Equities
Stories about space companies’ finances, including earnings reports and M&A news.
ViaSat-3 Experiences Major Issue During Reflector Deployment
The recently-launched ViaSat-3 Americas satellite has hit a major snag. Viasat ($VSAT) announced yesterday that an “unexpected event” occurred during the deployment of the satellite’s massive reflector that may degrade the performance of the communications satellite, which was supposed to grow the company’s broadband business in the Americas. “We’re disappointed by the recent developments,” said…
AST SpaceMobile Raises $59.4M, Stock Craters
AST SpaceMobile ($ASTS) stock plunged nearly 30% this week after the cash-strapped company announced Tuesday it had raised $59.4M in a steep discount public offering. The satellite manufacturer sold 12.5M shares at ~$4.75 a pop, well below the ~$6.50 price tag the shares were trading at before the offering. Space → Mobile: The Odessa, TX-based…
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…
Danti Emerges From Stealth With $2.75M Pre-Seed Round
Danti is emerging from stealth today with the announcement of a $2.75M pre-seed funding round, according to a release shared with Payload. What is Danti? The startup, which was founded this year, seeks to make the huge amount of EO information collected in space and from other sources easier to use. The company is building…
VC Firm Fortuna Expands into Space Investing
Fortuna Investments is opening a Miami office with the goal of investing in 12 early-stage space startups over the next few years. “I think it’s an incredible time to get involved and allocate capital,” Fortuna founder and CEO Justus Parmar told Payload. “We have a lot of powder dry and are looking for opportunities.” Fortuna…
Terran Orbital Reports Q1 Results
Terran Orbital’s ($LLAP) losses piled up despite progress on its monster $2.4B Rivada contract, the satellite bus manufacturer revealed Monday in its Q1 financial results. By the numbers: Rivada’s three-year, 300 satellite contract accounts for the vast majority of the backlog. Terran received its first milestone payment from the contract last month as it inches…
Astra Reports Q1 2023 Results
Astra ($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 $0.39 at EOD Monday. Closing contracts: Astra is continuing its Launch System 2 development and progressing toward a Rocket 4 launch as it chases down deals. The…
Momentus Cash Dwindles Further in Q1 Results
Momentus ($MNTS) notched a number of key milestones this quarter, but continues to stare down a dangerously depleting cash reserve, the company revealed yesterday in its Q1 financial results. By the numbers: Proving out space tug: The company has two functioning spacecraft in orbit. “We are now operating Vigoride-5 and Vigoride-6 concurrently, and both missions…
BlackSky Reports Q1 Results
BlackSky ($BKSY) is predicting a boom in 2023, partially driven by growing government demand for its Earth observation imagery and geospatial intelligence. By the numbers: 2023 outlook: BlackSky remains bullish on its projections for the rest of the year, including annual revenue between $90M-$96M, which would be a 42% increase from 2022. The company’s top…
Rocket Lab Reports Q1 2023 Earnings
Rocket Lab’s ($RKLB) first quarter revenue exceeded expectations, the company reported on Tuesday’s earnings call. By the numbers: Launch made up 36% of revenue, and space systems comprised 64% this quarter. Investments in Neutron and Photon drove faster cash burn. Looking forward: Rocket Lab projects revenue to jump to $60M-$63M next quarter, with the split…
Virgin Galactic Releases Q1 Results, Details Upcoming Flight
Virgin Galactic ($SPCE) is returning to space after a nearly two-year hiatus. The company provided further details on the upcoming crewed test flight yesterday, along with its Q1 financial results. By the numbers: Virgin Galactic burned through $136M of operating cash in Q1 as it prepares for its first commercial flight and invests heavily in…
SES Announces Better Than Expected Q1 2023 Earnings
SES, a satellite telecommunications network provider from Luxembourg, reported Q1 financial results above market expectations on Thursday. Overall financials: SES’s next system: The company expects to begin commercial service in Q3 of its O3b mPOWER system, a communication satellite network that will serve customers such as Microsoft and Orange. SES launched two O3b mPOWER satellites…