Space based solar power is part of the Space Race, NDAA extends FAA commercial spaceflight learning period, & space supply chain issues
Space Technologies
Good morning,
We’re back after missing our space issue last week. Lots of juicy goodness below but first our spicy takes on the news:
Luigi Mangione has been arrested in connection to last week’s targeted killing of UnitedHealth’s CEO Brian Thompson. Boeing extends its job cuts as Airbus seems to cut fewer than planned. In the vacuum left by Bashar al-Assad’s fleeing from Damascus, the U.S. and Israel have opportunistically made short work of various targets throughout Syria. The U.S. has shwacked a bunch of Islamic State members at various sites, while Israel has reduced military platforms that could have been turned against Jerusalem. But let’s get back to Wednesday’s focus on space.
Europe is looking to compete against SpaceX’s Starlink constellation, with Airbus, Thales, and Leonardo teaming up to create an alternative. As if LEO weren’t crowded enough. Speaking of crowded LEO, the Space Force will need to develop and deploy AI-enabled systems to enhance its ability to conduct space domain and space situational awareness.
While senior execs at NASA continue to disparage the idea of Space-Based Solar Power (in no small part to save face after years of being wrong about the tech), at least one former Deputy Associate Administrator has broken ranks and called for investment into this critical future capability. Building our Future has talked about SBSP and called for it for years now, including for military use-cases and—you know—to save the planet. Former DAA David Steitz has now outlined the geopolitical risk of not acting to develop SBSP capabilities, while China aims to launch a prototype by 2030.
Alright, let’s blast off into the news around Space Technology!
News Headlines:
Boeing cuts 400 more workers in second round of lay-offs, brings total to nearly 2,600 this fall (RT)
Airbus cuts 2,000 defense and space jobs, taming earlier plans (RT)
Israel pounds Syrian army bases, denies deeper incursion (RT)
Suspect in assassination of UnitedHealth CEO detained in Pennsylvania McDonald’s; details and his manifesto emerge (AP)
Satellites:
Launches:
Upcoming Launches:
Space News:
In the new space race, hackers are hitching a ride into orbit (CNBC)
American entrepreneurs are needed to help win the space race against China (SN)
The FY25 NDAA would extend commercial spaceflight learning period and launch indemnification in a move that will be very, very good for the space industry (SN)
As space gets more crowded, Space Force needs new AI tools to keep up: experts (ASF)
SDA a 'canary in the coal mine' for supply chain woes: Space Force (DN)
Space Force activates component field command in Japan (SF)
U.S. successfully conducts ballistic missile intercept test from Guam for first time (RT)
Lockheed Martin to launch 5G demonstration tactical satellite on Firefly rocket (SN)
Sierra Space partners with companies for space-based semiconductor manufacturing (SN)
With new funding, FibreCoat targets space and defense markets (SN)
Boeing whistleblower sounds alarm over safety in satellite factory (CBS)
AFRL awarded Varda Space a $48M contract to test military payloads on reentry capsules (SN)
Ad Astra, The Space Nuclear Power Corp forge strategic alliance to pioneer high-power nuclear electric propulsion (PRN)
Space Force awards Raytheon $196.7M for additional work on GPS ground control system (SN)
SwRI gets $26M to build magnetometers for NOAA space weather satellites (SN)
Foreign Space News
Global push for cooperation as space traffic crowds Earth orbit (RT)
Airbus, Thales, and Leonardo explore joint venture to compete with Starlink (RT)
U.S. Space Force official warns of rising Chinese threats (SN)
China launches first Long March 12 from new commercial spaceport in boost for country's lunar plans (SN)
Chinese space startup, Expace, launched its first upgraded Kuaizhou-1A solid rocket, lifting a SAR remote sensing satellite to orbit (SN)
Iran launches its heaviest-ever payload, including a space tug (Saman-1), a cubesat (Fakhr-1) and an undisclosed 'research payload' (DW)
Deal Flow:
VC
Pixxel, a startup building the world's highest-resolution hyperspectral satellite constellation, raised a $24M Series B extension led by M&G Catalyst and Glade Brook Capital Partners (PU)
Space situational awareness company, Turion Space, raised a $20M Series A, including investment from Veteran Ventures Capital (PU)
SpinLaunch raised a disappointing $11.5M round out of a planned $25M, from undisclosed investors, as the company continues plans to build kinetic launch systems as an altenrative to rocket launch (TC)
PE / M&A / Exits
Karman Space & Defense, which develops space and missile technology, is in talks to pursue an IPO or be sold by owner Trive Capital in a deal that could value the company around $3B (BBG)
Gogo completed its acquisition of Satcom Direct, creating the only multi-orbit, multi-band, in-flight connectivity provider; the deal included $375M cash, $40M in Gogo stocks, with an additional $225M tied to performance objectives (PRN)
Saudi Arabia's Neo Space Group to acquire UP42 from Airbus with terms undisclosed (VS)
Opportunities
NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center is seeking a partner to provide a satellite bus for a heliophysics medium-class explore (MIDEX) mission (SAM)
NASA has released the research subtopics for its upcoming SBIR solicitation, likely to drop in January; there's too many to list here but some really cool subtopics abound in the release including novel propulsion, regolith excavation, in-space welding, enhanced remote sensing, and much much more (SAM)
Editor’s Picks
Former NASA Deputy Chief Technologist, David Steitz, makes the geopolitical case for space based solar power. We agree with Steitz and cannot understand the skeptics on this one. The tech is demonstrably viable, the economics look increasingly promising, and the stakes are enormous.
Cofounder and CTO of AstroForge, Jose Acain, discusses the role of government contracts for SpaceTech startups.
In what is probably the best clickbait title ever, Space.com questions 'are planet-killing black holes hiding inside your cat?'
Lighter Side:
Keep Building,
BOF