SPACE.HAUS · WEEKLY INTEL BRIEFING

Space Industry Weekly Briefing — Tuesday, April 7, 2026

Weekly intelligence briefing for the commercial space industry, week ending Tuesday, April 7, 2026. 19 stories across 6 categories including Funding Rounds & Investment Activity, Contracts, Awards & Government Activity, Mergers, Acquisitions & Partnerships, Launch Activity & Mission Milestones, Industry Context, Additional Updates. AI-curated by space.haus from 50+ industry sources.

Sources scanned
50
Companies with news
18
Funding activity
$134.6M+
Top story
Artemis II sets distance record at 252,757 miles

Funding Rounds & Investment Activity

Starfish Space — Kent, WA

FUNDING

  • — Starfish Space closed a Series B funding round exceeding $100 million to advance its satellite servicing and on-orbit logistics capabilities. The company is developing the Otter spacecraft for missions including life extension, inspection, and orbital debris removal. Source

PLD Space — Elche, Spain

FUNDING

  • — The European Investment Bank signed a $34.6 million loan facility with launcher startup PLD Space, bringing the company's total funding to $438 million. The financing supports development of the company's reusable launch vehicles. Source

Contracts, Awards & Government Activity

Exolaunch — Berlin, Germany

CONTRACT

  • — Exolaunch was selected by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) to provide satellite deployers for an upcoming small satellite mission. The company will supply its deployment systems for the mission. Source

Anduril — Costa Mesa, CA

CONTRACT PARTNERSHIP

  • — Anduril and Impulse Space are developing prototype orbital interceptors for the classified Golden Dome missile defense program. The collaboration aims to create space-based interceptor capabilities for the U.S. defense infrastructure. Source

NASA — Washington, DC

OPS UPDATE

  • — The Trump administration's FY 2027 budget proposal calls for a 23% reduction in overall NASA funding and a 47% cut to science programs, while proposing full funding for the Golden Dome missile defense initiative. Congress rejected similar cuts in 2026. Source

NIGCOMSAT — Abuja, Nigeria

OPS UPDATE

  • — Nigeria announced plans to launch two new NIGCOMSAT communications satellites by 2029 to expand the country's satellite communications infrastructure and capabilities. Source

Mergers, Acquisitions & Partnerships

Azercosmos — Baku, Azerbaijan

PARTNERSHIP

  • — Azercosmos and Viasat signed a partnership agreement for in-flight connectivity services. The collaboration will enable Azercosmos to offer Viasat's satellite-based connectivity solutions to airlines in its region. Source

Delta Air Lines — Atlanta, GA

PARTNERSHIP

  • — Delta Air Lines and Amazon's Project Kuiper struck a Wi-Fi deal to bring satellite internet service to over 500 Delta aircraft starting in 2028. The agreement will provide passengers with connectivity via Amazon's LEO constellation. Source

Korean Air — Seoul, South Korea

PARTNERSHIP

  • — Korean Air and Exotrail are partnering to develop Orbital Transfer Vehicle (OTV) solutions. The collaboration combines Korean Air's aerospace manufacturing expertise with Exotrail's space mobility technologies. Source

Firefly Aerospace — Cedar Park, TX

PARTNERSHIP

  • — Firefly Aerospace teamed up with Seagate Space to develop sea-based launch capabilities for its Alpha rocket. The partnership will develop a purpose-built Gateway offshore platform to enable launches from ocean locations. Source

L3Harris — Melbourne, FL

PARTNERSHIP

  • — L3Harris and Comtech released a new multi-orbit tactical satcom embeddable modem announced March 31. The C2 modem works with certain L3Harris terminals and supports operations across multiple orbital regimes. Source

Open Lunar Foundation — San Francisco, CA

PARTNERSHIP

  • — Open Lunar Foundation and COSPAR signed a Memorandum of Understanding on the Lunar Ledger and information sharing for lunar coordination. The agreement aims to improve coordination of activities on and around the Moon. Source

Launch Activity & Mission Milestones

NASA - Artemis II — Washington, DC

LAUNCH

  • — Artemis II astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen successfully completed their lunar flyby, setting a new distance record of 252,757 miles from Earth—surpassing Apollo 13's 56-year-old record. The crew passed as close as 4,067 miles to the lunar surface and witnessed a rare solar eclipse from beyond the Moon before heading back to Earth for a Friday splashdown off California. Source

Industry Context

Earth Observation Industry — N/A

OPS UPDATE

  • — Earth observation operators are pushing to deliver satellite images within minutes of capture, dramatically reducing latency from traditional timescales. The capability addresses growing demand for near-real-time intelligence for defense, disaster response, and commercial applications. Source

FOSSA Systems — Madrid, Spain

OPS UPDATE

  • — FOSSA Systems is targeting Japan's defense market as larger smallsats expand mission capabilities. The company is positioning its platforms to address growing demand for more capable small satellite systems in defense applications. Source

Additional Updates

Moog Space and Defense — East Aurora, NY

OPS UPDATE

  • — Moog highlighted its growing satellite bus capabilities with a full-scale METEOR platform reveal at the Space Symposium. The demonstration showcases the company's expansion into complete satellite solutions beyond traditional components. Source

The Exploration Company — Bordeaux, France

OPS UPDATE

  • — The Exploration Company completed initial pressure testing of its Nyx Structural Test Model (STM). The pressurized structure was manufactured by CNIM Systèmes Industriels in France and supports development of the modular Nyx space capsule for cargo and crew missions. Source

Iceye — Espoo, Finland

OPS UPDATE

  • — Iceye satellites are tracking Russian naval vessels and illegal shipping activities in the Arctic using synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imaging. The company's constellation provides all-weather, day-night monitoring capabilities for maritime domain awareness. Source

University of Leicester — Leicester, United Kingdom

OPS UPDATE

  • — UK scientists developed a robotic laboratory at Space Park Leicester to safely store and analyze Moon and Mars samples without contamination risks. The facility will support future sample return missions with automated handling capabilities. Source