Articles about Satellites

Illustration: Satellite swinging around Earth

Starcloud raises $250M to support the creation of data center satellite network in league with Nvidia

Seattle-area space startup will use Nvidia’s next-gen chip on its own next-gen satellites for AI data processing. Read More

Portal CEO Jeff Thornburg stretching arms out to show Starburst-1 satellite in Bothell lab

Inside the satellite factory: Portal Space Systems gets set for the debut of Starburst and Supernova

Get a sneak peek at the Seattle-area startup’s first Starburst satellite, plus an update on plans for the 2028 launch of its flagship Supernova spacecraft. Read More

Engineers working on K2 Space's Gravitas satellite on shop floor

K2 Space raises $500M to boost its drive to build big, powerful satellites

California-based satellite startup is working on multiple mega-projects, supported by an engineering hub set up in Seattle area. Read More

Illustration: Sophia Space orbital data center with TILE architecture

AI plus IP: Sophia Space and Caltech secure a patent for orbital data centers that use passive cooling

Startup’s co-founder believes modular architecture for data-crunching satellites will eventually become the industry standard — and become licensable. Read More

Illustration: Satellite with laser light hitting solar arrays

Pulse Space wins $40M contract from Space Force to work on space laser power system

Seattle-area startup says its technology could be used for orbital tracking and communication as well as for beamed power. Read More

Night launch of Atlas 5 rocket with Amazon Leo satellites

Amazon Leo says its latest launch gives it enough satellites to start broadband internet service

Competition with SpaceX’s Starlink satellite network is expected to begin in earnest later this year. Read More

Engineers work on satellite at K2 Space factory

K2 Space sets up an engineering office in the Seattle area to support big plans for big satellites

California-based company builds ‘mega-class,’ high-power satellites for government and commercial customers. Read More

Show-and-tell panel with Paul Mikesell at podium and Otter Pup spacecraft in foreground

Founders on the frontiers of space and robotics show off their gadgets and tell the stories behind them

Carbon Robotics, Overland AI, Starcloud and Starfish Space get their share of the spotlight at a DeepTech session featuring AI chips, satellites and more. Read More

New Glenn rockets sitting inside Blue Origin processing facility

Blue Origin readies New Glenn rocket to launch 48 Amazon Leo satellites after FAA clearance

Five weeks after previous New Glenn launch failed, two companies founded by Jeff Bezos announce a mission that would add to Amazon’s satellite broadband constellation. Read More

Amazon Leo's Rajeev Badyal and Chris Weber onstage during luncheon

Amazon Leo’s leaders provide an inside look at the satellite broadband network’s past and future

Find out how Jeff Bezos got the ball rolling in the competition with SpaceX’s Starlink for space-based connectivity — and how Project Kuiper became Amazon Leo. Read More

Screenshot of TerraByte AI's Earth Search Engine

TerraByte raises the curtain on its campaign to use AI to unleash the power of geospatial data

Microsoft veterans raise pre-seed funding for an AI platform that sifts through streams of satellite data in search of valuable insights. Read More

Amazon Leo VP Chris Weber at Mission Operations Center

Amazon Leo aims to double its pace as it gets set to roll out its satellite broadband network

One year after the start of its launch campaign, Amazon Leo is a ‘couple of months’ away from kicking off commercial service, VP says. Read More

Cowboy Space raises $275M as it seeks 40-60 employees for new satellite and rocket hub in Seattle

Of its 41 open positions, 18 are based in Seattle, spanning roles in avionics, mechanical engineering, spacecraft design, and software. Read More

In a first, Blue Origin uses a recycled rocket to send a satellite into orbit — unfortunately, it’s the wrong orbit

After liftoff, New Glenn booster makes its second successful touchdown, but AST SpaceMobile says its satellite will have to be deorbited. Read More

Amazon payments to Bezos’ Blue Origin reach $1.8B as shareholders cite conflicts of interest

Amazon paid about $1.8 billion last year to Blue Origin, the aerospace company owned by its founder and board chair Jeff Bezos — nearly triple the amount the year before — as shareholders weigh a proposal citing his business interests outside Amazon as potential conflicts of interest. Read More

Illustration: Portal's Starburst and Supernova space vehicles in orbit

Portal Space Systems raises $50M as it gets set to launch its first orbital vehicle made for rapid maneuvers

Startup gears up to build Starburst and Supernova spacecraft for defense and commercial applications at facilities in Bothell. Read More

Orbital AI: Seattle-area startup Starcloud hits $1.1B valuation to build space-based data centers

Redmond, Wash., startup Starcloud has raised $170 million and hit a $1.1 billion valuation building solar-powered data centers that operate in space. Read More

51,600 more satellites? Blue Origin adds another twist to the data center space race with Project Sunrise

Jeff Bezos’ space venture seeks FCC’s go-ahead for a constellation that would complement TeraWave network — and set up another rivalry with SpaceX. Read More

Illustration: Starburst and Supernova spacecraft in orbit, both equipped with Triton hardware

Got space junk? Portal and Paladin team up to create an orbital trash disposal service

Partnership will pair Portal’s maneuverable spacecraft with Paladin’s space debris collector for missions starting as early as 2027. Read More

Bay Area-based Aetherflux to join Seattle space race with new hub for satellite development

Founded in 2024 by CEO Baiju Bhatt, the billionaire co-founder of the trading platform Robinhood, Aetherflux is currently focused on creating an orbital data center satellite. Read More

Illustration: Amazon Leo network connections creating a web around Earth

FCC clears Amazon Leo to boost satellite broadband coverage and cover polar regions

Amazon says its Gen 2 network will be important for big enterprise and government customers; FCC still has to rule on Amazon’s request for more time to put Gen 1 satellites in orbit. Read More

Illustration: Otter spacecraft in geosynchronous orbit with Earth in background

Starfish Space wins $54.5M Space Force contract for another satellite servicing vehicle

Starfish’s Otter spacecraft will conduct maneuvers in geosynchronous Earth orbit, with delivery scheduled in 2028. Read More

Illustration: Otter spacecraft near another satellite in Earth orbit

Starfish Space wins $52.5M contract to provide satellite disposal service for Space Development Agency

Seattle-area startup plans to use its Otter spacecraft to deorbit military satellites safely at the end of their operational lives. Read More

Starcloud co-founders Philip Johnston, Ezra Feilden and Adi Oltean in white suits

Starcloud plans its next power plays after training first AI model in space

Space startup’s CEO talks about putting tens of thousands of satellites in orbit to serve as networked data centers — an effort that could become a multibillion-dollar business. Read More

Mira spacecraft in orbit with Earth's disk in the background

Startups team up to demonstrate satellite rendezvous using Starfish Space’s navigation system

Impulse Space’s Mira spacecraft snaps close-ups of another satellite during orbital approach guided by Starfish software. Read More

Jeff Thornburg at Portal Space Systems with vacuum chamber

Uncommon Thinkers: How Portal’s Jeff Thornburg plans to harness the heat of the sun in the cold of space

Before he became the CEO of Portal Space Systems, Jeff Thornburg worked for two of the world’s most innovative space-minded billionaires. Now he’s working on an idea those billionaires never pursued: building a spacecraft powered by the heat of focused sunlight. Read More

Satellites