The Air Current
• Elan Head
SpaceX has climbed to its highest level since June, recovering from its post-IPO slump and restoring Elon Musk’s trillionaire status, according to reports. Separately, the FAA changed its safety policy shortly before the IPO to accept more aircraft exposure to potential falling space debris, according to one article.
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Rocket Factory Augsburg has appointed Alexander Dahm as chief executive, tasking the aerospace operations executive with guiding development of its RFA ONE launcher toward its maiden flight. The move marks another change in leadership for the German launch developer, which named a new CEO last year.
Meridian Space and Kongsberg NanoAvionics said Oct. 5 they had successfully activated Meridian’s First Customer Link communications payload in low Earth orbit. The companies aim to begin producing flat broadband spacecraft in mid-2027, following in-orbit antenna tests.
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SpaceX has climbed to its highest level since June, recovering from its post-IPO slump and restoring Elon Musk’s trillionaire status, according to reports. Separately, the FAA changed its safety policy shortly before the IPO to accept more aircraft exposure to potential falling space debris, according to one article.
Amazon wants more than 5,000 satellites in orbit, while Blue Origin has proposed another 5,400. Chinese companies have filed plans for vastly larger numbers, and Elon Musk has discussed a constellation of 1 million, intensifying competition for the resources needed to deploy megaconstellations.
A SpaceX subsidiary, Coastal Connect Services, has asked Florida regulators to approve a 32.4-mile, 16-inch natural gas pipeline in Brevard County, near Cape Canaveral. The proposed line would supply methane for Starship operations, supporting the company’s rocket-launch activity as fuel demand grows.
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The UK-based company says more than 50 satellites are complete and plans to place at least 96 in orbit by the end of 2028, building toward global coverage by 2030. The secure connectivity and data-transfer constellation faces a launch shortfall and regulatory deployment deadlines.
SpaceX shares rose after Morgan Stanley reiterated a bullish view, setting a $300 price target and framing the company as an inexpensive way to gain exposure to AI and space. The bank said an upcoming Starship flight test could be a significant catalyst for the stock.
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Launch coverage points to flights from SpaceX, South Korea and China, including a South Korean Earth-observation payload and a Chinese Long March 12 mission. Separately, SpaceX’s Transporter-18 carried Star Catcher’s orbital power-beaming prototype, while NASA and SpaceX targeted Crew-12’s return and NASA named the Crew-14 astronauts for a spring 2027 mission.
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