Suborbital Flight Market Report 2025

The suborbital flight market size has grown rapidly in recent years. It will grow from $0.81 billion in 2024 to $0.93 billion in 2025 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 15.4%. The growth during the historic period can be attributed to rising investments in space exploration, growing interest from defense agencies in missile and reentry testing, an increase in private funding for commercial space ventures, a heightened demand for rapid point-to-point delivery, and advancements in reusable launch technologies.

The suborbital flight market size is expected to see rapid growth in the next few years. It will grow to $1.64 billion in 2029 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 15.1%. The projected growth during the forecast period can be attributed to the rising adoption of reusable suborbital vehicles, increasing demand for microgravity experiments, growing government investment in space research, heightened interest in hypersonic testing, and expanding collaboration between space agencies and private companies. Key trends expected in this period include technological innovations, development of advanced lightweight materials for vehicle construction, improvements in rapid launch and recovery processes, integration of AI and machine learning into flight operations, and progress in hybrid propulsion technologies.

The growing investment in space exploration is anticipated to drive the expansion of the suborbital flight market in the future. Space exploration involves the study and discovery of outer space using spacecraft, satellites, and advanced technologies, including both crewed and uncrewed missions. This increase in investment is largely fueled by government funding, which supports national security, scientific progress, and technological innovation. Such investment accelerates advancements in suborbital flight technology, making launches more efficient and affordable. It also broadens research possibilities through frequent low-orbit missions, fostering scientific discovery and commercial space access. For example, in March 2024, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), a US independent agency, projected its budget to rise from $25.383 billion in 2024 to $27.476 billion in 2029. Thus, the rising investment in space exploration is driving growth in the suborbital flight market.

Leading companies in the suborbital flight sector are working on advanced products like suborbital rockets to provide more cost-efficient solutions for space missions. A suborbital rocket travels into space but does not achieve the velocity required to maintain orbit; instead, it follows a curved trajectory that briefly reaches space before returning to Earth. For instance, in October 2023, PLD Space, a Spain-based aerospace firm, launched the Miura 1 rocket. This reusable launch vehicle is designed to carry payloads up to 100 kilograms to suborbital altitudes, offering brief microgravity conditions for scientific experiments and technology demonstrations. The rocket incorporates advanced propulsion and reusable parts to reduce launch costs and improve space accessibility for research and commercial purposes.

In September 2022, Precious Payload Inc., a US-based space technology company, partnered with Exos Aerospace Systems & Technologies to simplify suborbital launch bookings and connect payload developers with growing demand. This collaboration aims to facilitate easier access to commercial suborbital launch capacities and streamline mission planning for both research and commercial payloads. Exos Aerospace Systems & Technologies, also based in the US, specializes in reusable suborbital flight technologies and offers launch services.

Major players in the suborbital flight market are Space Exploration Technologies Corp., Blue Origin LLC, Rocket Lab USA Inc., Avio S.p.A., Scaled Composites LLC, SpinLaunch Inc., Dawn Aerospace B.V., X-Bow Launch Systems Inc., Payload Aerospace S.L., Skyrora Ltd., Excalibur Almaz Limited, Copenhagen Suborbitals, Exos Aerospace Systems And Technologies Inc., Masten Space Systems Inc., SpaceForest, T-Minus Engineering B.V., ARCA Space Corporation, BluShift Aerospace Inc., Virgin Galactic Holdings Inc., and UP Aerospace Inc.

North America was the largest region in the suborbital flight market in 2024. Asia-Pacific is expected to be the fastest-growing region in the forecast period. The regions covered in suborbital flight report are Asia-Pacific, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, North America, South America, Middle East and Africa. The countries covered in the suborbital flight market report are Australia, Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, Russia, South Korea, UK, USA, Canada, Italy, Spain.

Note that the outlook for this market is being affected by rapid changes in trade relations and tariffs globally. The report will be updated prior to delivery to reflect the latest status, including revised forecasts and quantified impact analysis. The report’s Recommendations and Conclusions sections will be updated to give strategies for entities dealing with the fast-moving international environment.

The sharp hike in U.S. tariffs and the associated trade disputes in spring 2025 are notably impacting the aerospace and defense sector by raising costs for titanium, carbon fiber composites, and avionics materials largely sourced from global suppliers. Defense contractors, locked into fixed-price government contracts, absorb these added costs, while commercial aerospace firms face airline pushback on higher aircraft prices. Delays in component shipments due to customs bottlenecks further disrupt tight production schedules for jets and satellites. The industry is responding by stockpiling critical materials, seeking waivers for defense-related imports, and collaborating with allied nations to diversify supply chain.

Suborbital flight refers to a type of spaceflight where a vehicle reaches outer space but does not complete a full orbit around the Earth. Such flights usually follow a parabolic path, ascending to very high altitudes before descending back to the surface. The main objectives of suborbital flights include conducting scientific research, testing new technologies, and providing space tourism experiences at the edge of space without achieving orbital velocity.

The primary launch categories for suborbital flight include reusable suborbital rockets, single-use suborbital rockets, and captive carry systems. Reusable suborbital rockets are launch vehicles designed to reach suborbital space and return safely to Earth for multiple flights. These vehicles are classified by capacity into one-person, six-person, eight-person, and other configurations, while altitude classifications include low altitude (100 to 500 kilometers), high altitude (500 to 1000 kilometers), and beyond high altitude (above 1000 kilometers). The technologies involved encompass propulsion systems, avionics and navigation, vehicle design and materials, flight safety features, and payload capacity solutions. Applications cover space tourism, scientific research, technology demonstrations, microgravity experiments, and high-altitude studies.

The suborbital flight market research report is one of a series of new reports that provides suborbital flight market statistics, including suborbital flight industry global market size, regional shares, competitors with a suborbital flight market share, detailed suborbital flight market segments, market trends and opportunities, and any further data you may need to thrive in the suborbital flight industry. This suborbital flight market research report delivers a complete perspective of everything you need, with an in-depth analysis of the current and future scenario of the industry.

The suborbital flight market consists of revenues earned by entities by providing services such as rapid payload delivery, defense testing, suborbital satellite launch validation, and crew training simulations. The market value includes the value of related goods sold by the service provider or included within the service offering. The suborbital flight market consists of sales of telemetry and tracking systems, thermal protection systems, recovery and reusability systems, flight control software and simulation tools, radiation shielding materials, and environmental control and life support systems. 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 and 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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