• New financing led by HV Capital, Porsche SE, and Lombard Odier, with substantial participation from existing investors Earlybird, Lakestar, Vsquared Ventures, and Apeiron 
• With a total financing volume of more than USD 180m (EUR 150m), Isar Aerospace is the most well-funded space start-up in the European Union 
• First launch service provider based in Europe able to meet the rising global demand for flexible and cost-efficient launch services necessary for many breakthrough technologies 

MUNICH, 28 July 2021 (UVC PR) – Isar Aerospace solidifies its position as the leading and most well-funded private European launch service provider focusing on small and medium satellites by extending its  Series B to over USD 165m. The extension round of USD 75m is led by HV Capital, holding company Porsche Automobil Holding SE and banking group Lombard Odier. Existing investors Earlybird Venture Capital, Lakestar, Vsquared Ventures, Apeiron Investment Group, and UVC Partners also participated in the round, of which Earlybird Venture Capital subscribed the largest part. This new funding – increasing the total financing volume of Isar Aerospace to more than USD 180 million – turns Isar Aerospace into the space start-up with the strongest funding and the fastest growing private launch service company out of the European Union offering global customers flexible space access and meeting the rising global demand. The funding will allow Isar Aerospace to further invest in its launch, testing, and manufacturing infrastructure for its largely automated rocket production and commercial operations, as the company eyes its first test flight in 2022. 

Students’ Genes in Space research published today in scientific journal

ARLINGTON, Va. (Boeing PR) — Genetic editing to discover and develop treatments for the effects of deep-space missions on astronauts is closer to reality following a student experiment conducted on the International Space Station, or ISS.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (Cecil Air and Spaceport PR) — A new 126-foot air traffic control tower and mission control center officially opened for operations in a ceremony at Cecil Air and Spaceport today. The mission control center was dedicated to astronaut Dr. Norman Thagard, a graduate of Paxon High School in Jacksonville.

• Anuvu Announces High Performance MicroGEO Satellite Constellation
• Partnership with Astranis delivers a new approach to satellite connectivity for mobility markets

LOS ANGELES., July 27, 2021 (Anuvu PR) — Anuvu, the leading provider of high-speed connectivity and entertainment solutions for demanding worldwide mobility markets, will launch the first Anuvu Constellation in partnership with next-generation satellite manufacturer Astranis. Anuvu and Silicon Valley-based Astranis are targeting launch for the first two MicroGEO High Throughput Satellites (HTS) in early 2023, with six more to follow.

“Rosie the Rocketeer,” Boeing’s anthropometric test device, will be strapped into the Starliner for its second Orbital Flight Test — this time to help the spacecraft maintain its center of gravity throughout the various phases of the flight.

CAPE CANAVERAL SPACE FORCE STATION, Fla. (Boeing PR) — The countdown is on for the Boeing CST-100 Starliner second Orbital Flight Test, or OFT-2. Targeted for July 30, the uncrewed flight is scheduled to lift off from Florida’s Cape Canaveral Space Force Station at 2:53 p.m. Eastern time — but the capsule won’t be empty. “Rosie the Rocketeer,” Boeing’s anthropometric test device, will be reclaiming the commander’s seat for the test flight to and from the International Space Station.

Seed investment round set to accelerate the company’s international growth strategy in Europe and North America, where its already seeing strong demand.

GLASGOW, Scotland (R3-IoT PR) — Satellite-enabled connectivity start-up, R3-IoT is gearing up for international expansion after closing a £3.1million ($4.3m) seed investment round led by US-based VC Space Capital, joined by the Scottish National Investment Bank.

Other investors include the University of Strathclyde, alongside North American-based Ryan Johnson, former CEO of BlackBridge, Nathan Kundtz, CEO of Rendered.ai, and Loren Padelford, former GM of Revenue at Shopify. Scottish Enterprise also become shareholders and continue to support the company.

LONG BEACH, Calif., July 27, 2021 (Rocket Lab PR) – Rocket Lab, the leading launch and space systems company, today announced it will open a launch window from tomorrow to launch a research and development satellite to low Earth orbit from Launch Complex 1 in New Zealand for the United States Space Force (USSF).

JAXA said that on Tuesday it tested a pulse detonation engine that uses shock waves powered by methane and other gases to create thrust. The Japanese space agency believes the project could produce smaller but powerful engines for use on deep-space exploration missions. The engine was launched aboard on the S-520-31 sounding rocket from the Uchinoura Space Center. The Japan Times reported JAXA recovered a capsule with test data from […]

Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Fla., July 27, 2021 (ULA PR) – A United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket is in final preparations to launch Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner spacecraft on the second Orbital Flight Test (OFT-2) to the International Space Station (ISS). The launch is planned for July 30 at 2:53 p.m. EDT from Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. The live launch broadcast begins no earlier than 2 p.m. EDT on July 30 at  www.ulalaunch.com.

MOSCOW (Roscosmos PR) — On Tuesday, July 27, 2021, specialists of the flight control group of the multipurpose module “Nauka” at the Mission Control Center of TsNIIMash (part of the State Corporation “Roscosmos”) routinely carried out a corrective maneuver of the module launched last Wednesday to the International Space Station. The next firing for further orbit alignment is scheduled for July 28th. The day before, the Progress MS-16 cargo vehicle […]

WASHINGTON (Free Press PR) — On Monday, the Federal Communications Commission announced its intention to authorize an initial round of more than $311 million in funding for new broadband deployments. The original series of federal subsidies, based on the lowest bids broadband providers submitted in the auction phase of the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF), came under heavy scrutiny after Free Press published a six-part investigation. The Free Press reports included exposés of several questionable applicants that sought to bring connectivity to unoccupied parking lots, storage tanks and traffic islands, as well as urban areas that other providers already served.

In response, the FCC has sent letters to 197 winning bidders from 2020, giving each the opportunity to withdraw its funding requests should the money be applied to building out broadband to places already served or “where significant questions of waste have been raised.”

Among recipients of these letters is Elon Musk’s Starlink, the satellite-internet company that won RDOF awards nationwide, including in many densely populated urban areas. The FCC has also denied all funding for AB Indiana, and rejected LTD Broadband’s application to serve in California, Kansas and Oklahoma — representing more than $271 million of the $1.3 billion awarded to the company — due to a failure to secure necessary state-level certifications in a timely fashion.

WASHINGTON, July 26, 2021 (FCC PR) — The FCC today took its first steps to move forward with funding new broadband deployments across the country through the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund. The FCC announced that it is ready to authorize over $311 million in broadband funding across 36 states through the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund. At the same time, the agency took steps to clean up issues with the program’s design originating from its adoption in 2020.

“This is a significant down payment on broadband deployment,” said FCC Acting Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel. “Today’s announcement means that help is on the way for hundreds of thousands of Americans without access to broadband.”

Today’s action represents the first funding to be approved through the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund. As a result of today’s announcement, 48 broadband providers will bring 1 Gbps broadband speeds to nearly 200,000 homes and businesses over the next 10 years.