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EO

EO Could Add 3.8T to Global GDP—If Industry Embraces It

The analysis and use of EO data could add $700B each year to the global economy by 2030, up from $266B today.

Launch

Rocket Lab Throws in the Towel on 2024 Neutron Launch

“The engine is the primary driver for the move,” CEO Peter Beck said.

ISS

Boeing Starliner’s 14-year Journey To ISS Might End Today

“I have seen a tremendous change in Boeing culture since the first orbital flight test,” NASA’s commercial crew program manager, Steve Stich, said.

Business

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. 

Civil

NASA Audit Identifies Significant Issues with Orion Heat Shield

The Orion spacecraft heat shield suffered extensive damage during its first flight that could “pose significant risks to the safety of the crew” of Artemis II, NASA’s watchdog revealed in a report on Wednesday. 

BusinessLEOMilitary

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. 

VC/PE

Danti Raises $5M, Announces US Military Customers

AI startup Danti raised a $5M funding round to grow the engineering and go-to-market teams for its AI-powered search engine that can sift through large amounts of data, including satellite imagery, CEO Jesse Kallman told Payload. 

Military

DoD Reveals New Russian Space Weapon Details, Conflict Over Commercial Imagery 

John Plumb became the first Biden administration official to acknowledge Russia’s nuclear counterspace weapon in unclassified testimony.

Research

Payload Research: China’s 2024 Space Day Updates

China held its annual Space Day conference last week, unveiling new insights into the space program’s hardware development.

International

Artemis Accords Signatories to Meet This Month in Canada

Artemis Accords signatories will meet in Montreal this month to discuss best practices and guidelines for responsible and sustainable space exploration. 

Business

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. 

Polaris

Solid US Space Mining Regs Could Attract Investors, VC Predicts

Mining in orbit is getting closer to becoming a reality and, with business prospects protected by policy—at least in the US—one investor is predicting the dollars will start rolling in.