Tag: Satellite Launch
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SES Completes RDV1 Milestone for Europe’s IRIS² Satellite Programme
SES has announced the completion of Rendez-vous 1 (RDV1) under the Infrastructure for Resilience, Interconnectivity and Security by Satellite (IRIS²) programme, marking a key milestone in the programme’s implementation phase and reinforcing Europe’s path towards satellite connectivity. The completion of RDV1 has confirmed the programme’s readiness to move forward with implementation and has provided greater…
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FCC Authorizes Xona Space System’s Pulsar Constellation
The Federal Communications Commission has authorized Xona to broadcast Pulsar navigation signals from its full constellation of more than 250 satellites in Low Earth Orbit. This authorization marked the last regulatory milestone needed to advance Pulsar from demonstration to scaled deployment. This October, Xona would have launched its first six production Pulsar satellites. The spacecraft…
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Leidos Selected by Sierra Space to Supply Infrared Payloads for AMDT3 Satellites
Building on a track record of delivering sensing technologies for the Space Development Agency’s (SDA) proliferated low Earth orbit architecture, Leidos has been selected by Sierra Space to provide infrared sensing payloads, onboard signal-processing capabilities, and mission support for the Accelerated Missile Defense Tranche 3 (AMDT3) Tracking Layer. Sierra Space would have integrated Leidos’ infrared…
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K2 Space Raises $500 Million in Series D Funding Round at $6.8 Billion Valuation
K2 Space, the manufacturer of big, high-power satellites, has announced a $500 million Series D funding round at a $6.8 billion valuation. Kleiner Perkins and ICONIQ have led the round, with participation from CapitalG, Lightspeed, Altimeter, Spark Capital, Sands Capital, ARK Invest, T. Rowe Price Associates, and other existing investors. “When my brother Neel and…
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ispace Signs H3 Launch Deal with MHI for Lunar Mission 2028
ispace, a lunar exploration company, and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) have announced that the two companies have signed a contract for launch and transportation services for ispace’s Mission 3 ULTRA Lunar Lander using MHI’s H3 rocket, currently scheduled for 2028. Through the agreement, ispace has secured Japan’s launch capability provided by MHI and has strengthened…
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Blue Origin and NASA to Test New Glenn Upper Stage at Stennis Space Center
Blue Origin and NASA signed an agreement to use the historic Thad Cochran Test Stand “B-Test Complex” at NASA Stennis Space Center in Mississippi for New Glenn second stage hotfire testing. This facility provides an additional testbed for validating our upper stage performance before flight. The B-Test Complex is part of Blue Origin’s comprehensive infrastructure…
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Isar Aerospace Raises €270 Million to Scale Spectrum Rocket Production and Expand Global Launch Network
German launch services company Isar Aerospace has secured a €270 million Series D funding round to accelerate global expansion, increase production of its Spectrum launch vehicle and strengthen sovereign space capabilities for Europe, NATO members and allied nations. The company said the new capital will support the worldwide scaling of its operations and the ramp-up…
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PLD Space Invests €35 Million in Launch Complex at Guiana Space Centre
PLD Space has announced plans to invest €35 million ($40.8 million) in the development of its launch complex at the Guiana Space Centre (CSG) in Kourou, French Guiana. The investment will be carried out between 2025 and 2026 and is intended to support the company’s upcoming Miura 5 launch vehicle program. First Private Operator at…
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Austrian Startup Tumbleweed Ships First Commercial Satellite Ahead of July Launch
Vienna-based startup Tumbleweed has shipped its first satellite, Oasis Alpha, to launch services provider Exolaunch ahead of a planned launch in July, marking what the company says is Austria’s first fully commercial satellite mission. The milestone comes less than a year after Tumbleweed was founded in 2024, highlighting the company’s goal of simplifying access to…
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Arianespace Launches 32 Amazon Satellites on Ariane 6 as Constellation Deployment Continues
Arianespace has successfully launched 32 satellites for Amazon’s low Earth orbit (LEO) constellation, marking its second mission for the program using the Ariane 6 rocket. The launch took place at 08:57 UTC from the ELA-4 launch complex in French Guiana, with the rocket flying in its Ariane 64 configuration, which includes four solid-fuel boosters. The…