Astra Space Inc

Rocket LV0006 tilts during liftoff.Astra / NASASpaceflightSpace company Astra will go private in a cut-rate deal with its founders after a dismal run as a publicly-traded stock.Astra co-founders Chris Kemp and Adam London – CEO and CTO, respectively – signed an agreement with the company's board to acquire all outstanding common stock at 50 cents a share. The deal is expected to close in the second quarter.A special committee of the board, with Kemp and London abstaining, voted in favor of the take-private plan. After the…

A view from onboard the upper stage of rocket LV0009 during the company's livestream on March 15, 2022.Astra / NASASpaceflightThe space sector's on the tail end of a boom-and-bust cycle. While many companies battened down the hatches to survive, a few publicly-traded names are running on fumes.A flurry of about a dozen space companies went public over the last few years. Although each have had fairly dismal stock performances since their debuts, the majority are still moving forward and look to build momentum in the year…

Astra tests a rocket at its headquarters on the San Francisco Bay in Alameda, California.AstraThe founders of struggling space company Astra have offered to take the company private at a value of about $30 million, according to a securities filing Thursday.Chris Kemp, chairman and CEO, and Adam London, chief technology officer, delivered a proposal to the Astra board of directors Wednesday to acquire all the company's outstanding stock at $1.50 a share.That price is a 103% premium to Wednesday's closing price of 74 cents…

The Vulcan rocket for the Cert-1 mission stands at SLC-41 during testing in Cape Canaveral, Florida, May 12, 2023.United Launch AllianceCNBC's Investing in Space newsletter offers a view into the business of space exploration and privatization, delivered straight to your inbox. CNBC's Michael Sheetz reports and curates the latest news, investor updates and exclusive interviews on the most important companies reaching new heights. Sign up to receive future editions.Overview: Gaining acceptanceThere's a reason the saying…

Astra CEO Chris Kemp speaks inside the company's headquarters during the company's "Spacetech Day" on May 12, 2022.Brady Kenniston / AstraSpacecraft engine manufacturer and small rocket builder Astra plans to conduct a reverse stock split at a 1-to-15 ratio, the company disclosed in a securities filing on MondayAstra also seeks to raise up to $65 million through an "at the market" offering of common stock, the filing said.Shares of Astra were little changed in afterhours trading from their close at 40 cents a share. The…

A sale pending sign is posted in front of home for sale in Greenbrae, California.Justin Sullivan | Getty ImagesCNBC's Investing in Space newsletter offers a view into the business of space exploration and privatization, delivered straight to your inbox. CNBC's Michael Sheetz reports and curates the latest news, investor updates and exclusive interviews on the most important companies reaching new heights. Sign up to receive future editions.Overview: M&A underwayThe space sector has seen a variety of mergers and…

Texas-based investor Matthew Brown speaks to "Worldwide Exchange" on Mar. 23, 2023.CNBCCNBC's Investing in Space newsletter offers a view into the business of space exploration and privatization, delivered straight to your inbox. CNBC's Michael Sheetz reports and curates the latest news, investor updates and exclusive interviews on the most important companies reaching new heights. Sign up to receive future editions.Overview: The latecomerA small group of Virgin Orbit employees are rolling back into the company's Long…

A general view of Cosmic Girl, a repurposed Boeing 747 aircraft carrying the LauncherOne rocket under its left wing, as final preparations are made at Cornwall Airport Newquay on January 9, 2023 in Newquay, United Kingdom. Matthew Horwood | Getty ImagesVirgin Orbit is in final talks to raise funds from Texas-based investor Matthew Brown, two people familiar with the deal told CNBC, amounting to an injection of $200 million.Virgin Orbit and Brown began deal talks last week, one of the people said, around the same time the…

A view from onboard the upper stage of rocket LV0009 during the company's livestream on March 15, 2022.Astra / NASASpaceflightSpacecraft engine manufacturer and small rocket builder Astra on Thursday outlined a plan to avoid having its stock delisted from the Nasdaq.With an exchange-imposed deadline of April 4 drawing near – and Astra's stock still below the $1 a share level it needs to exceed to remain on the exchange – the company filed a plan earlier this month, seeking an 180-day extension, it said Thursday.If…

Astra CEO Chris Kemp speaks inside the company's headquarters during the company's "Spacetech Day" on May 12, 2022.Brady Kenniston / AstraSpacecraft engine manufacturer and small rocket builder Astra announced on Friday that the company is investigating "potential illegal short selling" among shareholders of its common stock.The company said it hired financial software firm ShareIntel to assist with its review of "suspicious, aberrant or unusual trading activity.""Astra remains committed to protecting our investors and…