Posted: Sat, Feb 15 8:23 AM ET (1323 GMT)
NASA has selected four finalists for its next round of the Discovery program of planetary science missions. The four concepts announced Thursday include two missions to Venus, one to Jupiter's volcanic moon Io and one to Triton, Neptune's largest moon. Each concept will receive $3 million for a nine-month concept study, and NASA plans to select one or two of the missions in 2021 for launch in the mid to late 2020s.

Related Links:

•  SpaceNews article
•  Scientific American article
•  The Verge article
•  New Scientist article
•  NASA press release

Posted: Sat, Feb 15 8:22 AM ET (1322 GMT)
Small GEO satellite manufacturer Astranis has raised $90 million as its first satellite nears launch. The company announced Thursday that it raised $90 million in a debt and equity round led by Venrock and TriplePoint Capital. The company will use the funding to finish its first satellite, a broadband "MicroGEO" satellite that will deliver internet to Alaska and is scheduled for launch late this year. The company, currently with 100 employees, expects to hire more in anticipation of additional satellite orders.

Related Links:

•  SpaceNews article
•  Fortune article
•  Astranis press release

SpaceShipTwo arrives at Spaceport America
Posted: Sat, Feb 15 8:21 AM ET (1321 GMT)
Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo has arrived in New Mexico for a final series of flight tests. The suborbital spaceplane, named VSS Unity, was ferried from...

Astroscale wins contract for orbital debris removal mission
Posted: Sat, Feb 15 8:21 AM ET (1321 GMT)
Astroscale has won a contract from the Japanese space agency JAXA to inspect a discarded rocket stage. The contract, whose value was not disclosed, would...

Spaceflight Industries to sell rideshare business
Posted: Sat, Feb 15 8:20 AM ET (1320 GMT)
Spaceflight Industries announced Tuesday it will sell its satellite rideshare launch business to two Japanese companies. Mitsui & Co., Ltd. and Yamasa Co., Ltd. will acquire...