Posted: Sun, Mar 8 9:46 AM ET (1346 GMT)
Sierra Space raised $550 million to support its new focus on national security space. LuminArx Capital Management led the Series C round that valued the company at $8 billion, with participation from existing investors. The company says the new funding will allow it to "further focus on its national security space efforts." Sierra Space was spun out of Sierra Nevada Corporation in 2021 and was initially devoted to development of the Dream Chaser spaceplane. In recent years, the company has expanded into the defense market, including winning contracts to build missile-tracking satellites for the Space Development Agency. Sierra Space recently hired longtime industry executive Dan Jablonsky as its CEO.

Related Links:

•  SpaceNews article
•  Reuters article
•  Sierra Space press release

Posted: Sun, Mar 8 9:43 AM ET (1343 GMT)
Commercial space station developer Vast raised $500 million. The company announced Thursday it raised $300 million in a Series A equity round and $200 million in debt. Balerion Space Ventures led the round with participation from several other investors. Vast will use the funding to accelerate work on its Haven line of commercial space stations, starting with the single-module Haven-1 launching in 2027 and the Haven-2 multi-module station proposed for NASA's Commercial LEO Destinations program. Vast had been funded until now by its founder, cryptocurrency billionaire Jed McCaleb, who also participated in the round

Related Links:

•  SpaceNews article
•  CNBC article
•  Vast press release

Rocket Lab launches undisclosed payload on short notice
Posted: Sun, Mar 8 9:40 AM ET (1340 GMT)
Rocket Lab launched a payload on short notice Thursday for an undisclosed customer. The Electron lifted off at 6:53 pm EST (2353 GMT) from...

Third Kairos launch fails
Posted: Sun, Mar 8 9:38 AM ET (1338 GMT)
The third launch of Japan's Kairos small launch vehicle failed Wednesday night. The rocket lifted off from Spaceport Kii in southern Honshu at 9:...

Senate Commerce Committee advances NASA authorization bill
Posted: Sun, Mar 8 9:35 AM ET (1335 GMT)
The Senate Commerce Committee advanced a NASA authorization bill that would implement some of NASA's proposed changes to Artemis. The committee approved by a...