Nov 2, 2018 - Science

Space debris removal service Astroscale raises $50 million

Dan Primack, author of Pro Rata

The night sky. Photo: Ali Kemal Atik/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

Astroscale, a Singapore-based developer of space debris removal services, has raised $50 million, led by INCJ and joined by SBI Investment and Mitsubishi Estate Co.

Why it matters: There are an estimated 750,000 pieces of space debris at least one centimeter long, and that poses a major danger for the growing number of commercial space companies — particularly those focused on low Earth orbit satellite clusters.

Bottom line: "The company is currently working on its first debris capture demonstration mission, which is scheduled to launch in early 2020. [It] will consist of two spacecrafts, a Chaser and a Target, stacked together. The Chaser will repeatedly release and capture the Target in a series of demonstrations, including rendezvous and docking, and proximity operations." — Annamarie Nyiradi, Via Satellite

Go deeper: Yes, there really is a lot of space junk.

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Alexi McCammond, Hans Nichols
1 min ago - Politics & Policy

Texas Democrats beg Biden to spend now

Photo: Ron Jenkins/Getty Images

The Biden campaign is rebuffing persistent pleas from Texas Democrats to spend at least $10 million in the Lone Star state, several people familiar with the talks tell Axios.

Why it matters: If Texas — which has 38 electoral votes and is steadily getting more blue, but hasn't backed a Democrat for president since 1976 — flipped to the Biden column, it would be game over. But the RealClearPolitics polling average stubbornly hovers at +2.6 for Trump — and Team Biden appears more focused on closer targets.

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Alayna Treene, author of Sneak Peek
11 mins ago - Politics & Policy

Election night in Trumpworld

Photo illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios. Photo: Chris Carlson-Pool/Getty Images

A luxe election-night watch party at the Trump International Hotel on Pennsylvania Avenue is being planned for President Trump's donors, friends and advisers — but Trump's hand in it is minimal because he's "very superstitious" — people familiar with the plans tell Axios.

The big picture: This "mecca for all things MAGA," as one adviser described it, is one of three hubs where they say Trumpworld will watch returns. The others are the war room at campaign HQ in Rosslyn, Virginia, and the White House residence, where Trump and the first lady will gather close family and advisers before heading to the hotel later that night, the sources said.

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Jonathan Swan, Alayna Treene
15 mins ago - Politics & Policy

Scoop: Trump's post-election execution list

Photo illustration: Eniola Odetunde/Axios. Photo: David Becker/Getty Images

If President Trump wins re-election, he'll move to immediately fire FBI Director Christopher Wray and also expects to replace CIA Director Gina Haspel and Defense Secretary Mark Esper, two people who've discussed these officials' fates with the president tell Axios.

The big picture: The list of planned replacements is much longer, but these are Trump's priorities, starting with Wray.

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