Top Reads
VC/PE

Sierra Space Closes $550M Series C

LuminArx Capital led the round, which valued the company at $8B.

LaunchTechnology

What to Expect from Starship V3

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk announced the first launch of Starship V3 was “about 4 weeks” away.

EOMilitary

Planet Labs Extends Middle East Space Imagery Restrictions

Planet Labs just proved that dual use doesn’t necessarily mean equal priority.

TechnologyVC/PE

Advanced Navigation Raises $110M Series C

Not many space companies want to reduce the world’s reliance on satellite infrastructure, but that’s the pitch that landed Australia-based Advanced Navigation a $110M Series C.

StartupsTechnologyVC/PE

Mantis Space Emerges from Stealth with $10M Seed

Mantis Space is aiming to bring power into the light—and now it has the money to do so. 

EuropeVC/PE

AIRMO Raises €5M For Methane Monitoring Sats

European space startup AIRMO closed a €5M ($5.8M) seed round to launch its first greenhouse-gas-monitoring satellite no earlier than next year, and to expand its drone and airplane monitoring into the Middle East market.

StartupsTechnologyVC/PE

Lux Aeterna Closes $10M Seed to Build Reusable Sats

Everybody loves a reusable rocket—so why has the rest of space hardware remained stubbornly single-use?

EuropeStartups

Inside Austria’s Small But Mighty Space Ecosystem

Austria’s space industry is in the midst of a renaissance, with bigger funding deals and more startup activity.

EuropeLaunch

HyImpulse Signs Launch Agreement with SaxaVord

The second suborbital flight of HyImpulse’s SR75 is expected to lift off from SaxaVord no earlier than Q3 2026.

BusinessEuropeInternational

NanoAvionics Lands Korean National Security Deal

For NanoAvionics, the deal represents the latest win in a strategy of global expansion— which has found an eager and willing partner in the South Korean space industry.

EuropeMilitary

Leonardo’s Missile-Defense Demo in Ukraine Aims To Be a Blueprint for Other Nations

Leonardo is positioning itself to become a mass distributor of space-enabled missile defense shields.

Latest Stories
EuropeInternationalSatcom

Viasat and Space42 Share Strategy for Equatys JV

The two companies cancelled a key roundtable at the Mobile World Conference, but Viasat CEO Mark Dankberg gave Payload an exclusive rundown.

Policy

FCC Wants ‘Weird Space’ Missions To Get Spectrum, Too

The FCC has a plan to support the space industry sectors that feel more science fiction than fact. 

VC/PE

Vast Secures $500M, Including $300M Series A

Vast has closed a $300M Series A to continue production of its Haven commercial space station, the company announced this morning. 

Pro

The Promise Of A World of Low Launch Prices Is Still Far Off

Falcon 9’s rideshare pricing has increased 40% over the last five years.
The post The Promise Of A World of Low Launch Prices Is Still Far Off appeared first on Payload Pro.

EuropeLaunch

PLD Space Closes €180M Series C, Eyes Flight Test This Year

The new funds give PLD a huge boost in its effort to clear significant milestones this year.

EOEurope

ICEYE Launches New Deforestation Monitoring Tool

ICEYE just one-upped the Lorax. Instead of speaking for the trees, the SAR satellite manufacturer is letting the trees speak for themselves.

Military

Heritage Foundation Rates Space Force ‘Marginal’

“The Space Force is woefully short of the resources required to hold adversary space systems at risk, and is not ready to operate in a contested environment even though conflict with a major adversary will likely begin in space,” the report says. “While most of its current capabilities are highly effective in an uncontested environment, the Space Force lacks the capacity and capability to be ready for conflict in space.”

BusinessEuropeGEOISAM

Infinite Orbits Expands into the UK with Lúnasa Acquisition

French in-orbit servicing startup Infinite Orbits is on a buying streak.

Military

Space Was ‘First Mover’ In Iran Conflict, Top General Says

Military space capabilities played a critical role in the early stages of Operation Epic Fury, according to the Pentagon’s top general.

StartupsTechnology

Exclusive: Starpath Unveils New Ultra-Thin Space Solar Panels

The panels are just 73g per square meter, and are priced around $15 per watt.

EuropeMilitaryStartups

Austria Commissions its First Military Sat

Austria is prepping to launch its first military-commissioned satellite to fight a growing, invisible threat—interference with satellite navigation.

Pro

Inside Starcloud and SpaceX’s Orbital Data Centers FCC Filings

After only a two months of 2026, this year is already shaping up to be the year of space data centers. In January, SpaceX filed with the FCC for up to 1M satellites (wild). A few days later, Starcloud followed with plans for 88,000 satellites of its own.
The post Inside Starcloud and SpaceX’s Orbital Data Centers FCC Filings appeared first on Payload Pro.