Blue Origin is laying off 10% of its workforce, according to Reuters, just one month after the successful first launch of its New Glenn mega-rocket. The company reportedly has more than 10,000 employees, meaning the cut could affect around 1,000 people. CEO Dave Limp told employees in an all-hands meeting Thursday morning the company is…
Category: Space
Exclusive, Global IT News, Global Security News, observable space, OurSky, planewave instruments, Space, telescopes
Two space startups have merged to create the next generation of telescopes
On a clear spring evening in Michigan, the stars aligned — just not in the way Upfront Ventures partner Nick Kim expected. He’d just led a $9.5 million seed round for OurSky, a software platform for space observational data, and was eager to see what its telescope partner PlaneWave Instruments could do. But when they…
AI, Apps, Biotech & Health, Crypto, Fintech, Gadgets, Global IT News, Global Security News, robotics, Space, Startups, TC, TechCrunch Disrupt 2025, Transportation, Venture
TechCrunch Disrupt 2025: Secure your ticket at this year’s lowest rates
Missed the 2-for-1 deal for TechCrunch Disrupt 2025? No problem! Super Early Bird prices are still available, with savings of up to $1,130 on individual tickets and up to 30% on group passes. These savings are only good until the end of this month. Celebrate 20 years of TechCrunch Disrupt from October 27-29 at Moscone…
AI, Apps, Biotech & Health, Crypto, Fintech, Global IT News, Global Security News, Space, Startups, TC, TechCrunch Disrupt 2025, Transportation, Venture
TechCrunch Disrupt 2025: Last 24 hours for 2-for-1 Pass
Final hours for 2-for-1 Passes! One of the best Super Early Bird Deals for TechCrunch Disrupt 2025 will be wrapping up in just 24 hours for the rest of the year. The 2-for-1 Pass lets you bring a friend, colleague, or business partner, for nearly free. Buy one pass at the Super Early Bird rate…
AI, Crypto, Fintech, Global IT News, Global Security News, Space, Startups, TC, TechCrunch Disrupt 2025, Venture
TechCrunch Disrupt 2025: Only 3 days left for 2-for-1 Pass
Only 3 days remain to score the ultimate deal for TechCrunch Disrupt 2025 — two of the same ticket types for the price of one! Don’t wait to take advantage of these massive savings. This limited-time offer ends this Friday, January 31 at 11:59 p.m. PT — after that, these 2-for-1 Passes will be gone.…
AI, Climate, Crypto, Fintech, Global IT News, Global Security News, robotics, Space, Startups, TC, TechCrunch Disrupt 2025, Transportation, Venture
TechCrunch Disrupt 2025: 5 Days left to claim your 2 for 1 Passes at the lowest rate of the year
The clock is ticking for one of our Super Early Bird sales! You have just 5 days left to lock in your 2 for 1 Passes at the lowest rates of the year for TechCrunch Disrupt 2025. Save up to $1,400 on two of the same individual ticket type. This limited-time offer ends this Friday,…
AI, Global IT News, Global Security News, Space, Startups, TC, TechCrunch Disrupt 2025
TechCrunch Disrupt 2025 tickets now on sale: Lowest rates ever
We’re kicking things off earlier than ever! TechCrunch Disrupt 2025 tickets are officially on sale. Don’t miss your chance to snag them at the lowest rates of the year! Immerse yourself in the epicenter of tech innovation at Disrupt 2025! From October 27 to 29, Moscone West in San Francisco transforms into the global hub…
Global IT News, Global Security News, IPO, Palantir, Space, spacetech, TC
Spacetech Voyager is aiming for a multi-billion valuation IPO
Voyager Technologies has reportedly filed its confidential paperwork to go public, hoping for a $2 billion to $3 billion valuation. © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.
Global IT News, Global Security News, Space, spacetech
Y Combinator grad Spaceium raises oversubscribed $6.3M for space re-fueling
The company raised a $6.3 million seed round led by Initialized Capital © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.
AI, Global IT News, Global Security News, Space, Startups, TC, TechCrunch Disrupt 2025
TechCrunch Disrupt 2025 tickets now on sale: Lowest rates ever
We’re kicking things off earlier than ever! TechCrunch Disrupt 2025 tickets are officially on sale. Don’t miss your chance to snag them at the lowest rates of the year! Immerse yourself in the epicenter of tech innovation at Disrupt 2025! From October 27–29, Moscone West in San Francisco transforms into the global hub for technology…
Blue Origin, Elon Musk, Global IT News, Global Security News, Space, SpaceX, Transportation
SpaceX and Blue Origin must investigate this week’s big rocket tests, FAA says
The Federal Aviation Administration is requiring Elon Musk’s SpaceX and Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin to investigate what went wrong on their respective mega-rocket test flights this week. The regulator said both companies must perform what’s known as a “mishap investigation.” These probes involve the companies and the FAA working together to understand what went wrong,…
FAA, Global IT News, Global Security News, Space, SpaceX, Starship, Transportation
FAA had to divert flights because of SpaceX Starship explosion
The Federal Aviation Administration has told TechCrunch that it had to “briefly” slow and divert a number of aircraft near the area where debris was seen falling after SpaceX’s Starship exploded during a test flight Thursday. Multiple flights could be seen entering holding patterns or completely changing course in the airspace near Puerto Rico shortly…
Global IT News, Global Security News, Space, SpaceX, Starship
SpaceX catches Starship booster a second time, loses ship to an ‘anomaly’ in space
SpaceX caught the Starship rocket’s Super Heavy booster for a second time, after it launched the upper stage into space on Thursday during a seventh test flight of the system. Soon after the successful catch, SpaceX representatives reported the ship was lost after the company lost contact about eight and half minutes into the flight.…
Blue Origin, Global IT News, Global Security News, new glenn, Space
Blue Origin successfully launches New Glenn rocket into space
Jeff Bezos’ spaceflight company Blue Origin launched its new mega-rocket, called New Glenn, into orbit for the first time. The rocket lifted off at 2:03AM ET on January 16 from Cape Canaveral, Florida, and crossed the official boundary into space a few minutes later. Shortly after, a second-stage burn placed the rocket’s upper section into…
Global IT News, Global Security News, Space, space tech, Startups, stoke space, TC
Reusable rocket startup Stoke raised another massive round: $260M
Y Combinator alum Stoke has an ambitious goal to build the first fully reusable rocket and VCs have opened their wallets wide. © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.
Fundraising, Global IT News, Global Security News, loft orbital, satellite, Space, space tech
Loft Orbital lands a fresh $170 million after logging over $500 million of bookings
Loft Orbital has raised $170 million in Series C funding to grow its satellite and space missions as a service. © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.
Elon Musk, Global IT News, Global Security News, Qantas, Space, spacetech, SpaceX
Flights delayed by SpaceX’s falling rocket debris
Qantas has been forced to delay several flights to South Africa due to last minute warnings about SpaceX rocket debris falling from the sky. © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.
Global IT News, Global Security News, Google, hyperspectral imagery, India, Pixxel, Space
Google-backed Pixxel launches India’s first private satellite constellation
Pixxel, an Indian space tech startup backed by Google, has successfully launched the first three hyperspectral satellites of its commercial constellation Firefly. © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.
Blue Origin, Global IT News, Global Security News, jeff bezos, new glenn, Space
Blue Origin delays launch of New Glenn mega-rocket
Jeff Bezos’ space company Blue Origin postponed the inaugural launch of its first orbital rocket, New Glenn, early Monday morning after experiencing an unspecified issue with one of the vehicle’s subsystems. While delays like this happen all the time in spaceflight, this one once again puts the timing of the much-anticipated launch in question. According…
CES, Global IT News, Global Security News, rockets, Space, Tesla, Toyota, Transportation
Toyota is ‘exploring rockets’ and has made its first investment into Interstellar Technologies
Japanese automaker Toyota is “exploring rockets,” chairman Akio Toyoda announced on stage at CES 2025 on Monday, while hinting at the idea of moving people through space. The rocketry mention on the CES 2025 stage came while Toyoda was in the middle of explaining how he views his company’s myriad technologies as “invention by kakezan,”…
CES, Global IT News, Global Security News, Space, Toyota, Transportation
Toyota is ‘exploring rockets’
Japanese automaker Toyota is “exploring rockets,” chairman Akio Toyoda just announced on stage at CES 2025, while hinting at the idea of moving people through space. Toyoda did not offer any details explaining what he meant. But he showed a rendering on stage of a rocket designed by Interstellar Technologies, a private Japanese spaceflight company…
Global IT News, Global Security News, Sierra Space, Space
Sierra Space CEO Tom Vice steps down, CNBC reports
Tom Vice, the CEO of private space technologies company Sierra Space, has left the company, according to a CNBC report. Vice held the position for three and a half years, overseeing the VC-backed company’s $290 million fundraise at a $5.3 billion valuation in 2023 and securement of a military satellite contract in early 2024. Despite…
Blue Origin, Global IT News, Global Security News, NASA, Space, SpaceX, TC
TechCrunch Space: New year, new milestones
Hi, and welcome back to TechCrunch Space. Happy New Year! And…surprise!: This will be the last edition of TechCrunch Space for the foreseeable future. I know, it’s a bummer. But fear not: We’ll still be reporting on space startups, so I hope you’ll stay tuned. And there will certainly be a lot to cover. This…
Global IT News, Global Security News, Space, SpaceX, Starlink, Starship, TC
New ship, new year: SpaceX to deploy model Starlink satellites on next Starship launch
SpaceX is significantly upping the ante of its Starship test flight program, with the next rocket launch expected to demonstrate payload deployment for the first time. The payload in question will be 10 Starlink “simulators” that will be similar in size and weight to the next-gen satellites SpaceX plans to use Starship to deploy in…
Fundraising, Global IT News, Global Security News, Space, SpaceX, TC
Internal SpaceX documents show the sweet stock deals offered to investors like a16z, Gigafund
Like many highly valued startups, SpaceX sometimes allows its employees to cash out some of their shares by selling to company-authorized outside investors. TechCrunch has gotten a peek at an internal SpaceX document about such a tender offer from May 2022. Musk posted on X last month that SpaceX holds such sales for employees about…
Blue Origin, Global IT News, Global Security News, jeff bezos, new glenn, Space
Blue Origin looks to take on SpaceX dominance with New Glenn launch days away
Nearly a quarter century after its founding, Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin is gearing up to launch an orbital rocket for the first time — and finally enter the competitive launch industry that is currently dominated by SpaceX. Company executives have maintained that they are planning to launch the towering rocket, called New Glenn, before the…
astrobotic, Boeing, Global IT News, Global Security News, Intuitive Machines, NASA, Polaris Dawn, Rocket Lab, Space, SpaceX, spacex starship, starliner, TC
Revisiting the biggest moments in the space industry in 2024
We are at the dawn of a new space age. If you doubt, simply look back at the last year: From SpaceX’s historic catch of the Super Heavy booster to the record-breaking number of lunar landing attempts, this year was full of historic and ambitious missions and demonstrations. We’re taking a look back at the…
Global IT News, Global Security News, Space, TC
K2 Space will fly its extra-large satellite for the first time in 2026
K2 Space is betting that the future of the space hardware will be big — really big. The startup is building massive spacecraft under the assumption that launch costs will continue to drop as SpaceX’s Starship and other heavy-lift vehicles come online. It looks like the Space Force is taking up their side of that…
Global IT News, Global Security News, Space, SpaceX, Starship
SpaceX gets green light for seventh Starship mission
Regulators have given SpaceX the go-ahead to launch Starship for the seventh time, although the company has not yet announced when that mission may take place. While the exact launch date is unclear, SpaceX engineers have been as busy as ever at the company’s massive launch site near Boca Chica, Texas. In recent days, the…
Blue Origin, Fleet Space Technologies, Global IT News, Global Security News, NASA, Space, TC, TC Space
TechCrunch Space: Sayonara
Hello and welcome back to TechCrunch Space. This will be the final TechCrunch Space newsletter you receive in 2024, so to all our readers, have a wonderful holiday and see you next year. There’s a lot to look forward to next year. I expect to see much more progress from SpaceX on Starship, big changes…
Europe, Global Security News, Government & Policy, Iris² satellite, Space, Starlink
EU signs $11B deal for sovereign satellite constellation to rival Musk’s Starlink
The European Union is forging ahead with plans for a constellation of internet satellites to rival Elon Musk-owned Starlink, after signing a €10.6 billion ($11.1B) deal to launch nearly 300 satellites into low- and medium-Earth orbits by 2030. The bloc wants the space tech to boost its digital sovereignty by providing secure comms to governments.…
Fleet Space Technologies, Global IT News, Global Security News, In Brief, Space
Fleet Space raises $100M to scale satellite-enabled mineral prospecting tech
Late-stage deals in space have been on the decline this year, but one notable exception is Fleet Space Technologies’ $100 million Series D. The Adelaide, Australia-based startup raised the new funding to accelerate the development of ExoSphere, a platform to enable real-time mineral prospecting from space. The company currently has two satellites in low Earth…