Business
Stories on space business, including company updates, funding announcements, and contract awards.
Q&A with ispace US CEO Ronald Garan
The countdown has started on ispace’s NASA-backed date with the Moon in June 2025, and the US team has locked itself in a room this week to game out the details. The company began a four-day exercise on Monday akin to a military-style wargame that will help the company zero in on when the spacecraft…
Voyager Teams up with India’s NSIL to Collaborate on Space Tech
Voyager Space, a space tech rollup, announced Friday it had signed an MoU with NewSpace India Limited (NSIL), ISRO’s commercial launch division, to explore small sat deployment opportunities and component tech sharing. “This partnership is a unique opportunity as we join forces to drive innovation and advancement in the small satellite launch industry,” said Voyager…
Rivada Wins Waiver on First Constellation Deployment Deadline
Rivada Space Networks has been racing against the clock to deploy a secure, laser-linked LEO comms constellation before a deadline imposed by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU). The company was on track to miss the first goalpost, which required 10% of its 576-satellite constellation in orbit and working by September. The ITU has issued a…
Edgybees’ American Hive is Buzzing, Officials Say
Ken Campbell, the newly-tapped head of Edgybee’s US arm, told Payload that it was an “easy decision” to come out of retirement to work with Edgybees because he believes the company’s tech will be so helpful to troops. Campbell, who served for 25 years as a Navy explosive ordnance disposal officer, has only been in…
Advanced Navigation Nabs $3.4M for Lunar Landing Tech
Advanced Navigation, a lunar navigation startup, won an AUD 5.2M ($3.4M) Australian Space Agency grant to accelerate development of its lunar lander LiDAV sensor tech, the company announced yesterday. The funding supports NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services. “By helping Australian organizations like Advanced Navigation to develop their space heritage, they can break into new markets…
Ramon.Space Raises $26M
Space computing company Ramon.Space closed a $26M strategic financing round, just on the heels of finalizing a key manufacturing partnership with Foxconn subsidiary, Ingrasys, the company announced this morning. Ingrasys and the UAE Strategic Development Fund provided the bulk of the financing, with some participation from existing investors. Ramon.Space has raised more than $45M so…
Exclusive: Continuum Announces $3M Seed Round
Continuum Space Systems announced today that it has closed a $3M seed round, bringing the company’s total fundraising to more than $6M. Continuum’s mission: The startup, which was established in 2021, offers customers a cloud-based platform to take care of many of the logistics required to quickly get customers to space. Customers can come to…
NorthStar to Launch With Rocket Lab
NorthStar, an in-situ space situational awareness (SSA) startup, has partnered with Rocket Lab to launch its first four satellites this Fall. Rocket Lab is tapping in after NorthStar’s planned Virgin Orbit launch bit the dust. “It’s quite accommodating by Rocket Lab, so we’re really happy to have them as a partner. We’re engaging with them…
True Anomaly Unveils Two Training Products
Space security startup True Anomaly debuted its on-orbit and digital range services today, offering customers new options for testing and training. These applications are designed to provide DoD with a controlled training environment for detecting threats, practicing new tactics in orbit, and test space security missions. “Each military service needs a dedicated test and training…
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…
