Rocket Lab is taking a major step toward competing more directly with SpaceX, announcing an agreement to acquire satellite communications provider Iridium Communications in an approximately US$8 billion cash-and-stock transaction. The deal transforms Rocket Lab from a launch and spacecraft manufacturer into a fully vertically integrated space company with its own global satellite communications network, a strategy widely viewed by the market as mirroring SpaceX's integrated business model.
The US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) issued a request for information (RFI) on June 18 seeking concepts for "low-resource computing" that can operate with almost no electricity, minimal memory, and continued function despite hardware damage. The RFI invited input from academic institutions, companies, and individual inventors and set a July 17 deadline for replies; DARPA said it will follow up with an invitation-only workshop in August in Hanover, New Hampshire, to review promising proposals.
Below are the most-read DIGITIMES Asia stories from the week of June 22-28, 2026:
Japan's Rakuten Group plans to establish a new joint venture with US-based AST SpaceMobile in 2026 to build a dedicated low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite communications network for Japan, according to reports by Nikkei and Yomiuri.
Samsung SDI, a battery and electronic materials manufacturer, has entered an agreement to help US-based Forge Nano build a 3 GWh per year battery manufacturing site in Morrisville, North Carolina. The deal capitalizes on both Samsung's desire to avoid US tariffs and the American military's goal to develop non-China supply chains, including in batteries.
Groundhog Technologies is eyeing opportunities in low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite applications by targeting the satellite resource optimization market, according to chairman David Chiou at the company's latest shareholders' meeting on June 24. Chiou also announced that Groundhog has won the first generative AI order worldwide in the field of telecom engineering, with Singapore Telecommunications (Singtel) as its client.
To meet the aerospace industry's push for lighter, more environmentally sustainable next-generation aircraft, Taiwan's Aerospace Industrial Development Corporation (AIDC) has stepped up research and development of thermoplastic composite materials in recent years.
Taiwan's Executive Yuan has decided to draft a separate special bill to support drone development and procurement after the Legislative Yuan cut relevant items from the NT$1.25 trillion (approx. US$39 billion) special budget for national defense, with the Executive Yuan citing national security concerns and the need to build an autonomous industrial supply chain. The move comes as a delegation of lawmakers, led by Speaker Daniel K.Y. Han, returns from a visit to TSMC's Arizona plant and meetings with US lawmakers, yet it remains unclear whether that trip will help win opposition support for the drone bill.
Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense has revived a NT$210 billion (approx. US$6.6 billion) special bill for unmanned vehicle procurement after the Legislative Yuan in May 2026 stripped out all domestic-industry-friendly items from an earlier defense special budget, leaving only arms purchases. The Executive Yuan has now approved the draft, raising hopes and concerns across the drone industry.
Unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) manufacturer Thunder Tiger recently participated in the Taiwan Expo in Europe 2026 in Warsaw, Poland, showcasing its combat solutions. It said European markets are prioritizing non-red supply chains. In addition to establishing a presence in Ohio, the company has obtained multiple certifications and is integrating with Taiwanese suppliers to build a non-Red supply chain ecosystem.
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