Today is June 30, 2025. I'm Maria Varmazis, and this is T-minus. [MUSIC PLAYING] T-minus. 22nd to LLS, T-dris. Open aboard. Right side. [INAUDIBLE] [INAUDIBLE] Bye. US Space Force's Space Systems Command has selected SpaceX to launch an enhanced global weather sensing system. The Vodafone Group and AST Space Mobile have announced that their new joint venture satellite company, called Satco, will be headquartered in Luxembourg. Satcher has signed a memorandum of understanding with Druva Space to develop sovereign Earth observation capabilities. The Finnish Ministry of Defense plans to acquire IceEye SAR satellites. Momentus has been selected by NASA for an in-space power demonstration. Our guest today is Ken Ruffin, space communicator and board member at the National Space Society. Ken and I will be discussing what the NSS does and offers later in the show. So stick around to find out more. Happy Monday, everybody. Let's dive in to today's Intel briefing, shall we? Momentus has been selected by NASA for an in-space power demonstration. And the contract is managed by NASA's Flight Opportunities Program. And we'll see Momentus host a payload from CIS Lunar Industries to conduct in-orbit testing of next generation power processing unit, or PPU technology, in power management systems. The agreement will support the demonstration of a power processing unit for hull thrusters, based on CIS Lunar Industries modular configurable electric power converter technologies, which are designed to advance high-delta-V dynamic maneuver and in-space assembly operations. The mission will validate the technology's performance with real-time data transmissions to Momentus mission operations, enabling updates to PPU operating conditions in support of NASA's ISAM objectives. Now, the PPU payload will be among several payloads that Momentus will carry aboard its Vigoride-7 orbital service vehicle that's scheduled for launch no earlier than February 2026 on a SpaceX transporter mission to low-Earth orbit. And Momentus is on a roll today, as they've also signed a 1.86 million direct-to-phase-2 small business innovation research or CIDR contract with Spaceworks. The award supports the in-space flight demonstration of a novel low-cost multispectral sensor suite for rendezvous and proximity operations. Through this contract, Momentus will demonstrate an internally developed RPO system that's equipped with optical infrared and LiDAR sensors. The technology integrates machine vision algorithms and advanced data fusion used to guide the safe and autonomous approach of a spacecraft to an uncharacterized object in low-Earth orbit. And the mission is scheduled for early 2026. Let's head on over to Finland now, and the Finnish Ministry of Defense has signed a letter of intent that enables the country's defense forces to acquire ICE-I synthetic aperture radar or SAR satellites. The cooperation aims to enhance the defense forces intelligence and surveillance capabilities from space. And according to the press release, the agreement outlines a preliminary delivery plan and timeline. It also encompasses the technical solutions and systems needed to establish an autonomous national capability for space-based surveillance. It is hoped that data from these satellites will support real-time situational awareness for Finland's national leadership and relevant authorities. Let's head on over to India now with the news of two of the country's big space startups forging a new partnership. Earth Observation Company, Satsure, has signed a memorandum of understanding with Druva Space. The collaboration aims to unify the two companies' indigenously developed capabilities across the upstream and downstream segments of the space value chain. And they say that the offering will be a one-stop-shop to support the world's growing space-based observation needs by combining Satsure subsidiary, Kaleid EOS, Next Generation Analytical Solutions with Druva Space's expertise in small satellite platforms, critical subsystems, and system integration. No details were provided on when Satsure and Druva expect to collaborate on their first mission. The Vodafone Group and AST Space Mobile have announced that their new joint venture satellite company called SATCO will be headquartered in Luxembourg. Vodafone and AST Space Mobile say they are in close contact with the Luxembourg government, key European policymakers, EU member states, and industry stakeholders to advance national and European digital sovereignty by promoting a cohesive space strategy. SATCO will aim to forge private and public sector partnerships that will position Europe as a leader in the provision of direct-to-mobile space-based broadband connectivity. The company has already generated expressions of interest from network operators in 21 EU member states, as well as in other European markets. Commercial services are expected to begin in 2026. The United States Space Forces Space Systems Command has selected SpaceX to launch an enhanced global weather sensing system. The $81 million multi-manifest mission makes use of available SpaceX launch vehicle capacity to efficiently deliver the system to orbit. The USSF-178 mission will include SSC's Weather System follow-on, microwave space vehicle two, which will provide global sensing to increase prediction model performance. It'll also include Blaze 2, which is a launch opportunity for operational research, development, and prototype small satellites from across the Department of Defense. The mission is expected to launch in the first half of fiscal year 2027. That concludes today's Intelligence Briefing. NTK's Senior Producer Alice Carruth joins us now with more on the stories that didn't make today's top five. Welcome back for Vacation Alice. What do you have for us today? Thanks, Maria. We've added three additional links to the selected reading section of our show notes today. They cover MDA Space's new lab, NASA's SLS booster testing troubles, and Blue Origin's latest tourism space flight. Thank you for that, and any space stories from your travels? Always. I took my kids to Starbase and JSC last week. We got to see both Starship and Saturn V within the few days of each other. My little space nerd heart was bursting. I added pictures to my LinkedIn page, so you can go there and check them out if you want to see them. Nice. And speaking of LinkedIn, if you would like daily updates from us directly in your LinkedIn feed, be sure to follow the official NTK T-minus page over on LinkedIn, and of course, feel free to reach out to myself for Alice directly. And if you're more interested in the lighter side of what we do here, we are @tminusdaily on Instagram. And that's where we post videos and pictures from events, excursions, and even some behind-the-scenes treats. Links are in the show notes. Hope you'll join us there. (upbeat music) Our guest today is Ken Rooven, Space Communicator and Board Member at the National Space Society. And Ken started off by telling me about the NSS. (upbeat music) The National Space Society is a nonprofit, 501C3 organization that's actually not just national but worldwide. And it's for people in the general public, as well as space experts who have an interest, who have maybe even a passion about not just space travel in general, not so much the history of space travel, but I'll paraphrase to say, humanities future in space. So not science fiction, but the actual plans, the actual evolving plans, I should say, for humanities presence in space, beyond satellites, beyond rovers on Mars, but people actually living in orbiting space settlements around the Earth, people actually living on the moon, living on Mars, and eventually even beyond that. That's amazing. Well, thank you for that great intro to the NSS. I would love if you could also tell me a bit about yourself. Sure, sure. So I actually have four titles with the National Space Society. So personally, I think that means we need more people. So these titles can be distributed, but I'm enjoying. Hey, come on, come on. So as far as my four titles, primarily I'm on the board of directors and that's a two year term. And these are my, the first three titles I mentioned are on the national level. So board of directors, I'm on the board of strategic advisors and I am a NSS, National Space Society, Space Ambassador, which means I've been, I guess, approved by National Space Society to give presentations to audiences, whether it's in person, virtual, or both, to inform audiences about National Space Society, about NASA missions, about missions from companies in the space industry, commercial spaceflight companies, and the present and future of spaceflight. So I've got those three titles and I'm also the chapter president of the North Texas chapter, which is the Dallas Fort Worth Metroplex and beyond. Wow, okay, so that's gotta keep you quite busy. So saying before we started recording, to me that you are at the forefront doing work like that because that is where we reach the most people. 'Cause I speak mainly to people who already very in the space world, very in the space bubble. When you speak to the more general public, that is where people's lives can change. I'm so curious from the times that you've done this, 'cause I'm sure you've refined what you've, you've gone through different iterations of this. What do you find, for the more general public, which is always the puzzle people are trying to figure out, what do you find really resonates with people? I'm sure it's different for different audiences, but I'm just so curious what you've seen just really sparks that, oh, moment. There's really never been one thing from my experience, it's different things for different people. Maybe it's, for example, the NASA Artemis program, which is getting astronauts to the moon and back again, and then eventually to Mars. At least that's the way the Artemis program was initially set up. So for some people it's that, for other people it's a Mars rover, for example, that it's like, well, they heard that there was a, they usually will say a Mars rover, and I'll say, well, actually, this is the fifth one that I was talking about in the presentation. There are two that are currently active, and three that are no longer active, and that always blows people away. So sometimes it's that, sometimes it could be anything. Sometimes it's the orbiter, LRO, the lunar reconnaissance orbiter, which has been orbiting the moon since October 2009, and it's still working, still active, still taking photos, still gathering data, sending the data back to Earth. One of the things that I find so interesting about space is that there's a literally infinite number of things to get excited about. I've had people come up to me to say that they're interested in space, but there's just like so much going on, they don't know where to start. And I say that's actually a very best problem to have. They're right. There's an infinite, literally infinite number of things to choose from. So pick one. You don't have to be interested in everything. I'm not, I don't think anybody's an expert in just everything. So whatever it is that grabs your attention, just follow up with that, hold on to that. And maybe later on, there'll be a second thing and a third thing that you'll research, that you'll take the time to learn more about, learn the history of whatever it is, whether it's a mission, whether it's a destination space. I don't usually say planets and moons. I like to say destinations 'cause I think of people potentially going there. So they're destinations. That's an interesting way of messaging that. I like that. And I think there's so much in what you just said that resonates with me because when I started this job two and a half years ago, I've been a lifelong Trekkie and a lifelong fan of space and just I wanted to be in a drama growing up. But there's a lot about space that I didn't know. I didn't know much about launch. I still, I'm not a rocket nerd. I'm learning about rockets, but launch vehicles were not my main area of focus. And I felt very overwhelmed. Like I don't know the pedigree of all these different launch vehicles and what certain terms mean. And I've learned a lot over. It says that's the great thing that you've been saying though that you don't have to. And for people can find that thing that they like, you don't have to know all of the things. We don't have to gate keep space like that. Yeah, 'cause nobody does. Yeah, exactly. I mean, it's the universe. Nobody knows everything in the universe. And yet people feel like they gotta, right? It's like, we don't need to do that. Yeah, exactly. No, they're being so unfair to themselves. Even the PhD, you know, scientists, experts don't know everything, you know, it's impossible. I mean, that's why they continue to study. They continue to learn. So if they don't know everything, then how could we? Exactly, exactly. Now, I think sometimes people need to hear that message. And I'm thrilled that you're out there telling people the cool stuff that's going on, but also saying, don't feel like you gotta drink all this in. Just latch on to what makes sense to you and what resonates with you. And that can be your part of your world. I love that. Ken, I feel like I've been just like asking you all about these cool things that you've been doing. And I have been remiss in my duties in asking, is there anything that you wanted to share with the audience that we haven't gone over, that you wanted to make sure that people know about that like maybe I should have asked and I didn't? If nothing else I want to repeat or reiterate that anyone who's a space advocate, anyone who's a fan of humanity being in space and just doing bigger and better things, more interesting, more exciting things. And let's say you don't even know what the things are, what the plans are, you can find out through the National Space Society. If you want to know, I highly recommend. First of all, join the National Space Society, nss.org. If there's one that's convenient to you, maybe go to their website and see what it is they're doing. You're certainly welcome to join your local chapter. But if for whatever reason, there is no local chapter for you, or if you just are maybe more interested in another chapter, well, you are more than welcome to look for nss of North Texas. That's the chapter that I'm the president of. And it's okay, the North Texas chapter has members, not just in the North Texas area, but in some other states and currently in one, on one other continent, we have a member in Africa. So anyone worldwide is welcome to join. And among the benefits that you get, so you get the quarterly magazine is called Ad Astra. That's Latin for to the stars. You get email newsletters with updated information, information you'll get much more frequently than the quarterly magazines. And discounted admission to the International Space Development Conference, ISDC, a chance to communicate with people who are also members of National Space Society with the North Texas chapter. There's a monthly newsletter that comes out a few days before each monthly meeting. Meetings are on the second Sunday of every month at 3/30 PM central time, 4/30 PM Eastern. And there's a speaker. Each month there's a presentation on what I call the latest information in space travel. And again, meetings are in person or virtual. So if you are not in the Dallas, Fort Worth, Metroplex and would like to attend the meeting, you still can. - We'll be right back. Welcome back. We wanted to give a shout out today to space.com's Tom Brown for a detailed and gripping story on insurance for satellites. And yes, it is gripping because this is a story that affects literally everybody when space debris is increasingly breaking up in orbit or raining down on earth and causing damages. So who pays for all that? Well, that's the thing, isn't it? Satellite insurance is becoming more and more expensive. And as a result, more satellite operators are opting to skip it entirely, causing a bit of a death spiral for the entire concept. And according to Brown's article on space.com, of the more than 12,000 satellites orbiting earth, only about 300 are insured for in orbit accidents. And that is most definitely a problem when a chunk of someone's failed spacecraft ends up crashing through your roof, which as many of you know, already happened in Florida last year. Without enforceable rules, insurers are understandably fleeing the market and launching is becoming a game of orbital roulette. Worse yet, CubeSats and Chief Short-Lived Spacecraft are contributing to a vicious cycle of fast launches, no insurance, more debris, higher risk. And while regulators and military leaders are calling for what they call rules of the road in orbit, the only laws up there right now seem to be mutants. And this is not a great trajectory to be on, to be sure. And it is unfortunate that without any clear resolution path here, space will become a more dangerous and legally murky place. Whether nations have the political will and or if companies have the business acumen, to present a solution here is really the key thing. In the meantime, the who pays for it question regarding space debris remains frustratingly hard to answer. Let's hope that changes and soon. [MUSIC PLAYING] And that's T-minus brought to you by N2K Cyberwire. We'd love to know what you think of our podcast. Your feedback ensures we deliver the insights that keep you a step ahead in the rapidly changing space industry. If you like this show, please share our rating and review in your podcast app. Please also fill out the survey in the show notes or send an email to space@n2k.com. We're proud 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 helps space and cybersecurity professionals grow, learn, and stay informed. As the nexus for discovery and connection, we bring you the people, technology, and ideas, shaping the future of secure innovation. Learn how at n2k.com. N2K's senior producer is Alice Carruth. Our producer is Liz Stokes. We're mixed by Elliot Peltzman and Tre Hester with original music by Elliot Peltzman. Our executive producer is Jennifer Eiben. Peter Kilpie is our publisher. And I am your host, Marie Varmazis. Thanks for listening. We'll see you tomorrow. [MUSIC PLAYING] [MUSIC PLAYING] T-minus. 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