Category: Aerospace
Volocopter extends Series C funding to $94M with backing from logistics giant DB Schenker and others
Autonomous air mobility company Volocopter has added to the Series C funding round it announced in September 2019. The German electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft maker announced €50 million ($54 million at today’s exchange rate) in funding at the time, and the C round has now grown to…
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Loon and SoftBank’s HAPSMobile team with Airbus, China Telecom and more on stratospheric cell networks
A new industry alliance led by Alphabet’s Loon high-altitude balloon technology company and SoftBank’s HAPSMobile stratospheric glider subsidiary aims to work together on standards and tech related to deploying network connectivity using high-altitude delivery mechanisms. This extends the existing partnership between HAPSMobile and Loon, which began with a strategic alliance…
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SpaceX’s spin-outs are helping build LA’s startup ecosystem
During the days when Snapchat’s popularity was booming, investors thought the company would become the anchor for a new Los Angeles technology scene. Snapchat, they hoped, would spin-off entrepreneurs and angel investors who would reinvest in the local ecosystem and create new companies that would in turn foster more wealth,…
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Japanese mission to land a rover on a Martian moon and bring back a sample is a go
A bold mission by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) to Mars’ two moons, including a lander component for one of them, is all set to enter the development phase after the plan was submitted to the Japanese government’s science ministry this week. Dubbed the ‘Martian Moons Exploration’ (MMX) mission,…
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MIT system predicts the best way to deflect an Earth-bound asteroid
We’re not in immediate danger of any asteroids colliding with Earth – at least not as far as anyone’s aware. But it’s not like it hasn’t happened before, and there is an expected near-miss coming up in 2029. Accordingly, it’s probably best to be prepared, and MIT researchers have developed…
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Why Kepler is building its full-stack satellite business in Canada
Toronto-based telecommunications startup Kepler Communications surprised many recently when it revealed plans to establish its own satellite assembly and base the operation in its own hometown instead of contracting the work to an existing manufacturer. It might seem a perplexing and unnecessarily costly choice at first, but I spoke to…
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