Business
Stories on space business, including company updates, funding announcements, and contract awards.
AST SpaceMobile Secures AT&T Direct-to-Cell Agreement
AST SpaceMobile ($ASTS) clinched a deal with AT&T to provide satellite-to-cell connectivity through 2030, the two companies announced Wednesday. Public markets cheered the definitive commercial agreement signed with the country’s largest cellular provider, propelling AST’s stock up nearly 70% yesterday and pushing its market cap to $1B+. Customers will be able to opt in to…
Tracking EchoStar’s Subscriber Declines: Payload Research
EchoStar reported another quarter of declining revenue last week as its Hughes Network satellite broadband, TV (Dish + Sling), and retail wireless (Boost Mobile) subscriber base continues to shrink.
Starliner by the Numbers: Payload Research
With Starliner slated to transport crew to the ISS for the first time next week, we’re digging into all the money spent to get here—from NASA’s contributions and seat pricing to the total development expenditures.
Xona Raises $19M Series A
Xona Space Systems is working to build an alternative to GPS in LEO, and it’s just secured an additional $19M to make that goal a reality.
Muon Space and Earth Fire Alliance Introduce a New Wildfire Detection Satellite Constellation
Muon Space unveiled plans today for its LEO FireSat Constellation, a wildfire management network the company is building with Earth Fire Alliance.
SDA Is Strengthening Space Industrial Base, Execs Say
A five-year-old agency within the Pentagon founded with a mandate to move quickly is stimulating investments that make the entire small sat industrial base more resilient and scalable, according to half a dozen top industry execs.
Millennium Nabs $414M SDA FOO Fighter Contract
Millennium Space Systems secured a $414M contract on Tuesday to build eight fire control-enabled satellites for the SDA that can detect and track advanced missile systems.
Maxar Closes in on the Launch of its WorldView Legion Satellites
Maxar is preparing to launch its first two WorldView Legion EO satellites in the coming days aboard Falcon 9, following years of delays for the new constellation.
Astroscale Sees its Debris
Astroscale has hunted down its targeted space debris and is now within paparazzi distance.
Astranis Reveals Higher Capacity GEO Broadband Satellite
Astranis, a satcom startup, unveiled its Omega micro GEO broadband satellite platform yesterday, designed to offer five times the power of its first-generation models.
Lockheed’s Mid-Size Bus Set to Fly This Year
Lockheed Martin is preparing to launch its medium-sized LM 400 bus before the end of the year in preparation for a few classified opportunities coming down the pipeline, Lockheed Space President Robert Lightfoot told a small group of reporters at Space Symposium.