Commercial Space Industry (New Space) News

Ars Technica • Eric Berger

Varda Space Lands $187M to Scale Drug Manufacturing in Orbit

Varda Space Industries announced it has raised $187 million in a funding round led by Natural Capital and Shrug Capital, earmarking the proceeds to ramp up production of its orbital manufacturing capsules and commercialize in-space pharmaceutical synthesis.

2025-07-10T09:52:02.993308-07:00

Via Satellite

Space TS and Synergy Quantum to Build India’s First Indigenous Quantum-Secure Satellite

2025-07-08T13:09:50.551023-07:00

SpaceNews.com

ESA Backs Neuraspace’s AI to Automate GNSS-Based Satellite Collision Avoidance

2025-07-08T15:27:52.789126-07:00

SpaceNews.com

Boeing Delivers Ninth and Tenth O3b mPOWER Satellites to SES, Expanding Constellation

2025-07-02T05:31:26.813742-07:00

Commercial Space Industry (New Space) News Timeline

al.com

Jared Isaacman donates $15M to expand Inspiration4 training complex and dorm at U.S. Space & Rocket Center Private astronaut and former NASA nominee Jared Isaacman has donated $15 million to the U.S. Space & Rocket Center in Alabama, earmarked for the Inspiration4 Skills Training Complex and a fourth Space Camp dormitory. The gift builds on his prior $10 million contribution in 2022, bolstering astronaut training infrastructure.

2025-07-11T09:35:08.436620-07:00

Jared Isaacman donates $15M to expand Inspiration4 training complex and dorm at U.S. Space & Rocket Center

Payload

GAO Urges Mandated Servicing Interfaces to Boost On-Orbit Servicing Uptake According to a new GAO report, the US government could require future satellites to include standardized interfaces for on-orbit servicing, assembly and in-space refueling. The mandate aims to overcome integration complexities and high upfront costs that have hampered private-sector ISAM adoption and drive more lifecycle-extending missions.

2025-07-10T18:21:24.094059-07:00

GAO Urges Mandated Servicing Interfaces to Boost On-Orbit Servicing Uptake

Space.com

NASA, SpaceX Target July 31 Launch of Crew-11 to ISS NASA and SpaceX are targeting July 31 for the launch of Crew-11, ferrying two U.S. astronauts, a Japanese astronaut and a Russian cosmonaut aboard a Crew Dragon to the International Space Station. A temporary docking slot shortage at the ISS is expected to clear next week to accommodate the spacecraft.

2025-07-10T15:25:27.673180-07:00

NASA, SpaceX Target July 31 Launch of Crew-11 to ISS

Defense Daily

Rocket Lab Taps Bollinger to Retrofit 400-ft Vessel for Neutron Booster Recovery Rocket Lab has awarded Bollinger Shipyards a contract to modify a 400-foot vessel into an ocean landing platform for its reusable Neutron rocket’s first stage. The retrofit will enable sea-based booster recovery operations, advancing Neutron’s reusability demonstration and cost-cutting goals.

2025-07-10T14:04:50.647792-07:00

Rocket Lab Taps Bollinger to Retrofit 400-ft Vessel for Neutron Booster Recovery

Ars Technica

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Varda Space Lands $187M to Scale Drug Manufacturing in Orbit Varda Space Industries announced it has raised $187 million in a funding round led by Natural Capital and Shrug Capital, earmarking the proceeds to ramp up production of its orbital manufacturing capsules and commercialize in-space pharmaceutical synthesis.

2025-07-10T09:52:02.993308-07:00

Varda Space Lands $187M to Scale Drug Manufacturing in Orbit

SpaceNews.com

Space sector sticks with single-use satellites despite on-orbit servicing breakthroughs Despite recent advances in on-orbit servicing and modular spacecraft design, most satellites still follow single-use profiles, reentering after mission completion. Operators cite integration complexity and higher upfront costs as hurdles, sustaining disposable hardware deployments and driving launch frequency, orbital debris and atmospheric contamination.

2025-07-10T09:09:52.346813-07:00

Space sector sticks with single-use satellites despite on-orbit servicing breakthroughs

SpaceNews.com

Space VC investment rebounds to $3.2 billion in Q2 2025 as exits return Venture investments in core spacetech surged to $3.2 billion in Q2 2025, the highest quarterly total since early 2024, according to Space Capital. The uptick was driven by renewed exit activity and growing appetite for infrastructure startups spanning launch services, satellite systems and on-orbit support.

2025-07-10T05:06:29.997908-07:00

Space VC investment rebounds to $3.2 billion in Q2 2025 as exits return

SpaceNews.com

Orienspace Completes First-Stage Engine Hot Fire, Aims Gravity-2 Debut in Late 2025 Chinese commercial launch startup Orienspace has successfully hot-fired the first-stage engine of its Gravity-2 rocket, marking a key technical milestone. The company now targets a late-2025 inaugural test flight for the new launch vehicle.

2025-07-10T03:45:09.014935-07:00

Orienspace Completes First-Stage Engine Hot Fire, Aims Gravity-2 Debut in Late 2025

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