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Story of the week
Last week was a bit slower, in terms of news — to be expected, given the holiday — but I was still super excited by this partnership between two startups to deliver AI-capable computing power to space. San Francisco-based Aethero is developing the compute, and Cosmic Shielding Corporation is providing a novel radiation shielding material. The payload will go to orbit in just days, and I’ll definitely be following the progress in the coming months.
Scoop of the week
SpaceX’s ambitious plans to launch its Starship mega-rocket up to 44 times per year from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center are causing a stir among some of its competitors. But SpaceX may have even more ambitious plans for a second launch pad right next door: Space Launch Complex (SLC)-37 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station (CCSFS).
Launch of the week
Hats off to Firefly Aerospace for launching its Alpha rocket for the fifth time late last Wednesday. The mission delivered eight CubeSats to orbit for NASA, which paid for the mission as part of its Venture Class Launch Services (VCLS) Demo 2 program to support the development of small launchers. Rewatch the launch below.
What we’re watching
I got my hands on an advanced copy of “Wild Wild Space,” the new space documentary directed by Ross Kauffman and based on a book by space journalist Ashlee Vance. I’m mulling writing a full review, but what I will say is: It’s a raucous ride. There are many, many quotable sentences, like this one from Rocket Lab CEO Peter Beck: “I’m not built to build shit.” It’ll be available on HBO on July 17 — it’s worth the watch.
The essential labor of data work, like moderation and annotation, is systematically hidden from those who benefit from the fruits of that labor. A new project puts the lived experiences…
Hello and welcome back to TechCrunch Space. I hope everyone had a great Independence Day. On to the news!
VPN makers report having received a notification from Apple that their apps have been removed from the App Store in Russia.
Europe’s next-generation launch vehicle, the Ariane 6, is poised to lift off for the first time tomorrow, as the continent looks to build out sovereign access to space and ensure…
Over the past few days, Ghost says it has achieved two major milestones in its move to become a federated service.
The Samsung event will feature updates to the Galaxy Z Fold, Galaxy Z Flip, as well as more details on the Galaxy Ring and Galaxy AI.
Amazon has released an all-new version of its Echo Spot ahead of Prime Day, the company announced on Monday. The 2024 version of the Alexa-enabled smart alarm clock costs $79.99,…
One of the vendors to benefit from the database boom is Tembo, a startup creating a platform that lets developers deploy different flavors of Postgres.
TechCrunch Disrupt 2024 is set to welcome an impressive lineup of judges for the Startup Battlefield 200 competition, presented this year by Google Cloud. These judges will decide which company…
Numerous concerns are weighing on the minds of many, whether it’s current global conflicts, climate change or the precarious state of the economy, it is no surprise that the world…
These efforts have come as Lucid is looking to start building its Gravity SUV by the end of this year.
Berlin-based food delivery giant Delivery Hero has warned investors it may “ultimately” face an antitrust fine of up to €400 million. The development, reported earlier by Reuters, follows unannounced raids…
Here are the latest companies venturing into the gaming scene and details about each offering, including pricing, examples of titles and supported devices.
It sounds like the latest dispute between Apple and Fortnite-maker Epic Games isn’t over. Epic has been fighting Apple for years over the company’s revenue-sharing requirements in the App Store.…
As deep-pocketed companies like Amazon, Google and Walmart invest in and experiment with drone delivery, a phenomenon reflective of this modern era has emerged. Drones, carrying snacks and other sundries,…
A police officer pulled over a self-driving Waymo vehicle in Phoenix after it ran a red light and pulled into a lane of oncoming traffic, according to dispatch records. The…
Welcome back to TechCrunch’s Week in Review — TechCrunch’s newsletter recapping the week’s biggest news. Want it in your inbox every Saturday? Sign up here. This week, Figma CEO Dylan…
We’ve created this guide to help parents navigate the controls offered by popular social media companies.
For the first time, Chinese government workers will be able to purchase Tesla’s Model Y for official use. Specifically, officials in eastern China’s Jiangsu province included the Model Y in…
Generative AI models don’t process text the same way humans do. Understanding their “token”-based internal environments may help explain some of their strange behaviors — and stubborn limitations. Most models,…
After multiple rejections, Apple has approved Fortnite maker Epic Games’ third-party app marketplace for launch in the EU. As now permitted by the EU’s Digital Markets Act (DMA), Epic announced…
There’s no need to worry that your secret ChatGPT conversations were obtained in a recently reported breach of OpenAI’s systems. The hack itself, while troubling, appears to have been superficial…
Welcome to Startups Weekly — TechCrunch’s weekly recap of everything you can’t miss from the world of startups. Sign up here to get it in your inbox every Friday. Most…
