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

Nov 21, 2022
On the eve of the European Space Agency’s (ESA) ministerial council, 21 startup companies are requesting that member states approve a resolution for an open competition every time an institutional payload has to be placed into orbit.
Nov 21, 2022
German space startup Polaris Spaceplanes has performed the first flight of its spaceplane demonstrator built under a contract from the German defense ministry.
Nov 17, 2022
The new 16U satellite bus is tailored for Earth observation and space domain awareness missions.
Nov 16, 2022
The approvals help pave the way for the first planned orbital launch from the UK mainland for Virgin Orbit’s “Start Me Up” mission using its air-launched LauncherOne space vehicle that will be carried by its modified Boeing 747.
Nov 10, 2022
In a joint technology demonstration, United Launch Alliance and NASA tested a 20-ft.-dia. inflatable heat shield that is intended to pave the way for a future rocket engine recovery system for ULA and a system for NASA to land heavy, human-class missions on Mars, among other uses.
Nov 21, 2022
On the eve of the European Space Agency’s (ESA) ministerial council, 21 startup companies are requesting that member states approve a resolution for an open competition every time an institutional payload has to be placed into orbit.
Nov 21, 2022
German space startup Polaris Spaceplanes has performed the first flight of its spaceplane demonstrator built under a contract from the German defense ministry.
Nov 17, 2022
The new 16U satellite bus is tailored for Earth observation and space domain awareness missions.
Nov 16, 2022
The approvals help pave the way for the first planned orbital launch from the UK mainland for Virgin Orbit’s “Start Me Up” mission using its air-launched LauncherOne space vehicle that will be carried by its modified Boeing 747.
Nov 10, 2022
In a joint technology demonstration, United Launch Alliance and NASA tested a 20-ft.-dia. inflatable heat shield that is intended to pave the way for a future rocket engine recovery system for ULA and a system for NASA to land heavy, human-class missions on Mars, among other uses.
Nov 08, 2022
The single-port Sirius engine will be used to power the Eris, Australia’s first orbital rocket, which is set to launch in 2023.
Nov 07, 2022
Intelsat is turning to Switzerland-based SWISSto12 to provide a small geostationary satellite outfitted with 12 Ku-band transponders for regional communications services.
Nov 04, 2022
The chairwoman of the Federal Communications Commission announced Nov. 3 that she would reorganize the agency to create a standalone Space Bureau to better support the needs of the growing satellite industry.