Friday Night Rewind 2024 – Week 9: Clinton beats Starkville, Jackson Academy wins over Hartfield.

TechCrunch SpaceX wins $733M Space Force launch contract SpaceX was awarded an eight-launch, $733 million contract by the U.S. Space Force on Friday, as part of an ongoing program intended to foster competition among launch providers. The award includes seven launches for the Space Development Agency and one for the National Reconnaissance Office, all anticipated to use Falcon 9s and occur no earlier than 2026. The massive new contract is part of a U.S. Space Force Space Systems Command (SSC) program with the catchy name of "National Security Space Launch Phase 3 Lane 1."

Fluid Truck files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and pursues sale after leadership shakeup Less than two months after Fluid Truck's board ousted its sibling co-founders from their executive positions, the company has laid off 30% of its staff, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, and found a potential buyer to take on the business, pending court approval, according to bankruptcy filings and information from a former employee. Fluid has also been approved on an interim basis as of today for a $7 million loan to keep the business operational and fund the restructuring and sale process through the end of the year. The bankruptcy filing in a Delaware court comes as the company's losses mount and it faces several lawsuits, including a class action filed on October 10 in Colorado, after it allegedly failed to pay money owed to members of its Fluid Vehicle Investor Program (FVIP) - a program that allowed individuals, including employees, and small business owners to purchase fleets of vans and trucks to be rented out on the platform under Fluid's management.

Investors bet on the power of light, diamonds in the trash, and more This week brought us some exciting fundraising news from around the world, and even some exits. Meanwhile in the U.S., startups could help data centers reduce their environmental impact. As mentioned, we have some exits to report on, despite another reminder that not all startups will make it — even when they are backed by YC.