SPACE INDEX COMPANIES INSIGHTS SECTORS PRODUCTS NEWS BLOG ANSWERS RESEARCH ABOUT FOR COMPANIES BUILD / 2026.06.04

Human Spaceflight

Putting and sustaining humans in space.

STATISTICS
Status
Operating 6
Geo
USA 2 ESP 1 FRA 1 IND 1 SWE 1
SECTORS

Launch Services

50

Companies that develop and operate orbital launch vehicles to deliver payloads to space. Revenue comes from selling launch as a service. Includes dedicated missions and rideshare.

Suborbital & High-Altitude

16

Companies operating vehicles that reach space altitude without achieving orbit, or that operate in the stratosphere. Includes suborbital rockets, high-altitude balloons, and stratospheric platforms.

Space Transportation & Logistics

36

In-space transfer vehicles, orbital tugs, and cargo systems. Companies that move payloads between orbits or deliver them to specific destinations after separation from a launch vehicle.

Spaceports & Range Services

11

Operators of launch sites, landing zones, range services, and associated ground infrastructure that enables launch and reentry operations.

Satellite Communications

66

Companies that operate constellations or individual satellites to provide connectivity: broadband, mobile backhaul, IoT, direct-to-device, broadcast, or relay services.

Earth Observation & Remote Sensing

62

Companies that operate satellites to capture data about Earth's surface, atmosphere, or oceans. Includes optical, radar, thermal, multispectral, hyperspectral, and RF sensing.

Navigation & Positioning

14

Companies developing satellite-based positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT) systems or augmentation services beyond government-operated GPS/Galileo/GLONASS.

Satellite Manufacturing

93

Companies that design and build complete satellite systems or buses for other operators. Prime integrators and platform providers. Distinct from component suppliers.

Satellite Components & Subsystems

74

Manufacturers of specific satellite hardware sold to integrators: solar arrays, antennas, reaction wheels, star trackers, power systems, thermal management, structures, deployables.

Space Propulsion

55

Companies developing propulsion systems sold as products to other spacecraft or launch vehicle builders. Electric, chemical, nuclear, or novel propulsion technologies.

Space Sustainability & Debris Removal

10

Active debris removal, end-of-life deorbit services, debris mitigation technologies, and compliance solutions. Companies whose primary mission is keeping orbits usable.

In-Orbit Servicing & Assembly

20

On-orbit inspection, repair, refueling, life extension, repositioning, or construction. Servicing existing assets rather than removing debris.

Space Domain Awareness

30

Tracking objects in orbit, monitoring the space environment, characterizing threats, providing space traffic data, collision avoidance services, and RF interference detection. Encompasses both physical tracking (SSA) and strategic/behavioral context (SDA).

Space Stations & Habitats

9

Developing crewed or uncrewed orbital platforms for long-duration occupation. Commercial stations, modules, and habitable structures.

In-Space Manufacturing

23

Manufacturing in microgravity or vacuum. Includes pharmaceutical processing, fiber optics, semiconductor crystals, bioprinting, and materials science.

Lunar Services

16

Landers, surface systems, rovers, habitats, communication relays, and navigation services for the Moon. Companies building the lunar economy.

Planetary Exploration

12

Systems for Mars, Venus, asteroids, or outer solar system destinations. Probes, rovers, sample return, and deep-space transportation.

Space Resources & Mining

4

Prospecting, extraction, and processing of natural resources from celestial bodies. Water ice, regolith, metals from asteroids or the Moon.

Geospatial Intelligence & Analytics

37

Processing, analyzing, and deriving insights from satellite-collected data. The software layer above Earth observation hardware. AI/ML applied to imagery and signals.

Space Software & Mission Tools

38

Mission planning, orbit determination, flight dynamics, satellite operations software, digital twins, and simulation platforms for the space industry.

Ground Segment & Networks

40

Ground station networks, satellite-as-a-service platforms, managed ground operations, antenna farms, user terminals, GNSS receivers, modems, and terrestrial connectivity infrastructure for space assets. Includes both ground station operators and ground equipment manufacturers.

Space Tourism & Experience

1

Spaceflight experiences for private individuals. Orbital, suborbital, high-altitude, and analogue/training experiences.

Crew Systems & Life Support

5

Spacesuits, EVA equipment, environmental control and life support systems (ECLSS), radiation protection, and human factors technologies.

Space Defense Systems

31

Missile warning, space control, protected communications, responsive launch, counter-space capabilities, and space-based defense platforms.

Space Intelligence & Reconnaissance

8

Space-based ISR (intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance) primarily for government and defense. Includes SIGINT, GEOINT, and ELINT from orbit.

Space Cybersecurity

2

Cybersecurity solutions for space systems. Satellite cyber hardening, quantum key distribution, zero-trust architectures for ground-to-space links, post-quantum cryptography for space communications, and space segment resilience against cyber threats.

KEY TAGS
FEATURED COMPANIES
NBTech AB logo
NBTech AB
OPERATING
SWE EST. 2021

Insect-based biorefinery that upcycles plastic waste into food ingredients for space and Earth applications

In-Space ManufacturingCrew Systems & Life Support
Sweden
EXPLORE
Nanostine logo
Nanostine
OPERATING
ESP EST. 2020

CSIC spin-off fabricating ligand-free nanoparticles and nanostructured coatings for aerospace, energy, and nanomedicine

Space PropulsionIn-Space ManufacturingCrew Systems & Life Support
Spain
EXPLORE
ISRO logo
ISRO
OPERATING
IND EST. 1969

India's national space agency developing launch vehicles, satellites, and interplanetary missions for societal benefit

Launch ServicesSatellite CommunicationsEarth Observation & Remote SensingSatellite Manufacturing
Bengaluru, India
EXPLORE
Interstellar Lab logo
Interstellar Lab
OPERATING
FRA EST. 2018

Develops AI-powered biospheric systems and autonomous greenhouse pods for plant cultivation on Earth and food production in space

Lunar ServicesIn-Space ManufacturingCrew Systems & Life Support
Paris, France
EXPLORE
Virgin Galactic logo
Virgin Galactic
OPERATING
USA EST. 2004 $SPCE

Develops suborbital spaceplanes for commercial human spaceflight, carrying private astronauts and research payloads to the edge of space

Space Tourism & ExperienceSuborbital & High-Altitude
Tustin, California
EXPLORE
6 COMPANIES
FREQUENTLY ASKED

What does the Human Spaceflight domain include?

The Human Spaceflight domain spans 26 sectors and 6 companies tracked by Space Index.

Where are most Human Spaceflight companies headquartered?

Human Spaceflight companies are most often headquartered in United States (2), Spain (1), and France (1).