SpaceX on Feb. 4 launched its 18th mission to deliver Starlink broadband satellites into low Earth orbit, with another batch of 60 spacecraft poised for launch on Feb. 5.

Orbital Sidekick, a San Francisco-based startup aiming to offer satellite-based hyperspectral imaging and data analytics for the energy sector and others, has finalized operation plans for its Global Hyperspectral Observation Satellite (GHOSt) constellation that is set to launch this year on a SpaceX Falcon 9.

Sat-based 5G Service Startup Omnispace Lands $60M In VC Omnispace, a Washington, D.C.-area startup aiming to provide satellite-based 5G connectivity for the Internet of Things market, announced a $60 million venture capital round and looks to enter service by the end of 2022.

Fresh off finally achieving a successful test launch and aiming for daily launches of small satellites, Astra will become a publicly traded company after a takeover by a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) backed by veteran telecommunications entrepreneur Craig McCaw.

Jeff Bezos, one of the richest people ever and founder of the category-killing online business Amazon, said he will hand over the CEO title to Andy Jasse and become executive chairman of the business behemoth.

After a spat with the FAA over an incomplete safety assessment prior to a previous Starship test, SpaceX launched another Starship upper-stage prototype from Boca Chica Beach, Texas, on Feb. 2, reaching an altitude of 32,800 ft. (10 km) and demonstrating flight control during subsonic re-entry before the vehicle crashed at landing.

The founder and CEO of e-commerce platform Shift4 Payments is chartering a SpaceX Crew Dragon flight for himself and three passengers, part of a fundraiser and public outreach for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and a business opportunity for a Shift4 entrepreneur.

Virgin Galactic is targeting Feb. 13 for the next flight test of SpaceShipTwo, the six-passenger, two-pilot spacecraft designed for privately operated, suborbital flight services.