Tag: commercial-space
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Orbital Raises $5 Million to Develop Distributed Space-Based AI Data Center Network
Los Angeles-based startup Orbital has raised $5 million in a pre-seed funding round to support the development of a space-based computing network aimed at providing artificial intelligence processing capabilities from orbit. The funding round was led by Speedrun, the startup accelerator operated by Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), and included participation from a broad group of venture…
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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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NewOrbit Raises $18.5 Million to Commercialize Very Low Earth Orbit Satellite Operations
European satellite manufacturer NewOrbit has closed an oversubscribed $18.5 million Series A funding round to accelerate the commercialization of very low Earth orbit (VLEO), a region of space that has historically been considered too challenging for long-term commercial operations. The funding round was led by Voyager Ventures and included participation from several new and existing…
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Quantum Space to Go Public in $1.2 Billion SPAC Deal Backed by Former NASA Chief Jim Bridenstine
Quantum Space has agreed to go public through a merger with special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) Inflection Point Acquisition Corp. VI in a transaction valuing the combined company at approximately $1.2 billion. The deal includes a $300 million private investment in public equity (PIPE) led by Inflection Point Asset Management and is expected to close…
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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…
