It’s a ‘scale moment’ for two satellite startups York Space Systems and CesiumAstro, which both had large capital infusions on the back of defense momentum. 

For spacecraft manufacturer York Space Systems, that was an IPO that raised nearly $630 million. CEO Dirk Wallinger said York plans to have inventoried spacecraft where payloads can be integrated and delivered on demand, and deliver hundreds to thousands of satellites per year.

CesiumAstro is positioning itself as an "emerging prime” and wants to move up the value chain from supplying software-defined radios and phased arrays to full satellite systems. The company raised a $270 million Series C, in addition to EXIM financing to build out manufacturing facilities. 

There’s similarities between these two stories. Both are Space Development Agency (SDA) contractors/subcontractors and are seizing the moment to scale up, forecasting massive defense demand on the horizon.

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The second edition of GovMilSpace opens with a U.S. Space Force S2 Threat Brief and keynote from CMSgt Ron Lerch, grounding the week in today’s operational and intelligence priorities. That is followed by a Strategic SATCOM session as part of Space Systems Command’s Reverse Industry Day, where leaders from SSC Delta 88, Space Delta 8, and OUSD(A&S) explain how the U.S. plans to partner with industry to build, acquire, and sustain next-generation SATCOM architectures through 2035 and beyond.