Silicon Beach Report May 17: Aerojet Rocketdyne, Spacex Chosen for Moon Lander Project

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LiveXLive announces new music app; Hulu bullish on Disney taking reigns; SpaceX among firms contracted for Moon Lander

LiveXLive Launches New App

West Hollywood-based LiveXLive Media Inc. announced the launch of a new music streaming app today, Socaltech reports. LiveXLive owns radio streaming app Slacker, and combined that technology with video content to create an app that live-streams music festivals and offers curated radio content. The app is free, but offers a paid “premium” subscription, similar to LiveXLive’s competitors Spotify and Apple Inc.’s Apple Music.

Hulu Reportedly Optimistic About Disney Merger

Variety reports the nearly 2,000 employees at Hulu’s Santa Monica headquarters are ‘bullish’ about being fully controlled by Burbank-based Walt Disney Co. The streaming service reported 2.8 million paid subscribers last month. As part of turning over the reigns to Disney, Hulu’s Chief Executive Randy Freer now reports to Kevin Mayer, chairman of Disney’s international division.

SpaceX Among Firms Chosen for Moon Lander Design

Hawthorne-based SpaceX is one of 11 aerospace firms contracted to help design and build a moon lander for NASA, alongside El Segundo-based Aerojet Rocketdyne Holdings Inc. SpaceX will conduct a study on a spacecraft capable of landing on the Moon, while Aerojet Rocketdyne will research crafts that “transfer humans from the proposed lunar gateway to low-lunar orbit,” the L.A. Times reports. The total contract award for all 11 companies is $45.5 million, and NASA wants the companies selected to pay at least 20% of the total project cost.

Tech reporter Samson Amore can be reached at [email protected] or (323) 556-8335. Follow him on Twitter @samsonamore.