Satellite manufacturing
Design and assembly of satellites, buses and payloads, from large geostationary satellites to mass-produced low-Earth-orbit (LEO) satellites.
5 leading companies in satellite manufacturing, one segment of space & satellites — Rockets, satellite internet constellations, Earth imagery and satellite factories, in a US$429B–686B space economy
new market segment · researched 2026-11-14
Rocket launch servicesSatellite manufacturingSatellite internet & connectivityEarth observation & satellite imageryIn-space services & robotics
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Leading satellite manufacturing companies
5 companies, with the scale each source states. Scale is the whole company's unless the row says otherwise.
| Company | Where | What they do | Scale |
|---|---|---|---|
| MDA Space MDA (TSX, NYSE) ↗ | Brampton, Canada since 1969 | Satellite systems maker (198 satellites for Telesat Lightspeed) and space robotics (Canadarm2, Canadarm3 for Lunar Gateway). | revenue: 1.201 USD billions (as stated by Wikipedia) (2025) ↗ |
| Airbus Defence and Space AIR.PA ↗ | Taufkirchen, Germany since 2014 | Telecom and Earth-observation satellites (Eurostar, Pléiades) and the Orion European Service Module. Airbus plans to merge its space systems with Thales Alenia Space and Telespazio in a joint venture with an estimated €6.5B turnover, targeted for 2027. | revenue (whole division incl. defence): 11,995 EUR millions (2024) ↗ |
| Rocket Lab RKLB ↗ | Long Beach, United States | Electron small-satellite launcher, the Neutron medium rocket in development, and spacecraft buses and components. | revenue: 601.799 USD millions (2025) ↗ |
| Firefly Aerospace FLY ↗ | Leander, United States | Builds the Alpha small launch vehicle, Blue Ghost lunar landers and spacecraft. | revenue: 159.855 USD millions (2025) ↗ |
| China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) ↗ | Beijing, China since 1999 | China's main state space contractor; designs and builds spacecraft, launch vehicles and ground equipment. | revenue: 294.02 CNY billions (2013) ↗ |
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The space & satellites market
The whole market this segment sits in.
global revenue (space economy) · world429
↗USD billions · 2025
Growth, segments, risks and every company in space & satellites →
Quick answers
- What is satellite manufacturing?
- Design and assembly of satellites, buses and payloads, from large geostationary satellites to mass-produced low-Earth-orbit (LEO) satellites. It is one segment of the space & satellites market.
- Who are the leading satellite manufacturing companies?
- MDA Space (Canada), Airbus Defence and Space (Germany), Rocket Lab (United States), Firefly Aerospace (United States), China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) (China).
- Which satellite manufacturing companies are publicly traded?
- MDA Space (MDA (TSX, NYSE)), Rocket Lab (RKLB), Firefly Aerospace (FLY).
- Which Canadian companies are in satellite manufacturing?
- MDA Space, Brampton.
- How big is the space & satellites market?
- For the whole space & satellites market, not this segment alone: global revenue (space economy) (world) 429 USD billions, 2025 — Satellite Industry Association.