Iridium’s first-quarter 2026 government operations revenue was bolstered by ongoing work with the Space Development Agency.

Iridium Communications expanded into satellite-based positioning, navigation, and timing services through its 2024 acquisition of Satelles.

NASA engineers and mission controllers in Houston opposed the planned cutting approach because they believed it could create elevated structural risks.

Russian cosmonauts Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and Sergey Mikaev planned structural repairs that involved cutting a bracket to reach the suspected leak location.

The air leak in the Russian-operated segment of the International Space Station originated in the Zvezda service module’s transfer tunnel, or PrK.

Roscosmos continued preparations to address a second leak location.

The SpaceX Crew Dragon "Freedom" capsule remained powered and ready to undock as an emergency evacuation lifeboat.

Roscosmos paused the planned structural cutting and performed additional measurements and data assessments on the affected area.

Five crew members sheltered inside the SpaceX Crew Dragon "Freedom" capsule during the emergency directive.

Roscosmos attempted a more extensive repair operation to find and seal the source of the escaping atmosphere in the PrK.

On Friday, June 5, 2026, NASA issued an emergency directive for astronauts aboard the International Space Station to take shelter inside a docked SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule.

Roscosmos later sealed one leak using a traditional two-component sealing compound.

Mission controllers detected that the PrK air leak rate doubled from about one pound of air per day to two pounds per day.

The Zvezda service module’s PrK has had intermittent cracks and minor air leaks since 2019.

JME Ventures is an investor in PLD Space.

Intelsat was acquired in 2025 for 3.100 million dollars.

Mitsubishi Electric Corporation and Cofides led PLD Space’s 180 million euro financing round.

Candace Johnson was the main promoter of SES Global in 2001 after SES acquired GE Americom.

Nazca Capital is an investor in PLD Space.

SES’s satellite network portfolio includes Astra, Galaxy, and Intelsat.

PLD Space received 30 million euros in financing from the European Investment Bank.

Candace Johnson founded Europe Online, the first internet-based online service using a satellite broadband network.

The European Space Agency preselected PLD Space for the European Launcher Challenge program.

PLD Space will use Candace Johnson’s expertise to advise its board on space and telecommunications.

Candace Johnson helped launch Société Européenne des Satellites from 1983.

PLD Space has technical facilities of more than 188,000 square meters in Elche, Teruel, Kourou, and Duqm.

Candace Johnson is the first woman to serve on PLD Space’s board of directors.

CDTI participated again in PLD Space’s 180 million euro financing round.

Candace Johnson was a cofounder of Société Européenne des Satellites, which was legally established in 1985.

Candace Johnson played a key role in the development of Iridium and International Launch Services.

PLD Space has 450 employees.

Raúl Torres and Raúl Verdú founded PLD Space in 2011.

The European Launcher Challenge program could generate 169 million euros in revenue for PLD Space.

Candace Johnson is chair of the Global Space Futures Advisory Council.

PLD Space is focused on the first test flight of its Miura 5 rocket in the second half of 2026.

PLD Space has appointed Candace Johnson as an independent director on its board of directors.

Aciturri is a long-standing industrial partner of PLD Space.

Candace Johnson is a partner and chair of the advisory board at Seraphim Space.

The Global Space Futures Advisory Council was created by Seraphim Space in April 2026.

The Global Space Futures Advisory Council includes Anousheh Ansari, Marco Fuchs, and Pascale Ehrenfreund.

Seraphim Space does not hold equity in PLD Space.

Sego Venture enabled hundreds of small private investors to invest in PLD Space.

Candace Johnson founded Teleport Europe, the first European company for cross-border satellite communications.

PLD Space has raised more than 350 million euros since its founding in 2011.

PLD Space closed a 180 million euro financing round in early March of this year.

China is building a Long March 9 factory in Wenchang, Hainan, near two launch sites to integrate and manufacture the rocket.

The Long March 9 is expected to lift 150,000 kilograms to low Earth orbit with first-stage reuse.

The projected cost of the Long March 9 Wenchang facilities is 2.757 billion yuan.

The Long March 9 construction site will occupy 101.5 square kilometers, including 71.8 square kilometers for the factory itself.

The smaller section of the Wenchang facility will be 35.3 meters tall and dedicated to Long March 9 manufacturing.