Satellite operators are facing a launch crisis as the number of available rockets diminishes, a situation that could last years and prevent new satellites reaching space. Just last year, wait times for a rocket launch were only 12 months or so, says Anatolii Papulov, founder and CEO of UK space tech firm NewOrbit, but the situation has now changed dramatically. “The lead times to launch right now are basically 30 to 36 months,” he says. “This will definitely impact a lot of start-ups.” There “absolutely is a launch crisis at the moment”, says Caleb Henry, a senior analyst for US company Quilty Space, which is being caused by a number of factors. The first is that Elon Musk’s firm SpaceX is sunsetting one of the most widely used rockets in the world, the Falcon 9. This reusable rocket, which debuted in 2010, transformed the launch industry and ushered in a new age of commercial space flight. There were 165 Falcon 9 launches in 2025, the most of any rocket in the world and five times more than every other US rocket combined. While two-thirds of these were Starlink launches for the company’s space internet constellation, the others were a mix...

UK satellite maker NewOrbit locks in a Q3 2028 launch, becoming the first company to secure a commercial slot in Very Low Earth Orbit.

SAN FRANCISCO – UK startup NewOrbit announced plans Sept. 10 to send NEO-1, a rideshare mission, to very low Earth orbit (VLEO) in the third quarter of 2028. NewOrbit booked the reservation with RIDE! Space, the French launch broker that purchased capacity for European customers on a SpaceX Falcon 9 launch booked by U.S.-based SEOPS. NewOrbit aims to be the first European commercial firm to operate satellites that will remain at an altitude between 200 and 300 kilometers.

Our beloved one and only Mahala turns 47 today — that’s a Master Number, 11. Eleven is the bringer of spiritual awareness and a devout…

As I start a new chapter with this seventh decade, I wonder what my prayer will be. What feels urgent?

‘This is a very important technology for the whole of society and humanity’: NewOrbit hopes to make satellites fly about 200 or 300km above the Earth

UK startup building satellite to sustain 200-300 km elevation solely through AURA

UK startup building satellite to sustain 200-300 km elevation solely through AURA

Score 7/10 · Impatto: Medium · Finestra: 1 week Asset: SpaceTech sector, VLEO satellite market This funding round for NewOrbit could signal emerging opportunities and competitive shifts within the specialized satellite technology sector.

Score 7/10 · Impatto: Medium · Finestra: 1 week Asset: SpaceTech sector, VLEO satellite market This funding round for NewOrbit could signal emerging opportunities and competitive shifts within the specialized satellite technology sector.

NewOrbit is betting that operating closer to Earth could reshape satellite communications

NewOrbit, a Reading-based SpaceTech company building satellites for very low earth orbit (VLEO), has closed an oversubscribed €16 million ($18.5 million) Series A round to fund the launch of the world’s first commercial satellite to fly at 200-300 km.  The round was led by Voyager Ventures,...

UK-based satellite manufacturerNewOrbit has raised $18.5 million in Series A funding to advance thecommercialisation of Very Low Earth Orbit (VLEO), a region of near-Earth spacebetween 200 and 300 kil...

NewOrbit has secured fresh funding to advance satellite operations in very low Earth orbit, aiming to support new applications in Earth observation and space-based connectivity through a new manufacturing...