Tim Fernholz
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.
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.
We Have Some Space Questions About The Golden Dome
President Donald Trump’s executive order calling for a new, satellite-based missile defense architecture around the continental US has defense contractors salivating, but questions about the cost, capabilities, and requirement for such a system remain unanswered.
Boeing Hits Key Milestone On Path To Quantum First in Orbit
HRL Labs has built a space-hardened quantum payload and demonstrated it on the ground—a key milestone in Boeing’s push to demonstrate the first quantum entanglement swap in space. The device, which is going through final environmental testing, will serve as a “ground twin” for the final payload, which is expected to reach orbit on the…
Trump Team Plans To Push TraCSS Out of Government
The White House wants the long-awaited Traffic Coordination System for Space (TraCSS) to be handed over to a non-profit or private company, backtracking on a mandate in the first Trump administration to move it into the Office of Space Commerce.
Leaked NASA Budget Spotlights Isaacman’s Challenge
President Donald Trump reportedly wants to cut NASA’s budget by $5B, or 20%. The Planetary Society said the cuts would “plunge NASA into a dark age.”
Space Companies Kept Ukraine In The Fight (For Now)
When Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, the smaller, less resourced Ukrainian military was able to fight back in part thanks to innovative commercial tech, according to top execs.
Talking IM-2 With Tim Crain
Payload talked to IM CTO Tim Crain about the Athena lander, the onboard technology, and, yes, those pesky laser range-finders.
The Hottest Trend in Space Is A Defense Pivot
“If I had a nickel for every space company that pivoted to national security, well, I wouldn’t need to raise another round,” one spacetech founder mulling that exact strategy told Payload this week.
