Inspiration4 is getting its own documentary. Netflix said Tuesday it would be releasing a five-part series on the mission, its first documentary to cover an event “in near real-time,” in five parts in September. “Countdown: Inspiration4 Mission to Space” will follow the first all-civilian Inspiration4 crew as they prepare for and undergo a three-day flight […]
Lilium in talks with Brazilian airline for $1B order
German electric aircraft startup Lilium is negotiating the terms for a 220-aircraft, $1 billion order with one of Brazil’s largest domestic airlines, the companies said Monday. Should the deal with Azul move forward, it would mark the largest order in Lilium’s history and its first foray into South American markets. “A term sheet has been […]
US government watchdog rejects Blue Origin’s protest over lunar lander contract
The Government Accountability Office said that it was denying both Blue Origin’s protest and a separate challenge filed by Dynetics.
Varda Space Industries closes $42M Series A for off-planet manufacturing
Varda Space Industries has raised a $42 million Series A to bring to manufacturing a key capability that can only be found off-world: microgravity. The eight-month-old startup is looking to establish its first manufacturing facility in space as early as 2023, and by doing so, bring back to Earth advanced products that can only be […]
Swarm debuts $499 Evaluation Kit for consumers and tinkerers
The kit is an all-in-one product that includes a Swarm Tile, the company’s flagship modem device, a VHF antenna, a small solar panel, a tripod, a Feather S2 development board and an OLED.
The Lilium electric Jet will use batteries manufactured by Germany’s Customcells
Electric air taxi startup Lilium has tapped German manufacturer Customcell to supply batteries for its flagship 7-seater Lilium Jet. The battery IP is the result of “multiple players,” a Lilium spokesperson told TechCrunch, but the manufacturing will be the sole job of Customcells. While Lilium declined to specify the number of battery systems as part […]
Fisker invests in EV charging network Allego’s SPAC merger
Fisker is investing $10 million in private-investment-in-public equity (PIPE) funding for the merger of Allego and special purpose acquisition company Spartan Acquisition Corp III.
What Tesla’s bet on iron-based batteries means for manufacturers
Elon Musk mused that Tesla’s batteries may eventually be two-thirds iron-based and one-third nickel-based across its products. ‘And this is actually good because there’s plenty of iron in the world.’
Launch vehicle startup Isar Aerospace lands an additional $75M in funding
A slew of launch startups have emerged in recent years to help meet growing demand from satellite providers, biotech companies and others looking to send payload to space. One such startup is Germany’s Isar Aerospace Technologies, which is focused on building orbital launch vehicles designed to carry up to 1,000 kilograms to low Earth orbit. […]
Joby Aviation, aiming to go to market in 2024, completes 154 mile test flight
Santa Cruz, California-based Joby Aviation has completed the longest test flight of an eVTOL to date, as its unnamed full-sized prototype aircraft concluded a trip of over 150 miles on a single charge, the company said Monday. The test was completed at Joby’s Electric Flight Base in Big Sur, California earlier this month. It’s the […]