SpaceX files confidentially for an IPO, Amazon in talks to buy Globalstar
| By Jeff Foust
In this today's edition: Artemis 2 launches on its mission around the moon, SpaceX files for an IPO, Amazon in talks to acquire Globalstar, and more.
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| | | | | | Top Stories
The first human mission to the moon in more than 50 years successfully launched Wednesday. NASA's Space Launch System rocket lifted off from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 6:35 p.m. Eastern on the Artemis 2 mission. NASA reported no major issues during the countdown, resolving a few minor problems that arose during the day. The launch placed into Earth orbit the Orion spacecraft with four NASA and Canadian Space Agency astronauts on board. The crew dealt with some spacecraft issues in the hours after launch, including a brief loss of communications and problems setting up the spacecraft's toilet. Orion performed a proximity operations test a few hours after launch, separating from its upper stage and then maneuvering around it. [SpaceNews]
The big milestone for the Artemis 2 mission today will be a maneuver to send the spacecraft to the moon. The translunar injection (TLI) burn is scheduled a little more than a day after liftoff, with Orion's main engine firing to send Orion from its highly elliptical Earth orbit to a free-return trajectory around the moon. It will make its closest approach to the moon about five days into the mission before returning to Earth with a splashdown on the evening of April 10 off the coast of San Diego, California. [SpaceNews]
SpaceX has confidentially filed plans to go public. While the company made no formal announcement, industry sources said Wednesday that SpaceX did file with the Securities and Exchange Commission for its initial public offering. The confidential filing allows SpaceX to work with regulators on the proposal before making it public. SpaceX is seeking to raise as much as $75 billion in the IPO that would value the company at $1.75 trillion. SpaceX is also reportedly exploring a dual-class share structure that would give Musk and other insiders outsized voting control. The filing marks a pivotal moment for a space sector that is increasingly attracting mainstream market investors, even as SpaceX's valuation raises questions about how much weight to place on future ambitions. [SpaceNews]
Amazon is in talks to acquire satellite operator Globlastar. The companies are in discussions about an acquisition but are still negotiating complexities of any deal, such as Apple's 20% stake in Globalstar, with no guarantee a sale can be closed. Globalstar operates a constellation of several dozen satellites that it is in the process of replenishing with financial support from Apple, which uses Globalstar for its emergency connectivity service. Amazon is likely primarily interested in Globalstar for its spectrum as it builds out its Amazon Leo constellation. Rumors of an acquisition have boosted Globalstar's stock, giving the company a valuation of $9 billion. [Financial Times]
The commanding general of the Space Force says the service is "sitting at the center" of recent military campaigns in Iran and Venezuela. Speaking at the Mitchell Institute's Spacepower Security Forum, Gen. Chance Saltzman said space capabilities provided by the Space Force "have played an outsized role" in those operations. His comments add to a growing body of official statements pointing to the importance of space and cyber capabilities in the Feb. 28 U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran and subsequent operations. He pointed to a shift in how space is integrated into military planning, saying that space was "baked in from the beginning" rather than added on later. [SpaceNews]
| | | | | | Other News
The Spanish government approved plans to spend 325 million euros ($375 million) to expand a satellite constellation. The government's Council of Ministers approved this week the funding for three Earth observation satellites that will join the Atlantic Constellation, a joint effort with Portugal. The constellation, with 16 satellites, supports environmental monitoring and coastal surveillance. [European Spaceflight]
Teledyne Technologies is creating a dedicated business unit for space programs. The new Teledyne Space unit combines its imaging, electronics and component businesses as demand rises for satellite-based sensing technologies. Teledyne provides subsystems such as sensors, detectors and instrumentation that are integrated into larger aerospace and defense platforms, including Earth observation and missile warning satellites. The consolidation would make it easier to package subsystems into integrated offerings, which satellite manufacturers and constellation operators are increasingly seeking. [SpaceNews]
A university spinoff has raised $2.4 million to develop circuit-board-sized spacecraft for very low Earth orbit (VLEO) applications. Aspect Aerospace, a University of South Alabama spinoff, said it obtained a $1.9 million U.S. Space Force grant to build a space-ready Single-Board Satellite (SBS) prototype within 18 months, along with $500,000 in pre-seed funding from venture capital firm SOSV. The SBS would integrate sensing, communications and power systems onto a single printed circuit board, with units designed to last about six months in VLEO. Aspect Aerospace's initial focus is on monitoring plasma in VLEO, where space weather and atmospheric drag can significantly affect satellite operations. [SpaceNews]
Los Angeles startup Fortastra has hired veterans from several aerospace companies to design and operate maneuverable spacecraft for on-orbit security. The company announced Tuesday it hired executives who previously worked at Relativity Space, Hermeus, Astrion and Divergent Technologies to top positions at the startup. Fortastra is developing spacecraft with advanced guidance and propulsion systems to enable rapid maneuver, rendezvous and proximity operations, and mission assurance in degraded environments. The company raised more than $8 million in a seed round last year. [SpaceNews]
| | | | | | | FROM SPACENEWS |  | | The industry is always moving faster. SpaceNews reporting allows you to track every major development across the industry. Give yourself a head start – subscribe today and save 25% on a new subscription with code STAYAHEAD. Sale ends Friday, April 3. | | | | | | Stressful
| "From my perspective it was far less stressful to be strapped into the rocket than to be responsible for it here on Earth."
| | – NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman at a press conference after the successful Artemis 2 launch Thursday.
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