ESA goes to Venus with EnVision, the European Space Agency said. The mission was selected by ESA’s Science Programme Committee as the fifth Medium-class mission in the Agency’s Cosmic Vision plan, targeting a launch in the early 2030s, ESA said. EnVision follows ESA’s Venus Express (2005-2014)

The UK government has appointed Paul Bate as CEO of the UK Space Agency, succeeding Graham Turnock. Bate is currently Vice President, Commercial at Babylon Health, working with healthcare organisations in the NHS and across the world. Prior to that, he was the Executive Director of Strategy and Intelligence at the Care Quality Commission.

Kongsberg Satellite Services (KSAT) will support and service Intuitive Machines (IM) for all its Moon missions, the company announced. KSAT has entered a long-term agreement with IM to support every stage of IM’s missions to the Moon, from launch and early operations, through transit, including lunar operations, KSAT said. IM will use KSAT services for its 2022 IM-1 mission.

Mauritius has its first own satellite. The first-ever Mauritian nanosatellite MIR-SAT1 has docked at the International Space Station (ISS) aboard a SpaceX cargo Dragon rocket, the Ministry of Information Technology, Communication and Innovation of the Republic of Mauritius announced.

Kepler Communications raised $60 million to fund its satellite communications network, the company said. This Series B fundraising round was led by Tribe Capital and includes participation from existing investors like IA Ventures and Costanoa Ventures and new investors like Canaan Partners.

Sierra Space, a subsidiary of the aerospace and security group Sierra Nevada Corporation, announced a memorandum of understanding with Spaceport Cornwall in South-West England. The memorandum paves the way for sustained operations with UK’s horizontal launch spaceport at Cornwall Airport Newquay. The UK Space Agency is funding Sierra’s Dream Chaser concept.

The former director of the European Space Agency (ESA), Jan Wörner, joins Seraphim Capital, the space investment fund, as Senior Advisor and member of the firm's Advisory Board, Seraphim said. Wörner was Director General of ESA from 2015 to 2021 and served as Chairman of the ESA Council from 2012 to 2014.

The 3D rocket printer Relativity Space raised another $650 million to fund its new fully reusable, entirely 3D-printed Terran R rocket. Relativity Space closed a $650 million Series E equity funding round led by Fidelity with participation from investors including Baillie Gifford, funds and accounts managed by BlackRock, Centricus, Coatue, K5 Global, Soroban Capital, ....

Space race between billionaires: “It looks like Richard Branson could beat fellow billionaire Jeff Bezos to space next month”, Parabolic Arc reported. Citing “a source who requested anonymity”, Parabolic Arc reported that Virgin Galactic is working on a plan to send Branson on a suborbital flight over the July 4 holiday weekend.

The launch company Astra wants to acquire Apollo Fusion for up to $145 million, the company said. Apollo Fusion manufactures electric propulsion engines. The acquisition allows Astra to provide launch and space services beyond low Earth orbit (LEO), to medium Earth orbit, geosynchronous, and lunar orbits, Astra said.