Space race bottleneck: A shortage of rocket launch capacity is creating pressure across the space industry as satellite demand grows and SpaceX phases out its Falcon 9 rocket in favor of Starship. Companies are responding by securing dedicated launches, accelerating development of their own rockets and considering acquisitions, while launch prices are rising and competitors such as Blue Origin face delays. The supply crunch could persist for years, with governments and businesses competing for limited capacity to deploy satellites for national security, communications, internet and emerging space-based technologies. The Wall Street Journal has the full story.
Trucking’s next lane: Aurora Innovation is expanding its autonomous trucking operations on major Texas highways, with 20 driverless semis currently on the road and plans to reach 200 by the end of 2026. The company says autonomous trucks can reduce operating costs, improve fuel efficiency and run longer hours than human-driven trucks, with analysts estimating significant profitability and per-mile cost advantages. Despite concerns about safety and the role of truck drivers, Aurora has logged more than 440,000 autonomous miles and is targeting positive free cash flow by 2028 after losing more than $800 million in 2025. CNBC has the full story.
No. 1 concern: Inflation has become the top concern for family offices globally, overtaking trade wars and tariffs, according to a Citigroup survey of 350 firms across more than 40 countries. Despite those concerns, more than 90% of surveyed family offices reported positive portfolio returns this year, with nearly half increasing their exposure to public equities. Bloomberg has the full story.
