PLD to launch from Oman.

Summary

Summary of T-Minus Space Daily: "PLD to Launch from Oman"

Release Date: February 21, 2025
Host: Maria Varmazas, N2K Networks
Podcast: T-Minus Space Daily

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1. Introduction

Maria Varmazas opens the episode by outlining the day's top space industry news. She briefly mentions several key updates, including PLD Space's new launch agreement with Oman, Airbus's financial performance, ISAR Aerospace's advancements, and L3Harris Technologies' expansion. (00:54)

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2. PLD Space's Expansion to Oman

Overview:
Spain's PLD Space has signed an agreement with Etlach Spaceport in Oman to establish its second global launch base for the Miura launch vehicle family. This strategic move complements their existing launch complex at the Guiana Space Centre (CSG) in French Guiana, owned by CNES and ESA.

Key Points:

• Location Benefits: Etlach Spaceport's proximity to the equator enhances efficiency for various orbital inclinations, including geosynchronous, polar, and sun-synchronous orbits.
• Strategic Expansion: PLD Space plans to add a third spaceport within the next year to meet global flight demand, particularly in the Middle East.

Quote:
"The new expansion will increase vehicle service deployment capabilities and commercial launch opportunities to meet the flight demand, especially for the Middle East market." – Maria Varmazas (02:47)

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3. Airbus's Financial Performance and Strategic Moves

Financial Highlights:

• Revenue Growth: Airbus Defense and Space reported a 5% year-over-year revenue increase, reaching €12.1 billion (~$12.7 billion USD).
• Challenges in Space Division: The company's space sector faced difficulties, incurring $310 million in charges during Q4 2024.

Strategic Initiatives:

• Turnaround Plan: Airbus CEO Guillaume Fori announced a comprehensive turnaround plan focusing on scaling the space business and optimizing the workforce.

Quote:
"We will be executing our turnaround plan for the defense and space segment and adapting our workforce while looking at ways to create scale in the space business." – Guillaume Fori (02:47)

• Potential Merger: Talks are ongoing between Airbus, Telus, and Leonardo for a possible merger in the space sector, aiming to consolidate strengths and market position.

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4. ESA and International Committee of the Red Cross Partnership

Objective:
The European Space Agency (ESA) has partnered with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to utilize space technology for humanitarian assistance globally.

Initiatives:

• Integrated Systems: Development of a space-enabled system that merges satellite and terrestrial data to provide actionable information in real-time.
• Support for Crisis Management: Enhancing ESA's Rapid and Resilient Crisis Response Accelerator to ensure inclusive and accessible space solutions for all phases of crisis management.

Quote:
"The partnership aims to develop a space-enabled system that integrates satellite and terrestrial data sources while translating data into actionable information in real time." – Maria Varmazas (02:47)

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5. ISAR Aerospace's Spectrum Launch Vehicle Progress

Advancements:

• Static Firings Completed: ISAR Aerospace has successfully completed static firings of both stages of its Spectrum launch vehicle.
• Inaugural Flight Pending: The next step is the inaugural flight pending approval and licensing from the Norwegian Civil Aviation Authority.

Specifications:

• Capacity: Spectrum is a two-stage rocket capable of carrying up to 1,000 kg to low Earth orbit.
• Launch Site: Initial launches will occur from Andøya Spaceport in Norway.

Quote:
"Now Spectrum is a two stage rocket that's designed to be capable of carrying up to 1000 kilos to low earth orbit." – Maria Varmazas (02:47)

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6. L3Harris Technologies' Expansion in Arkansas

Project Details:

• New Facilities: Construction has begun on four new solid rocket motor production facilities in Camden, Arkansas.
• Investment: The expansion is part of a $215.6 million cooperative agreement under the Defense Department's Defense Production Act Title III program.

Objectives:

• Increase Manufacturing Capacity: To meet the growing demand for tactical and strategic missile capabilities.
• Domestic Production: Enhancing the United States' domestic rocket propulsion manufacturing capabilities.

Quote:
"L3Harris will build new facilities in Orange County, Virginia to support increased production and will transition production of inert components for critical missile Systems to Huntsville, Alabama." – Maria Varmazas (02:47)

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7. Space Traffic Report by Alicia Siegel

Highlights:

• Starlink Launches: Multiple Falcon 9 missions successfully deployed Starlink V2 mini satellites, with notable advancements in booster reutilization.
• Solar Orbiter Flyby: Europe's Solar Orbiter executed a gravity assist flyby of Venus, altering its orbit for enhanced solar observations.
• Electron Rocket Milestone: Rocket Lab's Electron rocket achieved its 60th flight, deploying high-resolution Earth observation satellites.

Upcoming Missions:

• Changzheng 3B Launch: Scheduled from China on February 22.
• Starship Flight: Anticipated for February 26, targeting extended range objectives.
• IM2 Mission: Aimed for lunar deployment on February 27 from Kennedy Space Center.

Quote:
"With this week's gravity assist, Solar Orbiter changed the inclination, or tilt, of its orbit." – Alicia Siegel (10:15)

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8. Industry Commentary: Elon Musk and the ISS Future

Context:
Elon Musk sparked controversy by suggesting the deorbiting of the International Space Station (ISS), proposing a shift in focus towards Mars exploration.

Details:

• Public Debate: Musk's remarks led to a public disagreement with astronauts over the ISS's abandonment.
• ESA's Stance: The European Space Agency emphasized the collaborative nature of the ISS project, asserting that any decisions would involve all international partners.

Quote:
"Elon Musk wrote, it's time to begin preparations for deorbiting the space station. It has served its purpose. There is very little incremental utility. Let's go to Mars." – Maria Varmazas (17:11)

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9. Upcoming Features and Closing Remarks

Maria Varmazas previews the next episode, "T-Minus Deep Space," featuring interviews with Sebastian Clouse of Atmos Space Cargo and Dr. Ingo Baumann of BHO Legal, discussing the licensing of Europe's first re-entry vehicle.

Conclusion: The episode provides a thorough analysis of pivotal developments in the space industry, highlighting strategic partnerships, financial challenges, technological advancements, and upcoming missions. The collaboration between PLD Space and Etlach Spaceport in Oman marks a significant expansion into the Middle Eastern market, while Airbus's efforts to scale its space division indicate ongoing adjustments in the competitive landscape.

For more detailed insights and updates, listeners are encouraged to visit N2K Networks and tune into future episodes of T-Minus Space Daily.

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps:

• "ThreatLocker is a full suite of solutions designed to give you total control, stopping unauthorized applications, securing sensitive data, and ensuring your organization runs smoothly and securely." – Alice Carruth (00:11)
• "We will be executing our turnaround plan for the defense and space segment and adapting our workforce while looking at ways to create scale in the space business." – Guillaume Fori (02:47)
• "Elon Musk wrote, it's time to begin preparations for deorbiting the space station." – Maria Varmazas (17:11)

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Additional Resources:

• Visit Space.N2K.com for more information.
• Access the full transcript and show notes at space.n2k.com/episode-title.

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This summary was crafted to provide a comprehensive overview of the "PLD to Launch from Oman" episode of T-Minus Space Daily, ensuring clarity and accessibility for those who have not listened to the original podcast.

Transcript

[Maria Varmazas]

You're listening to the N2K space network.

[Alice Carruth]

Cyber threats are evolving every second, and staying ahead is more than just a challenge, it's a necessity. That's why we're thrilled to partner with ThreatLocker, the cybersecurity solution trusted by businesses worldwide. ThreatLocker is a full suite of solutions designed to give you total control, stopping unauthorized applications, securing sensitive data, and ensuring your organization runs smoothly and securely. Visit threatlocker.com today to see how a default deny approach can keep your company safe and compliant.

[Maria Varmazas]

Today is February 21, 2025. I'm Maria Varmazas and this is T min 20 seconds L3 Harris Technologies has started construction on four new solid rocket motor production facilities in Arkansas. 4 ISAR Aerospace has completed static firings of both stages of its launch vehicle spectrum, paving the way for its inaugural flight. ESA and the International Committee of the Red Cross have signed an agreement to harness space technology for humanitarian assistance worldwide. Airbus logged another $310 million in charges on its space programs in the fourth quarter of 2024. One Spain's PLD space has signed an agreement with ETLAC Spaceport in Oman to be its second global launch base for the Miura launch. VEHIC and our [e-mail] will have the space traffic report for us later in the show, rounding up the launch news from the last seven days and taking a look ahead to the coming.

[Alice Carruth]

Foreign.

[Maria Varmazas]

We'Re kicking off today's intel briefing with a new launch agreement between Spain's PLD Space and Oman's Etlach Spaceport. PLD says the Oman launch facility will be its second global launch base for the Miura launch vehicle family. The new infrastructure joins the company's launch complex at the CSG in French Guiana, which which is owned by CNES and esa. The company says the new expansion will increase vehicle service deployment capabilities and commercial launch opportunities to meet the flight demand, especially for the Middle east market. ETLAC spaceport is located in Dugum on the southeast coast of Oman. Its proximity to the equator provides higher efficiency for low inclination orbits like geo or geosynchronous orbit, as well as for medium inclinations like the orbit of the International Space Station. Additionally, it also allows direct access to high inclination orbits like sun synchronous orbit and polar. PLD Space says it plans to incorporate a third space port in the coming year to address proximity needs in a third region of the world and ensure the Miura 5 flight manifest. Airbus has released its 2024 financial report revenues at Airbus Defense and Space increased 5% year on year to 12.1 billion euros, which amounts to around 12.7 billion DOL. However, its space business took a big hit. In the fourth quarter of 2024, Airbus logged another $310 million in charges on its space programs. Airbus CEO Guillaume Fori told investors that the company will be executing its turnaround plan for the defense and space segment and adapting its workforce while looking at ways to create scale in the space business. And Airbus, Telus and Leonardo are continuing talks for a potential space merger. Staying in Europe the European Space Agency and the International Committee of the Red Cross have signed an agreement to harness space technology for humanitarian assistance worldwide. The partnership aims to develop a space enabled system that integrates satellite and terrestrial data sources while translating data into actionable information in real time. The result will allow first responders and humanitarian workers to stay informed and respond swiftly. The partnership is linked to ESA's civil security from Space program and builds on existing successful collaborations with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and a number of Red Cross national societies. It also supports ESA's Rapid and Resilient Crisis Response Accelerator, which aims to ensure inclusive and easy access to space enabled solutions to support all phases of crisis management, including in humanitarian operations. Isar Aerospace has completed static firings of both stages of its launch vehicle Spectrum, and that paves the way for its inaugural flight. The company stated that the launch will take place as soon as possible following approval and licensing from the Norwegian Civil Aviation Authority. Now Spectrum is a two stage rocket that's designed to be capable of carrying up to 1000 kilos to low earth orbit. The rocket will be initially launched from the Andoya spaceport in Norway. The race is on to see who will be the first to launch to orbit from continental Europe and moving over to the United states now. An L3 Harris Technologies has started construction on four new solid rocket motor production facilities at the company's Camden site in Arkansas. The expansion is part of a $215.6 million cooperative agreement between the Defense Department's Defense Production Act Title III program and L3Harris to increase domestic rocket propulsion manufacturing capacity as demand grows for tactical and strategic missile capabilities. The company is also modernizing and expanding solid rocket motor facilities under the cooperative agreement in two additional states. L3Harris will build new facilities in Orange County, Virginia to support increased production and will transition production of inert components for critical missile Systems to Huntsville, Alabama. And that concludes today's top five intelligence briefing items for you. N2K senior producer Alice Carruth has more on what stories didn't make today's cut.

[Alicia Siegel]

Thanks Maria. We have three additional stories for you today. NASA has shared that Artemis II rocket booster stacking has been completed and ABL has renamed itself as Long War as as the company shifts from space and Defense. The third is an update on Blue Origin's latest New Shepard mission, which is now targeting next Tuesday for launch.

[Maria Varmazas]

And Alice, if you could please remind our listeners where those stories could be found.

[Alicia Siegel]

Links to all the stories we feature throughout the show are always included in our show notes. The three additional stories are at the bottom of our selected reading section and all the links can also be found on our website space.in2k.com and click on this episode title.

[Maria Varmazas]

Thank you very much. Hey T minus crew. Tune in tomorrow for T minus Deep Space. It's our show for extended interviews, special editions and deep dives with some of the most influential professionals in the space industry. And tomorrow I will be chatting with Sebastian Clouse who is CEO and co founder of Atmos Space Cargo, and Dr. Ingo Baumann who is partner at BHO Legal. And we're going to be talking about licensing Europe's first RE entry vehicle. It's a fascinating conversation, so definitely check it out while you're resting and recharging this weekend, like I will be after a busy week of travel. You don't want to miss it.

[Alice Carruth]

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[Maria Varmazas]

And as it is Friday Happy Friday everybody. Our partners at NSF have the weekly Space Traffic Report for you Foreign I'm.

[Dave]

Alicia Siegel for NSF and this is your weekly Space Traffic Report for T minus space Starting off the week, we had a starLink launch. On February 15, Falcon 9 lit its nine Merlin engines at 06:14 UTC and lifted off from Space Launch Complex 40 in Florida. Of the 21 Starlink V2 mini satellites deployed, 13 had direct to cell capability. The booster for this mission was B1067, which flew for the 26th time and also became the first to fly that many times. During its 26 missions, this booster carried crew twice on Crews 3 and 4. It also flew two cargo resupply missions and 15 Starlink flights, including the one from this week. The booster successfully wrapped up this, its latest mission, by landing on droneship, a shortfall of gravitas. For our next space traffic event, we're heading to Venus. Europe's Solar Orbiter passed by the planet this week and its orbit will never be the same again. On February 18th at 21:48 Universal Time, solar Orbiter screamed past Venus at an altitude of 379km kilometers. That's even closer to Venus than the astronauts on the ISS are to Earth. As the spacecraft swung past Venus, it used the planet's gravity to change its orbit around the Sun. And because of that, these flybys are also known as gravity assists. As Solar Orbiter flew by Venus, it kept its instruments pointed at the Sun. However, teams did turn on some of the spacecraft's sensors to study the plasma and magnetic environment around the planet. With this week's gravity assist, Solar Orbiter changed the inclination, or tilt, of its orbit. This was the spacecraft's fourth Venus flyby, and it's set to perform four more, with the next one scheduled for December 24, 2026. That flyby will further change the inclination so the spacecraft is able to get a good view of the Sun's polar regions. We also had an electron launch this week, and in fact, it was the rocket's 60th flight. On February 18th at 23:17 UTC, Electron took off from Rocket Lab's own launch complex in New Zealand. The payload on this mission was an Earth observation satellite for Blacksky. This was the first flight for the company's third generation of satellites, which can image our planet at a 50 centimeter resolution. Only four minutes later, another mission took flight from the other side of the world. This was, you guessed it, another Starlink mission, but with a twist. Falcon 9 lifted off from Florida carrying 23 V2 mini satellites into low Earth orbit. What was different this time was the booster's landing location, as it was right in the middle of the Bahamas. And this was the first time Falcon 9 that trajectory. But why did it go there? Well, it all has to do with the target orbit of this batch of Starlink satellites, which has a 53 degree inclination to get to this orbit. Falcon 9 usually flies northeast, but rough seas can make recovery challenging in the winter months, so SpaceX prefers to go southeast instead. However, that also requires flying a large dogleg trajectory around the Bahamas, which wastes a lot of performance. Well, last year SpaceX signed an agreement with the Bahamian government allowing the company to position its recovery assets in the country's terr territorial waters. With this agreement, SpaceX can land Falcon 9 in much calmer seas without the need for costly dogleg maneuvers. With this flight, B1080 became the first booster to explore this new route. On its 16th flight, it landed successfully on the deck of droneship. Just read the instructions and we were also able to get some beautiful views of the landing from one of the Bahamian Islands. Closing out the week we had another StarLink mission on February 21. This mission lifted off from Space Launch Complex 40 in Florida and carried another batch of Starlink direct to cell satellites and V2 minis into low earth orbit. Then the booster ended its mission by successfully touching down on the deck of a shortfall of gravitas. With this week's three Starlink missions, SpaceX now has launched a total of 7,996 Starlink satellites into orbit, of which 915 have reentered and 6,268 have moved into their operational orbit. Going into next week, we'll have a Changzheng 3B launch from China on February 22. Liftoff is scheduled around 12:10 UTC from the Xichang satellite launch center in China. Then a Starlink mission is set to lift off from California later that day. Falcon 9 will take flight during a four hour window starting at 22:24 UTC. This will be the first mission of Starlink Group 15, which differs from previous groups with its 70 degree inclination. Another Starlink mission is scheduled for February 24th. This mission will be conducted from Florida with T0 set during a four hour window starting at 04:42 UTC according to airspace restrictions. We may also have Starship's eighth flight next week. The flight profile for this mission will likely be a redo of Flight 7, but the ship will hopefully get a little further along this time around. If all goes well, Starship might lift off on February 26th during a roughly 1 hour and 40 minute window opening at 23:30 UTC. Backup windows will also be available in the following days. The next mission will go to the moon on February 27th. Falcon 9 is set to lift off at 17 minutes past midnight UTC carrying the IM2 mission. For intuitive machines, this mission will be conducted from Launch Complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center. In addition to IM2, the flight will carry four more payloads, two of which are destined for geostationary orbit and the other two will join im2 on its way to the moon. Later that day, a Soyuz will take off from Kazakhstan carrying the Progress MS.30 cargo resupply mission to the International Space Station. Liftoff is scheduled for 2124 Universal Time on February 27th. And wrapping up the week and the month of February, we'll have another Starlink mission from Cape canaveral. This time Falcon 9 will carry another batch of direct to cell and V2 mini satellites into low earth orbit. The four hour launch window for this flight flight opens at 2:52 Universal on February 28th. I'm Alicia Siegel for NSF and that's your weekly Space Traffic Report. Now back to T minus Space.

[Maria Varmazas]

We will be right back.

[Alice Carruth]

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[Maria Varmazas]

Welcome back. It's becoming increasingly difficult to Doge dodge avoid mentions of the U.S. administration and the Department of Government Efficiency in the media. I promise we'll go easy on you with this one. This week, head of Doge Elon Musk did an interview with US President Donald Trump, which sparked an online back and forth between astronauts and the SpaceX CEO over whether or not Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore had been abandoned on the iss. And I promise we will not go into details, but you are more than welcome to look up that a polite and civil debate on X. Following that dispute, Elon Musk took to his social media platform to share his thoughts on the International Space Station itself. He wrote, it's time to begin preparations for deorbiting the space station. It has served its purpose. There is very little incremental utility. Let's go to Mars. SpaceX, of course, has the contract to deorbit the ISS in 2030 already with a modified Dragon capsule. But when asked what timeline Mr. Musk would like to follow, he replied, the decision is up to the President, but my recommendation is as soon as possible. I recommend two years from now. Musk's comments have caused ISS international partners to also weigh in. Understandably, the European Space Agency shared the International Space Station is a project involving various international partners. As such, all matters regarding the ISS are discussed together. With all space agencies involved, we are more than sure that the ISS partners will continue to debate the future of the orbiting lab offline. But something tells us that Mr. Musk will continue to ruffle feathers in his role as the head of Doge now that some lines have been blurred. And that's it for T minus for February 21, 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 in this rapidly changing space industry. If you like our show, please share a rating and review in your favorite podcast app. Also, please 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 how at n2k. N2k's senior producer is Alice Carruth. Our producer is Liz Stokes. We're mixed by Elliot Peltzman and Trey Hester with original music by Elliot Peltzman. Our executive producer is Jennifer Ivan. Peter Kilpe is our publisher and I am your host, Maria Varmazes. Thanks for listening. Have a wonderful weekend. T minus.

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