🚀 Royal Caribbean & Starlink Set Sail

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The Space Scoop

Week Ended 09.02.2022

Happy Friday, Happy September, and Happy Labor Day Weekend to our U.S. readers! Astra will supply engines to Airbus OneWeb Satellites JV, Rocket Lab received an upgrade from Wall Street, NASA and Axiom Space announced a second private astronaut mission, and a former NASA administrator joined a space startup board.

📈 Market Max-Q

S&P 500: 3,924.27 -3.3%NASDAQ: 11,630.87 -4.2%UFO: 20.40 -4.2%ROKT: 36.65 -4.3%ARKX: 13.84 -5.4%SSIT: 58.4 -6.7%LLAP: 4.17 +2.9%SPIR: 1.31 -10.9%PL: 5.01 -12.4%ASTR: 0.79 -15.5%1W return as of 4:00pm EDT.

🚀 Top Stories

1) Astra ($ASTR) has been selected by Airbus OneWeb Satellites to supply the Astra Spacecraft Engine for integration into Arrow Commercial small satellites.

• The engines use an electric propulsion system developed by startup Apollo Fusion, which Astra acquired last year. While Astra did not disclose details about the the order, the company noted that these engine sales would account for most of its revenue through next year.

 2) Cowen upgraded Rocket Lab ($RKLB) to 'Buy' with an $8.00 price target and called it "the small launch leader."

• Analyst Cai von Rumohr pointed to key execution milestones achieved and improved competitive advantage, including low cost reusable design with scale cost advantages, own launch pad usage and product growth plan with Neutron.

• Cowen estimates 35-40% total sales CAGR with an adjusted EBITDA margin of ~20% by 2025 and cash flow turning positive in 2024.

 3) Royal Caribbean ($RCL) announced it will add Starlink service across its entire fleet of cruise ships. 

• The technology will be deployed immediately for a better onboard experience for guests and crew fleetwide. The broadband internet service will be installed on all Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises and Silversea Cruises ships, along with all new vessels for each of the brands.

• The installation is slated to be completed by the end of Q1'2023.

 4) NASA and Axiom Space signed a mission order for a second private astronaut mission, Axiom-2 (Ax-2), to the International Space Station to take place in Q2'2023.

• The astronauts are scheduled to spend 10 days aboard and will conduct in-orbit activities in coordination with space station crew members and flight controllers on the ground.

🛰️ In Other News

Outpost Raises $7.1M Seed Round 

(BusinessWire)

The startup is building reusable satellites that will deliver customer payloads to space and back to Earth. The round was led by Moonshots Capital, with participation from Draper Associates, Starlight Ventures, Kittyhawk Ventures, AIR Capital, Starburst Ventures, Shasta Ventures and others.

Accenture Ventures Makes Strategic Investment in Pixxel 

(Company)

$ACN's VC arm invested in the hyperspectral imaging satellite company amidst their "great interest in startups within the burgeoning space industry." Terms of the investment were not disclosed.

OQ Technology Raises $13M Series A 

(Reuters)

The 5G IoT satellite operator startup's round was co-led by Wa'ed Ventures and Phaistos Investment Fund. The funding will be used to expand the operations to Saudi Arabia and to seek new opportunities in Greece.

📊 Chart of the Week

August is in the books (RIP Summer 2022). From a space SPAC perspective, it belongs to AST SpaceMobile ($ASTS) which rallied +71% while Astra ($ASTR) fell -47% and has officially become a penny stock. Delisting is now on the clock..

🔗 Links

• The State of Commercial Earth Observation 2022• Hermeus To Build Aircraft With Newly Acquired Velo3D ($VLD) Sapphire Printers• Orbit Fab Announces 2025 Hydrazine Refueling Service on Orbit• Rocket Lab ($RKLB) Successfully Completes First Test Fire of Rutherford Engine• U.S. Missile Defense Agency Awards Boeing ($BA) GMD SITR Contract• Ursa Major Wins $3.6M U.S. Air Force Contract for Rocket Engines• Firefly Aerospace Announces New CEO• Former NASA Administrator Joins Board of Phase Four• SCOUT and Privateer to Collaborate on Space Sustainability Framework

🗣️ Opinion

• Elon Musk’s $251B Fortune Increasingly Hinges on SpaceX• NASA’s Artemis Launch Gives Boeing ($BA) Chance To Restore Its Space Credibility• What Is Going On With Astra Space ($ASTR) Stock?• U.S. Space Command Calls for Investment in Technologies for Deep Space Missions

📅 Earnings Calendar

• $PL: September 12 - After Market Close

*Company confirmed dates only.