Sirotin Intelligence Briefing: June 2-7, 2025: Europe's Far-Reaching Space Act Nears Launch, Isaacman Blames Musk Association for Withdrawn NASA Nomination, Astronomers Discover Most Powerful Cosmic Explosions Since Big Bang

This week's space intelligence highlights: Europe finalizes comprehensive space legislation while Jared Isaacman blames his association with Elon Musk for the White House withdrawing his NASA Administrator nomination, as North Korea permits military space applications and Germany expands orbital defense capabilities despite Space Force facing budget cuts. Scientific breakthroughs emerge with the most powerful cosmic explosions since the Big Bang discovered alongside NASA's Roman Telescope passing critical tests, while commercial momentum builds with returning space IPOs and Voyager's $319 million funding round. Cybersecurity experts warn that satellite-connected devices create unprecedented vulnerabilities from orbit to smartphones, requiring new frameworks for an increasingly connected world. Join us June 12th as space security expert Sylwia Gorska discusses Japan's revolutionary approach using wooden satellites and ancient carpentry techniques to lead global space sustainability efforts.

🛡️ Defense Highlights

• Despite Golden Dome, Space Force Budget Would Shrink Again Under 2026 Spending Plan: The Space Force faces another potential budget reduction in fiscal year 2026 despite the administration's emphasis on the Golden Dome missile defense program. The proposed cuts highlight ongoing tensions between expanding mission requirements and constrained defense spending allocations.
• North Korea No Longer Bans Military Use of Space for Defense Purposes: Pyongyang officially revised its space policy to allow military applications for defensive purposes, marking a significant shift in North Korea's approach to space militarization. The policy change could accelerate North Korea's development of reconnaissance satellites and other dual-use space capabilities.
• UK Strategic Defense Review: Military Space Strategy Undecided for Years is Still Up in the Air: Britain's ongoing strategic defense review continues to delay critical decisions about military space investments and organizational structures. The prolonged uncertainty hampers UK space defense planning as other nations rapidly advance their orbital capabilities.
• "Always Above" Documentary Launches Nationwide Showcasing Space Force's Mission: The Space Force released a comprehensive documentary highlighting the service's evolving role in national security and space operations. The film aims to build public understanding and support for America's newest military branch amid ongoing budget and mission expansion challenges.
• Defense Department Awards New Space Contracts: The Pentagon announced multiple contract awards for space-related defense capabilities, reflecting continued investment in orbital security infrastructure despite budget constraints. The contracts span satellite communications, space situational awareness, and next-generation space technologies.
• Estes Gains AS9100D Certification for Aerospace, Space and Defense Industries: The certification enables Estes to expand its role in critical space and defense supply chains with enhanced quality management systems. The aerospace industry standard certification positions the company for larger defense contracts and space mission support roles.
• Europe Defense Buildup Faces Talent Shortage Crisis: European nations struggle to find qualified personnel for rapidly expanding defense programs, including space-related military capabilities. The workforce shortage threatens to slow Europe's strategic autonomy goals and military space development timelines.
• Rob Aalseth Named Senior Vice President Multi-Domain Defense Solutions at Parsons: The defense contractor appointed Aalseth to lead multi-domain operations including space-based defense systems and integrated warfare capabilities. The appointment reflects growing industry focus on cross-domain defense solutions that integrate space, cyber, and terrestrial operations.
• US Cuts to Commercial Space Imagery Could Endanger Industry's Long-Term Health: Defense insiders warn that proposed reductions in government purchases of commercial satellite imagery could undermine the sector's financial viability. The cuts threaten to weaken America's commercial space industrial base at a time when rival nations are rapidly expanding their capabilities.
• Space Programs Golden Dome Could Strengthen US-Japan Partnership: Defense analysts suggest the orbital missile defense system could enhance bilateral cooperation with Japan through shared technology development and operational coordination. The partnership could extend Japan's defensive capabilities while strengthening alliance integration in space operations.
• The New Attack Surface: From Space to Smartphone: Cybersecurity experts warn that the proliferation of satellite-connected devices creates unprecedented vulnerabilities spanning from orbital infrastructure to consumer electronics. The expanding attack surface requires new security frameworks that address both space-based and terrestrial threat vectors.
• Germany's Military Aims to Expand Its Presence in Space: The Bundeswehr announced plans to significantly increase its space-based capabilities and organizational structure as part of Germany's broader defense modernization. The expansion reflects Europe's growing recognition that space dominance is essential for military effectiveness in modern warfare.
• Leaders Excite GLAC About Army Space Missile Defense: Army leadership briefed the Great Lakes and Aviator Chapter about expanding roles in space-based missile defense systems and multi-domain operations. The presentation highlighted how traditional ground forces are adapting to integrate space capabilities into their operational frameworks.

🌐 Policy, Geopolitical & Legal Developments

• Europe's Far-Reaching Space Act Nears Launch: The European Union is finalizing comprehensive space legislation that would establish unified regulatory frameworks across member states and strengthen Europe's strategic autonomy in space. The Act aims to streamline licensing procedures, enhance space traffic management, and create new mechanisms for space security cooperation among EU nations.
• Isaacman Blames Musk Association for Withdrawn NASA Nomination: In his first detailed public comments, Jared Isaacman revealed he believes his NASA Administrator nomination was withdrawn by the White House because of his ties to Elon Musk. Speaking on the All-In Podcast, Isaacman said he was informed May 30 that President Trump was "going in a different direction" and suggested that "people with axes to grind" used him as a "visible target" amid the strained Trump-Musk relationship. The timing coincided with Musk's formal departure as head of the Department of Government Efficiency.
• Commercial Space Federation Launches Supply Chain Council: The trade organization established a new council to address critical supply chain vulnerabilities and strengthen resilience in the commercial space sector. The initiative aims to coordinate industry efforts to secure manufacturing capabilities and reduce dependencies on foreign suppliers.
• Defense Industry Trade Group Relocates Headquarters to Northern Virginia: A major defense industry association is moving its headquarters to Northern Virginia to strengthen ties with Pentagon leadership and defense contractors. The relocation reflects the region's growing importance as a hub for space and defense policy coordination.
• Andhra Government, ISRO Ink Five-Year Deal to Leverage Space Tech for Citizen Services: The Indian state government signed a comprehensive agreement with the space agency to deploy satellite technology for public service delivery and governance applications. The partnership demonstrates how space capabilities are increasingly integrated into civilian government operations and smart city initiatives.
• NASA Withdraws Support for Conferences: The space agency announced it will no longer provide funding or endorsement for certain industry conferences, citing budget constraints and shifting priorities. The decision reflects broader federal spending pressures and NASA's focus on core mission activities rather than external engagement events.
• Cruz Seeks $10 Billion for NASA Programs in Budget Reconciliation Bill: Senator Ted Cruz is pushing for significant NASA funding increases through the budget reconciliation process, targeting lunar exploration and Mars mission programs. The proposal represents a major test of congressional support for ambitious space exploration goals amid competing budget priorities.
• Marc Garneau Served Canada in the Military, in Space, and in Government: The veteran astronaut and former Canadian Space Agency president reflects on his distinguished career spanning military service, spaceflight, and political leadership. Garneau's experience illustrates the evolving relationship between space exploration and national security policy in allied nations.

🛰️ Technology & Commercial Developments

• Core Components for NASA's Roman Space Telescope Pass Major Shake Test: Critical components of the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope successfully completed vibration testing, marking a significant milestone toward the mission's mid-2020s launch. The telescope will investigate dark energy and search for exoplanets using advanced infrared imaging capabilities.
• Astronomers Discover Most Powerful Cosmic Explosions Since the Big Bang: Scientists identified gamma-ray bursts with unprecedented energy levels, providing new insights into the universe's most violent phenomena. These discoveries could revolutionize our understanding of stellar evolution and the formation of heavy elements in the cosmos.
• Space IPOs Are Trickling Back—What That Could Mean for Elon Musk's Starlink: The space industry is experiencing renewed investor interest as companies return to public markets after the sector's post-SPAC downturn. This revival could create favorable conditions for SpaceX to eventually take Starlink public, potentially unlocking significant capital for expansion.
• Space Defense Firm Voyager Seeks to Raise $319 Million in IPO: Voyager Space is planning a major public offering to fund its defense-focused space operations and technology development. The IPO represents one of the largest space sector fundraising efforts in recent years, signaling growing investor confidence in defense space applications.
• Astronomers Discover Planet with Extreme 16-Hour Orbit: Scientists identified exoplanet TOI-6894b completing a full orbit around its star in just 16 hours, making it one of the shortest-period planets ever discovered. The ultra-hot Jupiter provides new insights into planetary formation and atmospheric dynamics under extreme conditions.
• Voyager 1 Intercepts Mysterious "Song" in Deep Space: NASA's Voyager 1 spacecraft detected unusual electromagnetic signals that scientists describe as resembling a "song" from interstellar space. The discovery offers new data about the boundary between our solar system and the vast expanse beyond, though researchers caution against drawing premature conclusions about the signals' origins.
• Rocket Lab Launches 65th Electron Mission for BlackSky: The New Zealand company successfully deployed another satellite for BlackSky's Earth observation constellation, continuing Rocket Lab's impressive launch cadence. The mission demonstrates the growing demand for frequent, reliable access to space for commercial imaging and intelligence applications.
• Harnessing AI: European Space Tech to Transform Energy Grids: European space companies are developing AI-powered satellite systems to optimize terrestrial energy grid management and renewable energy distribution. The integration of space-based monitoring with artificial intelligence promises to revolutionize how utilities manage power generation and consumption across continental networks.
• Redwire Receives NASA Approval to Advance Cutting-Edge Manufacturing: NASA granted Redwire authorization to proceed with advanced manufacturing experiments aboard the International Space Station. The approval enables the company to develop next-generation production techniques that could transform both space-based and terrestrial manufacturing capabilities.
• Japanese Firm Declares Lunar Mission a Failure After Crash Landing: ispace confirmed its HAKUTO-R Mission 2 lander crashed during its attempted lunar touchdown, marking another setback for commercial lunar exploration efforts. The failure highlights the continued technical challenges facing private companies attempting to achieve soft lunar landings and establish sustainable commercial lunar operations.

💭 A Word From Christophe Bosquillon

In the wake of recent Golden Dome industry-related abrupt cancellations, CSIS conducted a status briefing on Golden Dome's feasibility, timeline, cost, technical challenges, international implications, and integration requirements. This multi-layered US missile defense system across land, sea, and space, aims to be operational by the end of Trump's term in 2029. Its estimated cost is $175 billion, with an initial $25 billion allocated in the reconciliation bill.  

This is more an engineering challenge than a scientific one. Feasibility depends on prioritization, acquisition reform, and cross-agency integration. While some capability is likely in 3 years, full implementation by 2029 is ambitious, as political will and sustained funding post-reconciliation will be critical. Compared with the SDI 40 years ago, the threat environment worsened beyond cruise missiles and ICBMs, with increasing ballistic threats from China, Russia, North Korea, Iran, advanced aerial threats, hypersonics, and drone warfare.

Canada, Japan, Australia, Germany, UK could partner. Greenland might be moved from European to North-American command. Industry is expected to play a major role in rapid prototyping, innovation, and testing, with Project Maven-like sprints and “bake-offs”  to accelerate capability delivery. Acquisition must be taken taken outside traditional systems for speed, with unprecedented authority granted to USSF General Michael Guetlein to lead it as Direct Report Program Manager. While this is a precedent-setting for future programs, budgetary sustainability is unclear. The Golden Dome is not a threat to peace, it merely aims to catch up with adversaries who have already damaged strategic stability. But there is potential for unintended strategic consequences if its deterrence value is not paired with costly nuclear modernization. US military installations are vulnerable to emerging asymmetric threats such as low-cost, high-impact drone tactics. 

With a storied Space Force surprisingly underfunded, the Golden Dome could be budgeted separately as part of a one-time reconciliation bill process. Golden Dome relies heavily on space-based sensors and  interceptors, automation, machine learning, and AI for real-time tracking and response. Systems integration (Aegis, GMD, Patriot, THAAD) further requires a “battle management layer” with real-time decision systems across domains. The Golden Dome space-based component could even turn into a service model.

Have a great space week ahead!

🎤 Our Next Guest: Sylwia Gorska

Thursday, June 12th – Sylwia Gorska on Japan's Revolutionary Approach to Space Security and the World's First Wooden Satellite

Sylwia Gorska, PhD candidate at the University of Central Lancashire and expert in Japan-U.S. space alliance dynamics, joins us to discuss how Japan's constitutional constraints have driven breakthrough innovations in space sustainability and why the world's first wooden satellite represents a paradigm shift in orbital technology.

🔍 Topics Covered:

• How Japan launched the world's first wooden satellite using ancient carpentry techniques that haven't changed in centuries
• Why Japan's pacifist constitution has become a catalyst for innovation rather than a limitation in space development
• The revolutionary LignoSat mission and how traditional Japanese joinery techniques are being applied to space technology
• How constitutional constraints have positioned Japan as the global leader in space sustainability and debris mitigation
• The strategic implications of alliance asymmetry where Japan leads in sustainability while the U.S. focuses on defense
• Why Japan's approach to space governance through harmony and long-term thinking offers lessons for global space security
• How the Quasi-Zenith Satellite System is revolutionizing Japan-U.S. defense cooperation in space
• The evolution of Japanese public opinion on space militarization since the 2008 Basic Space Law
• Japan's unique role in multilateral space governance and the Artemis Accords framework

Don't miss this fascinating conversation about how traditional Japanese values are driving cutting-edge space innovation and reshaping international approaches to orbital sustainability and security.

📚 Essential Intel from Our Archives

Missed a beat? These groundbreaking conversations are must-reads:

"I've Documented Over 17 Million Control System Cyber Incidents"

Father of Industrial Control Systems Cybersecurity Joe Weiss reveals why ground stations are the Achilles' heel of modern space operations and how the engineering-cybersecurity divide creates dangerous blind spots in our orbital defense infrastructure.

"I Created a Language That Lets AI Think in 128 Dimensions"

Former corporate sales executive Chris McGinty reveals how his McGinty Equation unifies quantum mechanics with relativity through fractal geometry, creating Hyperfluid AI and revolutionary space-folding technologies now being adopted by NATO defense strategists.

"I'm on a Crusade to Expand the Domain of Life"

Space pioneer Rick Tumlinson reveals how he created the NewSpace movement, his work with Dr. Gerard K. O'Neill, and his 40-year mission to expand humanity beyond Earth through commercial space ventures.

"Space Law Is The First Domain Where Nations Agreed On Rules Before Having Practice" 

Military JAG-turned-attorney Trevor Hehn explains how Cold War-era space treaties meet modern commercial ventures, highlighting the challenges of resource utilization, dual-use technologies, and regulatory navigation for companies expanding beyond Earth's atmosphere.

"The Unprotected Power Grid Will Be Our Civilization's Death Warrant If We Don't Act"

Doug Ellsworth, Co-Director of the Secure the Grid Coalition, warns about America's vulnerability to electromagnetic pulse attacks and advocates for urgent power grid protection to prevent catastrophic infrastructure collapse.

"When AI Designs Components, They Sometimes Defy Textbook Engineering"

Space Force Lt. Colonel Thomas Nix reveals how 3D printing and AI are creating revolutionary spacecraft designs, with parts that are stronger and lighter than what human engineers could develop using traditional methods.

"The Gaps in Our Lunar Knowledge Are Enormous"

Extraterrestrial Mining Company Chief Scientist Dr. Ruby Patterson describes the urgent need for more lunar geological data before making commercial decisions, while offering a balanced view on helium-3 mining and advocating for inclusive international cooperation in cislunar space.

"We're Building the Railroads of the Space Gold Rush"

Space Phoenix Systems CEO Andrew Parlock positions his company as "FedEx for space," creating an infrastructure that helps businesses launch and return payloads from orbit with minimal friction.

"Our Nuclear Shield Was Killed For Political, Not Technological Reasons"

Reagan's SDI Director Ambassador Henry Cooper argues that effective missile defense technology developed during the Reagan-Bush years was abandoned for political reasons when the Clinton administration "took the stars out of Star Wars."

"Every Country Has a Border with Space"

UK Space Agency CEO Dr. Paul Bate is developing Britain's space industry through initiatives like spaceports in Scotland's Shetland Islands to establish the UK as Europe's premier satellite launch destination.

"We're Treating Satellites Like They're Still In The 1990s" 

Niha Agarwalla, Director of Commercial Space, explains why traditional satellites are obsolete and how resilient constellations will transform space economics.

"When People See Space Guardians in Uniform, They Ask If They're Real" 

Colonel Bill Woolf, 25-year space defense veteran, reveals his mission to build public support for the newest military branch defending America's orbital assets.

"One Kilogram of Helium-3 Is Worth $50 Million" 

Jeffrey Max, Magna Petra CEO, explains how lunar resource extraction could revolutionize Earth's energy production and fuel humanity's expansion across the solar system.

"I'm Building a Rocket Engine That Could Reach Alpha Centauri" 

Michael Paluszek, Princeton Satellite Systems President, reveals how fusion propulsion could reduce travel times throughout our solar system and enable humanity's first interstellar missions.

"Space Has a Scottish Accent"

Chris Newlands, CEO of Space Aye, discusses how his company's satellite technology is revolutionizing wildlife conservation and helping to combat illegal fishing and poaching.

"I Learned From the Last Generation of Manhattan Project Veterans”

Patrick McClure, former Kilopower Project Lead at Los Alamos National Laboratory, explains how small nuclear reactors could power future missions to the Moon, Mars, and beyond.

"We're Being Attacked Every Day" 

Christopher Stone, Former Pentagon Space Advisor, warns about America's vulnerabilities in orbit and explains why China's "attack to deter" doctrine makes space conflict more likely than many realize.

"I Helped SpaceX Secure Their First Commercial Contracts" 

Serial entrepreneur Robert Feierbach discusses building billion-dollar space ventures across four continents and developing North America's newest spaceport.

"We Can Fly 8,000 Miles In 2 Hours" 

Jess Sponable, Ex-DARPA PM & President of NFA, explains how rocket-powered aircraft will revolutionize global travel through simplified hypersonic technology.​​ 

"This Could Be Our Biggest Economy"

Kevin O'Connell, Former Space Commerce Director, reveals how space is transforming from a government domain to a $1.8 trillion market.

​​"How Do You Win a War in Space?" 

Ram Riojas, Ex-Nuclear Commander and Space Defense Expert, explains why the next war will start in space and how nations are preparing their defenses.

"First Day on the Job, Hubble Was Broken" 

Mike Kaplan, James Webb Space Telescope Pioneer, reveals how early setbacks with Hubble shaped NASA's approach to complex space missions and discusses the commercial revolution transforming space exploration.

The Future of Human Space Habitation 

Jules Ross reveals how her journey from artist to space visionary is reshaping human adaptation to space through Earth's first artificial gravity station.

Space Law's New Frontier 

Attorney Michael J. Listner unpacks the complex legal challenges facing modern space activities. From resource rights to orbital debris management

Making Oceans Transparent From Space

Navy Legend Guy Thomas, inventor of S-AIS, shares how his invention transformed global maritime surveillance and security.