startups
York Space and MSU Denver extend partnership through Air Force contract
York Space Systems and Metropolitan State University of Denver won a U.S. Air Force contract to investigate ways to reduce the cost and speed delivery of high-quality satellite imagery.
Thermal materials startup Carbice finds foothold in space industry
“Space and semiconductor manufacturing, which we view as niche markets, are perfect for us to go to market, mainly because they have the most difficult environmental and reliability requirements,” Cola said.
PredaSAR to send 48 satellites into initial radar constellation
PredaSAR Corp. plans to deploy an initial constellation of 48 radar satellites with the goal of offering customers the ability to obtain updated views of sites on the ground within minutes.
Xplore wins NOAA contract to study commercial solar observatory
Xplore Inc. won a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration contract for a design study of a commercial solar observatory at Earth-Sun Lagrange Point 1.
Exolaunch arranges rides for Loft Orbital satellites
German launch services provider Exolaunch announced an agreement to launch two Loft Orbital microsatellites on SpaceX Falcon 9 rideshare missions.
Techstars space accelerators announce 2020 startups
The Techstars Starburst Space Accelerator and Techstars Allied Space Accelerator announced the names June 8 of companies selected to participate in their 2020 classes.
Op-ed | An unexpected effect: the industry’s recent challenges prove the importance of space
Rationalization of the startup landscape and the right sizing of company balance sheets is inevitable, paving the way for “Space 3.0,” which will see the profitable and sustainable exploitation of entirely new market opportunities, backed by a growing base of enlightened stakeholders.
Op-ed | What the government should or should not do to help space industry
One way to help the industry is for the government to communicate what problems it needs solved and commit funding for the right solutions.
National security space conference to propose plan to boost industrial base
A group with more than 150 government and industry officials will recommend greater investments in space technology and education.
Treasury unlikely to change rule that disqualifies space startups from relief loans
Treasury is said to be concerned that changing the rule for venture-owned startups would subvert the intent of the relief loan program.
Space executive: Government can’t save every startup but can do a lot
Relativity Space VP: “The most impactful thing that government can do is actually go out and buy services from startups."
Small Business Administration rule disqualifies many space startups from coronavirus relief loans
The Commercial Spaceflight Federation and the SmallSat Alliance have asked the SBA to change how it defines a small business.
Swarm teams with Momentus to spread out SpaceBees
Swarm Technologies is working with in-space transportation startup Momentus to send its constellation of tiny internet-of-things satellites into different orbital planes.
Pandemic prompts Spacebit to revise strategy, expand staff
The COVID-19 pandemic is prompting Spacebit to rethink some elements of its strategy for building and testing robotic vehicles like the miniature rover scheduled to reach the moon next year.
Op-ed | Space startups, Darwin and the coronavirus
For many smaller space startups and entrepreneurial enterprises, COVID-19 is a potential deathblow. As in many other industries, the hard fact is that many space startups are simply going to go away in the next few months.
Momentus signs up Taiwanese customer for Vigoride flight
Momentus, a Silicon Valley in-space transportation startup, announced a launch service agreement April 1 with Odysseus Space, a satellite applications startup based in Taiwan.
