1、1Ali Javaheri Associate Analyst,Emerging TOriginally published November 5,EMERGING SPACE BRIEFCommercial Space LaunchTrending companiesOverviewCommercial space launch includes companies focused on launching satellite payloads,offering launch services,and building essential launch infrastructure.The

2、rise in satellite launch startups is largely driven by expanding satellite constellations,which support applications such as broadening internet access,enhancing weather monitoring,and expanding geospatial intelligence.While national space agencies have traditionally dominated satellite launches,the

3、se startups aim to attract customers by providing greater flexibility in launch scheduling,shorter lead times,and cost savings.BackgroundIn the early decades of the Space Age(1950s-2000s),space technology development was primarily driven by government agencies in the US and Soviet Union.These effort

4、s were supported by affiliated organizations in the USSR and contracted companies in the US,with rocket designs and missions explicitly dedicated to government objectives.In 1975,the European Space Agency(ESA)was founded,and followed a similar approach,while countries such as China and India also be

5、gan funding the indigenous development of their own national designs.Commercial satellite launches emerged in the 1970s and 1980s,representing the primary non-government application of space technology,while national launch providers continued to operate at high cost structures initially geared towa

6、rd military needs.The landscape began to change significantly in the 2000s.As commercial competition increased,particularly in the US,the federal government moved away from a monopoly arrangement with United Launch Alliance(ULA)for military launches.By 2015,the US military launch market experienced