SpaceX Ties Were All Business, Isaacman Says
“In that respect, my relationship is no different than that of NASA,” he said.
Jacqueline Feldscher
A Preview of Isaacman’s Confirmation Hearing
The fireworks start at 10am ET, when the two-time SpaceX astronaut and billionaire nominee to lead the space agency appears before the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee. That will be his second appearance this year, after his first nomination for the job was pulled in May.
Sprint to the Finish: What’s on Deck for December
Next week is the official start of “let’s circle back on that in the new year” season—but not for Congress, where lawmakers have a handful of time-sensitive priorities on their holiday to-do list.
Starliner to Fly Uncrewed Cargo Mission in April, Not Astronauts
After making headlines for a troubled crew flight test that ended last year, as well as two uncrewed flight tests in 2019 and 2022 that did not meet expectations, the Boeing capsule is trying to shed its negative reputation.
Blue Announces New Glenn Engine Upgrades, Super Heavy Variant
The changes—announced just a week after Blue made history as the second rocket company to land an orbital booster—are aimed at boosting performance, increasing launch cadence, and making the platform more reliable, according to a press release.
Ursa Major Closes $100M Series E
Eclipse led the round, which also included participation from Woodline Partners, Principia Growth, XN, Alsop Louie Partners, and others.
A Debate on the Wolf Amendment
Necessary national security safeguard, or out-of-touch barrier to communication with a leading space power? That was the question at the heart of a debate last week on whether the Wolf Amendment is still in America’s best interest, almost 15 years after it became law.
Project Kuiper Becomes Amazon Leo
The program was known by the Project Kuiper “code name” (a nod to Kuiper Belt objects, like asteroids and comets), but is now a program with 150+ sats in orbit. Many more sats are planned to bring internet to the masses, with the initial constellation expected to number 3,200 spacecraft.
Exclusive: Meet Diamondback, Gravitics’ New Orbital Carrier
Gravitics unveiled Diamondback, a smaller orbital carrier designed to fulfill missions from protecting US national security satellites to deploying space-based missile interceptors.
LambdaVision Closes $7M Seed Round to Make Retinas in LEO
LambdaVision said the funding will allow it to continue operations through 2027, including scaling up manufacturing in LEO for artificial retinas. Seven Seven Six and Aurelia Foundry Fund led the round, which also included participation by Seraphim Space.
Trump Re-Nominates Jared Isaacman to Lead NASA
“The journey is never easy, but it is time to inspire the world once again to achieve the near-impossible—to undertake and accomplish big, bold endeavors in space…and when we do, we will make life better here at home and challenge the next generation to go even further,” Isaacman wrote on X on Tuesday evening following the nomination announcement.
The Artemis Accords By the Numbers
The accords celebrated their fifth anniversary last month. As such, here’s a roundup of where they stand.