NewSpace Navigator – Seventh Edition 15 September 2026

The space sector continues to experience strong growth and consolidation, with companies pursuing strategies to build vertically integrated platforms spanning satellite manufacturing, launch, communications, data analytics and lunar services.

Major transactions such as Rocket Lab’s proposed US$8bn acquisition of Iridium highlight a strategic push to combine infrastructure, data, and service capabilities into larger, more resilient space platforms.

There has been a growing focus on direct-to-device (D2D) connectivity, with Lynk and Omnispace merging to create Elveo Mobile and Astrum Space pursuing a US$1bn SPAC listing to fund a satellite-to-device network across Asia-Pacific.

The past three months has seen Europe emerge in space growth, as seen by Isar Aerospace raising €270m with the aim of providing sovereign space capabilities for Europe, and MDA Space’s acquisition of CLS and Blue Canyon Technology LLC.

There continued to be a strong launch programme led by SpaceX’s mix of commercial, government and constellation missions, while Arianespace, Rocket Lab and others demonstrated growing global launch capacity.

M&A/CORPORATE

August 2026

• Astrum Space announced a US$1bn SPAC merger with Black Spade Acquisition III;
• Lynk and Omnispace merged to form Elveo Mobile, which will deliver connectivity from satellites to mobiles, devices and machines;
• CesiumAstro acquired Jariet Technologies, bringing semiconductor design in-house; and
• BlackStar Orbital Technologies signed an agreement to go public via a SPAC merger with Pono Capital Four, valuing the reusable spacecraft developer at US$380m.

July 2026

• Voyager Technologies acquired Astrobiotic Technology, a lunar delivery company, a US$300m deal; and
• MDA Space offered to acquire a 70% stake in French geospatial analytics company CLS for approximately €567m.

June 2026

• Rocket Lab agreed to acquire Iridium for US$8bn, merging launch and satellite manufacturing with a global satellite communications network;
• MDA Space signed a deal to acquire Blue Canyon Technology LLC for US$620m;
• EQT, agreed to acquire Exolaunch a leader in managing launch and deployment; and
• Gilat agreed to acquire Comtech’s satellite and space communications business in US$157.5m deal.

FINANCE

August 2026

• InspeCity raised US$10.5m for four on-orbit missions;
• Starcloud and orbital data centre startup raised US$250m;
• Muon Space raised US$250m to go to expanding satellite production;
• Hubble Network received US$30m from Seraphim Space Investment Trust (SSIT) for building its satellite-powered Bluetooth network; and
• Neuraspace raised US$18m to expand AI-enabled Space Domain Awareness (SDA) and Space Traffic Management (STM) solutions.

July 2026

• K2 Space raised US$500m;
• DeltaVision raised US$11.6m funding to expand manufacturing and accelerate development in-orbit refuelling capabilities;
• Swissto12 raised US$72m for scaling up manufacturing;
• Blue Origin looked to raise US$10bn outside investment; and
• Venus Aerospace raised US$92m to scale development of its high-thrust rotating detonation rocket engine (RDRE).

June 2026

• Ubotica raised US$11m to accelerate development of its maritime intelligence platform;
• Gate Space received US$7.2m via the European Commission’s EIC Accelerator program;
• Katalyst Space raised US$12m to develop their NEXUS robotic spacecraft and expand satellite servicing to multi-orbit, multi-mission operations;
• Orbital raised US$5m to accelerate the building of AI data centres in Low Earth Orbit;
• Isar Aerospace raised €270m to expand global operations;
• Iceye raised US$520m to expand its global footprint;
• NewOrbit a UK satellite start-up raised US$18.5m;
• Apex raised US$200m to expand satellite production;
• Axiom Space raised a total of US$525m; and
• Impulse Space raised US$500m to expand team and manufacturing.

LAUNCH OVERVIEW

SpaceX launched three Bluebird satellites for AST SpaceMobile, a GEO satellite for SiriusXM, Starfall demo, 27 Starlink missions, Northrop Grumman’s next-gen space vehicle, a dedicated smallsat rideshare with 81 payloads, a batch of satellites for the Space Development Agency’s (SDA), a sub-orbital Starship test flight, three Block 2 satellites for AST SpaceMobile, nine of Globalstar’s HIBLEO-4 satellites and NASA’s Roman telescope;

Arianespace launched 36 satellites for Amazon Leo and a second satellite for EUMETSAT;

Rocket Lab launched a radar-imaging satellite for Synspective and a SAR satellite for iQPS;

the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and JAXA partnership launched six small sub-satellites;

Skyroot Aerospace launched its Vikram-1 rocket and is the first private commercial launch from India; and

United Launch Alliance launched 29 Amazon Leo satellites.