Bloomberg
• Edward Ludlow, Kiel Porter, Loren Grush
Stoke Space Technologies is raising $1 billion to advance development and production of Nova, a fully reusable rocket designed to compete with SpaceX, according to people familiar with the matter. The financing would support Stoke’s effort to scale a launch vehicle positioned against SpaceX’s established market presence.
Launch Vehicles & Space Transportation
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Firefly Aerospace expects $435 million in revenue in 2026, with rocket launches accounting for roughly 10% of the total. The company, whose business is heavily weighted toward satellite systems for U.S. civil and government customers, plans two more Alpha launches this year and has five lunar missions in development.
High activity
Stoke Space Technologies is raising $1 billion to advance development and production of Nova, a fully reusable rocket designed to compete with SpaceX, according to people familiar with the matter. The financing would support Stoke’s effort to scale a launch vehicle positioned against SpaceX’s established market presence.
High activity
SpaceX’s shares rebounded toward $150 after surviving the Aug. 6 expiration of its first post-IPO lockup, helping drive a reported $500 billion rally. The company is also moving toward closing its proposed $60 billion all-stock acquisition of Anysphere, developer of the AI coding platform Cursor.
High activity
China’s Wenchang Space Launch Site marked its 50th launch at the end of July, even as it suffered a third launch failure this week. The setbacks come alongside expanding activity across China’s launch sites, including deployments of AI-enabled and in-space computing satellites and preparations for a lunar south pole mission.
AST SpaceMobile says it expects to expand its low Earth orbit constellation from 13 to 45 satellites by early next year, supporting beta direct-to-device service in the U.S. this year with roughly half-day coverage. Continuous service is targeted for 2027, with 10 missions booked across two launch providers.
Dozens of airports have land, runways and remote buffer zones that could be repurposed as spaceports, according to the proposal. The FAA is seeking to speed those conversions by waiving requirements under 13 environmental laws, potentially reducing regulatory barriers to new launch sites.
Chinese reusable launch-vehicle developer iSpace has secured the first batch of its Series E financing, months after closing a substantial D++ round. The company is continuing to raise capital, underscoring its ongoing funding needs as it advances its reusable-rocketry ambitions.
Firefly Aerospace reported its first quarterly revenue above $100 million, attributing the record result to a new slate of launch and defense announcements. The milestone marks a significant commercial expansion for the space company as it broadens activity across civil and national-security markets.
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