Investment

• Iridium Communications reported strong Q2 2025 results with $216.9 million in revenue (up 8% YoY), highlighting continued growth in its satellite-based services across commercial and government markets. Space-relevant updates include the ramp-up of its direct-to-device satellite connectivity and expanding applications of its Positioning, Navigation, and Timing (PNT) service. The company’s U.S. Space Force EMSS contract, a $738.5M agreement for satellite airtime, continues to anchor Iridium’s government operations, which saw a 1% revenue increase despite subscriber decline. Engineering and support revenue surged 62%, driven by increased government activity.

• Collins Aerospace will expand its manufacturing and R&D operations in Richardson, Texas, creating over 570 new jobs and investing more than $57 million. Supported by a $3.7 million Texas Enterprise Fund grant, the expansion reinforces Texas’ position as a national leader in aerospace and defense innovation.

• Amazon has confirmed that its $139.5 million investment in Florida, including a 100,000-square-foot payload processing facility at Kennedy Space Center, is central to ramping up the launch cadence for Project Kuiper, its 3,232-satellite broadband constellation. The facility supports integration and fueling of Kuiper satellites for missions aboard rockets from ULA, SpaceX, and Blue Origin, enabling Amazon to process over 100 satellites per month and manage three simultaneous launch campaigns, helping relieve payload processing bottlenecks on the increasingly crowded Space Coast.

Partnerships

• Turkey’s first domestically built communications satellite, TÜRKSAT-6A, has completed its first year in geostationary orbit. Developer ASELSAN is now expanding its space technology collaboration with Azerbaijan, with an intention to co-develop the Azerspace-3 satellite through a technology transfer model that supports Azerbaijani engineers and lays the groundwork for an independent regional space industry.

• HII has been awarded a $74 million, five-year task order to provide modeling and simulation capabilities for the U.S. Air Force and Space Force, supporting the AFRL’s Space Vehicles Directorate at Kirtland Air Force Base. The work includes developing operational simulations for space unit training, machine-to-machine decision support tools, and readiness solutions for improving space asset survivability in contested multi-domain environments.

• The U.S. Space Force has released its first-ever International Partnership Strategy, outlining a long-term vision to strengthen global collaboration and integration with allies to maintain a secure, stable, and sustainable space domain. Emphasizing that “spacepower is the ultimate team sport,” the strategy sets three main goals: empowering allies as combat multipliers, maximizing information sharing, and integrating coalition forces across design, development, and operations.

Applications

• Researchers at UC Irvine have discovered a new state of quantum matter within a custom material called hafnium pentatelluride, achieved under extreme magnetic fields up to 70 Tesla. Notably, this quantum phase is highly radiation-resistant, making it a candidate for space-based electronics capable of withstanding deep space environments.

• NASA successfully launched the TRACERS mission on July 24 aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 from Vandenberg, deploying two satellites to study magnetic reconnection in Earth’s polar cusps, a process relevant to both aurora formation and geomagnetic storms. The $170M mission will collect over 3,000 data points in a year, advancing our understanding of space weather and its impact on systems like GPS and satellite operations.

• A Vega C rocket is set to launch tonight from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana, carrying five satellites focused on Earth and climate monitoring. The mission, VV27, includes MicroCarb, a French-led satellite that will map global carbon dioxide sources and sinks with unprecedented precision. It also carries four CO3D satellites from CNES and Airbus, which will generate high-resolution 3D maps of Earth’s land surfaces using multispectral optical imaging.

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• Rocket Lab has finalized its selection of subcontractors to supply payloads and ground systems for the 18 satellites the company is building for the Space Development Agency (SDA).
• Under a $515 million USD firm-fixed-price contract, Rocket Lab will lead the design, development, manufacturing, testing, and operation of the satellites for SDA’s Tranche 2 Transport Layer-Beta (T2TL – Beta).
• The selected subcontractors include CesiumAstro, Mynaric, SEAKR Engineering, Collins Aerospace, Redwire Space, and Parsons Corporation.

Rocket Lab announced the finalized selection of subcontractors to supply payloads and ground systems for the 18 satellites the company is building for the Space Development Agency (SDA).

Under a $515 million USD firm-fixed-price contract, Rocket Lab will lead the design, development, manufacturing, testing, and operation of the satellites for SDA’s Tranche 2 Transport Layer-Beta (T2TL – Beta), part of the Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture (PWSA). This initiative aims to establish a multi-layered low-Earth orbit satellite constellation for secure, low-latency communications and missile tracking for the U.S. Department of Defense.

The satellites, developed by Rocket Lab, will incorporate various in-house subsystems, including solar panels, structural components, star trackers, reaction wheels, radios, flight software, avionics, and launch dispensers. Rocket Lab, as the primary contractor, is also responsible for managing the procurement and integration of payloads and other subsystems.

The selected subcontractors include:

– CesiumAstro will provide its Vireo active electronically scanned array (AESA) radio frequency (RF) communications payload, known as the first multi-beam-capable Ka-band communications system for SDA’s PWSA.

– Mynaric will supply CONDOR Mk3 optical communication terminals, enhancing free space optical communications for air, space, and mobile applications.

– SEAKR Engineering will offer its Tactical Satellite Communications (TACSATCOM) Software Defined Radio (SDR) and Network Encryption System (NES).

– Collins Aerospace is set to deliver the waveform necessary for the SDR, essential software and firmware for TACSATCOM’s transmission and reception.

– Redwire Space has been chosen for its expertise in antennas and RF hardware.

– Parsons Corporation will provide the NEBULA Operations – Vendor Architecture (NOVA), serving as Rocket Lab’s ground system for the operational management of its 18 satellites.

“Rocket Lab has a strong history of developing highly capable, resilient, and affordable space infrastructure. We’re excited to continue this heritage by delivering a reliable satellite constellation to SDA in support of PWSA,” said Rocket Lab founder and CEO, Peter Beck. “Rocket Lab technology has been delivering mission success in orbit for more than 20 years, so when we look for subcontractors to support our programs we select for performance and proven experience – something this hand-picked team has in abundance.”

• NASA has awarded Axiom Space and Collins Aerospace task orders to advance spacewalking capabilities in low Earth orbit, as well as moonwalking services for Artemis missions.
• The latest Exploration Extravehicular Activity Services task orders each have a value of US $5 million.
• The contract enables selected providers to compete for task orders for missions that will provide a full suite of capabilities for NASA’s spacewalking needs during the period of performance through 2034.

PRESS RELEASE — July 10, 2023 — NASA has awarded Axiom Space and Collins Aerospace task orders under existing contracts to advance spacewalking capabilities in low Earth orbit, as well as moonwalking services for Artemis missions.

The latest Exploration Extravehicular Activity Services task orders, each with a value of $5 million, are intended to have Axiom Space begin work on a spacesuit for use in  low Earth orbit, and Collins Aerospace to begin work on a spacesuit for use on the lunar surface. Encouraging innovation in the suits and services available from both companies helps NASA further its missions for the benefit of humanity as part of its Moon to Mars exploration approach and obtain potential options should any development issues arise.

“These task orders position NASA for success should additional capabilities become necessary or advantageous to NASA’s missions as the agency paves the way for deep space exploration and commercialization of low Earth orbit,” said Lara Kearney, manager of the Extravehicular Activity and Human Surface Mobility Program at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. “Using this competitive approach we will enhance redundancy, expand future capabilities, and further invest in the space economy.”

Each contract provider has proposed a plan to continue developing their spacesuit to perform in an environment different from that outlined in the scope of their initial task order award. Axiom Space was previously awarded an initial task order to develop a spacewalking system for a demonstration in partial gravity on the lunar surface during Artemis III and will now begin early assessments for extending that suit for use outside the International Space Station. Likewise, Collins Aerospace was previously awarded an initial task order to develop a spacewalking system for a demonstration in microgravity outside the space station and will now begin early assessments for extending that suit for use on the lunar surface.

Both vendors’ assessments will provide NASA insight and redundancy for use of their suit systems despite the differences between low Earth orbit and the lunar surface, including different gravitational fields, natural space environments such as radiation, and mission tasks like floating in microgravity or walking in partial gravity.

The providers will begin their design modification work through an initial milestone set by the awardee in their respective proposals for the task order’s initial content. Following the completion of this initial step, NASA may exercise task order options to continue development. Should NASA decide to pursue the full extent of the follow-on task order options with a given provider culminating in a flight demonstration, the provider must complete all necessary safety and performance verifications before flight and ultimately complete a spacewalk or moonwalk at the respective destination.

The contract enables selected providers to compete for task orders for missions that will provide a full suite of capabilities for NASA’s spacewalking needs during the period of performance through 2034. The first task orders awarded were for the development and services for the first demonstration outside the space station in low Earth orbit and for the Artemis III lunar landing. The contract was designed to evolve with the needs of the agency and space industry and gives NASA a mechanism for adding additional capabilities and vendors as the commercial space services market evolves.

NASA’s investments in these additional capabilities will help bolster a strong commercial space industry. Each provider on the Exploration Extravehicular Activity Services contract will own the spacesuits it develops under the contract and can pursue other commercial customers and explore non-NASA commercial applications for the associated technologies.

Expanding the commercial space services market is an important element of NASA’s long-term goals of exploration in low Earth orbit and in deep space, including the Moon and Mars.

Learn more about spacewalking at: https://www.nasa.gov/suitup.

For more market insights, check out our latest space industry news here.

Contact Information:

Vanessa Lloyd / Lora Bleacher
Headquarters, Washington
240-397-0807 / 202-358-1100
vanessa.c.lloyd@nasa.gov / lora.v.bleacher@nasa.gov

Victoria Ugalde
Johnson Space Center, Houston
281-483-5111
victoria.d.ugalde@nasa.gov

SOURCE: NASA

Featured image: The Full Moon is pictured setting below Earth’s horizon from the International Space Station as it orbited 262 miles above the Pacific Ocean. Credit: NASA