Weekly Recap #35 + Juno Propulsion Interview

Weekly Recap #35 + Juno Propulsion Interview

Main Topics Dr. Alexis Harroun, CEO of Juno Propulsion [https://www.junopropulsion.com/], joins Space Times this week to explain how their Rotating Detonation Combustion thruster will change the game for in-space mobility! Headliners * Starship v3 launched on May 22nd with mixed success, the booster lost 3 engines and landed but not as expected, while Starship lost an RVAC engine but still accomplished its landing in the Indian Ocean. 22 mass dummies were deployed in space, including 2 Dodger Dogs that had Starlink hardware for testing and imaging of Starship. [source [https://edition.cnn.com/2026/05/22/science/live-news/spacex-starship-flight-12-version-3-launch]] * York acquired Solestial for their silicon based solar array technology, their third acquisition for core component production since York’s IPO. [source [https://solarbuildermag.com/products/york-space-systems-acquires-space-solar-firm-solestial/]] * Vast announced their expansion from commercial space stations into high power buses, providing a 15kW spacecraft. They have an anchor customer who has so far purchased 4 satellites, with an option for 200 more. [source [https://www.vastspace.com/updates/vast-expands-into-high-power-satellite-buses-leveraging-in-house-space-station-technology-and-proven-haven-demo-satellite-heritage]] Defense * The United States Space Force awarded $437M to Viasat and SES for 2 satellites each for Protected Tactical Satcom Global. [source [https://spacenews.com/space-force-awards-viasat-ses-437-million-for-military-satellite-network/]] * The United States Space Force awarded $398M to Northrop Grumman for a Protected Tactical Satcom Prototype that can resist GPS jamming. [source [https://www.govconwire.com/articles/space-force-northrop-enhanced-ptsp-award]] * The United States Space Force awarded $90M to Rocket Lab for Heimdall, a space domain awareness program that was being worked on by Geost prior to its acquisition last year. [source [https://rocketlabcorp.com/updates/rocket-lab-awarded-90m-contract-to-build-geo-satellites-hosting-space-domain-awareness-payload-for-u-s-space-force/]] * Helsing, OHB, Hensoldt, and Kongsberg formed the KIRK joint venture to develop space-based AI-enabled space domain awareness for detection and tracking of in-orbit threats. [source [https://www.reuters.com/science/helsing-ohb-join-forces-space-based-reconnaissance-venture-2026-05-19/]] * The UK Space Agency inaugurated their new space domain awareness software Borealis 6 months ahead of schedule, demonstrating it with their existing on-orbit asset Noctis-1 for space-based detection. [source [https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-space-system-will-better-protect-uk-satellites-as-new-imagery-released]] * Iceye delivered 4 SAR satellites to the Polish Ministry of Defense within 12 months. [source [https://www.iceye.com/newsroom/press-releases/iceye-delivers-mikrosar-system-to-polish-armed-forces-in-under-12-months]] Commercialization * Iceye launched their new catastrophe monitoring solution focused on the banking sector to provide more accurate insurance and pricing of property and assets. [source [https://www.iceye.com/newsroom/press-releases/iceye-launches-natural-catastrophe-monitoring-solutions-for-global-banking-sector-to-address-credit-risk]] * Amadeus IT selected Spire’s aircraft tracking data for airport tools to improve management and planning. [source [https://ir.spire.com/news-events/press-releases/detail/299/spire-global-selected-by-amadeus-for-real-time-aircraft]] * Sky Perfect JSAT invested in Astroscale to partner on on-orbit servicing. [source [https://www.astroscale.com/en/news/astroscale-and-sky-perfect-jsat-form-strategic-partnership-to-advance-space-infrastructure-development]] Business Moves * SpaceX filed their S-1 with the SEC in preparation for their upcoming IPO. The filing revealed over 200 pages of details about SpaceX’s business including their $1.75B price target, their $18.67B in revenue last year, $4.94B of operational losses, and a massive $28.5T TAM. [source [https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1181412/000162828026036936/spaceexplorationtechnologi.htm]] * Blue Origin is rumored to be considering accepting outside money for the first time, this comes from internal all-hands meeting and could mean they will be seeking private investors or an IPO. [source [https://www.geekwire.com/2026/jeff-bezos-blue-origin-outside-investment/]] * Tomorrow.io [http://tomorrow.io] extended their Series F by $35M, bringing their total raised to $210M focused on delivering on their DeepSky AI-enabled weather satellite constellation. [source [https://www.tomorrow.io/blog/tomorrow-io-expands-investment-from-pitango-and-harel-insurance-increasing-series-f-to-210m/]] * Zenk Space raised $26M in preparation of its debut launch of the medium lift Zhihang-1 rocket in June. [source [https://www.china-in-space.com/p/zenk-spaces-zhihang-1-aiming-for]] * Mach Industries acquired Exquadrum for $50M winning out over a rumored 8 other competitors, this allows Mach to produce their own solid rocket motors internally, securing a critical and constrained component for missile production. [source [https://techcrunch.com/2026/05/19/mach-industries-just-spent-50m-to-solve-a-major-defense-tech-problem/]] Tech Advances * The Canadian DND and ISED launched $5.5M in challenges for Arctic optical communications and quantum repeaters. [source [https://thequantuminsider.com/2026/05/23/canada-opens-5-5-million-quantum-networking-challenge-to-advance-quantum-repeaters/]] * The US Space Force and SpaceWERX launched their orbital logistics challenge for orbital fuel depots, transfer vehicles, ISAM technologies, and more. [source [https://www.ssc.spaceforce.mil/Newsroom/Article-Display/Article/4497505/space-systems-command-to-launch-servicing-mobility-and-logistics-spacewerx-chal]] Get full access to Space Times at spacetimespod.substack.com/subscribe [https://spacetimespod.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

Weekly Recap #34

Main Topics Launch * Aetherflux rebranded to Cowboy Space and raised a $275M series B while announcing their pivot into both Rocketry and the Orbital Data Center markets. [source [https://www.space.com/technology/cowboy-space-raises-usd275-million-to-launch-ai-data-centers-on-brand-new-rocket]] * SpaceX removed Transporter mission options past 2029, indicating a clear timeline and focus on the launch and success of Starship in that same timeframe. [source [https://air-cosmos.latribune.fr/article/espace/15834337779615/comme-si-un-dealer-fermait-son-point-de-vente-spacex-va-suspendre-son-programme-rideshare]] * Google rumored to be in talks with SpaceX to launch 81 data centers for Google’s Project Suncatcher while they partner with Planet Labs to develop and build their platform. [source [https://finance.yahoo.com/sectors/technology/articles/google-spacex-reportedly-talks-orbital-233108055.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAMY67ioDStbO6Ulm85nIehEtYP4quG2n4ubtH1_JeEhkLlaFtKaOTjBAosWZgj9KytxmBPtOZJ5i2EkB1izFodeR8nT1KqrinyrnlAxtiWjGlf8vzmpjoyCRFaObVLilJoRi5Cpc3OD3FZvjxnCdAwFiumTik0H8OwKCDBTpHRp4]] Infrastructure * Starcatcher closed a $65M Series A raise led by B Capital to build Space’s first power grid, deploying power from their solar cells to other orbital assets in need of alternative power solutions. [source [https://www.space.com/technology/star-catcher-just-raised-usd65-million-to-build-the-worlds-first-power-grid-in-space-with-lasers]] * The USSF awarded $4M to Trustpoint for their C-band PNT (Position, Navigation, and Timing) capability demo involving 4 satellites and 4 ground stations. [source [https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260512853671/en/TrustPoint-Secures-U.S.-Space-Force-TACFI-Contract-to-Demonstrate-End-to-End-GPS-Independent-PNT]] * Intuitive Machines agreed to purchase Goonhilly Earth Stations Ltd for $49.6M, intending to leverage the 44 ground station antennae for an extensive architecture of lunar communications. [source [https://investors.intuitivemachines.com/news-releases/news-release-details/intuitive-machines-acquire-goonhilly-earth-station-and-comsat]] * Northrop announced the release of their James Webb Telescope derived tracking sensor (the component that enables the JWST to accurately track imaging targets) for the lunar navigation market with miniaturized LR450. [source [https://spacedaily.com/sd-n-the-same-precision-sensor-that-kept-webb-locked-on-galaxies-13-billion-light-years-away-has-been-quietly-miniaturized-and-its-about-to-solve-the-navigation-problem-nobody-wanted-to-discuss-on-the/]] * Iridium announced the acquisition and take over of Aireon for $367M to expand their aviation safety business, growing revenues by ~$100M and EBITDA by ~$30M. [source [https://aireon.com/iridium-to-acquire-aireon-advancing-its-strategy-to-lead-the-future-of-aviation-safety/]] * AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon announced a Joint Venture focused on filling the gaps in global coverage while collaborating on their D2D strategies and implementation. [source [https://about.att.com/story/2026/new-joint-venture.html]] * Orbit2Orbit closed the first tranche of their $1.4M seed round led by Fusion Venture Labs. [source [https://www.linkedin.com/posts/orbit2orbit-has-officially-closed-the-first-share-7460632382048694273-CNh-/]] Spacecraft * Chinese Satellite manufacturer MinoSpace announced its intent to seek a $736M IPO. [source [https://spacenews.com/chinese-satellite-maker-minospace-seeks-736-million-in-ipo/]] * Applied Aerospace & Defense filed for IPO, expecting to raise $350M in the offering. [source [https://www.renaissancecapital.com/IPO-Center/News/118905/Aerospace-equipment-maker-Applied-Aerospace-and-Defense-files-for-an-estima]] * Creotech announced their plans for a $118M capital raise to build a sovereign satellite manufacturing facility by 2029 and to reach 40 satellite annual manufacturing capacity in that same time. [source [https://spacenews.com/creotech-plans-118-million-capital-raise-investment-in-new-satellite-factory/]] * York Space lost some of their Tranche 3 PWSA funding as short sellers cite the underperformance of prior satellite deliveries and the transition of contracts from the SDA to the SDN through some of the Pentagon’s restructuring and reorganization; York Space remains confident in the quality of their engineering projects and deliveries and acknowledges that the dissolution of the SDA represents a challenge. [source [https://www.investing.com/news/stock-market-news/york-space-systems-shares-plunge-over-as-short-seller-warns-pentagon-contract-loss-threatens-growth-93CH-4676955]] * SES/Intelsat & Eutelsat have both canceled GEO orders in rapid succession, as Eutelsat reallocates resources towards LEO assets, SES reallocates resources towards MEO, and both explore lifetime-extension missions for existing GEO assets. [source [https://spacedaily.com/sd-n-ses-just-quietly-killed-two-satellites-intelsat-already-paid-to-build-and-the-cancellation-says-more-about-the-death-of-geostationary-economics-than-any-earnings-call-ever-could/]] Business Moves * Anduril raised a $5B series H at a $61B valuation, led by Thrive Capital and Andreessen Horowitz, presumably to rapidly scale their space technology capabilities for future Golden Dome contract awards. [source [https://www.anduril.com/news/anduril-announces-usd5b-series-h-raise]] * SpaceX accelerated their IPO timeline, pulling the proposed liquidation date to June 12. [source [https://www.reuters.com/world/spacex-accelerates-ipo-timeline-targets-june-11-pricing-nasdaq-2026-05-15/]] Tech Advances * Varda announced a drug development partnership with United Therapeutics. [source [https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/varda-space-industries-and-united-therapeutics-collaborate-to-advance-microgravity-enabled-treatments-for-rare-pulmonary-disease-302770786.html]] * Casimir came out of stealth, raising $12M for quantum vacuum semiconductor that fcan gnerate . [source [https://thequantuminsider.com/2026/05/12/casimir-launches-with-12-million-oversubscribed-seed-round-to-bring-quantum-energy-chip-to-market/]] Get full access to Space Times at spacetimespod.substack.com/subscribe [https://spacetimespod.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

Weekly Recap #33 + Quindar Interview

Main Topics Rockets * Rocket Lab announced a partnership with Raytheon and Anduril to execute on Space Based Interceptor contracts issued through Golden Dome. [source [https://rocketlabcorp.com/updates/rocket-lab-and-raytheon-selected-to-demonstrate-advanced-capabilities-for-u-s-space-forces-space-based-interceptor-program/]] * K2 Space was selected by Anduril to host SBI payloads via their high-powered satellite platforms to fulfill golden dome contracts. [source [https://www.anduril.com/news/anduril-team-of-partners-to-work-on-space-force-s-space-based-interceptors-for-golden-dome-for-america]] * Seagate announced a partnership with Firefly Aerospace and Lockheed Martin to develop a customized Gateway sea-launch platform for Firefly’s Alpha rocket. [source [https://spaceflightnow.com/2026/05/04/lockheed-martin-announces-collaboration-with-firefly-aerospace-and-seagate-for-off-shore-launches/]] * Skyroot, India’s first Space Unicorn, raised $60M at a $1.1 Bn valuation to increase the launch cadence of Vikram-1 and develop the Vikram-2 rocket. [source [https://www.reuters.com/science/indias-skyroot-becomes-first-1-bln-space-tech-startup-with-gic-sherpalo-2026-05-07/]] * Nayuta Space completed their Pre-Series A funding raising an undisclosed amount of capital to develop and launch their ADHL (Aerodynamic Deceleration and Horizontal Landing) Xuanniao-R launch vehicle in early 2027. [source [https://api.finexus.net/api/news/events/4df392ae-d697-41c4-9846-1186ab9313bf/html]] Imaging * The US DoD’s Andromeda Program funding increased from $1.84B to $6.24B after extensive lobbying from some of the larger participants. [source [https://www.govconwire.com/articles/space-systems-command-andromeda-idiq]] * Scout Space raised a $18M Series A led by Washington Harbour Partners, who continue to be very active in the space market. [source [https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/scout-space-raises-18m-series-a-to-scale-space-domain-awareness-capabilities-and-expand-manufacturing-in-northern-virginia-302760326.html]] * MDA announced 41 combined customers - 9 signed contracts and 32 LOIs - for their CHORUS constellation including C and X band SAR data coming from mid-inclination orbits. [source [https://mda.space/article/mda-space-secures-41-early-customer-contracts-and-letters-of-interest-for-mda-chorus-data]] * Earthdaily won a $1.2M NRO contract to support the use of commercial spectral imaging under the Strategic Commercial Enhancements (SCE) Commercial Solutions Opening (CSO). [source [https://earthdaily.com/blog/earthdaily-selected-by-national-reconnaissance-office-for-commercial-optical-earth-observation-contract]] * LiveEO raised a €28M+ round, bringing their total capital raised to €72M, to scale its AI powered monitoring platform and achieve 35cm resolution on their 3D stereoscopic imagery. [source [https://ventureburn.com/liveeo-raises-28m/]] * Ororatech launched 4 Hellenic fire control satellites on CAS500-2 and successfully commissioned them over the past week, establishing the world’s first nationalized satellite system exclusively for wildfire tracking. [source [https://ororatech.com/resources/news-blog/greece-launches-world-s-first-national-wildfire-satellite-system]] * Taylor Geospatial unveiled a global map of every agricultural field developed in partnership with the Microsoft AI for Good Lab. [source [https://www.spatialsource.com.au/taylor-geospatial-claims-world-first-global-map/]] Advanced Space Systems * Rocket Lab announced the intent to acquire Motiv Space Systems, acquiring both their robotics prowess and their specialized components, to be rebranded as Rocket Lab Robotics. [source [https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2026/05/07/3290619/0/en/rocket-lab-to-acquire-robotics-leader-motiv-space-systems.html]] * Anthropic has partnered with SpaceX for Data Center usage for Claude including 300 MW of SpaceX’s Colossus-1 megacomputer and potential interest in developing multiple GW of orbital data center capacity. [source [https://www.anthropic.com/news/higher-limits-spacex]] * Pixxel announced a partnership with Sarvam to build the Pathfinder Orbital Data Center leveraging Pixxel’s space technology expertise and Sarvam’s AI platform for the 200kg project to launch as early as Q4 2026. [source [https://www.pixxel.space/news/pixxel-to-launch-indias-first-orbital-data-centre-satellite-powered-by-sarvam]] * Interlune won a NASA helium-3 extraction feasibility contract through an SBIR Phase 3 for $6.9M. [source [https://www.geekwire.com/2026/interlune-nasa-contract-extract-helium-3-hydrogen-moon/]] * Lunar Outpost raised a $30M series B to accelerate production of their advanced robotic mobility platforms and execute on their pipeline on the back of four consecutive years of doubled revenues. [source [https://www.lunaroutpost.com/post/lunar-outpost-secures-30m-series-b-to-build-the-industrial-foundation-of-the-space-frontier-and-eco]] * Overview Energy was awarded a USAF contract for the remote capture and transmission of solar energy to provide power resilience among DoW projects. [source [https://www.overviewenergy.com/updates/air-force-contract]] Business Moves * Astranis raised a $450M Series E led by Snowpoint and Franklin Templeton at a $2.8B valuation with the goal of accelerating satellite production for commercial customers and positioning themselves as a New Prime via US Government Programs of Record. [source [https://www.astranis.com/blog/series-e-raise-advanced-high-orbit-spacecraft]] * Hawkeye360 raised $416M with their IPO at a $3.15 B valuation, opening above the $26 offer price at $33.80. [source [https://www.reuters.com/legal/transactional/space-analytics-firm-hawkeye-360-valued-315-billion-after-nyse-debut-2026-05-07/]] * Polish smallsat propulsion company Liftero to IPO via NewConnect through the Warsaw Stock Exchange as an alternative to raising private capital for their next goals in growth and product delivery.[source [https://liftero.com/liftero-ipo-public-offering-now-open/]] * Swissto12 won a German Partnership with the HPS/LSS consortium out of Munich for a GEO altitude D2D satellite. [source [https://www.satellitetoday.com/technology/2026/05/05/swissto12-strikes-german-partnership-deal-for-d2d-geo-satellite/]] * Viasat won a $307M marine corps satcom contract with the focus of providing global communication connectivity under the MECS2 program including bandwidth capacity and end-to-end managed services such as wireless and cell service. [source [https://www.govconwire.com/articles/viasat-307m-marine-corps-mecs2-contract-award]] Tech Advances * Two Russian satellites operated within 10ft of each other on orbit as COSMOS 2581 and 2583 conduct the RPO, while COSMOS 2582 trailed the formation at roughly 100 km distance. [source [https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/whatever-russia-is-testing-its-sophisticated-2-russian-satellites-get-within-10-feet-of-each-other-in-orbit]] Get full access to Space Times at spacetimespod.substack.com/subscribe [https://spacetimespod.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

Weekly Update #32

Main Topics Comms * York Space announced the purchase of ALL.SPACE for ~$355M in a scope style acquisition to expand York Space’s ground and mobile terminal technology capabilities while making ALL.SPACE a subsidiary that will continue operations. [source [https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260430846737/en/York-Space-Systems-to-Acquire-ALL.SPACE-Strengthening-Assured-Multi-Domain-Communications-for-Critical-Missions]] * Celestial Acquisition Co acquired Nokia’s Modul8 space cellular division after Nokia broke the Modul8 team out to a separate business entity earlier this year in an undisclosed acquisition price that involved $40M in debt financing from Scotia Bank. [source [https://www.nokia.com/blog/an-important-step-for-nokias-modul8-a-proposed-spin-out-to-launch-an-independent-company/]] * The USSF awarded $11.2M to BAE to demo Golden Dome satellite comms with radios for Link-182 capability deployment, providing resilient communication solutions for the proliferated satellite architecture. [source [https://thedefensewatch.com/defense-contracts/bae-systems-wins-11-8-million-link-182-space-communications-contract/]] * Viasat F3 satellite successfully launched, deployed solar arrays, and commissioned earlier this week and is now set to begin its ascent to final Geostationary orbit to deliver 1Tbps of throughput to the APAC region. [source [https://investors.viasat.com/news-releases/news-release-details/viasat-confirms-successful-launch-and-initial-signal-acquisition]] Imaging * DARPA announced they’ve selected Quantum Space and Revolution Space as well as Benchmark for execution of the LASSO program. [source [https://spacedaily.com/sd-n-darpas-lasso-bet-three-companies-one-brutal-orbit-and-the-hunt-for-lunar-ice/]] * The Government of Canada terminated Spire Global Canada’s $72 million WildFireSat contract for convenience, indicating a mismatch in needs rather than an inability to execute on the contract. [source [https://www.satellitetoday.com/government-military/2026/04/29/canada-cancels-wildfiresat-constellation-contract-with-spire/]] * Planet and Carbon Mapper announced a partnership to use Tanager for methane tracking starting with the hyperspectral camera’s first flight in 2028. [source [https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260430512259/en/Planet-and-Carbon-Mapper-Sign-Agreement-for-New-Tanager-Spacecraft]] Defense * True Anomaly raised a $650M Series D round of funding bringing total capital raised for True Anomaly to over $1B at a valuation of over $2.2B. [source [https://www.trueanomaly.space/newsroom/our-series-d-fundraise-650m-raised-to-accelerate-space-superiority-at-scale]] * The USSF issued $3M contracts to Assurance Technology, Raptor Dynamix, and Innovative Signal Analysis to develop radar counter-surveillance for GEO satellites. [source [https://breakingdefense.com/2026/04/space-force-awards-first-contracts-for-satellite-threat-warning-radar-payloads/]] * Spaceflux raised £9M led by Blackfinch Ventures to develop and commercialize their ground optics product offerings for space situational awareness. [source [https://eijournal.com/news/business-2/spaceflux-raises-9-million-to-expand-space-intelligence-globally]] Business Moves * Seraphim Space announced their intent to raise $454M after demonstrating 411% returns over the last 3 years with the goal of helping the 85% of their portfolio that are EBITDA positive to achieve exit, grow their accelerator infrastructure, and enter growth-stage deals. [source [https://techfundingnews.com/seraphim-space-investment-trust-350m-c-share-raise-spacetech/]] * Chinese reusable rocket launch company Cosmoleap raised $73M led by Qianhai Ark and Puhua Capital to deliver on their debut launch in 2027. [source [https://spacenews.com/cosmoleap-secures-73-million-for-reusable-rocket-with-tower-catch-recovery/]] * SpaceX’s CAS500-2 launched 45 satellites including 6 Earth Daily/Loft satellites, a plethora of satellites from HEO and Planet Labs, and True Anomaly’s Jackal. [source [https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/spacex-falcon-9-launch-cas500-2-mission-45-satellites]] * Roscosmos debuted the Soyuz-5 launch vehicle which is a refurbishment of the existing Zenit launch vehicle. [source [https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/russias-new-homegrown-soyuz-5-rocket-aces-debut-launch]] Tech Advances * Meta signed a 1GW supply contract with Overview Energy to provide power gathered in space to a terrestrial data center. [source [https://www.esgtoday.com/meta-signs-1-gw-energy-storage-deal-to-power-data-centers/]] * DPhi’s Clustergate-2 successfully ran LiquidAI’s LLM on orbit after successfully launching and deploying on Vigoride 7 earlier last month. [source [https://payloadspace.com/dphis-second-demo-brings-compute-space-to-orbit/]] * BioOrbit closed a $13.2M seed round marking the largest seed round in history for orbital pharmaceuticals. [source [https://www.bioindustry.org/resource/bioorbit-secures-world-s-largest-seed-round-for-in-space-manufacturing.html]] * Extreme Environment Shielding Materials Research Center of the Korea Institute of Science and Technology published research about radiation shielding material boasting massive shielding efficiency at a groundbreaking mass and volume profile. [source [https://www.universetoday.com/articles/flexible-3d-printable-shielding-for-extreme-environments]] Get full access to Space Times at spacetimespod.substack.com/subscribe [https://spacetimespod.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

Weekly Recap #31

Main Topics Defense * USSF selected Anduril, Booz Allen Hamilton, General Dynamics, GITAI, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Quindar, Raytheon, Sci-Tec, SpaceX, True Anomaly, and Turion Space for over 20 golden dome Space Based Interceptor contracts totalling $3.2B. [source [https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/us-space-force-taps-12-firms-32-billion-golden-dome-missile-defense-contracts-2026-04-24/]] * USSF awarded $1.4M and $500K to Leidos and Maplarge respectively for battle planning software through the Commercial Solutions Opening (CSO) Kronos program. [source [https://www.ssc.spaceforce.mil/Newsroom/Article/4466726/space-force-advances-decisive-edge-in-a-contested-domain-aims-to-modernize-spac]] * The Pentagon released a budget request for $2.3B for Maven AI battlefield software from Palantir including a total of $58.5B tied to AI. [source [https://spacenews.com/pentagon-seeks-2-3-billion-for-maven-ai-battlefield-system/]] * The Pentagon officially ended Raytheon’s OCX program after years of delays and underperformance on deliveries. [source [https://arstechnica.com/space/2026/04/pentagon-pulls-the-plug-on-one-of-the-militarys-most-troubled-space-programs/]] * The Pentagon invested $1B in L3Harris Missile unit to boost key component production and prep L3Harris Missile Group for a stock market debut later this year. [source [https://thedefensepost.com/2026/04/24/pentagon-missile-investment-l3harris/amp/]] Communications * The FCC granted AST Spacemobile a cellular license to sell Supplemental Space Coverage through the 700-800 MHz frequency range partnering with cellular service providers to unlock Direct-to-Device data capability. [source [https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260422147378/en/FCC-Grants-AST-SpaceMobile-Commercial-Authority-to-Deliver-Direct-to-Device-Cellular-Broadband-from-Space-Advancing-Nationwide-Resilient-Cellular-Broadband-Connectivity-in-the-United-States?utm_campaign=shareaholic&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_source=bookmark]] * The FCC declined a request to enable and allow Mobile Space Spectrum sharing citing a desire to maintain strong incentives for innovation among the industry. [source [https://www.satellitetoday.com/government-military/2026/04/24/fcc-rejects-requests-for-sharing-in-mss-spectrum-maintaining-exclusive-rights/]] * Oneweb announced an order of 1300 more antennas / 400 more antenna systems from MDA to service their 340 satellite constellation built on Airbus platforms. [source [https://mda.space/article/mda-space-contracted-by-airbus-for-repeat-order-of-antennas-for-oneweb-constellation-extension]] * Oneweb announced future versions of their satellite would add hosted payloads to their product offerings. [source [https://spacenews.com/eutelsats-u-s-arm-pitches-hosted-payloads-deals-on-oneweb-satellites/]] * Danish GomSpace and Ukrainian STETMAN formed the UASAT joint venture focused on developing sovereign dual-use satellite capabilities for Ukraine. [source [https://gomspace.com/danish-company-gomspace-and-ukrainian-company-stetman-launch-joint-venture-in-uk/]] * The Polish Ministry of Defense signed an agreement with Thales and Airbus to develop a military GEO communications satellite with RADMOR. [source [https://www.airbus.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/2026-04-airbus-thales-alenia-space-and-radmor-to-partner-for-polands-sovereign-satellite]] Interplanetary * The US Space Force created the Cislunar Coordination Office led by Jaime Stearns to develop and maintain the logistics and coordination efforts necessary to support and protect lunar projects and installations. [source [https://www.airandspaceforces.com/space-force-sets-up-office-to-coordinate-cislunar-programs/]] * Benchmark selected by DARPA for NASA’s LASSO (Lunar Assay via Small Satellite Orbiter) program feasibility study to search for and map lunar in situ resources. [source [https://www.benchmarkspacesystems.com/news/benchmark-selected-by-darpa-to-conduct-lasso-feasibility-study-for-lunar-water-resource-mapping]] * SpaceX awarded $175.7M to launch ESA’s Rosalind Franklin rover to Mars in 2028 to search for evidence of past or present life. [source [https://science.nasa.gov/blogs/mars-rosa/2026/04/16/nasa-begins-implementation-for-esas-rosalind-franklin-mission-to-mars/]] * Rocket Lab announced a new High-Performance Star Tracker (ST-HP) for operation in increased-radiation environments such as GEO and Cislunar missions. [source [https://investors.rocketlabcorp.com/news-releases/news-release-details/rocket-lab-unveils-new-high-performance-star-tracker-optimized]] Business Moves * SpaceX announced a $10B, partnership with Cursor AI that can expand to a full purchase later this year for $60B. [source [https://www.cnet.com/tech/services-and-software/elon-musks-spacex-cursor-ai-partnership-news-april-2026/]] * China announced an $8.4B line of credit offered to startup Orbital Chenguang to build 16 sun-synchronous orbital data centers. [source [https://spacenews.com/china-backs-orbital-data-center-startup-with-8-4-billion-in-credit-lines/#:~:text=Beijing%20Orbital%20Twilight%20Technology%20Co.%2C%20Ltd.%2C%20also,of%20a%20Pre%2DA1%20funding%20round%20April%2020.]] * Atmos Space Cargo raised a €25.7M series A led by Banlord and Expansion to build out their 3 vehicle Phoenix-2 fleet, develop their Phoenix-3 vehicle, and stand up ATMOS Works. [source [https://atmos-space-cargo.com/milestones/atmos-raises-e25-7m-in-series-a/]] * Northrop Grumman disclosed that challenges with their Solid Rocket Boosters had cost them $71M in Q1. [source [https://spacenews.com/northrop-grumman-takes-71-million-charge-on-vulcan-booster-issue/]] * Spacebackend raised a €1.8M pre-seed round to bring hardware integration, testing, and verification all under a single software platform. [source [https://www.tipranks.com/news/private-companies/techstars-portfolio-company-spacebackend-raises-e1-8m-to-target-satellite-integration-bottlenecks]] Tech Advances * Univity received $32M to develop and deploy a pair of 5G VLEO satellites for lower latency, higher-resolution product offerings. [source [https://pulse2.com/univity-e27-million-raised-to-build-high-speed-space-based-internet-infrastructure-for-telecom-operators-2/]] * Nordspace received $250k CA in funding to develop VLEO spacecraft for ultra-high resolution SDA and D2D capability. [source [https://www.einpresswire.com/article/906828015/nordspace-awarded-dnd-ideas-funding-to-advance-vleo-satellite-for-ultra-high-resolution-sda-and-d2d-connectivity]] * Astroscale announced the ISSA-J1 mission to rendezvous with two defunct satellites in separate orbits, demonstrating their extensive capabilities for orbital inspection and review. [source [https://www.space.com/space-exploration/satellites/private-japanese-spacecraft-will-inspect-2-dead-satellites-in-2027]] Get full access to Space Times at spacetimespod.substack.com/subscribe [https://spacetimespod.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]