Business
Stories on space business, including company updates, funding announcements, and contract awards.
Loft Orbital Harnesses Desert Power with UAE Sat Venture
The new company will make the nation’s biggest foray into commercial space yet, with plans to ramp production to 50 500-kg satellites per year. Orbitworks plans to secure a facility and have its first satellite in the facility ready to integrate payloads as early as 2025.
The Playbook Behind Lockheed’s Acquisition of Terran Orbital: Payload Research
The seasoned prime outwits the SPAC investors.
Lockheed Finally Buys Terran Orbital
A transaction became inevitable on Monday when Terran reported substantial doubt about its ability to remain afloat.
Apex Unveils GEO Aries Satellite Bus
The base model of the GEO Aries bus—a 200-kg ESPA-class vehicle—will cost $13.5M, substantially less than other products on the market, CEO Ian Cinnamon told Payload. While the new bus seeks to maintain Apex’s commitment to quick delivery, transparent low pricing, and dependability, some things are different in the GEO bus—namely, new radio tech and more hardening against the stronger radiation in GEO.
Intuitive Machines Looks to Grow Nat Sec Business
The company recorded high Q2 2024 revenue, and looks forward to breaking into the national security space sector.
EnduroSat to Expand US Footprint With Denver Office
EnduroSat has five offices across Europe, but 60% of the company’s revenue already comes from the US. The new office in downtown Denver will help them grow their customer base in the country.
Rocket Lab Smashes Revenue Record, Paving the Path to Break Even
The company posted it’s highest ever quarterly revenue, and announced the successful hot fire test of its Archimedes engine, which opens the door for Rocket Lab’s first medium-life launch vehicle, Neutron.
Benchmark Adds New Thruster, Security Partnerships
Benchmark Space Systems added Starlight’s Hall-effect thrusters (HET) and 21SoftWare’s security platform to its partner network.
Rocket Development Costs by Vehicle: Payload Research
In 2008, Falcon 1 became the first privately funded, fully liquid-fueled launch vehicle to reach orbit. Its development cost? Just $90M ($131M inflation adj.).
Tracking Next-Gen LEO Satcom Constellations: Payload Research
Out are the days of onesie twosies large GEO satcom birds, and in are the mega-constellations in LEO, consisting of an army of hundreds or thousands of smaller satellites that provide ultra-fast connectivity.
Ursa Adds Additive With $14.5M R&D Investment
Ursa Major will buy several industrial 3D printers and hire 15 new employees for an R&D center in Youngstown, OH focused on additive manufacturing.
The $570B Space Economy
For the third year in a row, government space budgets saw double digit percentage increases, driven by the significant militarization of space.
Bill Weber Steps Down as Firefly Aerospace CEO
Firefly has tapped board member Peter Schumacher as interim CEO while leadership kicks off a search process.
