🚀 Space Tech Weekly Recap – June 24–30, 2025
Key launches, partnerships, and funding moves shape last week’s space tech landscape.
🔎 At a Glance – Last Week in Space Tech
🌐 Market
European Union proposes first 'Space Act'
New EU regulation to harmonize commercial space rules, attracting investment and reducing legal uncertainty.
🏛️ Public Companies
Rocket Lab sets launch cadence record as stock jumps 17.8% in the last week
The company completed two Electron launches within 48 hours—its fastest ever—marking a major milestone in small launch cadence. Its stock surged 17.8% last week, driven by new ESA contract, strong U.S. defense demand, NATO budget increases, and increased cadence.AST SpaceMobile (ASTS) stock rose 7.4% last week
Major commercial partnerships and satellite-to-smartphone tech fuel strong stock rally.EchoStar delays bankruptcy amid FCC talks and political intervention, surges 14.7% last week
🚀 Private Companies
Amazon’s Atlas 5 launches second batch of Project Kuiper satellites
Steady progress on broadband mega-constellation despite complex launch schedules.Axiom Space’s fourth private astronaut mission launches to ISS, partners with India’s Skyroot Aerospace
Record experiments highlight commercial spaceflight growth as collaboration expands crewed access in emerging markets.Lynk Global’s SPAC merger faces legal battle and uncertainty
Ongoing legal dispute poses potential challenges to planned public listing and capital raise amid competitive market conditions.Muon Space’s FireSat delivers first thermal infrared images for wildfire detection
Climate-focused satellite supports rapid wildfire monitoring with strong environmental backing.Maxar launches AI-powered ‘Sentry’ persistent monitoring intelligence service
Shift to AI-driven geospatial intelligence enhances recurring revenues and market position.SpaceX secures $81.6M contract to launch military weather satellite in 2027
Third consecutive NSSL Phase 3 Lane 1 win strengthens SpaceX’s national security launch dominance.Isar Aerospace raises €150M to boost launch capabilities
Strong funding positions German startup for European small satellite launch growth.Lux Aeterna secures $4M to develop fully reusable satellite buses
Innovative satellite reusability aims to lower costs and improve mission flexibility.Xona Space Systems raises $92M & launches Pulsar-0 satellite
Targets commercial GPS alternative with government backing for positioning resiliency.
🌐 Market
⚖️ European Union proposes first 'Space Act' to regulate commercial space traffic
What happened: The European Commission introduced legislation to regulate commercial space traffic, debris mitigation, and satellite safety across member states.
Why it matters: Standardized rules help unlock pan-European growth in commercial space and reduce legal and regulatory ambiguity that has hindered investment and market development.
Investor angle: Clearer regulatory frameworks will provide VCs and corporates with more predictable paths to back European launchers, Earth observation, and satellite startups.
🏛️ Public Companies
📈 Rocket Lab sets launch cadence record and stock surges nearly 17.8% last week
What happened: Rocket Lab successfully launched its second Electron rocket within 48 hours, marking a new record for fastest turnaround between launches at its New Zealand complex. This was Rocket Lab’s fourth launch in June 2025 and tenth Electron mission this year. Concurrently, Rocket Lab’s shares surged about 25% in one week, driven by increased U.S. defense budgets, NATO spending pledges, and new European Space Agency (ESA) contracts.
Rocket Lab also secured its first-ever launch contract with ESA to deploy the initial pair of satellites for a future low Earth orbit positioning, navigation, and timing (LEO-PNT) constellation. Under this agreement, Rocket Lab will launch two “Pathfinder A” satellites built by Thales Alenia Space and GMV to an altitude of 510 kilometers aboard its Electron vehicle. This demonstration mission aims to test new satellite-based navigation and timing services that could supplement Europe’s existing Galileo and EGNOS systems.
Why it matters: The accelerated launch cadence demonstrates Rocket Lab’s operational maturity and ability to meet growing demand for small satellite deployments, enhancing customer responsiveness. The ESA contract marks a strategic milestone, underscoring Rocket Lab’s growing footprint in Europe’s expanding space infrastructure initiatives. The surge in stock price reflects strong market confidence fueled by expanding government and defense contract opportunities, validating Rocket Lab’s position in the competitive small launch market.
Investor angle: Investors should monitor Rocket Lab’s ability to maintain and increase launch cadence alongside upcoming contract announcements, particularly from government and institutional clients like ESA. Both operational performance and evolving government spending trends will be key drivers of revenue growth and stock momentum. The ESA deal also diversifies Rocket Lab’s client base and strengthens its reputation as a trusted launch provider for strategic space infrastructure, potentially opening doors for future European contracts.
Read our detailed Rocket Lab market and product analysis here: Rocket Lab Market & Products
📊 AST SpaceMobile (ASTS) stock rises 8% last week, +350% YTD
What happened: AST SpaceMobile shares climbed 8% over the past week, extending a 350% year-to-date rally, fueled by major commercial deals with Verizon and Vodafone, and breakthroughs in satellite-to-smartphone video calls.
Why it matters: The company’s tech enables direct satellite connectivity for standard phones, opening a large untapped market in remote communications.
Investor angle: Strong partnerships and technology milestones underpin investor optimism; watch for commercial rollout progress and further contract wins.
⚠️ EchoStar delays bankruptcy amid FCC talks; stock up 14.7% last week
EchoStar (NASDAQ: SATS) surged 14.7% last week after announcing it will pay $500M in delayed interest payments, easing bankruptcy fears. The turnaround follows political support from former President Donald Trump, who urged the FCC to resolve its spectrum compliance dispute with the company.
EchoStar had previously missed payments, citing its inability to act while under FCC scrutiny over its 5G buildout and use of the 2 GHz band.
Investor angle: The stock jump reflects renewed confidence following the debt repayment and political intervention. However, regulatory risk remains high, and investors should watch the FCC’s next steps and EchoStar’s July 1 debt obligations.
🚀 Private Companies
📡 Amazon’s Atlas 5 launches second batch of Project Kuiper satellites
What happened: On June 23, ULA’s Atlas 5 launched 27 satellites for Amazon’s Project Kuiper, bringing the total in orbit to 54. This follows a failed attempt on June 16 and is part of Amazon’s plan for over 80 launches across multiple providers.
Why it matters: Satellite deployment progress is essential for meeting FCC milestones and competing with SpaceX Starlink in satellite broadband.
Investor angle: Multi-provider launch strategy reduces risk but adds schedule complexity. Investors should monitor Kuiper’s deployment pace and beta testing timeline.
👩🚀 Axiom Space advances crewed missions with India’s Skyroot partnership and launches fourth private astronaut mission to ISS
What happened: Axiom Space signed a memorandum of understanding with India’s Skyroot Aerospace to explore joint crewed missions, combining U.S. station infrastructure with India’s emerging private launch capabilities. Meanwhile, on June 25, SpaceX successfully launched Axiom’s Ax-4 mission to the ISS, featuring a multinational crew conducting 60 scientific experiments—the most on any Axiom mission—after delays from hardware swaps and ISS maintenance.
Why it matters: These developments highlight growing U.S.-India collaboration in commercial space, expanding affordable crewed access to emerging markets. The Ax-4 mission demonstrates the commercial crew market’s maturation, international partnerships, and increased utilization of the ISS for research and private activities.
Investor angle: Investors gain exposure to a first-mover advantage in affordable crewed space access in fast-growing markets and validation of Axiom’s commercial crew business model, which is attracting more customers and expanding space-based research opportunities.
⚖️ Lynk Global’s SPAC merger faces legal battle and uncertainty
What happened: Lynk Global is currently involved in a legal dispute with its SPAC sponsor concerning the timing of their merger agreement. Lynk has responded with a countersuit and intends to actively defend its position.
Why it matters: This ongoing situation introduces some uncertainty around Lynk’s funding timeline and growth outlook in the emerging direct-to-smartphone satellite market.
Investor angle: Investors should be cautious of legal and financial risks but note growing market interest driven by competitors like AST SpaceMobile.
🔥 Muon Space’s FireSat delivers first thermal infrared images for wildfire detection
What happened: After the recent big news from Muon Space about raising $89.5 million, the company has now released the first thermal infrared images from its FireSat Protoflight satellite, showcasing its ability to detect heat signatures critical for wildfire detection and environmental monitoring.
Why it matters: The satellite offers rapid, high-resolution wildfire detection with shorter revisit times than existing systems, enhancing early response capabilities.
Investor angle: FireSat’s climate tech focus, backed by Google Research and environmental foundations, positions Muon Space for growth in Earth observation and disaster monitoring markets.
🧠 Maxar launches AI-powered ‘Sentry’ persistent monitoring intelligence service
What happened: Maxar introduced Sentry, a continuous geospatial monitoring platform combining satellite imagery archives with AI analytics and partner constellation data to provide near real-time actionable intelligence.
Why it matters: As raw imagery commoditizes, Maxar shifts toward high-value, data-driven intelligence services that meet growing government demand for predictive geospatial insights.
Investor angle: The service supports recurring revenues and strengthens Maxar’s competitive position in geospatial intelligence. Investors should track government contracts and commercial partnerships.
🚀 SpaceX wins $81.6 million contract to launch U.S. military weather satellite
What happened: SpaceX secured a contract from the U.S. Space Force to launch the Weather System Follow-on–Microwave 2 (WSF-M2) satellite in 2027 under the NSSL Phase 3 Lane 1 program. This marks SpaceX’s third consecutive win in this program.
Why it matters: The mission supports critical weather and space environment monitoring, enhancing military operational capabilities with advanced satellite sensors.
Investor angle: Continued government contracts reinforce SpaceX’s leadership in national security launches, supporting revenue growth and market dominance amid competition from Blue Origin and ULA.
💶 Isar Aerospace raises €150M to boost launch capabilities
What happened: German startup Isar Aerospace secured €150 million ($174 million) in convertible bond financing from Eldridge Industries to expand its launch capabilities after its March Spectrum rocket flight test.
Why it matters: The funding signals confidence in Isar’s potential to meet rising demand for small satellite launches in Europe and globally.
Investor angle: Investors should watch Isar’s next flight tests and ESA funding decisions as growth milestones.
♻️ Lux Aeterna secures $4M pre-seed to develop fully reusable satellite buses
What happened: Denver-based Lux Aeterna raised $4 million in pre-seed funding to develop Delphi, a 200-kg reusable satellite bus designed for atmospheric reentry and multiple flights over 15 years.
Why it matters: Reusable satellite platforms could drastically reduce mission costs and improve flexibility, disrupting traditional disposable satellite economics.
Investor angle: Early venture backing and plans for 2027 launch make Lux Aeterna a notable innovator in sustainable satellite infrastructure.
🛰️ Xona Space Systems raises $92M series B & launches Pulsar-0 satellite
What happened: Xona launched its first Pulsar satellite to build a commercial GPS alternative, raising $92 million in a Series B led by Craft Ventures with U.S. Space Force support.
Why it matters: Pulsar addresses vulnerabilities in GPS by offering resilient, commercial-grade positioning for autonomous vehicles, defense, and fintech.
Investor angle: Dual-use applications and government backing reduce risk and highlight strategic importance, attracting commercial and defense investors.