Key PointsSpaceX has launched more than 1,000 of its Starlink high-speed internet satellites to date and, as it seeks regulatory approval in other countries, company is now offering early public access to the service in Canada and the U.K."Earlier this month we expanded our 'Better than Nothing Beta' program to include customers across the pond in the United Kingdom," SpaceX lead manufacturing engineer Jessie Anderson said during the company's launch webcast on Wednesday."Within the northern U.S. and Canada, and now the U.K., we are focused on rural and remote areas where there is no easy...…Key PointsSpaceX has launched more than 1,000 of its Starlink high-speed internet satellites to date and, as it seeks regulatory approval in other countries, company is now offering early public access to the service in Canada and the U.K."Earlier this month we expanded our 'Better than Nothing Beta' program to include customers across the pond in the United Kingdom," SpaceX lead manufacturing engineer Jessie Anderson said during the company's launch webcast on Wednesday."Within the northern U.S. and Canada, and now the U.K., we are focused on rural and remote areas where there is no easy...WW…

Key PointsSpace tourism is niche, so why are companies betting on it?After years in development,  private space company Blue Origin aims to carry its first passengers on a ride to the edge of space in a few months. of its New Shepard rocket booster and capsule. Called NS-14, the successful test flight featured the debut of a new booster and an upgraded capsule.Beyond the upgrades, CNBC has learned that NS-14 also marked one of the last remaining steps before Blue Origin flies its first crew to space.The flight was the first of two "stable configuration" test flights, people familiar with...…Key PointsSpace tourism is niche, so why are companies betting on it?After years in development,  private space company Blue Origin aims to carry its first passengers on a ride to the edge of space in a few months. of its New Shepard rocket booster and capsule. Called NS-14, the successful test flight featured the debut of a new booster and an upgraded capsule.Beyond the upgrades, CNBC has learned that NS-14 also marked one of the last remaining steps before Blue Origin flies its first crew to space.The flight was the first of two "stable configuration" test flights, people familiar with...WW…

[The livestream has ended. A replay is available above.] private space company Blue Origin launched and landed the fourteenth test flight of its New Shepard rocket booster and capsule, a system designed to carry people on short trips to the edge of space.The mission did not have passengers on board, although the capsule on top of the rocket is designed to carry as many as six people for future flights. Known as NS-14, this mission also marked the first flight of a new rocket booster and an upgraded crew capsule. The rocket booster and capsule that flew Blue Origin's NS-13 mission in October...…[The livestream has ended. A replay is available above.] private space company Blue Origin launched and landed the fourteenth test flight of its New Shepard rocket booster and capsule, a system designed to carry people on short trips to the edge of space.The mission did not have passengers on board, although the capsule on top of the rocket is designed to carry as many as six people for future flights. Known as NS-14, this mission also marked the first flight of a new rocket booster and an upgraded crew capsule. The rocket booster and capsule that flew Blue Origin's NS-13 mission in October...WW…

Key PointsArk Invest, which operates the largest actively managed exchange-traded fund, plans to add a "Space Exploration ETF" under the ticker ARKX, according to a securities filing on Wednesday.While the ETF's constituents have yet to be announced, shares of space companies and each jumped more than 8% in after hours trading.Ark Invest is coming off a wildly successful 2020, with its and growth in assets under management to $17 billion. The fund's largest holding is electric car maker , which accounts for more than 10% of its weighting.Ark founder and CEO Cathie Wood told CNBC last month...…Key PointsArk Invest, which operates the largest actively managed exchange-traded fund, plans to add a "Space Exploration ETF" under the ticker ARKX, according to a securities filing on Wednesday.While the ETF's constituents have yet to be announced, shares of space companies and each jumped more than 8% in after hours trading.Ark Invest is coming off a wildly successful 2020, with its and growth in assets under management to $17 billion. The fund's largest holding is electric car maker , which accounts for more than 10% of its weighting.Ark founder and CEO Cathie Wood told CNBC last month...WW…

Key Points passed a critical early milestone in developing the hardware needed for its , the company announced on Wednesday. e-commerce and technology giant said its Kuiper team completed initial development of the antenna that will be housed in its "low-cost customer terminal," which will connect users to Amazon's network. Project Kuiper represents Amazon's plan to launch 3,236 internet satellites into low Earth orbit — a system that would .Amazon said it has been field testing the Kuiper antenna "in multiple environments," including "streaming 4K-quality video from a geostationary (GEO)...…Key Points passed a critical early milestone in developing the hardware needed for its , the company announced on Wednesday. e-commerce and technology giant said its Kuiper team completed initial development of the antenna that will be housed in its "low-cost customer terminal," which will connect users to Amazon's network. Project Kuiper represents Amazon's plan to launch 3,236 internet satellites into low Earth orbit — a system that would .Amazon said it has been field testing the Kuiper antenna "in multiple environments," including "streaming 4K-quality video from a geostationary (GEO)...WW…

Key PointsSpaceX prototype Starship rocket SN8 explodes after test flightSpaceX launched its latest prototype rocket on a flight to about 40,000 feet altitude on Wednesday, a test which appeared successful until the very last moment.Starship prototype Serial Number 8, or SN8, launched smoothly into the sky above SpaceX's facility in Boca Chica, Texas. The rocket appeared to complete several of the development objectives it was aiming for, including testing its aerodynamics and a flip to prepare itself for landing.But the rocket exploded on impact as it attempted to land, after flying for...…Key PointsSpaceX prototype Starship rocket SN8 explodes after test flightSpaceX launched its latest prototype rocket on a flight to about 40,000 feet altitude on Wednesday, a test which appeared successful until the very last moment.Starship prototype Serial Number 8, or SN8, launched smoothly into the sky above SpaceX's facility in Boca Chica, Texas. The rocket appeared to complete several of the development objectives it was aiming for, including testing its aerodynamics and a flip to prepare itself for landing.But the rocket exploded on impact as it attempted to land, after flying for...WW…

Key PointsThe Federal Communications Commission awarded SpaceX with nearly $900 million worth of federal subsidies to support rural broadband customers through the company's Starlink satellite internet network, the agency announced on Monday.SpaceX won $885.5 million in the FCC's $9.2 billion auction, or about a tenth of the funds awarded to 180 companies. Known as the "Phase I auction" of the FCC's $20.4 billion Rural Digital Opportunities Fund, the subsidies are designed to be an incentive for broadband providers to bring service to the "unserved" and hard-to-reach areas of the United...…Key PointsThe Federal Communications Commission awarded SpaceX with nearly $900 million worth of federal subsidies to support rural broadband customers through the company's Starlink satellite internet network, the agency announced on Monday.SpaceX won $885.5 million in the FCC's $9.2 billion auction, or about a tenth of the funds awarded to 180 companies. Known as the "Phase I auction" of the FCC's $20.4 billion Rural Digital Opportunities Fund, the subsidies are designed to be an incentive for broadband providers to bring service to the "unserved" and hard-to-reach areas of the United...WW…

Business News and FinanceVIEW IN APPA Facebook iconA Twitter iconA LinkedIn iconAn email iconKEY POINTS NASA will pay an amazingly low price – a dollar – to have a company make a single small collection of moon dirt on the agency's behalf.Colorado-based start-up Lunar Outpost bid $1 and won a NASA contract to complete a mission under the agency's announced earlier this year.NASA wants to pay companies for individual collections of lunar regolith, or Moon soil, between 50 grams and 500 grams. The agency explicitly outlined it is only paying companies to collect material and say where NASA...…Business News and FinanceVIEW IN APPA Facebook iconA Twitter iconA LinkedIn iconAn email iconKEY POINTS NASA will pay an amazingly low price – a dollar – to have a company make a single small collection of moon dirt on the agency's behalf.Colorado-based start-up Lunar Outpost bid $1 and won a NASA contract to complete a mission under the agency's announced earlier this year.NASA wants to pay companies for individual collections of lunar regolith, or Moon soil, between 50 grams and 500 grams. The agency explicitly outlined it is only paying companies to collect material and say where NASA...WW…

Key PointsSpaceX CEO remains "highly confident" that his company will land humans on Mars by 2026, saying on Tuesday that it's an achievable goal "about six years from now.""If we get lucky, maybe four years," Musk said, speaking on an award show webcast from Berlin, Germany. "We want to send an uncrewed vehicle there in two years."The ambitious 2026 goal matches with what Musk outlined at the International Astronautical Congress in September 2016, when he said that "if things go super well," landing people on Mars "might be kind of in the 10-year timeframe.""I don't want to say that's when...…Key PointsSpaceX CEO remains "highly confident" that his company will land humans on Mars by 2026, saying on Tuesday that it's an achievable goal "about six years from now.""If we get lucky, maybe four years," Musk said, speaking on an award show webcast from Berlin, Germany. "We want to send an uncrewed vehicle there in two years."The ambitious 2026 goal matches with what Musk outlined at the International Astronautical Congress in September 2016, when he said that "if things go super well," landing people on Mars "might be kind of in the 10-year timeframe.""I don't want to say that's when...WW…

Key PointsVirgin Galactic's stock dropped after the company said on Monday that it's next spaceflight test is now indefinitely delayed due to new COVID-19 restrictions implemented by New Mexico."We will be minimizing our New Mexico operations to the greatest degree possible. While these new restrictions cause us to adjust our flight schedule, we take this pause in stride and will be prepared to resume our pre-flight procedures and announce a new test flight window as soon as we can," Virgin Galactic CEO Michael Colglazier said in a statement.While the company's manufacturing and development...…Key PointsVirgin Galactic's stock dropped after the company said on Monday that it's next spaceflight test is now indefinitely delayed due to new COVID-19 restrictions implemented by New Mexico."We will be minimizing our New Mexico operations to the greatest degree possible. While these new restrictions cause us to adjust our flight schedule, we take this pause in stride and will be prepared to resume our pre-flight procedures and announce a new test flight window as soon as we can," Virgin Galactic CEO Michael Colglazier said in a statement.While the company's manufacturing and development...WW…

Key Points CEO Michael Colglazier outlined his long-term goals for the space tourism venture on Thursday, saying he sees the company bringing in up to $1 billion in annual revenue per spaceport in the years ahead."The first chapter of Virgin Galactic has been to accomplish an incredibly difficult task, creating a spaceflight system that can fly humans to space," Colglazier said while discussing on a conference call. "The next chapter of Virgin Galactic is to use this system to bring thousands and thousands of people to space and deliver our purpose of opening space to change the world for...…Key Points CEO Michael Colglazier outlined his long-term goals for the space tourism venture on Thursday, saying he sees the company bringing in up to $1 billion in annual revenue per spaceport in the years ahead."The first chapter of Virgin Galactic has been to accomplish an incredibly difficult task, creating a spaceflight system that can fly humans to space," Colglazier said while discussing on a conference call. "The next chapter of Virgin Galactic is to use this system to bring thousands and thousands of people to space and deliver our purpose of opening space to change the world for...WW…

Key PointsSpaceX is expanding the beta test of its Starlink satellite internet service, reaching out via email on Monday to people who expressed interest in signing up for the service.Called the "Better Than Nothing Beta" test, according to multiple screenshots of the email seen by CNBC, initial Starlink service is priced at $99 a month – plus a $499 upfront cost to order the Starlink Kit. That kit includes a user terminal to connect to the satellites, a mounting tripod and a wifi router. There is also now a Starlink app listed by SpaceX on the and app stores."As you can tell from the...…Key PointsSpaceX is expanding the beta test of its Starlink satellite internet service, reaching out via email on Monday to people who expressed interest in signing up for the service.Called the "Better Than Nothing Beta" test, according to multiple screenshots of the email seen by CNBC, initial Starlink service is priced at $99 a month – plus a $499 upfront cost to order the Starlink Kit. That kit includes a user terminal to connect to the satellites, a mounting tripod and a wifi router. There is also now a Starlink app listed by SpaceX on the and app stores."As you can tell from the...WW…

Key PointsMorgan Stanley doubled its long-term valuation estimate for SpaceX on Thursday and is now expecting the company to be worth at least $100 billion due to its position in the growing space industry."SpaceX continues to solidify its place as 'mission control' for the emerging space economy. Important milestones with Starlink, Starship and government contracts dovetail to support an increase in our base case valuation," Morgan Stanley analyst Adam Jones wrote in a note to investors.The firm's new valuation expectation , but Jonas said that "quite a lot has changed since we published"...…Key PointsMorgan Stanley doubled its long-term valuation estimate for SpaceX on Thursday and is now expecting the company to be worth at least $100 billion due to its position in the growing space industry."SpaceX continues to solidify its place as 'mission control' for the emerging space economy. Important milestones with Starlink, Starship and government contracts dovetail to support an increase in our base case valuation," Morgan Stanley analyst Adam Jones wrote in a note to investors.The firm's new valuation expectation , but Jonas said that "quite a lot has changed since we published"...WW…

Key Points small satellite launch specialist Virgin Orbit is looking to bounce back from the failure of its first demonstration launch in May, aiming to fly its next demo mission in December.Virgin Orbit, which uses a modified 747 aircraft to launch its rockets, diagnosed the failure to a high-pressure fuel line in the engine, which caused the rocket to shut down shortly after launching. But the company is nearly finished testing the rocket that will fly the second demo mission with a modified engine."Right now the back end of the rocket is open, with the new engine on the factory floor and...…Key Points small satellite launch specialist Virgin Orbit is looking to bounce back from the failure of its first demonstration launch in May, aiming to fly its next demo mission in December.Virgin Orbit, which uses a modified 747 aircraft to launch its rockets, diagnosed the failure to a high-pressure fuel line in the engine, which caused the rocket to shut down shortly after launching. But the company is nearly finished testing the rocket that will fly the second demo mission with a modified engine."Right now the back end of the rocket is open, with the new engine on the factory floor and...WW…

Key PointsRocket builder Relativity Space this summer moved into its new headquarters in Long Beach, California – and already the company is manufacturing the parts it needs for its first launch late next year. Relativity is currently building the first iteration of its Terran 1 rocket. But unlike other rockets, Relativity is using multiple 3D-printers, all developed in-house, to build Terran 1. The rocket is designed to have about 95% of its parts be 3D-printed, which allows Relativity's rocket to be less complex, and faster to build or modify, than traditional rockets. Additionally,...…Key PointsRocket builder Relativity Space this summer moved into its new headquarters in Long Beach, California – and already the company is manufacturing the parts it needs for its first launch late next year. Relativity is currently building the first iteration of its Terran 1 rocket. But unlike other rockets, Relativity is using multiple 3D-printers, all developed in-house, to build Terran 1. The rocket is designed to have about 95% of its parts be 3D-printed, which allows Relativity's rocket to be less complex, and faster to build or modify, than traditional rockets. Additionally,...WW…

Key PointsStable Road Capital will take public through a SPAC deal that values the company at $1.2 billion, the firm announced on Wednesday.The acquisition is expected to close early next year, with Momentus to be listed on the Nasdaq under the ticker symbol "MNTS." Stable Road Capital is using its special purpose acquisition company, which is listed under  to take Momentus public.SPAC's, known colloquially as blank check companies, have . Rather than go through the traditional IPO market, an investor or firm uses a SPAC to raise funds to finance an acquisition within a certain time frame –...…Key PointsStable Road Capital will take public through a SPAC deal that values the company at $1.2 billion, the firm announced on Wednesday.The acquisition is expected to close early next year, with Momentus to be listed on the Nasdaq under the ticker symbol "MNTS." Stable Road Capital is using its special purpose acquisition company, which is listed under  to take Momentus public.SPAC's, known colloquially as blank check companies, have . Rather than go through the traditional IPO market, an investor or firm uses a SPAC to raise funds to finance an acquisition within a certain time frame –...WW…

Key PointsSpaceX CEO  on Monday reiterated the likelihood that his private space company will likely take its Starlink satellite internet service public in the coming years."We will probably IPO Starlink, but only several years in the future when revenue growth is smooth & predictable," Musk said in a tweet. "Public market does not like erratic cash flow haha."SpaceX leadership has previously discussed the idea, with company President Gwynne Shotwell  that "Starlink is the right kind of business that we can go ahead and take public," adding that the company could spin it off.But a month...…Key PointsSpaceX CEO  on Monday reiterated the likelihood that his private space company will likely take its Starlink satellite internet service public in the coming years."We will probably IPO Starlink, but only several years in the future when revenue growth is smooth & predictable," Musk said in a tweet. "Public market does not like erratic cash flow haha."SpaceX leadership has previously discussed the idea, with company President Gwynne Shotwell  that "Starlink is the right kind of business that we can go ahead and take public," adding that the company could spin it off.But a month...WW…

Keep Me Logged InKey PointsBlue Origin, founded by billionaire , is looking to hire an "Orbital Habitat Formulation Lead," according to a job posting earlier this week.The intended hiring represents the company's first step toward developing habitable space stations. It's a move that fits squarely at the center of Bezos' vision for Blue Origin, which is to get to where "millions of people are living and working in space to benefit Earth," especially by moving "industries that stress Earth into space.""Blue Origin's Formulation Lead for the Orbital Habitat product line ... will lead...…Keep Me Logged InKey PointsBlue Origin, founded by billionaire , is looking to hire an "Orbital Habitat Formulation Lead," according to a job posting earlier this week.The intended hiring represents the company's first step toward developing habitable space stations. It's a move that fits squarely at the center of Bezos' vision for Blue Origin, which is to get to where "millions of people are living and working in space to benefit Earth," especially by moving "industries that stress Earth into space.""Blue Origin's Formulation Lead for the Orbital Habitat product line ... will lead...WW…

Keep Me Logged InKey PointsA U.S. television production company called Space Hero announced on Thursday that it plans send the winning contestant of a reality TV show on a 10 day trip to the International Space Station.The show is being produced by Propagate, a venture run by Ben Silverman and Howard T. Owens, known for making U.S. adaptations of British shows like "The Office" and "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire."  The mission is scheduled for 2023 and Space Hero is working with Houston-based start-up Axiom Space to train the crew and manage the mission, as the winning candidate of the show...…Keep Me Logged InKey PointsA U.S. television production company called Space Hero announced on Thursday that it plans send the winning contestant of a reality TV show on a 10 day trip to the International Space Station.The show is being produced by Propagate, a venture run by Ben Silverman and Howard T. Owens, known for making U.S. adaptations of British shows like "The Office" and "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire."  The mission is scheduled for 2023 and Space Hero is working with Houston-based start-up Axiom Space to train the crew and manage the mission, as the winning candidate of the show...WW…

Keep Me Logged InKey Points is looking to challenge in offering a service that connects satellites directly to the company's cloud computing network, according to documents the company filed with the Federal Communications Commission last monthThe effort shows how the two largest providers of cloud infrastructure — data centers in far-flung places that can host websites and run applications with a smorgasbord of computing and storage services — regularly seek to one-up each other. That way, the companies can appear ready and willing to meet many of the needs of prospective...…Keep Me Logged InKey Points is looking to challenge in offering a service that connects satellites directly to the company's cloud computing network, according to documents the company filed with the Federal Communications Commission last monthThe effort shows how the two largest providers of cloud infrastructure — data centers in far-flung places that can host websites and run applications with a smorgasbord of computing and storage services — regularly seek to one-up each other. That way, the companies can appear ready and willing to meet many of the needs of prospective...WW…

Keep Me Logged In(This story is for CNBC PRO subscribers only.)UBS began coverage of on Monday with a buy rating, saying it expects the space tourism company's stock to climb more than 50% in the next one year.  "We see Virgin Galactic as the only way for consumers to gain entry into the ~560 member astronaut club in the next 5 years. There will be competitors, but the curation of the VG product from marketing to life-long brand connection, in addition to an operating model supporting a uniquely high flight-rate, separates the VG experience from the others," UBS analyst Myles Walton said in...…Keep Me Logged In(This story is for CNBC PRO subscribers only.)UBS began coverage of on Monday with a buy rating, saying it expects the space tourism company's stock to climb more than 50% in the next one year.  "We see Virgin Galactic as the only way for consumers to gain entry into the ~560 member astronaut club in the next 5 years. There will be competitors, but the curation of the VG product from marketing to life-long brand connection, in addition to an operating model supporting a uniquely high flight-rate, separates the VG experience from the others," UBS analyst Myles Walton said in...WW…

Keep Me Logged InKey PointsSpaceX took another step in its quest to push the boundaries of reusing rockets on Tuesday, landing one of its boosters for a record sixth time. space company landed the booster of its Falcon 9 rocket on a floating platform in the Atlantic Ocean a few minutes after it launched the company's latest Starlink mission from Florida. The booster is the bottom portion of the rocket that houses 9 of its engines, standing about 160 feet tall on its own.The landing was a secondary goal for the mission. The company also achieved its primary goal of launching and deploying 58...…Keep Me Logged InKey PointsSpaceX took another step in its quest to push the boundaries of reusing rockets on Tuesday, landing one of its boosters for a record sixth time. space company landed the booster of its Falcon 9 rocket on a floating platform in the Atlantic Ocean a few minutes after it launched the company's latest Starlink mission from Florida. The booster is the bottom portion of the rocket that houses 9 of its engines, standing about 160 feet tall on its own.The landing was a secondary goal for the mission. The company also achieved its primary goal of launching and deploying 58...WW…

Keep Me Logged InKey PointsNASA and SpaceX plan to launch the company's first full mission with astronauts no earlier than Oct. 23, the agency announced on Friday.Known as Crew-1, the mission will see three U.S. astronauts and one Japanese astronaut launch in a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule to the International Space Station. There they will spend six months at the space station, conducting research and performing tasks.The Crew Dragon capsule will carry NASA's Mike Hopkins, Victor Glover, Shannon Walker and JAXA's Soichi Noguchi. The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket that will lift the capsule arrived...…Keep Me Logged InKey PointsNASA and SpaceX plan to launch the company's first full mission with astronauts no earlier than Oct. 23, the agency announced on Friday.Known as Crew-1, the mission will see three U.S. astronauts and one Japanese astronaut launch in a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule to the International Space Station. There they will spend six months at the space station, conducting research and performing tasks.The Crew Dragon capsule will carry NASA's Mike Hopkins, Victor Glover, Shannon Walker and JAXA's Soichi Noguchi. The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket that will lift the capsule arrived...WW…

Keep Me Logged InKey PointsSpaceX is manufacturing its Starlink satellites at an unprecedented rate for the space industry, analysts say, as the company dives headlong into building a space-based global internet service. company told the Federal Communications Commission in a presentation last month that its  Starlink unit is "now building 120 satellites per month" and has "invested over $70 million developing and producing thousands of consumer user terminals per month.""Invested hundreds of millions of dollars in Starlink to date," the SpaceX presentation added.Starlink is SpaceX's...…Keep Me Logged InKey PointsSpaceX is manufacturing its Starlink satellites at an unprecedented rate for the space industry, analysts say, as the company dives headlong into building a space-based global internet service. company told the Federal Communications Commission in a presentation last month that its  Starlink unit is "now building 120 satellites per month" and has "invested over $70 million developing and producing thousands of consumer user terminals per month.""Invested hundreds of millions of dollars in Starlink to date," the SpaceX presentation added.Starlink is SpaceX's...WW…

Keep Me Logged InKey PointsThe U.S. Air Force on Friday awarded rocket builders United Launch Alliance and SpaceX contracts worth billions to launch national security missions for five years starting in 2022. The awards represent the second phase of the military's National Security Space Launch program, which is organized by the Air Force's Space and Missile Systems Center in Los Angeles, California. Four companies —  SpaceX, ULA, and Blue Origin — bid for the contracts, with the military set to spend about $1 billion per year on launches.The NSSL awards represent nearly three dozen...…Keep Me Logged InKey PointsThe U.S. Air Force on Friday awarded rocket builders United Launch Alliance and SpaceX contracts worth billions to launch national security missions for five years starting in 2022. The awards represent the second phase of the military's National Security Space Launch program, which is organized by the Air Force's Space and Missile Systems Center in Los Angeles, California. Four companies —  SpaceX, ULA, and Blue Origin — bid for the contracts, with the military set to spend about $1 billion per year on launches.The NSSL awards represent nearly three dozen...WW…