Los Angeles-area rocket startup ABL Space Systems has closed a Series B investment round of $170 million, with the infusion going toward developing the 1,000-kg class RS1 launch vehicle and GS0 deployable launch system that should see its first launch this year.

The upcoming launch of Russia’s Soyuz MS-18 to the International Space Station with two cosmonauts and NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei will initiate a dynamic few weeks of crew exchanges.

The European Space Agency has allotted a combined €10.45 million ($12.5 million) to two UK companies developing microlaunchers for small satellites: Orbex and Skyrora.

OneWeb added another 36 satellites to its orbital broadband constellation on March 25, bringing the network to 146 spacecraft.

The fifth Space-Based Infrared System satellite has arrived at the processing facility at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida, ahead of its anticipated launch from a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket on May 17.

Another month, another big announcement from private equity-founded Redwire: this time that the new-space roll up will become a publicly traded company in a reverse merger with a special purpose acquisition company known to be hunting for aerospace and defense assets.

Canadian space stalwart MDA, which was taken private a year ago by private equity buyer Northern Private Capital, has filed with Canadian securities authorities for an initial public offering of stock worth almost $400 million.

NASA is unveiling a two-phase, multiyear strategy to foster the development of multiple U.S. commercial low Earth orbit free flyers that would take over current International Space Station activities.