Starcloud Secures $170M, Becomes Fastest YC Unicorn at $1.1B Valuation
Starcloud announced a $170 million financing round that lifts its valuation to $1.1 billion, making it the fastest Y Combinator graduate to reach unicorn status. The capital, led by Benchmark and EQT Ventures, will fund next‑generation satellites and expand manufacturing as the company races to commercialize space‑based AI compute.
Scottish Rocket Firm Skyrora Shortlisted for British Business Awards
Edinburgh‑based Skyrora has been shortlisted for Technology Company of the Year at the British Business Awards, a competition run with The Times and The Sunday Times. The shortlist places the rocket firm alongside energy leader Octopus Energy and fintech outfits...
2026 AIAA Von Kármán Lecture in Astronautics on Learning and Controlling Autonomous Space Systems to Be Presented by Maruthi Akella...
The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) has selected UT Austin professor Maruthi Akella to deliver the 2026 von Kármán Lecture in Astronautics. His talk, “Opinion Dynamics, Learning, Trust, and Control of Autonomous Space Systems,” will be held on May 20 during...
2026 AIAA David W. Thompson Lecture in Space Commerce Presented by Blue Origin’s Tory Bruno During ASCEND 2026
The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) has awarded the 2026 David W. Thompson Lectureship in Space Commerce to Tory Bruno, former ULA CEO and now President of Blue Origin’s Blue National Security unit. Bruno will present his talk, “Transforming ULA: Shaping...
Delta In-Flight Connectivity Takes Off with Amazon Leo
Delta Air Lines has partnered with Amazon to equip its fleet with high‑speed, low‑latency internet via Amazon Leo, the company’s low‑Earth‑orbit satellite service. The rollout will begin in 2028 with an initial installation on 500 aircraft, expanding Delta’s existing AWS‑based...
Q&A With Lunar Base Manager Carlos Garcia-Galan
NASA has appointed Carlos Garcia‑Galan as the program executive overseeing its accelerated plan to build a lunar surface base. He outlined a shift in the Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program toward tighter NASA‑commercial collaboration and a two‑phase Lunar Terrain...
Es’hailSat, EgyptSat Expand Partnership with New Satellite Capacity Agreement
Es’hailSat and EgyptSat have signed a multi‑year satellite capacity agreement to expand VSAT services across Egypt and the broader MENA region, building on a partnership established last year. The deal taps Es’hailSat’s two high‑throughput satellites at 25.5°/26° East and its Tier‑4...
Thousands of Pico-Satellites May Transform How Phones Connect to Space
Researchers in Japan demonstrated that tens of thousands of pico‑satellites can operate as a single, distributed phased‑array antenna for direct‑to‑smartphone communication. By wirelessly synchronizing each tiny satellite to a reference signal, the system eliminates bulky cabling and costly large‑satellite platforms....
China Targets 140 Launches in 2026 Amid Commercial Space Surge
China aims to conduct about 140 orbital launches in 2026, a 52% jump from 2025’s record 92 missions. The surge is driven by expanding launch infrastructure at sites such as Jiuquan, Hainan’s commercial pads, and Haiyang, as well as rapid...
‘This Feels Fragile’: How a Satellite-Smashing Chain Reaction Could Spiral Out of Control
Earth’s orbital environment is now crowded with more than 30,000 tracked objects, a number that is rising exponentially as commercial and governmental launches accelerate. Analysts project that by the end of the decade the count of active satellites could exceed...
Starcloud Raises $170 M Series A, Hits $1.1 B Valuation to Build Solar‑powered Space Data Centers
Starcloud announced a $170 million Series A led by Benchmark and EQT Ventures, valuing the Redmond‑based orbital compute startup at $1.1 billion. The funding will finance next‑generation satellites and a planned 88,000‑satellite constellation, positioning the company at the forefront of venture capital...
Apollo Veterans Cheer Artemis II, Urge Faster Moon Return
Surviving members of NASA’s Apollo era are cheering the upcoming Artemis II crewed lunar flyby, slated for early April 2026, while pressing the agency to accelerate the schedule toward a 2028 landing. Their comments highlight nostalgia, frustration over past cancellations, and...
Indra Develops New Satellite Communications Terminal for Submarines
Indra has finished development and certification testing of the TSUB‑40Ka, a Ka‑band satellite communications terminal designed for submarines. The Ka band permits smaller antennas and markedly higher data‑rate links than traditional X‑band or Ku‑band systems. The terminal complies with MIL‑STD/STANAG...
Europe’s Space Sector Faces Power Shift as Funding Grows
A new Aerospace Corporation report warns that the European Union is set to become the dominant political and financial driver of Europe’s space sector, with proposed 2028‑2034 budgets potentially raising defense and space spending to about $150 billion. The EU could...
Eutelsat in Talks with India's Space Agency to Boost Satellite Launch Options
Eutelsat is negotiating with India’s ISRO to add launch capacity, aiming to cut dependence on SpaceX and Ariane rockets. The talks come after the OneWeb merger and a plan to launch 440 new satellites, a programme estimated at €2 bn ($2.3 bn)....
First Canadian Astronaut Will Travel to the Moon Amid Fraying U.S.-Canada Relations
Canada will see its first astronaut, Jeremy Hansen, fly aboard NASA’s Artemis II mission, the first crewed lunar flyby since 1972. The four‑person crew will launch from Kennedy Space Center and circle the Moon before returning to Earth. Hansen’s participation makes...
Starlink to Appeal Namibia Licence Rejection
Starlink will appeal Namibia's telecom regulator decision that rejected its licence and spectrum access because the company is fully foreign‑owned, violating the country's 51% local‑ownership rule. Nigeria's communications authority has mandated that telcos compensate customers with airtime credits when service...
Eight More Satellites Added to IRIDE Space Programme
Italy’s IRIDE Earth‑observation programme has added eight new Eaglet II satellites, raising the total constellation to 24 assets in orbit. The launch, performed on SpaceX’s Transporter‑16 from Vandenberg, placed the satellites alongside the first batch deployed in November 2025. Each spacecraft carries...
Countdown Begins for the Artemis-2 Mission Around the Moon
NASA initiated a two‑day countdown on April 1 for the Artemis‑2 mission, targeting a 6:24 pm Eastern launch. The flight will carry three American astronauts and a Canadian aboard the Orion capsule, propelled by the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket. Artemis‑2 marks...
Artemis 2 Countdown Underway
NASA kicked off the two‑day Artemis 2 countdown on March 30, targeting an April 1 launch from Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Complex 39B within a two‑hour window. Mission managers reported no major issues with the Space Launch System rocket, Orion crew capsule, or ground...
Legged Robot Enables Rapid Moon, Mars Resource Surveys
A semi-autonomous legged robot equipped with compact scientific instruments can rapidly survey planetary surfaces, accelerating resource prospecting and the search for biosignatures on the Moon and Mars. spaceexploration
United's Wi‑Fi Launch Beats Delta's Amazon Choice
Delta Chose Amazon Over Starlink For Wi-Fi — But United’s Rollout Will Be Done Before This Starts - View from the Wing https://t.co/Axxau08JDi
What Is Terrain Relative Navigation, and Why Is It Important?
NASA’s Terrain Relative Navigation (TRN) lets spacecraft compare live images with onboard maps to pinpoint safe landing zones. First proven on the Mars 2020 Perseverance rover, TRN reduced landing uncertainty from miles to roughly 50 meters. The system’s compact camera‑computer design has...
Elon Musk Denies Robinhood, SoFi Exclusion From SpaceX IPO
🚨 @elonmusk says reports of Robinhood and SoFi being excluded from SpaceX IPO are FALSE Don't believe everything you read on the Internet. https://t.co/tquUQsj9IO
Swiss
Small-GEO satellite builder @Swissto12 forecasts $200M in rev this year, up from $140M im 2025, & positive EBITDA; business case broadening to optical relay, D2D. @esa @Viasat @SES_Satellites.https://t.co/XU73ts10er https://t.co/KkZXw8LjZ3
SM Line Ships Get Satellite Systems From SpaceX Subsidiary Starlink Korea
South Korean liner operator SM Line has equipped all 13 vessels in its fleet with satellite communications from Starlink Korea, the local arm of SpaceX. The service leverages more than 8,000 low‑earth‑orbit satellites positioned around 550 km, delivering faster and more...
NASA’s Project Evaluation: Public Funding vs SpaceX Competition
BONUS ODD LOTS AHEAD OF ARTEMIS II LAUNCH 🚀🌕 @TheStalwart & I speak with Alex MacDonald, who was the first chief economist at NASA. We talk about how the agency evaluates its projects, & public vs private funding of space exploration...
JAXA Aborts RV‑X Maiden Flight Test Again After Fuel‑line Separation Failure
Japan's space agency JAXA called off the RV‑X reusable rocket's maiden flight on March 30, citing a malfunction in the fuel‑line separation device. The abort marks the fifth delay of the program, pushing back Japan's timeline for reusable launch technology...
Starlink Outpaces Cable Firms in Airborne Uplink Speed
@Starlink is serving more uplink to a plane at 500 mph than Kabletown can deliver to your house with a wire. Yikes. $CMCSA $CHTR https://t.co/09s4MJ9QlX
Exodus Propulsion and the Exodus Force Aka Electrostatic Pressure Force
NASA electrostatics lead Dr. Charles Buhler reports a reproducible thrust that appears without propellant, generated solely by electricity in vacuum chambers. Over 2,000 experiments produced a persistent 5‑10 mN force that continues even after power is removed, and the team has...
Orbital AI's Starcloud Raises $170M, Hits $1.1B Unicorn Valuation for Space‑Based Data Centers
Orbital AI’s Starcloud announced a $170 million financing round that lifts its valuation to $1.1 billion, making it Y Combinator’s quickest path to unicorn status. The funding fuels the launch of its next-generation satellite data center, Starcloud‑2, and underscores growing venture interest...
Türkiye Negotiating LEO Satellite Operations With SpaceX And Amazon
Turkey’s Deputy Transport and Infrastructure Minister met with SpaceX and Amazon at the SATShow expo in Washington on March 26, 2026 to discuss operating low‑Earth‑orbit (LEO) satellites over Turkish territory. The talks centered on meeting Turkey’s regulatory and security requirements...
Lijian‑2 Yields Single Cataloged Object in Low Orbit
1 object cataloged so far from the Lijian-2 launch, in a 217 x 604 km x 85.0 deg orbit
QuantX Labs Launches Optical Frequency Comb for Orbital Clock Demonstration
QuantX Labs has placed an optical frequency comb into orbit aboard Exotrail’s spacevan™ on a SpaceX launch, marking the first in‑space test of the core subsystem for its TEMPO.Space optical atomic clock. The demonstration, part of Australia’s KAIROS program, will...
Second Starlink Satellite Suffers Anomaly, Generating Debris
SpaceX confirmed that Starlink‑34343 suffered an on‑orbit anomaly on March 29, generating tens of debris fragments at a 560‑kilometer altitude. Radar firm LeoLabs detected the debris and expects most fragments to deorbit within weeks because of the low orbit. SpaceX...
NSS Position Paper: Lunar Bases Should Be the Focus of Artemis
The National Space Society released a position paper urging NASA’s Artemis program to shift focus from brief lunar landings to establishing permanent, commercially operated lunar bases. The paper recommends NASA act as an anchor tenant while private firms own and...
Heat Shield Safety Concerns Raise Stakes for NASA's Artemis II Moon Mission
NASA’s Artemis II will carry four astronauts on a 10‑day lunar flyby, but the mission’s safety hinges on Orion’s heat shield after uneven ablation was observed on Artemis I. The shield, built from 180 Avcoat blocks, lost material in chunks during the...
Rocket Lab Wins German Approval for Mynaric Deal
Rocket Lab received approval from Germany's Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy to acquire laser‑communications firm Mynaric for roughly $150 million, clearing the final regulatory hurdle. The approval, announced on March 30, enables the deal to close in April and marks...
NASA Confirms April 1 Launch Still On Track
NASA post-MMT news conference underway. Amit says everything is still go for launch on April 1. https://t.co/oitmRWMkDe
NASA Confirms Artemis II Launch Ready for Wednesday
Monday briefing: NASA remains “go” for launch of Artemis II at 6:24 pm ET on Wednesday. 🚀
WAVE Achieves First Cloud-to-Gateway Satcom Virtualization with AI Signal Analysis
Members of the IEEE‑backed WAVE Consortium—AWS, Gilat Defense, and SES Space & Defense—demonstrated the first standardized cloud‑to‑gateway satellite communications virtualization using FPGA acceleration. A 10 Mbps video stream was transmitted through a DVBS‑2X modem, digitized at an SES gateway, and processed...
Virgin Galactic Nears First SpaceShip Completion, Flights $750K
Virgin Galactic says assembly of first SpaceShip nearly complete, ground testing begins in April, limited number of Spaceflight Expeditions available at $750,000 each. https://t.co/cGpV1aLh5Z
Live in the Booth: AST SpaceMobile President Scott Wisniewski Talks Spectrum Strategy and Defense Potential
AST SpaceMobile President and Chief Strategy Officer Scott Wisniewski highlighted the recent launch of the BlueBird 6 satellite, a new agreement with European carrier Orange, and the company’s evolving spectrum strategy. He announced that AST secured its first Space Development Agency...
SpaceBridge Launches UniHub as Streamlined VSAT Platform
SpaceBridge unveiled UniHub, a compact all‑in‑one VSAT hub that consolidates SDR multichannel modulation, burst demodulation for up to 800 carriers, network communication center functions, QoS, and advanced waveforms like TDMA and dSCPC. The platform promises reduced footprint, lower SWaP, and...
Varda Flies Navigation Payload, Heat Shield Tests on Sixth Reentry Mission
Varda Space Industries launched its sixth re‑entry capsule, W‑6, aboard SpaceX’s Transporter‑16 rideshare from Vandenberg on March 30. The mission carries U.S. defense‑funded experiments, notably Rhea Space Activity’s autonomous navigation system that uses onboard cameras and the AutoNav algorithm to determine...
Diagram Mislabels PrSM: Shows Liquid Engine, Not Solid
This exploded diagram appears to shows a liquid propellant rocket engine (two tanks, plus an engine); PrSM is a solid rocket motor. What gives? https://t.co/GvxUeeiaqs
Heading to Florida for NASA's Artemis 2 Moon Launch? Here's What to Know Before You Go
NASA plans to launch the crewed Artemis 2 mission from Kennedy Space Center between April 1 and April 6, 2026. Cell‑phone data shows the previous Artemis 1 launch attracted 150,000‑200,000 visitors, and tourism officials expect a comparable crowd. Overnight guests typically spend about $350...
Krikalev Vows Orel Descent Module Replica for Drop Tests
Since the beginning of the year, Roskosmos officials had made a couple of "proof of life" statements regarding the decade-late PTK Orel spacecraft. The latest being Sergei Krikalev's promise to complete a high-fidelity copy of the Descent Module, VA, for...
![The Downlink [Mar 29, 25] Space Money: Buckle-Up For “Incredibly Dramatic” Changes In The Market](https://hixhlmpcokxhartfkpyi.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/images/thumbnails/7e1d2479fd6fc0f08da013f77c8db2e7.webp)
The Downlink [Mar 29, 25] Space Money: Buckle-Up For “Incredibly Dramatic” Changes In The Market
At SatShow 2026, industry leaders highlighted a wave of "incredibly dramatic" shifts reshaping space finance and investment. In a Downlink interview, Frank Backes—President of Space‑ISAC, former Capella Space CEO, and newly appointed President of IonQ Quantum Infrastructure—outlined the forces driving...
Dominican Republic Finds Itself In The Middle Of The US-China Space Race
Launch on Demand, a Florida‑based firm, is preparing a $600 million rocket launch complex in Pedernales, Dominican Republic. The site’s equatorial location promises more efficient heavy‑lift launches for U.S. satellites, while also serving as a geopolitical counterweight to China’s expanding space...