SPACE.HAUS — WEEKLY INTEL BRIEFING Friday, May 29, 2026 ============================================================ Sources scanned: 50 Companies with news: 18 Funding activity: $90M+ Top story: Blue Origin New Glenn explodes during test Canonical: https://space.haus/briefings/2026-05-29.html Interactive: https://space.haus/briefing/2026-05-29 FUNDING ROUNDS & INVESTMENT ACTIVITY ------------------------------------ Observable Space — N/A [FUNDING, CONTRACT] • 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. (https://spacenews.com/observable-space-raises-90-million-and-wins-space-force-contract-for-optical-systems/) CONTRACTS, AWARDS & GOVERNMENT ACTIVITY --------------------------------------- Observable Space — N/A [CONTRACT, FUNDING] • 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. (https://spacenews.com/observable-space-raises-90-million-and-wins-space-force-contract-for-optical-systems/) Hermeus — N/A [CONTRACT] • 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. (https://orbitaltoday.com/2026/05/29/mach-quarterhorse-drone-gets-funding-boost/) BlackSky Technology — N/A [CONTRACT] • 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. (https://www.satellitetoday.com/imagery-and-sensing/2026/05/28/blacksky-advances-non-earth-imaging-business-with-7-figure-renewal/) BAE Systems — N/A [CONTRACT] • 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. (https://orbitaltoday.com/2026/05/29/bae-systems-wins-20m-u-s-army-contract-for-soft-kill-active-protection-system/) Dell — N/A [CONTRACT] • 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. (https://orbitaltoday.com/2026/05/29/pentagon-awards-dell-9-7-billion-deal-to-consolidate-microsoft-365-licenses/) MERGERS, ACQUISITIONS & PARTNERSHIPS ------------------------------------ Revolv Space — N/A [M&A] • 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. (https://spacenews.com/revolv-space-enters-in-orbit-servicing-market-with-infinite-orbits-deal/) Bellatrix — N/A [PARTNERSHIP] • 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. (https://spacenews.com/bellatrix-and-telepix-plan-2028-air-breathing-vleo-imaging-demonstration/) Space Solar — United Kingdom [PARTNERSHIP] • 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. (https://orbitaltoday.com/2026/05/28/space-solar-teams-up-with-lonestar-for-orbital-data-storage/) Viasat — N/A [PARTNERSHIP] • May 28 — Viasat selected Atos to modernize its global digital workplace operations, consolidating IT services across the company's international footprint. (https://satnews.com/2026/05/28/viasat-selects-atos-to-modernize-its-global-digital-workplace-operations/) LAUNCH ACTIVITY & MISSION MILESTONES ------------------------------------ Blue Origin — Kent, WA [LAUNCH] • 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. (https://spacenews.com/new-glenn-rocket-explodes-on-cape-canaveral-pad/) SpaceX — Hawthorne, CA [LAUNCH] • 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. (https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/spacex-starlink-10-53-1085-ccsfs-asog) INDUSTRY CONTEXT ---------------- U.S. Space Force — N/A [OPS UPDATE] • 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. (https://spacenews.com/space-force-plans-nationwide-network-of-resilient-operations-centers/) European Space Agency — N/A [OPS UPDATE] • 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. (https://europeanspaceflight.com/esa-greenlights-two-budget-friendly-earth-observation-missions/) European Union — N/A [OPS UPDATE] • 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. (https://www.satellitetoday.com/technology/2026/05/28/eu-targets-user-terminal-tech-advancements-ahead-of-iris%c2%b2/) ADDITIONAL UPDATES ------------------ Virgin Media O2 — United Kingdom [OPS UPDATE] • 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. (https://www.satellitetoday.com/connectivity/2026/05/28/uks-o2-satellite-expands-d2d-service-to-iphones/) Swissto12 — Switzerland [OPS UPDATE] • 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. (https://www.satellitetoday.com/people/2026/05/28/swissto12-adds-to-leadership-team-to-target-global-growth/) OmniAccess — N/A [OPS UPDATE] • May 28 — OmniAccess launched a unified multi-orbit maritime connectivity service, integrating GEO, MEO, and LEO networks to provide seamless broadband for maritime customers. (https://satnews.com/2026/05/28/omniaccess-launches-unified-multi-orbit-maritime-connectivity-service/) NewSpace Systems — South Africa [OPS UPDATE] • 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. (https://satnews.com/2026/05/28/newspace-systems-announces-european-expansion-with-new-netherlands-subsidiary/) NASA — Washington, DC [OPS UPDATE] • 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. (https://orbitaltoday.com/2026/05/29/nasa-starts-new-project-growing-stem-cells-aboard-iss/) ============================================================ Generated by space.haus · AI-curated from 50+ industry sources. Verify before making business decisions.