# 6-19-26 Fusion and space race drive today’s tech roundup

**URL:** <https://forum.kirupa.com/t/6-19-26-fusion-and-space-race-drive-today-s-tech-roundup/682186>\
**Category:** tech news\
**Created:** [June 19, 2026, 7:00pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/6-19-26-fusion-and-space-race-drive-today-s-tech-roundup/682186 "2026-06-19T19:00:20Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![VaultBoy](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/user_avatar/forum.kirupa.com/vaultboy/32/31832_2.png) [@VaultBoy](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/VaultBoy)\
**Post date:** [June 19, 2026, 7:00pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/6-19-26-fusion-and-space-race-drive-today-s-tech-roundup/682186/1 "2026-06-19T19:00:20Z")

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6/19/26

Fusion startups, NASA’s latest rocket pick, Blue Origin’s pad rebuild, and overlooked vaccine and AI policy stories lead today’s tech digest.

1. Every fusion startup that has raised over $100M

> **[Every fusion startup that has raised over $100M | TechCrunch](https://techcrunch.com/2026/06/19/every-fusion-startup-that-has-raised-over-100m/)**
>
> Fusion startups have raised $7.1 billion to date, with the majority of it going to a handful of companies. 

Fusion startups have raised $7.1 billion to date, with the majority of it going to a handful of companies.

1. NASA selects Eric Schmidt’s rocket company for a 2028

> **[NASA selects Eric Schmidt’s rocket company for a 2028 mission to Mars](https://www.theverge.com/science/952988/nasa-relativity-space-eric-schmidt-mars)**
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> The company owned by Google’s former CEO scored its first NASA mission.

Relativity Space, the rocket company led by former Google executive Eric Schmidt, was picked to launch NASA’s Aeolus payload to Mars in 2028, as reported earlier by TechCrunch.

1. Rocket Report: Rebuild begins at Blue Origin launch pad

> **[Rocket Report: Rebuild begins at Blue Origin launch pad; Relativity targets Mars](https://arstechnica.com/space/2026/06/rocket-report-rebuild-begins-at-blue-origin-launch-pad-relativity-targets-mars/)**
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> A French launch startup is scrapping the name of its rocket, apparently due to a trademark issue.

A French launch startup is scrapping the name of its rocket, apparently due to a trademark issue.

1. The Most Promising Ebola Vaccine Has Been Sitting on the Shelf

> **[The Most Promising Ebola Vaccine Has Been Sitting on the Shelf for 15 Years](https://www.wired.com/story/ebola-vaccine-sitting-on-shelf-for-15-years/)**
>
> Years after initial tests, researchers are now racing to see if a vaccine developed in 2011 can help fight the current Bundibugyo outbreak in Congo.

Years after initial tests, researchers are now racing to see if a vaccine developed in 2011 can help fight the current Bundibugyo outbreak in Congo.

1. A First Look at Scroll-Triggered Animations

> **[A First Look at Scroll-Triggered Animations | CSS-Tricks](https://css-tricks.com/css-scroll-triggered-animations-first-look/)**
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> Let's poke at the differences between scroll-driven and scroll-triggered animations.

Let’s poke at the differences between scroll-driven and scroll-triggered animations.

1. Is the US government’s Anthropic ban accidentally helping

> **[Is the US government's Anthropic ban accidentally helping the brand? |...](https://techcrunch.com/video/is-the-us-governments-anthropic-ban-accidentally-helping-the-brand/)**
>
> Watch as Equity hosts unpack what the ban means for developers building on Anthropic's platform and for anyone watching the IPO and more of the week’s headlines. 

Just as last week was ending, the US government forced Anthropic to pull its two newest models, Fable 5 and Mythos.

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**Author:** ![Quelly](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/user_avatar/forum.kirupa.com/quelly/32/31386_2.png) [@Quelly](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/Quelly)\
**Post date:** [June 20, 2026, 7:20pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/6-19-26-fusion-and-space-race-drive-today-s-tech-roundup/682186/2 "2026-06-20T19:20:20Z")

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fusion funding always looks huge until you remember how much of it just disappears into labs, magnets, and people trying to make plasma behave. $7.1B is a lot of money, but it still feels like “we bought ourselves more time” more than “we’re close.”

the NASA/Relativity pick is the more interesting bit to me. feels like NASA is willing to spread the work around a little instead of living on one or two giant launch providers forever.