Tag: Space Transportation
-
The Exploration Company Raises $450 Million for Nyx Space Capsule and Storm Rocket Engine
European space logistics startup The Exploration Company has raised $450 million (€387 million) in Series C funding to advance its reusable Nyx cargo capsule and Storm rocket engine. Announced on September 8, the financing brings the company’s total funding since its establishment in 2021 to approximately $680 million. The round was co-led by U.S. venture…
-
Stoke Space Raises $1 Billion, Targets Early 2027 Debut for Fully Reusable Nova Rocket
Stoke Space announced on September 8 that it completed the initial closing of a $1 billion Series E financing round, bringing its total capital raised to $2.3 billion. The Kent, Washington-based company will use the funding to prepare its fully reusable Nova Pathfinder rocket for a first orbital launch in early 2027, expand production and…
-
Six Key Metrics for Assessing China’s Reusable Rockets
China’s reusable-rocket race has reached a turning point. With the Long March-10B completing an offshore net-capture recovery and Zhuque-3 Y2 landing its first stage on deployable legs, the country has demonstrated that it can recover intact boosters from orbital-class missions. But landing a rocket is not the same as reusing it—and reuse does not automatically…
-
SpaceX Recovers First Intact Starship Upper Stage After Month-Long Indian Ocean Ordeal
SpaceX has achieved a major milestone in the development of its fully reusable Starship system, successfully loading the upper stage from Starship Flight 13 onto a semi-submersible transport vessel in the Indian Ocean more than a month after the spacecraft completed its mission and splashed down at sea. The recovery marks the first time a…
-
ESA Shelves Ariane 6 Block 3 Upgrade Plans as Europe Prioritizes Launch Cadence and Near-Term Competitiveness
The European Space Agency (ESA) has shelved plans for the Ariane 6 Block 3 upgrade, marking a significant shift in Europe’s launch strategy as officials focus resources on increasing Ariane 6 production and flight rates rather than pursuing a major performance enhancement program. The decision effectively pauses one of the most ambitious future evolutions of…
-
Trump Sets 1,000-Plus Annual Launch Target as White House Rewrites U.S. Space Transportation Policy
The White House is targeting more than 1,000 space launches and reentries from U.S. soil every year by 2030 under a new national space transportation policy signed by President Donald Trump on Aug. 20, 2026. The National Security Presidential Memorandum replaces the previous National Space Transportation Policy issued in 2013 and establishes a commercial-first framework…
-
ArianeGroup Completes Wet Dress Rehearsal for Themis Reusable Booster
ArianeGroup has completed a wet dress rehearsal of its Themis reusable booster demonstrator at the Esrange Space Centre in Sweden, marking a key milestone in the vehicle’s ongoing test campaign. The rehearsal was carried out on July 23 by teams from ArianeGroup and SSC Space, the operator of Esrange Space Centre, with the company announcing…
-
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…
-
ESA Delays Space Rider Drop Test After Anomaly During Helicopter Ascent
The European Space Agency (ESA) has postponed a key drop test of its Space Rider reusable spaceplane after an anomaly occurred during a helicopter-assisted ascent phase in May, delaying the final stage of the vehicle’s landing qualification campaign. ESA confirmed that the incident took place during a two-week test campaign that concluded on May 8,…
-
Dawn Aerospace Raises $25 Million to Accelerate Spaceplane and In-Orbit Refueling Programs
Dawn Aerospace has secured $25 million in Series B funding at a post-money valuation of $195 million, providing fresh capital to accelerate development of its Aurora spaceplane and advance plans for in-orbit satellite refueling services. The New Zealand-Dutch space transportation company said the funding round was led by Balerion Space Ventures, with participation from investors…