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☆ SpaceX and Rocket Lab are the only consistent and reliable launch companies as other space stocks have trouble raising capital, Bank of America says
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( Filip De Mott | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Meanwhile, most other companies have had trouble raising capital in the risk-averse environment. "Fast forward to 2023, and there are truly only two launch companies that have proven consistent and reliable operations, only one of which is publicly traded Rocket Lab," analysts wrote. "When presented this reality, most satellite companies expressed their reluctance to being over reliant on certain launch companies, namely SpaceX." But other launch companies like Richard Branson's firm Virgin Orbit have run into trouble. "Also, contrary to popular belief, the space industry is not blind to the importance of profitability, and most are aggressively seeking this milestone," the note added.

The steep drop in fresh capital has left many companies in a vulnerable state, while the failure of Silicon Valley Bank, a leading provider of venture debt, has added to the challenge, a report by venture capital (VC) firm Space Capital said on Thursday. Space Capital's report, coming on the heels of a Chapter 11 filing from Richard Branson's Virgin Orbit Holdings Inc, tracked 89 companies active in the sector. The risk threshold to invest in space companies was much higher earlier, but given recent market uncertainty, investors may not be as risk-loving and space being a nascent sector, many are dialing back, Deutsche Bank analyst Edison Yu told Reuters separately. However, Space Capital added that companies in emerging industries, like those associated with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's Artemis mission to the Moon are seeing an increased interest. Reuters GraphicsReporting by Akash Sriram and Tanya Jain in Bengaluru; Editing by Nivedita BhattacharjeeOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Citigroup tells clients how they can invest in the outer space 'goldrush'
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( Michelle Fox | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Investors should choose carefully when investing in the outer space "goldrush" because it's a tough, capital-intensive business, according to Citigroup. Right now, Citi believes the best space-related investment is Planet Labs . It also initiated coverage of Rocket Lab and Canadian space technologies company MDA , but with neutral ratings. PL YTD mountain Planet Labs year-to-date performance Planet Labs is a provider of global, daily satellite data. Another way to play the theme is to look at incumbent aerospace and defense names that are committed to their space business, according to Citi.

☆ Rocket Lab CEO Peter Beck on building hypersonic technology
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-18 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

In this videoShare Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailRocket Lab CEO Peter Beck on building hypersonic technologyCNBC’s Morgan Brennan with Rocket Lab CEO Peter Beck, join 'Closing Bell: Overtime' to discuss the company's plans to go hypersonic.

☆ Analysis: Rocket startups face adapt-or-die moment amid investment drought
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-17 | by ( Joey Roulette | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Venture investment in space startups has dropped 50% year-over-year in 2022 to $21.9 billion, according to VC firm Space Capital. Astra Space (ASTR.O), which ditched its small Rocket 3.3 for a planned, larger Rocket 4 in the next few years, has struggled to bring its stock price above $1, facing delisting threats from Nasdaq. Despite the startups' struggles, launch demand has soared after sanctions following Russia's invasion of Ukraine cut off access to Russian rockets. Recent failures with Europe's Arianespace's Vega-C rocket have added to demand in the U.S., outstripping the number of available rockets. Private plans to deploy mega-constellations, vast swarms of satellites in low-Earth orbit, have also given launch startups hope for future demand.

☆ Virgin Orbit was a promising company that could never find a working business model
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-16 | by ( Magdalena Petrova | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Virgin Orbit started as a program of Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic in 2012, before being spun off into a separate company five years later. But Virgin Orbit was dogged by delays. "Virgin Orbit did not have an anchor customer." In late March, Virgin Orbit said it was laying off the majority of its workforce and ceasing operations "for the foreseeable future" after failing to secure a funding lifeline. Watch the video to find out more about what led to Virgin Orbit's collapse.

☆ New Zealander without college degree couldn't talk his way into NASA or Boeing—so he built a $1.8 billion rocket company
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-11 | by ( Tom Huddleston Jr. | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Beck launched the company, Rocket Lab, later that same year. Running a rocket company is kind of like that scene in "Indiana Jones," where he's getting chased by that giant ball. What do you wish you'd known when you decided to start your own rocket company? At that time, that was an absurd amount of money for a rocket startup. A rocket startup from someone living in New Zealand was even more absurd.

☆ Lightning Round: Disney is a buy
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-10 | by ( Jim Cramer | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailLightning Round: Disney is a buyMad Money host Jim Cramer weighs in on all manner of stocks, including Walt Disney, Elf Beauty, Occidental, Sibanye and Rocket Lab.

☆ SVB depositors including Roku and Roblox are under scrutiny from Elizabeth Warren and AOC for their 'unusually cozy' relationships with the failed bank
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-10 | by ( Carla Mozée | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Top SVB depositors got letters from Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. "Silicon Valley Bank's unusually cozy relationship with its clients increased the threat of contagion when the bank went under." The Democrats representing Massachusetts and New York on Sunday sent letters to 14 of SVB's largest depositors about a month after SVB's implosion, the report said. "Silicon Valley Bank's unusually cozy relationship with its clients increased the threat of contagion when the bank went under," Warren told Bloomberg in a statement. Warren and Ocasio-Cortez also sent letters to BILL, Eiger, Ginkgo Bioworks, iRhythm Technologies, LendingClub, Oncorus, Payoneer Global, Protagonist Therapeutics, Rocket Lab USA, and Sangamo Therapeutics.

☆ 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.

☆ Virgin Orbit raising $200 million from investor Matthew Brown, closing deal as soon as Thursday
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( Michael Sheetz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Virgin Orbit is in final talks to raise funds from Texas-based investor Matthew Brown, two people familiar with the deal told CNBC, amounting to an injection of $200 million. The deal comes as Virgin Orbit scrambles to rebuild its cash coffers and avoid a potential bankruptcy filing, CNBC earlier reported. Virgin Orbit did not respond to CNBC's request for comment. Shares of Virgin Orbit surged 50% in early trading Wednesday from the stock's previous close of 44 cents a share. Virgin Orbit has been looking for new funds for several months, with majority owner Richard Branson unwilling to fund the company further.

☆ 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

☆ Satellite imagery company BlackSky sees quarterly losses slow as it adds another military contract
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-07 | by ( Michael Sheetz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Satellite imagery specialist BlackSky announced fourth-quarter results on Tuesday that show the company further trimming losses and securing an additional military contract. The company has 14 operational satellites in orbit, with plans to launch two more on a Rocket Lab mission this month. BlackSky expects to approach $100 million in annual revenue in 2023, forecasting a range between $90 million and $96 million for the year ahead. It announced a multiyear defense contract worth over $150 million for an unnamed international government customer. Last year, BlackSky was one of three satellite imagery companies to win a piece of a major National Reconnaissance Office contract – with its award worth up to $1.02 billion over 10 years.

☆ Rocket Lab quarterly revenue stays steady as space company doubles order backlog
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( Michael Sheetz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Rocket Lab conducted two successful launches of its Electron vehicle during the quarter, generating $12 million in revenue. Rocket Lab began production of the first Neutron tank structures, as well as construction of the launch pad for the rocket. Alongside its results, Rocket Lab announced a contract for four Electron launches from satellite company Capella Space. Shares of Rocket Lab are up 19% so far this year, as of Tuesday's close at $4.50. For the first quarter of 2023, Rocket Lab expects to see launch revenue of about $18 million, and between $32 million to $35 million in Space Systems revenue.

☆ Space Force is taking a 'mutual fund approach' to buying rocket launches
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( Michael Sheetz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Earlier this month the Space Force kicked off the process to buy five years worth of launches, under a lucrative program known as National Security Space Launch Phase 3. The U.S. military is preparing to buy another round of rocket launches from companies next year, and Space Force leadership says they're taking a new "mutual fund approach" to the acquisition strategy. But, with a number of companies bringing rockets to market, Space Force is splitting NSSL Phase 3 into two groups for about 70 launches. Space Force leadership named several companies that can now compete in the dual-track process, including Rocket Lab , Relativity and ABL Space. Separately, Space Force is closely watching the growing demand for commercial launches.

☆ Morgan Stanley strategist Mike Wilson is still bearish, but has some cheap stocks he touts anyway
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-13 | by ( Alex Harring | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

A bearish stance on the wider stock market isn't keeping Mike Wilson entirely on the sidelines. Morgan Stanley expects 2023 per-share earnings to come in noticeably below where its peers on Wall Street do. Here are 10 that passed his screen: Morgan Stanley thinks space company Rocket Lab could rally 120% — the most of any stock that passed Wilson's screen — after plunging nearly 70% in 2022. Morgan Stanley expects the stock to gain more than 50% this year after losing about the same amount in 2022. Match Group , the dating platform known for brands such as Tinder and Hinge, also passed Wilson's screen.

That number includes both rocket launches and capsule reentries, and has been steadily climbing. A Falcon Heavy rocket launches the USSF-67 mission on January 15, 2023 from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. "Air space is going to be a critical, critical issue," Isom said, calling on new industries to contribute to the cost of air traffic control. A graph of FAA-licensed or permitted commercial space launches (excludes launches licensed by other U.S. government agencies, such as NASA or the Department of Defense). Together they create a moving target for space launches and the commercial airlines eyeing the same air space.

☆ Rocket Lab establishes new U.S. foothold with successful launch after years of delays
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-25 | by ( Michael Sheetz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The company's Electron rocket lifts off from LC-2 at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia on Jan. 24, 2023. Rocket Lab 's first U.S. launch got off the ground Tuesday evening, marking a successful mission and a long-awaited expansion of the company's capabilities. The company's Electron rocket launched from NASA's Wallops Flight Facility on the coast of Virginia, carrying a trio of satellites to orbit for radio frequency analytics specialist Hawkeye 360. Rocket Lab Electron launches possible with our game-changing flight safety technology," he said. Rocket Lab stock was down about 2% in early trading Wednesday from its previous close of $4.97 a share.

☆ Final Trades: Rocket Lab, American Tower & D.R. Horton
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-13 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

In this videoShare Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailFinal Trades: Rocket Lab, American Tower & D.R. HortonThe "Halftime Report" traders give their top picks to watch for the second half.

☆ Rocket builder ABL's inaugural launch fails shortly after liftoff, damages launch pad
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-11 | by ( Michael Sheetz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The company's RS1 rocket lifts off on its inaugural launch attempt from Kodiak, Alaska on Jan. 10, 2023. The first mission by ABL Space got off the ground on Tuesday, but the company's RS1 rocket suffered an issue early in the flight that caused it to fail shortly after lifting off. ABL President Dan Piemont told CNBC that the RS1 rocket stayed within the predefined "acceptable flight corridor" during the short launch, but after the rocket's engines shut down the vehicle "impacted directly on the launch pad," causing damage. ABL's RS1 rocket stands about 90 feet tall, and is designed to launch as much as 1,350 kilograms (or nearly 1.5 tons) of payload to low Earth orbit — at a cost of $12 million per launch. That puts RS1 in the middle of the commercial launch market, between Rocket Lab's smaller Electron and SpaceX's heavy class Falcon 9.

☆ Rocket start-up fails attempt to launch satellites off Alaska’s coast
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-10 | by ( Jackie Wattles | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —A rocket operated by a California-based start-up failed near the coast of Alaska Tuesday, marking yet another mishap for companies hoping to offer their services to launch scores of small satellites into orbit. The privately held ABL Space Systems attempted to launch its RS1 rocket at 1:27 p.m. local time (5:27 p.m. “Thanks to all for the support.”The mission was aiming to carry two small satellites to orbit for OmniTeq, which recently spun off its space division. Those companies may soon be joined by yet another start-up, Relativity, which currently has its first rocket poised at a launch site in Florida. The failed ABL launch Monday comes after the first few attempts to get its RS1 rocket off the ground in December came up short.

☆ Investing in Space: A year to forget for space stocks
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-29 | 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. For most anyone with money in the market, 2022 was a year to forget – and space stocks were no exception. Remember, these space SPAC names all came to market at about $10 a share. Morgan Stanley in a note to clients recently highlighted those deals as evidence that "space companies [are] on Santa's List," and I suspect M&A won't be slowing down in 2023. A programming note: Investing in Space will be taking the next week off for holiday travel.

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