Space Markets

Investment, funding rounds, public markets, venture capital, and economic analysis of the space economy.

• Space Force Taps Sphinx Defense for $287 Million Nuclear Command Software

  July 29, 2026

  The U.S. Space Force awarded a $287 million contract to Sphinx Defense on Monday, July 27, 2026, to deliver mission planning software for the GRIFFON program, the ground control architecture supporting strategic nuclear communications. The award advances the software ground segment for the Evolved Strategic Satellite Communications system, which provides secure, survivable communications for national command authorities and strategic nuclear forces. The Ground Resilient Integration and Framewor

• Pentagon Deal Sets L3Harris to Quadruple THAAD Propulsion Output

  July 28, 2026

  L3Harris Technologies announced today that it has signed a seven-year framework agreement with the U.S. Department of War and Lockheed Martin to quadruple production of propulsion systems for the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense. The THAAD missile defense production agreement represents a major expansion of one of the most important upstream components in the U.S. missile defense supply chain and is expected to become the largest THAAD propulsion award L3Harris has received to date. THAAD i

• MDA Space Prices $600-Million Note Offering to Fund Blue Canyon Acquisition

  July 27, 2026

  MDA Space has priced a $600-million private placement of senior unsecured notes to finance its purchase of U.S. satellite manufacturer Blue Canyon Technologies. The offering caps a month of intensive capital raises tied to two separate acquisitions and completes a dual-track financing strategy designed to fund both without overburdening the company. The debt offering is the second half of a plan built to pay for two distinct deals announced in mid-June and early July. In June, MDA agreed to buy

• Rocket Lab Wins $266 Million Space Force Deal, Adds Alaska Launch Site

  July 27, 2026

  Rocket Lab will build a new launch site in Kodiak, Alaska, under a $266 million U.S. Space Force contract for up to 18 suborbital missions, the company's largest launch award to date. The deal expands Rocket Lab's role in military launch services as the Pentagon seeks more capacity for weapons testing. The contract was awarded by Space Systems Command's Rocket Systems Launch Program, which provides responsive launch services for research, development and operational test missions across the Def

• Anduril in Talks for Funding Round That Could Value It Near $100 Billion

  July 25, 2026

  Defense technology firm Anduril is in discussions with investors for a new funding round that could value the company at roughly $100 billion, two sources familiar with the matter said. Such a valuation would place the California startup close to established defense conglomerates including Northrop Grumman and Lockheed Martin. The talks come as Anduril has posted booming military sales and drawn investor enthusiasm around its suite of drones, software and missiles amid the U.S. conflict with Ir

• Alphabet Reveals $94.1 Billion SpaceX Stake Following Historic IPO

  July 24, 2026

  Alphabet (NASDAQ: GOOG) has disclosed that its SpaceX holdings were valued at $94.1 billion at the end of the second quarter, revealing the enormous value created by one of Google’s most successful early-stage venture investments. The disclosure comes just weeks after SpaceX completed its historic public offering. SpaceX began trading on Nasdaq under the ticker SPCX on June 12th after pricing its IPO at $135 per share. The offering ultimately raised approximately $85.7 billion after underwriter

• NASA Awards CAPSTONE 02 to Advanced Space for Cislunar Navigation Demonstration

  July 24, 2026

  NASA announced on July 24, 2026, that it has awarded a contract to Advanced Space for CAPSTONE 02, a mission that will use two small spacecraft in lunar orbit to demonstrate rendezvous and proximity operations, autonomous navigation, and cislunar communications. Targeted for launch in 2027, the mission is part of the agency's next phase of cislunar infrastructure development for the Artemis program and Moon Base. The mission builds on the original CAPSTONE, short for Cislunar Autonomous Positio

• SpaceX Declines Falcon 9 Bookings Beyond 2028 to Steer Customers Toward Starship

  July 24, 2026

  SpaceX has begun turning away satellite operators seeking dedicated Falcon 9 launches beyond 2028, people familiar with the matter told Bloomberg on July 23. The move deliberately constrains the company's most reliable and profitable rocket in order to push customers toward Starship, a vehicle that has not yet completed a fully successful operational mission. The decision represents one of the most aggressive product-transition bets in aerospace history. Falcon 9 is the world's most-flown orbit

• SpaceX to Post First Earnings as Public Company on August 4th

  July 22, 2026

  SpaceX has set August 4th as the date for its first earnings call since going public. The forthcoming earnings date provides investors with a firm date for the company’s first financial update as a publicly traded company. Importantly, the timing also provides clarity around the first major release of previously locked-up shares following the IPO, which is expected two days later on August 6th, 2026. The announcement came as SpaceX stock, trading under the ticker SPCX, snapped a seven-day losi

• Relativity Space Commits to Thousands of Jobs at Cape Canaveral by 2034

  July 22, 2026

  Relativity Space plans a major expansion of its Cape Canaveral operations, with Space Florida officials announcing the company intends to add thousands of high-paying jobs by 2034. The commitment positions the 3D-printing-focused launch company as a growing employer in Florida's space corridor. Space Florida officials disclosed the expansion plans, which center on the company's existing Cape Canaveral operations. The announcement did not include a specific job count beyond the reference to thou

• Boeing Directs All Space Investment to Defense as Starliner Recovery Continues

  July 21, 2026

  Boeing is concentrating its entire space investment on national security and defense work, its Defense, Space and Security CEO Steve Parker said, positioning the military side of the portfolio as the company's future while it works to get the troubled Starliner crew capsule back on track. Parker, speaking to reporters ahead of the Farnborough Air Show in London, framed defense as the area where Boeing is already a leader. The comments come as Starliner has drawn nearly all public attention with

• UK Space Agency Misses Deadline on £75.6 Million Debris Removal Contract

  July 20, 2026

  The UK Space Agency has missed a deadline to award a £75.6 million contract for the country's first mission to capture and remove dead satellites from low Earth orbit. The agency, which had been expected to award the contract by 30 March 2026, is now targeting summer 2026 without explaining the delay or providing a precise timetable. A call for Phase 3 of the mission's development was published in July 2025, with the contract initially expected by the end of March 2026. In its final annual repo