Hello and welcome back to Max Q!

In this issue:

Virgin Galactic has completed its first commercial Flight, sending 13 scientific payloads and four humans, including three Italian Air Force officers, to the edge of space and back. The 90-minute flight was uneventful, and its success ushers in a new era for the 19-year-old space tourism company.

Virgin Galactic has high ambitions to fly paying customers, who could include private citizens, or those representing governments or other institutions, into suborbital space at least once a month. The company is preparing for its next commercial mission in August and continues to develop its class of next-generation specialty aircraft. While the company has a lot of work ahead of it, this first mission is certainly a good start.

In other news…

aeromoa German startup with plans to launch a constellation of 12 satellites to monitor greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, closed 5.2 million euros ($5.7 million) in pre-seed financing. That includes venture dollars and a contract with the European Space Agency (ESA).

Anduril Industries has acquired Adranosa startup that makes solid rocket motors for space and ground applications, news that is not related to the space industry, but I find it interesting.

lynxa provider of satellite-to-phone connectivity, has debuted in Palauwith the company’s “cell towers in space” providing nationwide coverage.

Ramon.Spacea spatial computing startup, grossed $26 million from Ingrasys, a subsidiary of Foxconn Technology Group, and the United Arab Emirates Strategic Development Fund.

global needle and OroraTech, based in Germany, announced that they would put a constellation eight Global temperature and wildfire monitoring satellites will be in orbit by mid-2024.

Max Q is featured by me, Aria Alamalhodaei. If you like reading Max Q, consider forwarding it to a friend.