MANUFACTURING AND OPERATIONS

• Vast Space and The Exploration Company signed a cargo services agreement for a 2028 mission to Vast’s second Haven space station
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• Infostellar is deploying a company-owned network of satellite ground antennas throughout the Asia-Pacific region, Infostellar announced on June 10. Locations include Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Australia and New Zealand. 
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FINANCE, FUNDING AND M&A

• Satellite manufacturing startup Apex has raised $95 million to allow it to ramp up production of “productized” satellite buses to tap into growing demand, particularly from national security customers.

• The Los Angeles-based company announced the Series B round June 12, led by XYZ Venture Capital, an early investor in Apex, and co-led by CRV, a new investor. Several existing and new investors, ranging from venture capital funds to individuals, also participated.
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• Rocket Lab has lined up nearly $50 million in federal and state funding to expand a New Mexico factory where its produces space-grade solar cells.

• The company signed a non-binding preliminary memorandum of terms, or PMT, with the Commerce Department. That agreement would allow the company to receive up to $23.9 million in funding from the CHIPS and Science Act, a 2022 bill

• Rocket Lab also secured $25.5 million in financial assistance and incentives from the state of New Mexico. The company itself is investing more than $70 million into the project, according to New Mexico’s Economic Development Department.
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• French startup OsmosX has secured more than €2 million in new funding to continue the development of its multi-use space tug.

• The funding round was led by venture capital firms Expansion and Rymdkapital and included contributions from “individual investors.” According to the official announcement, the funding will be used to finance research and development costs as the company prepares to launch an initial demonstrator mission by 2025.
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CORE SERVICES

TESAT was recently selected by MDA to deliver 792 Optical Communication Terminals (OCT) as part of the supply chain for MDA AURORA
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PRODUCT, PARTNERSHIPS & ANNOUNCEMENTS

Hughes Network Systems subsidiary Hughes Europe is expanding into European military, defense, and government sectors through a collaboration with Telespazio, the company announced Tuesday. Hughes Europe will work with satcom service provider Telespazio to offer communication solutions including fully managed multi-orbit satellite network solution software, an SDR waveform agnostic intelligence surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) terminal, and a secure standalone 5G solution.
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OrbitBeyond Inc. has engaged in a partnership with Spin.Works for the development of a set of multi-purpose vehicles for deployment in lunar orbit and for additional, potential applications for the exploration of other planetary and small body targets.
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Thorium Space has signed a deal with Hellas Sat which will see the two companies to develop and build a fully flexible, software-defined payload working in Ku/Ka-band. It is Thorium Space’s most significant deal to date. This payload will be on a Hellas Sat satellite that will be placed in the 39 degrees East orbital slot. The two companies announced the MoU on June 10.
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June 2024

Viasat is launching a managed satellite connectivity service designed for remote oil and gas customers in the energy industry. The enterprise-grade managed service announced Tuesday will integrate Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) with existing multi-orbit and terrestrial capacity. 
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LAUNCH CONTRACTS AND MISSIONS

Albedo announced plans June 12 to send its first phone-booth-size satellite into very low Earth orbit early next year.
Clarity, the startup’s first satellite designed to acquire 10-centimeter visible and two-meter thermal infrared imagery, is slated to launch into sun synchronous orbit no earlier than February 2025 on SpaceX Transporter-13, a Falcon 9 rideshare.
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INNOSPACE recently signed a launch service agreement with the Federal University of Maranhão (UFMA) and Castro Leite Consultoria LTDA (CLC) for a rideshare launch mission on the company’s ‘HANBIT-Nano’ launch vehicle from the Alcântara Space Center in Brazil, now scheduled for the first half of 2025.
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SPACE INDUSTRY ←→ DOWNSTREAM

Netcracker Technology, an IT/telecoms solution company, is launching its Digital Satellite Solution, which it believes will create a blueprint for multi-orbit IT to transform how satellite operators manage, optimize, and monetize their business. With this solution, Netcracker aims to help operators guarantee the best service quality, deliver a premium digital engagement to their customers and expand their business with any offer to any customer worldwide.
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Apple is expanding the capabilities of its satellite messaging on the iPhone. The new iOS 18 update will broaden the availability beyond emergency messaging, and Messages via satellite will be an option when cellular and Wi-Fi connections are not available. Apple partners with Globalstar for the satellite connectivity component
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REGULATORY & GOVERNMENT

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