[MUSIC PLAYING] Today is September 19, 2025. I'm Maria Varmazis, and this is T-minus. [MUSIC PLAYING] T-minus. 22nd to LOS, T-dred. Open aboard. [INAUDIBLE] [MUSIC PLAYING] [INAUDIBLE] Five. Blue Origin successfully completed its 35th new Shepard flight and its 15th payload mission from West Texas. Four. Spanish startup, Creos Space, has secured 8 million euros in a seed round. Three. Space Robotics company Icarus has also raised $6.1 million in a seed round. Two. Lone Star data holdings partners with KIO data centers to create a hybrid data ecosystem for Earth and for space. One. US Space Command and UK Space Command have conducted their first ever coordinated satellite rendezvous proximity operation. [MUSIC PLAYING] And for today's show, our partners at nasaspaceflight.com will be wrapping up the launch news in today's Space Traffic Report. And we will also have insights from World Space Business Week from our colleagues at SpaceWatch Global. So stick around after today's headlines for more news to knowledge. [MUSIC PLAYING] Happy Friday, everybody. You made it. Let's dive into today's Intel briefing. Today, we're kicking off with a milestone in international space cooperation. The United States and the United Kingdom have carried out their first ever joint on orbit operation. For decades, the United States and the UK have worked together in defense and intelligence, but this marks the first time that they have actively partnered in space operations themselves. The rendezvous proximity operation delivered under multinational force operation Olympic Defender repositioned a US satellite to examine a UK satellite and assure our ally of its nominal operation in orbit. The demonstration was conducted over a period from September 4 through the 12th of this year. So why does this matter? Well, first, it demonstrates that allied nations are moving beyond just sharing data to actually coordinating spacecraft in orbit. That strengthens deterrence and resilience against threats to satellites, whether from debris, cyber attacks, or adversary action. Second, it shows how space is becoming a truly multinational domain. Just as NATO strengthened security on Earth, this US-UK step signals a future of coalition-based space operations. And thirdly, it sets the stage for broader collaboration on space situational awareness, satellite servicing, and orbital security, all of which are mission critical for protecting global communications, navigation, and defense systems. In short, this is not just some kind of demonstration. It is a blueprint. This is the first step towards a new era where space security is not just handled alone, but through trusted partnerships like the US and the UK. And from one US-UK partnership to another, we here at Team Minus are really happy to hear about this progress and look forward to seeing more in the future. KIO Data Centers, the leading digital infrastructure provider in Mexico and Latin America, has announced a strategic alliance with Lone Star data holdings. And Lone Star, for those not keeping up, is the company who sent a data center to the moon with intuitive machines. So this collaboration creates one of the first of its kind hybrid data ecosystems with KIO's terrestrial facilities acting as digital consulates that securely connect with Lone Star's data embassies in space. I like that metaphor. It's neat. The partners say that this initiative marks a historic milestone in data security and sovereignty. Storing data in space offers a new level of security, shielding it from real-time cyber attacks, natural disasters, and even physical surveillance. They say that this approach ensures data sovereignty by aligning with national regulatory requirements and offers regional accessibility from space. In addition, in-space data storage is sustainable, leveraging abundance, solar energy, and the natural vacuum of space for efficient cooling. The companies have outlined two stages for their partnership roadmap. And the first stage is CIS Lunar Orbit, where this initial step involves establishing a ground station antenna to connect with a satellite in a CIS Lunar Orbit, which would enable continuous secure data transmission to space-based storage. And the second stage is Lunar Data Centers, where the long-term vision is to build data centers within the natural lava tubes or craters on the lunar surface, which would leverage the moon's geology for data protection and resilience. All that said, no timelines were shared for when we may see these stages reached. Let's move on to some fundraising news now. And Space Robotics company Icarus has raised $6.1 million in a seed round. Icarus is working to develop a robotic labor force to support humans living and working in space. And they plan to use intelligent dexterous robots to take over what they call time-sucking chores, like unpacking and stowing cargo. The company plans to use the funding to conduct flight testing. Interesting when your company's name is Icarus. In any case, the company plans to conduct a parabolic flight campaign in the new year, followed by a one-year demonstration on the ISS via Voyager Space, which is the operator of the commercial Bishop airlock. The plan is to spend a year de-risking the full suite of cargo bay operations and then step into finer-grained tasks related to station maintenance, like filter and seal inspections. The robots will initially be teleoperated with a long-term plan to build autonomy and general purpose capability via embodied AI. And if you are interested in finding out where we are with autonomous space robotics, and how could you not be? Because this is such a cool topic, right? Make sure to join us for our T-minus Deep Space with the Naval Research Lab next week, which covers their recent robotics demonstration on the ISS. And it really does blow my mind that we are already living in a sci-fi future. Moving on now, Spanish startup Creos Space has secured 8 million euros in a seed round. And the raise marks the largest European investment to date in very low-earth orbit satellite technology. And the seed round was led by the NATO Innovation Fund and Berlin-based Joint Capital. This new investment builds on a previous 2.3 million euros raised in 2024. Creos says the funding will enable the Spanish startup to advance its proprietary air-breathing plasma propulsion system and launch its first two satellites into V-LEO. And Blue Origin successfully completed its 35th New Shepherd Flight and 15th payload mission from Launch Site 1 in West Texas yesterday. The flight carried more than 40 payloads from students, NASA, research institutions, and commercial companies, bringing the total number of science payloads flown on New Shepherd to more than 200. This was the 12th and final mission for the RSS HG Wells crew capsule, which is the dedicated vehicle for flying customer payloads and club for the future postcards above the Karman Line. The vehicle will now be utilized for non-flight test activities to support ongoing New Shepherd development before going on permanent display at a location to be determined. And that, my friends, concludes today's Intel Briefing. And 2K senior producer Alice Carruth joins me now with the other stories that we are keeping an eye on. Alice, what are you looking at today? Our colleagues at the Aerospace Corporation have a new boss. Tanya Pemberton has been named as the next president and CEO. Congratulations to her. The Commercial Space Foundation has released a new report on global affairs, which they're calling redshift due to the momentum we're seeing out of China. And the University of London has opened a new space autonomy test center at City of St. George's. You can read about all of those stories and all the others mentioned throughout the show by following the links in the selected reading section of our show notes. Hi, 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. Tomorrow we have Bruno Carvalho, CEO of the Atlantic Space Port Consortium, talking about Europe's latest spaceport in the Azores. Check it out while you're traveling back from World Space Business Week in Paris or the Amos Conference in Hawaii or any of the other glamorous locations hosting space conferences this week. My goodness. Either way, you don't want to miss it. It is Friday. Y'all know what that means. It's time for our partners at nasaspaceflight.com and their Space Traffic Report. I'm Alicia Segal for NSF, and this is your weekly Space Traffic Report for T-Minus Space. Starting off the week, we had the first of three Starlink launches on September 13. Falcon 9 lifted off from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California at 1755 UTC, adding 24 more Starlink V2 mini satellites to the constellation. SpaceX used booster B-1071 for this mission, which flew for the 28th time and touched down the deck of the drone ship of "Course I Still Love You." The next day, SpaceX launched Northrop Grumman's 23rd cargo resupply mission to the International Space Station. Falcon 9 flew the first extended Cygnus XL craft on this mission, which launched at 2211 UTC from Slick 40 at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Base in Florida. Booster B-1094 flew on its fourth mission and successfully landed back on the concrete pad at landing zone 2. This was the booster's third trip to the space station, having previously served on the Crew 11 and Axiom 4 missions. NASA's Parker Solar Probe completed its 25th close approach to the Sun on September 15, equalling its record-setting speed of 687,000 kilometers per hour. Four different instruments gathered observations during the latest encounter, the fourth at this distance and speed. The probe will begin transmitting data from this latest flyby back to Earth early next week. Close approaches such as this one give scientists unrivaled measurements of solar wind and solar activity while our sun is in the most active phase of its 11-year cycle. A Changjiang 2C also launched from China this week. The rocket lifted off from the Jochuan Satellite Launch Center on September 16 at 130 UTC. On board were a series of test satellites, which are expected to inform the ongoing development of the country's internet mega constellations. SpaceX then launched another batch of 28 Starlink V2 mini satellites into low Earth orbit on September 18. This mission lifted off once again from Slick 40 in Florida, at 930 UTC. Booster B 1092 supported this mission on its seventh flight, successfully touching down on the drone ship just read the instructions. Blue Origin also launched the 35th suborbital flight of their new Shepard vehicle on September 18, its eighth flight of the year. Lifting off from launch site 1 in West Texas at 1300 UTC, this was an uncrewed mission. 40 scientific and research payloads were carried to space and back aboard the capsule RSS HD Wells on its 12th and final journey into space. These included 28 experiments from students taking part in NASA's Tech Rise Student Challenge. Booster NS5, the newest in the fleet, made its fifth flight on this mission, landing successfully back on the concrete pad. SpaceX launched its third Starlink mission of the week on September 19, once again from Slick 4E in Vandenberg. A Falcon 9 lifted off at 1544 UTC, carrying another 24 Starlink V2 mini satellites into the Group 17 shell of the constellation, which has been exclusively launched from this pad in California. Booster B1088 completed its tenth flight and landed successfully on the deck of drone ship, of course, I still love you. At the end of this week, SpaceX has added a total of 76 satellites to the constellation, bringing the total number of Starlink satellites launched to 9,736. Of those, 1,303 have re-entered, and 7,576 are currently in their operational orbits. Next week, SpaceX is scheduled to launch up to five times with two planned launches over the weekend. From California, Falcon 9 will be launching another 11 reconnaissance satellites for the National Reconnaissance Office, and of course, another Starlink launch. From Florida, we'll have the launches of two more Starlink missions and NASA's IMAP probe. That acronym might ring a bell, and no, it isn't referring to the email protocol. This is the agency's interstellar mapping and acceleration probe. IMAP will head to the Earth-Sun Lagrange Point 1, where it will collect and map particles streaming from our Sun. The goal is to understand how these particles are accelerated and how they shape the bubble of magnetic fields and charged particles that surrounds our solar system. The region the scientists call the heliosphere. Elsewhere in China, Aizhe Long 3 is expected to launch from the Haiyang Oriental Space Port Launch Ship in Chinese coastal waters. Details of the payload are uncertain, but it could be more satellites for car maker Jili's future mobility constellation. An Atlas V is also due to deliver a third batch of 27 satellites for Amazon's Project Kuiper constellation on September 25th. This will once again use the Atlas vehicle in one of its most powerful configurations with five solid boosters and its five-meter diameter fairing. Of course, the schedule is always subject to change, so keep an eye on our next spaceflight app and website for the latest updates. I'm Alicia Siegel for NSF, and that's your weekly space traffic report. Now back to T-Minus Space. (upbeat music) We will be right back. Welcome back. And today we have our final installment of insights from World Space Business Week by our friends at SpaceWatch Global. Hello, Maria, recording live today from the bustling Charles de Gaulle airport as we head home from what has been a record-breaking World Space Business Week 2025. The 28th edition of World Space Business Week has just wrapped up and what a week it's been. With over 1,610 of these from 57 countries, this year's gathering was not only the largest, but also the most diverse community of satellite and space decision makers ever assembled here in Paris. Deals were finalized, partnerships were sparked, and ideas were exchanged that will shape the future of the global space economy. This year saw the launch of the Space Innovation Summit, SPIN, a new layer dedicated to startups and entrepreneurs. And let me tell you, the energy was electric, moderated by our very own Laura Todd. SPIN brought fresh perspectives and a new pulse to the week, providing that innovation and investments are deeply intertwined. The second edition of the Space Defense and Security Summit brought over 500 key stakeholders together from ministry, military and industry for deep discussions on the changing dynamics of space threats and deterrence. The need for resilience, interoperability and strategic foresight has never been clearer. And even on its final day, the momentum hasn't slowed. Panels on the ground station, software as a service and new Earth observation business model showcase how digitization and product form thinking are transforming how we access and monetize satellite data. A heartfelt shout out goes to the NovaSpace team. Once again, you delivered the most important space business event in Europe. It's not a small feat and it's end this week proves why Paris remains the epicenter of global space commerce every September. And I say it as a German. Now, we had back home notebooks full, minds buzzing and this isn't the end. Stay tuned for our upcoming in-depth session where we will unpack the insights, trends and interviews from World Space Business Week 2025. I'm handing over to you Yvette for your final comments. Space watch out for me. - Thank you, Torsten. Indeed, this week was electric. That is the perfect word to describe it. This final day actually wrapped up appropriately with panels around how we apply and use those technologies spoke of all week. A critical part of that conversation. Our team here at Space Watch Global would like to thank Maria and the N2K team for this new collaboration and opportunity to share our insights and stay tuned for that deep dive with Torsten. That's all from Paris. Back to you, Maria. - And I will be catching up with Torsten Kreening in the coming week to capture his thoughts about the state of the European space market and to share further insights from World Space Business Week. Let me know if you have any questions you would like me to ask Torsten. Send them on over to space@n2k.com. And that is T-minus, brought to you by N2K Cyberwire. What do you think about T-minus space daily? Please take a few minutes to share your thoughts with us by completing our brief listener survey, the links in the show notes, friends, and thank you for helping us continue to improve our show. We are 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, the 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, the technology, and the ideas, shaping the future of secure innovation. Learn how at N2K.com. N2K Senior Producer is Alice Carruth. Our Producer is Liz Stokes. We are mixed by Elliott Peltzman and Tre Hester with original music by Elliot Peltzman. Our Executive Producer is Jennifer Eiben. Peter Kilpe is our publisher, and I am your host, Maria Varmazis. Thank you for listening. Have a lovely weekend. 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