Satellite Manufacturing and Launch Systems Market - Growth, Trends, Covid-19 Impact, and Forecasts (2023 - 2028)

Satellite Manufacturing and Launch Systems Market - Growth, Trends, Covid-19 Impact, and Forecasts (2023 - 2028)

The Satellite Manufacturing and Launch Systems Market was valued at about USD 19.2 billion in 2021, and it is projected to witness a CAGR of over 3.5% during the forecast period (2022-2027).

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced several launch postponements, supply chain disruptions, workforce scarcities, and the vaporization of revenue streams of several startups and smaller players in the market.

In recent years, there has been an increased demand for satellites from the civil/government, commercial, and military sectors. Currently, countries like United States, Russia, China, India, Japan, and a few European countries have adequate capabilities in the area of satellite manufacturing. However, along with the growing shift toward the manufacturing of affordable and less sophisticated small satellites, the manufacturing base of satellites is expected to widen to several other countries globally.

Regions like North America and Europe have traditionally developed and launched most satellites in orbit. However, the growth in demand for satellite-based infrastructure in emerging countries like China and India is currently contributing to the market development in Asia-Pacific.

The market is witnessing the entry of private players who are spending huge amounts on research and development to exploit the new opportunities in the satellite manufacturing and launch industry.

Currently, the military and government segment has the highest market revenue share. Armed forces worldwide have been strengthening their satellite networks to perform more efficient intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) missions that essentially need secure and robust communication channels accessible from anywhere by the forces. The armed forces are demanding more data bandwidth and reliable communication infrastructure to meet the growing requirements for large-scale data transfer. The development of tactical communication systems, tactical data links, modern network-centric battle force capabilities, and advanced SATCOMs are the significant applications of military communication satellites. Improved use of SATCOM may simplify the integration of C4ISR, thus enabling the better use of UAVs and more advanced administrative, support, and personal welfare services. In this regard, several countries are emphasizing launching communications satellites for better data transfer capabilities. For instance, in November 2021, three CERES satellites were launched onboard the Vega rocket. The military signals intelligence satellite was developed for the French armed forces with Airbus as prime contractor and Thales in charge of the payload, user ground segment, and satellite platform. The satellite was developed for Signals Intelligence (SIGINT) applications.

The launches of satellites, especially smaller ones, are being done on a large scale by universities, colleges, and even high school students. With governments and various foundations currently funding the research in the civil satellites, the constant growth of this segment is expected during the forecast period. As part of NASA’s CubeSat Launch Initiative, which provides opportunities for small satellite payloads built by universities, high schools, and non-profit organizations to fly on upcoming launches, NASA provides these CubeSat developers a low-cost pathway to conduct scientific investigations and technology demonstrations in space. This enables students, teachers, and faculty to obtain hands-on flight hardware development experience. Such developments are expected to propel the growth of the commercial segment during the forecast period.

The highest growth in the market is expected to be from the Asia-Pacific region, mainly due to the increasing space launches from China and India. India has become a global leader for third-party launch services and has several ongoing R&D programs for new launch platforms. Starting in April 2021, India planned to launch 10 Earth observation satellites, including optical, multi- and hyperspectral, and synthetic aperture radar satellites. The disclosed launch plans also include three communication satellites and two navigation satellites. However, in December 2021, ISRO announced to postpone three of 10 satellites to the first quarter of 2022 (originally planned to be launched during the third and fourth quarter of 2021). India is proceeding with a Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV) project to demonstrate technologies for developing a wing-body vehicle like that of an aircraft in the space launch industry. India also envisions developing a Hypersonic Air-Breathing Vehicle with an Airframe integrated system (HAVA) that utilizes scramjet engine power. It may be used to design and develop a Two-Stage-to-Orbit (TSTO) vehicle. Such programs are expected to direct significant investments toward the space sector in India. Besides, China has been launching the highest number of rockets compared to any other country in recent years. According to China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC), China conducted 55 space launches in 2021 compared to 39 space launches in 2020. In the upcoming years, the country plans to launch the world's biggest space telescope, the world's most massive rocket, and a space station to rival the ISS. Such developments are expected to propel the region's growth in the years to come.

Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (SpaceX), Northrop Grumman Corporation, Lockheed Martin Corporation, ArianeGroup, and Thales Group are some of the prominent players in the market. Joint ventures between the significant aerospace and defense players, like the ArianeGroup (a venture between Airbus and Safran), Thales Alenia Space (a Thales/Leonardo company), and United Launch Alliance (a joint venture of the companies Boeing and Lockheed Martin Corporation) have been prominent in the market. SpaceX was the biggest satellite launcher in 2021, with over 800 satellites placed in orbit. SpaceX’s Starlink constellation plans to place about 10,000 satellites in orbit over the next five to six years as part of its plans while also launching military satellites. The company has also planned military satellite launches in 2022 and 2023 under contracts from the US DoD worth over 500 million. Currently, the cost of manufacturing satellites and launch service costs are the two prominent parameters for the companies to compete. Other parameters like technological advancement and collaborations will help the companies to reduce the manufacturing cost, miniaturization of satellites, and increase the number of launches. The move toward electric propulsion systems and reusable rockets is likely to propel the market growth further. The nano and microsatellite segment of the market studied is highly fragmented, as there are significant investments and entries of new players primarily due to the high potential during the forecast period.

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