A seat on the first crewed flight of Blue Origin’s New Shepard suborbital vehicle sold for $28 million at an auction June 12. SpaceNews

The United States and five other countries are banding together with the United Kingdom to develop a satellite-based quantum technology encryption network. SpaceNews

Seraphim Capital plans to trade stakes it has amassed in space technology startups on the public market through an investment trust. SpaceNews

Phase Four has raised $26 million in a Series B round that will allow it to accelerate production of its satellite electric propulsion systems. SpaceNews

ESA has selected a Venus orbiter as its next medium-class science mission, just a week after NASA announced the section of two Venus missions of its own. SpaceNews

Despite facing the threat of cancellation for the second straight year, a NASA airborne observatory is continuing with regular operations. SpaceNews

In the Biden administration’s 2022 budget proposal, the Pentagon is requesting $15.3 billion for investments in space technology, an increase of $1.8 billion over what Congress enacted in 2021. SpaceNews

A U.S. Space Force mission scheduled to launch June 13 on a Northrop Grumman Pegasus XL rocket is a monitoring satellite intended to provide “space domain awareness." SpaceNews

Amazon Web Services announced June 10 it selected 10 U.S. and European space startups for a four-week accelerator program. SpaceNews

The UK Space Agency has picked health care veteran Paul Bate to be its next CEO starting Sept. 6. SpaceNews

The European Space Agency plans to offer researchers free access to Iceye’s synthetic aperture radar imagery. SpaceNews

In-space transportation company Momentus says its Russian co-founders are now “completely divested” from the company as it reaches a national security agreement with federal agencies. SpaceNews

China rolled out a Long March 2F rocket Wednesday in preparation to send the Shenzhou-12 spacecraft and three astronauts to an orbiting space station. SpaceNews

Canadian startup Kepler plans to build a U.S. presence after raising $60 million for its low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite data constellation. SpaceNews

Shenzhen will provide up to $47 million in support for development of satellite equipment, applications and other areas to drive space-related innovation in the southern Chinese city. SpaceNews

Sierra Space, the new space subsidiary of Sierra Nevada Corporation, announced June 9 that it signed an initial agreement with a British spaceport that could lead to landings of the company’s Dream Chaser vehicle there. SpaceNews

The Senate approved June 8 a wide-ranging competitiveness bill that includes a NASA authorization act with a controversial provision about competition in the Human Landing System program. SpaceNews

Colorado lawmakers in a June 9 letter urge Vice President Kamala Harris to visit military and space industry facilities in the state. SpaceNews

Paul Hertz, who has led NASA’s astrophysics programs for nearly a decade, will step down by the end of the year to pursue his “next challenge” at the space agency. SpaceNews

Techstars Space Accelerator launched its 2021 class June 7 with nine U.S. and one Australian company. SpaceNews