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- 💸 York Space Systems Goes Public in $629M IPO to Fund “Proliferation at Scale”
💸 York Space Systems Goes Public in $629M IPO to Fund “Proliferation at Scale”
York Space Systems raised $629 million in an upsized IPO, with CEO Dirk Wallinger framing the funding as a push to “proliferation at scale” by manufacturing satellites at an affordable cost.
Dallas Hartley
January 30, 2026
📬 In Today’s Defense Brief
🛰️ Space Force Plans Contractor Pool for “Physical/Live” On-Orbit Training Range Needs This Summer
⚛️ Quantum Joins the Fight: US Firms Target Air and Missile Defense
💸 York Space Systems Goes Public in $629M IPO to Fund “Proliferation at Scale”
🔋 “World’s First True Hybrid” Drone Propulsion System Breaks Cover in Israel
🧬 US Air Force Explores Biotech, Smart Materials for Next-Gen Defense
🎱 Plus 17 other news stories you may like
📰 Full Breakdown
🛰️ Space Force Plans Contractor Pool for “Physical/Live” On-Orbit Training Range Needs This Summer — Read More
The Space Force is nearing an acquisition strategy for its Operational Test and Training Infrastructure (OTTI) and expects to release an ID/IQ contract this summer to create a pool of pre-qualified vendors that can deliver “physical/live” training capabilities on demand over time.
Officials emphasized OTTI isn’t only about buying new software and hardware; the service is actively exploring commercial “assets as a service” options for test and training, and is soliciting ideas on what should be done organically versus sourced from industry.
A major focus is on building an “orbital training range” spanning on-orbit assets, sensors, and ground control, as well as ground-based hardware-in-the-loop facilities. Leaders argued that while synthetic training is a natural fit for space ops, live training is vital for practicing defensive and offensive space warfighting tactics.
⚛️ Quantum Joins the Fight: US Firms Target Air and Missile Defense — Read More
D-Wave Quantum teamed with Anduril Industries and Davidson Technologies to test whether quantum computing can improve air and missile defense decision-making, using Anduril’s defense simulations, Davidson’s mission-planning expertise, and D-Wave’s Advantage2 quantum computer in an early proof-of-concept effort.
Using D-Wave’s Stride hybrid solver, the partners measured solution quality, scalability, and speed for complex engagement scenarios. The article reports that the quantum approach produced solutions about ten times faster than existing defense systems and improved threat mitigation by 12 percent in testing.
In a simulated 500-missile coordinated attack scenario, the quantum solution reportedly intercepted 60 more missiles than conventional defenses. The partners said conventional systems still perform better on simpler problems, but quantum showed advantages at a larger scale—and they plan expanded testing across big simulations, including logistics, cyber defense, and action generation.
💸 York Space Systems Goes Public in $629M IPO to Fund “Proliferation at Scale” — Read More
York Space Systems raised $629 million in an upsized IPO, with CEO Dirk Wallinger framing the funding as a push to “proliferation at scale” by manufacturing satellites at an affordable cost. He said York currently can produce about 300 satellites per year, and the goal is to compress timelines and scale output.
Wallinger described a shift toward keeping inventoried spacecraft so payloads can be integrated and delivered on demand, aiming to move from “hundreds” toward “thousands” of satellites per year. The funding is positioned as enabling faster turn times and larger-scale production to meet surging demand.
York, based in Colorado, primarily supplies satellites for defense missions and is a prime contractor for the Space Development Agency; the company built satellites launched for SDA’s Tranche 1 Transport Layer. Wallinger also tied the IPO war chest to missile defense/missile warning demand (including “Golden Dome”), arguing space can help integrate disparate systems that weren’t designed to talk to each other.
🔋 “World’s First True Hybrid” Drone Propulsion System Breaks Cover in Israel — Read More
Elbit Systems is integrating what it calls the “world’s first true hybrid” UAV propulsion system through a deal with Lowental Hybrid. The “Native Parallel Hybrid” setup blends combustion and electric power to extend endurance, reduce noise, and enable in-flight charging without major airframe changes.
The article says the system is built for seamless switching between combustion and electric flight, targeting endurance and signature advantages that matter for covert intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions. Low-noise operation is highlighted as a key operational benefit alongside greater range/endurance.
NextGen Defense reports the hybrid system could boost UAV flight time by up to five times, pairing in-flight charging with a hybrid architecture designed to be retrofit-friendly. The move signals a broader push to achieve greater persistence from drones without accepting the typical trade-offs in noise and operational flexibility.
🧬 US Air Force Explores Biotech, Smart Materials for Next-Gen Defense — Read More
The US Air Force is partnering with AeroVironment to apply biotechnology and advanced materials science to future defense systems, aiming to move beyond conventional upgrades. The effort centers on developing new polymers and responsive materials using updated processing and modeling techniques.
The work is positioned to improve effectiveness and durability across air, space, and weapons systems, while building on AeroVironment’s ongoing relationship with the Air Force Research Laboratory. The company’s UES division is described as driving biologically inspired approaches and materials innovations over a five-year horizon.
NextGen Defense says the roadmap includes flexible electronics, additive smart materials, biomimetic design, and synthetic biology, with the goal of accelerating the development of adaptive materials that reduce lifecycle costs and increase resilience. AI is also expected to support faster testing, sustainment of mission systems, monitoring human performance, and transitioning new technologies into operational use.
🌏 Other Important News
✈️ Air
USAF orders four more Boeing MH-139A Grey Wolf helicopters — Read More
France Brings Jet Power to the Fight Against Suicide Drones — Read More
High-Speed Interceptors With Autopilot? UK Unveils Baby Raptor and Raptor XL — Read More
Lockheed CEO: Air Force RQ-170 drones used in mission to capture Maduro — Read More
SpaceX intervene amid reports Russia equip drones with Starlink — Read More
Lockheed, Pentagon ink plan to boost THAAD interceptor production — Read More
🛰️ Space
🛡️ Land
India Enters Elite Group of Military Chip Makers With GaN Breakthrough — Read More
U.S. approves $1.7B F-100 frigate upgrade for Spain — Read More
Norway selects Hanwha Chunmoo over European systems, HIMARS in $2B rocket artillery deal — Read More
Army eyes more HADES jets, but program isn’t “full steam ahead” — Read More
🌊 Sea
🧠 C2
🏛️ Policy
Partial shutdown appears imminent (if short-lived) after failed Senate vote — Read More
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