Mars Entry Descent and Landing System Market Report 2025

The mars entry descent and landing system market size has grown rapidly in recent years. It will grow from $2.13 billion in 2024 to $2.43 billion in 2025 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 13.8%. The growth in the historic period can be attributed to growing global interest in Mars exploration, rising government funding for planetary missions, an increase in international collaborations on space programs, a higher number of robotic exploration missions, and continued advancements in spacecraft design and propulsion.

The mars entry descent and landing system market size is expected to see rapid growth in the next few years. It will grow to $4.01 billion in 2029 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 13.4%. The growth in the forecast period can be attributed to increasing private sector involvement in Mars missions, a stronger focus on human exploration of Mars, rising investment in advanced EDL technologies, greater adoption of reusable space systems, and growing demand for high-precision landing solutions. Key trends anticipated during this period include advancements in autonomous navigation and guidance systems, expanded use of AI and machine learning in EDL processes, the development of reusable entry and landing systems, innovations in thermal protection and heat shield materials, and the creation of lightweight, compact EDL components.

The rising number of space exploration missions is expected to drive the growth of the Mars entry, descent, and landing system market in the coming years. These missions, which focus on advancing scientific and technological efforts to explore outer space, are increasing due to growing government and private sector investments in space technologies. Mars entry, descent, and landing systems play a critical role in ensuring spacecraft can safely enter the Martian atmosphere, decelerate, and land securely on the planet’s surface, enabling rovers and scientific instruments to function effectively. For example, in January 2025, the Space Foundation, a U.S.-based nonprofit organization, reported that global launch activity reached a record high for the third consecutive year, with 223 attempts and 212 successful missions, alongside a 50% surge in commercial launch activity compared to 2022. Therefore, the growing number of space exploration missions is fueling the demand for Mars entry, descent, and landing systems.

Major players in the Mars entry, descent, and landing system market are advancing technologies such as inflatable decelerator systems to achieve safer and more efficient spacecraft landings. These systems are lightweight, expandable heat shields that increase drag to slow down spacecraft during atmospheric entry. For example, in November 2022, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), a U.S.-based government space agency, conducted the Low-Earth Orbit Flight Test of an Inflatable Decelerator (LOFTID). The LOFTID system demonstrated the ability to boost payload capacity, reduce landing risks, and lower mission costs, while also laying the groundwork for future human and robotic Mars exploration. This successful test validated the feasibility of inflatable heat shield technology for atmospheric entry, marking an important step toward delivering larger payloads needed for sustainable missions to Mars.

In March 2024, Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (SpaceX), a U.S.-based aerospace and space technology company, acquired Pioneer Aerospace Corporation for \$2.2 million. This acquisition is intended to enhance SpaceX’s expertise in parachute technology, a key element of entry, descent, and landing systems, to ensure safer and more reliable landings for future missions, including potential Mars exploration. Pioneer Aerospace Corporation, a U.S.-based aerospace manufacturing company, specializes in designing and producing parachute systems that decelerate and safely land spacecraft.

Major players in the mars entry descent and landing system market are Airbus Defence and Space, Lockheed Martin Space, China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC), Northrop Grumman Corporation, Honeywell Aerospace, L3Harris Technologies, Leonardo S.p.A., Teledyne Technologies, Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), Moog Inc., Thales Alenia Space, SENER Aeroespacial S.A., OHB System AG, ILC Dover LP, Heathcoat Fabrics Ltd., Marotta Controls Inc., Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), Stellar Technology Inc., Malin Space Science Systems Inc., Paragon Space Development Corporation.

North America was the largest region in the mars entry descent and landing system market in 2024. Asia-Pacific is expected to be the fastest-growing region in the forecast period. The regions covered in mars entry descent and landing (EDL) system report are Asia-Pacific, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, North America, South America, Middle East and Africa. The countries covered in the mars entry descent and landing (EDL) system 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.

The Mars entry, descent, and landing (EDL) system is an integrated set of technologies and processes designed to safely deliver a spacecraft from the edge of the Martian atmosphere to the planet’s surface. Its primary function is to decelerate the spacecraft from interplanetary speeds, guide it through Mars’ thin atmosphere, and achieve a controlled landing for rovers, scientific instruments, or future human missions.

The main components of the Mars EDL system include parachutes, heat shields, landing legs, propulsion systems, sensors, and others. Parachutes act as aerodynamic decelerators, deploying during atmospheric entry to generate drag and slow the spacecraft for a controlled descent. These systems employ a range of technologies such as powered descent, parachute descent, airbag landings, sky crane maneuvers, and more. They are applied in both manned and unmanned missions, with key end users including government space agencies, commercial space companies, research institutions, and others.

The mars entry, descent, and landing system market research report is one of a series of new reports that provides mars entry, descent, and landing system market statistics, including the mars entry, descent, and landing system industry global market size, regional shares, competitors with the mars entry, descent, and landing system market share, detailed mars entry, descent, and landing system market segments, market trends, and opportunities, and any further data you may need to thrive in the mars entry, descent, and landing system industry. This mars entry, descent, and landing system 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.

The mars entry descent and landing (EDL) system market consists of revenues earned by entities by providing services such as spacecraft design and integration, atmospheric entry simulation and testing, telemetry and data acquisition solutions. The market value includes the value of related goods sold by the service provider or included within the service offering. The mars entry descent and landing (EDL) system market also includes sales of thermal protection systems, supersonic parachutes, retro-propulsion thrusters, aerodynamic decelerators. 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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