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SpaceX has requested federal permission to conduct as many as 456 Starship launches annually from its Florida facilities, according to the report. The proposal would mark a massive increase from the company's current launch cadence, reflecting Elon Musk's long-stated goal of operating Starship with airline-like frequency.
California startup Reflect Orbital has purchased two launches from India's Skyroot Aerospace, using the Vikram-1 and an upgraded Vikram-1U rocket, according to Payload Space. Reflect Orbital plans to deploy a constellation of roughly 50,000 orbital mirrors that reflect sunlight to the ground for power and illumination, with its first satellite set to fly on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rideshare next year.
Glimpse has introduced a new software solution that significantly increases the speed of CT scanner inspections, enabling battery manufacturers to scan tens of thousands of cells daily instead of just a few. The company is also launching Explore, a product aimed at industries like aerospace, automotive, and medical devices, to enhance quality control processes. Currently serving over 100 clients including Lucid and the U.S. Navy, Glimpse's technology leverages deep learning to optimize image processing and inspection workflows.
Charter Space, based in El Segundo, California, has closed a $5 million seed round to expand its space insurance business. The company already serves more than 50 clients across the U.S. space and defense sector since launching its nationally licensed insurance brokerage in May. Crystal Venture Partners led the round, with participation from QED, Blank Ventures, Hustle Fund, and Gaingels.
At the first International Space Summit in Paris on September 10, European leaders including Ursula von der Leyen and Emmanuel Macron called for the continent to build its own launch and crewed spaceflight capacity rather than relying on NASA and firms like SpaceX. The event took on added significance after reports that the White House discouraged US companies such as SpaceX and Blue Origin from attending, which one former satellite executive called a wake-up call.
German Aerospace Center researchers report that Mercury's diameter has contracted by up to 14.5 miles since its formation, 10 to 30 percent more than earlier estimates suggested. The team says debris from impact craters had masked the true extent of this shrinkage, which stems from the planet gradually losing internal heat.
United Launch Alliance remains one of the few major US rocket companies still focused almost entirely on launch services rather than branching into satellites, spacecraft, or other space businesses. Competitors like SpaceX, Blue Origin, Rocket Lab, and Firefly Aerospace have all expanded beyond launch to capture higher-margin revenue streams, leaving ULA increasingly isolated in a low-margin segment of the industry. This has renewed speculation about whether ULA's parent companies, Boeing and Lockheed Martin, will eventually sell the venture.
German startup Isar Aerospace successfully launched its Spectrum rocket into low-Earth orbit on its second attempt, flying from a Norwegian spaceport in the Arctic Circle. Founded in 2018 by three university students, the company has raised roughly $1 billion and grown to nearly 500 employees over eight years to reach this milestone.
Jim Cramer said on 'Mad Money' that markets are overly fixated on AI data-center stocks, urging investors to diversify. He cited GE Aerospace's nearly $12 billion acquisition of Consolidated Precision Products as a boon for Boeing's supply chain, and praised fintech names Robinhood and Affirm along with healthcare firms Hinge Health and Medtronic as overlooked opportunities.
Poseidon Aerospace, co-founded by David Zagaynov and Parker Tenney, has closed a $60 million Series A round led by TQ Ventures ahead of the first pilotless test flight of its cargo aircraft Egret, expected by year-end. The round also drew new backing from Hanwha Asset Management, G Squared and JAWS, plus continued support from Starship Ventures, Draper Associates and Drover Ventures, building on an $11 million seed raised last year.
Planet Labs, which runs the world's largest fleet of Earth-imaging satellites, has been named No. 4 on Fast Company's Best Workplaces for Innovators 2026 list. The company generates over 3 terabytes of high-resolution imagery daily, used by governments, researchers and media to track environmental and security threats. Its recognition stems from an in-house approach called 'Agile Aerospace,' used to build satellite systems including Pelican and Owl.
US safety regulators have opened an investigation into how Tesla self-certified its Cybercab, a robotaxi that notably lacks a steering wheel and pedals. The probe examines whether Tesla's internal approval process for this unconventional vehicle design met required safety standards before deployment.