SpaceNews

About SpaceNews

SpaceNews is a trade news publication covering the global space industry, based in Alexandria, Virginia, and reporting on the business, politics, and technology driving space activity worldwide. Established in 1989, it has spent more than three and a half decades chronicling an industry that grew from government-dominated programs into a bustling commercial marketplace of satellite megaconstellations, low-cost launch providers, and venture-backed startups. Its coverage spans civil, military, and commercial space, and its reporting is aimed at the executives, officials, investors, and engineers who make decisions across the sector. The publication produces a monthly print magazine, a daily-updated website, and a suite of email newsletters, and it describes itself as the most trusted and comprehensive source of news and analysis of the companies, agencies, technologies, and trends shaping the global space industry. SpaceNews is owned by Multiverse Media, a Denver-based integrated media company. Its official website is spacenews.com.

Founding in 1989

SpaceNews was born at a moment of high ambition for the American space program. On July 20, 1989, the twentieth anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing, President George H. W. Bush stood on the steps of the National Air and Space Museum and announced his administration's intent to return humans to the Moon and eventually send crews to Mars — the Space Exploration Initiative. Around the same time, the Times Journal Company was making plans for a new weekly newspaper devoted entirely to the growing space field. On September 18, 1989, the company published the first of four monthly preview issues to test the appetite for a publication focused solely on space. The response from readers and advertisers was strong enough that SpaceNews was formally launched, joining a stable of trade publications that included Defense News, Federal Times, and the Army, Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps Times. The Bush space initiative figured prominently in the publication's earliest coverage, and Vice President Dan Quayle — who headed the newly revived White House National Space Council — agreed to be the subject of the back-page question-and-answer interview for the Volume 0, Number 1 preview issue. That interview produced an anecdote that lived on in the newsroom for years: staff writer Andrew Lawler left his tape recorder in the room after the interview ended, and when he called the White House to retrieve it, officials returned the recorder but kept the tape, providing a full transcription of the interview instead.

A History of Changing Owners

SpaceNews has changed corporate hands several times over its long life, reflecting the consolidation and reinvention of trade media over the decades. It was originally owned by the Army Times Publishing Company, which was acquired by Gannett in 1997. In 2000, Space.com — later renamed Imaginova — acquired SpaceNews from Gannett. The publication then passed to Pocket Ventures, LLC, which purchased it from Imaginova in June 2012. The most recent chapter came on October 31, 2023, when Multiverse Media Inc., a Denver-based integrated media company that educates, informs, and inspires the space community across professional and enthusiast brands, announced that it would merge with SpaceNews, Inc. Under the terms of the merger, the combined company would be known as Multiverse Media and controlled by SpaceNews shareholders. The leadership team was set to be led by SpaceNews CEO Andy Pemberton as chief executive, with Felix Magowan as executive chairman and Multiverse Media founder Dylan Taylor — described as the world's most prolific space investor — serving as vice chairman. The merger combined SpaceNews with Multiverse Media's portfolio of brands, including SpaceRef, NewSpace Global, the Ad Astra events platform, and enthusiast titles such as Parabolic Arc.

An Editorial Focus on Business and Politics

From its first issue, SpaceNews set out to be a different kind of space publication. While other outlets celebrated the technical achievements and "gee whiz" moments of space exploration, SpaceNews concentrated on the business and politics driving the industry — the decisions, investments, budgets, and policies shaping its future. The premiere issue of September 18, 1989, laid out the plan plainly: to deliver the breaking news about space each week, to be accurate, fair, and balanced, to put information in proper context, and to avoid the quick and easy headline. The publication has held to that approach for more than 35 years, digging into government space budgets, commercial contracts, corporate strategy, and regulatory battles with the context that decision-makers need. As its editors wrote at the founding, the publication does not aspire to be the industry's voice or to tout the party line; it aims to succeed by being an independent source of news and information. That independence has defined its coverage of everything from the earliest days of the commercial satellite sector to the rise of satellite megaconstellations, low-cost launch vehicles, and international partnerships shaping space exploration.

Coverage Across Civil, Military, and Commercial Space

SpaceNews organizes its reporting around the three great domains of the modern space enterprise: civil, military, and commercial programs. Civil coverage tracks NASA, the European Space Agency, and other national space agencies, along with science missions, exploration programs, and government budgets. Military space coverage follows the Pentagon's space operations, including the U.S. Space Force, missile warning, satellite communications, and space acquisition programs. Commercial coverage follows the private sector — launch providers, satellite manufacturers and operators, ground systems, space startups, venture investment, and the emerging markets for in-space services. The publication also covers space policy, from White House directives and congressional legislation to international agreements and export controls, as well as remote sensing and the venture space ecosystem. This breadth reflects the reality that the lines between the three domains have blurred: commercial companies now launch national-security payloads, civil agencies buy commercial data, and military programs depend on commercial innovation.

The Print Magazine

For most of its history, SpaceNews has been anchored by a print publication. The magazine is published 12 times a year and is read by thousands of dedicated subscribers, including executives, government officials, and industry professionals across the space sector. Print copies are regularly distributed at key trade shows and conferences, where the magazine serves as both a news source and a meeting point for the industry. The print edition carries in-depth reporting, analysis, and commentary that complement the daily flow of the website. Although the industry's news cycle has accelerated with the web, the monthly magazine remains the publication's flagship product and a significant source of its subscription revenue, alongside advertising. The magazine's longevity — more than 35 years in print — is a rarity in trade publishing and a measure of the loyalty of its readership.

Digital News and Newsletters

SpaceNews.com is the publication's digital home and the engine of its daily journalism. The award-winning website delivers breaking news, analysis, and commentary to a large audience; the company reports that the site reaches more than 900,000 space professionals and enthusiasts, while its about page cites more than 500,000. The publication also operates a suite of email newsletters that it describes as essential reading for some of the biggest names in space, delivering curated coverage directly to the inboxes of executives, policymakers, and investors. The digital operation funds itself through a combination of advertising and subscription revenue. Readers can contact the editorial team with news tips, story ideas, and press releases, and the publication also accepts letters to the editor and commentary submissions. Its YouTube channel and social media accounts extend its reach to the broader space-enthusiast community.

A Small, Nimble Newsroom

One of the striking features of SpaceNews is how much journalism it produces with a small staff. According to the publication's own account, its editorial and business teams combined number fewer than 15 people — a lean operation that has consistently produced in-depth reporting and analysis rivaling much larger newsrooms. The company's business listings variously describe 11 to 50 employees, with around 28 employees shown on its professional networking profiles. The small size is presented as a strength: it allows the publication to respond quickly to breaking news while maintaining thoughtful, comprehensive coverage of the trends that matter in space business and policy. Its reporters are experienced space journalists whose work is relied upon by professionals across the industry for timely, accurate, and engaging coverage.

Events and Industry Presence

Beyond publishing, SpaceNews is a visible presence at the gatherings where the space industry does business. In 2018, the publication began producing a print show daily for the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics and Utah State University's Conference on Small Satellites, held each August on the Utah State University campus in Logan, Utah — one of the industry's most important annual events. The publication partners with organizations across the space sector to amplify coverage, engage audiences, and support industry conversations, and it invites trade shows, industry events, and student-led initiatives to reach out about collaboration. Its merger with Multiverse Media also brought the Ad Astra events platform into the fold, deepening its involvement in convening the space community. Businesses interested in advertising in print or online can contact its business development team directly.

Leadership and Contact

SpaceNews is led by President Paige McCullough, who oversees the business side of the publication and can be reached by email or by phone. Following the 2023 merger with Multiverse Media, the combined company's leadership includes CEO Andy Pemberton and Executive Chairman Felix Magowan, with Multiverse founder Dylan Taylor as vice chairman. The publication maintains offices associated with both its historic base in Alexandria, Virginia — including an address at 1414 Prince Street, Suite 204 — and the merged company's Denver, Colorado, operations, where its professional profiles list a primary location at 100 Fillmore Street. Subscription and account support is handled through a dedicated support team, with frequently asked questions available online. For news tips, story ideas, or press releases, readers are directed to members of the editorial team, and letters to the editor follow a separate submission process.

Official Website and Access

The official website of SpaceNews is spacenews.com, where readers can find breaking news, the magazine archive, newsletters, and subscription information. The site also hosts the publication's about page, press releases, and contact information for the editorial, business, advertising, and events teams. Subscriptions to the magazine and digital products can be managed through the site, and a support team assists with account questions. With more than 35 years of continuous publication, SpaceNews remains one of the longest-running and most established news organizations devoted exclusively to the space industry, and its merger with Multiverse Media positions it within a larger media group serving the global space community across professional and enthusiast audiences.