The Golden Dome Might Fly Sooner Than You Think
Leaders from L3Harris argued that the company has already demonstrated many technologies that will be central to the Golden Dome architecture.
Technology
Stories about the tech that’s driving the new space age.
Portal Space Systems Raises Staggering $17.5M Seed
Portal plans to use the seed round to scale production and accelerate Supernova’s development in time for a mid-2026 maiden launch date.
Aetherflux Raises $50M Series A
Index Ventures and Interlagos led the round, which also included participation from Breakthrough Energy Ventures, Andreessen Horowitz, NEA, and actor Jared Leto, among others.
Momentus and Solstar Team Up on Orbital WiFi Demo
The local WiFi connection offered by Deke aims to keep payloads aboard the Momentus spacecraft in contact with operators on the ground 24/7.
CTO Unveils First Regenerative 5G mmWave Telecom Payload
Constellation Technologies and Operations (CTO), a Paris-based startup attempting to build a constellation of VLEO telecom satellites, announced its first tech demo flight aboard a D-Orbit ION sat launching in June.
ATMOS Space Cargo is Go for Reentry
The Phoenix reentry vehicle will complete two Earth orbits before blasting through the atmosphere and landing in the Indian ocean—without any parachute.
Kayhan Space Beefs Up its Space Traffic Coordination Tool
The company hopes the new tool will make it easier for satellite operators to run their missions and coordinate collision avoidance maneuvers with their neighbors.
Inside the Comms Tech Headed to the Moon
As the world prepares for the return of crewed missions to the Moon, space agencies are teaming up with the commercial sector to help future missions communicate and navigate the lunar surface.
Hadrian’s Plan to Fix Space Manufacturing
The new tool combines a vetted supplier network with supply chain management and DFM (design for manufacturing) software, providing startups with a single point of contact for their entire supply chain.
Pale Blue is Bringing Water-Based Propulsion to Space
At less than 2kg, the system boasts a total impulse of 7,000 Ns, giving satellites enough thrust to perform multiple maneuvers on orbit without sacrificing much bus space.
2024 Top 5: AI In Orbit
After years of AI changing the way people work on Earth, the tech is finally having its moment in the space industry’s spotlight.
The Year in Commercial Space Hits and Misses
The best and worst of space technology in 2024.