Urban Sky Nabs $30M for Stratospheric Balloons
Urban Sky raised a $30M Series B led by Altos Ventures to advance its balloon technology, the company announced this morning.
Jack Kuhr
AVS Secures ESA Study for Dark Matter Probe Platform
Added Value Solutions (AVS) won an ESA contract to advance the design and development of its satellite platform for the ARRAKIHS dark matter astrophysics mission.
Estimating SpaceX’s 2024 Revenue
Payload is back with our SpaceX revenue breakdown. In 2024, we estimate SpaceX’s revenue reached $13.1B in 2024, up from $8.7B in 2023. Business line estimates:
AscendArc Raises $4M for its Small GEO Sats
AscendArc emerged from stealth this morning with $4M in funding to develop small GEO communication satellites.
AST SpaceMobile Announces $400M Convertible Notes Raise
AST SpaceMobile is raising $400M through convertible notes to continue building out its BlueBird constellation, the company announced on Wednesday.
US Launches 122 Defense Payloads in 2024, Europe Launches 1
The US launched 122 defense payloads in 2024, surging 184% YoY, according to data compiled by astronomer Jonathan McDowell. The upswing was driven by the National Reconnaissance Office’s deployment of 106 SpaceX and Northrop-built Starshield remote sensing recon satellites.
Stoke Secures $260M Series C For Its 100% Reusable Rocket
Stoke Space raised $260M to continue developing its fully reusable Nova rocket and to complete the build out of its launch pad, the company announced yesterday.
SpaceX Set to Debut Upgraded Starship Vehicle
Wednesday’s planned Starship launch may be the seventh test flight of the mega-rocket, but it also represents a couple of important firsts—the first flight of the new and improved second stage and the first time the rocket will attempt to deploy payloads.
Underutilized Capacity on Dedicated Customer Falcon 9 Rides: Payload Research
Based on publicly available data from 20 launches with published payload mass numbers over the past three years, dedicated customer LEO launches have averaged just 3,370 kg of payload, just 19% of total capacity.
2024 Orbital Launch Attempts by Country
In 2024, US (*ahem, SpaceX*) launch numbers grew, while China, Russia, and Europe plateaued.
Axiom Space Adjusts Space Station Plans
Axiom Space is reshuffling its space station module deployment plan at NASA’s request, installing a power module on the ISS in early 2027 before its habitat module.
Space Markets: The Year in Review
Space markets surged this year, fueled by robust VC investments in private markets and back-in-vogue space SPACs in the public markets. The good year for space investments is part of a broader bull market, where the prospects of a soft landing have sent speculative stocks soaring.