The impact of SpaceX’s Starship on the satellite industry may not be as disruptive as expected

One company dominates the satellite launch market: SpaceX. SpaceX has used its Falcon 9 rocket to launch more than half of all the missions (including people) that went to orbit in the past few years. Now, SpaceX is working on a new vehicle, Starship, the most powerful rocket ever made. Commercial service is expected to begin in 2025, and given how dominant SpaceX is, there is concern about how disruptive Starship will be.

This article assesses the impact that Starship will have on the industry and is based on research and insights from Analysys Mason's Space Infrastructure programme and Satellite manufacturing and launch services: trends and forecasts 2023–2033 report.