This Week In Space Industry (16/03/2024)

Greetings Detectives

Welcome to Rocket Roundup, Your favorite space newsletter! This week's in-depth exploration takes us into the dynamic realm of space startups. Our spotlight feature is on Kymeta - Pioneering Global Connectivity with Innovative Satellite Solutions, Read it here.

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

• Starship lifts off on third test flight

• FCC approves direct-to-smartphone rules

• $40M of fundraising this week

Starship lifts off on third test flight

SpaceX's Starship rocket completed most of its third test flight successfully but disintegrated upon re-entry. The loss occurred as it was descending for a planned splashdown. Despite achieving several engineering goals, including stage separation and payload door operation, it fell short of demonstrating a key objective: landing the booster for reuse. SpaceX plans more tests this year. CEO Elon Musk sees Starship as crucial for future missions, including crewed trips to the moon and Mars. NASA also has high hopes for Starship in its Artemis program. (Read More)

NASA's Fiscal Year 2025 Budget Proposal

NASA's fiscal year 2025 budget proposal reflects constraints from spending caps, leading to delays and uncertainties, particularly for science programs. The $25.384 billion request is constrained by a debt-ceiling agreement, resulting in cuts from previous ambitions. Science programs, including canceling the Geospace Dynamics Constellation mission, face reductions. The budget also reduces spending on space telescopes and leaves Mars Sample Return funding as TBD pending an architecture review. Commercial space station spending is reduced, while Artemis lunar exploration funding remains steady, with minor mission schedule changes. NASA expects budget conditions to improve after fiscal year 2025. (Read More)

The Space Force Makes Cuts

The Pentagon's proposed budget for fiscal year 2025 includes $29.4 billion for the U.S. Space Force, maintaining a steady allocation amid fiscal constraints. This budget represents a slight decrease from the previous year's request but aligns with earlier projections. While considered "business as usual," the budget supports key space programs aimed at bolstering resilience against Chinese and Russian threats. However, it falls short of optimal funding levels desired to counter emerging challenges.

Concerns over China's technological advancements in space drive efforts to enhance U.S. satellite networks' resilience. Despite the flat budget, there are no new funding lines for emerging commercial space services, disappointing some in the industry. The Space Development Agency receives $1.7 billion in the 2025 budget to advance its satellite architecture for military communications and missile tracking. (Read More)

Stell Raises $4M Seed

Stell, a software startup founded by engineers Malory McLemore and Anne Wen, aims to streamline requirements management in complex engineering projects. Initially planning to digitize technical contracts, they pivoted to focus on requirements management, recognizing the need for user-friendly tools in this space. Stell raised $4 million in a recent seed round led by Long Journey Ventures and Cyan & Scott Banister. Their product targets industries burdened by paperwork-heavy workflows, providing features like search, linking, and document display, with AI integration planned. Stell's clientele includes early customers in the aerospace sector, with plans to expand into supply chain management. (Read More)

Lumen Orbit Raises $2.4M

Lumen Orbit, a Seattle-based startup founded by Ezra Feilden, Philip Johnston, and Adi Oltean, has secured $2.4 million in funding to address slow downlink speeds in the space industry. The company plans to deploy a 300-satellite constellation in Very Low Earth Orbit (VLEO) to serve as in-orbit ground stations, enabling real-time or near-real-time downlink of data. This approach aims to reduce the time and volume of data transmitted to Earth by analyzing data in space and sending only relevant findings. The primary target customers are Earth Observation (EO) constellations. The funding round involved eight firms and over a dozen angel investors, including Nebular.vc, Caffeinated Capital VC, and Plug & Play VC. Lumen Orbit plans to launch a one-year demo mission in May 2025 aboard a SpaceX rideshare mission to validate its technology. (Read More)

Phantom Space Raises Bridge Funding

Phantom Space Corp. closed a bridge funding round for satellite and launch vehicle development. The round's value was undisclosed, but the company has raised about $37 million in total. Phantom is focused on developing Daytona, a launch vehicle, and establishing the Phantom Cloud small satellite constellation. Their approach emphasizes leveraging existing suppliers rather than vertical integration. Balerion Space Ventures led the funding round, highlighting Phantom's potential to transform space access. (Read More)

Simera Sense Raises $15M

Belgian camera maker Simera Sense secured nearly $15 million to expand its system assembly facilities closer to component producers in Europe. The funding will also support scaling production capacity to meet growing demand from Earth observation satellite manufacturers. Simera Sense's flagship xScape100 product range offers advanced imagery, with plans to develop higher-resolution and more advanced short-wave infrared camera products. The funding round was led by NewSpace Capital, with participation from Knife Capital. (Read More)

Japan creates multibillion-dollar space strategic fund to boost space industry

Japan has launched a $6.7 billion Space Strategic Fund over 10 years to bolster its space industry's innovation and competitiveness. It aims to support satellite development, space exploration, and transportation initiatives. With a focus on maintaining autonomy and technological superiority, Japan seeks to increase its launch capacity and expand its space capabilities amidst growing regional competition. However, ensuring sustainable industrial development beyond government funding dependency remains a challenge. (Read More)

Interlune Raises $18M Seed

Interlune, a space resources startup led by former Blue Origin President Rob Meyerson, secures $18 million in seed funding. The investment, led by Seven Seven Six, will fuel the development of technology to extract lunar resources like Helium-3. With a focus on sustainability, Interlune aims to revolutionize resource extraction methods to support various industries, including national security and energy, while contributing to long-term lunar exploration efforts. (Read More)

• FAA requests large funding increase for commercial space office

• Rocket Lab Successfully Launches 45th Electron Mission

• FCC Approves Rules to Help Satellite Providers Beam Service to Your Phone

• Kairos, a rocket built by Japanese startup Space One, exploded seconds after lifting off on its maiden launch

• South Korea is offering high salaries for staff of its new space agency

• Terran Orbital is now offering a small GEO satellite

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