The total market value of small satellites – defined as 2.2 to 1,102 pounds of launch mass – will be $22 million by 2026, a 76 percent increase over the of 2006 to 2015 period, according to Research and Markets. This figure factors in the manufacture and launch of the satellites.
“This rate of growth is unprecedented for the space sector and will bring about fundamental changes as both new and established industry players attempt to increase their capabilities in order to gain market share,” said a Research and Markets report.
Including third-party and in-house manufacturers, about 200 organizations built smallsats between 2006 and 2015. A similar pattern is expected between 2016 and 2026, Research and Markets found.
“Smallsat suppliers are entering the industry to capitalize on demand with flexible COTS [commercial-off-the-shelf] equipment, bringing down costs and development times,” the Research and Markets report said. “Larger integrators focused on larger missions do not necessarily have the capacity to create these smaller, nominally lower-cost solutions at a profit or have the platforms available to support small mission development.”
Over the next 10 years, Research and Markets expects more than 3,600 smallsats to be launched.
Launch services will generate about $5.3 billion in the next decade, a 76 percent increase over the past 10 years. This increase in activity could lead to a launch bottleneck, however, as small-lift launch vehicles are developed.
Filed Under: Aerospace + defense
