Markets

A collection of 95 posts

Markets

SpaceX blocked from immediate S&P 500 inclusion despite record IPO valuation

SpaceX will not receive a fast-track entry into the S&P 500 index following its initial public offering, despite a valuation near $2 trillion that makes it one of the largest IPOs in history. The decision, announced June 6, 2026, denies the company immediate access to the trillions

Markets

Planet Labs Reports 42% Revenue Jump as Commercial Satellite Imagery Business Expands

Planet Labs (NYSE: PL) reported a 42 percent year-over-year revenue increase in the first quarter of 2026, driven by a surge in commercial customers seeking satellite imagery for agriculture, insurance, and environmental monitoring. The San Francisco-based company also clarified its approach to imagery restrictions in sensitive geopolitical

Markets

SpaceX Locks in $30 Billion Google Cloud Deal as It Heads Toward Public Markets

SpaceX has secured a $30 billion cloud computing contract with Google that will pay the company $920 million monthly for access to a large cluster of artificial intelligence chips. The disclosure appeared in SpaceX's initial public offering filing on June 5, 2026, establishing a major new revenue stream

Markets

Apex Closes $200 Million Funding Round, Valued at $2.3 Billion

Apex Space, the Los Angeles-based satellite manufacturer, raised more than $200 million in its third major funding round in 14 months, nearly doubling the company's valuation to $2.3 billion. The capital influx accelerates the four-year-old company's push to build satellites on industrial

Markets

Axiom Space Raises $525 Million as MUFG Bank Bets on Commercial Space Station Future

Axiom Space announced $525 million in fresh funding on June 4, marking a significant financial milestone for the company racing to build the commercial successor to the International Space Station. MUFG Bank's entry as a new investor signals that major financial institutions now view private orbital infrastructure as

Satellites

Muon Space Launches Purpose-Built Satellite Bus for Orbital AI Computing

Muon Space unveiled a new satellite platform on June 3 explicitly designed for orbital data centers, marking the first time a spacecraft bus has been engineered from inception around in-space computing rather than communications or Earth observation. The Condor-Ultra is three times larger than Muon's existing

Defense

Northrop Grumman Taps Startup Apex for 2027 Space-Based Interceptor Demo

Northrop Grumman announced a partnership with Los Angeles satellite maker Apex Space to build and fly a space-based interceptor for the U.S. Space Force's Golden Dome program, targeting delivery in 2027. The collaboration pairs a traditional defense contractor's payload expertise with a commercial startup&

Markets

Voyager Technologies buys troubled lunar lander maker Astrobotic for up to $300 million

Voyager Technologies (NYSE: VOYG) will acquire Astrobotic Technology, the Pittsburgh-based lunar lander developer, in an all-stock transaction valued at up to $300 million. The deal consolidates one of the Moon race's most visible but financially fragile competitors under a parent company betting it can turn setbacks

Markets

Impulse Space Closes $500 Million Round to Ramp Orbital Tugboat Production

Impulse Space raised $500 million in Series D funding to scale production of its orbital transfer vehicles, with the round co-led by 137 Ventures and BANNER VC. The financing underscores investor confidence that orbital mobility, not launch itself, has become the critical constraint in modern spaceflight. The company, founded

Markets

Iceye Shifts From Radar Specialist to Multi-Sensor Intelligence Provider With $33M Finnish Grant

Finland has awarded Finnish satellite operator Iceye a $33 million grant to scale production of its synthetic aperture radar constellation and develop two entirely new sensor types: optical imaging and radio frequency signal intelligence. The grant, approved by Business Finland on June 1, marks a deliberate pivot from single-sensor

Policy

U.S. Spaceports Win Access to Tax-Exempt Municipal Bonds, Reshaping Launch Infrastructure Finance

The United States has formally authorized spaceports to issue tax-exempt municipal bonds, the same financing tool that built the nation's airport and highway systems. The law, signed in June 2026, removes a critical barrier that has kept spaceport development dependent on speculative private capital and allows launch

Markets

South Korean startup Unastella lands $24 million to pursue domestic orbital launches

Unastella, a Seoul-based rocket developer, raised $24 million in a funding round announced June 1 to advance its proprietary launch vehicles and engines toward orbital capability. The round, led by Altos Ventures, brings the company's total funding to $44 million. The company has already conducted test launches

Markets

SpaceX Wins $4.16 Billion Space Force Contract for Missile-Tracking Satellite Network

The U.S. Space Force awarded SpaceX a $4.16 billion contract to build and operate a satellite constellation that will track aircraft, cruise missiles, drones, and other airborne threats from orbit. The award, announced May 29, comes as part of the military's effort to establish persistent global

Markets

NASA Taps Commercial Rover Maker for Artemis Lunar Exploration

NASA selected Venturi Astrolab on Wednesday to design and build the Lunar Terrain Vehicle, a pressurized rover that will extend astronaut mobility during Artemis missions to the Moon. The CLV-1, as the rover is designated, marks the first time the agency has contracted a commercial manufacturer to develop a

Markets

SpaceX Cuts IPO Target to $1.8 Trillion as Wall Street Questions Space Economy Valuations

SpaceX has reduced its initial public offering valuation target to at least $1.8 trillion, down from prior expectations near $2 trillion, as the company prepares for what would be the largest IPO in history. The valuation cut reflects skepticism from institutional investors and research analysts who question whether the

Markets

Observable Space Raises $90 Million to Scale Optical Ground Stations as Satellite Constellations Explode

Observable Space closed a $90 million Series A on May 28, 2026, positioning itself as a critical infrastructure provider for the emerging satellite communications economy. The company manufactures laser and optical ground systems that handle high-bandwidth data downlinks from satellites and precision tracking of space objects, technology that investors

Markets

Virgin Galactic Resurrects Unity Spaceplane for Pilot Training as Delta Program Extends

Virgin Galactic returned its VSS Unity spaceplane to flight operations on May 28 with a glide test, repurposing the retired vehicle as a trainer for pilots who will eventually fly the company's next-generation Delta-class spaceplanes. The move underscores a widening gap between the retirement of Virgin

Satellites

Spire Global Opens Munich Plant to Manufacture 100 Satellites Annually

Spire Global announced a new manufacturing facility in Munich on May 27, 2026, capable of producing up to 100 small satellites per year. The plant marks the company's second international manufacturing hub and reflects a broader industry shift toward distributed production networks driven by geopolitical pressure and growing

Markets

Firefly Aerospace Launches Public Stock Offering on Heels of Lunar Contract Win

Firefly Aerospace announced a public equity offering of 12 million shares on May 26, capitalizing on momentum from a recent $75 million NASA subcontract to deliver robotic assets to the lunar south pole. The company is offering 4 million shares while existing stockholders are selling 8 million, signaling both capital

Markets

SpaceX's Path to Public Markets Could Unlock European Space Investment

European space companies are positioning themselves to benefit from SpaceX's expected initial public offering, viewing the milestone as a test case that could unlock billions in institutional investment across the continent's emerging commercial sector. Industry executives and investors gathered at the SmallSat Europe conference in Amsterdam

Markets

NASA Taps Blue Origin for First Moon Base Lander, Beating SpaceX to Inaugural Contract

NASA awarded approximately $1 billion in lunar infrastructure contracts on May 26, selecting Blue Origin to deliver the first uncrewed cargo lander to the Moon's South Pole region. The decision marks a significant competitive win for Blue Origin over SpaceX and represents the initial hardware commitments for NASA&

Markets

NASA Exercises SpaceX Option for Six Additional Crew Missions as Boeing Starliner Remains Uncertified

NASA will purchase six additional crew rotation missions from SpaceX under an expanded Commercial Crew contract, with three ordered immediately and three reserved for future use through the end of International Space Station operations. The procurement follows Boeing's continued inability to obtain NASA certification for Starliner to conduct

Satellites

American Airlines To Outfit 500+ Aircraft With Starlink

American Airlines announced it will install SpaceX's Starlink satellite internet on more than 500 narrowbody aircraft, beginning deployment in the first quarter of 2027. The move makes American the third major U.S. carrier to adopt the service, following Delta Air Lines and United Airlines, cementing SpaceX'

Markets

Rocket Lab Adds Mars-Proven Robotics Capability Through Motiv Space Systems Acquisition

Rocket Lab has completed its acquisition of Motiv Space Systems, bringing precision robotics and mechanisms developed for Mars rovers into the company's expanding portfolio. The move signals the launch provider's broader shift toward building complete spacecraft systems and targeting emerging markets like orbital artificial intelligence infrastructure.

Markets

Firefly Aerospace Capitalizes on NASA Moon Contract Win With Public Stock Offering

Firefly Aerospace is launching a public stock offering on the same day it secured a $75 million NASA contract to deliver robotic systems to the lunar surface. The company announced it will offer 4 million shares of common stock, with existing shareholders adding 8 million shares to the offering. The