Business
Stories on space business, including company updates, funding announcements, and contract awards.
Deloitte Releases SpaceTech Report
Deloitte released its SpaceTech report this morning, which reviews the most active and quickly-growing segments within the space industry. The report is intended for readers who are leaders in their own industries but remain in the dark about the progress that’s been made in space over the last decade. “In previous decades, a thoughtfully developed…
Firefly Aerospace Buys Spaceflight Inc.
Launch startup Firefly Aerospace announced yesterday that it has acquired Spaceflight Inc., a space services and transportation company, to build its on-orbit service offerings. Firefly did not disclose the terms of the deal. Firefly: The Texas-based rocket startup, which focuses on the small to medium-lift market, achieved orbit for the first time in October with…
Hydrosat acquires IrriWatch
Climate tech company Hydrosat announced this morning that it has completed the acquisition of IrriWatch, a Netherlands-based irrigation management software company. The deal has been in the works for over a year. The acquirer: Hydrosat uses satellite thermal infrared imagery and data analytics to measure water scarcity and the effects of climate change. The company…
Boeing Stands Down from Crewed Starliner Launch
Starliner isn’t yet ready for a crew. Just a few weeks before the Boeing-built capsule was scheduled to deliver its first passengers to the ISS, NASA and Boeing leaders announced that two major issues with the craft will delay the first crewed mission even longer. The announcement follows a review by NASA’s Aerospace Safety Advisory…
South Korea’s Nuri Rocket Lifts Off with Commercial Payload
South Korea’s Nuri rocket, also called KSLV-II, successfully completed its third launch today, marking the first time a Korean launch vehicle carried commercial payloads to space. Three’s company: Lifting off from Korea’s Naro Space Center, the Nuri launcher deployed eight satellites into orbit, including three from domestic companies: Lumir, Justek, and Kairo Space. Those satellites…
Exclusive: Albedo Forms a Strategic Advisory Board
Albedo, a startup developing a VLEO constellation to collect high-resolution optical imagery from space, has formed a strategic advisory board of former senior intelligence and defense officials to aid the company in its bid to boost government business. The formation of this board “allows us to…strategize well and efficiently around engaging on the national security…
Astra Reports Q1 2023 Results
Astra ($ASTR) reported earnings for Q1, revealing significant cutbacks in spending as the company pushes ahead on Rocket 4 development. By the numbers $ASTR stock was trading at $0.39 at EOD Monday. Closing contracts: Astra is continuing its Launch System 2 development and progressing toward a Rocket 4 launch as it chases down deals. The…
Vast Aims to Launch World’s First Commercial Space Station by 2025
Vast, a space habitation technology company, is planning to launch the world’s first commercial space station, Haven-1, into LEO by August 2025, the company announced Wednesday. Haven-1 will initially function as an independent crewed space station before connecting with a larger Vast space station currently in development. The station, which can accommodate up to four…
Heliospace and Fictiv Announce Manufacturing Partnership
Manufacturing intricate, specially-designed components for aerospace is a tricky process, requiring high accuracy and precision to build reliable, hardy products. Generally, that leads to long lead times—i.e. a whole lot of waiting around for a delivery from a supplier. Heliospace, a company that provides NASA with flight hardware and systems engineering, announced yesterday a partnership…
Relativity Developing New 3D Printing Tech for Terran-R
Relativity is adding two new 3D printing technologies to its repertoire to build the larger, heavy-lift Terran-R, CEO Tim Ellis told Payload. “Aeon R is a pretty giant engine. Not just thrust, but I think the size of it,” Ellis said. “So the two new printing technologies are necessary to start doing some hybrid additive…
Dawn’s Rocket-Powered Spaceplane Takes Flight
New Zealand startup Dawn Aerospace announced Wednesday that it successfully completed three flights of its rocket-powered Mk-II Aurora suborbital spaceplane last week. During the test flights, the vehicle reached an altitude of over 6,000 feet. “When we set out to change how we access space, we didn’t want an iterative step on expendable rockets –…
Launch Date Nears for SpaceX’s Starship
The countdown has begun for the maiden orbital flight of SpaceX’s Starship. SpaceX has notified the FAA that they are targeting April 10 for Starship’s orbital flight, with April 11 and April 12 as backup dates. On Tuesday, Elon Musk further stoked excitement and seemingly confirmed the date by “liking” three tweets regarding an April…
Dawn Aerospace’s Spaceplane Aims for April Test Flight
Dawn Aerospace’s rocket-powered Mk-II Aurora suborbital vehicle is expected to make its maiden flight in April after getting regulatory approval from New Zealand to fly last week. Mk-II Aurora spaceplane: Dawn Aerospace has already completed 48 test flights using traditional jet engines. The upcoming launch marks the first time a remotely piloted, rocket-powered vehicle has…
