Rocket Lab just bought Iridium for $8 billion — the biggest space industry deal of 2026. ISS spacewalk today. Solar storm arriving now. Mars magma oceans discovered. The Strawberry Moon was last night.
In the most significant space industry deal of 2026, Rocket Lab announced on June 29 its acquisition of Iridium Communications for approximately $8 billion — $54 per share in cash and stock, a 24.1% premium. The deal combines Rocket Lab's Electron and upcoming Neutron rockets with Iridium's constellation of 66 operational satellites plus 14 spares, L-band spectrum, Aireon aviation tracking, and 2.5 million government, defense, aviation, maritime, and commercial customers. The strategy is explicitly modeled on SpaceX/Starlink — vertical integration across launch, manufacturing, and a satellite services network. Rocket Lab CEO Peter Beck called it "a defining moment for the space industry and the start of a new era." The move follows SpaceX's record $86 billion IPO and Amazon's $11 billion acquisition of Globalstar. Rocket Lab's Neutron medium-lift reusable rocket — key to the integration strategy — targets its first flight in Q4 2026. Deal closes mid-2027 pending regulatory approval; funded by $3.6 billion in bridge financing from Deutsche Bank and Wells Fargo.
The Sun is at its most active in months. Over the past 24 hours, sunspot region AR4479 fired an M1.4 flare at 21:40 UTC June 29, and AR4475 fired an M1.3 at 1:16 UTC this morning — a total of 17 flares fired in 24 hours including 15 C-class events. Critically, three sunspot regions — AR4475, AR4478, and AR4479 — all carry beta-gamma-delta magnetic configuration, the strongest possible classification and a strong indicator of further M and even X-class flares ahead. Meanwhile, a CME fired on June 26 is arriving at Earth today, potentially combining with a coronal hole high-speed stream to push the Kp index to 4-5. A second slower CME from June 27 follows late July 1 or into July 2. The radio flux sits at 195 sfu — extremely active. Southern hemisphere aurora watchers and mid-latitude observers at northern latitudes above 50° have the best prospects tonight. Check spaceweather.com and NOAA for live Kp updates.
The hottest space business directory just got hotter — Rocket Lab acquired Iridium for $8 billion today, Amazon bought Globalstar for $11 billion, and SpaceX launched Starfall. The space economy is consolidating fast. Get your business in front of the right audience at SpaceTradeshow.com and 247Tradeshow.com.
Trump ordered full declassification in February 2026. Three Pentagon batches since May. 40% of UAPs remain without explanation per AARO director Kosloski. Orange mother-orbs. CIA spy plane confession. Active crop circle season near Stonehenge. And Mars magma oceans reported today raise a fresh question: how widespread was geology that could support life?
The June 26 CME is arriving at Earth right now. Combined with a coronal hole high-speed stream and the extremely active trio of beta-gamma-delta sunspot regions (AR4475, AR4478, AR4479), tonight could bring G1-G2 geomagnetic storms and aurora visible from high-latitude and some mid-latitude locations. Radio solar flux at 195 sfu — one of the highest readings of 2026. A second CME (June 27) arrives late July 1, extending the storm period. Check spaceweather.com and NOAA for live Kp index before heading outside.
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