Atoms Not Bits

EXCLUSIVE: An American startup is developing tethered drones capable of operating 24/7 in extreme winds, with applications including maritime piracy detection, wildfire monitoring, and persistent aerial surveillance from drones towed behind military vehicles at speeds of up to 75 mph.

Windlift has just secured a $1.8M contract with the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory for its G-Series tethered drone platform.

BREAKING: NASA has just announced plans to deploy a nuclear-powered Moon rover to explore the lunar South Pole, send lunar drones into areas inaccessible to traditional rovers, and invest billions in lunar transportation infrastructure to support a permanent Moon base.

Lunar Cargo Delivery: Eight companies have been selected to compete for up to $10B in lunar delivery contracts, including Blue Origin, Firefly Aerospace, Intuitive Machines, iSpace US, Lockheed Martin Space, Northrop Grumman, SpaceX, and Voyager Technologies. The companies will develop and operate landers to deliver NASA equipment and infrastructure to the Moon.

Nuclear-Powered Rover: NASA JPL is developing PROMISE, a six-wheeled nuclear-powered rover designed to drill 1 meter below the lunar surface to extract regolith, or lunar dust, and investigate ice deposits and other resources, including in permanently shadowed regions of the lunar South Pole. It will also carry instruments to analyze lunar materials, temperature, and radiation. The rover is targeting a late 2028 launch for an 18-month mission. NASA awarded Blue Origin $94M to deliver PROMISE, with an additional $140M option.

Lunar Transportation: NASA awarded six lunar transportation contracts totaling approximately $1.3B to Arrow Science and Technology, Blue Origin, and Impulse Space. Orbital transfer vehicles will act as freight trucks across space, moving critical cargo toward the Moon, while lunar landers deliver equipment to the surface. The missions will also support the deployment of MoonFall lunar drones.

Lunar Communications: NASA selected SpaceX to launch communications satellites aboard Starship in 2028, testing technologies that could inform the development of a future lunar communications network connecting astronauts, mission control, and Moon bases.

Lunar Power Infrastructure: NASA is developing a Mini-Communications and Solar Tower (miniCAST) to provide power and communications infrastructure on the lunar surface, selecting Honeybee Robotics for energy storage, Redwire for solar power generation, and Yank Technologies for wireless power transfer.

BREAKING: A Y Combinator-backed startup is bringing humanoid robots into grocery stores to restock shelves overnight and pick customer orders during the day, targeting a market of over 100,000 stores across the U.S. and Europe.

Theseus Robotics has already deployed robots in two stores, with reported capabilities of restocking up to 400 items per hour and picking up to 40 items per hour for orders.

Rather than building robots from scratch, Theseus develops the OS and AI models that enable existing wheeled humanoids to restock shelves and pick orders.

America Expands Its Agricultural Drone Capacity

Hard Tech Headlines:

- @AST_SpaceMobile, the space-based cellular network company, has announced plans to build its own 20-ton rocket to deploy its satellites.

- @RioTinto has approved a $144M investment in Arizona's Resolution Copper project, which could supply up to 25% of America's copper demand once operational.

- @darwin_robotics has secured a $3.6M pre-seed round led by Link Ventures. The startup is developing robotic technicians that can maintain critical infrastructure.

- @CesiumAstro has secured a $730M Series D led by Janus Henderson. The satellite startup also announced plans for a 737-satellite constellation to support defense and commercial missions.

- Exedy Drones is now taking orders for its American-made agricultural spraying drone, featuring a 13.2-gallon tank capacity, a top speed of 45 mph, and autonomous takeoff, spraying, and landing capabilities.

- @humblerobotics has secured a $51M Series A led by Obvious Ventures. The startup is developing autonomous freight trucks without driver cabins that can transport shipping containers up to 200 miles per charge.

- Epiroc is acquiring Aramine, an underground mining parts supplier generating $36M in annual revenue.

- Glīd, which develops autonomous freight vehicles capable of operating on both rail lines and roads, has successfully tested its ability to secure and carry different configurations of 10- and 20-foot shipping containers.

- @MachinaLabs_ has secured a $9M contract with the DoW to deploy two shipping container-based robotic factories for manufacturing LUCAS-class drone airframes without traditional factory infrastructure.

- @oklo has secured a deal with U.S. Forged Rings to support American manufacturing of large-scale nuclear reactor components, including reactor vessels, lids, and supporting structures for its future Aurora reactors.

- EPG, a modular data center manufacturer, is investing $120M in a new factory in Malaysia to produce modular data center infrastructure, with production lines expected to achieve at least 80% automation through technologies including robotic welding and laser cutting.

- Drogue has emerged from stealth, developing off-grid energy platforms that harness ocean temperature differences to generate electricity for computing and offshore infrastructure.

- Offshore Projects Alliance has joined Aventa Group, bringing a substantial workforce specializing in offshore energy and subsea cable installation.

- David Rothzeid has been promoted to partner at Shield Capital, the defense-focused VC firm that has invested in startups including Armada, Rangeview, and Apex.

- @Sikorsky has secured a deal to supply its next-generation S-92A+ helicopter for South Korea's presidential helicopter program, featuring long-range and all-weather capabilities.

BREAKING: @Saronic has just launched another American-made autonomous ship in Texas.

The 52-foot Mirage was built in Austin and launched in Galveston. The vessel has a range exceeding 2,500 nautical miles, a top speed of over 35 knots, and a payload capacity of 3,500 pounds.

Saronic’s three core autonomous vessels are now all in production.