
UK Space Economy
Discover the size and growth of the UK’s emerging Space Economy and uncover the companies boldly going where no man has gone before using real-time industrial data.
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What is the Space Economy?
The UK’s Space Economy is made up of a growing ecosystem of companies and organisations that work across manufacturing, operations, applications and other ancillary services. These companies participate in a number of space-related activities such as satellite services, spacecraft production, governance, research and more.
The UK’s Space Industry has grown significantly in recent years alongside the ambition to capture 10% of the global space market by 2030, and shows no sign of stopping.
Space Economy sector summary
Key information you should know about the Space Economy sector from our AI-driven platform of over 5 million companies:
- Space Economy has turnover of £87.75bn, meaning it is our 17th largest RTIC, and our 48th fastest growing sector.
- The Space Economy sector has not received additional investor attention in recent years and the amount of venture capital funding is not increasing as fast as our other emerging economy sectors.
- On average the roles advertised in this sector are 2.57% higher than the UK’s average salary.
Space Economy verticals
Our Space Economy RTIC is made up of 22 individual industry verticals, including verticals such as Communications, Cyber Security and Encryption, Data Infrastructures. You can find out more about the verticals by buying a report, visualising the sector on our platform, or by downloading the data.
- Sector Code Description Records
- RTIC0066 Space Economy 2330 companies
Companies involved in the space industry including providing satellite services, launch services, governance, and fundamental research.
- Space Economy: Communications211 companies
Companies supplying technologies involved in providing inter-satellite or satellite to ground communications for data downlink.
- Space Economy: Cyber Security and Encryption101 companies
Companies developing technologies involved in the security of satellite data including cybersecurity software and cryptography.
- Space Economy: Data Infrastructures195 companies
Companies providing the technologies and infrastructure involved in the storage and processing of satellite data after downlink.
- Space Economy: Engineering220 companies
Companies building the equipment and facilities, and supplying services which enable the engineering, manufacturing, and testing of space systems.
- Space Economy: Exploration42 companies
Companies developing the technologies which enable human spaceflight activities for tourism, science, and exploration.
- Space Economy: Geospatial Analytics129 companies
Companies that possess analytics capabilities for optical imagery, radar imagery, and geolocation data.
- Space Economy: Geospatial Platforms155 companies
Companies delivering digital platforms which involve software to process, analyse, and access geospatial data.
- Space Economy: Ground Segment66 companies
Organisations providing the technologies and infrastructure involved in the ground segment of data downlink including ground stations, services, and terminals.
- Space Economy: Hardware343 companies
Companies producing space hardware, which includes satellites and space sub-systems for propulsion, thermal, mechanical, power, control, robotic, communications, and payloads.
- Space Economy: High Altitude Platforms22 companies
Organisations supplying aerial platforms which operate in the atmosphere and stratosphere including balloons, airships, drones, and other UAVs.
- Space Economy: In-orbit manufacturing199 companies
Organisations developing the technologies which enable in-orbit activities including research and manufacturing in microgravity.
- Space Economy: Launch Infrastructure85 companies
Organisations dedicated to the development of infrastructure enabling the operation of launch vehicles including launch pads, spaceports, and mission control facilities.
- Space Economy: Launch Services86 companies
Companies offering services enabling the design, testing, and operation of launching space missions.
- Space Economy: Launch Vehicles99 companies
Companies developing and supplying launch vehicles and sub-systems which include rockets, sub-orbital flight, and spaceplanes.
- Space Economy: Location and Connectivity305 companies
Companies supplying products which make use of satellite navigation and communications to provide location or connectivity services in downstream markets.
- Space Economy: Mapping373 companies
- Space Economy: Materials273 companies
Companies providing specialised materials involved in the manufacturing of space systems to provide structural, thermal, and propulsion properties.
- Space Economy: Resources11 companies
Organisations dedicated to the development of technologies which enable the discovery and exploitation of space resources including solar power and asteroid mining.
- Space Economy: Satellite Constellations72 companies
Companies that own and/or manage satellites or satellite constellations.
- Space Economy: Software155 companies
Companies providing and using software that facilitates the design, manufacturing, and operation of space systems including launch vehicles, satellites, and other spacecraft.
- Space Economy: Space Ecosystem210 companies
Organisations involved in space governance, research, and business ecosystems.
- Space Economy: Space Infrastructure9 companies
Organisations building the infrastructure enabling the operation and logistics of in-orbit systems including space stations and satellites.
Space Economy industry growth
We estimate that the UK Space Economy sector could be worth approximately £96.9bn by 2027, based on the compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 2%. Below you can see the five year turnover forecast for the RTIC from 2023 to 2027.
Get your free Space Economy report
Dig deeper into the UK’s Space Economy with our free 2022 RTIC report, which includes:
– Summary of RTIC data & industry performance
– Overview of key verticals
– Geographic analysis & breakdown
– Key insights & trends
Real-Time Industrial Classifications (RTICs)
At The Data City we’re mapping the emerging economy through accurate and reliable real-time data. We’ve produced Real-Time Industrial Classifications (RTICs) for some of the UK’s fastest growing sectors, across over 350 industry verticals, including the Space Economy.
Discover more RTICs and access our other free reports today.
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