TNO, the Institute of Communication and Computer Systems (ICCS), and a consortium of other European partners join forces in the LaiQa-project to develop space internet for cities and continents. Signal losses in fiber over distance are a major hindrance to the future of global quantum internet. Therefore, the project focuses on using satellites to connect cities and continents to eventually become a part of the global quantum internet and fully benefit from its promising applications.

Lockheed Martin has successfully deployed ten of its satellites into low-Earth orbit (LEO) in support of the Space Development Agency's (SDA) Tranche 0 Transport Layer (T0TL) mission. SDA's T0TL is a proliferated LEO constellation that will demonstrate low-latency communication and provide a resilient network of integrated capabilities. The company's 10 small satellites successfully separated from the launch vehicle and are now in orbit.

GITAI USA Inc. and GITAI Japan Inc. (GITAI) has raised an additional US$15 million for the Series B Extension round. Together with the US$30 million funding from May of this year, the total amount of the Series B Extension round is now US$45 million. The Company will leverage the additional funds it has raised in this round primarily to expand its business in the U.S., as well as establish partial coverage of the lunar surface demonstration.

The Board of Directors at Space Florida has selected U.S. Space Force Col. Robert Long to succeed Frank DiBello, as president and CEO of Space Florida. Before leading the agency, DiBello was president and CEO of Florida’s Aerospace Finance Corporation. The board, chaired by Lt. Gov. Jeannette Nunez, opted to move forward with contract negotiations with Col. Robert A. Long, one of three finalists to replace Frank DiBello.

Space in Africa, a media, consulting, and analytics company, has published the 2023 edition of its African Space Industry Report. The report projects the African space economy to grow by 16.16% to USD 22.64 billion by 2026, and with the remarkable spurt in the economy in 2022, the industry is on track to reach this target.

SatSure has closed a Series A round of $15 million in equity capital and venture debt, with Baring Private Equity Partners (BPEP) and India and Promus Ventures leading the round. The round also saw participation from Omidyar Network India and xto10X. With this investment, SatSure’s plans of launching a fleet of four high-resolution optical and multispectral satellites continue to be on track for Q4 2025.

Azerbaijan has adopted the Law on Space Activities on 4 August 2023, consequently developing its national space legislature. It consists of six chapters and 24 articles and regulates the legal, economic and organizational bases of space activity in Azerbaijan. In addition to relations for the implementation of national activities in space and entrepreneurial activities in the space industry, the document concludes with a thorough analysis of safety in space activities and the space industry.

LeoStella and Hera Systems have signed a strategic manufacturing alliance to mitigate supply chain risks, increase the reliability of production and delivery schedules and maintain competitive pricing for small satellite constellations. The parties introduced the collaboration through a common manufacturing proposal for the Space Development Agency’s Tranche 2 Transport Layer.

HEO, formerly known as HEO Robotics, has announced the successful completion of its Series A funding round, securing $12 million AUD in investment. Airtree Ventures, an Australian venture capital firm popular for its strategic investments in high-growth technology companies, led the round. Additional and returning investors include Salus VC, Y Combinator, In-Q-Tel, David Harding and Steve Baxter.

Viasat Inc. has confirmed that its Inmarsat-6 F2 (I6 F2) satellite, which launched on February 18, 2023, has suffered a power subsystem anomaly during its orbit-raising phase. At this stage, Viasat and Airbus, the satellite’s manufacturer, are working to determine the root cause of the anomaly and assess whether the satellite will be able to perform its mission.