Weekly Recap #33 + Quindar Interview

Main Topics Rockets * Rocket Lab announced a partnership with Raytheon and Anduril to execute on Space Based Interceptor contracts issued through Golden Dome. [source] * K2 Space was selected by Anduril to host SBI payloads via their high-powered satellite platforms to fulfill golden dome contracts. [source] * Seagate announced a partnership with Firefly Aerospace and Lockheed Martin to develop a customized Gateway sea-launch platform for Firefly’s Alpha rocket. [source] * Skyroot, India’s first Space Unicorn, raised $60M at a $1.1 Bn valuation to increase the launch cadence of Vikram-1 and develop the Vikram-2 rocket. [source] * Nayuta Space completed their Pre-Series A funding raising an undisclosed amount of capital to develop and launch their ADHL (Aerodynamic Deceleration and Horizontal Landing) Xuanniao-R launch vehicle in early 2027. [source] Imaging * The US DoD’s Andromeda Program funding increased from $1.84B to $6.24B after extensive lobbying from some of the larger participants. [source] * Scout Space raised a $18M Series A led by Washington Harbour Partners, who continue to be very active in the space market. [source] * MDA announced 41 combined customers - 9 signed contracts and 32 LOIs - for their CHORUS constellation including C and X band SAR data coming from mid-inclination orbits. [source] * Earthdaily won a $1.2M NRO contract to support the use of commercial spectral imaging under the Strategic Commercial Enhancements (SCE) Commercial Solutions Opening (CSO). [source] * LiveEO raised a €28M+ round, bringing their total capital raised to €72M, to scale its AI powered monitoring platform and achieve 35cm resolution on their 3D stereoscopic imagery. [source] * Ororatech launched 4 Hellenic fire control satellites on CAS500-2 and successfully commissioned them over the past week, establishing the world’s first nationalized satellite system exclusively for wildfire tracking. [source] * Taylor Geospatial unveiled a global map of every agricultural field developed in partnership with the Microsoft AI for Good Lab. [source] Advanced Space Systems * Rocket Lab announced the intent to acquire Motiv Space Systems, acquiring both their robotics prowess and their specialized components, to be rebranded as Rocket Lab Robotics. [source] * Anthropic has partnered with SpaceX for Data Center usage for Claude including 300 MW of SpaceX’s Colossus-1 megacomputer and potential interest in developing multiple GW of orbital data center capacity. [source] * Pixxel announced a partnership with Sarvam to build the Pathfinder Orbital Data Center leveraging Pixxel’s space technology expertise and Sarvam’s AI platform for the 200kg project to launch as early as Q4 2026. [source] * Interlune won a NASA helium-3 extraction feasibility contract through an SBIR Phase 3 for $6.9M. [source] * Lunar Outpost raised a $30M series B to accelerate production of their advanced robotic mobility platforms and execute on their pipeline on the back of four consecutive years of doubled revenues. [source] * Overview Energy was awarded a USAF contract for the remote capture and transmission of solar energy to provide power resilience among DoW projects. [source] Business Moves * Astranis raised a $450M Series E led by Snowpoint and Franklin Templeton at a $2.8B valuation with the goal of accelerating satellite production for commercial customers and positioning themselves as a New Prime via US Government Programs of Record. [source] * Hawkeye360 raised $416M with their IPO at a $3.15 B valuation, opening above the $26 offer price at $33.80. [source] * Polish smallsat propulsion company Liftero to IPO via NewConnect through the Warsaw Stock Exchange as an alternative to raising private capital for their next goals in growth and product delivery.[source] * Swissto12 won a German Partnership with the HPS/LSS consortium out of Munich for a GEO altitude D2D satellite. [source] * Viasat won a $307M marine corps satcom contract with the focus of providing global communication connectivity under the MECS2 program including bandwidth capacity and end-to-end managed services such as wireless and cell service. [source] Tech Advances * Two Russian satellites operated within 10ft of each other on orbit as COSMOS 2581 and 2583 conduct the RPO, while COSMOS 2582 trailed the formation at roughly 100 km distance. [source] Get full access to Space Times at spacetimespod.substack.com/subscribe