
NASA selects 25 for Open Innovation Service contracts. Protests planned against NASA budget cuts. UKSA calls for scientific instrument proposals. And more.
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Maria Varmazas
You're listening to the N2K space network.
Dave
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Maria Varmazas
I'm Maria Varmazas and this is T minus.
Patrick O'Neill
T minus 20 seconds.
Maria Varmazas
Losing SpaceX conducted a static fire of its Super Heavy booster ahead of its next Starship test flight. The Canadian Space Agency and the European Agency have signed a joint statement reaffirming their partnership. The UK Space Agency has launched a call for proposals for a UK led scientific instrument for NASA's Habitable Worlds Observatory. Protests are planned against proposed cuts to NASA's budget. The US space agency has announced 25 new NASA open Innovation Service contracts and our guest today is Patrick o' Neill, Public affairs and Outreach Lead at the International Space Station U.S. national Laboratory. Patrick will be bringing us the monthly update on what's going on and what's going up to the ISS later in the show, so stick around to find out more. Happy Monday everybody. Thanks for joining me. The US space agency has announced 25 new NASA Open Innovation Service contracts known as noise. This is the third noise contract managed by NASA center of Excellence for Collaborative Innovation and used by NASA and other government agencies. This third Noise contract, or NOISE three to make noise and Lead speak, includes the ability to solicit crowd based solutions via contracts with multiple awardees using their commercial approaches to satisfy the scope of work. NASA is looking for solutions through multiple crowdsourcing tools and methodologies which include public prize competitions, freelance tasking, technology searches and other crowd based methods. The total value of the Noise 3 contract is $475 million over 10 years and there is a guaranteed $500 minimum obligation for each contract award. The base contract spans June 5, 2025 through May 3, 2027, and there are two options, the first for three years and the second for five years. If all options are exercised, the work could continue through May 30. The contracts will be managed by the Johnson Space center in Houston, and if you want to learn more, definitely check out the link in the show notes to find out about the awardees. And speaking of the US Space Agency, it does seem to be in the news for all the wrong reasons at the moment. The former pick for the NASA administrator role, Jared Isaacman, implied in a recent interview that he was dropped from his nomination due to his ties to SpaceX founder Elon Musk. Isaacman said, some people had some access to grind and I was a good visible target. While we are still waiting for the US Administration to announce a new nomination for the role, the proposed cuts to the NASA budget are also making headlines, with protests planned at hubs like NASA Glenn, which is facing a potential 40% workforce cut if Trump's planned fiscal year 2026 budget goes through. Let's hop the pond now and head over to the UK and the UK Space Agency has launched a call for proposals for a UK led scientific instrument for NASA's Habitable Worlds Observatory. UKSA is looking to contribute to NASA's Habitable Worlds Observatory, also known as HWO, which will be designed to search for Earth like planets and signs of life beyond our solar system. This early stage investment will support studies to develop concepts for instruments such as imagers or spectrographs. These studies will determine whether a UK led instrument could be included on this mission. And while the mission won't be launched until the early 2000-40s, NASA's selection process is expected to be conducted in 2026. More details about the call can be found by following the link in our show notes. As always, the Canadian Space Agency and the European Space Agency have signed a joint statement reaffirming their partnership. The statement marks a key milestone in the midterm review of the Canada ESA Cooperation agreement. Canada's status as ESA's only non European cooperating state gives Canadian companies privileged access to the European space market. They say every dollar awarded to Canadian companies through ESA contracts generates nearly $3 in return. The Director General of ESA, Dr. Josef Aschbacher, signed the partnership agreement during his visit to Canada late last week, and SpaceX is getting ready for the next test flight of its starship. The space company conducted a static fire of its Super Heavy booster on Friday. All 33 of Super Heavy's Raptor engines lit up during the trial and it's not known yet when the 10th flight of Starship will be conducted. I know you were asking, and that's because SpaceX has yet to complete the mishap investigation from Flight Number nine, which is required by the FAA ahead of its next test flight. As soon as we know the date, we will definitely let you know. Stay with us for our monthly Update from the ISS National Lab. But before that, N2K senior producer Alice Carruth joins us before she heads off to the International Rocket Engineering Competition, otherwise known as the irec.
Dave
Yes, I'm heading to West Texas after this. Today is registration day for the International.
Patrick O'Neill
Rocket Engineering Competition and safety checks are.
Dave
Already underway in Midland.
Patrick O'Neill
I'll be bringing you an update on the competition during tomorrow's show. Until then, check out the additional stories.
Dave
In the selected Reading section of our show.
Patrick O'Neill
Notes Redwire has amended the agreement and plan of merger to acquire Edge Autonomy, and Bloomberg has an article on Trump's Golden Dome giving the Space Force relevance.
Maria Varmazas
And a reminder that all those links can always be found on our website space.n2k.com hey t minus crew, if you would like daily updates from us directly in your LinkedIn feed, be sure to follow the official N2K T minus page over on LinkedIn. If you're more interested in the lighter side of what we do here we are daily on Instagram and that's where we post videos and pictures from events, excursions, and even some behind the scenes treats. No doubt it's going to be pretty busy with Alice at the IREC this week. Links are in the show notes. Hope you'll join us there.
Dave
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Maria Varmazas
Axiom 4's crew held the final rehearsals before their flight, which is scheduled to launch to the International Space Station tomorrow. In the meantime, I caught up with Patrick o' Neill, Public affairs and Outreach Lead at the ISS US National Lab, to find out more about their support for the Axiom commercial mission.
Patrick O'Neill
Private astronaut missions are exciting for us for a variety of reasons. I think that first and foremost, it's an opportunity for researchers to access space station in a different way than they traditionally would. And it allows for us, from a national lab perspective, to sponsor more research. That goes for the space station and the advancements that that can have for us here on Earth. The types of technologies that could be validated on the space station, that could be used for future research investigations or for future commerce in low Earth orbits. Normally when you launch investigations to Station, it's through either a NASA solicitation or an ISS national solicitation. And this is just. It's a different portfolio, it's a different avenue. And because of that, there's a lot of just fun projects that maybe sometimes the ISS Natural lab doesn't have the opportunity to sponsor or touch.
Maria Varmazas
Can you tell me a little more about that, if you could? Because I've been really curious about what the private missions can enable that we weren't necessarily able to do before.
Patrick O'Neill
Yeah. So maybe it also helps to kind of look at the evolution of Station as a whole. So when Station was first on board and ISS National Lab and NASA were both trying to seek research again, there's a couple of traditional ways that you could do that. There was the NASA solicitation route, there was an ISS National Lab solicitation route. And then as commercial partners started to have more and more facilities on station, we wanted to enable them the ability to forge their own relationships and to hunt for their own food, if that makes sense. And so Acxiom, through these private astronaut missions, is doing just that alongside a lot of other commercial service providers who have the ability to go out into the research community and say, hey, would you want to send research to the space station? If you do, we got this really cool facility that might be able to enable discoveries that either accelerate things in space or just wouldn't be able to happen in the same way on Earth. And so that's kind of this evolution and that these private astronaut missions are a little bit different because Axiom is forging these relationships with international countries, international companies. And again, it's a new portfolio, it's a new avenue for us to look into supporting R and D on the space station.
Maria Varmazas
Yeah. And the list of what's going up on EX4, can you tell me about the Oura ring? Because that one admittedly really fascinates me, because I know so many people who wear the Oura ring, and the idea of this going up to space, it's like, oh, that's so cool. I'm going to tell all my friends. So what are we doing?
Patrick O'Neill
Yeah, that's called great product marketing right there, first and foremost. But there again, there's research that's associated with it. So the investigation is called Aura Edge Computing. And to your point, one of the astronauts will be wearing an aura ring. And you know, think about it from most of our astronauts, we monitor their bodies once they go to station, but it's more. There's a lot of cords, there's a lot of doohickeys that are associated with it.
Maria Varmazas
But what famously all the stuff.
Patrick O'Neill
Yeah, but what if you're able to do so in a much less invasive manner in looking at something like an OURA ring, that could potentially help to evaluate how an astronaut is sleeping on the space station, how they're recovering on the space station, and being able to get that near real time data, which has always been a challenge, if you will, on station, is being able to have that bandwidth. And so projects like this are being able to test those boundaries from an edge computing perspective while also using a monitor that is less invasive than what it is we traditionally use on astronauts.
Maria Varmazas
Yeah, and it's funny when you mention these missions specifically because it reminds me of conversations I've had with people who are not, not really into space, but they, they often will ask things like, why can't they just use this thing that we have? And you know, why can't they use that? And sometimes the answer is it's complicated for science reasons. And sometimes it's, it's not, it's just, it's a. So that in this case it's a, you know, that having a private mission can enable some of that. And I think that's just really fascinating. So that's, that's quite cool.
Patrick O'Neill
It really is. Yeah. So we're excited about that mission. And, and again, the Axiom team, this is their fourth one, so they've learned quite a bit the, the Aura investigation, I believe this or third time that they're going to be flying. So this is not their first go around either. But again, I'm also excited because of just, it sets the foundation not just for the R and D, but also for us to do future data analysis on station. And that can have really profound impacts, not just on private astronaut missions, but missions across the board where, especially from a life science perspective, if you're launching a cancer investigation to station and you're able to get near real time data analysis of that project, instead of you sending it to station, then having it come back down, then analyzing it on the ground and then trying to fly it again in a couple of years. Now you might have the ability to iterate that science on the space station in the middle of that mission. And so you're able to just generate more and more knowledge on that project. And that's going to be more beneficial for the scientific community, that's going to be more beneficial for the research team that's helping to perform that science.
Maria Varmazas
So while I'm geeking out about the ring, it's really the edge computing also. I mean that's the game changer that's the biggest thing. Yeah, edge computing.
Patrick O'Neill
Eventually we're starting to see some AI that's happening on station. So station again, it's an evolving platform and I think that this is one of those advancements that's going to have profound impacts on how it is that we do R and D for the remaining years that we have on this space station as well as what we do on future space platforms and in low Earth orbit and beyond.
Maria Varmazas
Yeah, near real time feedback and modifications. That is truly, I mean, my goodness, that would be an absolute game changer. All right, let's move on to ISS 25. So big milestone. A couple of things we mentioned that I think last month as well. I think there's some updates since then. You want to fill me in?
Dave
Yeah.
Patrick O'Neill
So I mean basically November 2nd is the official 25th anniversary of 25 years of continuous human presence on the space station. And so basically we're just using this entire summer as an opportunity to really showcase what's happened over those last 25 years. I mean there's more than 4,000 science investigations, there's more than 450 peer reviewed journals. And so what we as well as NASA are trying to do is really just showcase where we were, how we got to where we are right now. And then also with an eye towards the future of again, we have a few years left on station. Let's talk about what we've learned to date and recognize that the science that's going to be going these remaining years is the best and the brightest because it's been able to build on the shoulders of all these great investigations that have happened to date. So there's really a great understanding now of what science we feel is always going to have the greatest impact for humanity across the board and make sure that those have a front seat ticket to the space station so that they can perform their science and bring even more value to humanity.
Maria Varmazas
That's exciting. Lots of things to be keeping an eye on over the summer for sure as the celebrations continue and maybe a little teaser of what's coming up in July. And we will speak before this next mission goes up with Crew 11. But you were mentioning a really, really cool mission that I feel like we should probably mention it to the audience even though we will talk about it more maybe next month. But it involves beer, so that interested me instantly.
Patrick O'Neill
So I'm going to have to take a step back and say it doesn't necessarily involve beer, but what is a critical element associated with the production of beer. You know, barley is kind of a big essential thing. And so there is a company, brewing company from Texas that's going to be launching a fermentation experiment in collaboration with Bioserve Space Technologies that's going to be flying up with our crew 11 astronauts along with a variety of other investigations. So we'll be talking a little bit about that. We are excited because it is not the first time that we have launched something of that nature to the space station. We had a prolonged relationship at one juncture with Anheuser Busch who launched a variety of barley related investigations to station first starting a just like genetic exposure what happens in that space environment. And then eventually it did kind of go up to that fermentation. We've had similar fermentation projects with wine companies, Michael David Winery. A few years back they launched a fermentation project. So the reason why we're able to send these though isn't just because of what these companies typically produce, but it's more about being able to further fundamental knowledge for the agricultural community across the landscape. If you're able to grow crops or plants in a more distressed environment, are there things that station in that novel environment in space, that extreme environment in space can help to influence. And so these projects, while they're a lot of fun to talk about, there are true science implications that happen behind, behind the scenes that again could be advantageous for that agricultural community or that company, in this case Starbase, Starbase Brewing, that is interested in exploring that.
Maria Varmazas
Honestly, it's really fascinating and you know, I love hearing that. It helps us on Earth also understanding, you know, as you said, crops can be more resilient. But even the long term future about what humanity is going to need in the future, I just. That's so dang cool.
Patrick O'Neill
A lot of cool stuff on station, that's. And again that's the beauty of it. 25 years. So we, we kind of know where the, you know, the sweet spot is. And so now we're really trying to maximize that. So best of luck to that research team and also best of luck to all the researchers that are associated with AX4 because you know, there's, there's just a lot of great science that's flying on that mission. So we're excited about it.
Maria Varmazas
We will be right back.
Dave
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Maria Varmazas
China's Tianwen 2 spacecraft has just beamed its first image back to Earth. It's a high resolution shot of one of its bronze colored solar arrays in deep space. Now, Tianwen means heavenly questions or questions to heaven. And that first image is the proof of life signal that the teams have been waiting for since its launch. On May 28, Tianwen 2 launched aboard a Long March 3B rocket from Xijiang. Its primary target is a quirky little near Earth asteroid called Kamoaleva. It's a so called quasi moon that shares Earth's orbit. Now, Kamaoaleva isn't just any space rock. It's thought to be a fragment that may have blasted off of the moon, possibly from the Giordano Bruno crater that is now swinging around our planet in a horseshoe like path. Now, Tianguan 2 will reach Kamua Lewa around July 2026. It's equipped with 11 scientific instruments including cameras, spectrometers, radar and even magnometers. The mission will attempt novel sampling techniques including hovering, short landings and even anchoring drills, and will eventually aim to grab around 100 grams of regolith for the journey back to Earth in 2027. After dropping its sample capsule back on earth in late 2027, we should note that the spacecraft won't be done. It'll then perform a gravity slingshot and head to the asteroid belt comet named 311P PanSTARRS by 2035, making Tianwen 2 a dual asteroid comet mission. That's pretty impressive. With Tianwen 2, China is not only retrieving materials that could reshape our understanding of lunar and asteroid origins. It's also testing some cutting edge technologies for anchoring, drilling, and sensing on tiny little bodies. This deep space endeavor marks a pivotal leap in global robotic exploration. Godspeed little spacecraft and that is it for T minus for June 9, 2025 brought to you by N2K CyberWire for additional resources from today's report, make sure to check out our Show Notes at Space we always love to hear what you think of our podcast. Your feedback ensures that 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. Please also fill out the survey in the show notes or just send us 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 teams smarter. Learn how@n2k.com 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 Kilpi is our publisher and I am your host, Maria Varmazes. Thanks for listening. We'll see you tomorrow. T minus.
T-Minus Space Daily: NASA Crowdsources Innovation in Space Release Date: June 9, 2025
NASA has launched its third iteration of the Open Innovation Service contracts, known as NOISE 3, aiming to harness crowdsourced solutions for various space-related challenges. Managed by NASA's Center of Excellence for Collaborative Innovation at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, NOISE 3 represents a significant investment of $475 million over ten years, with each contract award guaranteeing a minimum of $500.
Patrick O'Neill, Public Affairs and Outreach Lead at the International Space Station U.S. National Laboratory, highlighted the breadth of this initiative:
“NASA is looking for solutions through multiple crowdsourcing tools and methodologies which include public prize competitions, freelance tasking, technology searches and other crowd-based methods.”
— Patrick O'Neill (02:15)
The NOISE 3 contracts are designed to solicit innovative ideas from a diverse pool of contributors, leveraging commercial approaches to address NASA's scope of work. This initiative not only fosters greater public and private sector collaboration but also accelerates the development of cutting-edge technologies essential for future missions.
The US Space Agency is currently navigating turbulent waters regarding its leadership and funding. Jared Isaacman, the recently nominated NASA Administrator, suggested his withdrawal was influenced by his connections to SpaceX founder Elon Musk:
“Some people had some access to grind and I was a good visible target.”
— Jared Isaacman (04:50)
With Isaacman's nomination rescinded, the agency is awaiting a new candidate to fill the pivotal role. Concurrently, proposed budget cuts have sparked planned protests at key facilities like NASA Glenn, where a potential 40% workforce reduction looms if the fiscal plans for 2026 are approved. These developments have cast a shadow over NASA's operational stability and future initiatives.
The UK Space Agency (UKSA) has unveiled a call for proposals aiming to develop a UK-led scientific instrument for NASA's upcoming Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO). This mission, scheduled for launch in the early 2040s with selections expected in 2026, seeks to identify Earth-like exoplanets and potential signs of life beyond our solar system.
Patrick O'Neill explained the significance of this collaboration:
“UKSA is looking to contribute to NASA's Habitable Worlds Observatory... This early stage investment will support studies to develop concepts for instruments such as imagers or spectrographs.”
— Patrick O'Neill (05:45)
The initiative not only underscores the UK's commitment to cutting-edge space research but also provides Canadian companies—benefiting from ESA agreements—with privileged access to the European space market.
In a strategic move, the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) and the European Space Agency (ESA) have signed a joint statement reaffirming their longstanding partnership. This agreement marks a crucial milestone in the midterm review of the Canada-ESA Cooperation Agreement, emphasizing Canada's unique position as ESA's only non-European cooperating state.
Patrick O'Neill emphasized the economic and collaborative benefits:
“Every dollar awarded to Canadian companies through ESA contracts generates nearly $3 in return.”
— Patrick O'Neill (06:30)
Under the leadership of ESA Director General Dr. Josef Aschbacher, the partnership aims to enhance collaborative efforts in space exploration and commercial ventures, ensuring mutual growth and technological advancement.
SpaceX is gearing up for the tenth test flight of its Starship vehicle, following a successful static fire of its Super Heavy booster. All 33 Raptor engines ignited during the trial, showcasing the robust performance of the propulsion system. However, the exact date for the upcoming test flight remains pending as SpaceX completes the mishap investigation from Flight Number Nine, a prerequisite mandated by the FAA.
Patrick O'Neill provided insights into the scheduling:
“As soon as we know the date, we will definitely let you know.”
— Patrick O'Neill (06:50)
The upcoming test flight is eagerly anticipated by industry experts and space enthusiasts alike, promising significant advancements in reusable rocket technology and deep space exploration capabilities.
Axiom Space is set to launch its fourth commercial mission (AX4) to the International Space Station (ISS), marking a pivotal moment in private-led space research. Patrick O'Neill discussed the broader implications of such missions:
“Private astronaut missions are exciting... it allows for us, from a national lab perspective, to sponsor more research.”
— Patrick O'Neill (09:32)
One of the standout experiments aboard AX4 involves the Oura Ring, a wearable device widely used on Earth for health monitoring. This experiment, titled Aura Edge Computing, aims to assess the feasibility of utilizing non-invasive monitoring tools in space. By integrating edge computing, the mission seeks to provide near real-time data on astronauts' physiological states, enhancing both research capabilities and mission safety.
Patrick elaborated on the technological advancements:
“This project is being able to test those boundaries from an edge computing perspective while also using a monitor that is less invasive than what we traditionally use on astronauts.”
— Patrick O'Neill (12:02)
The successful implementation of such technologies could revolutionize how data is collected and analyzed in space, paving the way for more responsive and adaptive research methodologies.
November 2nd marks the 25th anniversary of the ISS's continuous human presence in space. Patrick O'Neill shared highlights of this milestone:
“There's more than 4,000 science investigations, there's more than 450 peer-reviewed journals... We're really trying to maximize that.”
— Patrick O'Neill (15:26)
The celebration aims to showcase the ISS's extensive contributions to science and humanity, reflecting on past achievements while setting the stage for future research endeavors. As the station approaches the final years of its operation, the focus remains on leveraging accumulated knowledge to drive impactful scientific discoveries.
China's ambitious Tianwen 2 spacecraft has successfully transmitted its first image back to Earth, capturing a high-resolution view of one of its bronze-colored solar arrays in deep space. Launched on May 28 aboard a Long March 3B rocket from Xijiang, Tianwen 2 targets the near-Earth asteroid Kamoaleva, a quasi-moon sharing Earth's orbit. This asteroid is believed to be a fragment possibly ejected from the Moon's Giordano Bruno crater, traversing a horseshoe-like path around our planet.
Patrick O'Neill provided an overview of the mission's objectives:
“Tianwen 2 will reach Kamua Lewa around July 2026... The mission will attempt novel sampling techniques including hovering, short landings and even anchoring drills.”
— Patrick O'Neill (20:10)
Equipped with eleven scientific instruments—including cameras, spectrometers, radar, and magnetometers—the spacecraft aims to collect approximately 100 grams of regolith for return to Earth by 2027. Post-sample retrieval, Tianwen 2 will execute a gravity slingshot maneuver to transition into a dual asteroid-comet mission, targeting 311P PanSTARRS by 2035.
This mission not only seeks to deepen our understanding of lunar and asteroid origins but also serves as a testbed for advanced technologies in anchoring, drilling, and sensing on small celestial bodies, marking a significant leap in global robotic exploration.
Conclusion
This episode of T-Minus Space Daily provides a comprehensive overview of the latest developments in the space sector, from NASA's innovative crowdsourcing initiatives to international collaborations and groundbreaking missions. With insights from industry experts like Patrick O'Neill, listeners gain valuable perspectives on the evolving landscape of space exploration and research.
For more detailed information and additional resources, visit N2K Networks and explore the show notes linked in the episode.
This summary captures the key discussions, insights, and conclusions from the June 9, 2025, episode of T-Minus Space Daily, ensuring a comprehensive understanding for those who haven't listened.