Lockheed Martin selects Gravitics for Department of War contract

Honda Motor Co., Ltd. is exploring a robotics solution for research and laboratory operations aboard future commercial space stations, working with space and defense technology provider Redwire Corporation. Honda's U.S.-based space development team is combining its multi-fingered robotic hand with Redwire's STAARK robotic arm and experiment locker technology to automate research tasks and cut the time astronauts spend on routine lab work. The push comes as NASA shifts from the International Space Station toward commercially operated stations in low Earth orbit, where smaller crews and shorter astronaut stays are increasing the need for automation. Honda's hand uses actively controlled joints with force and tactile sensing across the fingertips and palm for precise, human-like manipulation, while Redwire operates eight facilities on the ISS and has tested the STAARK arm's ability to autonomously track and grasp dynamic objects. The integrated system could eventually support the broader experiment workflow, from sample handling and material transfers to equipment operation, plus inventory management, cargo movement and inspections.

Redwire has been awarded a follow-on contract by Axiom Space to develop and deliver two Roll-Out Solar Array wings for Axiom Station's second space station module. The company is also developing the ROSA wings for Axiom Space's first space station module, which is undergoing final assembly at Thales Alenia Space in Turin, Italy. That first module will then be transferred to Houston for integration and testing before launch from Kennedy Space Center in Florida, with the launch planned for 2028. The second module is preparing for final assembly at Thales Alenia Space and is expected to launch less than a year after the first module, and once in orbit it can remain there until it is ready to dock with the first module. Together, the two modules are expected to form a four-crew-capable, operational free-flying space station.

Redwire announced new collaborations with Sophia Space on orbital computing infrastructure and with American Honda Motor on integrated robotics for future commercial space stations, while also being named one of 15 vendors on Space Systems Command's more than US$980 million NITE-STAR IDIQ contract, which carries no guaranteed revenue. The agreements, disclosed in late September and early October 2026, extend Redwire's push into space-based infrastructure, automation and US national security programs and could broaden its revenue mix across commercial, research and defense customers. The company's investment narrative projects $714.6 million in revenue and $66.1 million in earnings by 2029, requiring 24.4% yearly revenue growth and a $410.0 million earnings increase from -$343.9 million today. Before the news, the most optimistic analysts assumed revenue could reach about US$782.1 million by 2029 with earnings of roughly US$72.8 million, a view that sits in tension with concerns about heavy equity issuance and integration risk. Redwire's biggest risks remain exposure to complex contracts, cost overruns on fixed price work, uneven profitability and reliance on external funding to support its growth plans.

Yuanta Securities says the space economy is entering a major turning point after the International Space Station, the backbone of off-world scientific experimentation for more than 26 years, prepares to be retired around 2030, as demand for access to space from the private sector keeps rising, especially for medical research and the development of data centers in space. This is reflected in the number of projects approved for launch to the ISS, which hit a record high of 115 projects in fiscal year 2025, with nearly 80% being commercial research projects. The transition to the era of commercial space stations is happening alongside a sharp fall in the cost of reaching space, thanks to reusable rocket technology, particularly from SpaceX. Global pharmaceutical companies such as Merck and Bristol Myers Squibb are already using low-gravity conditions to study the properties of drugs, while privately held Varda is developing autonomous vehicles for experiments or manufacturing in orbit to return products to Earth. The space economy's market value is expected to rise from 630 billion dollars in 2023 to 1.16 trillion dollars in 2030 and reach 1.79 trillion dollars in 2035, or average annual growth of 9%, which would benefit leaders in space transport such as SpaceX and Rocket Lab, as well as Redwire, which specializes in equipment and systems for space operations. Rocket Lab recently won a 266 million dollar contract from the U.S. Space Force for a missile-defense test launch mission, plus another contract worth 397 million dollars to build satellites that detect and track targets from space. Although bottom-line profit may not yet be strong in this period, the revenue trend and the value of work in hand, or backlog, are growing very strongly, reflecting robust demand. The Bloomberg Consensus sets a target price of 3.66 baht per DR, which is seen as leaving room for further upside of as much as 50%.

Private investment in space-related companies surged more than twofold to $23 billion in the year through June, according to a report published by British investment firm Seraphim and insurance company Relm Insurance. SpaceX's June initial public offering transformed the landscape of space-sector fundraising, drawing in new investors, and venture capital firms are now searching for the next related companies that could deliver similarly high returns. Investors are directing funds toward companies that can demonstrate business results rather than early-stage promise, and according to Relm, the space economy is shifting from hype to commercial reality. Companies raising money include those involved in Earth observation, in-orbit manufacturing, and the satellite supply chain. Andrew Bonwick, Relm's vice president of product development, said Earth observation is already an established field and that the real value lies in the analysis, with customers paying for the information they actually want to know, such as the location of their ships, when to plant crops, the operating status of refineries, and wildfire risk.