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This week was the busiest yet for space-related news in 2020, thanks in part to the 23rd Annual FAA Commercial Space Transportation Conference that happened last week. The event saw participation from just about every company who has anything to do with commercial spaceflight, including SpaceX, Blue Origin and Virgin Galactic, and dove deep on questions of regulation and congressional support for NASA’s Artemis program. Our own TC Sessions: Space 2020 event, which is happening June 25 in LA, will zero in on the emerging startup economy that plays such a crucial role in commercial space, and it’s sure to touch on the same topics but get into a lot more detail on the innovation side of things as well.SpaceX launches 60 more satellites – second Starlink launch already in 2020
![](https://i0.wp.com/techcrunch.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/starlink-jan29.jpg?resize=1024%2C683&ssl=1)
Rocket Lab launches its first mission in 2020
Busy launch week for new space launch companies, as Rocket Lab also launched a mission – its first of 2020. The launch was on behalf of client the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office, delivering a surveillance satellite for the U.S. intelligence agency. This is part of a new program the NRO has in place to quickly secure launch vehicles for small satellites, departing from its traditional practice of using large, geostationary Earth observation spacecraft.NASA and Maxar to demo in-orbit spacecraft assembly
![](https://i0.wp.com/techcrunch.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/maxar-spider.gif?resize=800%2C499&ssl=1)
NASA teams with Axiom Space on first commercial ISS habitat module
NASA has tapped space station startup Axiom to build its first commercial module for the ISS designed to receive and house commercial astronauts. It’s a place designed for both work (research and science experimentation) and play (potentially receiving future paying orbital tourists) and it’s step one of Axiom’s grand vision for a fully private space station. Axiom is founded by a former ISS manager whose mission is to ensure we don’t lose human presence in orbit following the Space Station’s eventual decommission.SpaceX looks to Port of LA for Starship manufacture
![Starship Mk1 night](https://i0.wp.com/techcrunch.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Starship-Mk1-night.jpg?resize=1024%2C683&ssl=1)
Space needs an exit
Space startups are seeing record investment, and a record number of seed rounds indicating ample interest in starting new companies – but investors are still watching for that next big exit. They’ve been few and far between in the sector, which is not something you want to see if you want the hype to continue.Kepler will build its satellites in Toronto
![](https://i0.wp.com/techcrunch.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Kepler-Engineers-Assembling-Hardware.jpg?resize=1024%2C683&ssl=1)