The software-defined satellite market size is expected to see rapid growth in the next few years. It will grow to $5.86 billion in 2029 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 13.6%. The growth in the forecast period can be attributed to increasing demand for agile satellite networks, wider adoption of cloud-based satellite services, the rising need for dynamic spectrum management, growth in Earth observation applications, and higher demand for low-latency communication. Key trends anticipated during this period include advancements in software-defined payload technologies, innovations in reconfigurable satellite systems, ongoing research and development in on-board processing, the advancement of autonomous satellite operations, and further progress in software-defined payload capabilities.
The expansion of telecommunication networks is expected to drive the growth of the software-defined satellite market in the coming years. Telecommunication networks are interconnected systems that transmit voice, data, and video across long and short distances, and their expansion is being fueled by the rollout of 5G technology, which delivers faster speeds, lower latency, and the ability to support massive device connectivity. Software-defined satellites play a key role in strengthening these networks by offering reconfigurable payloads that can adapt to changing bandwidth and coverage needs. This flexibility enhances network efficiency by enabling dynamic service adjustments, improving connectivity, and increasing operational agility. For example, according to the Office of Communications (Ofcom), a UK-based government department, the number of fixed broadband lines in the UK reached 29.2 million by the end of the fourth quarter of 2024, representing a year-on-year increase of 691,000 (2.4%). This trend underscores how the ongoing expansion of telecommunication networks is fueling demand for software-defined satellites.
Major companies in the software-defined satellite market are pursuing strategic collaborations to strengthen technological capabilities and broaden their service portfolios. These collaborations involve partnerships where companies combine expertise, technology, and resources to foster innovation, lower costs, and expand market opportunities. For example, in May 2022, the Arab Satellite Communications Organization, a Saudi Arabia-based communications satellite operator, partnered with Thales Alenia Space, a France-based aerospace company, to launch Arabsat-7A, a fully flexible software-defined satellite (SDS) built on Thales’ Space Inspire platform. The satellite is designed for in-orbit reconfiguration, allowing services to be adjusted instantly in response to broadband demand while also enhancing video broadcasting. Arabsat-7A will replace much of the capacity on the aging Arabsat 5A satellite and provide high-throughput Ku-band coverage to expand services across the Middle East, Africa, and parts of Europe. This initiative reflects Arabsat’s strategy to adopt agile, flexible satellite technologies to improve customer service and support regional economic growth.
In July 2025, SES S.A., a Luxembourg-based global satellite communications provider, acquired Intelsat S.A. for an undisclosed amount to strengthen its multi-orbit satellite connectivity capabilities. The acquisition combines the fleets and technologies of both companies, enhancing SES’s capacity, market presence, and ability to deliver integrated next-generation satellite solutions worldwide. Intelsat S.A., based in the U.S., is a satellite services provider that offers software-defined satellites to support 5G connectivity and other advanced services.
Major players in the software-defined satellite market are The Boeing Company, Lockheed Martin Corporation, Airbus S.A.S., General Dynamics Mission Systems Inc., Northrop Grumman Corporation, Thales S.A., L3Harris Technologies Inc., SES S.A., Hughes Network Systems LLC, Eutelsat Communications S.A., Iridium Communications Inc., Inmarsat Global Limited, Spire Global Inc., Innoflight Inc., Vector Launch Inc., Muon Space Inc., Antwerp Space N.V., XDLINX Space Labs Inc., SatixFy Communications Ltd., and ReOrbit Inc.
North America was the largest region in the software-defined satellite market in 2024. Asia-Pacific is expected to be the fastest-growing region in the forecast period. The regions covered in software-defined satellite report are Asia-Pacific, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, North America, South America, Middle East and Africa. The countries covered in the software-defined satellite 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.
Software-defined satellites are advanced satellites equipped with reprogrammable, software-based systems that replace traditional fixed hardware. This design allows them to dynamically control functions such as communication protocols, frequency allocation, and coverage areas. With this capability, operators can remotely update, reconfigure, or optimize satellite performance after deployment, providing greater flexibility, adaptability to changing mission needs, and extended operational value.
The key components of software-defined satellites include hardware, software, and services. Hardware encompasses the physical elements and equipment integrated into these satellites, such as payload systems, antennas, processors, and reconfigurable modules that enable their operations. They operate across different orbital regimes, including low Earth orbit (LEO), medium Earth orbit (MEO), and geostationary orbit (GEO), and utilize technologies such as software-defined radio, artificial intelligence (AI), cloud computing, and reconfigurable payloads. Their applications span communication, Earth observation, navigation, scientific research, and more, serving end users across commercial, government, defense, and other sectors.
The software-defined satellite market research report is one of a series of new reports that provides software-defined satellite market statistics, including software-defined satellite industry global market size, regional shares, competitors with a software-defined satellite market share, detailed software-defined satellite market segments, market trends and opportunities, and any further data you may need to thrive in the software-defined satellite industry. This software-defined satellite 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 software-defined satellite market consists of revenues earned by entities by providing services such as satellite software development, satellite communication, beam steering and shaping, mission optimization, and in-orbit reconfiguration capabilities. The market value includes the value of related hardware and software sold by the service provider or included within the service offering. The software-defined satellite market also includes sales of onboard software platforms, communication modules, flexible payloads, software-defined radio (SDR) modules, and ground control integration solutions. Values in this market are ‘factory gate’ values, that is, the value of goods and software 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 and software 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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Table of Contents
Executive Summary
Software-Defined Satellite Global Market Report 2025 provides strategists, marketers and senior management with the critical information they need to assess the market.This report focuses on software-defined satellite market which is experiencing strong growth. The report gives a guide to the trends which will be shaping the market over the next ten years and beyond.
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Description
Where is the largest and fastest growing market for software-defined satellite? How does the market relate to the overall economy, demography and other similar markets? What forces will shape the market going forward, including technological disruption, regulatory shifts, and changing consumer preferences? The software-defined satellite market global report answers all these questions and many more.The report covers market characteristics, size and growth, segmentation, regional and country breakdowns, competitive landscape, market shares, trends and strategies for this market. It traces the market’s historic and forecast market growth by geography.
- The market characteristics section of the report defines and explains the market.
- The market size section gives the market size ($b) covering both the historic growth of the market, and forecasting its development.
- The forecasts are made after considering the major factors currently impacting the market. These include: the technological advancements such as AI and automation, Russia-Ukraine war, trade tariffs (government-imposed import/export duties), elevated inflation and interest rates.
- Market segmentations break down the market into sub markets.
- The regional and country breakdowns section gives an analysis of the market in each geography and the size of the market by geography and compares their historic and forecast growth.
- The competitive landscape chapter gives a description of the competitive nature of the market, market shares, and a description of the leading companies. Key financial deals which have shaped the market in recent years are identified.
- The trends and strategies section analyses the shape of the market as it emerges from the crisis and suggests how companies can grow as the market recovers.
Report Scope
Markets Covered:
1) By Component: Hardware; Software; Services2) By Orbit Type: Low Earth Orbit (LEO); Medium Earth Orbit (MEO); Geostationary Orbit (GEO)
3) By Technology: Software-Defined Radio; Artificial Intelligence (AI); Cloud Computation; Reconfigurable Payload
4) By Application: Communication; Earth Observation; Navigation; Scientific Research; Other Applications
5) By End-User: Commercial; Government; Defense; Other End-Users
Subsegments:
1) By Hardware: Antennas; Transponders; Power Amplifiers; Receivers; Onboard Processors2) By Software: Network Management Software; Signal Processing Software; Payload Management Software; Ground Control Software; Data Analytics Software
3) By Services: Integration and Deployment Services; Consulting Services; Maintenance and Support Services; Managed Services; Training and Education Services
Companies Mentioned: the Boeing Company; Lockheed Martin Corporation; Airbus S.A.S.; General Dynamics Mission Systems Inc.; Northrop Grumman Corporation; Thales S.A.; L3Harris Technologies Inc.; SES S.A.; Hughes Network Systems LLC; Eutelsat Communications S.A.; Iridium Communications Inc.; Inmarsat Global Limited; Spire Global Inc.; Innoflight Inc.; Vector Launch Inc.; Muon Space Inc.; Antwerp Space N.V.; XDLINX Space Labs Inc.; SatixFy Communications Ltd.; ReOrbit Inc.
Countries: Australia; Brazil; China; France; Germany; India; Indonesia; Japan; Russia; South Korea; UK; USA; Canada; Italy; Spain.
Regions: Asia-Pacific; Western Europe; Eastern Europe; North America; South America; Middle East; Africa
Time Series: Five years historic and ten years forecast.
Data: Ratios of market size and growth to related markets, GDP proportions, expenditure per capita.
Data Segmentation: Country and regional historic and forecast data, market share of competitors, market segments.
Sourcing and Referencing: Data and analysis throughout the report is sourced using end notes.
Delivery Format: PDF, Word and Excel Data Dashboard.
Companies Mentioned
The companies featured in this Software-Defined Satellite market report include:- The Boeing Company
- Lockheed Martin Corporation
- Airbus S.A.S.
- General Dynamics Mission Systems Inc.
- Northrop Grumman Corporation
- Thales S.A.
- L3Harris Technologies Inc.
- SES S.A.
- Hughes Network Systems LLC
- Eutelsat Communications S.A.
- Iridium Communications Inc.
- Inmarsat Global Limited
- Spire Global Inc.
- Innoflight Inc.
- Vector Launch Inc.
- Muon Space Inc.
- Antwerp Space N.V.
- XDLINX Space Labs Inc.
- SatixFy Communications Ltd.
- ReOrbit Inc.
Table Information
Report Attribute | Details |
---|---|
No. of Pages | 250 |
Published | October 2025 |
Forecast Period | 2025 - 2029 |
Estimated Market Value ( USD | $ 3.52 Billion |
Forecasted Market Value ( USD | $ 5.86 Billion |
Compound Annual Growth Rate | 13.6% |
Regions Covered | Global |
No. of Companies Mentioned | 21 |