NOAA selects BAE for Space Weather Next.

Summary

T-Minus Space Daily: NOAA Selects BAE for Space Weather Next
Host: Maria Varmazas
Guest: Mark Lester, Aerospace and Defense Consultant at Merrick
Release Date: February 24, 2025

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Introduction

In the February 24, 2025 episode of T-Minus Space Daily hosted by Maria Varmazas, N2K Networks delves into significant advancements and contracts shaping the global space industry. This episode highlights critical developments, including NOAA's selection of BAE Systems for the Space Weather Next program, NASA’s collaboration with SpaceX for asteroid detection, and emerging trends in spaceport infrastructure discussed with aerospace expert Mark Lester.

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Top Five Stories

1. BAE Systems Awarded $230.6 Million NOAA Contract for Space Weather Next

At the onset of the episode, Maria Varmazas reports that BAE Systems Space and Mission Systems has secured a $230.6 million contract to develop spacecraft for NOAA's Space Weather Next program. This program focuses on maintaining and enhancing space weather observations from stable orbital points such as Lagrange 1, approximately one million miles from Earth.

• Scope of the Contract: The agreement encompasses all phases of the Lagrange 1 Series project, including the development of up to two spacecraft, instrument integration, satellite testing, and comprehensive support for both the spacecraft Flight Operations Team and Mission Operations.

• Program Objectives: The inaugural launch in 2029 aims to establish the first observatory under Space Weather Next, ensuring continuous real-time coronal imagery and solar wind measurements. This continuity is vital as it will sustain observational data beyond the lifespan of NOAA's current Space Weather Follow-On missions.

2. NASA Selects SpaceX for Near Earth Object Surveyor Mission

Maria highlights that NASA has chosen SpaceX to provide launch services for the Near Earth Object (NEO) Surveyor mission, a project dedicated to detecting and tracking asteroids and comets that may threaten Earth.

• Contract Details: The fixed-price launch service task order, part of the NASA Launch Services 2 contract, totals approximately $100 million. This includes both the launch service and associated mission costs.

• Mission Timeline: The NEO Surveyor is slated for a September 2027 launch aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Florida. Maria notes the curiosity surrounding Elon Musk's involvement with Dogecoin and its potential impact on federal contracts.

3. Gilmour Space Technologies Plans Inaugural Launch of Eris Rocket

Turning to Australia, Maria reports that Gilmour Space Technologies is preparing for the maiden flight of the Eris rocket, set for no earlier than March 15. This marks the first Australian-designed and built rocket aimed for orbit.

• Regulatory Milestones: The company has attained final airspace approvals from the Civil Aviation Safety Authority and Air Services Australia, overcoming the last regulatory barriers.

• Historical Context: Gilmour made history when its Bowen Spaceport received the first orbital launch facility license in Australia last March. Additionally, Eris Test Flight 1 secured the nation's inaugural Australian launch permit in November.

4. Successful 5G Non-Terrestrial Network (NTN) Trial by Eutelsat, MediaTek, and Airbus

Maria shares that Eutelsat Group, MediaTek, and Airbus Defense and Space have successfully executed the world's first trial of 5G NTN technology using Eutelsat OneWeb's Low Earth Orbit satellites.

• Significance: This breakthrough paves the way for the deployment of the 5G NTN standard, facilitating future interoperability between satellite and terrestrial networks within a vast ecosystem.

• Future Implications: The service aims to reduce access costs and expand satellite broadband availability for 5G devices globally.

5. Rocket Lab National Security Completes Critical Design Review for Victus Hayes 4 Mission

Maria announces that Rocket Lab's subsidiary, Rocket Lab National Security, has successfully passed its critical design review for the US Space Force Space Systems Command's tactically responsive space mission, Victus Hayes 4.

• Contract Overview: The mission, valued at $32 million, involves designing, building, licensing, launching, and operating a spacecraft capable of rendezvous and proximity operations. Rocket Lab will utilize its Pioneer spacecraft and Electron rocket from Launch Complex 1 in New Zealand.

• Partnerships: The project is a collaboration with Space Safari and the Defense Innovation Unit, highlighting the increasing synergy between private aerospace companies and defense organizations.

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Additional Stories Not in Top Five

Alice Cruz, N2K's senior producer, supplements the top stories with four additional noteworthy developments:

1. Defense News: Coverage on the Space Force canceling its contract with one of four companies developing designs for its resilient GPS program.
2. NASA's Sphere X Launch Update: Progress and timelines related to NASA's emerging projects.
3. Redwire's Technology on IM2 Mission: Insights into Redwire's contributions to the International Microgravity Laboratory (IM2) mission slated for launch this week.
4. Captor Space Emerges from Stealth Mode: The company's focus on developing advanced spaceborne radar systems.

These stories are available in the Selected Reading section of the show notes on space.n2k.com.

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Expert Interview: Mark Lester on the Future of Spaceports

A significant portion of the episode features an in-depth conversation with Mark Lester, an aerospace and defense consultant at Merrick. The discussion revolves around the critical role of spaceports in addressing increasing space traffic and the evolving infrastructure needs of the space industry.

The Necessity of More Spaceports

Maria Varmazas initiates the dialogue by asking Mark about his work at spaceports and the necessity for expanding them to manage space traffic, particularly at Cape Canaveral.

Mark Lester responds, emphasizing the foundational role of spaceports in providing access to space. He outlines the current landscape in the US, noting there are five primary vertical launch sites:

• Boca Chica (SpaceX's private site)
• Vandenberg
• Cape Canaveral
• Wallops
• Kodiak

"Access to space starts at spaceports and we definitely need them," says Mark (01:13). He envisions a network of diverse spaceports akin to the global network of airports, supporting a growing array of operations beyond just vertical launches.

Diversification and Economic Impact

Mark underscores the importance of diversified revenue streams for spaceports to ensure their sustainability and economic impact on local communities.

"Spaceports really need a diverse set of revenue streams... bring value to the industry, it brings jobs and really creates this growing space economy," Mark elaborates (12:02). He cites Kodiak as an example, where the spaceport not only supports government and commercial launches but also provides deployable telemetry antennas to Rocket Lab, fostering both technological advancement and economic benefits.

Global Expansion and International Collaboration

Discussing the global growth of spaceports, Mark notes that overseas expansion is outpacing domestic growth in the US. He highlights ongoing initiatives in countries like Australia, New Zealand, the UK, Europe, and India, pointing out the potential for international collaboration.

"What I'm seeing is much larger growth overseas than in US Domestic market. And that makes sense," Mark observes (14:45). He mentions Nigeria's interest in building a spaceport and the existing facilities in Australia and New Zealand as testament to this trend.

Challenges and Future Opportunities

Mark identifies several challenges facing the expansion of spaceports:

1. Export Control Regulations: Specifically, the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) and International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) pose significant barriers to exporting rocket technology and supporting spaceports internationally.

2. Investment and Funding: Maintaining a steady flow of investment is crucial for the progression of space initiatives. Mark emphasizes the necessity of demonstrating profitable opportunities in space to attract and retain investors.

3. Leveraging Diverse Industries: To overcome these challenges, Mark advocates for integrating diverse sectors such as biotech, biofuels, and nuclear propulsion into the space industry. This multidisciplinary approach can drive innovation and create resilient economic models for spaceports.

"If we miss out on that, we're just going to slow our pace," Mark warns (18:36), stressing the importance of embracing lessons from adjacent industries like aviation to accelerate advancements in space infrastructure.

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Spotlight: US Space Force’s X37B Space Plane

Later in the episode, Maria shifts focus to a topical yet secretive subject: the US Space Force’s X37B space plane. Although much of its mission remains classified, recent developments provide a glimpse into its ongoing operations.

• Recent Launch: The X37B was launched for its seventh mission in December 2023 and continues to orbit with an enigmatic presence.

• Captured Image: The Space Force released an image taken onboard the space plane above the African continent. The photo reveals a solar panel on the left and an open payload bay, offering limited insights into the vehicle's current mission activities.

• Orbit Details: Contrary to previous missions in low Earth orbit, the latest mission involves a highly elliptical orbit. The vehicle executed a series of aerobraking maneuvers to adjust its orbit efficiently, conserving fuel.

• Operational Milestone: The X37B achieved a record 908 days in orbit during its sixth mission. The duration and scope of the current mission remain uncertain, leaving space enthusiasts eagerly anticipating further disclosures.

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Conclusion

The February 24, 2025 episode of T-Minus Space Daily presents a comprehensive overview of pivotal developments in the space industry. From significant contracts awarded to BAE Systems and SpaceX to the strategic insights on spaceport expansion shared by Mark Lester, the episode underscores the dynamic and multifaceted nature of space exploration and commercialization. Additionally, the brief exploration of the X37B space plane adds an element of intrigue, highlighting the ongoing blend of public and classified endeavors in the quest to advance humanity's reach into space.

For more detailed coverage and additional stories, listeners are encouraged to visit the show notes on space.n2k.com.

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Notable Quotes:

• "Access to space starts at spaceports and we definitely need them."
  — Mark Lester (01:13)

• "Spaceports really need a diverse set of revenue streams... bring value to the industry, it brings jobs and really creates this growing space economy."
  — Mark Lester (12:02)

• "If we miss out on that, we're just going to slow our pace."
  — Mark Lester (18:36)

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Additional Resources:

• Visit space.n2k.com for show notes and selected readings.
• Follow N2K T-Minus on LinkedIn and Instagram for daily updates and behind-the-scenes content.

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This summary encapsulates the key discussions and insights from the February 24, 2025 episode of T-Minus Space Daily, providing a comprehensive overview for those who have not listened to the full podcast.

Transcript

[Maria Varmazas]

You're listening to the N2K space network.

[Dave]

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[Maria Varmazas]

Today is February 24th, 2025. I'm Maria Varmazas and this is T min.

[Mark Lester]

T minus 20 seconds.

[Maria Varmazas]

Rocket Lab National Security has successfully completed its critical design review for the US Space Force Space Systems Command's tactically responsive space mission called Victis Hayes 4. Utelsat has successfully carried out the first trial of 5G non terrestrial network connection using OneWeb's Low Earth Orbit satellite. The first Australian designed and built rocket aiming for orbit is scheduled for its inaugural launch on March 15. NASA has selected SpaceX to provide launch services for the Near Earth object surveyor mission. BAE Systems Space and Mission Systems has won a $230.6 million contract to build spacecraft for the Lagrange 1 series project as part of NOAA's Space Weather, and our guest today is Mark Lester, Aerospace and defense Consultant at Merrick. Mark provided me with some great insights on the space industry, drawing on his experience working at spaceports and with launch companies, so stick around for more on that later in the show. Happy Monday everybody. We're kicking off with some federal contract news. And yes, despite things looking a little rocky with funding and jobs over here in the United States right now, NASA and NOAA have managed to finalize build and launch contracts. So first, BAE Systems, Space and Mission Systems have won a $230.6 million contract to build spacecraft for the Lagrange 1 series project, which is part of NOAA's Space WeatherNext program. The firm fixed price delivery order covers all phases of the Lagrange 1 Series project operations including developing up to two spacecraft, instrument integration, satellite level testing, training and support for the spacecraft Flight Operations Team and Mission operations support. The SpaceWeather Next program aims to maintain and extend space weather observations from various orbitally stable points such as Lagrange 1, which is about a mere million miles from Earth. The first Space Weather Next Lagrange 1 series launch which is planned for 2029 will be the first observatory under the program and will provide continuity of real time coronal imagery and upstream solar wind measurements. Space Weather Next will provide uninterrupted data continuity when NOAA's Space Weather Follow on Lagrange 1 mission comes to its end of operations and Next Staying with contract News NASA has selected SpaceX to provide launch services for the Near Earth Object Surveyor mission. The project aims to detect and observe asteroids and comets that could potentially pose an impact threat to Earth. The firm Fixed Price Launch Service task order is being awarded under the Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity NASA Launch Services 2 contract. The total cost to NASA for the launch Service is approximately $100 million, which includes the launch service and other mission related costs. The NEO Surveyor mission is targeted to launch no earlier than September 2027 on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Florida and we are interested in seeing how SpaceX founder Elon Musk's role with Doge will influence his federal contracts in the near future. Over to Australia now and Gilmour Space Technologies has announced a launch window starting no earlier than March 15 for the maiden flight of Eris. It is billed as the first Australian designed and built rocket aiming for orbit. The company has already received final airspace approvals from the Civil Aviation Safety Authority and Air Services Australia, clearing the last regulatory hurdle before launch. Gilmore Space made history in March last year when its Bowen spaceport was granted the first orbital launch facility license in Australia and when it secured the country's first Australian launch permit for Eris Test Flight 1 in November. Now, with airspace arrangements finalized and mandatory notice given to the Australian Space Agency, the company is preparing for liftoff and we wish them the best of luck. Moving on now. Eutelsat Group, MediaTek and Airbus Defense and Space have conducted the world's first Successful trial of 5G non terrestrial network, or NTN technology over Eutelsat OneWeb Low Earth Orbit satellites. The companies say that the trial paves the way for deployment of the 5G NTN standard, which will result in future satellite and terrestrial interoperability within a large ecosystem. It's hoped that the service will lower the cost of access and enable the use of satellite broadband for 5G devices around the world. And finally, Rocket Lab's subsidiary Rocket Lab National Security has successfully completed its critical design review for the US Space Force Space Systems Command's tactically responsive space mission. Victus Hayes Rocket Lab was selected for the $32 million US Space Force SSC mission led by Space Safari in partnership with the Defense Innovation unit back in April 2024 and the contract covers the design, build, license, launch and operation of a rendezvous and proximity operations capable spacecraft rocket Lab will configure its vertically integrated Pioneer spacecraft to meet the unique requirements of the Victus Hayes mission and launch it on the company's electron rocket from Launch Complex 1 in New Zealand. And that concludes our top five stories for today's intel briefing. N2K senior producer Alice Cruz has more on what stories didn't make it to the top five today. Over to you, Alice.

[Alice Cruz]

Thanks, Maria. It's always tough to narrow down the stories we think you need to know about to keep you ahead in the rapidly changing space industry. So we've included four extra links today in the Selected Reading section of our show Notes. The first is a story from Defense News on the Space Force canceling its contract with one of four companies developing designs for its resilient GPS program. The second is a launch update on NASA's Sphere X. We've added a story on Redwire's technology that's included on the IM2 mission due to launch this week. And the final story is on Captor Space, which has emerged from stealth mode to work on spaceborne radar systems.

[Maria Varmazas]

Wow, that is a lot for today. So where can our listeners find those stories?

[Alice Cruz]

We always include links to further reading on all the stories we mention throughout the show in the podcast Show Notes. Those links can also be found on our website space.n2k.com and click on this episode title.

[Unknown]

Hey T minus crew.

[Maria Varmazas]

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. And if you're more interested in the lighter side of what we do here we are T minus daily on Instagram and that's where we post videos and pictures from events, excursions, and even some behind the scenes treats. Links are all in the show notes for you. Hope you'll join us there.

[Dave]

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[Maria Varmazas]

We are on our last week of sharing our chats recorded back at Spacecom 2025. And our guest today is Mark Lester, aerospace and defense consultant at Merrick. And I started by asking Mark about his work at spaceports and his thoughts on whether we need more of them to deal with the traffic problems we're seeing at Cape Canaveral.

[Mark Lester]

Access to space starts at spaceports and we definitely need them. You know, if we look at what we have today and you know, I'll focus more on vertical because that's really where the market is right now. Yep. But horizontal will be in the future and you know, there's a lot of great opportunities there, but there's really only five places to go to space from the US vertically. Boca Chica is SpaceX, so that's their private site. But then we've got Vandenberg and Cape Canaveral which everyone knows as federal sites. And then Wallops and Kodiak are the other two. So state owned. Been both been around for quite some time and really complement the federal thing. So we already have a start of this model of how do we start to build out a network of spaceports a lot like a network of airports. Yep. And so that's where I see things developing is not in isolation but a diverse set of spaceports that can meet a growing need of operations. So you know, we're starting to see reentry starting to happen and people are looking, okay, well how do I make this work? How do I do this in the US we got some open space out west but some companies are now going to Australia and. Right. So there's a good collaboration now that's broadening out internationally as well.

[Unknown]

And I, I know that there, there are always some challenges in establishing new spaceports. Those challenges are numerous. I feel like I don't even need to get into those because there's just, there's so many. But I feel like in response to some of those challenges, again, how people are trying to establish new spaceports is also shifting. I'm thinking of one company that's potentially trying to move spaceports out to sea, which I think is really interesting development. Just thoughts on maybe alternatives and things that we can do to open up capacity.

[Mark Lester]

Yeah. So spaceports, I think by definition start with launch. Yeah. And sometimes launch can be aspirational in the future but, but it still is a core of where you launch or re enter from. But what we're seeing is spaceports really need a diverse set of Revenue streams. And that's like any business, Right. And so you start to think about what other things can a spaceport do that brings an economic powerhouse to that community and brings value to the industry, it brings jobs and really creates this growing space economy. So if I think about up at Kodiak, not only were we supporting government and commercial launches up there, but there was deployable telemetry antennas. So when a customer like Rocket Lab needed some temporary telemetry capabilities while they were first starting out, we, Alaska deployed their antennas down to New Zealand in support of their initial operations. And then they went to autonomous flight termination, and Alaska was able to bring those back. So it was a good, you know, opportunity for a new rocket company and a good opportunity for spaceport to bring in some diversified revenue as well. And we see those diversified revenue opportunities at a lot of different spaceports. Houston's a great example where launches in the future and they've got a great set of tenants. Arturo has done a great job of bringing in a diverse set that. That is space core, but it's not necessarily flight.

[Maria Varmazas]

Hmm.

[Unknown]

Yeah. That idea of making a spaceport that economic hub is really fascinating to me. And I feel like the many examples that I can think of that I've heard of over the years, they're very tailored to their location. Also the customer and the location and what the sort of community needs. It's really just an interesting way of thinking of it.

[Mark Lester]

Yeah, absolutely. Geography is key, right? I mean, to get to space, geography is key for safety and for physics, but also what the community is willing to support. Right. Sometimes that's easier than other places, and you got to balance all of that. Also having an anchor, for example, if you've got a government agency or another academic institution that you can anchor operations to, that's great. Down in Houston is Johnson Space Center. So that's a great natural connection with human spaceflight. You know, Alaska takes advantage of its geography of being on the north side of the Pacific Ocean. Big open azimuth for launches. And so you got to look for those opportunities that present themselves.

[Unknown]

I'm curious, we've been talking a lot about US Spaceports. I'm curious your thoughts on the global growth of spaceports.

[Alice Cruz]

Yeah.

[Maria Varmazas]

You mentioned Australia.

[Unknown]

It's a great example. I'm thinking also the UK and Europe, India, you know, there's a lot of examples.

[Mark Lester]

Just thoughts. Yeah, absolutely. What I'm seeing is much larger growth overseas than in US Domestic market. And that makes sense. Right. We're further along in the US Than other countries. For the most part. So you would expect that growth to happen. And yeah, we're seeing almost spaceports pop up almost anyplace. There's a contingent here from Nigeria who is looking to build a spaceport. That's exciting, that's cool. Australia mentioned New Zealand already has a SPACeport. And the UK the one thing from a US perspective that's in a cumberment is the MTCR. Right. So export Control. So Missile Technology Control Regime. Sorry for the acronyms, itar. But it plays, right. It plays as part of how we can one export rockets overseas. And also companies support spaceports you got to be careful about. Because that is an export as well. But you know, countries, a number of our allied countries already have agreements with the US so we can make those exports. I see that expanding in the next several years because that diversity is important not only for our economy, but for national security. Yeah, well, you know, got to be mindful. These are, you know, big delivery systems.

[Unknown]

Absolutely. And I mean as more we want space to be global, as more nations, you know, build out their space capabilities, it just makes sense that infrastructure needs.

[Maria Varmazas]

To follow completely shifting.

[Unknown]

Just thoughts, as I said, I kind of want to go down the rabbit hole with you. Your thoughts on what's different things going on in the space industry. So if you were to sort of pluck an idea out of the ether of what's interesting you right now in the space industry, I'm just curious where.

[Maria Varmazas]

You would go with that.

[Mark Lester]

Yeah. So I think two things come to mind. One is I think over the next 10 years re entry is going to be the next big thing. And so how do we manufacture things in space and then bring them back? You know, Varda is doing some groundbreaking work with pharmaceuticals. I think we're going to start to see that move forward. There's been a lot of talk about light manufacturing, fiber optics, for example, other pieces that do it in space, bring it down. When we see the new space stations get established, I think that's going to start to grow. So the crewed and uncrewed operations. But 10 years from now, we sit down, talk. I think we're going to have seen much of that starting to move forward in real economic ways. The second part is the space community embracing other sectors. So space tends to be insular. You know, we tend to think of ourselves as special. Yeah, there's a lot of unique things. Right. But there's many industries have gone before us Aviation in particular, that's really adjacent. We can leverage those lessons learned already, like from airports. But Other sectors as well to then accelerate our movement forward. And I think if we miss out on that, we're just going to slow our pace. So in addition to how airports operate and let's say how we can optimize spaceports, there's things like biofuels, so sustainable aircraft fuels. On the aviation side, as we get more rockets, we're going to need to look at those type of sustainable bio type of fuel fuels or something to sustain in a environmentally friendly way.

[Unknown]

Absolutely.

[Mark Lester]

A rocket. So there's. When you think about bringing things down from space, biotech starts to play and all those unique facilities and capabilities come into play.

[Unknown]

Absolutely. Those are some opportunities. I'm going to do the whole opportunities challenge paradigm. So you mentioned some really good opportunities there. Curious about challenges that you see on the horizon that maybe are of concern or that you're keeping an eye on.

[Mark Lester]

Yeah. So, you know, they say space is hard. Right. I mean, getting to space is definitely hard, but yeah, this is not easy business. Right. And when it goes south, it could be spectacular. Yeah. So while there's been a tremendous amount of progress and success, we still have some hurdles there. So that's a pacing function. Right. When you look at some of the existing spaceports being underutilized, that's why. Right. But it's also the business side. Right. And so I think that's the other challenge is we certainly transitioned over into more of mainstream funding, which didn't exist back in the 90s when we thought commercial space was going to start to move forward. But money moves things forward in progress. And so keeping that flow of investment and showing investors how they can make money in space, otherwise they're going to divert their money into other sectors, which makes sense. So moving that forward, I think the third piece that comes to mind going back to the export control itar is from a US perspective, for us to move out into other parts of the world, we need some of those barriers brought down so we can make that trade more free. If I were to circle back on some of that leveraging of a broader, you know, where we've been in the past is good. Right. We can learn a lot of lessons and we. This industry stands on the shoulders of giants, if you will. But heading to the future, we got to break some paradigms and to really broaden out a diverse set of spaceports. That's going to take a broader set of industry to go do that. I've been doing some work with Merrick and some of their work in other sectors and addition to aerospace, where they're doing biofuels infrastructure and facilities or biotech or even nuclear handling. Right? I mean, you can look at nuclear.

[Unknown]

Propulsion a lot at this conference, so.

[Mark Lester]

That'S exciting to see. As we get more vendors here, you start to see, oh yeah, I need that. I need this. Five years ago, maybe you didn't. So I think leveraging this broader industrial base is going to strengthen space and accelerate that.

[Maria Varmazas]

We'll be right back.

[Dave]

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[Maria Varmazas]

Foreign welcome back. It is not very often that we get to speak about the US Space Force's secretive space plane because, well, by design, it's a very well kept secret. The X37B was launched for its seventh mission in December 2023, and yes, it is still up there in orbit doing things that we don't know anything about. However, just to remind us space nerds that it does exist and it's still in operation, the Space Force dropped an image captured onboard the plane while it orbited high, and I emphasize high above the African continent. It shows a rare glimpse of some of the equipment on board the orbiter. One of the plane's solar panels is visible on the left side of the photo, while what appears to be its open payload bay is visible along the top edge. Now, admittedly it is not much to go by and it certainly stands up to keeping the mission top secret, but it does go to show how high the vehicle is in orbit, with the Earth in the background seemingly way further away than one might expect. Previous X37B missions were flown in low Earth orbit. I thought it would be the same for this one, but no. The statement released with the image explains that the image was used to ensure the health and safety of the vehicle and it was captured while in a highly elliptical orbit in 2024 as part of the X37B's seventh mission, the vehicle executed a series of first of its kind maneuvers called aerobraking to safely change its orbit using minimal fuel. The X37B flew for a record 908 days on its sixth mission, and it is uncertain when we will see the vehicle return to Earth for this current test. And admittedly, we do hope they share some more images to continue to tease us about what exactly it is up to in orbit. That's it for T minus for February 24, 2025 brought to you by N2K CyberWire for additional resources from today's report, check out our show [e-mail] we'd love to know what you think of this podcast. Your feedback ensures we deliver the insights that keep you a step ahead and 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're 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 [e-mail] N2K's senior producer is Alice Carruth. Our producer is Liz Stokes. We are mixed by Elliott 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 Varmazas. Thanks for listening. We'll see you tomorrow. T minus.

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