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Rocket Lab Acquires Iridium Communications for $8 Billion, Building a Vertically Integrated Aerospace Giant to Rival SpaceX

2026-06-29

U.S. aerospace company Rocket Lab has announced the acquisition of legacy satellite communications operator Iridium Communications for approximately $8 billion, at $54 per share (including $27 in cash and stock). Post-acquisition, Rocket Lab will become a vertically integrated aerospace company that designs, manufactures, launches, and operates its own satellite constellation. Iridium currently has 2.55 million active subscribers, providing data and voice direct-to-device services over L-band spectrum in low Earth orbit. Rocket Lab founder and CEO Peter Beck stated that combining Iridium's heritage, infrastructure, and spectrum with Rocket Lab's launch and manufacturing capabilities will unlock new markets. The deal is supported by a $3.6 billion bridge loan from Deutsche Bank and Wells Fargo, with completion expected by mid-2027. This move directly targets SpaceX's Starlink model and could break its potential monopoly in satellite direct-to-device services, offering a more diversified customer base for metal additive manufacturing in the commercial aerospace sector.

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Rocket Lab 80亿美元收购铱星通讯，打造垂直整合航天巨头直面SpaceX

美国航天公司Rocket Lab宣布以约80亿美元（每股54美元，含27美元现金加股票）收购老牌卫星通信运营商铱星通讯。收购后Rocket Lab将成为一家“设计、制造、发射、运营自有星座的垂直整合航天公司”。铱星目前拥有255万活跃订阅用户，基于L频段频谱和低地球轨道提供数据和语音直连设备服务。 Rocket Lab创始人兼CEO Peter Beck表示，通过将铱星的传承、基础设施和频谱与Rocket Lab的发射和制造能力结合，“我们有能力解锁全新市场”。交易由德意志银行和富国银行提供36亿美元过桥贷款支持，预计2027年中完成。此举直接对标SpaceX的星链模式，有望打破其在卫星直连设备市场的潜在垄断，为金属增材制造在商业航天领域提供更多元的客户渠道。

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Materials & Design: Internal Oxidation Route in LP-DED Produces ODS-Type 316L Y Stainless Steel with 774 MPa Room-Temperature Strength

A study published in Materials & Design demonstrates the fabrication of yttrium-alloyed 316L stainless steel (316LY) via laser powder directed energy deposition (LP-DED) using an internal oxidation pathway, eliminating the need for mechanical alloying or thermal consolidation steps. The as-deposited material achieves a relative density exceeding 99%, a room-temperature ultimate tensile strength of 774 MPa, and an elongation of up to 67% after aging treatment. This route offers a new additive manufacturing paradigm for producing oxide dispersion strengthened (ODS) steels. ODS steels are key candidate materials for radiation-resistant applications such as nuclear energy, but conventional powder metallurgy routes are complex and costly. If successfully scaled, the additive manufacturing approach could significantly lower production barriers. Value for powder buyers: (1) ODS-type powders such as yttrium-alloyed 316L are high-value specialty powders, with custom demand from nuclear energy customers—companies capable of producing specialty alloy powders can tap into this market; (2) the process imposes stringent requirements on the distribution control of oxide dispersoids in the powder, making mixed powder quality control a key supply factor; (3) in the short term, this remains at the laboratory stage, so it is advisable to track subsequent irradiation performance validation and pilot-scale scale-up progress.

2026-08-14

Nanjing Chenguang Equipment Tender Opens: BLT Leads with 8.97M Yuan Bid; Farsoon and Leiming Laser Shortlisted

The bid evaluation results for the 'Molding Equipment' project at Nanjing Chenguang Group have been announced: Xi'an Bright Laser Technologies (BLT) is the top bidder candidate at 8.97 million yuan, with Farsoon Technologies (12.7 million yuan) and Tianjin Leiming Laser (10.4998 million yuan) also shortlisted. Per the tender requirements, the equipment must be delivered to the site by September 20. Nanjing Chenguang Group, a subsidiary of China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation (CASIC), specializes in aerospace equipment manufacturing; this procurement is part of its metal additive manufacturing capacity expansion. Military enterprises are steadily advancing their metal 3D printing equipment acquisitions, and the installation of new systems directly drives demand for titanium alloy and superalloy powders, representing a key entry point for powder suppliers into the defense supply chain. For powder buyers, the key takeaways are: ① Military equipment procurement is typically followed by powder tenders—watch for Nanjing Chenguang's upcoming powder procurement announcements. ② As BLT and Farsoon expand their installed equipment base, their associated powder qualification systems offer a practical route for powder producers to enter the military market. ③ Military customers impose strict requirements on powder batch traceability and quality management systems, so suppliers should assess certification and qualification costs in advance.

2026-08-13

SUSTech Publishes in Nature Communications: Entropy Engineering Strategy Yields Medium-Entropy Alloys with >99.99% Relative Density in LPBF

In a study published in Nature Communications on August 13, researchers from the Department of Mechanical and Energy Engineering at Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech) demonstrated that mixing CoCrNi and 316L powders, combined with an entropy engineering strategy, enables temporal control of entropy during the LPBF process. This approach produced near-pore-free medium-entropy alloys with relative density exceeding 99.99%. Mechanistically, configurational entropy increases during printing alongside microstructural evolution, optimizing melt pool spreading and thermal history. The result is a stable microstructure dominated by sub-grains with low geometrically necessary dislocation density, yielding superior fatigue resistance and corrosion performance compared to conventional powder bed fusion–processed medium- and high-entropy alloys. Medium- and high-entropy alloys represent a frontier material direction in metal additive manufacturing. This study shows that high-performance medium-entropy alloys can be achieved by blending standard powder grades, offering a new low-cost material pathway. Value for powder buyers: (1) The blended-powder route reduces reliance on customized pre-alloyed medium-entropy powders, potentially increasing demand for conventional CoCrNi and 316L grades. (2) Powder producers may explore service models that combine 'proportional blending with process coupling,' offering customers mixed-powder solutions and process packages. (3) As this is currently at the fundamental research stage, it is advisable to monitor subsequent scale-up validation and engineering application cases.

2026-08-13

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