Satellite components

Rocket Lab expands spacecraft component production
Rocket Lab announced Sept. 1 that it is expanding production of satellite components to meet demand from companies developing satellite constellations.

After bankruptcy, OneWeb’s supply chain looking for new ways to keep busy
With OneWeb’s drive to cover the globe with hundreds of mass-produced satellites halted by last month’s Chapter 11 filing, some of the bankrupt megaconstellation’s component suppliers are looking to repurpose the investments they made in expanded manufacturing capabilities.

French photonics startup Cailabs raises $8.8 million
Cailabs, a Rennes, France-based company founded in 2013, says it has developed a technology that controls the shape of light within optical fibers, enabling a thousandfold increase in data speeds.

Cobham, chasing megaconstellation business, plans $5 billion privatization
The British aerospace firm said July 25 that its board voted unanimously to accept an offer from Advent International Corp. for 165 pence a share.

Glass-ceramics company, with eyes on space, raises $12 million
“The closure of this round is really allowing us to accelerate the ability to move into higher levels of production for these tip of the spear type of customers, and those are the space-related defense contractors.”

Satellite component supplier Akash Systems raises $14.5 million
Akash Systems, a startup building thermally efficient satellite components, has raised $14.5 million through a combination of venture capital and debt converted into equity.