Welcome back to Max Q! We’re finally out of the woods with Disrupt, and now we can start counting down to TC’s Space event in December. Read on for more news from SpaceX, Orbex, and Kayhan Space.
Kayhan Space: Making Orbit Safer
During a presentation at Disrupt, Kayhan Space revealed its latest progress in making orbit safer with timely, automatic collision warnings for satellites. We’ve covered Kayhan before, but this update is significant. The company, founded by friends Araz Feyzi and Siamak Hesar, is tackling the growing problem of satellite traffic.
"There are a lot of satellite-on-satellite conjunctions; it’s less than 10% today, but the paradigm is shifting," Feyzi told TechCrunch. By ‘conjunction,’ he means situations when spacecraft orbits overlap. The number of satellites in orbit is increasing, and operators can no longer rely on time-intensive solutions to decrease the odds of an in-space collision.
That’s where Kayhan comes in. They’re using AI-powered technology to detect and alert satellite operators about potential collisions, giving them time to take evasive action. This is a crucial step towards making space travel safer and more efficient.
Private Investment in Space: A Mixed Bag
A new report from New York-based VC firm Space Capital found that private investment in space continues to be affected by macro-economic trends like high interest rates and inflation. However, not all sectors are created equal. While deep tech funding is declining, geospatial intelligence and remote sensing companies are holding their own.
The report notes that $3.4 billion was invested in 79 space companies this quarter, representing a 44% decline from the same period last year. However, some areas like satellite manufacturing and launch services are seeing growth.
Space News Roundup
- SpaceX caught its Starship booster for the second time, but lost the ship to an ‘anomaly’ in space.
- Mark Cuban is ready to fund a TikTok alternative built on Bluesky’s AT Protocol.
- OpenAI’s AI reasoning model ‘thinks’ in Chinese sometimes and no one really knows why.
SpaceX Updates
- SpaceX caught its Starship booster for the second time, but lost the ship to an ‘anomaly’ in space.
- The company is working on a new Starlink Aviation partnership with commercial- and private jet-focused subbrand.
- The White House is exploring bringing Starlink to Iran.
Orbex Update
- Orbex successfully launched its New Glenn rocket into space.
Stay tuned for more updates from the world of space. We’ll be back with another edition of Max Q soon!
Max Q is brought to you by me, Aria Alamalhodaei. If you enjoy reading Max Q, consider forwarding it to a friend.
Topics:
- SpaceX
- Kayhan Space
- Private Investment in Space
About the Author:
Aria Alamalhodaei covers the space and defense industries at TechCrunch. Previously, she covered public utilities and the power grid for California Energy Markets. You can also find her work at MIT’s Undark Magazine, The Verge, and Discover Magazine.
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