GeekWire
  • Home
  • News
    • Amazon
    • Microsoft
    • Startups presented by CIBC
    • Space
    • Geek Life
    • Podcasts
    • Civic presented by Microsoft
    • Sustainability
    • Impact Series
    • Health/Life Sciences
    • Health Tech Podcast
    • Geek of the Week
    • Tech Moves presented by TalentReach
    • Bot or Not presented by Google Cloud
    • Money Hacks presented by BECU
    • Guide to re:Invent sponsored by AWS
    • GeekWire Elevator Pitch presented by WestRiver Group
    • AWS Marketplace Seller Conference 2023 Spotlights sponsored by AWS
  • Jobs
  • Events
    • GeekWire Events
    • Community Calendar
  • Lists
    • Amazon Office Buildings
    • GeekWire 200
    • GeekWire Startup List
    • GeekWire Startup Resources
    • GeekWire Startup Spaces
    • Layoff Tracker
    • Northwest Women VC & Angel Investor List
    • Recent Fundings
    • M&As and IPOs
    • Seattle Engineering Outposts
    • Venture Capital Directory
  • Membership
    • Memberships
    • Health Benefits
  • About
    • About GeekWire
    • Email Newsletters
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Sponsors
    • Reprints & Permissions

LeoStella

Illustration: LeoStella's LS-300 satellite platform
Video

LeoStella super-sizes its platform for small satellites as it takes aim at new markets

by Alan Boyle on August 6, 2023August 6, 2023 at 1:18 am

Tukwila, Wash.-based LeoStella is unveiling its latest, greatest platform for small satellites, which should hit a sweet spot for future manufacturing contracts. LeoStella, which is a joint venture co-owned by… Read More

LeoStella CEO Tim Kienberger at factory
Video

LeoStella’s CEO works on the next phase of evolution for the satellite revolution

by Alan Boyle on June 6, 2023June 6, 2023 at 9:37 am

TUKWILA, Wash. — Will LeoStella go beyond LEO? It’s been four years since LeoStella, a joint venture created by BlackSky and Thales Alenia Space, opened the doors of its Tukwila… Read More

Tech Moves: Microsoft hires cloud security VP; Expedia board member resigns; and more

by Charlotte Schubert on June 24, 2022June 24, 2022 at 2:55 pm

— Shawn Bice returned to Microsoft to serve as corporate vice president of cloud security. Bice left a general manager position at Microsoft in 2016 to become vice president of… Read More

Electric propulsion thruster

Activate the ion drive! LeoStella will buy Astra’s electric propulsion systems for small satellites

by Alan Boyle on April 12, 2022April 12, 2022 at 2:47 pm

Astra Space says it’s made a deal with Tukwila, Wash.-based LeoStella to provide multiple electric propulsion systems for LeoStella’s small satellites, with deliveries due to begin later this year. Financial… Read More

Rocket Lab nose cone with mission patch

Seattle’s Space Needle makes its debut on Rocket Lab mission patch, thanks to Spaceflight Inc.

by Alan Boyle on March 25, 2022March 25, 2022 at 2:42 pm

What could be more fitting than to put Seattle’s Space Needle on the patch for an actual space mission? Even though this particular mission is due to be launched half… Read More

Clean-room workers with satellite
Video

LeoStella delivers first Loft Orbital satellite for SpaceX’s jam-packed rideshare mission

by Alan Boyle on June 24, 2021June 24, 2021 at 7:00 am

SpaceX is getting set to launch scores of satellites for its Transporter-2 rideshare mission, and one of those satellites marks a milestone for LeoStella. Loft Orbital’s satellite, known as YAM-3… Read More

LeoStella satellite assembly
Photos

Inside the satellite factory: How LeoStella uses software to track spacecraft hardware

by Alan Boyle on May 22, 2021May 22, 2021 at 9:15 am

TUKWILA, Wash. — LeoStella’s satellite factory has tons of hardware spread out over 22,000 square feet of space, but the secret ingredient for its manufacturing process may well be the… Read More

BlackSky satellites
Video

Seattle’s satellite industry plays leading role in BlackSky’s Earth-observing network

by Alan Boyle on May 14, 2021May 15, 2021 at 8:22 am

Update for 6:30 a.m. PT May 15: Two BlackSky satellites were lost when the second stage of Rocket Lab’s Electron rocket suffered an anomaly, minutes after liftoff from New Zealand.… Read More

Skylark constellation

LeoStella takes on assembly role for NorthStar’s space traffic-monitoring satellites

by Alan Boyle on October 27, 2020October 27, 2020 at 7:37 pm

Tukwila, Wash.-based LeoStella will oversee the assembly of the first three satellites for a constellation that’s designed to keep track of space traffic. LeoStella’s new project is part of a… Read More

SpaceX Falcon 9 launch
Video

SpaceX launches 57 stealth satellites for Starlink network, plus a pair for BlackSky

by Alan Boyle on August 6, 2020August 6, 2020 at 11:46 pm

After weeks of delay, a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket sent up 57 more satellites for its Starlink broadband internet constellation, with two BlackSky planet-watching satellites hitching a ride. The launch… Read More

LeoStella satellite for BlackSky
News Brief

LeoStella confirms delivery of BlackSky’s Earth observation satellites for SpaceX launch

by Alan Boyle on June 22, 2020June 22, 2020 at 3:10 pm

Tukwila, Wash.-based LeoStella cast a spotlight today on the delivery of its first two built-from-scratch satellites for the BlackSky Earth-watching constellation ⁠— with their launch on a SpaceX rocket set… Read More

Satellite constellation
Video

Cloud Constellation chooses LeoStella to build cloud data satellites in Seattle area

by Alan Boyle on May 2, 2019May 2, 2019 at 6:15 am

Cloud Constellation Corp. has chosen LeoStella, the U.S.-European joint venture based in Tukwila, Wash., to build satellites for its cloud-based data storage service. The satellite constellation, known as SpaceBelt, is… Read More

LeoStella's Mike Hettich
Photos

LeoStella satellite venture hands over CEO reins to aerospace executive Mike Hettich

by Alan Boyle on March 1, 2019March 1, 2019 at 6:23 pm

TUKWILA, Wash. — Mike Hettich has finally completed his transition from chief learning officer to chief executive officer at LeoStella, the satellite manufacturing joint venture headquartered here. Hettich came to LeoStella… Read More

LeoStella satellite for BlackSky

Seattle-area Earth observation satellite factory LeoStella is open for business

by James Thorne on February 18, 2019February 18, 2019 at 1:05 pm

When you hear the words “satellite factory,” LeoStella‘s operations in a nondescript office park south of Seattle probably isn’t the image that comes to mind. But that’s exactly what it is.… Read More

LeoStella building in Tukwila
Video

With Spaceflight’s help, LeoStella moves ahead with Seattle-area satellite factory

by Alan Boyle on August 21, 2018November 28, 2018 at 8:18 pm

TUKWILA, Wash. — Today it’s an empty office building in a business park south of Seattle, not far from a Mexican restaurant and an organic nursery. But within just a few months,… Read More

Comet propulsion system
Video

Deep Space Industries will equip BlackSky satellites with water-spraying thrusters

by Alan Boyle on April 3, 2018August 20, 2018 at 5:10 pm

California-based Deep Space Industries says it has signed a contract to provide water-spraying thrusters for the BlackSky Earth observation satellites that are due to be built in Seattle. The contract… Read More

BlackSky Global-1 satellite
Video

Spaceflight Industries firms up European satellite alliance and $150M funding round

by Alan Boyle on March 13, 2018March 13, 2018 at 12:07 am

It’s official: After receiving all government approvals, a French-Italian joint venture has taken a minority stake in Seattle-based Spaceflight Industries as part of a $150 million funding round. The French… Read More

A Word From Our Sponsors

About

  • About GeekWire
  • Contact Us
  • Ask About Advertising
  • Send Us a Tip
  • Become a GeekWire Member
  • Join Our Startup List
  • Reprints and Permissions

Follow

GeekWire Newsletters

Catch every headline in your inbox

Read GeekWire

  • Apple News
  • Google News

Legal

  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Sponsored Content Policy
Return to Top of Page
© 2011-2023 GeekWire, LLC