Commercial Space

Google’s Suncatcher satellite sent its first artificial intelligence (AI)-generated response back to Earth after initial commissioning and tests.

Infrared satellite imagery provider Hydrosat plans to deploy a high-resolution midwave system.

Telesat is now targeting the start of global operations of its Lightspeed low-Earth-orbit sat constellation service a quarter late to reflect adjusted launch plans for demo sats.

Rendezvous Robotics plans to demo seven of its self-assembling tiles autonomously joining to form a single spacecraft, and then separating and assembling again into a different configuration.

Amid a growing embrace of commercial innovation, the U.S. Space Force wants to help new industry partners get involved with classified national security efforts.

The U.S. Space Force has tapped six companies for the first operational contracts of its Commercial Augmentation Space Reserve program, service officials revealed Oct. 21.

New Zealand spaceplane developer Dawn Aerospace wants to establish a suborbital payload launch program from the UK.

Rocketdyne has won a deal to produce 12 maneuvering thrusters for Schmidt Sciences’ Lazuli Space Observatory, a privately funded telescope.

Blue Origin says it is investing another $330 million to boost manufacturing capabilities in Florida.

JAXA has partnered with startup Innovative Space Carrier to explore scaling up commercial satellite launch services with reusable rockets.

The state of California has signed an agreement with synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellite operator Iceye.

Linse Capital said Oct. 5 it was putting more attention on early-stage aerospace and defense companies.

Satellite manufacturer York Space Systems will support a set of future U.S. Space Force missions in geosynchronous Earth orbit (GEO).

NorthStar Earth & Space, a startup providing sats for space situational awareness, debuted as a publicly traded company but saw its stock price lose ground.

Space entrepreneur Walt Anderson aims to deploy airships to provide affordable telecommunications to underserved markets in Southeast Asia, Africa or the Caribbean.

Portuguese space component maker Omnidea says it has acquired what is left of British rocket startup Orbex, which folded this year.

The Export-Import Bank of the United States has approved Astranis Space Technologies for a $468 million credit facility to fund the expansion of its domestic satellite production.

Momentus, Inc., has reported the successful completion of a rendezvous and proximity operations demonstration.

Katalyst Space’s first robotic servicing satellite reentered the atmosphere Sept. 25.

Google plans to deploy a first test satellite carrying its tensor processing units for its orbital data center ambitions next month.

Hubble Network has raised a $200 million Series C round that it plans to use to grow its Bluetooth-connected satellite constellation to 60 spacecraft by 2030.

Voyager Technologies and Exobiosphere have announced two additional research campaigns aboard the International Space Station.

Belgium is headed to the lunar surface with Space Applications Services disclosing plans for its 2029 mission to the south pole of the Moon.

Rideshare integrator and space services provider Exolaunch has signed a contract with SpaceX for a Starfall microgravity research mission slated to launch on a Starship mission in 2029.

Vast, the developer of a commercial space station, has started a lunar programs division and unveiled several products intended to serve NASA’s Moon Base program.