Key People To Watch In The Space Sector In 2025

ESA faces a critical ministerial meeting in November 2025 where Aschbacher must obtain buy-in for projects to keep Europe relevant in lunar and Mars exploration as well as launch. Ahead of that, ESA plans to kick off an initiative to inject energy and competition into the launch market. Aschbacher also might need to maintain transatlantic cooperation amid likely disagreement between leaders in Europe and the incoming U.S. administration.

After building a successful small-­satellite launch services business, Long Beach, California-­based Rocket Lab moves into satellite manufacturing and a new launch service with the reusable medium-lift Neutron booster. As evidenced by recently logging two launches within 24 hr., Beck’s company has proven itself to be innovative and highly competitive.

The billionaire entrepreneur and commander of two SpaceX commercial space flights is poised to become the next NASA administrator. If confirmed, Isaacman will oversee the agency’s first attempt to land on the Moon since the Apollo program and guide the transition from the International Space Station to one or more commercially owned and operated outposts in low Earth orbit.

The single most influential person in the space industry now has the ear of the president-­elect, a keen interest in government policy and a personal ambition to establish a colony on Mars.

The privately held company faces another set of key milestones for the Starship launch system, including propellant-transfer demonstrations. Starship’s first operational missions will be to deploy next-generation Starlink satellites, a growing part of the company’s revenue.

Kineis exemplifies the emergence of French startups in the New Space sector. With 15 satellites launched, the company is on track to have its 25-satellite constellation complete within weeks. It is planning to provide Internet of Things (IoT) full services, in addition to improved ship detection in busy areas, in the middle of 2025. The performance of miniaturized equipment in orbit and cheap IoT devices on the ground will spell success.

The agency’s first permanent director has spent over five years building out a new proliferated satellite architecture in low Earth orbit and evangelizing about Android-style spiral acquisition models for military space programs. That faith will be put to the test in 2025 when the SDA launches more than 150 satellites about two years after contract award to support 24/7 global communications and missile tracking from space.