IonQ Buys Capella Space For Quantum Comms Gambit
The all-stock deal valued Capella at $311M, according to SEC filings and yesterday’s $IONQ closing price.
Tim Fernholz
Ursa Major Had A Hot Week
The propulsion firm is carving out a niche in the fields of highest interest to the Pentagon.
Europe’s Space Defense Industry Sees Opportunity in Discord
European governments have unshackled budget rules and funded a five-year rearmament plan.
Trump’s “Skinny” Space Budget Winners and Losers
Our guide to the people, companies and concepts that stand to gain, and those that are in trouble.
Lockheed Martin Hands Over Orion for Artemis II
It is scheduled to carry four astronauts around the Moon in early 2026.
Isaacman Pays The Moon Price, Heads For Senate Floor
Sen. Ted Cruz made clear he was voting “yes” because of Isaacman’s commitment to prioritize the Moon.
Kuiper Launches First Production Internet Satellites
Amazon’s long-awaited Starlink competitor finally has a toehold in orbit.
Radian Plans Re-entry Vehicle For Hypersonic Tests
Radian Aerospace said it will build a hypersonic reentry vehicle to generate cash, and support the development of its sled-launched single-stage-to-orbit rocketplane.
Tumbling Russian Sat Highlights Counterspace Threat
A prototype anti-sat weapon Russia launched into orbit in 2022 is tumbling out of control, according to commercial SSA companies who spotted it. That’s a sign the spacecraft is no longer functional.
Uncategorized
SpaceX’s Spectrum Surveillance Ups Ante in FCC Fight
SpaceX called out rival Echostar for allegedly failing to meet deployment requirements for radio spectrum in the 2 GHz band, using novel evidence: A spectrum analysis performed by a Starlink satellite.
Iridium Is Fighting Starlink and Trump’s Tariffs
Despite beating market expectations with first quarter revenue growth of 5% year-on-year, Iridium’s stock fell nearly 7% in the face of competition and trade wars.
NRO Launches First Payload Under New NatSec Contract
The NROL-145 launch is the first under the Space Force’s Phase 3 Lane 1 rubric—a launch contracting mechanism that will spend $5.6B on relatively simple launches with fewer requirements, which might suit new entrants to the national security launch game.