Alan Boyle
By Alan
See all 8Starfish Space to Launch 660‑lb Otter on SpaceX Transporter‑18 Oct. 1 for NASA’s $15M SSPICY Satellite‑Inspection Mission
Starfish Space will launch its full-size Otter on SpaceX's Transporter-18 no earlier than Oct. 1 from Vandenberg to demonstrate close-up inspection of inoperable satellites for NASA’s $15 million SSPICY mission; the 660-pound vehicle follows two prototype tests and will approach selected decommissioned satellites after commissioning. The company says Otter is built, has a customer and mission, and insights will inform future servicing operations.
Interlune raises $5M SAFE to fund lunar infrastructure and helium-3 mining ahead of priced round
Seattle-based Interlune raised $5 million via a SAFE to fund development of lunar infrastructure and mining technologies, marking a second $5M SAFE after an earlier round this year. The startup, founded in 2020 and led by CEO Rob Meyerson, is expanding from helium-3 extraction into space infrastructure and survival services and has partnerships such as an expanded deal with Vermeer for lunar construction tools.
Stoke Space raises roughly $1B in Series E to fund Nova rocket scale-up, Pathfinder launch targeted for early 2027
Stoke Space raised about $1 billion in a Series E round led by Point72 Ventures and Spark Capital to prepare for the first launch of its fully reusable Nova rocket and to scale up the vehicle and test facilities. The Seattle-area startup aims for a Pathfinder flight in early 2027 and plans a larger Nova Block 2 debut in 2029 as it expands capacity amid rising launch demand.
