Commercial Space

The commercial space market, also known as the private space industry or NewSpace, is experiencing strong growth. This burgeoning sector encompasses activities such as satellite manufacturing, space tourism, rocket launches, satellite services and space exploration initiatives driven by private companies. Players like SpaceX and Blue Origin on the launch side, or Planet and Maxar with their in-orbit satellite constellations are revolutionizing the industry, making space more accessible and cost-effective. The demand for satellite internet, Earth observation, and space-based services has fueled investments and technological advancements. With the rise of reusable rockets, commercial crew missions, and ambitious plans for space mining and Mars colonization, the commercial space market is poised for exponential growth, promising exciting developments and opportunities into the future. 

News & Analysis

Jan 20, 2026
Australia has led a $141 million funding round for Gilmour Space Technologies aimed at working on the Eris rocket and expanding production capacity.
Jan 20, 2026
Editors are joined by Russ Matijevich, space industry veteran and a judge in the Space Tech Challenge Awards. Nominations are now open—could your solution be a winner?
Jan 19, 2026
The CEO of Isar Aerospace says a strong appetite for launch means the company is sold out through 2028 with more than $10 billion in its business pipeline.
Jan 19, 2026
Ukraine and Iceye have signed an agreement to expand the embattled country’s access to high-resolution SAR satellite imagery on an expedited basis.
Jan 16, 2026
Isar Aerospace has set Jan. 21 as the “not before” launch date for its Spectrum rocket as the German startup also aims to reach orbit as part of the effort to recover from last year’s failed test mission.
Jan 20, 2026
Australia has led a $141 million funding round for Gilmour Space Technologies aimed at working on the Eris rocket and expanding production capacity.
Jan 19, 2026
The CEO of Isar Aerospace says a strong appetite for launch means the company is sold out through 2028 with more than $10 billion in its business pipeline.
Jan 19, 2026
Ukraine and Iceye have signed an agreement to expand the embattled country’s access to high-resolution SAR satellite imagery on an expedited basis.
Jan 16, 2026
Isar Aerospace has set Jan. 21 as the “not before” launch date for its Spectrum rocket as the German startup also aims to reach orbit as part of the effort to recover from last year’s failed test mission.
Jan 15, 2026
Mitsubishi Corp. has increased its investment in the Starlab Space commercial space station joint venture.
Jan 15, 2026
NASA head Isaacman met with SpaceX and Blue Origin officials to get a better sense of how to speed up the timelines around efforts to return to the Moon.
Jan 14, 2026
SkyFi, a space startup that specializes in satellite imagery and analytics, raised $12.7 million in an oversubscribed Series A funding round.
Jan 14, 2026
Airbus plans to test a software-defined satellite to underpin efforts to develop non-terrestrial 5G connectivity infrastructure.