Latest news with #spaceindustry
Bloomberg
3 days ago
- Business
- Bloomberg
Satellite Operators Unload Ground Stations to Battle Starlink
Hello, it's Kiel Porter writing from Chicago. For all the excitement about launching sophisticated satellites into orbit, operators often depend on a humbler business, ground stations back on Earth, to connect customers to their constellations. More on this in a moment, but first ... Three things you need to know today:
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Brevard County axes economic fund, raising fears for space industry future
The Brief The Brevard County Commission voted to end the North Brevard Economic Development zone and move money back to the county's general fund. North Brevard leaders are worried this could hurt future investments, specifically with space companies. Florida is fighting to relocate NASA's HQ to the Sunshine State. Some leaders think this move may hinder those efforts. TITUSVILLE, Fla. - The Brevard County Commission voted to end the North Brevard Economic Development zone and move money back to the county's general fund. What we know At the Brevard County Commission meeting on May 20, in a 3-2 vote, a majority of county commissioners voted to dissolve the North Brevard Economic Development Zone to re-allocate money back to the county's general fund. The zone has been in place for more than a decade to spur economic development in northern Brevard County communities like Titusville, Mims and Port St. John. Officials are worried this will negatively impact one of the region's biggest industries — space companies. For several months, state and local leaders have been talking about relocating NASA headquarters to Florida, but the Mayor of Titusville said this was the state's only tool to bring in some companies. Without the funding, the industry could move somewhere else. What we don't know It's unclear what the county will do with the money it's putting back in the general fund. Some have said it will be used to fund firefighters who are also dealing with a funding crisis. The City of Titusville is trying to figure out how it will make up millions in lost funding. City leaders haven't released any proposals on that yet but will discuss them at Tuesday night's city council meeting. The other side Commissioner Kim Adkinson said during the May 20 meeting that budget proposals showed money in the zone was not going to space anymore, which is why she supported dissolving the fund. What they're saying Local leaders are worried private space companies will look to other states like Texas, Alabama or California to grow their space companies if there's no incentive for them to come to Florida. "The fact that it is now gone has cost an estimate of over $50 million," said Titusville mayor, Andrew Connors. "To be competitive, we must have economic development," said District 5 County Commissioner Thad Altman, who tried to save the fund. STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 35 ORLANDO: Download the FOX Local app for breaking news alerts, the latest news headlines Download the FOX 35 Storm Team Weather app for weather alerts & radar Sign up for FOX 35's daily newsletter for the latest morning headlines FOX Local:Stream FOX 35 newscasts, FOX 35 News+, Central Florida Eats on your smart TV The Source This story was written based on information shared by the Brevard County Commission, and the City of Titusville.
Reuters
4 days ago
- Business
- Reuters
Japan's reusable rocket startup ISC eyes US test launch in December
YOKOHAMA, May 28 (Reuters) - A Tokyo-based rocket startup said on Wednesday it will test-launch a prototype in the United States in December using an American engine, aiming to achieve the first U.S.-Japan joint commercial launch and address Japan's rocket shortage. The global race for commercial launch vehicles has been driven by SpaceX, which on Tuesday conducted a ninth test for its fully-reusable Starship. U.S. rivals including Blue Origin and companies in China and Europe also have reusable launcher plans. But Japan lacks cost-competitive launchers at home, which the government sees as a bottleneck in its efforts to double the domestic space industry's size to 8 trillion yen ($55.4 billion by the early 2030s. Innovative Space Carrier (ISC) said its ASCA 1.0 reusable launcher will conduct a 100-metre (109-yard) flight and landing test in Spaceport America in New Mexico, using a Hadley rocket engine from U.S.-manufacturer Ursa Major. Starting at a low altitude, ISC will repeat "ninja training-like" tests towards the goal of building an orbital launch vehicle by 2028 to cater to emerging Japanese satellite makers, ISC chief executive Kojiro Hatada told a press conference. "Japan's space industry needs its own space transportation there's no need to do everything ourselves to achieve it," he said at partner JFE (5411.T), opens new tab Engineering's factory near Tokyo. Founded in 2022 by former government official Hatada, ISC has signed partnerships including with the British 3D printer firm WAAM3D to fast-track the launcher development. ISC has secured Japanese government's rocket development subsidies along with Space One and Toyota-backed (7203.T), opens new tab Interstellar Technologies. It aims to lower the per-launch cost of a rocket capable of lifting a 100kg (220.46 lb) satellite to space to 500 million yen in the long run, Hatada said. Ursa Major's Hadley engine has been used by U.S. company Stratolaunch for hypersonic vehicle tests and been granted a U.S. export control permit so that it can be equipped on an ISC rocket. With ISC, "we look forward to continuing the partnership to further safe, cost-effective access to space," Ursa Major Chief Growth Officer Ben Nicholson said in an emailed statement. ($1 = 144.3400 yen)
Bloomberg
4 days ago
- Business
- Bloomberg
Founder Fund Backs 'Future TSMC of Bulgaria'
EnduroSat, a Bulgarian satellite manufacturer, has raised €43 million ($49 million) in a funding round led by Peter Thiel's Founders Fund. Raycho Raychev, EnduroSat CEO and co-founder, and Delian Asparouhov, partner at Founders Fund, discuss why Bulgaria is becoming a hub for space firms with Caroline Hyde and Ed Ludlow on 'Bloomberg Technology.' (Source: Bloomberg)
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
EnduroSat Announces €43 Million Investment, Led by Founders Fund, to Scale Production of New, Larger Class of Gen3 Satellites
Funding will support rollout of 200-500kg Gen3 satellites and the expansion of EnduroSat's fixed-cost constellations-as-a-service model. SOFIA, Bulgaria, May 27, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--EnduroSat, a leading provider of satellite constellations-as-a-service, today announced a €43 million investment led by Founders Fund. The funding, which included participation from CEECAT Capital, Morphosis Capital, and other returning investors, will be used to scale production of EnduroSat's new Gen3 ESPA-class satellites. These 200-500kg software-defined satellites will feature advanced avionics and a fully modular design, making them ideally suited for operators looking for fast deployment of hyperspectral imaging, synthetic aperture radar (SAR), broadband, navigation, and other demanding payloads. This latest investment will also help EnduroSat further scale at its existing European and U.S. locations. "As the number of satellites in space demanded by a broader set of players grows exponentially, our industry needs to re-think how these satellites are built. Raycho and his team at EnduroSat have taken the massive leap to go from utilizing traditional aerospace supply chains, to consumer electronics and automotive supply chains to build their products," said Delian Asparouhov, Partner at Founders Fund and Co-Founder and President of Varda Space Industries. "This makes EnduroSat's cost efficiency and performance above all in the market, and they have a proven flight heritage, with 3,000+ modules in orbit today. Their Gen3 satellites get them into a size class that will allow for almost any space opportunity to be relevant for them." The new Gen3 satellite class is based on a decade of in-orbit experience and customer feedback. The modular, high-performance avionics, offering up to 3.5kW of peak power and 2GBPS datarate, make the satellites highly configurable for a variety of advanced applications. The new design philosophy behind Gen3 is especially well-suited for constellations and responsive space applications, because it's designed from the ground up for fast turnaround and mass production. The cableless satellite bus design, developed entirely in-house, can be assembled and functionally tested in a few hours—orders of magnitude faster than typical satellite builds today. The new Gen3 ESPA-class satellites will complement EnduroSat's flight-proven line of CubeSat platforms and components. By covering the full mission cycle, EnduroSat's constellation-as-a-service model allows operators to focus on their core, value-generating business, eliminating complexity and risk while streamlining costs and timelines for every mission phase, from constellation design to payload integration, launch, and operations. "Our mission is to make space universally accessible, because this fundamentally improves life on earth," said Raycho Raychev, Founder and CEO of EnduroSat. "We're taking the complexity out of space missions by building and operating the space infrastructure our customers need, so they can focus on the next wave of innovation in space applications. I'm excited to work alongside and learn from the team at Founders Fund, which brings decades of expertise in scaling companies and redefining industries. By increasing our production and introducing our new generation of satellites, we'll unlock access to satellite constellations for even more customers—with reliability and price transparency." The latest funding will also support the buildout of a new 17,500 m2 facility in Sofia, which will be one of the largest space R&D centers in Europe. This state-of-the-art facility will include satellite avionics labs, two assembly lines, significantly expanded clean rooms, and a suite of space qualification equipment, including an anechoic chamber. By the end of 2025, EnduroSat aims to produce as many as 60 satellites per month at the new facility. The company is also continuing to scale its U.S. operations, building a dedicated U.S.-based cleanroom and supporting customers from the commercial and defense industries around the globe. About EnduroSat EnduroSat is a space infrastructure builder that engineers, builds, and operates exceptional satellites. The company streamlines space missions in LEO and beyond, handling every step from mission design to launch and operations. EnduroSat serves more than 360 customers globally and employs more than 230 space professionals across 6 locations worldwide. For more information, visit View source version on Contacts info@ Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
