TechCrunch - Space
Startup and investment-focused coverage of commercial space technology
This Founder Helped Build SpaceX’s Most Powerful Rocket Engine. Now He’s Building a ‘Fighter Jet for Orbit.’
Portal Space Systems, founded by former SpaceX Raptor engineer Jeff Thornburg, announced a $50 million Series A round that values the startup at $250 million. The company is developing solar‑thermal propulsion, which concentrates sunlight to heat propellant and deliver high‑speed thrust for satellites and future spacecraft. Portal has already secured $45 million in U.S. military funding and plans to launch its first orbital prototype, the SuperNova “fighter jet for orbit,” by 2027. Success could reshape in‑space mobility and enable rapid orbital maneuvering for both commercial and defense customers.
K2 to Launch Its First High-Powered Satellite for Space Compute
Space startup K2 Space is set to launch Gravitas, a two‑ton, 40‑meter satellite capable of generating 20 kW of electrical power, on a Falcon 9 before month‑end. Backed by $450 million in funding and a $3 billion valuation, the mission will carry 12 customer...
NASA Astronauts Can Now Bring Their Phones with Them on Their Mission to the Moon
NASA announced that astronauts on upcoming Crew‑12 and Artemis II missions will be permitted to bring personal smartphones into space for the first time. The policy shift follows an accelerated qualification process that cleared modern iPhone and Android devices for flight...
Elon Musk’s SpaceX Company Town Is Getting a Police Department
Starbase, the SpaceX‑built company town in South Texas, approved an ordinance to create its own municipal police department. The city commission plans to hire eight officers, pending approval from the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement. The department will be led...
Blue Origin Pauses Space Tourism Flights to Focus on the Moon
Blue Origin announced it will suspend its New Shepard space tourism flights for a minimum of two years to redirect resources toward lunar missions. The pause comes just weeks before the scheduled third launch of its New Glenn heavy‑lift rocket,...
Elon Musk’s SpaceX and xAI in Talks to Merge, Report Says
SpaceX and Elon Musk’s AI startup xAI are reportedly in merger talks ahead of a planned SpaceX IPO later this year, according to Reuters. Two Nevada entities, K2 Merger Sub Inc. and K2 Merger Sub 2 LLC, were filed in January, signaling...
The SpaceX IPO Could Finally Happen (and It’s a Big Deal)
SpaceX is reportedly preparing a 2026 initial public offering, having engaged four major Wall Street banks to manage the process. The company recently completed a tender offer that placed its valuation at $800 billion, with market speculation that the IPO could...
Elon Musk Reportedly Wants a June SpaceX IPO to Align with His Birthday, the Planets
Elon Musk is reportedly planning SpaceX’s initial public offering for June, aiming to sync the date with his June 28 birthday and a rare Mercury‑Venus‑Jupiter alignment. The Financial Times says the IPO could raise at least $50 billion, valuing the company at...
Northwood Space Secures a $100M Series B and a $50M Space Force Contract
Northwood Space announced a $100 million Series B funding round led by Washington Harbour Partners and Andreessen Horowitz, following a $30 million Series A less than a year earlier. The startup also secured a $49.8 million contract with the U.S. Space Force to modernize the...
This Startup Will Send 1,000 People’s Ashes to Space — Affordably — in 2027
Space Beyond, founded by former Blue Origin engineer Ryan Mitchell, announced its "Ashes to Space" program that will launch up to 1,000 people’s cremated remains on a CubeSat via a SpaceX Falcon 9 rideshare in October 2027. The service costs just $249...
Blue Origin’s Satellite Internet Network TeraWave Will Move Data at 6Tbps
Blue Origin unveiled TeraWave, a satellite internet network that promises up to 6 Tbps data rates using a hybrid constellation of 5,280 low‑Earth‑orbit (LEO) and 128 medium‑Earth‑orbit (MEO) satellites. The LEO nodes will deliver up to 144 Gbps via RF, while the...
SpaceX Didn’t Properly Inspect Crane Before Collapse at Starbase, OSHA Says
OSHA says SpaceX failed to properly inspect a recently repaired hydraulic crane before it collapsed at the Starbase facility in June 2025. The agency issued seven serious violations and levied the maximum fines on six of them, totaling $115,850. The...
Who Gets to Inherit the Stars? A Space Ethicist on What We’re Not Talking About
At TechCrunch Disrupt, Varda Space Industries founder Will Bruey claimed that within 15‑20 years it will be cheaper to send a blue‑collar human to orbit than to develop more advanced robots. Mary‑Jane Rubenstein, a space ethicist, warns that this cost‑driven...
Indian SpaceX Rival EtherealX Hits 5x Valuation as It Readies Engine Tests
EtherealX, an Indian launch‑vehicle startup, closed a $20.5 million Series A, lifting its valuation 5.5‑fold to $80.5 million. The company is preparing hot‑fire tests of its in‑house “Pegasus” upper‑stage and “Stallion” booster engines, targeting a technology‑demonstration flight in late 2027. Its fully reusable...
The 7 Top Space and Defense Tech Startups From Disrupt Startup Battlefield
TechCrunch’s Startup Battlefield has shortlisted 200 space and defense innovators, highlighting seven standout companies ranging from electric vertical take‑off aircraft to AI‑driven edge solutions. Airbility showcases a fixed‑wing eVTOL with distributed fan‑jet propulsion, while Astrum Drive Aerospace offers a propellant‑less...
