NASA is finding its footing again

NASA is finding its footing again

NASA's budget has grown to nearly $27 billion, and new administrator Jared Isaacman has streamlined internal organization while accelerating delivery across both legacy aerospace companies and startups. The agency is also setting more achievable goals — docking Orion with Starship in Low Earth Orbit for Artemis 3 before any Moon attempt. It's a humbler posture than the "destined to explore the solar system and far beyond" era, but after years starved of funding, humble and functional beats bold and stalled.

Gobble's Take: A bigger budget and a smaller ego might be exactly the combination NASA needed all along. Source: Perplexity Search (community news)

NASA picked Relativity Space for a Mars mission

NASA has selected Relativity Space — a company that previously struggled to reach orbit — for a Mars mission, setting up a direct two-horse race with SpaceX. The contract hands Relativity Space both credibility and funding momentum, with mission timelines and contract value still to be disclosed.

Gobble's Take: SpaceX has had the Mars conversation to itself for a while. Now there's someone else at the table, and they have a NASA badge. Source: Perplexity Search (community news)

SpaceTech VC deals in May 2026

Space Ambition's May 2026 roundup counts 16 SpaceTech VC deals. Notable raises include Impulse Space at $500M (Series D), Astranis at $300M (Series E), Cowboy Space at $275M (Series B), and Starlab Space in an undisclosed Venture round. Gilmour Space Technologies raised $10M in a Series E round, while Skyroot Aerospace and Venus Aerospace also made the list.

Gobble's Take: Sixteen SpaceTech VC deals in a single month points to sustained investor appetite across the sector.

Source: Space Ambition – SpaceTech VC Investments in May 2026

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