Blue Origin — Kent, WA
FUNDING
- — Blue Origin is seeking to raise $10 billion at a $130 billion pre-money valuation from Coatue Asset Management, Jeff Bezos, and other investors, according to reporting from The New York Times. Source
SPACE.HAUS · WEEKLY INTEL BRIEFING
Space Industry Weekly Briefing — Friday, July 10, 2026
Weekly intelligence briefing for the commercial space industry, week ending Friday, July 10, 2026. 57 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
- 57
- Funding activity
- $30M
- Top story
- Google Ventures funds Nebex with $30M seed
Funding Rounds & Investment Activity
Venus Aerospace — Houston, TX
FUNDING
- — Venus Aerospace raised $91 million in Series B funding to scale production of its Rotating Detonation Rocket Engine (RDRE) technology for hypersonic and space applications. Source
Ravee Optics — N/A
FUNDING
- — Ravee Optics raised a $6 million seed round to build compact laser communications terminals for satellite applications. Source
Nebex — N/A
FUNDING
- — Founded by former Axiom Space CEO Tejpaul Bhatia and Anand Subramanian, Nebex raised $30 million in seed funding from Google Ventures (GV). The platform serves as a marketplace connecting buyers, sellers, and capital in the space sector. Source
Contracts, Awards & Government Activity
Pulse Space — N/A
CONTRACT
- — Pulse Space was awarded a $40 million contract by the U.S. Space Force to advance laser power beaming technology for space applications. Source
Relativity Space — Long Beach, CA
CONTRACT
- — Relativity Space was added to the U.S. Space Force's National Security Space Launch (NSSL) Phase 3, Lane 1 program, making it eligible to compete for future government launch contracts. Source
Impulse Space — Redondo Beach, CA
CONTRACT
- — Impulse Space was added to the U.S. Space Force's National Security Space Launch (NSSL) Phase 3, Lane 1 program, joining Relativity Space as new entrants eligible for government launch awards. Source
Telesat — Ottawa, Canada
CONTRACT
- — Telesat reached an agreement with the Canadian government to provide Military Ka-band satellite capacity for Canada's Enhanced Satellite Communications Project – Polar (ESCP-P) program to support Arctic connectivity. Source
Beyond Gravity — Zurich, Switzerland
CONTRACT
- — Beyond Gravity signed one of the largest contracts in its history with Ariane Group, cementing its position as a key player in the European launch supply chain. Source
U.S. Department of the Interior — Washington, DC
OPS UPDATE
- — The Interior Department issued a request for information (RFI) on offshore launch options, exploring alternatives to land-based spaceports as launch demand increases. Source
U.S. Space Force — Washington, DC
OPS UPDATE
- — The U.S. Space Force completed a major procurement reorganization, establishing nine acquisition portfolios to streamline space systems procurement and development. Source
Impulse Space — Southern California, USA
CONTRACT
- — The U.S. Space Force added Impulse Space to its National Security Space Launch (NSSL) Phase 3 Lane 1 contractor pool, designed for commercial-like missions and lower-risk launches. Source
Relativity Space — Southern California, USA
CONTRACT
- — The U.S. Space Force added Relativity Space to its National Security Space Launch (NSSL) Phase 3 Lane 1 contractor pool alongside Impulse Space. Source
Firefly Aerospace — Cedar Park, Texas, USA
CONTRACT
- — Firefly Aerospace received a $13 million subcontract from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory to manufacture, test, and deliver the aeroshell for NASA's SkyFall Mars mission. Source
Simera Sense — N/A
CONTRACT
- — Simera Sense will provide eight 'MultiScape 100' imagers for the Canary Islands Satellite Constellation, supporting Earth observation capabilities. Source
Alliance for European Autonomous Access to Space (AEAAS) — Europe
CONTRACT
- — AEAAS was selected to lead a space regulatory practices review for the European Union, contributing to the development of European space policy and governance frameworks. Source
Mergers, Acquisitions & Partnerships
MDA Space — Brampton, Canada
M&A
- — MDA Space agreed to acquire a 70% stake in French Earth observation data analytics company CLS (Collecte Localisation Satellites) for $647 million, with France's CNES retaining 30%. The deal vertically integrates MDA into Earth observation analytics. Source
York Space Systems — Denver, CO
M&A
- — York Space Systems closed its acquisition of satcom terminal company All.Space, creating what both CEOs describe as a complete tactical satellite communications ecosystem. Source
ispace — Tokyo, Japan
PARTNERSHIP
- — Japanese lunar company ispace announced a partnership with SpaceX to send larger payloads to the Moon via Starship. ispace secured 500 kg of payload capacity for launch no earlier than 2030, launching a new lunar integrator service. Source
The Exploration Company — Munich, Germany
OPS UPDATE
- — The Exploration Company established a U.S. business entity to pursue government contracts for its Nyx reentry capsule, expanding beyond its European base. Source
Iceye — Espoo, Finland
OPS UPDATE
- — Iceye established a German business entity based in Berlin and Munich, appointing Philipp Laub as its leader to tap into the dynamic German space market. Source
Rivada Space Networks — Munich, Germany
PARTNERSHIP
- — Rivada Space Networks signed a connectivity partnership agreement with Mercantile Space in Nepal, a country with approximately 30 million people, to provide satellite broadband services. Source
National Space Agency of Singapore (NSAS) — Singapore
PARTNERSHIP
- — Singapore's newly formed National Space Agency signed a memorandum of understanding with Japan's JAXA as it works to build up the country's space industry and capabilities. Source
NATO — Brussels, Belgium
PARTNERSHIP
- — Eight NATO allies announced plans to create the HALO (Hybrid Adaptive Low Orbit) constellation, bringing together national military satellites into a hybrid system to improve NATO's resilience and military advantage in space. Source
MDA Space — Canada
M&A
- — MDA Space announced plans to acquire Collecte Localisation Satellites (CLS), a French provider of AI-driven Earth observation data analytics, expanding its data services capabilities. Source
Iridium — USA
M&A
- — Iridium completed its acquisition of Aireon, expanding its role in the aviation ecosystem with space-based aircraft tracking and surveillance capabilities. Source
ispace — Tokyo, Japan
PARTNERSHIP
- — ispace announced a new lunar integration and transportation service aboard SpaceX's Starship, expanding from lunar landing missions into end-to-end lunar infrastructure services. Source
Infinite Orbits — Europe
PARTNERSHIP
- — Infinite Orbits and Arianespace signed a Memorandum of Understanding to advance European direct-to-GEO launch capabilities, supporting in-orbit services and satellite deployment. Source
NSG — N/A
PARTNERSHIP
- — NSG strengthened its in-flight connectivity offering with Hughes' JUPITER 3 gateway infrastructure, enhancing aviation connectivity services. Source
RVmagnetics — N/A
PARTNERSHIP
- — RVmagnetics and Airbus jointly developed a sensing mat using MicroWire technology to improve composite aircraft structure repair processes, replacing traditional thermocouples with ultra-thin, reusable sensing sheets. Source
Launch Activity & Mission Milestones
China National Space Administration — Beijing, China
LAUNCH
- — China became the second country to recover an orbital booster with the successful landing of the Long March 10B first stage, following SpaceX's reusable booster technology. Source
City Labs — Miami, FL
LAUNCH
- — Miami-based City Labs became the first commercial company to test nuclear battery technology in orbit with the BOHR mission, launched aboard SpaceX's Transporter-17 rideshare. The mission serves as a pathfinder for future nuclear-powered spacecraft. Source
SpaceX — Hawthorne, CA
LAUNCH
- — SpaceX launched Falcon 9 booster B1067 on its record-breaking 36th flight, deploying Starlink satellites from Cape Canaveral. The company deployed 1,589 Starlink satellites in H1 2026, ahead of 2025's record pace. SpaceX also launched 81 payloads on the Transporter-17 rideshare mission and filed an FCC application for a 100,000-satellite Gen3 constellation in W- and D-band frequencies. Source
Katalyst Space Technologies — N/A
LAUNCH
- — Katalyst Space Technologies launched its Link spacecraft on a NASA emergency mission to rendezvous with and reboost the 21-year-old Swift Observatory, which is at risk of atmospheric reentry due to orbit decay from recent solar storms. Rendezvous will take several weeks. Source
Rocket Lab — Long Beach, CA
LAUNCH OPS UPDATE
- — Rocket Lab's Electron rocket achieved a record stretch through H1 2026, though the company's Neutron medium-lift launcher has experienced delays. Rocket Lab continues to advance production and testing of Neutron. Source
Vast Space — Long Beach, CA
OPS UPDATE
- — Vast Space's Haven-1 commercial space station remains on track to launch in Q1 2027, having achieved several key milestones in development and testing. Source
Katalyst Space — N/A
LAUNCH
- — Katalyst Space's LINK on-orbit servicing spacecraft launched aboard Northrop Grumman's Pegasus-XL rocket on July 3 and is en route to reboost NASA's Swift observatory. Source
Tumbleweed — Austria
LAUNCH
- — Austrian startup Tumbleweed launched its 'Oasis Alpha' demo satellite aboard SpaceX's Transporter-17 rideshare mission. Source
ZFT — Germany
LAUNCH
- — German companies ZFT and Smart Small Satellite Systems launched 9 satellites aboard SpaceX's Transporter-17 rideshare mission. Source
ESA — Europe
LAUNCH
- — ESA's CyberCUBE, realized by GMV, launched on July 7 aboard SpaceX's Transporter flight. The project creates an operational in-orbit testbed to demonstrate advanced cyber tools for protecting satellites and ground systems. Source
OroraTech — Germany
OPS UPDATE
- — OroraTech's Hellenic Fire System achieved first light over Greece less than a month after launch, demonstrating operational wildfire detection capabilities. Source
NASA — USA
OPS UPDATE
- — NASA's New Horizons spacecraft woke from its longest hibernation yet on June 23, operating 6.9 billion miles from Earth, ready to send back science data from the outer solar system. Source
Industry Context
Industry-wide — N/A
OPS UPDATE
- — Environmental groups urged the FCC to pause applications for orbital data center constellations pending environmental review, raising concerns about space sustainability and satellite de-orbit impacts. Source
- — Europe's space industry sales increased 23% in 2025 according to Eurospace, while headcount grew only 2.2%. Startups now represent 11% of the European space workforce, indicating significant productivity gains and industry transformation. Source
International Space University (ISU) — Strasbourg, France
OPS UPDATE
- — ISU's Central Campus in Strasbourg has been liquidated following funding cuts, marking a significant setback for space education infrastructure in Europe. Source
NATO — N/A
PARTNERSHIP
- — NATO Allies formed new partnerships to develop high-end space capabilities across the Alliance, strengthening collective space defense and security infrastructure. Source
Additional Updates
ElevationSpace — Boulder, CO
OPS UPDATE
- — ElevationSpace advanced development of its commercial reentry vehicle ELS-R, progressing through design and testing milestones for cargo return from orbit. Source
Xona Space Systems — San Mateo, CA
OPS UPDATE
- — Xona Space Systems unveiled a verification program for devices compatible with its Pulsar precision navigation constellation, enabling ecosystem development ahead of constellation deployment. Source
Fi — N/A
OPS UPDATE
- — Fi launched the first Starlink-enabled pet tracker (Fi Ultra), using SpaceX's direct-to-device service via T-Mobile's T-Satellite network to track dogs in cellular dead zones anywhere in the U.S. Source
Stoke Space — Kent, WA
OPS UPDATE
- — Former OpenAI executive Kevin Weil joined Stoke Space's board of directors, bringing tech industry expertise to the reusable rocket developer. New launch pads for Stoke and Relativity are under construction at Cape Canaveral. Source
CesiumAstro — Austin, TX
OPS UPDATE
- — CesiumAstro filed an FCC application for a 737-satellite constellation called Synchronicity to provide reconfigurable connectivity to fixed and mobile satellite users using software-defined technology. Source
Auxilium — N/A
OPS UPDATE
- — Auxilium demonstrated technology to enable sustainable bioprinting in orbit, advancing capabilities for tissue engineering and pharmaceutical research in microgravity. Source
Astranis — San Francisco, CA
OPS UPDATE
- — Thaicom announced that the Astranis-built Thaicom 9 satellite launch has been delayed to March 2027 following a component anomaly affecting five satellites in production. Source
Univity — France
OPS UPDATE
- — French startup Univity is building a broadband and direct-to-device constellation designed to place telecom operators at the center of the value chain, offering an alternative model to vertical integration. Source
ICEYE — Finland
OPS UPDATE
- — ICEYE established national headquarters in Portugal and Germany, expanding its operational footprint in Europe for SAR satellite capabilities. Source
ESA — Europe
OPS UPDATE
- — ESA's Hera mission control team successfully upgraded the spacecraft's software across 140 million km of space, preparing it for exploration of the Dimorphos and Didymos asteroids this autumn. Source
- — ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot began testing the European Enhanced Exercise Device (E4D), conducting the first rope-pulling resistance training workout in space aboard the International Space Station. Source
- — The second Meteosat Third Generation Imager satellite (MTG-I2) began its launch campaign at Europe's Spaceport in French Guiana, undergoing final inspections before integration with Ariane 6. Source
UK Space Agency — United Kingdom
OPS UPDATE
- — UK Space Agency announced Dr. Alice Bunn OBE FIMechE FRAeS CEng will join in mid-September as job-share partner with Director Rebecca Evernden, returning after serving from 2013-2021. Source
U.S. Space Force — USA
OPS UPDATE
- — The Deep-Space Advanced Radar Capability (DARC) program faces delays due to construction setbacks at the Western Australia radar site, though the first of three deep-space radars was approved for early operational use in September. Source