Quest: Twenty Point Eight Billion

Juno: space start-ups raised twenty point eight billion dollars last quarter, a record! Mochi: nearly triple the quarter before ($7.4 billion), and almost half was one deal, Blue Origin's ten billion. Queen Honeycomb: without it, ten point eight billion, still a high; two hundred and sixteen deals, up from one hundred forty. Tock: twenty point eight! Juno: the investment firm Seraphim says it's real orders, not hype.

Space start-ups raised a record $20.8 billion in the third quarter, nearly triple the $7.4 billion of the second quarter, across a record 216 deals; almost half was Blue Origin's $10 billion financing, and even without it the $10.8 billion was a high, which the investment firm Seraphim says reflects commercial orders and government programmes rather than IPO enthusiasm.

Starring

JunoMochiQueen HoneycombTock