{"id":246583,"date":"2026-01-19T17:49:09","date_gmt":"2026-01-19T17:49:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/246583\/"},"modified":"2026-01-19T17:49:09","modified_gmt":"2026-01-19T17:49:09","slug":"investors-put-more-than-55-billion-behind-space-startups-last-year","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/246583\/","title":{"rendered":"Investors Put More Than $55 Billion Behind Space Startups Last Year"},"content":{"rendered":"

In this week\u2019s edition of The Prototype, we look at the booming space industry, better space weather forecasts, the first medical evacuation from space and more. To get The Prototype in your inbox, sign up here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

SpaceX’s expected 2026 IPO could be an inflection point for the industry.<\/p>\n

AFP via Getty Images<\/p>\n

AST SpaceMobile CEO Abel Avellan has seen his wealth jump by over $1 billion today. That\u2019s thanks to his company\u2019s stock price rising more than 14% on the news that it has signed an agreement<\/a> with the U.S. federal government to use its communications satellites as part of the military\u2019s \u201cGolden Dome\u201d program to provide defense against missile attacks. <\/p>\n

That stock surge is part of a bigger trend of investor interest in the burgeoning space economy, which is projected to reach $1.8 trillion by 2035. This week, VC firm Space Capital noted in its quarterly report<\/a> on the industry that 2025 was a record year for investment in space startups, hitting a total of $55.3 billion. And the biggest category wasn\u2019t rockets but rather applications: companies that are taking data or using space in other ways to bring economic benefits here on Earth.<\/p>\n

Also noteworthy is the number of startup exits, a sign the sector is maturing. The report notes that there were 91 acquisitions in the space sector last year, totalling more than $46 billion. And eight space companies had IPOs last year, taking in a total of $3.6 billion in the process. <\/p>\n

So what should you look for in 2026? The biggest event, most likely, is a SpaceX IPO<\/a>, which the report says \u201cwould be a market-defining event, comparable to Netscape in 1995.\u201d <\/p>\n

Stay tuned.<\/p>\n

P.S. Nominations are open<\/a> for the Forbes AI 50\u2014help us and sponsoring partner Mayfield find the most promising startups deploying artificial intelligence in finance, scientific discovery, construction and more.<\/p>\n

DISCOVERY OF THE WEEK: BETTER SPACE WEATHER FORECASTS<\/p>\n

Measuring a CME with three spacecraft.<\/p>\n

Kinoshita et al. CC-BY-ND<\/p>\n

Predicting space weather\u2013bursts of radiation from the Sun, or what scientists call coronal mass ejections\u2013is crucially important for protecting infrastructure. Satellites often have to be put in a low-power mode to protect them from solar storms, and electricity is often re-routed on Earth based on forecasts in order to prevent damage to transformers. But forecasting the effects of CMEs isn\u2019t nearly as advanced as forecasting regular weather, which makes it hard to know how best to protect important equipment. <\/p>\n

A new method<\/a> might help. Researchers at the University of Tokyo used data from three different spacecraft located at different points around the Earth to observe a recent CME and see how it evolved over time. By measuring how cosmic rays were diverted from the CME\u2019s strong magnetic field over time, they could tell how its shape and strength changed as it moved. Crucially, they used instruments that weren\u2019t originally designed for this, which means many existing spacecraft could potentially be used to improve space\u2011weather forecasts overall. <\/p>\n

The first-ever medical evacuation from the International Space Station was a success<\/p>\n

Earlier this week, NASA\u2019s current mission on the International Space Station was cut short<\/a>. After handing off command to Russian cosmonaut Sergey Kud-Sverchkov early Wednesday morning, four astronauts\u2013Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke from NASA, Kimiya Yui from Japan and Oleg Platonov of Russia\u2013entered the SpaceX Dragon capsule Endeavour and safely splashed down<\/a> in the Pacific Ocean. <\/p>\n

These four were originally scheduled to return to Earth in the second half of February, but came back early because of a \u201cmedical concern\u201d that required treatment on Earth due to a lack of needed equipment on the station. The space agency provided little information beyond that. This is the first time a mission to the space station was shortened because of a medical problem. <\/p>\n

There are currently three crew members on board the ISS. Four new crew are expected to launch there sooner than initially planned, but NASA has not yet set a date.<\/p>\n

SCIENCE AND TECH TIDBITS<\/p>\n

Background checking startup Checkr is seeing a surge in demand<\/a> as companies are besieged by a flood of AI-generated r\u00e9sum\u00e9s, applications and other documents. <\/p>\n

Former Google CEO Eric Schmdit will be backing the first private space-based telescope<\/a>, which would offer astronomers an updated version of the Hubble.<\/p>\n

Space communications company CesiumAstro has secured a $200 million financing package<\/a> to build a manufacturing facility in Texas. <\/p>\n

A team of engineers developed a new way to generate surface acoustic waves<\/a>\u2013a key technology in mobile electronics\u2013that could one day make products like cell phones more efficient. <\/p>\n

Tech giant OpenAI is going to begin showing ads<\/a> to users on ChatGPT\u2019s free and least-expensive plans. <\/p>\n

Pro Science Tip: Don\u2019t Do CPR Like They Do On TV<\/p>\n

CPR can be lifesaving, but if you find yourself in a position where it\u2019s needed, it\u2019s best to ignore how it\u2019s done on TV. That\u2019s according to a new study<\/a>, which finds that TV depictions of the lifesaving technique are often inaccurate, finding that fewer than 30% of the episodes analyzed depicted proper technique. So if you want to be able to help someone, it\u2019s best to find a real-life training course<\/a> near you. <\/p>\n

What\u2019s Entertaining Me This Week<\/p>\n

Speaking of medical accuracy on TV, I cannot speak highly enough about The Pitt<\/a>, airing on HBO Max. Each season chronicles a single shift in an emergency room, as doctors, nurses and medical students cope with a wide variety of situations while navigating being understaffed. Unlike most medical dramas, the writers here clearly did their homework (apart from CPR, which isn\u2019t quite right due to an understandable desire to not risk breaking an actor\u2019s ribs) and the show does an incredible job of depicting the stress and challenges that frontline healthcare workers deal with every day. The second season only premiered last week so it\u2019s not too late to get caught up. <\/p>\n

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