This Executive Summary provides an overview of the role and rise of private actors in the space sector. It offers a synthesis of findings and conclusions of the main study.
An accepted definition of new space does not exist, but the following trends are identified and described in more detail in the Summary:
- New entrants
- Innovative industrial approaches
- Marked disruption solutions
- Substantial private investment
- New industry verticals and space markets
- Innovative public procurement and support schemes
The Executive Summary thus points out that NewSpace is not merely the emergence of new space business endeavours, but that it encompasses business, technical, and political trends that jointly contribute to an increasingly prominent role of private actors. This trend presents both challenges and opportunities for the traditional space sector, including space agencies and established commercial actors. Moreover, while the general trend exists on both sides of the Atlantic, there is a strikingly different dynamic between Europe and the USA, for which the Summary identifies plausible causes.
Finally, the Summary presents avenues for further research:
- NewSpace in Europe
- Space agencies model transformation
- Contributions of private actors to public space programmes