Observable Space
May 28 — Observable Space raised **$90 million** in Series A funding and secured a Space Force contract for optical space domain awareness systems. The company develops ground-based telescope networks for tracking objects in orbit.
SPACEHAUS · Commercial space intelligence
Space Industry Weekly Briefing — 2026-05-29
Commercial space news and intelligence for the week ending 2026-05-29.
Week ending
Funding Rounds & Investment Activity
Contracts, Awards & Government Activity
Observable Space
May 28 — Observable Space raised **$90 million** in Series A funding and secured a Space Force contract for optical space domain awareness systems. The company develops ground-based telescope networks for tracking objects in orbit.
Hermeus
May 29 — The U.S. Defense Innovation Unit increased funding for the Quarterhorse supersonic drone by **$159 million**, raising the total potential contract value to **$219 million**. The funding will support high-speed payload delivery and release capabilities.
BlackSky Technology
May 28 — BlackSky Technology received a **7-figure** contract renewal focused on non-Earth imagery services, capturing imagery of other objects in orbit rather than terrestrial targets.
BAE Systems
May 29 — BAE Systems won a **$20 million** U.S. Army contract to deploy the ROOK soft-kill countermeasure system on ground vehicles for active protection.
Dell
May 29 — Pentagon awarded Dell a 5-year blanket purchase agreement worth up to **$9.7 billion** to consolidate Microsoft 365 licenses across the Department of Defense.
Mergers, Acquisitions & Partnerships
Revolv Space
May 28 — Revolv Space entered the in-orbit servicing market through an acquisition deal with Infinite Orbits, expanding its portfolio beyond solar array drive assemblies (SADAs) into orbital services.
Bellatrix
May 29 — Bellatrix and TelePIX announced plans for a **2028** air-breathing very-low-Earth-orbit (VLEO) imaging demonstration mission, combining propulsion and imaging technologies.
Space Solar
May 27 — UK-based Space Solar signed a Letter of Intent with U.S. data-in-space pioneer Lonestar to explore opportunities in orbital data storage missions, investments, and joint ventures.
Viasat
May 28 — Viasat selected Atos to modernize its global digital workplace operations, consolidating IT services across the company's international footprint.
Launch Activity & Mission Milestones
Blue Origin
May 29 — Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket exploded during a static fire test at Launch Complex 36 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station at approximately **9 PM EDT**. All personnel were accounted for following the anomaly. The explosion is a major setback for NASA's Moon plans and Amazon's Leo satellite constellation, with a launch previously scheduled for June 4.
SpaceX
May 29 — SpaceX launched **29 Starlink satellites** aboard a Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station at **8:57 AM EDT**. This was the **49th** Starlink-dedicated mission in 2026.
Industry Context
U.S. Space Force
May 28 — The U.S. Space Force announced plans to establish a nationwide network of 'resilient operations centers' to enhance continuity and redundancy for space operations amid growing threats to space assets.
European Space Agency
May 20 — ESA greenlit two budget-friendly Earth observation Scout missions: HiBiDiS (led by SITAEL) and SOVA-S (led by OHB Czechspace). Each mission must progress from approval to launch within three years with costs capped at **€35 million**.
European Union
May 28 — The European Union opened a tender seeking proposals for innovative and cost-effective user terminal technologies for the IRIS² constellation, targeting next-generation ground equipment development.
Additional Updates
Virgin Media O2
May 28 — Virgin Media O2's direct-to-device service O2 Satellite now supports iPhones. The service uses SpaceX's Starlink Mobile constellation and went live earlier this year for select Android devices.
Swissto12
May 28 — Swissto12 expanded its leadership team with a new chief commercial officer (CCO) and executives focused on government affairs and partnerships to support global growth initiatives.
OmniAccess
May 28 — OmniAccess launched a unified multi-orbit maritime connectivity service, integrating GEO, MEO, and LEO networks to provide seamless broadband for maritime customers.
NewSpace Systems
May 28 — NewSpace Systems announced European expansion with a new subsidiary in the Netherlands, marking the company's first dedicated European presence for satellite components and systems.
NASA
May 28 — NASA reported that astronauts aboard the ISS are working on InSPA-StemCellEX-H2, a project to produce large quantities of blood stem cells at a scale suitable for pharmaceutical and clinical use on Earth.