Exoplanet Exploration Market Report 2026

The exoplanet exploration market size has grown rapidly in recent years. It will grow from $1.25 billion in 2025 to $1.41 billion in 2026 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 12.8%. The growth in the historic period can be attributed to advancements in telescope technology, growth of astrophysics research funding, discovery of early exoplanets, expansion of space observatories, improvements in data processing capabilities.

The exoplanet exploration market size is expected to see rapid growth in the next few years. It will grow to $2.26 billion in 2030 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 12.5%. The growth in the forecast period can be attributed to next generation space telescope missions, increasing interest in extraterrestrial life research, growth of private space exploration companies, advances in deep space imaging, rising interdisciplinary scientific collaborations. Major trends in the forecast period include increasing deployment of space based telescopes, growing use of AI driven data analysis for exoplanet detection, expansion of spectroscopy based atmospheric analysis, rising collaboration between public and private space institutions, higher focus on habitable zone planet discovery.

The increasing interest in space tourism is expected to drive the growth of the exoplanet exploration market in the future. Space tourism involves commercial trips by private individuals to space for leisure or adventure. This interest is growing due to the public’s fascination with space exploration, as more people want to experience the excitement of traveling beyond Earth and exploring a previously inaccessible frontier. Exoplanet exploration is important for shaping the future of space tourism by discovering planets outside our solar system that might have conditions suitable for life or human visits. For example, in May 2025, PatentPC, a US-based full-service law firm, projected that between 250 and 400 individuals would travel to space in 2025. Thus, the rising interest in space tourism is boosting the exoplanet exploration market.

The expanding interest in space exploration is expected to support the growth of the exoplanet exploration market in the coming years. Space exploration involves the study and discovery of outer space through astronomy, space technologies, and missions beyond Earth’s atmosphere. This growing interest is driven by technological advancements that make space missions more practical, efficient, and affordable, encouraging involvement from both governments and private sectors. Rising enthusiasm for space exploration significantly aids exoplanet research by attracting funding, promoting international collaboration, and advancing technology. This excitement speeds up missions aimed at finding and studying exoplanets, bringing humanity closer to discovering Earth-like planets and understanding our place in the cosmos. For instance, in March 2025, according to the House of Commons Library in the UK, government contracts totaling $1.15 billion (£844 million) were awarded between 2022 and 2024 via the European Space Agency (ESA). Hence, the growing interest in space exploration will enhance the exoplanet exploration market.

Key players in the exoplanet exploration market are focused on developing missions that provide important insights into how planetary systems form and evolve across the galaxy. Exoplanet missions are scientific efforts conducted from space to discover and study planets beyond our solar system. For example, in February 2025, NASA, a US government agency, selected SpaceX, a US aerospace manufacturer, to launch Pandora, a 716-pound (325-kilogram) satellite designed to help scientists better understand how host star variations affect exoplanet atmospheres. Operating in low Earth orbit, Pandora will observe at least 20 transiting exoplanets, which are planets that pass in front of their stars from the satellite’s viewpoint. Each planet will be studied 10 times with continuous 24-hour observations. The satellite features a 17-inch-wide all-aluminum telescope capable of capturing visible and near-infrared light, as well as near-infrared spectra from the planets.

Major companies operating in the exoplanet exploration market are Raytheon Technologies, Lockheed Martin Corp., Airbus SE, Northrop Grumman Corp., Mitsubishi Electric Corp., Honeywell International Inc., National Aeronautics And Space Administration (NASA), Thales Alenia Space, L3Harris Technologies Inc., Leidos Holdings Inc., CACI International Inc., Teledyne Technologies Inc., Bruker Corp., General Atomics, DLR, Ball Aerospace and Technologies, OHB System AG, Sierra Nevada Corporation, JAXA.

North America was the largest region in the exoplanet exploration market in 2025. The regions covered in the exoplanet exploration market report are Asia-Pacific, South East Asia, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, North America, South America, Middle East, Africa. The countries covered in the exoplanet exploration market report are Australia, Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, Taiwan, Russia, South Korea, UK, USA, Canada, Italy, Spain.

The exoplanet exploration market consists of revenues earned by entities by providing services such as exoplanet detection, spectroscopic analysis, astrometric measurement services, and astronomical instrument calibration. The market value includes the value of related goods sold by the service provider or included within the service offering. The exoplanet exploration market also includes sales of photometers, adaptive optics systems, coronagraphs, starshades, and interferometers. Values in this market are ‘factory gate’ values, that is the value of goods sold by the manufacturers or creators of the goods, whether to other entities (including downstream manufacturers, wholesalers, distributors and retailers) or directly to end customers. The value of goods in this market includes related services sold by the creators of the goods.

The market value is defined as the revenues that enterprises gain from the sale of goods and/or services within the specified market and geography through sales, grants, or donations in terms of the currency (in USD unless otherwise specified).

The revenues for a specified geography are consumption values that are revenues generated by organizations in the specified geography within the market, irrespective of where they are produced. It does not include revenues from resales along the supply chain, either further along the supply chain or as part of other products.

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