Starship Launch 6 and Chinese Cooperation in Space
Space Technologies
Good morning,
Ignore the table below. Starship went last night and achieved only one of SpaceX’s objectives for the test. SpaceX succeeded in restarting Raptor engines in the vacuum of space (6 of them to be specific). Unfortunately, they called off the catch of the booster, opting instead for an ocean splash down.
China continues to struggle to catch up to SpaceX in terms of launch cadence. But on the upside, they are apparently open to collaborating on space exploration. Speaking of China, in their meeting in Brazil, Xi outlined his ‘red lines’ to Biden. It basically comes down to ‘stay out of our affairs’ with a fairly liberal interpretation of their affairs.
Now let’s blast off!
News Headlines:
China's youth jobless rate hovers around 17% for fourth month (RT)
Xi warns Biden to 'support China's peaceful reunification', avoid provocation in S. China Sea (SCMP)
Scandinavia begins prepping citizens for potential Russian attack (POL)
VC profits are at historic low despite booming AI investments (WSJ)
Satellites:
Launches:
Upcoming Launches:
Space News:
President-Elect Trump plans (again) to move Space Command HQ from Colorado to Alabama (DO)
Google used millions of Android phones to map the Ionosphere (PS)
Pentagon sends mixed signals on space innovation (SN)
Trump's second term could push Space Force to take bolder stance (SN)
NASA and Roscosmos disagree on cause and severity of ISS air leak (SN)
ABL pivots from space launch to missile warning and missile defense missions (TC)
Dawn Aerospace's Mk-II Aurora goes supersonic on its way to hypersonic flight (DO)
Sierra Space clears design review in military satellite program (SN)
Rocket Lab wins $8M U.S. Air Force contract for engine development (SN)
Rocket Lab signs first customer for Neutron rocket (SP)
Kratos wins $117M SDA contract for advanced fire control ground infrastructure (SI)
Space Force taps OpTech for $4.5M optical sensor payload (SN)
Kepler announces formal shift in strategy for optical data relay network (GNW)
Foreign Space News
Chinese official endorses cooperation with the U.S. on space exploration (SN)
China reveals reusable cargo shuttle design for Tiangong space station (SP)
S. Korea looks to build world-class space capabilities (NAT)
Solar activity causes U.K. satellites to burn-up (SA)
Deal Flow:
VC
SpaceX is launching a tender offer next month priced at $135/share, which could give the company a valuation over $250B (FT)
Space launch company Firefly Aerospace raised a $175M Series D at a $2B+ valuation led by RPM Ventures (TC)
The Exploration Company raised a $160M Series B, led by Balderton Capital and Plural to advance its development of a cargo spacecraft to support future commercial space stations (SN)
Starfish Space, a startup building satellite servicing spacecraft, raised a $29M round led by Shield Capital (TC)
GITAI, a space robotics startup, raised a $15.5M Series B extension led by Maezawa Fund (PRN)
PE / M&A
Spire Global to sell its commercial ship-tracking business to Belgian company Kpler for $241M while retaining U.S. gov't customers, satellites, technology, and other infrastructure in a move to pay down its $100M debt (SN)
Opportunities
NASA wants a comprehensive atmospheric science research and tech development for observing, monitoring, characterizing, modeling, understanding, and advancing knowledge of the Earth's atmosphere (SAM)
DARPA's Strategic Tech Office has released its office-wide BAA covering a wide swath of research thrusts from AI to undersea tech to modeling and simulation to directed energy to space (SAM)
Editor's Picks:
Mike Brown has penned an incredible 4-part series on revitalizing the American innovation system and the government's role in creating conditions favorable to it. Part 4, 3, 2, 1.
Ajay Kothari discusses repurposing nuclear reactors used in space propulsion for high-density power on the Moon and Mars.
Lighter Side:
Keep Building,
BOF