Plus: Meta signs up for space-based solar power
By Jeff Foust
In today's edition: True Anomaly raises $650 million, corrosion problems affect Gateway and commercial space station modules, Meta signs up for space-based solar power and more.
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Top Stories
Space defense startup True Anomaly has become the latest space unicorn with a $650 million funding round. The company announced Tuesday it raised a Series D round co-led by Eclipse and Riot Ventures, valuing the firm at $2.2 billion. True Anomaly builds spacecraft and software for U.S. national security missions, including its Jackal satellite, designed to maneuver in orbit, and Mosaic, a mission software platform. The fresh capital will be used to expand manufacturing and hiring, with the company aiming to produce up to 50 Jackal spacecraft annually at its facility near Denver. The financing coincides with the company's entry into the Pentagon's Golden Dome program, an effort to develop space-based interceptors designed to counter missile threats. It was one of 12 companies picked last week to develop interceptor prototypes. [SpaceNews]
A manufacturing problem by a European company has resulted in corrosion of modules for the lunar Gateway and a commercial space station. The issue, first highlighted by NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman at a House hearing last week, affects the HALO and I-Hab modules built for Gateway, which the agency plans to cancel in favor of developing a lunar base. Northrop Grumman said in a statement it has been working to address the corrosion issue and expects to complete that work by the third quarter. Thales Alenia Space built the structures for both modules and confirmed a "well-known metallurgical behavior" affected them. Thales Alenia is also building the structure for the first modules for Axiom Space's commercial space station. Axiom said it has worked to fix a similar corrosion issue and does not expect it to delay the 2028 launch of its first module. [SpaceNews]
Seraphim Space's London-listed trust is seeking to raise more capital to invest in space companies. The fund announced Monday an offer for a new class of C-shares priced at one British pound each, with a goal of raising 350 million British pounds ($474 million). That trust holds shares in more than 10 space companies, including Iceye, All.Space, D-Orbit and HawkEye 360. Seraphim said the new capital will allow it to increase its stakes in existing holdings as well as "cherry-pick new investments" in other companies. [SpaceNews]
Space-based solar power company Overview Energy struck a deal with Meta to help power its data centers. The companies announced an agreement Monday under which Overview will provide up to one gigawatt of power for Meta's data centers. Overview is developing spacecraft that collect solar power in space and transmit it to Earth through infrared lasers to solar farms, allowing those facilities to operate when they would be idle, such as at night. Overview plans an in-space demo of its technology in 2028, with commercial service to begin as soon as 2030. That approach is seen as an alternative to launching orbital data centers. [SpaceNews]
Tensor, an early-stage company focused on space-based radio-frequency communications, is seeking a role in Golden Dome. The company says it is developing compact radios capable of rapidly moving targeting data between satellites and interceptors. The Space Force is projecting demand for thousands of radios capable of running a complex waveform known as Link-182, designed to allow satellites and interceptors to securely exchange data in orbit. Tensor is working on prototypes of a radio using Link-182 with ground tests planned for later this year. It is working with companies involved in the Golden Dome interceptor program. [SpaceNews]
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Other News
An Atlas 5 launched more Amazon Leo satellites Monday night. The Atlas 5 551 lifted off from Cape Canaveral, Florida, at 8:53 p.m. Eastern, placing 29 Amazon Leo satellites into orbit. This was the second Atlas 5 launch for Amazon this month and marked the shortest turnaround between Atlas 5 launches at this pad. With this launch, Amazon has launched 270 satellites for its broadband constellation, which is designed to have more than 3,200 satellites. [Spaceflight Now]
Weather scrubbed a Falcon Heavy launch earlier in the day. SpaceX called off the launch of the ViaSat-3 F3 satellite seconds before the scheduled 10:21 a.m. Eastern launch from the Kennedy Space Center, citing poor weather in the area. The launch, the first for the Falcon Heavy in 18 months, has been rescheduled for Wednesday. [Orlando Sentinel]
A Progress cargo spacecraft docked with the International Space Station Monday evening. The Progress MS-34 spacecraft, called Progress 95 by NASA, docked with the station's Zvezda module on schedule at 8 p.m. Eastern, a little more than two days after its launch. The Progress is carrying about three tons of cargo, including supplies and fuel, for the station and is expected to remain there for about six months. [NASA]
The first privately developed Indian orbital launch vehicle is on its way to its launch site. The Vikram-1 rocket, developed by Skyroot Aerospace, left its assembly facility in Hyderabad over the weekend, bound for the Satish Dhawan Space Centre. The small launch vehicle will undergo more tests there before a launch attempt later this year. [NDTV]
The White House has abruptly fired the entire membership of the National Science Foundation's governing body. The 24 members of the National Science Board were informed Friday that they had been terminated, but were not told why they were being removed. The board oversees operations of the NSF, which is once again facing a budget cut of more than 50% in the administration's fiscal year 2027 budget proposal. The White House has not commented on the decision to remove the board members or announced any replacement members for it. [Science]
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FROM SPACENEWS |
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Call Me, Maybe
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| "I'm happy to make my cell phone available to every member of Congress if that's helpful. I don't believe in surprises."
"Be careful what you wish for there."
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– NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman and Rep. Glenn Ivey (D-Md.) at an April 27 hearing of the House Appropriations Committee's commerce, justice and science subcommittee on the NASA budget.
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