Latest news with #Regulus
Forbes
2 days ago
- Business
- Forbes
Meet Silicon Valley's Arms Dealer Will Somerindyke
F or years, Will Somerindyke sold weapons of war around the world: artillery shells to Ukraine, grenades to U.S.-backed rebels in Syria. With relationships with dozens of top military buyers, he quickly turned his company Regulus Global into one of America's major international arms dealers. Now, as Silicon Valley investors swarm to back multi-billion dollar defense startups with increasing fervor, Somerindyke is looking to make the jump from munitions middleman to manufacturer. He's been quietly working on Union, a new venture-backed startup he claims will modernize ammunition factories with autonomous robotics and precision machining. 'I've been through a lot in 18 years in this space,' Somerindyke told Forbes . 'If Union does its job correctly, we will be building millions of square feet of facilities with the ability to make a wide range of defense products.' Union, which Somerindyke leads as CEO, appears to have made a solid start. In April it secured a massive $50 million seed funding round led by Bravo Victor Venture Capital, or BVVC. Other investors include Silent Ventures, IronGate, and RKKVC, a Poland-based single-family office. It plans to open its first artillery shell factory in Texas next month. And it recently secured a contract to sell those shells, which, if fulfilled, could bring in up to $225 million, according to Somerindyke. The customer behind that first contract is Regulus, where Somerindyke remains chairman and majority owner — putting him on both sides of the company-client relationship (Regulus is also an investor in Union). Somerindyke said that Union has 'put all the parameters in place to avoid conflict of interest,' adding: 'This is a great partnership between Regulus and Union because we have similar goals and needs…Regulus just happens to be the first customer.' (Somerindyke declined to say who the intended customer is for the shells Regulus plans to purchase from Union). In addition, Joe Musselman, BVVC's managing partner, is incubating Union out of the venture fund, and is serving as Union's chairman and as an investor. He said his limited partners were untroubled by Union's CEO maintaining a management role at its largest customer. 'You have to find people that are already working on a problem set,' Musselman said. 'And that's something that Will has been doing for a long time.' Will Somerindyke, left, and Joe Musselman, right, plan to open Union's first factory this month. Union Union is now in talks to raise a series A funding round, which, Musselman claims, has 'hundreds of millions' of dollars committed from investors. Jackson Moses, managing partner of Silent Ventures, backed Union's seed funding round because he sees the company as 'critical national infrastructure.' He intends to 'meaningfully' invest in the upcoming series A. 'Will and Joe are uniquely qualified to successfully execute Union's mission,' he said. The idea for Union was to solve munitions shortages across the West — a reality Somerindyke was intimately familiar with sourcing artillery shells for Ukraine through Regulus. The U.S. Army, for example, which pays companies like General Dynamics to make its 155mm shells, has invested $5 billion in opening new manufacturing facilities to make more than 100,000 shells a month, though it is currently said to be 'months' behind that goal. Got a tip? Contact David Jeans at djeans@ or 347-559-5443 on Signal. But instead of approaching the problem with old-school manufacturing, Somerindyke and Musselman, who met more than a decade ago through a program for veterans, saw an opportunity to modernize weapons manufacturing, are using Silicon Valley software talent to implement autonomous systems. Since incorporating in October, Union has hired a suite of engineers from Tesla, SpaceX and Anduril. It was an opportune time for Somerindyke, whose company Regulus was embroiled in a dispute over a $1.7 billion contract to sell artillery shells to the Ukrainian government, the Financial Times previously reported. The dispute is currently in arbitration in a London court; 'Regulus feels more than comfortable with its case and what our contractual obligations are,' Somerindyke said. (He has a history of legal disputes with business partners, per the FT). In January, the same month he became CEO of Union, Somerindyke stepped down as CEO at Regulus, but retained his role as chairman. Musselman has touted recent momentum to 'reindustrialize' America and bring manufacturing back to the U.S. as necessary to combatting China's manufacturing superiority. Other companies have joined the effort, including Hadrian, which does autonomous manufacturing, and Re:Build, a Massachusetts-based company that has been acquiring mom-and-pop factories and modernizing them; both could compete with Union's entry into the market. Mussleman has also invested in other defense companies; after starting BVVC in 2023, he has written checks into drone company Firestorm and autonomous submarine startup Vatn Systems. At the Texas facility, set to open this month, Union hopes to produce more than 300,000 shells next year, according to a company pitch deck shared with seed investors in January. By 2030, Union has told its investors, it plans to produce nine million shells a year, which it hopes will generate $3.5 billion in revenue. Those are lofty figures. But Musselman sees the ongoing turbulence in the world — conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East — as proof of Union's thesis. 'We are running at a deficit of stockpiles or anything that goes boom around the world,' he said. 'And that's going to be a leverage point for our adversaries.' More from Forbes Forbes How A Grisly Injury Threw A $5 Billion Drone Startup Off Course By David Jeans Forbes Meta Is Recruiting Former Pentagon Officials As It Ramps Up Military Ambitions By David Jeans Forbes Silicon Valley's Military Drone Companies Have A Serious 'Made In China' Problem By David Jeans Forbes Starlink's Numbers Could Bring SpaceX's Valuation Crashing Down By Jeremy Bogaisky
Time of India
3 days ago
- Science
- Time of India
Celestial kiss: Moon and Mars to dazzle the night sky on June 29
Representative Image Skywatchers are in for a breathtaking treat on Sunday, June 29, as the Moon and Mars come into an unusually close conjunction, appearing just 0.2 degrees apart. This rare alignment, often called a 'celestial kiss,' will be visible to the naked eye and offers one of the most striking planetary sights of the summer. Where to look? Shortly after sunset, look west to catch Mars glowing like a reddish 'cherry' perched just above the slender crescent Moon, which will be about 24% illuminated. For observers in some regions of the Pacific and northern South America, the event becomes even more dramatic: the Moon will briefly occult Mars, completely hiding it from view for around an hour. Representative Image Even without a telescope, this close encounter will be a dazzling spectacle. Those with binoculars or a small telescope will be able to appreciate the detail and contrast between the glowing Moon and the rust-colored planet. But timing is key — the window to view the conjunction lasts only about 45 minutes after sunset, so an unobstructed western horizon is essential for the best view. Earthshine and the moving Moon Adding to the drama is a subtle but beautiful effect known as Earthshine. This ghostly glow on the dark side of the Moon is sunlight reflected off Earth's surface — oceans, clouds, and ice — back onto the Moon. Best seen during the crescent phase, Earthshine will be particularly noticeable on Saturday and Sunday evenings, giving the Moon a delicate, ethereal glow that enhances the overall experience. After this celestial kiss, the Moon will gradually move away from Mars in the nights that follow. By Monday, June 30, the Moon will be about 33% lit and will form a graceful visual lineup with both Mars and the bright star Regulus. Though not as tightly grouped as the night before, the trio will still make for a lovely display in the early evening sky. Representative Image More sky shows ahead If you miss this weekend's conjunction, don't worry — the cosmos has more to offer soon. On August 12, Venus and Jupiter will come within 2.4 degrees of each other just before sunrise. Then, on September 19, Venus and the crescent Moon will pair up again, this time just 0.8 degrees apart, creating another picturesque scene for early risers.
NDTV
23-06-2025
- Science
- NDTV
Mars, Regulus, Moon To Delight Stargazers With Beautiful Conjunction
Mars and the star Regulus delighted stargazers last week when they were seen side-by-side in almost the same brightness but with a really big colour difference. Mars was shining like a red star, while Regulus, the brightest object in the constellation Leo and one of the brightest stars in the night sky, had a blue tinge. Now, the Moon is all set to add glamour to the night sky by forming a beautiful and unique conjunction this month. The conjunction will take place on Sunday (June 29). It will be visible from the Northern Hemisphere, as well as the Southern Hemisphere, appearing in the north-northwest. Mars and Regulus will move away from each other. Hence, the waxing crescent Moon will have space to appear between them, forming a beautiful conjunction. A that time, the Moon will be 4.7 days old. It will head toward its first quarter (half-moon) phase with around 24% of its surface illuminated by the Sun. It will pass close to Mars, visible low in the western sky at dusk. The time it takes for light to travel from celestial bodies to Earth creates a fascinating delay in what we observe. For example, when we look at the Moon, we see it as it appeared 1.3 seconds ago since that's how long it takes for light to travel from the Moon's surface to our eyes. Meanwhile, observing Mars means seeing it as it appeared 15 minutes and 57 seconds ago, due to the greater distance light must travel from the planet to Earth. Regulus, on the other hand, is quite far. When we gaze at it, a star approximately 79 light-years away, we see it as it appeared 79 years ago. The vast distance means the light we observe today has taken nearly eight decades to reach us. This phenomenon highlights the immense scales of space and time in the universe, reminding us that our view of the cosmos is always slightly delayed.
Yahoo
23-06-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Starwatch: the meeting of a star, the planet Mars and our moon
Following last week's conjunction between Regulus and Mars, the moon now gets in on the act. This meeting of a star, a planet and a moon takes place on 29 June. The chart shows the view looking west from London at 22:15 BST that day. Red planet Mars has moved on from its close pass of blue-white star Regulus, giving enough space for a waxing crescent moon to slip in between them. The moon will be 4.7 days old, and heading towards its first quarter (half-moon) phase. Just over 22% of its visible surface will be illuminated. From the moon, our nearest celestial neighbour, it takes the sunlight that bounces from its surface just 1.3 seconds to reach our eyes. For Mars, the fourth planet in our solar system, the light travel time from its surface is 15 minutes and 57 seconds. And for Regulus it takes light 79 years to reach us. So we see the moon as it appeared 1.3 seconds ago, Mars as it appeared 15 minutes and 57 seconds ago, and Regulus as it appeared 79 years ago. The conjunction is easily visible from the southern hemisphere too, where it will appear in the north-north-west.
The Guardian
23-06-2025
- Science
- The Guardian
Starwatch: the meeting of a star, the planet Mars and our moon
Following last week's conjunction between Regulus and Mars, the moon now gets in on the act. This meeting of a star, a planet and a moon takes place on 29 June. The chart shows the view looking west from London at 22:15 BST that day. Red planet Mars has moved on from its close pass of blue-white star Regulus, giving enough space for a waxing crescent moon to slip in between them. The moon will be 4.7 days old, and heading towards its first quarter (half-moon) phase. Just over 22% of its visible surface will be illuminated. From the moon, our nearest celestial neighbour, it takes the sunlight that bounces from its surface just 1.3 seconds to reach our eyes. For Mars, the fourth planet in our solar system, the light travel time from its surface is 15 minutes and 57 seconds. And for Regulus it takes light 79 years to reach us. So we see the moon as it appeared 1.3 seconds ago, Mars as it appeared 15 minutes and 57 seconds ago, and Regulus as it appeared 79 years ago. The conjunction is easily visible from the southern hemisphere too, where it will appear in the north-north-west.
