Iridium Communications announced a partnership with Deutsche Telekom to enable standards-based NB-IoT device roaming via Iridium’s L-band non-terrestrial network (NTN Direct). Commercial service is planned for 2026, subject to integration and roaming implementation. This expands Iridium’s addressable IoT market significantly.

Rocket Lab (RKLB) has launched a new at-the-market (ATM) equity offering program allowing up to US$750 million in stock to be sold over time through multiple investment banks. This replaces a prior ATM program capped at US$500 million, under which Rocket Lab had already raised about US$396.6 million before terminating that earlier facility. The stock reacted negatively: shares dropped about 3.5-4.2% in premarket trading on the announcement and is currently down over 10%.  

For investors, the larger ATM provides Rocket Lab with additional capital flexibility—likely aimed at supporting growth initiatives, manufacturing expansion (including its planned acquisition of Mynaric), launch capacity build-out, and potentially other M&A. But the price action indicates market concern over dilution and how aggressively the company might draw on this capacity.

A U.S. District Judge (Carl Nichols) dismissed a lawsuit by conservation groups challenging the FAA’s 2022 approval for expanded SpaceX launch/test operations in South Texas (Starbase area), finding the FAA had adequately addressed environmental impacts, especially light pollution to nearby wildlife. This removes a lingering legal risk to SpaceX’s expansion plans.

Amazon’s satellite broadband constellation Project Kuiper is on track to begin initial service by late 2025 and expand to five countries (US, Canada, UK, Germany, France) by the end of Q1 2026. A company executive said Amazon expects to have 200+ Kuiper satellites in orbit by end of 2025, en route to a planned 3,200+ satellite LEO network later in the decade. The first commercial beta services are slated for late 2025 (markets TBD). Amazon also announced its first airline customer last week; JetBlue will start using Kuiper satellites for in-flight Wi-Fi in 2027. This aggressive rollout plan shows Amazon’s commitment (and heavy investment) in Kuiper as a direct competitor to SpaceX’s Starlink, with regulators’ deployment deadlines looming.

Europe’s top aerospace firms Airbus, Thales, and Leonardo are in advanced talks to merge their satellite manufacturing businesses into a joint venture valued around €10 billion. The initiative, code-named “Project Bromo,” would create a new European satellite manufacturer headquartered in France, to better compete with US and Chinese players in the era of mass-produced LEO satellites. An initial agreement (MOU) is expected within weeks and could be signed by the end of September, though negotiations are not final. European governments appear supportive given geopolitical pressures and the need for sovereign capability. If finalized, this “European champion” could streamline Europe’s fragmented space industry, benefitting from scale and combined expertise to challenge SpaceX/Starlink and other global competitors.

SpaceX has rolled out some of its steepest Starlink discounts yet, alongside a record-low hardware offer. In select U.S. states, new customers can now pay $85 per month for Residential service or as little as $59 for Residential Lite during the first year. At the same time, the Standard Kit has been cut to $89, a ~75% reduction from its typical $349 list price. The move could accelerate adoption among price-sensitive consumers, though it may pressure near-term ARPU and margins unless offset by scale and upsells. While Starlink has tested service promos since August, this week’s cuts are among the most aggressive to date, signaling the start of broader price deflation as capacity grows. Read more in our weekly analysis above. 

The U.S. Space Development Agency (SDA) launched 21 Tranche-1 transport layer vehicles aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 from Vandenberg. These are intended to support resilient LEO communications including beyond line-of-sight tactical data links.