Skyrora has test fired the second stage of its three-stage Skyrora XL rocket. The successful test comes on the heels of the UK-based launch startup opening its new 55,000-square-foot production facility in Cumbernauld, Scotland. Skyrora XL 101: 22.7m tall and 2.2m wide Capable of launching 315kg payloads Third stage can be swapped out for a […]
Redwire announced yesterday it will develop the first commercially owned and operated space greenhouse. The project, funded by an award from the ISS National Lab, will generate insights to support both crop science on Earth and future exploration missions. Redwire Greenhouse will take flight no earlier than spring 2023 and, if all goes to plan, […]
Gone are the days of switching off your phone and laptop before takeoff and living a lonely, analog life until landing. The in-flight connectivity (IFC) industry has seen rapid growth over the past year, and the number of connected airplanes is expected to double within the next decade, per a new Euroconsult report on the […]
On today’s Pathfinder, we sit down with Emiliano Kargieman, who is CEO and cofounder of Satellogic ($SATL). Originally started in Buenos Aires, the now-global ~$500M microsat operator is developing a LEO constellation and aims to develop a high-res, live catalog of Earth. Satellogic launched nine satellites on SpaceX’s Transporter-4 and -5 missions in April and […]
Last week, BlackSky reported Q2 financial results. The satellite operator beat expectations on top- and bottom-line earnings, riding on the back of key contract wins and a big new integration. “We have strong momentum across all aspects of our business,” BlackSky CEO Brian O’Toole told Payload in an interview. Q2 results at a glance Revenue […]
The commercial space industry is moving fast, and the US government is making moves to keep up with the times. In response to this rapid growth and development of the orbital environment, VP Kamala Harris said Friday that the government aims to develop a new rules framework for space activities. “We must write new rules […]
The space industry hasn’t yet completely resolved the gap in access to launch stemming from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. To get some of its stranded sats back on their mission timelines, ESA has begun preliminary talks with SpaceX, Reuters reports. The story so far: The war in Ukraine has poked holes in Europe’s spaceflight plans […]
Rocket Lab ($RKLB) reported earnings at market close on Thursday. The New Zealand-based launch company recorded a quarterly record revenue of $55.5M, up 392% YoY. Key Rocket Lab Q2 2022 #s Adj. EBITDA = -$8.5M Cash & cash equivalents = $542.5M Backlog = $531.4M Net loss = $37.4M Revenue By Segment Space Systems = $36.4M […]
Earlier this week, space safety company Kayhan Space launched the next tier of its space traffic management (STM) platform, Pathfinder Pro. Kayhan’s ultimate goal is to fully automate all collision avoidance maneuvers in orbit, cofounder and CTO Araz Feyzi told Payload. LEO, in particular, is poised to get a lot more crowded over the coming […]
Terran Orbital’s ticker is $LLAP, which stands for “live long and prosper.” And that rules. Anyways, the satellite manufacturer reported $21.4M in Q2 revenue, a 127% jump YoY, and ended the quarter with $62.3M cash on hand. The company also announced a record backlog of $224.1M, up 200% since the end of last year but […]
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has rejected SpaceX’s bid for $866M in subsidies to roll out Starlink in the rural US, according to a press release issued yesterday. “Consumers deserve reliable and affordable high-speed broadband,” FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel said in a statement. “We must put scarce universal service dollars to their best possible use […]
Maxar booked $438M in revenue this quarter, down 7.3% YoY. Earth Intelligence revenue increased slightly YoY, while Space Infrastructure fell ~10% YoY. The EO mainstay noted that sales within its Space Infrastructure segment dipped (or dove) by $36M, enough to put Maxar in the red. The company’s quarterly operating loss was $30M (vs. $45M YoY). […]
