T-Minus Space Daily: "Welcome home, NASA’s SpaceX Crew 11"

Host: Maria Varmazes, N2K Networks
Guest: Sheree Matthew, Architect & Project Manager, Jacobs
Date: January 15, 2026

Episode Overview

This episode of T-Minus Space Daily delivers the latest space industry updates, featuring a comprehensive rundown of current missions, commercial partnerships, and technological advancements. The main spotlight is on NASA’s SpaceX Crew 11’s early return to Earth due to medical concerns, plus a deep-dive interview with spaceport architect Sheree Matthew about the present and future potential of spaceports as economic and community hubs. The episode wraps with a quirky but meaningful update: playing 'Doom' and Rick Astley’s "Never Gonna Give You Up" in space, underlining innovation and pop culture in technical testing.

Critical News & Highlights

1. NASA’s SpaceX Crew 11 Returns Safely

[01:20]

• Crew 11 returned to Earth about a month ahead of schedule, following a “medical situation” with a crew member (name not disclosed for privacy).
• Crew comprised NASA astronauts Zena Cardman, Mike Finke; JAXA’s Kimiya Yui; and Roscosmos’ Oleg Platinov.
• Capsule splashed down safely off the coast of San Diego.
• All crew were sent for hospital evaluation and will continue with standard post-flight health routines at Johnson Space Center.
• Replacement timeline for the ISS crew is uncertain; Crew 12 is tentatively set for launch February 15, 2026.

Quote:
“It is sad that we do have to remind folks, but due to medical privacy it is not appropriate for NASA to share more details about the crew member. HIPAA laws, remember people, they deserve privacy too.”
— Maria Varmazes, [02:30]

2. Slingshot Aerospace Awarded Major USSF Contract

[03:35]

• Slingshot Aerospace receives $27M contract to advance scenario training for the U.S. Space Force.
• Contract aims to integrate AI-native technologies, simulate emerging threats, and develop more realistic orbital warfare scenarios.
• Builds on previous investments under StratFi (2022) and paves the way for more AI-driven training infrastructure.

Quote:
“The 18 month contract, awarded through a commercial solutions opening [...] builds on earlier Spaceworks and Space Force investments in 2022 under a $25 million StratFi contact award.”
— Maria Varmazes, [04:00]

3. CAS Space: Chinese Suborbital Rocket Debut and Experiments

[05:09]

• CAS Space’s two-stage, suborbital research rocket Lihong 1 completed its first flight from Jiuquan.
• Achieved ~120km altitude; provided 300 seconds of microgravity for onboard payloads.
• Key experiments: laser additive manufacturing demo; rose seed radiation exposure.
• Demonstrated precision booster stage landing—a step forward for reusable orbital vehicles.

Quote:
“By achieving a precise landing zone for the booster stage, the constraints and algorithms for vehicle reentry have been rigorously tested. What we have learned will be crucial for reusable orbital vehicles.”
— Maria Varmazes, [06:00]

4. Japan’s Axle Space Partners with Ethiopian Technology

[07:30]

• Signed Memorandum of Understanding with Ethiopia’s Jethi Software.
• Collaboration aims to deliver Earth observation (EO) data to support African development in agriculture, disaster risk, and climate resilience.
• Focus on workforce enablement and supporting data-driven policy in emerging markets.

5. Elyria Joins Airbus "Space RAN" 5G Demonstrator

[08:15]

• Elyria will participate in Airbus Up Next: Space Radio Access Network (RAN) demonstrator.
• Mission will test standardized global 5G connectivity via next-gen software-defined satellites.
• Focus: advanced signal management, reduced latency, efficient throughput—a step toward 6G.
• Elyria’s “spacetime’s 5G NTN ran intelligent controller” will enable dynamic, real-time optimization of space network resources.

Feature Interview: Sheree Matthew, Jacobs – Reimagining the Spaceport

Segment Starts [10:54]

Sheree Matthew’s Journey in Spaceport Architecture

• [11:23] Transitioned from aviation to space architecture seven years ago after discovering the challenge of whether a spaceport is an airport.
• Emphasizes the unique, expanding role of spaceports: from passenger infrastructure to psychological wellbeing, health screening, workforce training, and integrating with local communities.

Quote:
“I started the journey there, which is interesting because then you have your aviation binoculars on and you're looking at a spaceport and you're judging it against an airport, which isn’t terrible... but it went much more beyond that, where you have psychological impacts... and how the spaceport becomes a city... a landmark destination for people that come and opening it up to the community, which is definitely not what an airport does.”
— Sheree Matthew, [12:00]

The Future of Spaceports: Beyond Launchpads

• [13:35] Each spaceport is unique — urban vs. remote, horizontal (city-based) vs. vertical (coastal).
• Discussion of campus evolution: beyond launches, bringing in tourism, manufacturing, education, retail, and creating almost Disneyland-like destinations for “space nerds.”

Quote:
“What happens when you do start to invite the tourism aspect... does it become sort of like a Disneyland of... first space? First space nerds?”
— Sheree Matthew, [15:00]

Civilian Spaceflight & Health Infrastructure

• [15:03] Insights from interviewing Blue Origin civilian astronauts: rapid training (three days) and new opportunity for non-career astronauts.
• Implications: need for lodging, last-minute health screening, and broader healthcare facilities at spaceports.
• Creating job opportunities as spaceflight draws in a more general workforce.

Quote:
“So then that starts to introduce this huge healthcare industry for a spaceport. [...] We’re creating jobs. You know, 50 jobs were created today that we didn’t even know existed yesterday. And so that means education is going to be a huge part of the spaceport.”
— Sheree Matthew, [16:30]

Spaceports Transforming Local Communities

• [17:43] Maria cites Saxavird Spaceport (Scotland) — community job creation even in remote areas.
• Sheree highlights workforce pipeline via career technology schools: “...they have labs within the high school. Any type of manufacturer can come in, build their lab... training the students specifically on that type of equipment.”
• The economic feedback loop: local employment, home ownership, and community growth.

The Importance of Long-Term Master Planning

• [20:12] Sheree advocates for proactive planning beyond the first launch: 10-year visions, securing community “hearts and minds,” and establishing infrastructure for broader development.

Quote:
“It’s not just thinking about the launch site, which is very important... but what happens in 10 years. And so really starting to build that, this master planning of the spaceport and then figuring out what those future scenarios will be so that they have that plan in place and you start to build the infrastructure.”
— Sheree Matthew, [20:22]

Memorable Pop Culture Moment: "Doom" & Rick Astley in Space

Segment Starts [21:11]

• Engineers from NASA and Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab conducted “the first Doom game and Rickroll in orbit,” using a new wideband terminal (PEXT) to test robust, network-agnostic space communications.
• Demonstrated seamless data transfer across NASA’s TDRS and commercial satellites — highlighting future resilience for space mission connectivity.

Quote:
“Congratulations. You underestimated engineers. Don’t do that... Government funded teams from NASA and Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab just turned low Earth orbit into a retro land party, kinda blasting Doom... and yeah, Rick Astley’s never going to give you up.”
— Maria Varmazes, [21:24]

• Cultural context: NASA has a tradition of using pop culture in tech demos - e.g., “Johnny B. Goode” on Voyager, “Mona Lisa” via laser comms, and now Rick Astley.

Additional Links & Opportunities

• Commercial Space Week, Orlando, Jan 27–30: Host and guest will be present; listeners encouraged to reach out to connect at the event.
• Further Show Info: Listeners can find links for deeper reading in podcast app show notes.

Notable Quotes & Timestamps

• “It is sad that we do have to remind folks, but due to medical privacy it is not appropriate for NASA to share more details about the crew member. HIPAA laws, remember people, they deserve privacy too.”
  — Maria Varmazes [02:30]

• “I started out in aviation architecture... and then about seven years ago, someone came across an RFP for the Houston spaceport and the question was, is a spaceport an airport?... I got real excited about just the idea of something brand new.”
  — Sheree Matthew [11:23]

• “Does it become sort of like a Disneyland of... first space? First space nerds?”
  — Sheree Matthew [15:00]

• “You know, 50 jobs were created today that we didn’t even know existed yesterday... education is going to be a huge part of the spaceport.”
  — Sheree Matthew [16:30]

• "Congratulations. You underestimated engineers. Don’t do that... Now Doom and Rick Astley joined their rightful place in the canon."
  — Maria Varmazes [21:24]

Recap / Takeaways

• Space station operations are flexible and supported by robust infrastructure, prioritizing crew health and safety.
• Emerging tech, workforce development, and long-term vision are central to the new era of spaceports—viewing them as economic and civic engines, not just launch sites.
• Pop culture moments cleverly punctuate meaningful innovation, with playful 'Doom' and 'Rickroll' missions demonstrating both technical and human sides of space exploration.

Listeners are left with a compelling vision: the convergence of critical infrastructure, community driving, bold technological experimentation, and the excitement of making space accessible—anchored by thoughtful master planning and, yes, a healthy sense of humor.