In this week’s edition of The Prototype, we look at the booming space industry, the best space weather forecasts, the first medical evacuation from space and more. To get the Original in your inbox, register here.
SpaceX’s expected IPO in 2026 could be a turning point for the industry.
AFP via Getty Images
AST SpaceMobile CEO Abel Avellan has seen his fortune soar to over $1 billion today. This is due to his company’s stock price increasing by more than 14% on the news signed an agreement with the US federal government using its communications satellites as part of the military’s “Golden Dome” program to provide defense against missile attacks.
This rise in shares is part of a larger trend of investor interest in the growing space economy, which is projected to reach $1.8 trillion by 2035. This week, VC firm Space Capital noted in quarterly report in the industry that 2025 was a record year for investment in space startups, reaching a total of $55.3 billion. And the biggest category wasn’t rockets but rather applications: companies that take data or use space in other ways to bring economic benefits here on Earth.
Also notable is the number of startup exits, a sign that the sector is maturing. The report notes that there were 91 acquisitions in the space sector last year, totaling more than $46 billion. And eight space companies had IPOs last year, taking in a combined $3.6 billion in the process.
So what should you look for in 2026? The biggest event, likely, is a SpaceX IPO, which the report says “would be a market-defining event, comparable to Netscape in 1995.”
Stay tuned.
PS Nominations are open for the Forbes AI 50—Help us and sponsoring partner Mayfield find the most promising startups developing artificial intelligence in finance, scientific discovery, manufacturing and more.
DISCOVERY OF THE WEEK: BEST SPACE WEATHER FORECASTS
Measuring a CME with three spacecraft.
Kinoshita et al. CC-BY-ND
Weather forecasting in space– bursts of radiation from the Sun, or what scientists call coronal mass ejections – are crucial to protecting infrastructure. Satellites often have to be put into low-power mode to protect against solar storms, and electricity is often rerouted to Earth based on forecasts to avoid damage to transformers. But predicting the effects of CMEs is not as advanced as predicting normal weather, making it difficult to know how best to protect important equipment.
A new method can help. Researchers at the University of Tokyo used data from three different spacecraft located at different points around Earth to observe a recent CME and see how it evolved over time. By measuring how cosmic rays were deflected by the CME’s strong magnetic field over time, they could tell how its shape and strength changed as it moved. Most importantly, they used instruments that weren’t originally designed for this, meaning that many existing spacecraft could potentially be used to improve space-weather forecasting altogether.
The first medical evacuation from the International Space Station was successful
Earlier this week, NASA’s current mission to the International Space Station was terminated. After handing over command to Russian cosmonaut Sergey Kud-Sverchkov early Wednesday morning, four astronauts — Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke of NASA, Kimiya Yui of Japan and Oleg Platonov of Russia — boarded the SpaceX Dragon capsule. Try and safely splashed down in the Pacific Ocean.
These four were originally scheduled to return to Earth in the second half of February, but returned early due to a “medical concern” requiring treatment on Earth due to a lack of necessary equipment on the station. The space agency provided little information beyond that. This is the first time a mission to the space station has been cut short due to a medical problem.
There are currently three crew members on the ISS. Four new crew are expected to launch there earlier than originally planned, but NASA has not yet set a date.
ELEMENTS OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Background check start check is seeing an increase in demand as companies are besieged by a flood of AI-generated resumes, applications and other documents.
Former Google CEO Eric Schmdit will support the first private space telescopewhich will provide astronomers with an updated version of Hubble.
CesiumAstro Space Communications Company has secured a $200 million financing package to build a manufacturing facility in Texas.
A group of engineers developed a new way to they create surface acoustic waves– a key technology in mobile electronics – that could one day make products like mobile phones more efficient.
The tech giant OpenAI is about to start serving ads to users on ChatGPT’s free and cheaper plans.
Pro Science Tip: Don’t do CPR like they do on TV
CPR can be lifesaving, but if you find yourself in a position where it’s needed, it’s best to ignore how it’s done on TV. This according to a new studywhich finds that television depictions of the life-saving technique are often inaccurate, finding that less than 30% of episodes analyzed depicted the correct technique. So if you want to be able to help someone, it’s better find a real life training course close to you
What amuses me this week
Speaking of medical accuracy on TV, I can’t speak highly enough Petewhich airs on HBO Max. Each season chronicles a single shift in an emergency room as doctors, nurses and medical students deal with a wide variety of situations while navigating understaffing. Unlike most medical dramas, the writers here clearly did their job (aside from the CPR, which isn’t right due to an understandable desire not to risk breaking an actor’s ribs) and the show does an incredible job of portraying the stress and challenges frontline health workers face every day. Season two only premiered last week, so it’s not too late to catch up.
