November 17, 2025

York Space Systems Reveals 59% Revenue Surge in US IPO Filing (Source: Reuters)
York Space Systems recorded a 59% revenue jump for the first nine months of 2025, the satellite company revealed in its U.S. initial public offering paperwork on Monday, as issuers line up to tap the December IPO window. IPO activity in the U.S. is expected to pick up toward the end of the year as companies look to go public after the longest-ever government shutdown had curbed the Securities and Exchange Commission's ability to review paperwork. (11/17)

France's Leanspace Raises €10 Million for Software-Defined Satellite Operations (Source: Space News)
Leanspace has raised €10 million to address the increasing complexity of managing large satellite constellations. Founded in 2020, Leanspace has developed a software platform for satellite and ground segment operations. (11/17)

Mars Spacecraft Images Comet 3I/ATLAS's Path with 10x Higher Accuracy (Source: Space.com)
The path of comet 3I/ATLAS through the solar system has been predicted with an accuracy 10 times greater than previous estimates, thanks to images taken by an ESA spacecraft orbiting Mars. Though 3I/ATLAS poses no threat of striking Earth, the breakthrough could have important implications for defending Earth against other comets and asteroids someday. (11/17)

Nokia Sets Sights on 5G Upgrade for Space (Source: TyN)
Nokia is laying the groundwork for the next era of extraterrestrial 5G connectivity, pointing to a “space internet” linking lunar bases, orbiting satellites and eventually Mars missions. Thierry Klein said Nokia's role in deploying the first cellular network on the lunar surface earlier this year marked “a big leap” in proving that cellular mobile technologies can power the next phase of space exploration. (11/16)

Federal Government’s Millions for Canada’s Commercial Spaceport Race Marks a New Chapter (Source: Bloomberg)
Interest from the federal government is marking a new and potentially lucrative chapter in Canada’s bourgeoning commercial space race. Ottawa’s November budget — the first for Prime Minister Mark Carney — pledges nearly $200 million over the course of the next three years “to establish a sovereign space launch capability.” It’s part of Carney’s push for a Defence Industrial Strategy (DIS) and according to players in the commercial satellite industry, it’s a sign of important attention from federal officials.

Both NordSpace and competitor Maritime Launch Services are working on building out their own spaceports, or rocket-launching facilities. NordSpace’s infrastructure is being built in St. Lawrence, N.L. while Maritime Launch Services is building near Canso, N.S. Federal officials have yet to lay out their vision for the money nor how they plan to divide it. Rahul Goel said he understands that Ottawa wants a functioning spaceport built and firing rockets by 2028. (11/16)

No Pressure: How Isaacman Could Get the US Back to the Moon Before China (Source: The Hill)
The top of Isaacman’s list of things to do is to get American boots on lunar soil before China. The mandate is at once controversial and difficult. Currently, both SpaceX and Blue Origin have submitted ideas for a stripped-down human landing system that might be developed on time. NASA is currently evaluating the proposals.

NASA’s standard operating procedure would be to spend some time evaluating each proposal and then choose one to be part of Artemis III. Then everyone will cross their collective fingers and hope that the option chosen will be ready on time. Another option exists. No matter which human landing system design is chosen, part of the development process will be to fly the vehicle to the moon uncrewed and then lift off to at least lunar orbit before flying it with astronauts.

Why not mandate that both SpaceX and Blue Origin be asked to fly the uncrewed lunar surface mission? The first company that does so successfully will get the Artemis III contract. Space races between nations can be exciting and productive, as the Apollo-era race to the moon demonstrated. A space race between two American companies would be something else entirely. Imagine how lucrative the betting markets would be. (11/16)

Now Tech Moguls Want to Build Data Centers in Outer Space (Source: Wall Street Journal)
If things weren’t already frothy enough around AI, now the excitement is headed toward orbit—literally. The world’s richest men are earnestly talking about traveling to outer space to build gigantic data centers to run artificial-intelligence models among the stars. They argue such missions make the most sense for powering energy-hungry operations. (11/16)

Germany's OHB Concerned About Airbus/Leonardo/Thales Merger (Source: Space News)
The head of German aerospace company OHB says he is concerned about the effects of a planned joint venture by three of his competitors. In an earnings call last week, OHB CEO Marco Fuchs said the joint venture involving the space businesses of Airbus Defense and Space, Leonardo and Thales Alenia Space could be a challenge to OHB, including affecting teaming arrangements OHB has with Thales on some programs.

The companies involved in the “Project Bromo” joint venture argue it is needed to give them the scale to compete with U.S. counterparts, but Fuchs noted that most European space business involves institutional customers within Europe, and that European space spending is now increasing. He said OHB would share its concerns with governments and regulators as Project Bromo works through antitrust approval processes. (11/17)

In-Orbit Servicing Startup Infinite Orbits Raises €40 Million in New Funding (Source: European Spaceflight)
French in-orbit servicing startup Infinite Orbits has secured €40 million in new funding to expand its European footprint and accelerate the development of its satellite life-extension and inspection spacecraft. Founded in 2017, the Toulouse-based startup is developing Endurance, a satellite life-extension vehicle, and Orbit Guard, a small-satellite system for close-range inspection of geostationary spacecraft. Prior to this latest round, the company had raised €12 million in May 2024. (11/17)

SES Links with Infinite Orbits for Satellite Servicing Mission (Source: Space News)
SES announced an agreement with French startup Infinite Orbits for a satellite life-extension mission. SES said last week it signed a contract to use Endurance, a 750-kilogram servicer that Infinite Orbits plans to launch in late 2027. Endurance will first demonstrate its capabilities on an SES satellite in a graveyard orbit above GEO and, if successful, then move to an in-service SES satellite to add around five years to an operational life.  SES is currently working with Northrop Grumman subsidiary SpaceLogistics to use its Mission Extension Vehicles and has a contract with Starfish Space to use that firm’s Otter servicing vehicle expected to launch in 2026. (11/17)

Slingshot Spots Uncatalogued Russian Sat in MEO (Source: Payload)
A Russian sat spent five weeks in MEO without the US public SDA database knowing its whereabouts. Slingshot Aerospace found it after just a few hours of looking. The achievement highlights how adept SDA companies have become at finding uncatalogued things in orbit. (11/17)

FAA Ends Temporary Launch Restrictions (Source: Space News)
The FAA has ended temporary restrictions on the hours commercial launches can take place. The FAA said Sunday it was canceling an emergency order issued Nov. 6 intended to reduce strain on the National Airspace System during the government shutdown. The order included a provision limiting commercial launches to between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. local time. SpaceX and ULA shifted the times of several launches to comply, while one SpaceX launch from Vandenberg was postponed from last week to this Wednesday. Blue Origin got an FAA waiver of the order for its New Glenn launch last week. (11/17)

SpaceX Launches Ocean Monitoring Satellite on Monday From California (Source: Space News)
SpaceX launched a joint U.S.-European satellite to monitor sea levels on Monday morning. The Falcon 9 lifted off from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California and deployed the Sentinel-6B satellite into orbit nearly an hour later. The satellite is part of a program involving NASA, ESA and other agencies to track sea levels, ensuring a continuation of satellite records going back to the early 1990s. (11/17)

Thailand Denies Starlink Service (Source; Bangkok Post)
The government of Thailand is denying permission to SpaceX to provide Starlink services in the country. A government ministry said it rejected an application from SpaceX because the service would be provided through a company with 100% percent foreign ownership. That conflicts with national law that prohibits full foreign ownership of telecommunications companies on the basis of national security. A Thai government minister said he has met with SpaceX on the issue and was told the White House would not allow SpaceX to operate in Thailand unless it was through a company with full foreign ownership. (11/17)

"Save NASA Science" Supports Isaacman (Source: Planetary Society)
A group of space organizations is backing the renomination of Jared Isaacman as NASA administrator. In a statement last week, the “Save NASA Science” coalition said it supported Isaacman, citing his interest in accelerating the pace of science missions. The coalition is led by The Planetary Society and includes the National Space Society and The Mars Society, among other groups. (11/17)

JWST Busier Than Ever (Source: Space Telescope Science Institute)
If you’re an astronomer wanting to use the James Webb Space Telescope, you’re not alone. The Space Telescope Science Institute, which handles science operations of JWST, said last week it received a record number of proposals for the telescope’s next observing cycle that begins in July 2026. The institute said astronomers submitted more than 2,900 applications that will be reviewed over the next several months. Only about 8% of the proposals will be accepted. (11/17)

Asteroid 2024 YR4 Was Earth's First Real-Life Defense Test (Source: Universe Today)
A new paper analyzes a dry run that happened around a year ago with the discovery of asteroid 2024 YR4. The paper walks through the process of discovery, classification, escalation, scientific response, and eventually de-escalation that the asteroid went through in a matter of months. While the asteroid early-warning system largely worked as intended, reviewing this first-ever scenario for this particular type of asteroid is worthwhile, as it surely won’t be the last one.

2024 YR4 was in the headlines starting in early January of 2025, though it was discovered on December 27 by the ATLAS survey. Over the course of the next month, additional observations increased the chance of an impact, unlike 99.9% of other newly discovered asteroids. On January 27, YR4 was officially listed as a 3 on the Torino scale, eventually winding up with a 3.1% percent impact chance on February 18, and making it the first ever asteroid to reach that level of the scale. The Scale 3 rating was enough to cause the first ever official notification of the International Asteroid Warning Network - which didn’t exist when Apophis was discovered in 2004. (11/17)

A $100 Million Solar Storm Peanut Problem (Source: Space.com)
For a majority of us, a GPS hiccup is just a momentary annoyance. But for farmers in the southeastern United States, a poorly timed outage can mean huge financial losses and lost harvests, especially for one major crop: peanuts. The risk became very real on May 10, 2024, when the first G5 geomagnetic storm in over 20 years, known as the Gannon Storm, triggered incredible auroras and caused GPS-guided tractors in the U.S. to veer off course. Farmers reported issues with their autoguidance systems, including jolting, freezing, and steering problems. For peanut growers, who rely on ultra-precise GPS to plant and harvest their crop from belowground, the timing couldn't have been worse. (11/17)

Bezos Creates A.I. Start-Up Where He Will Be Co-Chief Executive (Source: New York Times)
Jeff Bezos is throwing his money and time into an artificial intelligence start-up that he will help manage as its co-chief executive. The company, called Project Prometheus, is coming out of the gates with $6.2 billion in funding, partly from Mr. Bezos, making it one of the most well-financed early-stage start-ups in the world. This is the first time Mr. Bezos has taken a formal operational role in a company since he stepped down as chief executive of Amazon in 2021.

The new company has until now kept a low profile, and when it was started is not even clear. Project Prometheus is focusing on technology that dovetails with Mr. Bezos’ interest in taking people to outer space. The company is focusing on A.I. that will help in engineering and manufacturing in a number of fields, including computers, aerospace and automobiles. It is unclear where Project Prometheus will be based. (11/17)

French Rocket Builder HyPrSpace Secures €21 Million in New Funding (Source: European Spaceflight)
Le Haillan-based rocket builder HyPrSpace has secured €21 million to continue the development of its hybrid rocket engines and complete a suborbital test flight. Founded in 2019, HyPrSpace is developing a hybrid propulsion system that uses solid HDPE fuel and a cryogenic liquid oxygen oxidizer.

The company expects to use its propulsion system for the first time aboard a suborbital test flight called Baguette One, which is scheduled to be launched in 2026 from a French Ministry of Defense missile test site in mainland France. It will then move on to an initial orbital test flight using its larger Orbital Baguette One (OB-1) rocket. (11/17)