This Week In Space Industry(4/11/2023)

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Welcome to Rocket Roundup, Your favorite Saturday space newsletter! We're here to share exciting space news and discoveries with you.

Let's embark on this cosmic journey together! In This Issue:

• Space Force awards $2.5 billion in rocket contracts

• Elon Musk announced that Starlink is "Cash flow breakeven"

• Skyroot Aerospace raises $27.5 million in pre-Series C

• Kuva Space raises 16.6 million euros

Hughes Lands Delta Deal to Connect 400 Regional Jets

Delta Air Lines is partnering with Hughes Network Systems to in-flight connectivity on over 400 Boeing 717 and regional jets in North America. The deal sees Hughes supply its Jupiter Ka-band satellite capacity, a multi-orbit antenna, and in-flight management system, with installations starting in mid-2024. It is Hughes' first deal with an airline to supply IFC, after having worked behind the scenes to provide technology platforms for other service providers. The partnership will offer seamless passenger internet connectivity from gate to gate.

Space Force awards $2.5 billion in rocket contracts to SpaceX and ULA

The U.S. Space Force has awarded rocket contracts worth $2.5 billion to SpaceX and United Launch Alliance (ULA) for a total of 21 missions. SpaceX received 10 missions valued at $1.23 billion, while ULA, a joint venture between Boeing and Lockheed Martin, secured 11 missions worth $1.3 billion. These awards are part of the National Security Space Launch Phase 2 contract, with missions set to launch over the next two to three years. SpaceX and ULA are set to embark on the next phase of the National Security Space Launch program (Phase 3) starting in FY25.

Elon Musk announced that Starlink is "Cash flow breakeven"

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk announced that the satellite internet unit, Starlink, has achieved cash flow breakeven. Musk had previously stated that the company would consider going public once its cash flow became predictable.

Starlink has rapidly expanded its low-Earth orbit satellite network to approximately 5,000 satellites, making it the world's largest satellite operator and a competitor to companies like Viasat and OneWeb. Musk also noted that Starlink now represents the majority of all active satellites and is set to launch most satellites from Earth in the coming year.

Starlink's role in providing satellite communications to Ukraine and supporting communication links in Gaza further underscores its significance. While Starlink reported over a six-fold increase in revenue to $1.4 billion last year, it fell short of Musk's targets, and SpaceX remains a highly valued private company valued at approximately $150 billion.

Skyroot Aerospace raises $27.5 million in pre-Series C

Skyroot Aerospace, a space-tech company based in Hyderabad, India, has raised $27.5 million in a pre-Series C funding round led by Singapore's Temasek. This brings the company's total funding to $95 million, the largest ever for an Indian space-tech startup. Skyroot plans to use the funding to accelerate its upcoming launches and further establish itself in the global satellite launch market. The company successfully launched India's and South Asia's first privately developed rocket in November 2022, and it focuses on providing on-demand, cost-effective, and reliable space launch services for small and medium-sized satellites. Skyroot was also the first startup to sign an MoU with the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) for access to ISRO's facilities and expertise.

Kuva Space raises 16.6 million euros

Finnish hyperspectral satellite imagery startup Kuva Space has raised €16.6 million ($17.6 million) in a Series A funding round. The company, which has about 20 employees in several countries, including the US and the UK, is preparing to launch two commercial hyperspectral microsatellites in 2024. It plans to deploy as many as 100 satellites with spatial resolution better than 10 meters per pixel by 2030, offering subscription plans for daily hyperspectral monitoring. Kuva Space also aims to establish a business development organization in the US to better understand customer requirements and timelines, collaborate with US capabilities, and access new funding opportunities.

China's Space Pioneer Raises $14M C+ round Funding for Tianlong-3 Rocket

Chinese commercial launch company Space Pioneer has announced a new round of funding for its Tianlong-3 rocket, which aims to be comparable to SpaceX's Falcon 9. The company is targeting a first Tianlong-3 launch in the first half of 2024 and aims to launch 30 times per year within three years of the debut launch. The round was led by CITIC Construction Investment, the engineering and construction arm of Chinese state-owned CITIC Group. Tianlong-3 is a two-stage kerosene-liquid oxygen rocket with a reusable first stage and will be capable of lifting 17 tons of payload to low Earth orbit.

Zephyr Raises $3.5M Seed

Zephr, a startup, has come out of stealth mode with innovative plans to enhance GPS accuracy using cell phones without any hardware modifications. Mobile devices typically have poor GPS accuracy, limiting the potential of location-based apps. Zephr's founders propose to turn mobile phones into base stations, aggregating raw GPS data to calculate error corrections for improved accuracy. They can achieve this with just 10-15 phones within 10 kilometers of each other. Zephr's concept has garnered investor interest, securing a $3.5 million seed round.

The startup's applications extend to rideshare, location-based gaming, advertisement technology, as well as emerging fields like autonomy, robotics, and augmented reality, offering cost-effective, precise positioning measurements without the need for extensive 3D mapping.

US Navy Awards HawkEye 360 $12.2 Million Contract for Maritime Surveillance in the Pacific

HawkEye 360, a commercial operator of remote-sensing satellites, has secured a $12.2 million contract from the US Navy's Naval Information Warfare Center Pacific. The one-year contract will see HawkEye 360 provide satellite RF data, analytics, and training services to partner nations in Southeast Asia and the Pacific Islands for the Indo-Pacific Partnership for Maritime Domain Awareness. The company uses RF data collected by satellites to geolocate electronic emissions and draw insights. The data will be shared via SeaVision, a web-based platform used by the US and its allies to enhance maritime domain awareness.

• Astra defaults on debt agreement, warns it may not be able to raise needed cash

• SeerAI Secures $4 Million in Seed Round to Expand Geospatial-AI and Data Fusion Products
  

• Spanish Propulsion Startup Arkadia Space Raises $3 Million in Seed Funding

• Andøya Spaceport Officially Opens, Marking a Major Milestone for Europe's Access to Space

• Viasat Announces 10% Workforce Reduction

• Mynaric Receives $25M Order From Northrop Grumman

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DISCLAIMER: (Rocket Roundup is an independent publication and is not affiliated with any government agency or space organization.)