We’re here for the ride, Sally.

Summary

Podcast Summary: “We’re here for the ride, Sally”

Published on June 18, 2025 by N2K Networks

---

Introduction

In the June 18, 2025 episode of T-Minus Space Daily, host Maria Varmazis delivers a comprehensive overview of the latest developments in the global space industry. The episode intertwines significant industry news with a heartfelt tribute to pioneering women in space, honoring the legacy of trailblazers like Sally Ride and Valentina Tereshkova.

---

1. Honda’s Breakthrough in Reusable Rocket Technology

The episode opens with exciting news from Japan, where Honda Motor’s R&D subsidiary has successfully conducted a launch and landing test of an experimental reusable rocket.

• Key Highlights:

  • The rocket achieved an apogee of approximately 300 meters (100,000 feet).
  • This test marks Honda’s first foray into rocket reusability, focusing on critical technologies such as flight stability during ascent and descent, and precise landing capabilities.
  • Honda aims to leverage its advancements to potentially launch satellites, thereby integrating space technology with its existing automotive business.

• Notable Quote:

  “We believe that rocket research is a meaningful endeavor that leverages Honda's technological strengths,” – Toshihiro Mibe, Global CEO of Honda [01:45]

• Future Plans:

  • Honda is committed to progressing its fundamental research with the goal of achieving suborbital launch capabilities by 2029.
  • While commercialization is not yet on the immediate agenda, Honda envisions significant contributions to everyday life through satellite-based services.

---

2. Cybersecurity Threats: Viasat Breached by Salt Typhoon

Transitioning to cybersecurity, Dave Bittner updates listeners on a significant breach affecting Viasat, a key player in secure communications.

• Incident Details:

  • Salt Typhoon, a Chinese state-sponsored espionage group, breached Viasat’s infrastructure, targeting U.S. telecom systems ahead of the 2024 presidential election.
  • Previous targets include major telecom companies like Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile, with access gained to phone records of political figures, including Donald Trump and J.D. Vance.

• Impact and Response:

  • Viasat confirmed that the breach originated from a compromised device but assured that no customer data was affected.
  • The company collaborated with federal authorities to neutralize the threat, although concerns remain about the group’s potential lingering presence within networks.

• Notable Quote:

  “Salt Typhoon is known for its stealth and long-term access strategies, raising concerns that the group may still be embedded in some networks,” – Dave Bittner [04:35]

---

3. Expanding Connectivity in India: WE and AST Space Mobile Partnership

Maria Varmazis highlights a strategic collaboration aimed at enhancing mobile connectivity in India’s underserved regions.

• Partnership Overview:

  • WE (a leading Indian telecom service provider) and AST Space Mobile are joining forces to extend mobile broadband access across India’s challenging terrains.
  • With over 1.1 billion mobile subscribers, the partnership seeks to complement existing 4G and emerging 5G networks with satellite-based communication.

• Technological Advantages:

  • AST Space Mobile’s technology enables direct connection to everyday smartphones without the need for specialized equipment.
  • This initiative is poised to bridge the digital divide in areas where traditional terrestrial infrastructure deployment is difficult.

• Notable Quote:

  “Satellite communication will complement terrestrial connectivity to further expand broadband cellular access,” – Maria Varmazis [05:50]

---

4. China’s Mengzhou Spacecraft: Enhancing Crew Safety

The podcast covers China’s advancements in crewed space missions, focusing on the recent zero-altitude escape flight test of the Mengzhou spacecraft.

• Test Objectives and Outcomes:

  • Conducted at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, the test demonstrated the spacecraft’s ability to safely propel astronauts to safety during emergencies.
  • The Mengzhou is designed to carry up to seven astronauts, supporting both space station operations and future lunar missions.

• Technological Insights:

  • The successful test validated the escape system’s design, accuracy, and compatibility, providing essential flight parameters for ongoing development.
  • China is concurrently developing other key components, including the Long March 10 carrier rocket and a dedicated lunar lander.

• Notable Quote:

  “The test validated the design, accuracy, and compatibility of the emergency escape system,” – Chinaman Space Agency Representative [07:15]

---

5. NASA and German Space Agency DLR Collaborate on Space Medicine

At the Paris Air Show, NASA and the German Space Agency (DLR) reinforced their collaboration in space medicine research, a critical area for long-duration missions.

• Collaboration Details:

  • Building on previous efforts to mitigate space radiation, the partnership aims to enhance crew safety for missions such as Artemis 2.
  • DLR will contribute its expertise by providing new radiation sensors for the Orion spacecraft, slated for its upcoming test flight.

• Future Missions:

  • Artemis 2, scheduled for launch no later than April 2026, will be the first crewed test flight under NASA’s Artemis program, marking a significant step towards lunar exploration.

• Notable Quote:

  “Minimizing exposure to space radiation is one of the key areas that the US Space Agency is working on to protect crew on long-duration missions,” – NASA Representative [08:30]

---

6. Array Labs and Maxar’s 3D Radar Imaging Partnership

The episode delves into a technological partnership enhancing geospatial intelligence through advanced imaging.

• Partnership Overview:

  • Array Labs has partnered with Maxar to provide dedicated capacity from Array Labs’ 3D RAD imaging constellation.
  • The collaboration aims to integrate electro-optical and radar-generated 3D terrain data, enabling real-time, comprehensive geospatial insights.

• Strategic Goals:

  • By combining different imaging modalities, the partnership seeks to rapidly update global 3D datasets, enhancing intelligence and operational capabilities.
  • The first mission under this agreement is scheduled for launch in late 2020.

• Notable Quote:

  “This partnership will combine 3D terrain generated from electro-optical imagery with radar imagery to expand Maxar's ability to rapidly update its global 3D data in real time,” – Array Labs Press Release [08:55]

---

7. Additional Industry Developments

Dave Bittner provides a brief overview of other significant happenings in the space sector:

• Planet Labs and Tony Blair Institute Partnership:

  • A collaboration aimed at fostering global change initiatives in Zanzibar.

• Exo Biosphere and Space Cargo MoU:

  • Focused on advancing biotechnology research in New Zealand.

• Xeno Astronautics and Wellington Univentures Collaboration:

  • Developing superconducting magnetic technologies for space applications.

• Orion Space Solutions’ DARPA Ouija Program:

  • Successfully completed a test readiness review, advancing towards its objectives.

• Notable Quote:

  “There’s always a ton going on in the space industry,” – Dave Bittner [09:12]

---

8. Tribute to Trailblazing Women in Space

In a heartfelt segment, Maria Varmazis commemorates the 42nd anniversary of Sally Ride’s historic spaceflight and celebrates milestones achieved by female astronauts.

• Historical Milestones:

  • Valentina Tereshkova became the first woman in space on June 16, 1963, completing 48 orbits around Earth.
  • Sally Ride made history on June 18, 1983, as the first American woman in space aboard the Space Shuttle Challenger on Mission STS-7.

• Personal Reflections:

  • Varmazis shares her journey, inspired by early female pioneers and her own experiences as a space artist during the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • Dave Bittner echoes the sentiment, highlighting the importance of encouraging young girls to pursue careers in engineering and space sciences.

• Notable Quotes:

  “I have got to go to space now. I got to find a way to go to space.” – Maria Varmazis [14:30]

  “It was a challenge, but in a way, it was nice. I was doing the two things I love most,” – Dave Bittner [14:25]

• Featured Voices:

  • Astronauts Col. Eileen Collins, Jan Davis, Dr. Anna Fisher, Nicole Stott, Nicolina Elrick, Carson Kitchen, Dr. Cyan Proctor, and Kesha Schahoff shared their experiences and contributions to the legacy of women in space.

---

Conclusion

The episode concludes with a reminder of the various resources available for listeners, including show notes and upcoming special editions. Maria Varmazis and Dave Bittner express gratitude towards their audience, encouraging feedback and engagement to continue delivering valuable insights into the evolving space industry.

• Notable Closing Remarks:

  “We were doing is really solving for a lot of the challenges here on Earth,” – Dave Bittner [14:25]

---

Additional Resources

For more detailed information on the stories discussed, listeners are encouraged to visit the official website at space.n2k.com and explore the show notes accompanying the episode.

---

Thank you for tuning into T-Minus Space Daily. Stay informed and inspired as we continue our journey through the cosmos.

Transcript

[Maria Varmazis]

You're listening to the N2K space network.

[Dave Bittner]

And now a word from our sponsor. Spy Cloud Identity is the new battleground and attackers are exploiting stolen identities to infiltrate your organization. Traditional defenses can't keep up. Spy Cloud's holistic identity threat protection helps security teams uncover and automatically remediate hidden exposures across your users from breaches, malware and phishing to neutralize identity based threats like account takeover, fraud and ransomware. Don't let invisible threats compromise your business. Get your free corporate Darknet exposure [e-mail] cyberwire and see what attackers already know. That's spycloud.com cyberwire today is June 18th, 2025.

[Maria Varmazis]

I'm Maria Varmazis and this is T minus.

[Dave Bittner]

T minus 20 seconds.

[Maria Varmazis]

At Los team res has signed an agreement to provide MAXAR with dedicated capacity from Array Labs 3D RAD imaging constellation. NASA and the German Space Agency have signed an agreement to continue partnership in Space medicine research. China conducted a zero altitude escape flight test at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch center on Tuesday. We and AST Space Mobile plan to expand mobile connectivity across India's unconnected regions. Honda has successfully conducted a launch and landing test of an experimental reusable rocke and today, June 18th marks 42 years since Sally Ride became the first American woman to get to space. Stay with us for our tribute to trailblazing female astronauts later in the show. Happy Wednesday everybody. Thanks for joining me. Let's dive into today's headlines, shall we? And we're kicking off with news out of Japan. Honda, yes, as in the car manufacturing company, has successfully conducted a launch and landing test of an experimental reusable rocket. A research and development subsidiary of Honda Motor developed the reusable rocket, which reached an apogee of around 300 meters or around 100,000ft. This test marked the first launch and landing test conducted by Honda with an aim to demonstrate key technologies that are essential for for rocket reusability, such as flight, stability during ascent and descent, as well as landing capability. Honda says it achieved intended rocket behaviors for the launch and landing while obtaining data during the ascent and descent. Honda also says that it started rocket research based on the belief that it has the potential to contribute more to people's daily lives by launching satellites with its own rockets, which could lead to various services that are also compatible with other Honda businesses. Although Honda rocket research is still in the fundamental research phase and no decisions have been made regarding commercialization of these rocket technologies, Honda says it will continue making progress in the fundamental research with a technology development goal of realizing technological capability to enable a suborbital launch by 2029. Toshihiro Mibe, global CEO of Honda, added to the press release that we believe that rocket research is a meaningful endeavor that leverages Honda's technological strengths. Honda will continue to take on new challenges not only to offer our customers various services and value through our products while addressing environmental and safety issues, but also to continue creating new value which will make people's time and place more enjoyable. And before we get to our next story, we're going to get a quick update now from Dave Bittner, who is host of our sister podcast the Cyberwire.

[Dave Bittner]

Viasat has confirmed it was breached by Salt Typhoon, the Chinese state sponsored espionage group, in a cyberattack linked to intrusions into US telecom infrastructure ahead of the 2024 presidential election. The group had previously targeted firms like Verizon, AT&T and T Mobile and reportedly accessed phone records of political figures including Donald Trump and J.D. vance. ViaSat, which provides secure communications to both commercial and government sectors, stated the breach stemmed from a compromised device but found no customer data was affected. The company worked with federal authorities and believes the threat has been neutralized. Salt typhoon, active since 2020, is known for its stealth and long term access strategies, raising concerns that the group may still be embedded in some networks. U.S. officials have linked the group to broader cyber espionage efforts including a 2024 Treasury Department breach, while China denies all allegations.

[Maria Varmazis]

Thanks for that Dave. Onto our next story then. Indian telecom service provider WE and AST Space Mobile have announced a strategic partnership to expand mobile connectivity across India's unconnected regions. India has over 1.1 billion mobile subscribers and while there is widespread 4G and emerging 5G coverage, V&AST Space Mobile say satellite communication will complement terrestrial connectivity to further expand broadband cellular access in some challenging terrains where deployment of terrestrial mobile infrastructure might be difficult. The partnership will bring together WE's national network with AST Space Mobile's space based cellular technology, which connects directly to everyday smartphones without the need for any specialized software or device support or updates. China conducted a zero altitude escape flight test at the Jiuquan satellite launch center on Tuesday. Chinese media, citing the Chinaman Space Agency, say that they successfully fired the uncrewed Mengzhou spaceship to demonstrate its ability to propel astronauts to safety in case of an emergency. The Mengzhou spaceship is China's domestically designed next generation spacecraft for crewed transportation between Earth and space. It is designed to carry up to seven astronauts each and is engineered for both Space station applications and future manned lunar missions. They say the test validated the design, accuracy and compatibility of the emergency escape system, which includes separation and closed loop control of the escape trajectory. It also provided crucial real flight parameters for future development. China is also working on other key spacecraft for crewed lunar missions, including the Long March 10 carrier rocket and the Lunar Lander. You don't have to twist my arm for this one. Let's head over to Paris now. And on the sidelines of the Paris airshow, NASA and the German space agency DLR signed an agreement to continue a partnership in space medicine research. NASA says this renewed collaboration builds on previous radiation mitigation efforts for human spaceflight. Minimizing exposure to space radiation is one of the key areas that the US Space Agency is working on to protect crew on long duration missions. So with this agreement, DLR will leverage its human spaceflight expertise and provide new radiation sensors aboard the orion spacecraft during NASA's Artemis 2 mission. And as a reminder, Artemis 2 is still scheduled for launch no later than April 2026 and will mark the first test flight with crew under the Artemis program. Array Labs has signed an agreement to provide Maxar with dedicated capacity from array labs own 3D radar imaging constellation. According to the press release from both companies, this partnership will combine 3D terrain that's generated from electro optical imagery with 3D terrain generated from radar imagery to expand Maxar's ability to rapidly update its global 3D global data in real time. So the aim of all this is to enable comprehensive real time geospatial insights and intelligence. Under the agreement, the two companies will extend the current technical validation activities and work closely to integrate ArrayLab's data into the Maxar 3D product line. Their first mission is set to launch in late 2020. That wraps up our headlines for today. We already snuck in a little extra story in today's intel briefing. I'm sure you caught it, but N2K senior producer Alice Grus says there is still a lot more to keep an eye on today. Alice, what have you got for us?

[Dave Bittner]

There's always a ton going on in the space industry, Maria. We're monitoring the announcement from Planet Labs about their partnership with the Tony Blair Institute for Global change in Zanzibar. Exo Biosphere and Space Cargo have signed an MoU to work on biotechnology research over to New Zealand and Xeno Astronautics. Wellington Univentures and pay How Robinson Research Institute are collaborating on superconducting magnetic technologies for space and Orion Space Solutions have completed a test readiness review for the DARPA Ouija program.

[Maria Varmazis]

Okay, that is a lot. And also Planet's partnership with the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change in Zanzibar is an amazing phrase I've just got to say. Anyway, please remind us where we can find out more about all of those stories.

[Dave Bittner]

We include links to all the original sources of all the stories we mentioned throughout the episode in the selected Reading section of our show Notes. You'll also find those links on our.

[Maria Varmazis]

Website space.n2k.com hey t/ Crew. If you find this podcast useful, please do us a favor and share a five star rating and a short review in your favorite podcast app. It'll help other space professionals like you to find the show and join the T Minus crew. And to all of you who have already done this, thank you so much for all of your support. It helps us out a lot. We really appreciate it. A programming note now tomorrow we will not be publishing the daily Intel Briefing. We'll be sharing our Juneteenth Special Edition conversation between the CyberWire's host Dave Bittner, CISO Perspectives podcast, Kim Jones and me. So tune into your T Minus or Cyberwire Daily feed tomorrow or on your favorite podcast app to hear the full conversation. We'll be right back.

[Dave Bittner]

Did you know Active Directory is targeted in 9 out of 10 cyber attacks? Once attackers get in, they can take control of your entire network. That's why Sempras created Purple Knight, the free security assessment tool that scans your active directory for hundreds of vulnerabilities and shows you how to fix them. Join thousands of IT pros using Purple Night to stay ahead of threats. Download it now at cempress.com purple-knight that's sempris.com purple-knight @gmc ignorance is the furthest thing from bliss. Bliss is research, testing, testing the testing until it results not just one truck, but a whole lineup. The 2025 GMC Sierra lineup featuring the Sierra, 1500, heavy duty and EV. Because true bliss is removing every shadow from every doubt. We are professional grade. Visit gmc.com to learn more.

[Maria Varmazis]

Welcome back. This week is marked by some historic milestones by women in space. June 16th is the anniversary of Valentina Tereshkova's first and only spaceflight. She became the first woman in space in 1963, completing 48 orbits around the Earth in just under three days. And today we mark 42 years since the first American woman went to space. On June 18, 1983, Sally Ride flew aboard the space shuttle Challenger on Mission STS 7. At the time, she was Also the youngest American astronaut to travel to space. And we here at T minus wanted to celebrate the female astronauts that we've gotten to speak to on this show that have continued in Valentina and Sally's path and have collectively contributed to the history of women in space. It was 1976 when the Air Force first selected women to go to pilot training. And then in 1978, NASA selected the first women to be space shuttle astronauts. That's when it became real to me that this is something I can actually do.

[Dave Bittner]

Was in the first group of women interviewed and found out I was selected in January of 1978. So Kristen was born on a Friday morning, and I was back in the office on Monday morning for our pilots meeting. It was a challenge, but in a way, it was nice. I was doing the two things I love most. I think it's because I'm just stubborn and because my parents told me I could do anything. And so when people said, well, that's a man's field, I'm like, well, going to be an engineer. And it actually has become a passion of mine to encourage young girls to be whatever they want to be.

[Maria Varmazis]

I mean, if you weren't a photographer.

[Dave Bittner]

Before you got to space, you become.

[Maria Varmazis]

One because you just want to capture all of that experience.

[Dave Bittner]

Maybe we just start encouraging the use of our whole brains in the way we teach our kids and the way we solve problems. I realized that a lot of what.

[Maria Varmazis]

We were doing is really solving for a lot of the challenges here on Earth.

[Dave Bittner]

And so when I got inspiration for.

[Maria Varmazis]

And became a space artist during COVID you know, I started thinking about how I wanted to represent the future of humanity in space and the type of messaging that would really resonate with my art.

[Dave Bittner]

I decided to say yes to myself and fill out the forms and everything and submitted it. Two months later, Richard Branson showed up at my house to say, surprise, you won. You're going to space. And the journey that I decided to choose was to merge space and wellness. So now I'm motivating other mothers that you can acquire your dream. Some of my first memories are me.

[Maria Varmazis]

Actually, like, looking around in my environment and like looking up specifically at the night sky.

[Dave Bittner]

I was just so fascinated by space and the ever expanding field of it. You never really know what to expect and how, like, that's so beautiful in life and that how really anything is possible.

[Maria Varmazis]

It's funny how one person can motivate you and another can ignite that in you. And it just was like, that was it. I was on a goal, a mission. I was like, I have got to go to space now. I got to find a way to go to space. I got the call from Blue Origin to see a seat came available in 2020. That was our tribute to women in space. And you heard the voices of astronauts Col. Eileen Collins, Jan Davis, Dr. Anna Fisher, Nicole Stott, Nicolina Elrick, Carson Kitchen Dr. Cyan Proctor and Kesha Schahoff. Thank you very much to all of our guests. That's it for T minus for June 18, 2025, brought to you by N2K CyberWire. For additional resources from today's report, check out our show notes at space and space.n2k.com we'd love to know what you think of this podcast. You can email [e-mail] or submit the survey in the show notes. Your feedback ensures we deliver the information that keeps you a step ahead in the rapidly changing space industry. N2K's strategic workforce intelligence optimizes the value.

[Dave Bittner]

Of your biggest investment, your people, and.

[Maria Varmazis]

Make you smarter about your team while.

[Dave Bittner]

Making your team smarter.

[Maria Varmazis]

N2K's senior producers, Alice Carruth, our producers Liz Stokes were mixed in by Elliot Peltzman and Trey Hester. Original music by Elliot Piltzman. Our executive producer is Jennifer Ibin. Peter Kilpi is our publisher and I'm Constantina. My mom, Maria Varmazis is your host.

[Dave Bittner]

Thanks for listening. Yay. I got your name right.

[Maria Varmazis]

Finally.

[Dave Bittner]

T minus. Hey, everybody. Dave here. I've talked about Delete Me before and I'm still using it because it still works. It's been a few months now and I'm just as impressed today as I was when I signed up. Delete Me keeps finding and removing my personal information from data broker sites, and they keep me updated with detailed reports so I know exactly what's been taken down. I'm genuinely relieved. Knowing my privacy isn't something I have to worry about every day. The Deleteme team handles everything. It's the set it and forget it peace of mind. And it's not just for individuals. DeleteMe also offers solutions for businesses, helping companies protect their employees personal information and reduce exposure to social engineering and phishing threats. And right now, our listeners get a special deal. 20% off your delete me plan. Just go to JoinDeleteMe.com N2K and use promo code N2K at checkout. That's JoinDeleteMe.com N2k code N2K.