Satellites

A collection of 58 posts

Markets

OHB Launches Share Sale With KKR to Chase Higher Valuation in Wake of SpaceX IPO

German satellite manufacturer OHB said on June 22, 2026 that it is launching a share sale in partnership with private equity firm KKR. The company aims to attract new investors and secure a higher valuation, a move tied directly to rising investor interest in space stocks following SpaceX's

Satellites

Boeing Proves Quantum Entanglement Swapping on Space-Ready Payload Ahead of 2027 Flight

Boeing has demonstrated high-fidelity entanglement swapping in ground testing of its Q4S quantum networking satellite payload, clearing a key milestone before an on-orbit experiment planned for 2027. The result moves a core building block of quantum networking off the laboratory bench and onto hardware engineered for the constraints

Launch

Ariane 64 Lofts Record 36 Amazon Leo Satellites on Debut of Upgraded Boosters

Arianespace launched its heaviest payload to date on June 17, sending 36 Amazon Leo broadband satellites into low Earth orbit aboard an Ariane 64 rocket flying with newly upgraded solid rocket boosters for the first time. The mission, designated VA269 by Arianespace and Leo Europe 03 by Amazon, lifted off

Launch

Chinese Commercial Rocket Stage Breaks Apart in Orbit, Scattering Debris Near Starlink Shell

The upper stage of a Zhuque-2E rocket has fragmented in low-Earth orbit, generating an estimated 100 to 150 pieces of debris in a region home to the International Space Station and a significant portion of SpaceX's Starlink network. The breakup occurred shortly after the rocket reached

Satellites

State Department Signs Two-Year Starlink Agreement for Global Disaster Response

The U.S. Department of State has signed a two-year Memorandum of Understanding with SpaceX to use the Starlink satellite internet system for international disaster preparedness and U.S. humanitarian response. The department revealed the agreement on June 11, formalizing a cooperation framework with the commercial satellite operator. The

Satellites

China's Satellite Broadband Push Targets Markets Where Starlink Has Stalled

State-backed Chinese startup Spacesail is actively signing agreements with governments and operators that SpaceX has been unable to serve, positioning itself as a direct competitor to Starlink in underserved global markets. The move comes as SpaceX pursues its IPO, and it strikes at the markets the company needs to

Policy

India Halts Starlink Approvals Over Military Conflict Security Risks

India has frozen commercial approvals for SpaceX's Starlink satellite internet service, citing security concerns about the terminals' use in active military conflicts. The regulatory hold arrives at a critical moment for SpaceX, which is preparing for a public offering while banking on rapid international expansion to drive

Markets

ICEYE Reaches $12 Billion Valuation as Defense Demand Drives European Space Sector

Finnish synthetic aperture radar company ICEYE closed a $520 million Series F funding round at a $12 billion valuation, becoming one of Europe's most valuable space companies. The raise reflects surging government demand for all-weather Earth observation capabilities, particularly among defense and intelligence agencies seeking persistent surveillance

Satellites

Indonesia's PSN Confirms Role as Secret Customer for Rocket Lab's Equatorial Satellite Launch

Indonesia's Pasifik Satellit Nusantara revealed on June 8 that it was the undisclosed customer behind a recent Rocket Lab Electron launch deploying six Internet of Things satellites to equatorial orbit. The constellation will deliver connectivity across Indonesia's sprawling archipelago, marking a shift in how emerging space

Markets

UK Startup NewOrbit Raises $18.5M to Pursue Very Low Earth Orbit Imaging

NewOrbit closed an oversubscribed $18.5 million Series A funding round to develop satellites operating below 450 kilometers altitude, a frontier that promises sharper Earth imagery and lower latency than traditional low Earth orbit. The UK-based company has not yet launched any spacecraft but plans to fly its NEO-

Launch

SpaceX Falcon 9 Booster Reaches 35th Flight, Extending Reusability Lead

A SpaceX Falcon 9 booster completed its 35th orbital flight on June 7, carrying Starlink satellites to orbit from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. The milestone extends SpaceX's commanding lead in rocket reusability, a capability that translates directly into lower launch costs and higher flight rates for the

Policy

Amazon Wins FCC Deployment Waiver for Kuiper But Faces Spectrum Restrictions

The FCC granted Amazon a 50 percent deployment waiver for its Kuiper satellite constellation on June 5, allowing the company until the end of July 2026 to launch half of its planned satellites. The relief comes with significant conditions tied to spectrum priority, meaning Amazon risks losing critical frequencies if

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

Satellites

Amazon to Launch 36 Satellites on Ariane 6's Upgraded Booster Flight

Amazon Leo will deploy 36 satellites aboard an Ariane 6 rocket this month, marking both the largest single payload for its Project Kuiper constellation and the debut flight of the European launcher's enhanced booster configuration. The mission represents a watershed moment for Ariane 6, which will demonstrate upgraded

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

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

BAE Systems Taps Canadian Antenna Maker for Space Force's Next-Generation Missile Warning Satellites

BAE Systems, a British multinational aerospace, arms and information security company, has selected MDA Space as a subcontractor to supply payload antennas for the U.S. Space Force's MEO Epoch 2 missile warning constellation. The antenna systems are critical to the constellation's ability to detect and

Satellites

OST Insights: The 15 km/s Problem for Space Data Centers

Every major player in space-based datacenters has agreed on the same orbit. But they haven't agreed on which direction to fly through it. There is a gold rush happening 650 kilometers above our heads. SpaceX has filed with the FCC for up to one million orbital datacenter

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

Launch

China Launches Reusable Rocket Without Notice, Orbits Operational Satellites

China conducted the first flight of its Long March 12B reusable rocket on June 1, flying unannounced from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center and successfully delivering operational Qianfan satellites to orbit. The surprise launch, executed without pre-flight announcements or a livestream, signals that China has moved past the experimental

Launch

ULA Launches Record-Heavy Amazon Leo Batch as Blue Origin Explosion Threatens Constellation Timeline

United Launch Alliance successfully deployed 29 Amazon Leo satellites aboard an Atlas V rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on May 29, marking the second-to-last Atlas V mission Amazon has contracted. The payload equaled the heaviest mass ever carried by Atlas V, underscoring the rocket's

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

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.

Defense

DARPA's Repair Robot Aims to Turn Geosynchronous Orbit Into a Second-Life Marketplace

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency is preparing to launch a robotic satellite next summer capable of refueling, inspecting, and replacing components on geosynchronous satellites worth hundreds of millions of dollars each. The mission represents the first operational demonstration of on-orbit servicing in the band of space where most