Tag: commercial-space
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Rubio Launches Space Catalyst Partnership to Direct U.S. Foreign Aid Toward Space Companies
Secretary of State Marco Rubio unveiled the State Department’s flagship space diplomacy initiative, the Space Catalyst Partnership, during an official visit to Lima on September 10, 2026. The initiative will direct foreign-assistance funding toward projects that use U.S. space goods and services, making space cooperation a tool for expanding overseas opportunities for American companies. Peru…
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Long March 12 Successfully Launches the 25th Group of Low Earth Orbit Internet Satellites
At 8:32 a.m. Beijing time on September 17, 2026, China launched the 25th group of low Earth orbit satellite internet spacecraft aboard a Long March 12 rocket from the Hainan Commercial Space Launch Site. The satellites entered their planned orbit, completing the mission successfully. Developed under the leadership of the Eighth Academy of China Aerospace…
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Rocket Lab Raises $1.94 Billion to Fully Finance Iridium Acquisition
Rocket Lab has completed a $1.944 billion equity offering and secured lender consent to retain Iridium Communications’ existing term loan after its planned acquisition. Together with available cash, those steps provide sufficient funding for the transaction’s cash payments, specified debt repayments and closing costs. Rocket Lab has terminated a $3.6 billion bridge financing commitment, removing…
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Sophia Space and SLI Outline $300 Million Financing for Orbital Compute Constellation
Sophia Space and aerospace leasing specialist SLI have outlined a $300 million asset-financing framework for a planned 10-satellite edge computing constellation, the companies announced September 13. The non-binding arrangement would fund spacecraft construction and deployment against defined milestones, with launches beginning as early as 2028. The proposed structure adapts operating leases widely used for aircraft,…
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Xiopm SPACE’s Qin Jing: What Is the Real Commercial Value of Space-Based Computing?
In 2026, space-based computing emerged as a major new direction for the commercial space industry. What problems is it meant to solve, and where is the industry heading? Hello Space has launched the Space-Based Computing Interview Series, speaking with leading Chinese companies to examine the real progress being made in this emerging field. Our guest…
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Trump Orders Study of NASA-Led U.S. Space Academy as Civilian-Military Questions Emerge
President Donald Trump signed an executive order at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston on August 28, 2026, directing a federal commission to assess the feasibility of creating a United States Space Academy. The proposed NASA-led institution would train engineers, scientists, spacecraft operators and other professionals for civilian, commercial and national-security space activities, but its…
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Rocket Lab Deploys Confidential Earth Observation Satellite on 95th Launch
Rocket Lab launched a single Earth observation satellite for an undisclosed commercial customer on September 11, deploying the spacecraft into a 500-kilometer circular low Earth orbit during the company’s 95th launch. The dedicated “Happily Ever Faster” mission lifted off aboard an Electron rocket from Launch Complex 1 on New Zealand’s Māhia Peninsula at 3:28 p.m.…
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SpaceX’s Nasdaq-100 Weighting Set to More Than Double in September Rebalance
SpaceX is expected to more than double its weighting in the Nasdaq-100 Index when the benchmark completes its quarterly rebalance later in September, potentially generating billions of dollars in mandatory purchases by index funds and exchange-traded funds. Preliminary Nasdaq data indicate the company’s weighting could rise from approximately 1.28% to 2.82%, with the final allocation…
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China’s First Open Shared TT&C Platform for Commercial Space Begins Operations in Beijing
China’s first open shared platform for commercial space tracking, telemetry and command (TT&C) services officially began operations Aug. 19 in Beijing, supporting the full measurement and control process for the launch of a Honghu-03 satellite and the recovery of a reusable rocket booster. The Beijing Rocket Street Commercial Space Intelligent TT&C Center, located in Beijing…
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DOT Forms SPACE Task Force, but Authority to Cut Launch Approval Times Remains Unclear
The US Department of Transportation established the Space Policy Administration, Coordination, and Execution Task Force on September 9 to accelerate commercial launch approvals, expand spaceport capacity and improve launch integration with the national airspace system. However, DOT did not announce approval-time targets, implementation deadlines or new licensing authority, leaving unresolved whether the group can remove…