Space Force Partners on Rocketry Challenge
“It represents exactly the kind of talent and passion we want to foster,” Maj. Bryan Davis, the Space Force’s chief of marketing, told Payload in an email.
Jacqueline Feldscher
Apex Unveils Larger Satellite Bus, Dubbed Comet
“From cell phone towers in space for consumer technology [to] unique sensing missions, or as an interceptor platform for Golden Dome, Comet is the clear choice to accelerate the most ambitious space missions,” Apex CEO Ian Cinnamon said in a statement.
UN Releases Space Debris Primer
Decades ago, the UN was already thinking about the risks and liability concerns raised by debris falling out of orbit. Now, as falling space debris becomes a more common occurrence, the UN’s Office for Outer Space Affairs is reminding nations that it has a process for dealing with it.
EnduroSat Raises €43M to Scale Production, Boost US Presence
Bulgarian space startup EnduroSat has raised €43M ($48.8M) to ramp up production of a new, bigger ESPA-class sat.
Astrolight Raises €2.8M For Laser Comms Tech
Balnord led the round, which was announced on Thursday. It also included participation from the Export and Investment Fund of Denmark, Coinvest Capital, 3NGLS, and Rita Sakus.
China Says Golden Dome Could Spark Space Arms Race
“The project will heighten the risk of turning the space into a war zone and creating a space arms race, and shake the international security and arms control system.”
Trump Selects Plan, Leader for Golden Dome
President Donald Trump has selected the architecture for a space based missile defense shield that is scheduled to be fully operational by the end of his term.
Kelly Rallies Senators for NASA Science Fight
Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ) is leading a letter asking appropriators to provide $9B for NASA’s science mission directorate.
Otter Pup 2 Expected to Launch on Docking Mission in June
Starfish will launch its second Otter Pup demo mission next month—a key step to prove out the startup’s RPO tech in orbit ahead of a trio of missions in 2026.
Congress Examines NASA’s Planetary Protection Duty
NASA and academic officials will head to Capitol Hill this week to testify before Congress on what many Americans consider to be the agency’s top priority: making sure a giant asteroid whizzing through space doesn’t wipe out life on Earth.
DIU Awards 14 Companies Hybrid Space Architecture Contracts
The Hybrid Space Architecture (HSA), which was established in 2022, aims to bridge military and commercial space assets and to speed up how quickly troops can access data—while also maintaining critical cybersecurity requirements.
mPower Technology Raises $21M Series B
Space solar power startup mPower Technology closed a $21M Series B to help scale production of its solar modules.