Probe Rocket Market Report 2026

The probe rocket market size has grown strongly in recent years. It will grow from $17.79 billion in 2025 to $19.12 billion in 2026 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7.5%. The growth in the historic period can be attributed to growing investment in unmanned space exploration, development of high-altitude launch vehicles, adoption of advanced rocket engines, increasing demand for atmospheric and space data collection, expansion of scientific research programs.

The probe rocket market size is expected to see strong growth in the next few years. It will grow to $25.2 billion in 2030 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7.1%. The growth in the forecast period can be attributed to advancement in miniaturized scientific payloads, growth of reusable probe rocket technologies, expansion of interplanetary mission programs, adoption of ai-guided navigation systems, increasing commercial and academic partnerships for probe missions. Major trends in the forecast period include high-altitude atmospheric research, suborbital space experiments, advanced propulsion testing, microgravity experimentation, celestial observation and data collection.

The increasing activities in commercial space exploration are expected to boost the growth of the probe rocket market in the future. Commercial space exploration includes space missions, services, and innovations carried out by private companies for profit, research, or commercial purposes beyond government-led programs. This rise is driven by growing private investments, with companies funding new technologies and missions to tap into emerging opportunities in space markets. Probe rockets play a crucial role in supporting these activities by transporting scientific instruments, telecommunication payloads, and exploratory probes into space. For example, in January 2024, the Space Foundation, a US-based nonprofit space organization, reported that global launch activity reached record levels for the third consecutive year, with 223 launch attempts and 212 successful launches. Commercial launch activities increased by 50% compared to 2022. As a result, the growth in commercial space exploration is anticipated to fuel the expansion of the probe rocket market.

Increasing investments in space missions are projected to further propel the probe rocket market’s growth. Space missions involve planned operations to send spacecraft or astronauts into outer space for exploration, research, or technological objectives. These investments are rising due to the heightened demand for satellite-based services, as governments and companies increasingly depend on satellites for communication, navigation, Earth observation, and data analysis. Funding from these investments enables the development of probe rockets by supporting the necessary research, technology advancements, and engineering needed to design and launch spacecraft for exploration. For instance, in July 2025, the UK Space Agency, a UK government body, reported that UK-based space companies secured $647 million (£481 million) through 92 investment deals in 2024. Venture capital accounted for 43% of this funding and 16% of the deals. Hence, growing investments in space missions are contributing significantly to the probe rocket market’s growth.

Key players in the probe rocket market are concentrating on the development of planetary defense probes to improve the monitoring and analysis of potential celestial threats. Planetary defense probes are spacecraft designed to detect, track, and mitigate asteroids or other space objects that might endanger Earth. For example, in October 2024, the European Space Agency, a France-based intergovernmental organization, launched the Hera planetary defense probe aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. The Hera mission is unique as it involves three separate spacecraft. The primary spacecraft measures 1.6 meters in width and has two solar panels, each five meters long. It also carries two 10-centimeter CubeSats: Milani, which investigates the mineral composition of the asteroid Dimorphos and its surrounding dust, and Juventas, which conducts the first subsurface radar survey of an asteroid.

Major companies operating in the probe rocket market are The Boeing Company, Lockheed Martin Corporation, Northrop Grumman Corporation, Safran SA, Space Exploration Technologies Corp., Blue Origin LLC, Magellan Aerospace Corporation, Rocket Lab USA Inc., Intuitive Machines Inc., Andøya Space Center, Orienspace Technology Co. Ltd., Virgin Galactic Holdings Inc., Equatorial Space Systems Pty. Ltd., HyImpulse Technologies GmbH, TiSPACE (Technology Innovations in Space Exploration Co. Ltd.), Perigee Aerospace Co. Ltd., Wickman Spacecraft & Propulsion Company, T-Minus Engineering B.V., PLD Space S.L., Skyroot Aerospace Private Limited.

North America was the largest region in the probe rocket market in 2025. Asia-Pacific is expected to be the fastest-growing region in the forecast period. The regions covered in the probe rocket market report are Asia-Pacific, South East Asia, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, North America, South America, Middle East, Africa.

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.

Tariffs have affected the probe rocket market by increasing costs of launch vehicles, rocket engines, and navigation systems, particularly impacting imports from Asia-Pacific manufacturing hubs. High-precision research rockets and advanced propulsion types are among the most affected segments. While tariffs may slow delivery and raise production costs, they also encourage domestic production, drive technological innovation, and foster localized supply chain resilience, benefiting regional aerospace capabilities.

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

A probe rocket is an unmanned vehicle designed to transport scientific equipment or sensors into space or high-altitude areas for research and data gathering. Its main goal is to examine celestial objects, space conditions, or atmospheric phenomena without requiring human involvement, allowing for safer and more affordable exploration.

The primary categories of probe rockets include sounding rockets, research rockets, suborbital rockets, and experimental rockets. Sounding rockets are suborbital vehicles that carry scientific instruments into the upper atmosphere or near space to study atmospheric, astronomical, and microgravity effects. These rockets employ various propulsion methods such as chemical, hybrid, electric, and solid propulsion, and can accommodate payloads of varying sizes, including small, medium, large, and heavy. Multiple users rely on probe rockets, including government space agencies, private aerospace firms, research organizations, and educational institutions.

The countries covered in the probe rocket market report are Australia, Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, Taiwan, Russia, South Korea, UK, USA, Canada, Italy, Spain.

The probe rocket market includes of sales of launch vehicles, rocket engines, and navigation equipment. 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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