Tag: commercial-space
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Axiom Space and Prada Unveil Advanced Cooling Garment for Future Moon Missions
Axiom Space and Prada have unveiled a new Liquid Cooling and Ventilation Garment (LCVG) designed for astronauts who will wear the Axiom Extravehicular Mobility Unit (AxEMU) spacesuit during future lunar missions. The garment serves as the high-performance inner layer of the AxEMU spacesuit and is intended to help astronauts withstand the harsh conditions of the…
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Reflex Aerospace Selects Arkadia Space Propulsion System for 2027 Satellite Mission
German satellite manufacturer Reflex Aerospace has selected Spanish startup Arkadia Space to provide the propulsion system for a commercial satellite mission scheduled to launch in 2027, marking the first time Reflex will deploy a chemical-propulsion system on one of its spacecraft. Under the agreement, Reflex’s 200-kilogram satellite will use Arkadia Space’s Triton 5N monopropellant engine…
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AstroForge Completes DeepSpace-2 Spacecraft Ahead of Asteroid Rendezvous Mission
Asteroid mining startup AstroForge has completed assembly of the major flight hardware for its DeepSpace-2 spacecraft, positioning the mission for launch later this year as the company pursues its goal of demonstrating asteroid rendezvous capabilities in deep space. The spacecraft is scheduled to launch aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket alongside Intuitive Machines’ IM-3 lunar…
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Apex Space Raises $200 Million at $2.3 Billion Valuation to Expand Satellite Manufacturing
Satellite manufacturer Apex Space has secured $200 million in new funding at a valuation of $2.3 billion, as the company accelerates plans to expand production capacity and strengthen its position in the growing space infrastructure market. The funding round was led by Glade Brook Capital Partners, with participation from Washington Harbour Partners and a mix…
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Planet Labs Secures Expanded NGA Contract for AI-Enabled Maritime Intelligence Services
Planet Labs has received a $22 million contract option from the U.S. National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) to continue providing artificial intelligence-enabled geospatial analytics for military and government users. The award expands work that began under a $13 million contract issued last year through the NGA’s Luno B program, which uses unclassified commercial imagery and analytics…
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Blue Origin to Expand Florida Rocket Campus With $600 Million Investment
Blue Origin will invest $600 million to expand its Rocket Park campus at Cape Canaveral Spaceport, a project expected to create 500 aerospace jobs on Florida’s Space Coast, according to an announcement by Ron DeSantis. The expansion includes plans for an approximately 830,000-square-foot upper-stage manufacturing facility intended to increase the company’s rocket production and orbital…
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NRO Nominee Says Commercial Space Needs Clear Demand Signals
How is the NRO adapting to commercial space dominance? Roger Mason, nominated to lead the National Reconnaissance Office, told senators that clear government demand signals are essential as private investment fundamentally transforms the space intelligence market. During his confirmation hearing, Mason emphasized that the NRO must better communicate its requirements to commercial providers while adapting…
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China Readies 6 New Rockets for Launch Including Reusable Tests
Which Chinese Rockets Are Targeting First Flights in 2026? China’s space sector is preparing at least six new launch vehicles for debut flights and reusability demonstrations between June and September 2026, representing the most concentrated wave of Chinese rocket development since the commercial space sector opened in 2014. The lineup includes three state-led Long March…
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SpaceX’s Starship V3—still a work in progress—mostly successful on first flight
SpaceX launched the first test flight of its upgraded Starship rocket and Super Heavy booster Friday, with mostly positive results. The powerful rocket, propelled by 33 methane-fueled main engines, climbed away from SpaceX’s Starbase launch facility in South Texas at 5:30 pm CDT (6:30 pm EDT; 22:30 UTC) Friday. Within a few seconds, the 408-foot-tall…
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SpaceX Launches Starship V3 in Major Test Flight Ahead of Planned IPO
SpaceX has launched its new Starship V3 rocket in a high-profile test flight from Texas after an earlier launch attempt was postponed because of a launch-tower malfunction. The uncrewed rocket lifted off shortly after 17:30 local time on Friday, marking the first flight of the latest Starship configuration, which stands approximately 124 meters tall. According…