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

National Security Space

Space capabilities built primarily for defense and intelligence customers.

STATISTICS
Status
Operating 41
Geo
USA 23 FRA 3 DEU 2 GBR 2 ITA 2
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

65

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

15

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

56

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

11

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

21

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

24

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

40

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

40

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

Ground Segment & Networks

41

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
Pasquali Microwave Systems logo
Pasquali Microwave Systems
OPERATING
ITA EST. 1958

Florence-based manufacturer of precision waveguide devices and microwave components for defence, space, and telecoms

Space Defense SystemsSatellite Components & Subsystems
Firenze, Italy
EXPLORE
Pan Galactic logo
Pan Galactic
OPERATING
GBR

Quantum-secure operating systems and blockchain networks for the future space economy

Space Software & Mission ToolsSpace Cybersecurity
Hull, United Kingdom
EXPLORE
P
Pals
OPERATING

Istanbul-founded SATCOM and broadcast systems integrator serving defense sectors across three continents since 1995

Satellite CommunicationsGround Segment & NetworksSpace Defense Systems
EXPLORE
Orus Space logo
Orus Space
OPERATING
FRA

French startup delivering hyperspectral Earth observation imagery and analytics via a proprietary spectro-imager

Earth Observation & Remote SensingGeospatial Intelligence & AnalyticsSpace Intelligence & Reconnaissance
France
EXPLORE
OroraTech logo
OroraTech
OPERATING
DEU EST. 2018

German startup operating the world's largest thermal satellite constellation for wildfire detection and monitoring

Earth Observation & Remote SensingSpace Intelligence & Reconnaissance
Germany
EXPLORE
40 COMPANIES
FREQUENTLY ASKED

What does the National Security Space domain include?

The National Security Space domain spans 26 sectors and 40 companies tracked by Space Index.

Where are most National Security Space companies headquartered?

National Security Space companies are most often headquartered in United States (23), France (3), and Germany (2).