Space Industry Weekly Briefing — Tuesday, May 12, 2026

Star Catcher Industries — N/A

FUNDING

• May 12 — Star Catcher Industries closed a $65 million Series A round to validate its power-beaming technology for satellites in space. The company is developing a space power grid using optical power transmission. Source

Creotech Instruments — Warsaw, Poland

FUNDING OPS UPDATE

• May 11 — Creotech Instruments announced plans for a $118 million capital raise to open a new satellite production facility in Poland by 2029. The company aims to quadruple manufacturing capacity to approximately 40 satellites annually. Source

SkyFi — N/A

CONTRACT

• May 11 — Special Operations Forces are testing mobile software developed by SkyFi that operates on tactical Android devices for direct satellite imagery access. The platform enables direct-to-device satellite imagery delivery for military operations. Source

SciTec (Firefly Aerospace subsidiary) — Boulder, CO

CONTRACT

• May 11 — SciTec, a Firefly Aerospace subsidiary, was awarded a contract by the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) to support development of the Advanced Algorithm R&D and Verification Architecture. The effort focuses on advancing sensor system research across the electromagnetic spectrum for global persistent awareness. Source

Kratos Defense & Security Solutions — N/A

CONTRACT

• May 11 — Kratos' satellite/space business posted a book-to-bill ratio of 3:1 in Q1 2026, driven by a Space Force MEO constellation ground network contract. The strong bookings signal significant future revenue growth for the ground systems segment. Source

Space42 — Abu Dhabi, UAE

PARTNERSHIP

• May 11 — Space42 partnered with Skylo Technologies to deliver standards-based direct-to-device (D2D) connectivity through its Thuraya-4 geostationary satellite. The partnership enhances Space42's D2D capabilities for mobile connectivity. Source

Lyntris — N/A

M&A

• May 11 — Vitesse Systems and Accelint merged to form Lyntris, a new defense tech company focused on the connected battlefield. Both companies were previously owned by Trive Capital. Source

Cowboy Space (formerly Aetherflux) — N/A

OPS UPDATE

• May 11 — Aetherflux, founded by former Robinhood co-founder Baiju Bhatt, rebranded as Cowboy Space and expanded its focus beyond power beaming to include orbital data centers and associated launch infrastructure. Source

SpaceX — Hawthorne, CA

LAUNCH OPS UPDATE

• May 12 — SpaceX completed the first fueling test of Starship V3, the new and taller version of its megarocket, setting the stage for a test flight potentially launching later this week. The vehicle set a new record for the tallest rocket ever built. Source
• May 12 — SpaceX is preparing to launch its 34th Commercial Resupply Services mission to the ISS, carrying 6,500 pounds of science and supplies. Liftoff from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station is scheduled for 7:16 p.m. EDT. Source
• May 11 — SpaceX launched the NROL-72 mission from Vandenberg Space Force Base, delivering intelligence-gathering satellites for the National Reconnaissance Office. This was the 13th mission supporting the NRO's proliferated architecture constellation. Source

China National Space Administration — Beijing, China

LAUNCH

• May 11 — China's Tianzhou 10 freighter delivered nearly 7 tons of supplies to the Tiangong space station, docking approximately five hours after launching atop a Long March 7 rocket. Source

NASA — Washington, DC

OPS UPDATE

• May 11 — NASA announced it will continue six-month crew rotation missions to the International Space Station after evaluating the possibility of longer stays. The core stage for the Artemis 3 rocket has been raised inside the Vehicle Assembly Building, awaiting engine integration for a 2027 launch to test lunar landers. Source

ESA/CAS (Smile Mission) — N/A

LAUNCH

• May 12 — The European-Chinese Smile mission is scheduled to launch on May 19, 2026, at 04:52 BST/05:52 CEST. ESA will broadcast the launch live. Source

Industry Analysis — N/A

• May 12 — SpaceNews published an opinion piece arguing that space is having its 'internet moment,' drawing parallels to the 1990s when the Mosaic browser made the web accessible and Cisco briefly became the world's most valuable company in 2000. Investors are advised to recognize similar inflection points in the commercial space sector. Source

Transcelestial — N/A

OPS UPDATE

• May 12 — Transcelestial successfully tested laser transmissions from a satellite to ground stations, advancing its work to provide space-to-ground optical communications capabilities. Source

Fenix Space — N/A

OPS UPDATE

• May 12 — Fenix Space successfully flew a prototype of its tow-launch system, demonstrating a novel approach to launch technology. Source

BlackSky — Herndon, VA

OPS UPDATE

• May 11 — BlackSky is shifting its positioning from 'imagery to answers' as its Gen-3 constellation reaches a commercial inflection point. The company is emphasizing AI-driven analytics and insights derived from satellite imagery over raw image sales. Source

Hughes Network Systems — Germantown, MD

OPS UPDATE

• May 11 — Hughes Network Systems reported declining satellite broadband subscribers and service revenue in Q1 2026, citing increased competition from satellite competitors and other technologies. Results were disclosed as part of EchoStar's quarterly earnings. Source

Northrop Grumman — Falls Church, VA

OPS UPDATE

• May 11 — Northrop Grumman unveiled the LR-450 positioning system, an advanced inertial measurement unit designed for diverse space missions requiring precision navigation and guidance. Source

AICRAFT — Adelaide, Australia

OPS UPDATE

• May 11 — Adelaide-based AICRAFT expanded beyond edge computing into advanced SAR (Synthetic Aperture Radar) radar electronics, diversifying its space technology portfolio. Source