Business
Stories on space business, including company updates, funding announcements, and contract awards.
UK Reports Record ESA Contract Wins in 2024
The UK now has more registered entities within ESA’s procurement platform than any other country, and the country’s space industry won £80M ($103.8M) in ESA contracts in Q4 2024 alone.
Momentus and Solstar Team Up on Orbital WiFi Demo
The local WiFi connection offered by Deke aims to keep payloads aboard the Momentus spacecraft in contact with operators on the ground 24/7.
Charter Launches Space Insurance Product at SXSW
The CA-based space program management startup partnered with five of the largest space insurers around the world to collaborate on a system to increase access to insurance across the space industry.
Eutelsat Soars 550% in Three Days on EU Defense Plans
Eutelsat stock has surged over 500% this week, adding more than $3B in market cap, driven by expectations of increased usage and a priority on EU defense.
Astranis Notches Key Demo for USSF’s GPS Backup
“We have shown that our satellites will be fully compatible with legacy GPS receivers,” Astranis CEO John Gedmark told Payload.
Varda Conducts First Reentry Mission into Australia
Varda’s second reentry capsule W-2 landed safely in the dust of Southern Launch’s Koonibba Test Range in Australia yesterday.
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.
BlackSky’s Gen-3 Sat Enters Orbit, Company Lands String of Contracts
BlackSky launched its first Gen-3 Earth observation satellites aboard Rocket Lab’s Electron rocket yesterday, adding higher-resolution imaging to its data offerings.
True Anomaly Expands to Long Beach
The facility—a new product development center—will work on payload development and new spacecraft designs, streamlining hardware and software development and production as the firm looks to expand its classified operations.
“Space to Grow” Provides a Curriculum on Space
Space, once the sole domain of militaries and civil space programs, is increasingly ruled by market forces.
Space CEOs Pitch Tech For Trump’s Push to Mars
Space CEOs outlined how their tech would help the US explore Mars amid the Trump administration’s focus on the Red Planet during remarks at the Commercial Space Conference on Wednesday in DC.
MDA Space Wins Mega Contract To Build Globalstar’s Network
Under the contract, the Canadian space company will build 50+ AURORA sats for the American satellite connectivity company, though the announcement did not lay out a time frame for delivery or launch.
Observable Space Forms From Telescope Hardware, Software Merger
Observable Space wants to become the Tesla of telescopes.
