Space Markets

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

• Antares Wins $161M Space Force Award to Demonstrate Nuclear Reactor in Orbit

  September 11, 2026

  Antares has been selected for a $161 million Strategic Breakthrough award to advance nuclear power for space, the company announced September 11. The selection, made by the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Space Acquisition and Integration, marks the largest current Department of War award in space nuclear power. The award directs Antares to carry a nuclear-powered spacecraft toward flight qualification. It supports goals set in Executive Order 14369, "Ensuring American Sp

• NASA Adds Relativity Space's Terran R to Launch Services Roster

  September 10, 2026

  NASA has awarded Relativity Space a Launch Services II contract for its Terran R vehicle under the contract's on-ramp provision, the agency announced September 9. The addition makes Terran R available for the agency's future missions and expands NASA's roster of launch options. The NLS II framework is a multiple-award, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract structure that includes an annual on-ramp provision. That provision gives new launch service providers a yearly opportunity to co

• Eutelsat Signs Infinite Orbits for GEO Satellite Life Extension

  September 9, 2026

  Eutelsat has agreed to have Infinite Orbits extend the operational life of at least one of its geostationary satellites, the two companies announced today on the sidelines of the International Space Summit in Paris. The deal marks the third life-extension order for the French satellite-servicing company and a concrete commercial win for its Endurance servicer. The agreement follows Infinite Orbits' prior life-extension deals with SES last year and with Hispasat in 2024. The company frames the E

• NASA Solicits Industry to Build the Infrastructure for a Permanent Moon Base

  September 9, 2026

  NASA on September 8 issued a solicitation seeking proposals to advance the technology and infrastructure needed to establish a sustainable human presence at the lunar South Pole. The call targets fundamental capability gaps, including power generation, oxygen extraction, and producing construction materials on the Moon. The solicitation is aimed at maturing and demonstrating the capabilities required for long-term human exploration at the Moon. NASA framed the effort as a partnership with indus

• Royal Group of Abu Dhabi Commits $1 Billion to 50-Satellite AI Imaging Constellation

  September 9, 2026

  Loft Orbital and UAE-based Marlan Space announced a billion-dollar investment by the Royal Group of Abu Dhabi to build a 50-satellite constellation using artificial intelligence to deliver optical and radar imaging products to Europe and the United Arab Emirates. The commitment ranks among the largest single financing packages in commercial Earth observation. The two companies made the announcement on September 9 in Paris, timed for the International Space Summit organized by French President E

• Besxar Strikes Deal to Prototype an Orbital Chip Factory Across a Dozen Falcon 9 Flights

  September 9, 2026

  Besxar, a startup founded by former OpenAI staffer Ashley Pilipiszyn, says it has convinced SpaceX to let it prototype an orbital semiconductor factory across a dozen flights aboard a Falcon 9 booster. The company aims to manufacture key precursors for advanced semiconductors in the vacuum of space and return the products to Earth, a market with few existing options beyond the International Space Station or a small set of return-capsule startups. Pilipiszyn argues that chip fabrication on Earth

• The Exploration Company Raises $450 Million to Fund Nyx Capsule and Storm Engine

  September 8, 2026

  European space logistics startup The Exploration Company has secured $450 million (€387 million) in a Series C funding round to advance its Nyx reusable capsule and Storm rocket engine. Announced on 8 September, the round brings the company's total funding since its 2021 founding to approximately $680 million. The round was co-led by US venture capital firm Bessemer Venture Partners, London-based venture capital firm Atomico, and the Scaleup Europe Fund, a European growth investment fund manage

• AvL Technologies Wins $31 Million Deal to Supply WGS-Certified Satellite Terminals to Poland

  September 8, 2026

  AvL Technologies signed a $31 million contract with Polish defense supplier GISS Sp. z o.o. to deliver WGS-certified tactical satellite communications terminals for Poland's Ministry of National Defence. The agreement, announced September 8, 2026, ties Polish forces to the U.S. military's Wideband Global SATCOM constellation and expands the Asheville, North Carolina, manufacturer's presence in NATO defense markets. The award follows Poland's accelerated military modernization efforts across Eas

• Stoke Space Raises $1 Billion and Reveals 15-Ton Fully Reusable Nova Block 2

  September 8, 2026

  Stoke Space has closed a $1 billion Series E financing round as it prepares for the first orbital flight of its fully reusable Nova rocket, and the company used the announcement to publicly unveil a substantially larger vehicle capable of delivering 15 metric tons to low Earth orbit. The raise brings Stoke's total capital to $2.3 billion. The financing was co-led by Point72 Ventures and Spark Capital. General Innovation, Glade Brook Capital, US Innovation Technology, Washington Harbour Partners

• Cowboy Space Leases 291,000-Square-Foot Kent Plant to Build Orbital Data Center Satellites

  September 6, 2026

  California-based Cowboy Space is leasing a 291,035-square-foot industrial facility in Kent, Wash., to support production of hardware for its planned constellation of AI data center satellites. The transaction is the largest industrial lease in the Puget Sound region so far this year, marking a step from concept toward hardware for the company's orbital compute ambitions. The facility at 7650 S. 228th St. previously served as a Costco distribution and delivery center. Newmark, the real estate br

• Space Force Expands Space-Based Air Tracking Vendor Pool to 12 Companies

  September 5, 2026

  The U.S. Space Force has widened its vendor pool for the nascent space-based air moving target indicator program to 12 companies, with three additional firms now visible on public-facing websites. Blue Origin, Boeing and Umbra are now listed as SB-AMTI vendors, an expansion that underscores how broad and competitive this early phase of the program remains. The SB-AMTI program aims to track moving airborne targets from orbit, a capability historically flown on aircraft. Moving airborne targets f

• Munich Startup Project-S Exits Stealth, Sets October Orbital Radar Demo

  September 4, 2026

  Project-S, a Munich-based space situational awareness startup, has emerged from stealth with multi-million-euro backing and plans to conduct its first in-orbit demonstration of an active radar system next month. The company said the demonstrator will launch aboard a SpaceX Transporter rideshare mission, marking its debut in an increasingly congested orbital environment. The company revealed its plans publicly on 2 September, describing an effort to develop systems capable of detecting smaller o