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

May 12, 2021
Rocket Lab Readies For Upgraded Reusable Electron Tests
Rocket Lab is poised to conduct the first of two additional tests of Electron launch vehicles specially modified for reusability which, if successful, could pave the way for the first mid-air recovery of a booster for re-use as early as next year.
Aerospace Daily & Defense Report
May 11, 2021
Virgin Galactic Return To Flight Faces New Delay
Virgin Galactic said electromagnetic interference (EMI) issues which stalled sub-orbital tests of its SpaceShipTwo Unity have been resolved but added that the spaceplane’s return to flight could be further delayed by a newly discovered maintenance issue on Eve, the company’s WhiteKnightTwo carrier aircraft.
Aerospace Daily & Defense Report
May 10, 2021
Voyager Space Holdings Takes Over Nanoracks and Parent
Voyager Space Holdings, the rapidly expanding umbrella startup for new-space companies, has acquired the majority stake in X.O. Markets and its major subsidiary Nanoracks, which recently launched the commercial Bishop airlock to the International Space Station (ISS).
Aerospace Daily & Defense Report
May 06, 2021
Boeing, NASA Targeting Uncrewed Starliner Test In July
Boeing and NASA plan to conduct an uncrewed Orbital Flight Test-2 of the Starliner CST-100 crew capsule at 2:53 p.m. EDT on July 30, pending range approval, the company said May 6.
Aerospace Daily & Defense Report
May 05, 2021
Blue Origin Solicits Bids For July 20 First Crewed Launch
Blue Origin plans to send human crewmembers to suborbital space for the first time on July 20 on its New Shepard rocket, the company said in a May 5 statement.
Aerospace Daily & Defense Report
May 12, 2021
Rocket Lab Readies For Upgraded Reusable Electron Tests
Rocket Lab is poised to conduct the first of two additional tests of Electron launch vehicles specially modified for reusability which, if successful, could pave the way for the first mid-air recovery of a booster for re-use as early as next year.
Aerospace Daily & Defense Report
May 11, 2021
Virgin Galactic Return To Flight Faces New Delay
Virgin Galactic said electromagnetic interference (EMI) issues which stalled sub-orbital tests of its SpaceShipTwo Unity have been resolved but added that the spaceplane’s return to flight could be further delayed by a newly discovered maintenance issue on Eve, the company’s WhiteKnightTwo carrier aircraft.
Aerospace Daily & Defense Report
May 10, 2021
Voyager Space Holdings Takes Over Nanoracks and Parent
Voyager Space Holdings, the rapidly expanding umbrella startup for new-space companies, has acquired the majority stake in X.O. Markets and its major subsidiary Nanoracks, which recently launched the commercial Bishop airlock to the International Space Station (ISS).
Aerospace Daily & Defense Report
May 06, 2021
Boeing, NASA Targeting Uncrewed Starliner Test In July
Boeing and NASA plan to conduct an uncrewed Orbital Flight Test-2 of the Starliner CST-100 crew capsule at 2:53 p.m. EDT on July 30, pending range approval, the company said May 6.
Aerospace Daily & Defense Report
May 05, 2021
Blue Origin Solicits Bids For July 20 First Crewed Launch
Blue Origin plans to send human crewmembers to suborbital space for the first time on July 20 on its New Shepard rocket, the company said in a May 5 statement.
Aerospace Daily & Defense Report
May 04, 2021
Firefly Raises $75 Million As Noosphere Ventures Sells Shares
Launch vehicle developer Firefly Aerospace has raised $75 million in a Series A venture capital round, the Los Angeles startup announced May 4, while seed investor Noosphere Ventures sold $100 million of its holdings to investors on the sideline.
Aerospace Daily & Defense Report
May 04, 2021
SpaceX Launches, Deploys More Starlinks
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center May 4 on its 26th mission delivering small Starlink internet connectivity satellites in low Earth orbit.
Aerospace Daily & Defense Report
May 04, 2021
Startup Receives NASA Contract To Develop In-Orbit Propellant Depot
Startup Eta Space is to demonstrate technologies for propellant depots in space under a NASA contract to build a test payload for launch into low Earth orbit in late 2023 on a Rocket Lab Photon satellite.
Aerospace Daily & Defense Report