SpaceX Tests its Starship Water Deluge Flame Deflector
SpaceX completed the first full-throttle test of its water deluge system at Starbase on Friday, setting the stage for a Super Heavy booster static fire on the new system. “New water deluge system to protect against the immense heat & force of Starship launch,” Elon Musk tweeted after the test. The system: The water-cooled steel…
ESA Performs an Assisted Reentry of Aeolus
ESA successfully tested a new tool to safely deorbit defunct satellites that were designed before the development of current guidelines on reducing debris. On Friday, the agency performed an assisted reentry of its Aeolus wind-monitoring mission, which was not originally designed for a manual deorbit. “These manoeuvres were complex, and Aeolus was not designed to…
Moon History For Sale At Sotheby’s Space Auction
Space enthusiasts bought a slice of history Thursday, shelling out a combined ~$680,000 at Sotheby’s annual space exploration auction. The online auction sold more than 60 pieces of historical memorabilia, signed photos, and items that had flown to space. Big ticket: The top seller was an Apollo 13 flight plan signed and inscribed by capsule…
Aerospace and Defense Primes Q2 Earnings Roundup
It’s not that kind of prime day. Earnings season is in full swing and today, we’re diving into coverage of three primes, including L3Harris’ acquisition of Aerojet Rocketdyne, Boeing’s Starliner drag, and Northrop’s growing space division. L3Harris 🤝 Aerojet Rocketdyne $LHX announced it will close its $4.7B Aerojet Rocketdyne acquisition as soon as today. “We…
Kleos Space Files for Bankruptcy
Kleos Space, a Luxembourg-based company monitoring RF signals from space for defense and intelligence, announced yesterday that it is filing for bankruptcy. The company has not been able to raise the cash needed to progress a converting note advised on June 6, which followed Australia Securities Exchange (ASX) pausing trading on the company on May…
Lockheed Nabs $500M to Build Nuclear Powered Rocket
NASA and DARPA have chosen Lockheed Martin ($LMT) to develop the first nuclear-powered Demonstration Rocket for Agile Cislunar Operations (DRACO) rocket for a demo as early as 2026, the trio announced Wednesday. The contract is valued at $499M, with funding split evenly between the two government agencies. Lockheed Martin will build the spacecraft, and BWX…
The Space Economy Reaches $546B, The Space Foundation Says
It’s that time again—the Space Foundation has released its report on the state of the space economy through Q2 2023, and it’s reporting big numbers for the past year. According to the authors, the space economy reached $546B in 2022 despite turbulent global markets, and they’re only predicting more growth in the coming years. The…
NASA Funds 11 Next-Gen Space Projects
NASA awarded 11 companies a combined $150M to support a next-gen lunar base camp and broader space exploration tech, the agency announced yesterday. The grants, which were awarded under NASA’s Tipping Point program, fund an array of sci-fi-like projects including lunar nuclear fuel, in-situ resource utilization, LiDAR navigation, inflatable heat shielding, and lunar power transmission.…
The Secret Sauce to Satellite Manufacturing
Over the last five years, the demand for small satellite manufacturing has skyrocketed, fueled by their cost-effectiveness and versatility across a broad range of applications, including EO, defense, communications, and scientific research. However, meeting the demand in a timely and reliable manner is a challenge for the industry. As a prime contractor operating within this…
Alabama, Colorado Brawl Over Space Command’s Home
The fight over where US Space Command will put down roots has become a central part of the debate on this year’s NDAA, and the longer the industry awaits a final decision, the more charged the spat becomes. How we got here: A quick recap if you’ve somehow avoided this years-long saga. In January 2021,…
Space DOTS Raises $1.5M Pre-Seed
Space DOTS, a UK-based advanced materials testing startup, wants to revolutionize the way the aerospace industry qualifies new materials for use in space. The company announced the closing of a $1.5M pre-seed round this morning to build out its mini on-orbit laboratory tech. Boost VC, Sie Ventures, 7Percent Ventures, Blue Wire Capital, and angel investors…
Exclusive: Leaf Space Closes €20M Series B
Leaf Space, an Italian ground-segment-as-a-service provider, has closed a €20M ($22.1M) Series B as well as an additional €15M ($16.6M) in venture debt through a European Investment Bank loan. Leaf Space 101 CEO Jonata Puglia and CSO Giovanni Pandolfi founded the company in 2014 to provide an end-to-end, easy-to-use solution for satellite operators to send…
