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☆ Live updates: Virgin Galactic completes first commercial spaceflight
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-29 | by ( Michael Sheetz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

People react as the passenger rocket plane operated by Virgin Galactic takes off, during the company's first commercial flight to the edge of space, at the Spaceport America facility, in Truth or Consequences, New Mexico, U.S., June 29, 2023. Space tourism company Virgin Galactic , founded by Sir Richard Branson in 2004, completed its long-awaited first commercial spaceflight, called "Galactic 01," on Thursday. The three paying passengers are members of the Italian Air Force. Virgin Galactic's start to commercial service comes after years of delays and setbacks. Virgin Galactic has a backlog of about 800 passengers.

Persons: Sir Richard Branson, Virgin Galactic's Organizations: Virgin Galactic, America, Space, Italian Air Force, Virgin, VSS Unity Locations: New Mexico, U.S

☆ Investing in Space: India is the industry's 'sleeping giant,' according to an expert behind the international Artemis Accords
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-29 | by ( Michael Sheetz | In Michaeljsheetz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Indian Ambassador Taranjit Sandhu, right, talks with NASA Administrator Bill Nelson, after having signed the Artemis Accords on June 21, 2023. CNBC's Investing in Space newsletter offers a view into the business of space exploration and privatization, delivered straight to your inbox. Gold described India as "a sleeping giant in the space world that is awakening" – albeit "one that's been snoring loudly." Gold believes India's bureaucratic reforms in its space efforts are helping the country move faster in the sector. "No one is altering their path – we're just complementing each other relative to Artemis and the existing plans with India.

Persons: Taranjit Sandhu, Bill Nelson, CNBC's Michael Sheetz, Narendra Modi, Mike Gold, –, Gold, Artemis Organizations: NASA, Artemis Accords, CNBC's, India's, Modi's, Indian Space Research Organization, ISRO, International Space Station, U.S, Space Force, Space, CNBC, Galactic Locations: U.S, India, Russia, China

☆ Spacecraft builder Apex raises $16 million from a16z and Shield Capital, reveals first customers
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-22 | by ( Michael Sheetz | In Michaeljsheetz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

CNBC's Investing in Space newsletter offers a view into the business of space exploration and privatization, delivered straight to your inbox. Building the backbone of a spacecraft – the satellite bus, which provides the structure, power and movement – has long been a mission-focused endeavor. But Los Angeles-based Apex, founded last year by Ian Cinnamon and Max Benassi, is working to create a satellite bus manufacturer that flips that practice on its head. The startup raised an additional $16 million in a round led by VC firms Andreessen Horowitz and Shield Capital, bringing its total raised to over $27 million, Apex said. "Fundamentally, we're building a real business with real unit economics where we're able to make money on every single sale," he added.

Persons: CNBC's Michael Sheetz, –, Ian Cinnamon, Max Benassi, Cinnamon, We're, they're, Andreessen Horowitz Organizations: Aries, Shield Capital, Apex Locations: Los Angeles, Apex

☆ Investing in Space: Bankers and insiders say M&A action is heating up
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-15 | by ( Michael Sheetz | In Michaeljsheetz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

CNBC's Investing in Space newsletter offers a view into the business of space exploration and privatization, delivered straight to your inbox. CNBC's Michael Sheetz reports and curates the latest news, investor updates and exclusive interviews on the most important companies reaching new heights. The space sector has seen a variety of mergers and acquisitions since the start of the year, but the deal-making is only heating up. Meanwhile, one financier told me even Boeing is exploring options for its space business, and "everything's on the table." The markets and underlying technologies of space companies are often very different, and the reasons why one company sells or fails are often just as different from that of another.

Persons: CNBC's Michael Sheetz, Lockheed Martin, Boeing —, ULA, you've Organizations: CNBC, United, Alliance, Lockheed, Boeing, Ball Aerospace

☆ Investing in Space: Here are the rockets chasing to compete with SpaceX's Falcon 9
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-08 | by ( Michael Sheetz | In Michaeljsheetz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +14 min

SpaceXCNBC's Investing in Space newsletter offers a view into the business of space exploration and privatization, delivered straight to your inbox. Overview: Chasing the FalconNo rocket has been better-described as a "workhorse" than SpaceX's Falcon 9. Aside from Blue Origin's New Glenn, the early theme is rockets that are close to the capability of Falcon 9 and less expensive. – CNBC, which the lawsuit says were used for NASA projects including the International Space Station and the Space Launch Systems rocket. – Firefly Aerospace: The rocket builder says the deal will bolster its launch, spacecraft, and lunar lander businesses.

Persons: CNBC's Michael Sheetz, Phil Smith, SpaceX's, Glenn, Smith, –, Smith doesn't, CNBC ULA, Tory Bruno, Jeff Bezos, ULA, – Read, Shepard, Bob Smith, Jim Free, Artemis, HawkEye, – Hydrosat, Leonardo DiCaprio, – Momentus, Westinghouse EchoStar's Hughes, – EchoStar, Iris Lan, Sumara Thompson, King, Lan, – NASA Celeste Ford, Ford, – SpiderOak Melissa Quinn, Quinn Organizations: SpaceX CNBC's, SpaceX, Falcon, Boeing, NASA, CNBC, CNBC Department of Defense, Ukraine, Starlink, Pentagon, –, Space Station, Systems, CNBC SpaceX, Cargo, International Space, FAA, Intelsat, Japan Airlines, Embraer, – Intelsat, Rocket, ONE, Washington, Spaceflight, Aerospace, Aerospace Spacecraft, York, MaC Venture Capital, Broom Ventures, Veto, TechCrunch Viasat, Air Force, Viasat, Westinghouse, U.S . Department of Justice, – NASA, Ford, Stellar Solutions Locations: Florida, China, Russia, Colorado, Ukrainian, Bellevue , Washington, Cortado, Cornwall

☆ A 'fake moon' has been following Earth around the sun since 100 BC, and astronomers just noticed
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-01 | by ( Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

An asteroid has been trailing Earth around the sun since 100 BC, astronomers estimate. The space rock at first appears to be another moon, but it's actually orbiting the sun and not Earth. That makes this asteroid a "quasi-moon" or "fake moon." Scientists first discovered the space rock, called 2023 FW13, in March using the Pan-STARRS observatory in Hawaii. What makes this fake moon uniqueThe full moon rises behind the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France.

Persons: Alan Harris, Christian Hartmann, Julius Caesar, That's, Adrien Coffinet, Harris, that's Organizations: Service, Space Science Institute, Sky, Eiffel, Reuters, Minor Planet, International Astronomical Union Locations: Hawaii, Paris, France

☆ Investing in Space: Virgin Galactic still has a big hurdle to clear for commercial service
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-01 | by ( Michael Sheetz | In Michaeljsheetz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

After Virgin Galactic last week flew its final developmental spaceflight, which it crowned successful, it'd be easy to think the space tourism company is at a turning point. But the Virgin Galactic story is not about its first operational spaceflight, as long-awaited as that may be. Virgin Galactic sold about 600 tickets at $250,000 or less, representing the majority of its total reservations. Yes, Virgin Galactic has nearly $900 million in cash and securities to continue to cover losses in the meantime. Colglazier has described Delta as "the economic engine" for Virgin Galactic, estimating revenue of over $2.7 million per flight.

Persons: CNBC's Michael Sheetz, it's, It's, Elon, Michael Colglazier, Colglazier, Beth Moses, Moses, Delta, he's, bode, Galactic's, Shepard Organizations: Virgin Galactic, SpaceX, Elon Musk's, VSS Unity, VSS, Virgin Locations: that's, Virgin, Everest

☆ Virgin Galactic completes Unity 25 spaceflight in key final test before commercial service
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-25 | by ( Michael Sheetz | In Michaeljsheetz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Virgin Galactic did not publicly livestream the flight unlike the previous one that carried founder Sir Richard Branson in July 2021. ET, carrying the company's VSS Unity spacecraft up to an altitude of about 40,000 feet. Virgin Galactic previously said it aims to fly its first commercial mission in "late June," assuming a successful test flight on Thursday. Virgin GalacticUnity 25 represents a crucial moment in the history of Virgin Galactic, which has suffered repeated setbacks and years of delays in developing its spaceflight system. Virgin Galactic has yet to generate meaningful revenue, and needs to be flying spaceflights regularly in order to do so.

☆ Astranis says its first internet satellite is working 'perfectly' as company prepares to bring coverage to Alaska
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-24 | by ( Michael Sheetz | In Michaeljsheetz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

The Arcturus satellite is seen en route to geosynchronous orbit. AstranisAstranis, a San Francisco-based company with an alternative approach to providing internet access from satellites, has its first spacecraft in orbit, and the company on Wednesday said it's working "perfectly." Astranis has already completed tests with the satellite, including connecting to user equipment in its service target of Alaska for the first time. "This test validates everything that we've been working on and working towards and it's a huge, huge deal," Gedmark said. The Arcturus satellite is seen deploying its solar arrays in the background from onboard the upper stage of SpaceX's Falcon Heavy rocket.

☆ Investing in Space: Is SpaceX's Starlink growing satellite internet market share, or taking it?
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( Michael Sheetz | In Michaeljsheetz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

CNBC's Investing in Space newsletter offers a view into the business of space exploration and privatization, delivered straight to your inbox. Just over two and a half years after SpaceX's Starlink first rolled out its beta service, the satellite internet company now has more than 1.5 million subscribers. Starlink "introduced a service that leapfrogs the capability, although not quite the cost," of existing satellite and terrestrial competitors. Brazil, he noted, is the most dramatic example of Starlink taking share from incumbent satellite providers, where Starlink has added nearly the same amount of customers that Hughes has lost. With Starlink going after nearly every market vertical – from consumers to governments and everything in between – Prokosh noted customers are often just adding Starlink to existing options.

☆ Rocket builder Firefly takes on high-speed Space Force mission for crucial next launch
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-06 | by ( Michael Sheetz | In Michaeljsheetz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

The Alpha rocket for the Space Force's Victus Nox mission stands on the launchpad at Vandenberg Space Force Base, California. The mission for the military's Los Angeles-based Space Safari team calls for flying a Millennium Space Systems-built satellite on Firefly Aerospace's Alpha rocket — on remarkably short notice. The Alpha rocket for the Space Force's Victus Nox mission stands on the launchpad at Vandenberg Space Force Base, California. Space Force selected Firefly and Millennium for the Victus Nox contract in October, setting off a chain of events starting with the build phase. Firefly's opportunitywatch nowFirefly originally planned to fly a NASA mission on its third Alpha rocket launch, after the company reached space with its second launch in October.

☆ Investing in Space: Viasat launch adds power and flexibility in satellite broadband competition
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( Michael Sheetz | In Michaeljsheetz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

CNBC's Investing in Space newsletter offers a view into the business of space exploration and privatization, delivered straight to your inbox. CNBC's Michael Sheetz reports and curates the latest news, investor updates and exclusive interviews on the most important companies reaching new heights. Viasat took a big step toward satellite staying power last weekend, as the long-awaited launch of the first of the ViaSat-3 trio rumbled off the ground (thanks to the "full power" version of SpaceX's Falcon Heavy rocket.) The new satellites also give Viasat "a lot of flexibility" in where it aims the bandwidth, Dankberg said. Dankberg sees Viasat-3 as "more successful in business aviation," particularly by adding coverage over the Pacific.

☆ SpaceX to spend about $2 billion on Starship this year, as Elon Musk pushes to reach orbit
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-29 | by ( Michael Sheetz | In Michaeljsheetz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

The SpaceX Starship lifts off from the launchpad during a flight test from Starbase in Boca Chica, Texas, on April 20, 2023. Patrick T. Fallon | Afp | Getty ImagesElon Musk expects SpaceX to spend about $2 billion on its Starship rocket development this year, as the company pushes to build on its first launch earlier this month. "To my knowledge, we do not need to raise incremental funding for SpaceX," Musk said. As for the dramatic first fully stacked Starship rocket launch on April 20," the SpaceX CEO said, "The outcome was roughly in what I expected, and maybe slightly exceeding my expectations." He put the probability of reaching orbit with a Starship flight this year at "probably" 80%, but espoused that he thinks there is a "100% chance of reaching orbit within 12 months."

☆ What’s next for SpaceX’s Starship after a dramatic first launch
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-29 | by ( Michael Sheetz | In Michaeljsheetz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Starship launches for the first time on its Super Heavy booster from Texas on April 20, 2023. Soon after the launch, SpaceX began the process of cleaning up the launchpad and assessing the damage to its infrastructure. Fish and Wildlife Service disclosed this week that the Starship launch started a 3.5-acre fire on land owned by Texas' Boca Chica State Park. A SpaceX Starship prototype stands in a bay at the SpaceX Starbase in Boca Chica, Texas on April 18, 2023. As with any rocket-development program, and especially the largest ever assembled, SpaceX's timeline for the next Starship flight is likely to evolve and change.

☆ Investing in Space special report: Starship succeeds, in spite of failure
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( Michael Sheetz | In Michaeljsheetz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

CNBC's Investing in Space newsletter offers a view into the business of space exploration and privatization, delivered straight to your inbox. As I sprinted for a flight in the Dallas airport near midnight last night, I didn't actually think SpaceX was going to light up Starship's engines this morning. And even with the Super Heavy booster successfully ignited, I still didn't think the rocket would get off the ground. Michael Sheetz is CNBC's space reporter – send tips, talent moves and more to michael.sheetz@nbcuni.com. Listen to CNBC's "Manifest Space" podcast, hosted by Morgan Brennan, wherever you find podcasts.

☆ Investing in Space: Intelsat signs up for Northrop Grumman satellite servicing
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( Michael Sheetz | In Michaeljsheetz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

CNBC's Investing in Space newsletter offers a view into the business of space exploration and privatization, delivered straight to your inbox. A division within Northrop Grumman has in recent years become the world leader in extending the life of valuable satellites that are already in orbit. I chatted this week with Jean-Luc Froeliger, senior vice president of space systems at Intelsat, whose company announced an order from Northrop Grumman's Space Logistics unit for its latest service technology iteration. A quick step back: In 2020, Northrop Grumman's robotic spacecraft MEV-1 successfully docked with an old Intelsat satellite and extended its life by five years, marking an industry first. A year later, the companies took that feat a step further, docking MEV-2 with an active Intelsat satellite.

☆ Investing in Space: Deloitte formalizes its space consulting business, with an eye on growth
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-06 | by ( Michael Sheetz | In Michaeljsheetz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

CNBC's Investing in Space newsletter offers a view into the business of space exploration and privatization, delivered straight to your inbox. The space industry keeps growing, and global consulting groups aren't ones to be left behind. This week saw Big 4 firm Deloitte formalize its space consulting services, even as other consulting giants like McKinsey, BCG and Bain compete for pieces of the space pie. Loubert breaks the space consulting opportunity into two areas: Space as a mission or business, and space as a growth opportunity. For more on consulting and space, I'll be sitting down on April 18 with McKinsey Senior Partner Ryan Brukardt at Space Symposium in Colorado.

☆ Here's what went wrong with Virgin Orbit
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-31 | by ( Michael Sheetz | In Michaeljsheetz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

The deal, facilitated by a so-called blank check company, gave Virgin Orbit a valuation of nearly $4 billion. That debt gives the flashy British billionaire first priority of Virgin Orbit assets in the event of the now-impending bankruptcy. And Chief Strategy Officer Jim Simpson had also spent more than eight years in Boeing's satellite division before joining Virgin Orbit. That frustration continued after the pause, with employees confused by the lack of specifics about which investors were speaking to Virgin Orbit leadership. Virgin Orbit

☆ Investing in Space: Boeing's got to get going
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( Michael Sheetz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The Starliner spacecraft for the Crew Flight Test is seen in the company's processing facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center. CNBC's Investing in Space newsletter offers a view into the business of space exploration and privatization, delivered straight to your inbox. Even then, each company had faced its share of delays, but NASA estimated flight tests were months apart. I'm not advocating for anything akin to "go fever" for Boeing's upcoming Starliner crewed flight test (CFT), which just got delayed from mid-April to late July. Assuming the test flight goes according to plan, then there are the redesigns of Starliner's propulsion valves and module separation system – and potentially batteries – that are underway for missions after CFT.

☆ Rocket Lab targets $50 million launch price for Neutron rocket to challenge SpaceX's Falcon 9
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-24 | by ( Michael Sheetz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

During its fourth-quarter report last month, Rocket Lab said it had begun producing the first tank structures of Neutron, as well as construction of the launch pad for the rocket. That means Neutron is targeting a "$50 million to $55 million launch service cost," Spice said. "We don't have any hard data on that but certainly, if that was to happen, that'd be an incredibly bullish thing for Neutron," Spice said. More than rocketsSpice also emphasized to the Bank of America audience that Rocket Lab is "much more than" just a rocket company. As CEO Peter Beck has previously noted, Rocket Lab aims to create an "end-to-end platform for customers" who need space-based services.

☆ Investing in Space: The latecomer
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( Michael Sheetz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

CNBC's Investing in Space newsletter offers a view into the business of space exploration and privatization, delivered straight to your inbox. A small group of Virgin Orbit employees are rolling back into the company's Long Beach, California, headquarters today. Virgin Orbit this week announced a partial resumption of operations, potentially bolstered by a surprising new backer: private investor Matthew Brown. A person close to the Virgin Orbit deal described Brown as a "latecomer" and said company leadership initially considered his bid "super fringe." From another investor's perspective, Virgin Orbit was "the most likely to succeed after Rocket Lab " in the small satellite launch market.

☆ Investing in Space: Don't panic
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-16 | by ( Michael Sheetz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

CNBC's Investing in Space newsletter offers a view into the business of space exploration and privatization, delivered straight to your inbox. Virgin Orbit's headquarters and factory are near multiple rocket and space companies, with several growing fast nearby in "Space Beach" (an industry nickname for Long Beach, California). The fight for talent remains very competitive, which should give Virgin Orbit folks reassurance in the face of an uncertain future. Granted, the SVB situation is putting other banks under pressure and could spur caution around startup fundraising. And don't forget, multiple space companies, large and small, are backed by a lone wealthy individual with huge equity ownership.

☆ Investing in Space: Launch jitters
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-09 | by ( Michael Sheetz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

CNBC's Investing in Space newsletter offers a view into the business of space exploration and privatization, delivered straight to your inbox. Even today's private U.S. launch leaders, SpaceX and Rocket Lab , had their share of failures when first gunning for orbit. "In a launch vehicle, you have lots of different complex systems … and traditionally, we've been talking about expendable launch vehicles. "We're finally transitioning to a reusable launch vehicle mentality, and I think you're going to see more and more of that kind of testing," Nield said. But even with one-off rockets, Nield remains "very bullish" on the launch market.

☆ Watch Relativity attempt the first launch of its 3D-printed rocket Terran 1
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-08 | by ( Michael Sheetz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

3D-printing specialist Relativity Space is attempting its first rocket launch on Wednesday, a mission that marks the most significant test yet of the company's ambitious manufacturing approach. The company's Terran 1 rocket is launching from LC-16, a launchpad at the U.S. Space Force's facility in Cape Canaveral, Florida. The company's Terran 1 rocket stands on its launchpad at LC-16 in Cape Canaveral, Florida ahead of the inaugural launch attempt. The company says that 85% of this first Terran 1 rocket was 3D-printed. Relativity Space | gif by @thesheetztweetz

☆ Investing in Space: Sizing up
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-02 | by ( Michael Sheetz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

CNBC's Investing in Space newsletter offers a view into the business of space exploration and privatization, delivered straight to your inbox. Measuring the size of the space economy, whether globally or just for the U.S., is an important part of understanding the scale of the industry and its influence on our lives. But a new space survey is underway, by none other than the Department of Commerce's Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA). While BEA did a pilot study on space previously, the more robust study will be an annually refreshed estimate on the sector. It also plans to expand the analysis to breakdowns of each state, to show where space dollars are getting spent across the U.S.

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