Darrell Etherington
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The Latest from Darrell Etherington
SpaceX launches 60 new Starlink satellites, while Starship moves closer to being able to launch up to 400 at a time
SpaceX has launched another batch of its Starlink satellites – the usual complement of 60 of the low Earth orbit spacecraft, which will join the more than 1,000 already making up the existing const
SpaceX’s Starship prototype flies to 32,000 feet and sticks the landing in third flight test
SpaceX has launched SN10 — the tenth iteration of its current prototype series of Starship, the heavy-lift reusable spacecraft it’s developing. Starship SN10 took off from Boca Chica, Texa
SpaceX’s first paying moon flight customer wants to give away eight seats aboard his spaceship
Yusaku Maezawa, the first paying passenger to book a trip aboard SpaceX’s (still in development) Starship spacecraft around the moon, has provided a promised update about his mission. It’s
Instacart raises $265M at a $39B valuation
On-demand grocery delivery platform Instacart has raised a $265 million funding ground from existing investors, including Andreessen Horowitz, Sequoia Capital, D1 Capital Partners and others. The new
Rocket Lab CEO Peter Beck explains why the company needs a bigger rocket, and why it’s going public to build it
Rocket Lab packed a ton of news into Monday to kick off this week: It’s going public via a SPAC merger, for one, and it’s also building a new, larger launch vehicle called Neutron to suppo
Satellite constellation operator Spire Global to go public via $1.6 billion SPAC
Monday brings with it not one, but two space SPACS — there’s Rocket Lab, and there’s Spire Global, a satellite operator that bills itself primarily as a SaaS company focused on deliv
Rocket Lab debuts plans for a new, larger, reusable rocket for launching satellite constellations
Because news of its SPAC-fueled public market debut wasn’t enough, Rocket Lab also unveiled a new class of rocket it has in development on Monday. The launch vehicle, called Neutron, will be abl
Rocket Lab to go public via SPAC at valuation of $4.1 billion
The SPAC run is on for space startups, which have been relatively slow in their overall exit pace before the current special purpose acquisitions company merger craze got underway. Rocket Lab is the l
Autonomous drone maker Skydio raises $170M led by Andreessen Horowitz
Skydio has raised $170 million in a Series D funding round led by Andreessen Horowitz’s Growth Fund. That pushes it into unicorn territory, with $340 million in total funding and a post-money va
Space startup Gitai raises $17.1M to help build the robotic workforce of commercial space
Japanese space startup Gitai has raised a $17.1 million funding round, a Series B financing for the robotics startup. This new funding will be used for hiring, as well as funding the development and e
Astra awarded NASA launch contract for storm observation satellites
Astra, the Alameda-based space launch startup that recently announced its intent to go public via a SPAC merger, has secured a contract to deliver six cube satellites to space on behalf of NASA. Astra
Relativity Space unveils plans for a new, much larger and fully reusable rocket
Relativity Space has just revealed what comes after Terran 1, the small launch vehicle it hopes to begin flying later this year. It’s next rocket will be Terran R, a much larger orbital rocket w
Blue Origin pushes New Glenn orbital rocket’s first flight to Q4 2022
Jeff Bezos’ space company Blue Origin published an updated timeline for the first flight of New Glenn, the orbital rocket it’s building to complement its existing New Shepard suborbital sp
Foresite Capital raises $969 million fund to invest in healthcare startups across all stages of growth
Health and life science specialist investment firm Foresite Capital has raised a new fund, its fifth to date, totaling $969 million in commitments from LPs. This is the firm’s largest fund to da
SpaceX’s floating oil rig spaceship launch pad could be operating later this year according to Elon Musk
SpaceX’s grand vision for Starship, the next-generation spacecraft it’s currently in the process of developing, includes not only trips to Mars, but also regular point-to-point flights rig
Marc Benioff and this panel of judges will decide who gets one seat on the first all-civilian spaceflight
SpaceX’s first all-civilian human spaceflight mission, which will carry four passengers to orbit using a Crew Dragon capsule later this year if all goes to plan, will include one passenger selec
SpaceX’s new $850 million raise confirmed in SEC filing
SpaceX hasn’t issued any public statement about the $850 million in fresh funding CNBC reported it raised last week, but a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) published
Rode’s Wireless Go II delivers key upgrades to the best mobile mic for creators
Rode Microphones has a new and improved version of its much-loved Go portable mic, the Wireless Go II, which uses the same form factor as the original but adds a list of new and improved features. Mos
Maple launches with $3.5 million in funding to become the SaaS backoffice for the family
Much of our daily lives have been transformed in one way or another by technology – and often through intentional efforts to innovate thanks to the advent of new technology. Now more than ever, we r
Second crew member of first all-civilian SpaceX mission revealed
SpaceX is now in the business of flying people to space, and if all goes to plan, it’ll be the first to provide a trip for a crew made up entirely of private space tourists later this year. Now,