Almost every one of us likely uses satellites without even fully realizing how many daily tasks they support, like multiple industries from communications, transport, computer systems, and power to agriculture and food supply chains. Since 2010, satellite launches have increased dramatically; keeping on this course, 2022 saw the highest number of satellite launches to date, surpassing 2,000 launches per year for the first time. Euroconsult forecasts there will be over 17,000 launches from 2021 to 2030, a more than 4x increase compared to the launches in 2011–2020.

Once considered the domain of governments and multi-billion-dollar corporations, the satellite industry has seen advancements in technology that have opened the doors for private firms to enter it by enabling cheaper launches, smaller satellites, and better software platforms. The US Commercial Space Launch Act of 2015 further facilitated growth in the commercial space industry, encouraging private investments and the deployment of major constellations of satellites. This push has led to a significant uptick in active satellites since 2015, allowing third-party satellite service facilitators to step in.

In this Insight, we take a detailed look into the satellite management industry, including use cases, key segments, prominent players, demand drivers, and growth headwinds.