All about Space Economy
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News
20SpaceX Buys Grain's Spectrum for $8 Billion for Direct-to-Cell Service
Grain Management is selling its nationwide 800 MHz spectrum portfolio to SpaceX in a deal reported by The Wall Street Journal to be worth around $8 billion to support direct connectivity.
SpaceX Returns Ship 40 to Texas and Cryogenically Tests Ship 42
Ship 40 returned to Texas after a 75-day sea journey, while Ship 42 was rolled out for a third round of cryogenic testing, marking steps toward the fifteenth flight.
Amazon Completes 1,000 Satellites for 'Leo' with Internet Service Weeks Away
Amazon has manufactured its 1,000th satellite for the "Amazon Leo" broadband constellation, stating that commercial service is now weeks away, from its factory in Kirkland, Washington.
BlackSky Wins "Gen-3" Imagery Contract with New International Intelligence Customer
BlackSky has won a six-figure pilot contract for "Gen-3" imagery services with a new international intelligence customer, described as a sovereign partner in a strategic region.
Four Companies Win US Contracts for Satellite Deorbiting
The Space Development Agency and the Defense Innovation Unit awarded satellite deorbit vehicle contracts to Firefly, D-Orbit, Katalyst, and Starfish Space without disclosing the contract values.
L3Harris Builds Glass LISA Telescope to Detect Gravitational Waves
NASA has selected L3Harris to design and assemble an all-glass Zerodur telescope for the European LISA gravitational wave observatory, without disclosing the contract value.
'Crew-12' Returns to Earth After 237 Days and 100 Million Miles
The 'Dragon Freedom' capsule splashed down off the coast of Los Angeles carrying the four-astronaut 'Crew-12' team, following a 237-day mission spanning more than 3,792 orbits.
US Exemption for SpaceX Drops AST SpaceMobile Shares by 6.13%
The US regulator exempted SpaceX from the spectrum leasing requirement, authorizing the construction of 15,000 satellites for direct-to-cell communication, and AST SpaceMobile shares fell 6.13% to $56.93.
The Exploration Company to Test Lunar Hopper in the UAE in 2027
The Exploration Company will test an experimental lunar hopper vehicle named ONEIROS in the UAE in 2027, under a Memorandum of Understanding with the UAE Space Agency.
NASA and US Department of Energy Sign Agreement for Space Reactor in 2028
NASA and the US Department of Energy signed a memorandum of understanding to cooperate on nuclear energy and space propulsion from research to operation, including the "Space Reactor-1 Freedom" reactor in 2028.
New Test Brings Europe Closer to Reusable Rocket
ArianeGroup completed a second wet fill test for the reusable 'Themis' vehicle in Sweden, using liquid nitrogen and cooling it to approximately minus 200 degrees.
'Sell on the News'... South Korean Space Stocks Drop Despite 'Nuri' Success
South Korean aerospace stocks fell in a sell-off following the successful launch of 'Nuri', with Hanwha Aerospace dropping 4.5% and Satrec Initiative sliding 8.96%.
NASA Lunar Contract Delay Sends Intuitive Machines Shares Down
NASA has delayed the announcement of the CLPS 2.0 contract from October to at least November 7, dampening optimism over new government business and putting pressure on Intuitive Machines shares.
"Nuri" Succeeds in Its Fifth Mission and Launches 15 Satellites
South Korea successfully launched the "Nuri" rocket on its fifth mission from the Naro Space Center, carrying 15 satellites, including five "NEONSAT" satellites that form the country's first domestically launched constellation.
UAE unveils autonomous lander for asteroid mission
The UAE has unveiled an autonomous lander developed by the Technology Innovation Institute in collaboration with the UAE Space Agency, designed to land on asteroid 269 Justitia following an eight-year journey concluding in 2036.
SpaceX Prepares to Unlock 328 Million Shares for Sale on October 9
Approximately 328.4 million Class A shares of SpaceX will become available for sale on October 9 as part of the 120-day tranche, representing about 7% of the shares subject to lockup restrictions.
Why Did Space Stocks Drop Together While the US Market Remained Relatively Stable?
US space company stocks fell together without any company-specific catalyst, amid rising bond yields and oil prices, and ahead of the release of the Fed's September meeting minutes.
NASA Nears Bulk Rocket-Purchase Deal for a $30 Billion Lunar Base
NASA is nearing the announcement of a bulk launch rocket purchase deal to support a permanent lunar base costing $30 billion, while Morgan Stanley reiterates a price target of $300 for SpaceX.
US-Japan Statement Praises AST SpaceMobile and Rakuten Partnership
A joint US-Japan statement praises Rakuten's collaboration with AST SpaceMobile in low Earth orbit satellites, as part of a Japanese initiative valued at nearly $1 billion.
NASA Awards Modulate $38 Million for 5G Network on the Moon
NASA awards Modulate Space a contract worth around $38 million to develop a 5G and Wi-Fi network on the lunar surface.
Articles & Analysis
1
The Five Pillars of The Space Economy
Three years after publishing our Five Pillars framework, we revisit it with hard evidence: Upstream has a $17B contract ceiling, Instream has an ISS retirement date, Downstream sits inside a $686B economy, Exploration sent four humans around the Moon in April 2026, and Religion — the boldest pillar — is now a line item in the U.S. federal budget. The framework was right. The waiting is over.