North America

Sidus Space, Inc., a Space-as-a-Service company, has signed an agreement with SkyWatch to use its TerraStream data-management platform. The parties expect the agreement to accelerate the expansion of Sidus’ commercial data distribution strategy, which includes white labeling data for the Company’s existing customers and driving growth of new data customers. Furthermore, Sidus Space expects the agreement to generate additional revenue for it and engage customers who otherwise may not have connected with Sidus. 

Kevin O'Connell is a former Director of the Office of Space Commerce at the U.S Department of Commerce. He is now the founder of Space Economy Rising LLC, a company that works with clients and partners worldwide on all aspects of the space economy. He is an expert in the field of space commerce and has been involved in space issues for over 30 years. In this episode, he talks about the commercial potential of space and takes unexpected turns. It seems space is looking for any talent out there.

SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy rocket has launched two U.S. military satellites into geosynchronous orbit from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, marking the fifth successful flight of the rocket. Intended to launch on Saturday, January 14, the mission was delayed for a day, eventually launching on Sunday, January 15.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) released an Order adopting Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel’s plan to establish a Space Bureau and Office of International Affairs. The reorganization will better support the needs of the growing satellite industry, the FCC said.

SpiderOak raised $16.4 million in an investment round led by Empyrean Technology Solutions, a space technology platform connected to Madison Dearborn Partners, a Chicago-based private equity firm. 

The National Science Foundation (NSF) and SpaceX reached an agreement to reduce the impact of Starlink Gen2 satellites on astronomy. SpaceX was granted a licence from the Federal Communications Commission in December to deploy a quarter of its planned 30,000-satellite Gen2 system.

Researchers have confirmed the presence of an exoplanet, a planet that orbits another star, using the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope for the first time. Formally classified as LHS 475 b, the planet is almost exactly the same size as Earth, clocking in at 99% of Earth’s diameter.

Optical communications terminal producer, Mynaric, entered into a definitive agreement with an undisclosed US-based customer for the delivery of CONDOR Mk3 optical communication terminals. The order has a value of approximately US $24 million.

Capella Space, an American space technology company with data and satellite solutions for government and commercial applications, announced $60 million in growth equity financing in a follow-on to their Series C funding round through Thomas Tull’s US Innovation Technology Fund (USIT). Capella Space is one of the first companies to close financing through Tull’s USIT Fund, bringing the company’s total funding to approximately $250M.

Commercial near-Earth orbit monitoring service provider, NorthStar Earth & Space, signed an agreement with Japanese microsatellite company Axelspace, to use existing space-based sensors to contribute to NorthStar’s more comprehensive coverage of the space domain. The collaboration will leverage Axelspace’s operational AxelGlobe constellation of five Earth observation low Earth orbit satellites to provide complementary Space Situational Awareness (SSA) data.