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 21, 2020
SDA Charts Flexible Approach To Tranche 0 Launch Services
Launch service companies could be given the discretion to decide the optimal launch plan to support the 30 satellites in Tranche 0 of the Space Development Agency’s future military surveillance and communications architecture in low Earth orbit, the agency said May 20.
Aerospace Daily & Defense Report
May 21, 2020
Skyrora Conducts SkyLark-L Full Static Test Firing
British satellite launcher firm Skyrora has undertaken a full static fire test of its Skylark-L rocket, the first test of this scale since the UK’s Black Arrow program 50 years ago.
Aerospace Daily & Defense Report
May 20, 2020
Astronauts Arrive At KSC For Demo-2 Launch
NASA astronauts Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley landed at Kennedy Space Center in Florida on May 20 for final preparations ahead of launch next week to test SpaceX’s Crew Dragon system.
Aerospace Daily & Defense Report
May 20, 2020
Boeing Won’t Protest NASA Human Landing System Awards
Boeing, which was shut out of nearly $1 billion of NASA funding to develop human-class lunar landers, said it does not plan to protest the awards, which went to teams led by Blue Origin, Dynetics and SpaceX. 
Aerospace Daily & Defense Report
May 20, 2020
U.S. Updates Remote Sensing Export Rules
The U.S. Commerce Department on May 19 released a long-awaited new rule for the export of remote sensing services.
Aerospace Daily & Defense Report
May 21, 2020
SDA Charts Flexible Approach To Tranche 0 Launch Services
Launch service companies could be given the discretion to decide the optimal launch plan to support the 30 satellites in Tranche 0 of the Space Development Agency’s future military surveillance and communications architecture in low Earth orbit, the agency said May 20.
Aerospace Daily & Defense Report
May 21, 2020
Skyrora Conducts SkyLark-L Full Static Test Firing
British satellite launcher firm Skyrora has undertaken a full static fire test of its Skylark-L rocket, the first test of this scale since the UK’s Black Arrow program 50 years ago.
Aerospace Daily & Defense Report
May 20, 2020
Astronauts Arrive At KSC For Demo-2 Launch
NASA astronauts Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley landed at Kennedy Space Center in Florida on May 20 for final preparations ahead of launch next week to test SpaceX’s Crew Dragon system.
Aerospace Daily & Defense Report
May 20, 2020
Boeing Won’t Protest NASA Human Landing System Awards
Boeing, which was shut out of nearly $1 billion of NASA funding to develop human-class lunar landers, said it does not plan to protest the awards, which went to teams led by Blue Origin, Dynetics and SpaceX. 
Aerospace Daily & Defense Report
May 20, 2020
U.S. Updates Remote Sensing Export Rules
The U.S. Commerce Department on May 19 released a long-awaited new rule for the export of remote sensing services.
Aerospace Daily & Defense Report
May 19, 2020
NASA Spaceflight Chief Loverro Quits
Two days before he was to chair the Flight Readiness Review for the SpaceX Demo-2 mission, marking the return of U.S. human orbital flight capability, NASA Associate Administrator Douglas Loverro is leaving the agency. 
Aerospace Daily & Defense Report
May 18, 2020
SpaceX Shuffles Schedule, Puts Demo-2 Up Next
Citing concerns about Tropical Storm Arthur, which was passing off the coast of North Carolina on May 18, SpaceX is standing down from its planned May 19 launch of a Falcon 9 rocket to build out its Starlink network, putting the long-awaited flight test of a crewed Dragon spacecraft next on the launch schedule. 
Aerospace Daily & Defense Report
May 15, 2020
Virgin Orbit Completes Second Dress Rehearsal For Launch
Virgin Orbit completed a second dress rehearsal of its LauncherOne small satellite launch system on May 15, but plans to conduct some additional testing ahead of the vehicle’s orbital test flight, targeted for later this month.
Aerospace Daily & Defense Report