Tag: JAXA
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JAXA RV-X Completes 10m Hop Test at Noshiro
Did JAXA Just Fly Japan’s First Reusable Rocket Prototype? JAXA’s RV-X experimental vehicle lifted 10 meters off a concrete pad at the Noshiro test facility on July 11, 2026 — a 40-second hop that marks Japan’s first successful flight of a reusable rocket prototype. The 7.3-meter-tall, single-engine vehicle rose just over 10 meters, translated approximately…
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AST Eyes $1B Notes as Vikram-1 Targets Orbit
What Is Driving AST SpaceMobile Toward Vertical Launch Integration? AST SpaceMobile announced $1 billion in convertible notes — and its stock dropped more than 10 percent the same evening. The stated rationale tells the more important story: the direct-to-device satellite operator says it needs more rockets, and it is explicitly considering "partnerships and/or acquisitions" to…
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Japanese Reentry Startup ElevationSpace Raises $40 Million Series B to Expand Global Operations
Japanese space technology startup ElevationSpace has raised $40 million in a Series B funding round, bringing its total funding to approximately $63.5 million as the company advances its satellite reentry and space transportation technologies. The latest round included participation from existing investors SPARX Asset Management and Beyond Next Ventures, alongside several corporate investors, including automotive…
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Japan’s H3 to returns to flight with debut launch of lightest configuration
Japan’s H3 rocket successfully returned to flight Friday, with a launch that also marked the debut of a new configuration, optimized for smaller payloads. Liftoff took place at 00:53 UTC (9:53 a.m. local time) from the Tanegashima Space Center. Friday’s launch was the eighth flight of the H3, and its first since a failure last…
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Juno Propulsion Raises $1.4 Million to Advance Rotating Detonation Engine for Spaceflight Demonstration
Juno Propulsion has secured $1.4 million in pre-seed funding to support the development of its first flight-ready rotating detonation engine (RDE), known as Project Iris, ahead of a planned in-orbit demonstration mission in 2027. The investment round was led by SOSV, with participation from Hypernova, Leslie Ventures, Activate, Collab Fund, Safar Partners, and Cape Fear…
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Launch Preview: GPS, Progress, and Starlink missions to launch during busy week
Seven missions, four countries, and five launch vehicles make the week of April 20 one of the more diverse on the 2026 manifest. GPS III SV10 carries the week’s most technically significant payload in its first-ever GPS laser communications demonstration, while South Korea’s ADD vehicle attempts its first complete four-stage orbital flight. Rocket Lab pulls…
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ESA Seeks Proposals for Studies on European-Led Modular Space Station in Low Earth Orbit
The European Space Agency (ESA) has issued a call for tenders to conduct studies exploring the feasibility of a European-led, modular space station in low Earth orbit as the International Space Station approaches retirement. NASA announced in January 2022 that the ISS is expected to be decommissioned and deorbited in the first quarter of 2031…
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Launch Preview: Japan to launch Kairos as Falcon 9 launches Starlink missions
Five missions are expected to launch this week, with Falcon 9 scheduled to launch four Starlink missions from Florida and California. Internationally, Japan is to launch its Kairos rocket for the third time, hoping for success on this attempt following two previous launch failures. The week will also feature several notable milestones, with SpaceX aiming…
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ESA Awards €81.2 Million Contract for Apophis Asteroid Mission
The European Space Agency (ESA) has awarded OHB Italia an €81.2 million contract to build, assemble and test the spacecraft for its Ramses mission, which will study the asteroid Apophis during a rare close flyby of Earth in 2029. The contract signals that the mission has entered full development following approval of funding at ESA’s…
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Japan Says Damage Caused Failure of H3 Rocket Launch, JAXA Reports
Japan’s space agency said damage sustained during flight caused last month’s failure of an H3 rocket launch, according to findings released as part of an ongoing investigation. Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) said the No. 8 H3 rocket was damaged shortly after liftoff when the payload fairing — the cover protecting the satellite — separated.…