International Partners Wrestle With Skinny Budget Fallout
The effects of the White House’s top level budget proposal are starting to ripple around the world.
Jacqueline Feldscher
NASA’s FY26 Plan Would Cut Gateway, Phase Out SLS, Orion
The Trump administration’s proposed budget for NASA focuses on beating China back to the Moon and sending the first humans to Mars at the expense of every other part of the space agency’s budget.
Start Your Engines: The Lunar Rover Race Has Begun
Payload spoke with several companies building next-gen lunar rovers—including Astrolab, ispace, Intuitive Machines, and Lunar Outpost—about the biggest challenges and opportunities in this sector.
House Panel Advances Three Space Bills
The House Science, Space, and Technology Committee approved three bills on Tuesday morning designed to increase astronaut safety, tap the private sector for scientific data, and maintain US leadership for the next generation of deep space exploration.
Apex Raises $200M Series C
“Demand has increased more than production capacity has,” CEO Ian Cinnamon told Payload. “This allows us to vertically integrate faster, and buy more parts ahead of time and stock inventory.”
Axiom Space Goes In-House For New CEO Bhatia
Axiom chief revenue officer Tejpaul Bhatia will be the space station company’s new CEO, the company announced Friday afternoon.
Katalyst Acquires OTV Startup Atomos
Katalyst acquired Atomos in a bid to grow its in-space servicing business, the companies announced today.
Northwood Raises $30M Series A
Alpine Space Ventures and a16z led the round, which also included participation from Also Capital, Founders Fund, and Stepstone.
EOs, Commercial Cooperation, and Culture: A Recap of Polaris After Dark
The Trump administration has ordered the Pentagon to speed up its defense acquisition process. That will require trained staff to quickly get new commercial tech under contract, according to Col. Richard Kniseley, the senior materiel leader of Space Systems Command’s Commercial Space Office.
A Post-Mission Debrief with AstroForge’s CEO
“Will we actually land on an asteroid and get these beautiful samples? Probably f—— not,” Gialich told Payload. “But do we hope to change the name of the game for access to deep space, and show people that the price point we’re doing this at is doable? I hope.”
NATO Considers Reopening Space Policy Ahead of Schedule
“It’s not supposed to be even touched until 2027. Now they’re saying that’s probably too long. So let’s talk about—is now the time, based on what’s happening in the world,” Col. Jonathan Whitaker told Payload on the sidelines of Space Symposium.
Four TacRS Startups Join TRL Bootcamp
They focus on tech ranging from high-res imaging, mission planning, non-Earth imaging, and carrying and dispensing small sats in orbit (not unlike how an aircraft carrier operates at sea).