
SpaceX to launch NASA’s Pandora mission. DARPA selects two universities for the final phase of the NOM4D program. China launches its Long March 8A. And more.
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Maria Varmazes
You're listening to the N2K space network.
Dave
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Maria Varmazes
That's JoinDeleteMe.com N2k code N2K today is February 11th, 2025. I'm Maria Varmazes and this is T minus T minus 22nd. The Texas Space Commission has awarded over $47 million in grants to space companies operating in the state. Germany has committed an additional €870,000 to support the development of an offshore launch platform that will operate from the North Sea. China launches Its 1st, long March 8A carrying communication satellites for the Guo Wang Constellation. DARPA selects two universities to demonstrate novel technology for building future large structures in space. 1. NASA selects SpaceX to provide the launch service for the Pandora mission which will study at least 20 known exoplanets and their host star. And it is International Day for Women and Girls in Science. We'll have more on that later in the show and we're highlighting Madison Feehan in today's chat. Now Madison is The founder and CEO of Space Copy, looking at in situ 3D printing in space using available materials. It is a really fascinating concept, so stick around to find out more. Welcome to this Tuesday's Intel Briefing. Let's get into it. NASA has selected SpaceX to provide the launch service for the Pandora mission. The selection is part of NASA's Vader or Venture class acquisition of dedicated and rideshare launch services contract. The contract allows the agency to make fixed price, indefinite delivery indefinite quantity awards using Vader's five year ordering period with a maximum total value of $300 million across all contracts. Pandora is a joint effort between NASA's Goddard Space Flight center and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California. The mission aims to study at least 20 known exoplanets and their host stars to find out how changes in stars affect our observations of exoplanet atmospheres. During its one year primary mission, Pandora will observe each exoplanet 10 times, observing for 24 hours each visit. It'll capture critical data about the planet and its host star during transits, which is the event where a planet crosses in front of the star that it orbits. The satellite will use a 17 inch wide all aluminum telescope to simultaneously measure the visible and near infrared brightness of the host star and obtain near infrared spectra of the transiting planet. This combined data will enable the science team to determine the properties of stellar surfaces and cleanly separate star and planetary signals. Pandora is due to launch later this year. DARPA has selected two universities to demonstrate novel technology for building future large structures in space. Darpa, or the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, is a US Government agency that develops new technologies for the military and the selection is part of the third and final phase of its Nomad program and the program plans to conduct a pair of small scale orbital demonstrations to evaluate novel materials and assembly processes in space. DARPA says that Caltech and the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign demonstrated tremendous advances in the first two phases and have now partnered in phase three with space launch companies to conduct in space testing of their novel assembly processes and materials. Very cool. Caltech is focused on mass efficient designs for in space manufacturing and has teamed with Momentous to demonstrate its technology aboard the Momentus Vigoride Orbital Services vehicle which will launch on the SpaceX Falcon 9 Transporter 16 mission scheduled for February 2026. The University of Illinois Urbana Champaign is focused on in space materials and manufacturing and has developed a high precision in space composite forming process and they have partnered with Voyager Space aiming for launch to the International space station aboard NASA's Commercial Resupply Mission NG24 which is currently scheduled for April 2026. Moving over to China now and China has launched its long anticipated maiden flight of the Long March 8A rocket. The spacecraft lifted off from Wenchang Satellite Launch center carrying a group of satellites into orbit for the National Guolang Mega Constellation. The China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology developed the Long March 8A, sharing that the vehicle is a modified version of the long March 8 makes sense. The company says it boasts an increased payload capacity and enhanced mission adaptability provide crucial support for large scale satellite constellation deployment. No details are immediately available about the amount of satellites that it transported in today's launch. Let's head on over to Europe now and Germany has committed an additional €870,000 to support the development of an offshore launch platform that will operate from the North Sea. The North Sea launch platform is being developed by the German Offshore Spaceport alliance, known as gosa. NGOSA is a joint venture by Tractobel Doc Offshore Media Mobile, OHB and Harran Shipping Services. The German government committed an additional 2 million euros to the project and the proposed platform will be constructed on the 170 meter long Combi DOC1 vessel and will accommodate launchers with a mass of between 36 and 52 tons. A 2020 feasibility study stated that the development and operation of the North Sea launch platform would cost between 22 and 30 million euros over six years and let's head down back to Texas now, y'all. The Texas Space Commission has committed $47.7 million in grants to five space companies operating in the US state. The grants are part of Texas's Space Exploration and Aeronautics Research Fund, known as surf. The Commission's Board of Directors voted to award grants ranging from 7 to $5 million to Blue Origin, Firefly Aerospace, Intuitive Machines, Space Exploration Technologies, aka SpaceX and Star Lab Space. The board says that the grants will support Texas companies as they grow commercial milit civil aerospace activity across the state and that concludes today's Intel Briefing. Our producer Alice Carruth has more on the stories that didn't make it into the top five today.
Alice Carruth
Indeed I do. Maria. There are two additional stories we think you should be aware of today. Norway has contracted Thales Alanier space for the Thor 8 telecom satellite and space journalist Michael Sheetz has announced his departure from cnbc. We wish him the best of luck with his new move and we're eager to find out where that is. We will of course share those details with you when we find out.
Maria Varmazes
And Alice, where can we find those stories?
Alice Carruth
Links to all the stories mentioned throughout the show are in the selected reading section of our Show Notes and can also be found@space.in2k.com just click on the.
Maria Varmazes
Episode title Hey T Minus Crew. If you are just joining us, be sure to follow T minus Space daily in your favorite podcast app. Also, please do us a favor, share the intel with your friends and coworkers. Here's a little challenge for you. By Friday, please show three friends or coworkers this podcast. A growing audience is the most important thing for us and we would love your help as part of the T Minus Crew. If you Find T minus useful. Please share the show so other professionals like you can find us. Thank you. It means a lot to me and all of us working here on T minus.
Dave
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Maria Varmazes
Our guest today is Space Copies founder and CEO Madison Feehan. And I caught up with Madison at spacecom in Florida to find out more about her company.
Madison Feehan
We are a woman owned small business based in the United States and Canada, and we are an in situ logistics and additive manufacturing company and we are focused on building 3D printing technology to power the next generation of space flight.
Maria Varmazes
So not a small challenge to take on.
Madison Feehan
It is not. It is super complex, but we operate both in space and terrestrial ecosystems. And something that is a little bit unique about us is that all of the feedstock that we're generating for use is completely derived in situ, in situ, as in.
Maria Varmazes
So we are, we are on the moon and we are. That feedstock is coming from regolith, right?
Madison Feehan
Absolutely. If you're on the surface of the moon, we're talking regolith. If you're in an extreme or austere environment here on Earth, we're talking about soil, sand, basalts, recycled metal, you name it, we can break it down and print infrastructure of various different sizes and capacities.
Maria Varmazes
Okay, mind blown. I'm just going, wow. The challenges of doing that, impurities, I can't even. Additive manufacturing, to me, already on its own, seems like magic. And I know it's science, but when you're talking about just taking what's around you and using that as raw material that gets into. I didn't know if that would ever be possible. It's amazing to know that you are developing that. That is quite incredible. Please tell me more about, I mean, this mission, what you're making. I mean, that's just amazing.
Madison Feehan
Well, it is certainly a really difficult technology process to wrap your head around, but it is an incredible one nonetheless. So how I like to break this down is into four different stages.
Maria Varmazes
Sure.
Madison Feehan
The 3D printing technology starts first with stage one, what we call beneficiation, or maybe the less technical term is mixing. So we Take whatever raw material that you have on site to work with and we break it down through a jaw crushing dual centrifuge. Mix a nice mechanical sieve in a vibrational separation process and that will take your biggest rocks and chunks and break it down into a fine powder like material. Once we've been able to achieve that nice fine particle size distribution, then we carry forward into Raman spectral scanning, just.
Maria Varmazes
Basically what we're working with.
Madison Feehan
Big old laser beam and scanning the chemical composition of that feedstock.
Maria Varmazes
That's cool.
Madison Feehan
Then stage three, the fun stuff, the actual 3D printing. We have two different systems by the way. We have a laser based system for really complex parts like precision tools, and we have an extrusion based system for the larger scale infrastructure like bricks and heat shields and launch pads. And then last but not least, stage four is AI and autonomy. So everything that I just explained, it's 100% autonomous.
Maria Varmazes
I would imagine, given the locations that we're talking about. Using this anyway would need to be 100%.
Madison Feehan
100%. We've got a little five axis robotic arm that's located inside that 3D printing chamber. It's actually going to lift those 3D printed parts off of that build plate and drop them into a collection bin so it's easy for astronauts to access them.
Maria Varmazes
How do you anticipate this being used? I know it's evident, but just walk me through it anyway.
Madison Feehan
Well, we've kind of got a little bit of a milestone timelines schedule in place. So first and foremost is the Earth based applications. Well, we can immediately use this technology in natural disaster areas and combat zones and places where it's just straight up logistically challenging to get infrastructure shipped into certain locations. So we estimate being able to deploy this tech into ecosystems like the Arctic or desert or even underwater as early as 2026, which is right around the corner. And then as for the lunar missions, we've got some fantastic partners that are helping us to make this happen with the lofty goal of being able to land one of our 3D printers on the surface of the Moon by 2031. And we are super excited to be having a cislunar flight test that is being planned for as early as the end of this year. So we're going to send out the world's most basic 3D printer halfway to the moon and back and see if we can't print with some regolith simulant. And you know what, if successful, we would be the first folks to ever do so.
Maria Varmazes
Wow, I love when I get these, to have these kind of conversations where it's like, this is the sci fi future that I know I dreamed of and someone is working on that. Tell me a little bit about sort of like your long term vision for what you're working on. I mean you've already sort of outlined quite a bit of it, but I mean, Mars maybe? I mean.
Madison Feehan
Oh yeah.
Maria Varmazes
Oh yeah, yeah.
Madison Feehan
You know, the space dreamer in us is always looking for let's land on Mars, let's get this concept going. You know what, as a matter of fact, I've been pioneering this concept since 2017. The business has been around for a couple of years now, but the idea has been formulating for much, much longer. And when I first came up with the concept, it was specifically around 3D printing for Mars.
Maria Varmazes
Wow.
Madison Feehan
That's on the peripheral. It's the long term goal. And you know what, if we're looking at the way that space travel is shaping up and we're talking about being interplanetary species sending humans to space in long term duration missions, think of this in the greater context of the mission planning requirements. Because right now launch costs from Earth to the surface of the moon, if you're talking per kilo, you're ranging from around 800,000 to US$1.2 million. It takes almost 22,000 kilograms to keep four astronauts alive for a year. You're talking over $6 billion easily in just infrastructure being shipped up. And that's not even considering what the cost would be to send it even further to places like Mars. So immediately you're seeing the need for the technology and you're seeing that not only is it possible, but it's needed. So when I look at the kind of long term vision five years from now, even 20 years from now, the goal is kind of a bit of a technical balance with a humanitarian balance. So not only being able to do some cool science because you know that's what we're all here for, but also having the benefit of changing the way that humanity looks at infrastructure development. That we look at sustainability.
Maria Varmazes
Yes.
Madison Feehan
And that we look towards the future of science as being proactive.
Maria Varmazes
This is really capturing my imagination and my eyes is going, I'm just so curious like who you're working with, with and what kind of projects. I mean, so you mentioned really underwater. Sorry, I'm a little bit like, wow.
Madison Feehan
This I know, right? There's so many different ecosystems that space copies technology can operate in. So yeah, let me run it down really quick. So those terrestrial applications we're talking Arctic desert underwater. And I say underwater because it's got that microgravity environment. Right. So it's, it's a really fantastic. What we refer to as like the lunar proving test ground. Right. Same thing goes with Arctic. Right. We're talking about extreme thermal gradients of space. Why not try to do that here on Earth first? And not only to validate the concept, but also to actually benefit the people working in those ecosystems already. Right. And then, yeah, as far as space goes, we're talking about microgravity, we're talking about cislunar, we're talking about lunar, we're talking about the deep space all the way to Mars. And then as far as actual timelines go. Yeah, I was mentioning that cislunar test flight that we're planning.
Maria Varmazes
Yes.
Madison Feehan
And then actually, actually we have a Arctic field test planned for 2026. For those of you who may or may not be familiar with the Mars analog test site, the Houghton Impact crater way up in the northern Canadian Arctic Circle. We've got some partners up there that are helping us to actually get a basic printer up there.
Maria Varmazes
Wow.
Madison Feehan
Get a prototype going, get some stuff printing. And the best part is that not only is it a terrestrial feedstock, but it's also the site of an asteroid impact. So you get some of that space based material too.
Maria Varmazes
That is so you've got to love your job, what you're building.
Madison Feehan
This is you.
Maria Varmazes
I can just tell you're really jazzed talking about this. This is a really cool thing.
Madison Feehan
I do love my job. I will talk to whoever will listen about this technology. Not only because I'm so proud of what we're creating and the incredible team also behind the story that has helped to create this and pioneer this, but also because of the proud partners that we've had, from academic institutes to government organizations like NASA. We've got such a huge repertoire of folks that have come through for us that are not only fascinated in our technology, but are looking for ways to support it. And at the end of the day, that's one of the things I really love about the space community.
Maria Varmazes
Yes.
Madison Feehan
Is that, you know, it's so dynamic, but also so supportive.
Maria Varmazes
We'll be right back.
Dave
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Maria Varmazes
Today, February 11th is the International Day of Women and Girls in Science. This one's personal I grew up in a house where science and engineering were revered and encouraged at every turn. My peer group in high school were other science minded girls like me. There's a photo in my high school yearbook of our computer club that always makes me chuckle because there I am, off to the side, the only girl. It's a dynamic that you get used to even at engineering school and college, not unlike high school, it wasn't unusual to be the only young woman in a lab, or maybe one of a handful in a large seminar. It was easy for us to remember each other. Us engineering school women would often become friends, toiling away at problem sets and study rooms for hours every day, sharing notes, helping each other prep for exams, rotating who would go to office hours. And it's funny, outside of engineering, many of us probably wouldn't have been friends. We really didn't have all that much in common interest wise. But we knew what we were all up against. So we banded together for survival. I'll skip to the chase. We were the class of 2005, so it's been 20 years. Many of the women I knew from those days went into their chosen fields after graduating. But now, these decades on, of the dozens of women that I knew starting their careers in science and engineering, maybe four are still working in them now. Career changes happen for all sorts of reasons, like in my case, where it simply is just not the right field for you. It happens, but sometimes it's the result of a slow fade, where over the years you have to keep fighting an invisible war and sometimes you simply get tired of it. Whatever you want to call it, a retention problem, a cultural problem. It goes way beyond any federal mandate or national border. And there are conversations happening, said and unsaid, especially right now, about whose stories are celebrated, whose competence and credibility is celebrated, who rises in the ranks with like minded peers whose accomplishments are worth a damn, who is a merited hire? In other words, in science and engineering, who belongs? Well, women do. This is only the 10th anniversary of international Girls and Women in Science Day. So all you trailblazers toiling long hours over problem sets, labs, trials, reams and reams of data, connecting with that spark of joy that ignited that love of science. Ladies, I see you. Our world needs your perspective and your expertise more than ever. Keep fighting out of spite for the haters if nothing else. And please remember, even if you are the only one in the room, you belong. That's it for T minus for February 11, 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 and 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. N2K Senior Producer is Alice Carruth. Our producer is Liz Stokes. Were 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 Ramazes. Thanks for listening. We'll see you tomorrow.
Madison Feehan
T minus.
Host: Maria Varmazes
Publisher: N2K Networks
Description: Daily space intelligence and analysis trusted by global space industry leaders and experts. Includes interviews with a diverse range of professionals from industry, academia, and research organizations worldwide.
In today's episode of T-Minus Space Daily, host Maria Varmazes delves into a spectrum of groundbreaking developments within the global space industry. From significant grant awards and international collaborations to pioneering technological advancements and inspirational stories celebrating women in science, this episode encapsulates the dynamic and evolving landscape of space exploration and technology.
The Texas Space Commission has made a substantial investment in the state's burgeoning space sector by awarding over $47 million in grants to five prominent space companies. The recipients include:
These grants, ranging from $5 to $7 million, are part of the Space Exploration and Aeronautics Research Fund (SURF) and aim to bolster commercial, military, and civil aerospace activities across Texas. Maria highlights the significance of this investment, noting, "The grants will support Texas companies as they grow commercial milit civil aerospace activity across the state" (01:12).
Germany has pledged an additional €870,000 to advance the development of an offshore launch platform situated in the North Sea. This initiative is spearheaded by the German Offshore Spaceport Alliance (GOSA), a collaboration between Tractobel Doc Offshore Media Mobile, OHB, and Harran Shipping Services. The platform, built on the Combi DOC1 vessel, is designed to accommodate launchers with masses between 36 and 52 tons, enhancing the adaptability and capacity for large-scale satellite deployments.
China successfully conducted the inaugural flight of the Long March 8A rocket from the Wenchang Satellite Launch Center. This mission deployed a constellation of communication satellites for the National Guo Wang Constellation project. Developed by the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology, the Long March 8A boasts increased payload capacity and enhanced mission flexibility, crucial for supporting extensive satellite networks. Maria notes, "The company says it boasts an increased payload capacity and enhanced mission adaptability" (05:50).
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has selected two universities to advance novel technologies for constructing large structures in space. As part of the final phase of its Nomad program, Caltech and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign will collaborate with space launch companies to test innovative assembly processes and materials in orbit. Caltech will partner with Momentous for a demonstration aboard the Momentus Vigoride Orbital Services vehicle, while the University of Illinois will work with Voyager Space for deployment on NASA's Commercial Resupply Mission NG24 (03:40).
NASA has awarded SpaceX the contract to provide launch services for the highly anticipated Pandora mission. This mission, a collaboration between NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, aims to study at least 20 known exoplanets and their host stars. Utilizing a 17-inch all-aluminum telescope, Pandora will observe each exoplanet ten times over a year, capturing vital data during stellar transits to analyze atmospheric compositions and stellar influences on planetary environments. The mission is slated for launch later this year, with the contract falling under NASA's Vader class acquisition for dedicated and rideshare launch services (02:12).
In the telecommunications sector, Norway has entered into a contract with Thales Alenia Space for the development and deployment of the Thor 8 telecom satellite. This partnership underscores Norway's commitment to enhancing its satellite communication infrastructure, ensuring robust and reliable connectivity solutions.
Space journalist Michael Sheetz has announced his departure from CNBC, prompting curiosity about his future endeavors. While details on his next move remain undisclosed, the community eagerly awaits further information on his upcoming projects and contributions to the field.
Today's featured guest is Madison Feehan, the visionary founder and CEO of Space Copy, a pioneering company in the realm of in situ 3D printing for space applications. Madison shares insights into her company's innovative approaches to utilizing available materials for additive manufacturing in extraterrestrial environments.
Madison elaborates on Space Copy's mission:
"We are an in situ logistics and additive manufacturing company focused on building 3D printing technology to power the next generation of space flight."
— Madison Feehan at 10:35
Space Copy's technology uniquely harnesses regolith (lunar soil) or analogous materials on Earth to create infrastructure in space. The process involves breaking down raw materials into fine powders, analyzing their chemical composition, and utilizing both laser-based and extrusion-based 3D printing systems to fabricate structures ranging from precision tools to large-scale infrastructure like bricks and launch pads.
Madison outlines the four-stage process integral to Space Copy's operations:
Beneficiation (Mixing):
Raman Spectral Scanning:
3D Printing:
AI and Autonomy:
Space Copy is poised to deploy its technology across various extreme environments on Earth and in space:
Terrestrial Applications:
Space Applications:
Madison shares, "If successful, we would be the first folks to ever do so." (13:11)
Madison envisions Space Copy playing a pivotal role in making humanity an interplanetary species, addressing the exorbitant costs of space travel by enabling on-site manufacturing. By reducing reliance on Earth-based infrastructure shipments, Space Copy aims to foster sustainable and scalable space exploration initiatives.
"We look towards the future of science as being proactive... having the benefit of changing the way that humanity looks at infrastructure development."
— Madison Feehan at 15:05
On February 11th, marking the International Day for Women and Girls in Science, Maria Varmazes shares a heartfelt reflection on her personal experiences and the broader challenges faced by women in STEM fields. She underscores the importance of representation, retention, and fostering supportive environments to ensure that women not only enter but thrive in scientific and engineering careers.
Maria poignantly states:
"In science and engineering, who belongs? Well, women do. ... Our world needs your perspective and your expertise more than ever."
— Maria Varmazes at 20:09
Her message serves as a rallying call for continued advocacy, encouragement, and acknowledgment of the invaluable contributions women make to science and technology.
Today's episode of T-Minus Space Daily traversed significant developments in space funding, international collaborations, innovative technological strides, and inspiring narratives celebrating women in science. From Texas's strategic investments and Germany's ambitious offshore launch platform to SpaceX's pivotal role in the Pandora mission and Space Copy's revolutionary 3D printing technology, the space industry is undeniably on a trajectory of rapid advancement and diversification.
As the episode wraps up, Maria encourages listeners to follow the podcast, share it within their networks, and remain engaged with the latest in space intelligence and analysis.
Madison Feehan on Space Copy's Mission:
"We are an in situ logistics and additive manufacturing company focused on building 3D printing technology to power the next generation of space flight." (10:35)
DARPA on University Selections:
"Caltech and the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign demonstrated tremendous advances in the first two phases." (05:00)
Maria Varmazes on Women in Science:
"In science and engineering, who belongs? Well, women do. ... Our world needs your perspective and your expertise more than ever." (20:09)
For more detailed information on the stories discussed today, visit the Show Notes or follow T-Minus Space Daily on your preferred podcast platform.
This detailed summary aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the "Launch, Demo, Launch, Repeat." episode of T-Minus Space Daily, ensuring that even those who haven't tuned in can grasp the essential discussions and insights shared.