Starfish Space has closed a new tranche of funding led by a major defense tech investor as it looks to launch three full-size satellite servicing and inspection spacecraft in 2026.  The Washington-based startup’s Otter spacecraft is designed for two primary missions: extending the operational life of expensive satellites in geostationary orbit (GEO) and disposing of […]

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Hello, and welcome back to TechCrunch Space. There was absolutely no news last week because nothing happened. Just kidding. Defying all early polling, Donald Trump swept the election and will soon be sworn in for his second term in office. From a space policy perspective, things are already starting to look interesting. That’s mostly due […]

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Firefly Aerospace has raised a massive late-stage funding round ahead as it prepares for the launch of its lunar lander later this year and the first mission of its Elytra spacecraft next year.  The $175 million Series D, which set Firefly’s valuation at over $2 billion, apparently closed in less than two months in a […]

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Exosonic, a startup developing supersonic commercial air travel and UAV tech, is winding down after five years of operation. In an update posted to its website, Exosonic said it was unable to find the traction necessary to continue operations.  “Although the founders and team still believe in the need/desire for quiet supersonic flight and supersonic […]

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SpaceX will conduct the sixth flight test of Starship, the largest rocket ever built, as soon as November 18, following the smooth success of the previous mission less than a month ago.  The high flight cadence is thanks, in part, to that success, which included the first-ever return of the Super Heavy booster to the […]

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Elon Musk — the billionaire CEO of Tesla, SpaceX, and xAI, and the owner of The Boring Company, Neuralink, and X — took a sharp swing to the right this election to support President-elect Donald Trump, using his vast wealth, influence, and megaphone on X to influence the outcome of the election.  Musk’s support came […]

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