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Venturi Astrolab, Inc. (Astrolab) has announced that it has reached an agreement with eight enterprise customers to use its Flexible Logistics and Exploration (FLEX) rover to deploy the customers’ payloads on Astrolab’s upcoming mission to the Moon - Mission 1. Five customers are releasing details of their payloads today: Argo Space, Astroport, Avalon Space, Interstellar Lab, and LifeShip. Three more customers are contracted with Astrolab but intend to release details of their payloads at a future date, closer to launch. Collectively, Astrolab values the eight contracts at more than $160 million.

Rocket Lab USA, Inc. has announced the expansion of its space systems business with a dedicated production and development complex. The complex will deliver a comprehensive suite of advanced composite products for the space industry and further vertically integrate supply for the Company’s internal needs across launch and space systems. Furthermore, Rocket Lab's complex will support the development and manufacture of carbon composite spacecraft buses, structural panels and assemblies, among others. 

SpaceX has conducted the second test of its Starship Rocket to launch it into Space in an attempt to evaluate the spacecraft's ability. The Spacecraft lifted off successfully but the rocket's Super Heavy first stage booster exploded in a fireball over the Gulf of Mexico after crucially maneuvering to separate with its core Starship stage. Despite the booster's explosion, Starship continued its trip to space - crossing the 100km mark - until a SpaceX company broadcaster confirmed that mission control suddenly lost contact with the vehicle.

Firefly Aerospace, Inc. has announced the closing of another tranche of financing, valuing the company at $1.5 billion pre-money. Existing investors led the round, including AE Industrial Partners, LP, as well as new investors, including Mitsui & Co., Ltd. Firefly has consequently raised approximately $300 million in funding since February 2023.

The Global Satellite Operators Association (GSOA) released on the 13th of November its Code of Conduct on Space Sustainability. It is calling on operators to implement responsible practices that mitigate the risk of in-orbit collision, minimise the threat of non-trackable debris, protect humans in space, and limit effects on optical astronomy. 

UnseenLabs, a provider of radio frequency (RF) data and solutions for maritime domain awareness, announced the successful launch of its two satellites BRO-10 and BRO-11. They were launched as part of SpaceX’s Transporter-9 mission via Exolaunch on the 11th of November from the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. 

In this Space Café Radio - SpaceWatch.Global publisher Torsten Kriening spoke with Neutron Star Systems (NSS) CEO Manuel La Rosa Betancourt, CTO Dr. Michael Winter, and Investor Relationship Manager Robin Lebeau before the Space Tech Expo Europe in Bremen. 

The 2023 edition of the legendary von Braun Space Exploration Symposium took place on October 25-27 2023 in the regular location, Huntsville, Alabama (recordings of sessions are available here). Its focus however was interestingly unusual: “Advancing Space: from LEO to Lunar and Beyond” featured a diverse program covering commercial, policy, and strategic communication concerns.

Djibouti has launched its first satellite, Djibouti 1A, into orbit, aboard Space's Transporter-9 smallsat rideshare mission on November 11 2023.  According to Space in Africa, the East African Country developed the satellite through a joint capacity-building program between Djibouti and its technical partner, the Centre Spatial Universitaire de Montpellier (CSUM). As a result, Djiboutian engineers and technicians in France designed, constructed and tested the satellite.

SpaceX's transporter smallsat rideshare mission has launched more than 100 satellite payloads for various satellite companies in its ninth dedicated mission. The transporter-9 mission lifted from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on November 11, 2023, deploying payload for Planet, D-Orbit, Spire Global, Iceye, Umbra and SpaceIn, among others. The payload also included orbital transfer vehicles that would later deploy their satellites into orbit.