Firefly Aerospace
May 26 — Firefly Aerospace announced a public offering of common stock. The company is offering **4 million shares** and selling stockholders are offering **8 million shares**.
SPACEHAUS · Commercial space intelligence
Space Industry Weekly Briefing — 2026-05-27
Commercial space news and intelligence for the week ending 2026-05-27.
Week ending
Funding Rounds & Investment Activity
Open Cosmos
May 26 — Open Cosmos closed more than **€170 million** in contracts, according to CEO comments at SmallSat Europe conference.
PLD Space
May 26 — PLD Space has raised **€210 million** in 2026, according to company representative at SmallSat Europe.
Contracts, Awards & Government Activity
SpaceX
May 26 — SpaceX won a **$2.29 billion** Space Force contract for military data network services, marking a major defense contract for the company.
NASA (Multiple Awardees)
May 26 — NASA awarded nearly **$1 billion** in initial Moon Base contracts to four companies for lunar transport vehicles (LTV) and related infrastructure. The Moon Base will cover "hundreds of square miles" with hopping drones and new rovers.
Firefly Aerospace
May 26 — Firefly Aerospace was awarded a **$75 million** subcontract from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory to deliver four drones to the Moon's south pole for the MoonFall mission, targeted to launch no earlier than 2029.
Viasat
May 26 — Viasat and Intelsat General were awarded a nearly **$438 million** contract by U.S. Space Force's Space Systems Command for continued work on the Protected Tactical Satellite-Global (PTS-G) program.
Rocket Lab
May 26 — Rocket Lab secured a **$90 million** Space Force contract and reported Q1 revenue of **$200.3 million**. The company's stock (RKLB) surged past **$135** following the announcement.
Voyager Space
May 26 — Voyager Space won a DARPA contract for solid rocket propellant technology development, expanding its defense portfolio.
Italian Space Agency (ASI)
May 22 — Italy's Multi-Purpose Habitation (MPH) lunar module cleared NASA's System Requirements Review and is progressing toward Preliminary Design Review in 2027. The first MPH module is expected to launch in **2033**.
Mergers, Acquisitions & Partnerships
American Airlines
May 26 — American Airlines will install SpaceX's Starlink Wi-Fi on more than **500 narrowbody Airbus aircraft**, with deployment starting in Q1 2027. The rollout includes new A321XLR and A321neo planes.
Starcloud
May 26 — Starcloud ordered Starlink laser communication terminals for its orbital data center network, marking a strategic partnership with SpaceX for space-based connectivity.
SITAEL
May 27 — SITAEL signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Eycore for new collaborations in Earth observation. The company announced a growth plan targeting **€200 million** in revenues by 2031, supported by over **€150 million** in backlog.
Launch Activity & Mission Milestones
SpaceX
May 27 — Starship Version 3 completed its first flight this week, with SpaceX preparing for a follow-up mission. Analysis suggests the path to full reusability remains challenging despite recent progress.
SEOPS
May 26 — SEOPS unveiled its Waymaker rideshare program for Low Earth Orbit and purchased a dedicated SpaceX Falcon 9 mission at the SmallSat Europe conference in Amsterdam.
Exolaunch
May 26 — Exolaunch purchased a dedicated SpaceX Falcon 9 mission to run its own rideshare missions, announced during SmallSat Europe.
SITAEL
May 27 — SITAEL confirmed its role as prime contractor for ESA's Scout HiBiDiS mission and announced nine launches planned by 2030 as part of its expansion strategy.
Industry Context
SpaceX
May 27 — European space industry is closely watching SpaceX's IPO plans, with potential implications for global space investment trends and market valuations.
European Space Industry
May 27 — Industry experts note that **€131 billion** in European defense spending is available for space, but procurement speeds must increase for the supply chain to absorb it. European nations are adopting a mix of sovereign, bilateral, federated and commercial space capabilities.
May 26 — The EU Space Act remains far from government approval after 11 months and two revisions, indicating continued regulatory challenges in European space policy.
Additional Updates
Archangel Lightworks
May 27 — The world's smallest deployable operational optical ground station proved its capability in successful trials, demonstrating advancements in satellite optical communications infrastructure.
Aitech
May 27 — Aitech upgraded its space supercomputer platform, enhancing on-orbit processing capabilities for next-generation satellite missions.
Viasat
May 26 — Viasat's next-generation cockpit service reached a milestone as airlines adopt modernized communications to save fuel and improve operational efficiency.
L3Harris
May 26 — L3Harris strengthened its global solid rocket motor supply chain with a new PAC-3 propulsion supplier, enhancing production capacity for defense systems.