More news from TC and beyond Apex Space will launch its first satellite bus next January, and has a goal of manufacturing 100 satellite buses by 2026. (TechCrunch) Astrolab, a startup headed by an engineer who’s worked at SpaceX and NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab, will be sending its first lunar rover to the moon on a Starship mission scheduled for 2026. (New York Times) Axiom Space’s second private astronaut mission is now scheduled to launch to the International Space Station on May 8. (Axiom) China’s military is planning a national satellite constellation on an order comparable to Starlink — around 13,000 spacecraft. (Washington Post) The Indian Space Research Organization landed a reusable space plane prototype for the first time. (Space) Loft Orbital has ordered 15 more satellite buses from Airbus OneWeb Satellites, for a total of 30, to meet increased demand for on-orbit payload hosting. (SpaceNews) Outpost scored a $1.7 million contract from the Department of Defense to test its Ferry satellite, which is designed to deliver payloads to orbit and bring them back to Earth. (Payload) Quantum Space unveiled a new orbital transfer vehicle called Ranger, which will be able to host and deliver over 1.5 metric tons of payloads in GEO and over 2.5 metric tons to cislunar space. (Quantum) Seraphim Space released its latest space ecosystem map on the space industry, categorizing companies by categories including “space hardware,” “launchers” and “satellite data.” (Seraphim) SpaceX is nearing the first OFT of Starship, but there are a few roadblocks remaining: the launch license and the possibility of a civil suit on environmental grounds. (TechCrunch) Stoke Space launched a new tool to let hardware companies track the design, testing and integration of parts. (TechCrunch) Max Q is brought to you by me, Aria Alamalhodaei. If you enjoy reading Max Q, consider forwarding it to a friend. Topics