ISPTech Raises €5.5M to Scale Green Propulsion Tech
ISPTech, a German DLR spin‑off, closed a €5.5 million seed round led by Join Capital to accelerate production of non‑toxic spacecraft thrusters. The funding will fund workforce expansion and a new in‑house test facility, targeting a rise from four‑five units a year to dozens by 2030. Its HyNOx and HIP_11 systems replace hazardous hydrazine with ethane‑nitrous oxide and hydrogen peroxide‑ionic liquid blends, respectively, offering safer, cheaper propulsion for small and medium satellites.
Intuitive Machines, Seraphim Announce Fundraising Wins
Intuitive Machines announced a $175 million strategic equity raise led by global institutional investors, funding its Near Space Network Services and a solar‑system‑wide communications backbone after acquiring Lantaris Space Systems. The company aims to build a “solar system internet” that links...
Exclusive: Charter Space Launches an Insurance Brokerage
Charter Space has launched the Charter Interplanetary Risk Corporation (CIRC), a nationally licensed brokerage dedicated to providing insurance for space missions and related commercial risks. Building on its mission‑management software and data‑driven risk analytics, CIRC will place policies ranging from...
LambdaVision Taps Starlab for Post-ISS Manufacturing Plans
LambdaVision announced it has pre‑booked manufacturing time and space on Starlab’s yet‑to‑launch commercial space station, positioning the biotech firm for post‑ISS production. The company, which raised a $7 million seed round and completed nine ISS missions, uses microgravity to fabricate higher‑performance...
Exclusive: Sceye Unveils SceyeCELL Antenna
Sceye announced the SceyeCELL antenna, a custom HAPS payload that merges ground‑cell flexibility with LEO satellite precision. The antenna is built for long‑duration, high‑altitude missions that can blanket large swaths of the Earth. It is intended to bolster network resilience...
Skynopy to Integrate Its First Ground Station in Kenya
French startup Skynopy secured a €500,000 award from the French Ministry to integrate Kenya Space Agency’s 4.5‑meter S‑ and X‑band antenna into its ground‑station‑as‑a‑service network. Working with Safran Space, the company will deploy modems and digital infrastructure at the Nairobi...
Orbital Data, Niche Markets Give Space Solar a New Shimmer
Space‑based solar power (SBSP) is shifting from grand‑scale grid concepts to niche markets such as orbital data centers, remote military sites, and lunar installations. Startups like Aetherflux and Overview Energy are leveraging laser‑based power‑beaming and large‑satellite designs, backed by DoD...
Inside Finland’s Rapid Rise as a Space Powerhouse
Finland has transformed from a modest satellite launcher into a competitive space hub within a decade, leveraging its engineering heritage and strategic government backing. The nation boosted its ESA contribution by 59%, reaching €233 million for 2025, while Finnish firms ICEYE,...
US Chamber Fighting For Licensing, ITAR Reform in 2026
The US Chamber of Commerce’s Space Leadership Council secured a key win in its first year by helping embed spaceports in the One Big Beautiful Bill, unlocking municipal‑bond financing and contributing to a $10 billion NASA budget increase. The council also...
Blue Origin’s TeraWave Angle, Economics, and the Starlink / Amazon Leo Comparison
Blue Origin is positioning its TeraWave satellite‑communication system as a cost‑effective alternative to SpaceX’s Starlink and Amazon’s Leo. The analysis breaks down TeraWave’s technical architecture, launch cadence, and projected unit economics, highlighting lower capital expenditure per gigabit. It also contrasts...
Agile Space Industries Closes $17M Series A
Agile Space Industries announced a $17 million Series A round led by Caruso Ventures and Howdy Partners, bringing its total capital raised to roughly $40 million. The cash‑positive company, which has been profitable for 18 months, will use the funds to scale manufacturing,...
SatVu Raises £30M to Accelerate Its Constellation
UK‑based thermal‑imaging firm SatVu announced a £30 million equity raise, bringing its total financing to £60 million. The funding, sourced from the NATO Innovation Fund, British Business Bank and existing backers, will accelerate the deployment of its HotSat constellation after the on‑orbit...
Demonstrators Are No Longer Optional — They’re How Programs Stay on Track
Aerospace and defense programs are abandoning the old end‑stage validation model in favor of early demonstrators—physical or digital mockups that test designs throughout development. The Department of Defense now mandates rapid prototyping and competitive demonstration to curb cost overruns, schedule...
Haridopolos Praises Isaacman As ‘Dynamic Leader’ For NASA
Jared Isaacman, barely 60 days into his role as NASA administrator, has earned high praise from Rep. Mike Haridopolos, chair of the House space subcommittee. Haridopolos highlighted Isaacman's ability to rally the agency’s morale, communicate its mission publicly, and position...
When Space Businesses Should Accelerate Cash Burn, When to Improve
Space companies face a strategic choice between speeding up cash burn to capture market share and tightening spending to extend runway. The article outlines criteria such as revenue traction, funding environment, and technology readiness that dictate when aggressive spending is...
Revenge of the Bad Businesses: Refining the Space Hardware Investing Thesis During This Year’s Software Rout
The latest software market rout has forced investors to rethink the long‑standing bias toward asset‑light, high‑margin software businesses. In the space sector, capital‑intensive hardware firms—once dismissed as “bad businesses”—are now gaining favor as they offer tangible assets and predictable cash...
Kepler Plots European Expansion with NanoAvionics Deal
Kepler Communications has named Kongsberg NanoAvionics its preferred satellite bus provider for Europe, allowing hosted payloads to tap into Kepler’s laser‑based optical communications network. The partnership lets NanoAvionics offer customers sub‑second 2.5 Gbps links capable of moving terabytes of data per...
OroraTech’s New Exec Plans to Step on the Gas
OroraTech, which grew its satellite constellation from two to over ten in 2025, has hired industry veteran Ignacio Zuleta as chief technology and product officer. Zuleta plans to abandon the company’s previous sequential deployment model and accelerate satellite launches to reach...
Axiom Space Raises $350M to Fuel Station, Suit Development
Axiom Space announced a $350 million capital raise, co‑led by Type One Ventures and Qatar Investment Authority, to accelerate its commercial space‑station program and the development of NASA‑contracted AxEMU spacesuits. The funding will finance the design, testing and launch of two...
Vulcan, Ariane 64 Blast Off
On Thursday, United Launch Alliance’s Vulcan rocket lifted off from Florida carrying the USSF‑87 payload to geosynchronous orbit, marking its second National Security Space Launch mission. The launch suffered a significant performance anomaly in one of its four solid rocket...
Rep. Mike Haridopolos On Cutting Red Tape, Passing NASA Bill
Rep. Mike Haridopolos, chair of the House space subcommittee, is pushing for stronger public‑private partnerships as a cornerstone of the 2026 space agenda. He highlighted the recent bipartisan passage of a NASA authorization bill in the House and expressed optimism...
Spaceium Tests Robot Gas Attendant Piece in Orbit
Spaceium demonstrated a space‑qualified actuator on SpaceX’s Transporter‑15 mission, achieving 0.003‑degree rotation accuracy in orbit. The precision translates to less than a millimeter of movement at the tip of a full‑size robotic arm, a key requirement for in‑space fuel transfers....
UK to Invest Nearly £1M In In-Orbit Manufacturing
The UK Space Agency (UKSA) is allocating nearly £1 million to three start‑ups to develop in‑orbit manufacturing capabilities. Space Forge will receive £300,000 to grow semiconductor crystals, OrbiSky £295,000 for ZBLAN optical‑fiber production, and BioOrbit £250,000 to test space‑grown pharmaceuticals. The...
NASA Shifts Workforce Toward Civil Servants for In‑House Expertise
.@NASA is rebalancing its workforce towards civil servants to bring more expertise in house, according to a Friday announcement from NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman. https://t.co/jeFpQdG00n
Russian Spy Satellites Repeatedly Intercepted European GEO Communications
The Russians are causing problems again. It was reported this week that Russian spysats may have intercepted what were supposed to be secure comms from European GEO satellites several times during the past three years. https://t.co/2kQy8PtQwG
Univity Adds Direct-to-Device Service in VLEO Constellation
French satcom startup Univity is pivoting its very‑low‑Earth‑orbit (VLEO) constellation to offer direct‑to‑device (D2D) connectivity, adding a cellular‑compatible antenna and boosting satellite transmit power. The company will launch two demo satellites in 2027, then begin a 1,500‑satellite rollout in 2028...
Astrolight Plans to Demo Space-to-Ground Optical Comms
European optical communications startup Astrolight will demonstrate three laser‑based payloads on SpaceX’s Transporter‑16 rideshare mission. The demos support ESA’s ARTES ScyLight program, which has earmarked nearly €1 billion for optical and quantum communications over the next three years. Astrolight is also...
Viasat’s HaloNet: Building the Bridge to a More Connected Orbit
Viasat is developing HaloNet, a hybrid communications terminal that unifies L‑band, S‑band and future Ka‑band/optical links into a single adaptive package. The system automatically switches between links and maintains a low‑rate L‑band “lifeline,” managed by the Multi‑Mission Orchestrator software that...
Exclusive: Viridian Space Signs CRADA Agreement with US Air Force
Viridian Space, a California satellite startup, has signed a five‑year cooperative research and development agreement (CRADA) with the U.S. Air Force to co‑develop its air‑breathing electric propulsion (ABEP) technology for very low Earth orbit (VLEO) missions. The partnership will be...
York Drops Protest of Apex’s SBIR Award
York Space Systems withdrew its protest of the Department of Defense’s $45.9 million Phase II SBIR award to Apex Space, and a federal judge dismissed the case with prejudice on Jan. 30. The motion to dismiss was filed a day before York’s planned...
CesiumAstro Secures $270M to Boost Defense Contracts
Spacecom company @CesiumAstro announced that it closed a $270M round of funding—which will help the company to cement further contracts in the defense sector, and build out its natsec business. https://t.co/yg15DTFTWo
HawkEye 360 Taps Hale for Space Weather Forecasts
Space weather startup Hale SWx has secured a five‑year contract with signal‑intelligence constellation operator HawkEye 360 to provide solar activity and atmospheric density forecasts. Hale’s model, which focuses on electromagnetic forces rather than sunspot tracking, delivers an average skill score...
Mars Rover Drives with the Help of Anthropic AI
Engineers at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory used Anthropic's Claude AI to map a 450‑meter route for the Perseverance rover on Mars. By feeding Claude years of mission data, the system generated Rover Markup Language commands that covered 10‑meter segments and...
UK STFC to Slash £162M to Meet Outcome‑focused R&D Targets
The UK government’s Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) revealed this week that it needs to cut £162M (€187M) in spending by FY2029-30 to align with a new “outcome-focused approach” in the country’s R&D funding. https://t.co/FFMaFZTdNY
GAO Criticizes SDA's Flawed Planning for Space Architecture
The GAO’s watchful eye has fallen upon the SDA. In a report released, the watchdog agency was unimpressed with the SDA’s planning for the Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture (PWSA). https://t.co/PNHOl00MTv
ESA Secures Record Funding, Boosts Launch Industry Growth
After closing out 2025 with record funding commitments from its member states, significant progress in the launch industry, and a private sector investing in space ventures, it’d be easy for @esa to take a beat and celebrate. https://t.co/Zo5GGFRRHR
ESA Urges Europe to Keep Up the Momentum in Brussels
The European Space Agency closed 2025 with record funding commitments, yet its overall budget still lags far behind the United States and China. At the European Space Conference in Brussels, Director General Josef Aschbacher warned that past achievements are insufficient...
Clear Orbit, Secure Future: Urgent Call on Space Debris
The World Economic Forum came out with a report, produced in partnership with the @spacefutures_sa, the @saudispace, @LeoLabs_Space, and @Novaspace_ , titled “Clear Orbit, Secure Future: A Call to Action on Space Debris.” https://t.co/wA8ze2X66x
US Army Puts Out the Call for Space Soldiers
The U.S. Army announced a new Military Occupational Specialty, Tactical Space Operations Specialist, opening applications for enlisted personnel from specialist to sergeant major. The initial cohort will consist of 1,000 soldiers, with plans to grow to 1,500 by 2032, and...
WEF’s Space Debris Report Projects Significant Costs
The World Economic Forum’s "Clear Orbit, Secure Future" report warns that space‑debris congestion could cost the satellite industry between $25.8 billion and $42.3 billion over the next decade, even without a single catastrophic collision. It breaks the projected losses into $14.2‑$30.7 billion from...
Airbus Taps Skynopy for Pléiades Neo Ground Stations
Airbus Defence and Space announced a partnership with European startup Skynopy to integrate its software‑defined ground‑station technology into the Pléiades Neo Earth‑observation constellation. The collaboration targets reduced latency between image capture and upload to Airbus’ OneAtlas platform. Skynopy’s approach centralises...
Northrop, Raytheon Report 2025 Earnings
Northrop Grumman posted $13 billion in 2025 revenue, a 5 % increase year‑over‑year, highlighted by an 18 % jump in fourth‑quarter sales to $3.9 billion. However, its space systems segment saw mixed results, with Q4 sales up 5 % but full‑year space revenue falling 8 % to...
HEO Buys Satellogic’s In-Orbit Sat
Australian NEI startup HEO announced the purchase of Satellogic’s NewSat‑34, now renamed Continuum‑1, giving it immediate sub‑meter resolution imaging capability. The satellite will act as a testbed for autonomous non‑Earth imaging methods, including a planned RPO maneuver to photograph another...
Northwood Closes $100M Series B
Northwood Space announced a $100 million Series B round led by a16z and Washington Harbour Partners, following a $30 million Series A less than a year earlier. The funding will accelerate production of its Portal phased‑array ground systems, now capable of building eight units...
Pentagon Contracts Varda Space, Stratolaunch for Reusable Hypersonic Tests
Pentagon announced that it had awarded two contracts to @VardaSpace and @Stratolaunch as providers for Task Area 3 of the MACH-TB program, which focuses on reusable flight concepts for hypersonic missile tests. https://t.co/foLw2HUpR6
Payload Field Guide: Commercial LEO Destination
The International Space Station’s planned retirement by decade’s end has spurred NASA’s Commercial LEO Destination (CLD) program, which seeks privately funded orbital habitats. In 2021 NASA awarded $416 million to three proposals—Nanoracks‑Voyager, Blue Origin, and Northrop Grumman—to develop next‑generation stations. Today the...
DeepSky Constellation Enables Real‑Time Global Atmospheric Monitoring
https://t.co/Bj9B34UX2f announced a new constellation to track activity across Earth’s atmosphere and oceans. Called DeepSky, the sat network is designed to provide global atmospheric monitoring in real time. That’s a lot of ground to cover. https://t.co/awckkrrhaZ
Swiss Startup Secures €73M ESA Non‑dilutive Funding
.@Swissto12 closed €73M in non-dilutive funding from @esa under the agency’s Advanced Research in Telecommunications Systems (ARTES) program. https://t.co/QPNzYlSUlk
Open Cosmos Launches First Telecom Sats
Open Cosmos launched the first two Ka‑band broadband satellites on a Rocket Lab Electron from New Zealand, marking its entry into the commercial sat‑com market. The launch follows a Liechtenstein‑issued Ka‑band license that enables high‑capacity, low‑latency data links. The company will...
Colorado Springs Opposes Lawsuit to Keep Space Command HQ
Colorado’s Chamber & Economic Development Corp., along with the El Paso County Board and the Colorado Springs City Council, filed a brief opposing the state’s lawsuit aimed at keeping U.S. Space Command in Colorado. The lawsuit challenges former President Trump’s reversal...
