Rocket Report: Starship launch delayed, German launch company could help Canada

SpaceX clears financial documents ahead of IPO. After nearly a quarter of a century operating as a private company, with its financial accounts a closely guarded secret, SpaceX on Wednesday afternoon released its nearly 400-page S-1 filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission. Founded in 2002 and still led by Elon Musk, SpaceX issued the document in anticipation of the initial public offering of its shares as soon as June 12. Ars reports.

From money winner to money loser … The document did not reveal too many surprises about the company’s operations, but there were details about how its activities are expanding, which now include installations, space attacks, space-based internet, and, thanks to the recent discovery of Musk’s xAI, social media and AI. The company reported revenue of $18.67 billion in 2025, up from $14.02 billion last year. However, after achieving a small profit in 2024, the company will lose $ 4.94 billion in 2025 mainly due to spending on artificial intelligence.

Roscosmos begins rocket marketing in earnest. Since January 1, Russian rockets have been regularly packaged with advertising for banks, restaurants, etc., Ars reports. Last fall, President Vladimir Putin, who has been in office for all but four years of this century, approved changes to federal laws governing the commercialization and activities of space to allow advertising on space.

Medium benefits so far … Six major advertisements have been placed on Russian rockets in 2026. These include advertisements for PSB Bank, the Kofemaniya restaurant, the Russian Media Group, and the Russian Olympic Committee. The other two were public service announcements. The change in the policy is aimed at ending the losses of Roscosmos in recent years, which have increased after the introduction of Western sanctions. However, the annual revenue from the space industry can only reach a few million dollars a year.

A subway system clears the Starship test. SpaceX got within 40 seconds of the first launch of its long, high-powered Starship rocket on Thursday, but a major problem with the launch platform kept the vehicle on Earth for another day, Ars reports. Clouds and rain showers cleared the area around the SpaceX launch site in South Texas, leaving mostly sunny skies Thursday afternoon. SpaceX pushed back the launch time by an hour, but the countdown seemed to be on track as the propellants began to enter the rocket.