Space startups find more paths to liquidity as investors warm to maturing sector Young space companies are gaining more ways to cash out or raise larger pools of capital as the industry matures and investors grow more comfortable with the sector.

ThinKom gets military contract to supply portable ground stations for satellite communications The contract will examine the performance of ThinKom’s “portable gateway” for use by dismounted forces

It is time to take astronomy off Earth Astronomy and commercial space are often portrayed as being on a collision course, yet their futures are deeply intertwined. As satellite constellations expand, astronomers raise concerns about trails across images, interference with radio telescopes and the…

Software startup Integrate makes push into defense market following Space Force award The company developed a collaborative project management platform designed to operate in classified environments

Launch companies debate how to compete against SpaceX Launch companies are divided on how to compete with SpaceX in a market where demand outstrips supply, yet customers remain price sensitive.

ULA’s Vulcan launches U.S. Space Force mission to geosynchronous orbit USSF-87 sends GSSAP payloads and propulsive ESPA ring on fourth Vulcan flight

FCC Space Bureau chief shares agenda for regulatory reform MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. -- The U.S. Federal Communications Commission’s Space Bureau is pursuing an ambitious agenda for regulatory reform. The space plank of the FCC’s Build America Agenda would allocate additional spectrum for space…

SpaceX IPO may suck oxygen from market before unleashing broad capital surge Space investors and dealmakers anticipate SpaceX’s planned IPO this year will trigger a surge of capital across the industry, but not without the risk of pulling investor attention away from other companies in the run-up.

UK Launcher Orbex files for administration after failed funding efforts MILAN — United Kingdom-based launch company Orbex announced that its business is folding after multiple attempts to stay solvent fell through. The company announced Feb. 11 that it has filed a notice of intention to appoint…

Space companies bet on Golden Dome as questions persist over scope and funding At SmallSat Symposium, executives cite enduring missile threat as rationale for continued investment

Integrate Raises $17M to Commercialize the World’s First Ultra-Secure Project Management Platform for Classified Programs SEATTLE, Feb. 11, 2026 -- Integrate, the developer of the world's first ultra-secure project management platform for dynamic multi-entity execution, today announced a $17…

Demand for sovereign systems extends to the Earth-observation stack MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. – At the recent World Economic Forum in Switzerland, much of the conversation revolved around the concerns of middle powers, nations with the wherewithal to influence international events that are not among…

The Exploration Company completes water-impact tests for its Nyx space capsule MILAN — The French-German aerospace company The Exploration Company completed mock splashdown tests for its Nyx space capsule, a modular, reusable spacecraft designed to transport cargo and eventually crew to low Earth…

How much is vertical integration squeezing the smallsat opportunity? As SpaceX and other vertically integrated space giants expand their reach, questions are growing over just how much room other small satellite companies have to build scalable businesses.

Motiv Space Systems and PickNik Robotics Collaborate on Software for NASA’s Fly Foundational Robotics (FFR) Mission Boulder, CO and Pasadena, CA — February 11, 2026 — Motiv Space Systems announced a contractual agreement with PickNik Robotics to support software development for NASA’s Fly…

NINE INNOVATIVE COMPANIES SELECTED FOR FOURTH COHORT OF SDA TAP LAB – CATALYST CAMPUS MINI ACCELERATOR Catalyst Campus is proud to welcome the fourth cohort of small businesses to the SDA TAP Lab – Catalyst Campus Mini Accelerator, a dynamic two-month program designed to prepare innovative…

Reusable launch vehicles will change everything in space, and on Earth “When you have a fully reusable vehicle … you can send it anywhere … to the moon … past Mars”  —Jared Isaacman, NASA Administrator. Imagine a future where thousands of people travel to space every year. Some stay a week. Some a…

Eutelsat gets nearly 1 billion euros in French-backed ECA financing Eutelsat has signed a 975 million euro ($1.2 billion) France-backed export credit agency financing package to help fund 440 replacement satellites for its OneWeb LEO broadband constellation.

Stoke Space adds $350 million to Series D round Stoke Space has raised an additional $350 million to advance work on its reusable launch vehicle and future projects.

China tests crewed spacecraft abort and rocket recovery in major lunar milestone China took a major step forward in its lunar and human spaceflight programs late Tuesday with successful in-flight abort and rocket recovery tests.

FCC approves thousands more Amazon Leo satellites as Gen 1 deadline looms Amazon received approval Feb. 10 to deploy thousands more broadband satellites, weeks after seeking relief from a July milestone for its first-generation network after reaching only about 11% of the required deployment.

Satellite manufacturers see emerging market for ‘mini-constellations’ Manufacturers of small satellites that lack opportunities to build very large constellations say they are seeing growing interest from customers seeking smaller systems tailored to specific needs.

National Reconnaissance Office adds HEO, SatVu and Sierra Nevada to commercial imaging program “The NRO is always looking for innovative ways to bring on new partners,” said Chris Scolese, director of the NRO

Laser-linked satellite networks moving from concept to capability Executives say customers care less about how data moves than what it enables

Australia Space Innovation Institute applies space technologies to address terrestrial challenges MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. – Australia is applying space-related products and services to national and regional challenges through an independent not-for-profit organization, the Australasian Space…

ULA seeks to rebuild launch cadence after CEO’s exit COO Mark Peller said ULA is aiming for between 18 and 22 launches in 2026

Germany funds 78 million euro human exploration control center MILAN — Bavarian Minister-President Markus Söder announced Feb. 4 that the German Aerospace Center (DLR) will receive 58 million euros ($69 million) to build a Human Exploration Control Center to support future robotic and human…

Amazon Leo nets anchor maritime resellers Amazon announced its first LEO maritime broadband reseller agreements Feb. 10, as it prepares to deploy another batch of satellites this week on the inaugural flight of Europe’s Ariane 64 rocket.

Aerospace attracts partners for DiskSat demonstrations MOUNTAIN VIEW – The Aerospace Corp. is sharing DiskSat technology with industry partners as the first four pancake-shaped spacecraft undergo commissioning. Orbotic Systems, a Southern California startup focused on space debris remediation, and…

Non-venture space startup investment hits post-SPAC high Non-venture investment in space startups surged last year to its highest level since a 2021 spike driven by a wave of special purpose acquisition company mergers, according to BryceTech analysis.

Spaceium demonstrates refueling actuator in orbit SAN FRANCISCO – Spaceium, a startup planning to establish a network of in-space refueling and repair stations, demonstrated the actuator for its robotic arm in space. Extensive testing of Spaceium’s actuator, which flew on Transporter-15, the…

Apolink and Galaxia team up to improve planned data relay capability A satellite to be built by Canadian startup Galaxia for launch in 2027 is being lined up for a study aimed at improving California-based Apolink’s proposed in-orbit data relay services.

NASA, Boeing still working on Starliner return to flight As NASA prepares to launch a new crew to the International Space Station, the agency has yet to decide which spacecraft it will use for the next crew-rotation mission.

Musk says SpaceX focus is on the moon rather than Mars A little more than a year after dismissing the moon as a “distraction,” Elon Musk says SpaceX will focus on lunar settlement before sending humans to Mars.

There’s a way forward for sovereign European space intel, but is there the will? Germany’s top intelligence officials made waves last year by calling for the creation of a European spy network to lessen Europe’s dependence on American intelligence. After Washington’s sudden freeze of American…

Falcon 9 returns to flight after upper stage engine investigation A Falcon 9 launched a batch of Starlink satellites on Feb. 7 after SpaceX completed an investigation into an engine malfunction during the rocket’s previous launch five days earlier.

SpaceX IPO could drive investor interest in other space companies An investor in two space companies that went public in the past year said an upcoming SpaceX IPO could generate new investor interest while also triggering a wave of consolidation.

Space Force awards $54.5 million contract to Starfish Space for GEO servicing vehicle Starfish’s Otter spacecraft will support relocation and life extension of military satellites

China launches reusable spaceplane on fourth secretive orbital mission China launched its experimental reusable spacecraft for the fourth time late Friday, once again maintaining strict secrecy around the mission.

NASA seeks to bolster workforce, reduce reliance on contractors After losing about 20% of its civil servant workforce in the past year, NASA’s administrator says the agency plans to bring more expertise in-house and reduce its reliance on contractors.

Viasat sees orbital data center partnership opportunity While Viasat has no plans to join the rush to deploy orbital data centers, the satellite operator sees a role providing the communications links needed to connect such systems with users on Earth and other spacecraft.

Exodus: The shrinking federal space workforce In 2025, more than 322,000 civil servants left jobs voluntarily or were dismissed out of a workforce of roughly 2.4 million. The 13% drop in staffing is the largest single-year decline since the end of World War II. In total, more than 5,000 people who…

NASA selects two Earth science missions for development NASA has selected two Earth science missions for development, one focused on studying the atmosphere and the other on terrestrial ecosystems and ice.

Over the moon and under the radar Depending on when you read this, NASA will be weeks — perhaps days — from one of its biggest missions in years. On Jan. 17, NASA rolled out the Space Launch System rocket, with Orion spacecraft mounted on top, to the launch pad for the Artemis 2 mission. The…

China set for in-flight abort test of Mengzhou crew spacecraft China appears set for an in-flight abort test of its new-generation Mengzhou spacecraft next week in a key step for the country’s human spaceflight plans.

Tomorrow.io banks $175 million for DeepSky weather constellation SAN FRANCISCO – Tomorrow.io raised $175 million to fund DeepSky, a satellite constellation designed to gathering vast quantities of atmospheric data for artificial intelligence models. With the money provided by private equity…

Pentagon casts Golden Dome as model for faster, risk-tolerant defense buying Golden Dome deputy program manager Marcia Holmes: ‘We are going to be easier to work with’

FAA approves Starship launches from LC-39A The Federal Aviation Administration has approved plans for Starship launches from Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Complex 39A as SpaceX shifts Falcon 9 launches away from the historic pad.

The future of the Space Force in a competitive, congested and contested space environment In this episode of Space Minds, Mike Gruss sits down with a panel of experts at the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg Center to discuss the future of the United States Space Force. He's joined by Susanne…

Deep space, dim objects: Why asteroid mining caught the Space Force’s eye Maj. Gen. Stephen Purdy said the Space Force is taking a closer look at companies developing technologies to mine asteroids.