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

Oct 06, 2020
A SpaceX Falcon 9 lifted off from Kennedy Space Center on Oct. 6 to put another batch of 60 Starlink broadband satellites into orbit.
Sep 22, 2020
Finland-based Iceye has closed an $87 million series C financing round to complete its planned 18-satellite constellation of synthetic aperture radar (SAR) microsatellites and to build a U.S. manufacturing and engineering hub. 
Sep 21, 2020
OneWeb has renegotiated its contract with Arianespace and plans to resume launching its broadband satellite network in December, pending court approval of its Chapter 11 reorganization plan.
Sep 21, 2020
Development of the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) H3 has slipped at least three months following the discovery of faults during testing of the…
Sep 18, 2020
Former International Space Station commander and three-time shuttle astronaut Michael Lopez-Alegria is heading back to orbit, this time as on-site personnel for Axiom Space’s first private mission to the ISS.
Oct 06, 2020
A SpaceX Falcon 9 lifted off from Kennedy Space Center on Oct. 6 to put another batch of 60 Starlink broadband satellites into orbit.
Sep 22, 2020
Finland-based Iceye has closed an $87 million series C financing round to complete its planned 18-satellite constellation of synthetic aperture radar (SAR) microsatellites and to build a U.S. manufacturing and engineering hub. 
Sep 21, 2020
OneWeb has renegotiated its contract with Arianespace and plans to resume launching its broadband satellite network in December, pending court approval of its Chapter 11 reorganization plan.
Sep 21, 2020
Development of the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) H3 has slipped at least three months following the discovery of faults during testing of the…
Sep 18, 2020
Former International Space Station commander and three-time shuttle astronaut Michael Lopez-Alegria is heading back to orbit, this time as on-site personnel for Axiom Space’s first private mission to the ISS.
Sep 17, 2020
After 14 launches from New Zealand, Rocket Lab is close to staging its first Electron mission from U.S. soil, with the completion of a wet dress rehearsal at its new Wallops Island launch site, one of the final preflight milestones. 
Sep 16, 2020
NASA is removing a planned secondary payload from the August 2022 launch of its Psyche asteroid probe, leaving a pair of small satellites without a piggyback ride to Mars. 
Sep 16, 2020
The FAA’s plan to amend the collision-avoidance methodology it uses in licensing commercial space launches will support safer operations with more flexible launch windows as space at low Earth orbit becomes increasingly congested, the agency says.