Japan's Shoebox Satellites Just Took a Giant Leap for Research

Japan's Cubesats Reach Orbit on Rocket Lab's Second JAXA Mission

On April 22 (U.S. time), a Rocket Lab Electron lifted off from Launch Complex 1 in New Zealand at 11:09 p.m. Eastern on a mission called "Kakushin Rising." The rocket deployed eight cubesats into a 540-kilometer sun-synchronous orbit nearly an hour later. It was Rocket Lab's second dedicated mission for JAXA — and the eighth Electron launch overall this year.

The eight satellites are part of JAXA's Innovative Satellite Technology Demonstration-4 mission, developed by Japanese companies and universities to test advanced technologies in space. Those technologies include a multispectral camera, sensors to detect electromagnetic precursors of earthquakes, and an antenna that unfolds to 25 times its stowed size using origami techniques. JAXA originally planned to launch these cubesats on an Epsilon rocket, but that vehicle has been grounded since a 2022 launch failure and subsequent static-fire test issues. That forced JAXA to sign a contract with Rocket Lab in October 2025 for two Electron launches. The first — carrying RAISE-4, a larger technology demonstration satellite — flew in December.

"Two successful missions in a matter of months, deployed precisely where they needed to be on orbit, shows exactly why Electron is the preferred small launcher for national space agencies," said Rocket Lab CEO Peter Beck.

Gobble's Take: When your original rocket gets grounded, having a reliable backup matters — and Rocket Lab is increasingly becoming that backup for the world's space agencies.

Source: SpaceNews

French Startup Univity Raises Around $32 Million to Deploy 5G Satellites in Very Low Earth Orbit

French startup Univity has raised around $32 million in a Series A round to deploy a pair of 5G demonstrator satellites into very low Earth orbit next year. The funding round, announced April 23, was led by investment firms Blast and Expansion alongside France's Deeptech 2030 fund, with further backing from a Bpifrance-managed fund on behalf of the French government. In total, Univity has raised 68 million euros ($80 million) in financing to date, including equity, debt, subsidies, and contract revenues from France's CNES space agency.

The Series A will fund two 350-kilogram UniShape prototypes designed to demonstrate interoperability between terrestrial and space networks. Two spacecraft are required specifically to test optical inter-satellite links and routing algorithms. Univity founder and CEO Charles Delfieux said the demonstrators will carry a hybrid regenerative payload for broadband and direct-to-device services, with industrial-scale production expected to begin in 2028. The satellites use an aerodynamic design to minimize drag, enabling a projected seven-year operational lifespan in VLEO.

Looking ahead, Univity is targeting an initial constellation of at least 1,600 satellites — up from a previous plan of 1,500 — under a strategy that could scale to as many as 3,400. The goal is to help telecom operators extend 5G coverage from space as terrestrial and satellite networks become more integrated.

Gobble's Take: With $80 million already in and a path to 3,400 satellites, Univity is building the kind of infrastructure that could make satellite 5G a serious competitor to terrestrial networks.

Source: SpaceNews

In Case You Missed It

Yesterday's top stories:

• China Is Moving the Cloud to Space — and Backing It With $8.4 Billion
• Humans Looped the Moon for the First Time in 54 Years — and Brought 1,300 Sensors Worth of Data Back
• SpaceX Launched 6 Rockets in April. Rivals Managed a Dozen All Year.
• Curiosity Found Life's Chemical Fingerprints on a Martian Lakebed — Again