President Trump and a group of billionaires head to China to meet with Xi. Trump and Xi both seem determined to not let differences over Iran overshadow the state visit. Uranus and Neptune could contain rocks in their atmospheres. NASA is crushing missions at the moment. And Russia is continuing to advance its ability to execute orbital warfare.
Operation Epic Fury
U.S. intel shows Iran retains substantial missile capabilities (NYT)
Trump says war on Iran not ‘done’ -- but concerns rise about munitions shortages (MT)
Trump: Ceasefire on ‘life support’ (TG)
66% of Americans say Trump has failed to articulate goals of Iran war (RT)
The U.A.E. has been secretly carrying out attacks on Iran (WSJ)
Pakistan allegedly allowed Iran to park military aircraft on its airfields to shield combat power from airstrikes (CBS)
Pentagon seeks additional funding for Iran war, but isn’t forthcoming on details (DO)
News Headlines
Israel’s government is expected to collapse over ultra-Orthodox military draft (NPR)
‘NACHO Trade’ is taking shape on Wall Street (WSJ)
Trump snubbed Jensen Huang from China trip with billionaires (BBG)
‘Big Short’ Michael Burry renewed ‘bubble’ warnings (CNBC)
US power prices climb 60% faster than inflation as demand surges (BBG)
Meta employees are protesting against mouse tracking tech (RT)
Africa may be cracking along a new tectonic plate boundary (GZM)
Satellites
Launches
Upcoming Launches
Space News
Gravitational waves from colliding black holes may allow detection of dark matter (PHYS)
Volcanic eruption surprisingly destroys methane in the atmosphere (SD)
New study suggests Uranus and Neptune could contain atmospheric rock (SP)
U.S. Federal Space News
NASA’s Psyche asteroid probe will slingshot by Mars in gravity assist maneuver (SP)
Rescue mission for NASA’s $500M Swift telescope passes key testing milestone (SFN)
Space force digital overhaul early warning surveillance radars (ASF)
NRO launches 13th mission for its proliferated satellite architecture (SPD)
Commercial Space News
Jeff Bezos shakes up Blue Origin stock incentives ahead of SpaceX IPO (FT)
Google in talks to use SpaceX to launch space data centers (TC)
SpaceX eyes global spaceports as launch ambitions grow (RT)
Quantum Space to build spacecraft in Tulsa (SN)
Varda signs deal with major U.S. pharmaceutical firm to develop drugs in space (AT)
Foreign Space News
Russia hones proximity ops capabilities with KOSMOS 2581, 2583 satellites (SP)
China’s Tianzhou 10 freighter delivers 7 tons of cargo to Tiangong space station (SP)
U.S.-China rivalry reaches South American skies (NYT)
Electromagnetic Warfare
First-of-kind electrogmagnetic spectrum exercise tests senior leaders in Arctic conditions (BD)
Senator presses Army Secretary on electromagnetic warfare testing cuts (SEN)
Army transform national guard brigade into drone and electromagnetic warfare combat force (AR)
Air Force wants to double its EA-37B Compass Call fleet (NI)
Deal Flow
VC
Cowboy Space, the orbital data center and rocket startup of Robinhood co-founder Baiju Bhatt, raised a $275M Series B at a $2B valuation led by Index Ventures (SP)
Star Catcher, a company building the first power grid in space, raised a $65M Series A led by B Capital, Shield Capital, and Cerberus Ventures (PU)
Skyroot Aerospace, an Indian space tech company, raised $60M at a $1.1B valuation (RT)
Lunar Outpost, a leader in off-planet mobility and in-space infrastructure, raised a $30M Series B led by Industrious Ventures (TFN)
Scout Space, a space domain awareness sensors and software company, raised an $18M Series A led by Washington Harbour Partners (PU)
PE / M&A / Exits / Other
Space and defense engineering firm Applied Aerospace & Defense filed for an IPO (RT)
Rocket Lab to acquire space robotics company Motive Space Systems for $40M (AVW)
Opportunities
The Air Force Research Lab has opened an advanced research announcement calling for papers and proposals on directed energy technology and experimentation research (SAM)
The Space Force is looking for vendors to modernize its ground base radars through digitization (SAM)
Editor’s Picks
EMS 2025 continues its look at the basics of electromagnetic warfare with a piece on how adversaries exploit signals.
Play the new game laced with Iran war satire, Operation Epic Furious: Strait to Hell
Lighter Side
Keep Building,
BOF