.” [16:19]
    • Optical communications are emerging but still face practical hurdles (e.g., weather, regulatory control).

  • AI in Space and Data Trustworthiness:

    • AI is rapidly advancing both in space situational awareness and in making sense of vast EO data.
    • Challenge of trust and data verification in the age of easy image manipulation.

      "How do we trust Earth observation data? ...Clarity is very helpful...That’s where downstream data processing really kicks in.” [17:00]

  • Cybersecurity as Core Threat:

    • Primary cyber risk for space assets is now seen as targeting ground infrastructure.
    • Ongoing, rising need to secure both in-space and terrestrial components.

  • Germany’s Space Defense Investment:

    • Germany’s Minister of Defense announced a €35 billion, five-year plan to increase space defense spending, contributing about 10% of the annual global space defense budget.

      “Germany is late to the party but...we are ramping up now.” [18:20]

7. ESA’s HERA Mission Update

• [20:37] The ESA HERA mission, a follow-up to NASA’s DART planetary defense test, celebrates one year in space.
  • Now halfway to the Didymos system to study asteroid deflection.
  • HERA on track to arrive ahead of schedule in November 2026.
  • The mission is critical for understanding and preparing for asteroid threats to Earth.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Bill Nye [07:08]:

  "There is no profit to be made studying Saturn’s mysterious polar storm. No one is cashing in on whatever dark matter does..."
  "NASA science is a bargain. For every dollar spent, at least 3 come back into the economy."

• Torsten Kriening [12:56]:

  "30 satellites, every 30 minutes, 30 centimeter resolution for the entire landmass. That’s a very interesting development."

• Torsten Kriening [13:55]:

  "The crucial part at the moment is not just the resolution, it is the speed. When you get your Earth observation data to your client...if you deliver it four hour later, then your picture is...definitely too late."

• Torsten Kriening [16:19]:

  “Spectrum is not an infinite source. It is a finite source and we have to use that wisely.”

• Torsten Kriening [17:00]:

  "How do we trust Earth observation data? ...Clarity is very helpful...That’s where downstream data processing really kicks in.”

• Torsten Kriening [18:20]:

  “Germany is late to the party but...we are ramping up now.”

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• [02:44] – Italy’s satellite factory announcement
• [03:25] – Update on stalled European satellite merger
• [04:00] – ISPACE’s lunar initiatives in Japan, Taiwan, Luxembourg
• [05:35] – FCC’s “Space Month” and regulatory reform proposals
• [06:55] – The Planetary Society’s NASA science funding advocacy; Bill Nye’s speech
• [11:35 – 18:25] – Interview: Torsten Kriening on EO, AI, cyber, edge computing, German defense budgets
• [20:37] – ESA HERA mission one-year milestone

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Tone & Style

The tone is analytical, accessible, and slightly irreverent, blending news with deep technical insights and policy analysis. The host consistently uses a conversational and engaging style, making complex topics approachable without losing sophistication or detail.

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Listeners received a packed update on European and global space policy moves, business shifts, technology trends, and the geopolitical implications of growing investment in space infrastructure—anchored by expert perspectives on Earth observation, cybersecurity, and AI.

Transcript

[A]

Foreign you're listening to the N2K space network.

[B]

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[A]

Today is October 7th, 2025. I'm Maria Varmazes and this is T minus T minus 20 seconds. The Planetary Soc urges Capitol Hill to save NASA science in its 2025 day of action. I Space Triples down on International Lunar Business the FCC declares its Space Month to fast track US Satellite reforms Europe's satellite mega merger hits a snag Italy to open one of Europe's largest satell and today we have the second part of my chat with Torsten Kreenig from SpaceWatch Global about world Space Business Week in Paris. Thorsten will be sharing his insights into trends in Earth observation in Europe and his reaction to Germany's spending plan on space based defense. Stick around for more on that later in the show.

[B]

Foreign.

[A]

Thank you for joining me on this Tuesday. Let's get into it. First up, let's check in on the space industry in Europe. TeleSalinia Space and Italy's Space Agency say that they are opening a 100 million euro satellite production hub outside of Rome before the year's end. The 21,000 square meter facility is being built with EU recovery funds and and will produce up to 100 satellites a year to support both civil and defense missions. Leonardo CEO Roberto Cingolani says the goal is to become global players in the satellite market. The new site will also anchor Italy's upcoming low orbit dual use constellation. All of this with the goal of reinforcing Europe's ambitions to match, if not one day perhaps surpass US and Chinese industrial capacity in next generation space infrastructure. And speaking of European aerospace giants, ongoing talks among Airbus, Thales and Leonardo to create a unified European satellite powerhouse have apparently hit some delays. According to a new report from Reuters, the companies have been working towards a framework to merge telesalineia Space, Telespasio and Airbus Space Systems. However, negotiations recently have stalled over how work will be divided among the partners. Leaders say that a deal could still be weeks away, and this mega merger would reshape Europe's manufacturing base for space systems, to put it mildly. We'll keep an eye on how things proceed and of course, keep you posted. Let's turn our attention to Japan now. And Japan's ISPACE dropped a whole bunch of news yesterday, a bit more than we can honestly cover in one show. So what we're going to do is combine three standout items for you now regarding the expansion of the company's role in lunar exploration, specifically, first in Japan, ISPACE will co develop a lunar water sensing satellite under the government's Space Strategy Fund. In Taiwan, ISPACE has been selected to carry the Taiwan Space Agency's magnetometer and ultraviolet telescope Aboard ispace mission four, launching in 2028, which we did talk about in yesterday's show, by the way. And regarding Europe, ISPACE Luxembourg has been tasked to deliver NASA's MSOLO instrument to the lunar surface on Mission 3 as part of Magna Petra's Helium 3 Reconnaissance Program. ISpace CEO Takeshi Hakamada calls the work, quote, pioneering the forefront of Japan's space technology as ISPACE evolves into a global lunar logistics provider. Lots of interesting developments from ISPACE recently. And yeah, it continues to be quiet in the United States due to the ongoing US Government shutdown, but it's not exactly silent. A Space News Exclusive news item today details some statements that FCC Chair Brendan Carr made at an Apex Space event yesterday in California. Carr started his remarks by saying that he's calling October Space Month at the fcc. And he also unveiled two proposals that the FCC will apparently soon vote on and in order to overhaul satellite regulation. And the first proposal he outlined would replace bespoke approvals with what Carr called an assembly line for straightforward satellite and ground station applications. And the second proposal would update siting rules for Earth stations in upper microwave bands to open more spectrum for use at the event. Carr said, we'll replace a default to no at the agency with a default to yes framework. And yep, despite the ongoing US Government shutdown, are you sick of me talking about that? Yet yesterday the Planetary Society joined members of Congress and hundreds of advocates at the Capitol to defend NASA and NSF's science budgets. The timing admittedly wasn't great, but what can you do? This day was planned well before the shutdown was even a twinkle in Congress's eye. In any case, the group warned that the proposed 47% cut to NASA's Science Mission Directorate would amount to an extinction level event for exploration. And here is some Audio from everyone's favorite science guy and Planetary Society CEO Bill Nye from the press conference.

[C]

This is not a luxury, it is a responsibility. Article 1, Section 8, Clause 8 of the US Constitution recommends to Congress that they promote the progress of science and useful arts. It's in the Constitution. So commercial companies may provide transportation to orbit and they may provide some major spacecraft components. But when it comes to exploration, there is no private option. There is no business case for the search for extraterrestrial life. There is no profit to be made studying Saturn's mysterious polar storm. No one is cashing in on whatever dark matter does to to influence the motions of our galaxies and other galaxies in the cosmos. Yet NASA science is a bargain. For every dollar spent, at least 3 come back into the economy. Last year NASA's investment in this in science generated more than $20 billion of economic growth and supported over 80,000 jobs in all 50 states.

[A]

For the inevitable question that some of you are no doubt asking about why Bill Nye is speaking at an event like this, getting in front of the press to bring attention to things is quite literally the job. So job done, I would say. And that is our intel briefing for this Tuesday. Links to all the stories I've mentioned today are in the show notes in your podcast app. That said, it is still pretty, pretty, pretty quiet on the US Side with the government shutdown. News wise anyway. But for opinions, oh yes, those do abound right now. And to tell us more about that, my colleague, the host of the Cyber Wire, the one and only Dave Bittner, is here to tell us more. Hi Dave.

[B]

Hi Maria. We've got a number of interview and editorial items to share. The first one, what does the future of the US Space Agency look like amid all these massive budget cuts and priority changes? USA Today put that to acting NASA Administrator Sean Duffy. Plus an opinion piece on why the UK needs to significantly increase space security funding and another piece on why cyber resilience in space is key key for economic security. Lastly, a new addition to Europe's Copernicus constellation is scheduled to launch early next month. More details in the show notes back to you.

[A]

Thank you, Dave. And a reminder that you can always read all of those links on our official website, which is space.n2k.com Just look for today's episode and click on in. Aya, whether you're tuning in to T minus for the very first time or the 500th, we want to know what you think of our show. So yeah, friends, how are we doing? You can tell us with our listener survey. As a matter of fact, it only takes a few minutes to fill it out and you can rest assured that we'll be pouring over your feedback. Link to the survey is in the show. Notes for you and thanks.

[B]

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[A]

Today we're bringing you some more from my extended chat with Torsten Kroening from Spacewatch Global on his takeaways from the 2025 World Space Business Week in Paris and the state of the European space defense market. Here's some more from Torson. Now you mentioned him a number of times in your coverage Earth observations. Yes. I'm just curious any overarching thoughts on any changes, any shifts, anything surprising specifically.

[D]

Regarding eo, we talk about the commercial side. We talk also about the military and defense side. I mean we all have seen the pictures from the Ukraine and what role Earth observation played in the Ukraine. I mean we talk about optical, we talk about hyperspectral, we talk about sar. And that's I think all of these three together are the big thing. The other one is resolution. I mean resolution is not everything, but resolution is pretty cool. And at the moment we talk about commercial available 30 centimeters. I mean guys like Albedo and all the VLE companies are going on whatever 25 up to 10 centimeter. I think Albedo even showed. But let's see, let's see how that will go and how we process then all the amount of data. And we talked then about edge processing AI in in space. I see wonderful opportunity to interview Will Marshall from Planet, the CEO of Planet about the pelicans that they're using in Japan and the big deal that they have done with the JSR or now with the German government. And he talked about the 30, 30, 30. So 30 satellites every 30 minutes, 30 centimeter resolution for the entire landmass. That's a very interesting development that we see again these huge amounts of data and so you need this huge amount of data downlink to dump all the data and then you have to process it. And I think the crucial part at the moment is not just the resolution, it is the speed. When you get your Earth observation data to your client, to the people in need. And I'm not talking about the farmer that looks how the crop or yield is there. No, I'm talking, we're talking about the security and defense people. Because if you deliver it four hour later, then your picture.

[A]

Yeah, at that point it's just for whatever it is, it's definitely too late. I always like to use EO as a little bit of a Trojan horse because it does often lead to discussions about cyber, AI, edge, all these things that I often really like to get into. It all merges together.

[D]

So interestingly, cyber is definitely the big security threat that we have in for our assets. And it's not just assets in space, it's primarily on the ground. So how can I secure my ground infrastructure? How can I secure my satellite? So that's a very important area. And I think that AI is on its way on multiple levels here in the space sector. So AI for the space situational awareness domain, so that I maneuver my satellites, or they maneuver based on AI on their own.

[A]

So you feel like it's actually, we have arrived with AI, it's not just one day we'll have this. But actually it is working now. Or is it still kind of to be determined?

[D]

No, it's coming. Yeah, it's in this process. So we start using it and try to adapt to it. But it's developing, it's bringing in its own dynamics as well. And I mean, if you see on the ground here, the development on AI, it's, it's, it's breathtaking. So AI in space also includes the edge computing. I mean, the latest Pelican satellites coming back to planet, they're using the Nvidia whatever processor. I mean, I gave up to try to follow this numbering.

[A]

By the time we put this interview to air, it'll be outdated already because they'll have released a new, a new GPU or something.

[D]

So it's something like that? Yeah, yeah, yeah, no, but edge computing is super important. Why is that important? If you run an earth observation satellite and you make cool pictures of clouds, then it's not really the purpose of the satellite. So you don't want to transmit this data because you're wasting bandwidth as well and you're wasting frequency and spectrum, which is definitely the limited part that we have. Spectrum is not an infinite source. It is a finite source.

[A]

That's right.

[D]

And we have to use that wisely.

[A]

Until we get optical up and running and Then it's a different ball game.

[D]

Yeah, optical space to ground. Yes, it's tested. Yes, it's there, but it's not in mass production because hey, there's a cloud or there's a bird or there's something in between on orbit. Communication with optical. Yeah, it's out for the last 20 years, but it's coming now mainstream and for various reasons. However, also optical will be then have an controlled mechanism by the, by the ITU and all these regulatory bodies.

[A]

Okay.

[D]

But yes, so that's the AI part in space and then you have the AI part on the ground. What to do with all these data. And that's where the real cool stuff comes in. Because data, I mean like any statistics, I mean you just believe the data that you manipulated by yourself. It's like with the images, I mean when you get an image today, it's so easy to manipulate. But so how do we trust Earth's observation data? How do we trust sources? And I think that's a big thing. And if that includes AI, how do I measure it? Do I really want to have the raw image? No, because I can't do anything with that. And one image doesn't move the needle. I need a sequence of. Because what you want to know is who is moving there when, why and or who's building something there that you want to measure. So is it a base, is it a farm or is it a silo for the next icbm? So I think there's some clarity is very helpful in this, in this cases. And that's where also the data processing on the ground kicks in. And there are so many cool downstream applications that are out there today.

[A]

Thank you for going into more depth because just a few of these insights from an incredibly, incredibly busy not just week, but then the week after also has been very busy for you.

[D]

Yeah, no, I mean today is Friday. So on Thursday we had the third German Space Congress. A fantastic event in Berlin, in my hometown, our Minister of Defense announced a 35 billion euro budget for the next five years are to put Germany defense into space. Annual budget on space defense from last year what was 73 billion in total worldwide including the US and to, to add in not 35 but 7 billion means 10% of, of the global market. So Germany is later the party. But I, I think we are, we are ramping up now.

[A]

We'll be right back.

[B]

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[A]

Today, ESA's HERA mission is officially one year old. HERA is a planetary defense mission. Oh neato, right? And she is now roughly halfway to the Didymos binary asteroid system where she will study the aftermath of NASA's planetary defense mission DART, aka the Revenge of the Dinosaurs. Hera will check out DART's impact on Didymos smaller moon Dimorphos and her insights will help humanity learn how to safely redirect asteroids. Kind of important for planetary defense after all, and this doesn't often happen, but Hera is now on track to arrive a month ahead of schedule in November 2026. And during her very busy first year, Hera performed a successful engine burn, a Mars flyby and imaging of faint asteroids to prepare the main camera for the Didymos approach. The spacecraft's autonomous navigation system will allow Hera to safely maneuver around Dimorphos while still too far from Earth for real time control. Royal lady that she is, Hera has her own little attendants. With her are two Cubesats, Milani and Juventus, and they will perform close up studies of the asteroid system. Right at this moment, Hera is behind the sun relative to us until late October. She's getting ready for her next major deep space maneuver in February 2026 to line up for a rendezvous with Didymos. With the one year old in excellent health, ESA teams are readying the final phase of humanity's first mission to fully study a post deflection asteroid system. Happy Birthday Queen. And that is T minus Brought to you by N2K 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 our show, please share a rating and review in your podcast app and thank you. Please also fill out the survey that I mentioned earlier. It's in our show notes or you can even send 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 cybersecurity professionals grow, learn, and stay informed. As the nexus for discovery and connection, we bring you the people, the technology, and the ideas shaping the future of secure innovation. Learn [e-mail] N2K Senior Producer is Alice Carruth. Our producer is Liz Stokes. We are 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. Thank you for listening. We'll see you tomorrow. T minus.