- Domain
- Critical Technology · Hard Power
- Identifier
- factbase.org/cpg/Z53K8DHD61
- Capabilities
- 3
Bounds. Holds space and high-speed flight technology as national capacity; launch complexes and ground segments belong to Strategic Infrastructure, spacecraft on orbit register as its assets, operational use of space to National Security's Space Operations, and the space economy to the economic domains. The seam is technology versus operation: the ability to build and launch is held here, what the systems then do is held there.
The 3 capabilities
The capabilities compared
Papers and patent families, 2020–2024, with growth on the five years before and the leading nation in each.
| Capability | Papers | Growth | Research leader | Families | Growth | Patent leader |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Space Launch & Reusable Systems | 1.7k | −23% | United States 22% | 4.5k | +49% | China 72% |
| Advanced Propulsion & Hypersonic Systems | 1.6k | +22% | China 24% | 6.2k | +46% | China 71% |
| Satellite & Constellation Technologies | 2.6k | −12% | United States 19% | 24.7k | +114% | China 73% |
Who publishes it
Papers by year for each capability, and the nations' shares of the group's papers, 2020–2024. A capability that shares a v0.0 topic with another counts it in both.
- 1United States13.7%797 papers
- 2China12.3%714 papers
- 3Italy4.7%276 papers
- 4Germany4.4%254 papers
- 5India3.8%224 papers
- 6United Kingdom3.4%200 papers
- 7Russia2.4%141 papers
- 8France2.4%138 papers
- 9Japan2.1%123 papers
- 10Netherlands1.5%90 papers
Who patents it
Patent families by priority year for each capability, and the origin nations' shares of the group's families, 2020–2024. A family in two capabilities' classes counts in both.
- 1China72.5%25,625 families
- 2United States10.6%3,760 families
- 3South Korea4.4%1,544 families
- 4Japan3.2%1,131 families
- 5France1.5%514 families
- 6Germany1.3%473 families
- 7Russia1.2%417 families
- 8Finland0.7%243 families
- 9United Kingdom0.7%241 families
- 10Sweden0.5%170 families
Who makes it
The companies across the group's capabilities, the global leaders and the leading firms of every region.
115 companies in Space Technologies, from 34 nations across 8 regions; the leading 25 below. Sorted by how experts see each company's global relevance in its strongest capability of the group, from very high to very low.
- Very high16 companies
- 1Very highSystems integrationArlingtonUnited States1922186kRTX
Pratt & Whitney builds the F135 and adaptive-cycle engine work, and Raytheon is prime with Northrop Grumman on the scramjet-powered Hypersonic Attack Cruise Missile (HACM).
In Advanced Propulsion & Hypersonic Systems
Very high relevance · Systems integration · United States, Arlington · founded 1922 · 186k staff
- 2Very highOperations & infrastructureStarbaseUnited States200213kPrivate
Builds and operates the reusable Falcon 9/Falcon Heavy with Merlin and Raptor engines and the fully reusable Starship, flying the large majority of the world's orbital launches.
In Space Launch & Reusable Systems
Very high relevance · Operations & infrastructure · United States, Starbase · founded 2002 · 13k staff
- 3Very highSystems integrationBeijingChina1999180kState-owned
China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC)State prime for the Long March family (CZ-2/3/4/5/6/7/8/12) through CALT and SAST, China's main orbital launch provider and developer of reusable Long March variants.
In Space Launch & Reusable Systems
Very high relevance · Systems integration · China, Beijing · founded 1999 · 180k staff
- 4Very highComponents & subsystemsEvendaleUnited States189253kGE
World's largest jet engine maker; it developed the XA100 adaptive-cycle engine, the RISE open-fan programme and rotating detonation and dual-mode ramjet hypersonic propulsion.
In Advanced Propulsion & Hypersonic Systems
Very high relevance · Components & subsystems · United States, Evendale · founded 1892 · 53k staff
- 5Very highSystems integrationLeidenNetherlands1970157kAIR
Airbus Defence and Space builds telecom (OneSat, Eurostar), Earth-observation and navigation (Galileo) satellites, built OneWeb's first-generation constellation through a joint venture, and owns Surrey Satellite Technology and Tesat.
In Satellite & Constellation Technologies
Very high relevance · Systems integration · Netherlands, Leiden · founded 1970 · 157k staff
- 6Very highSystems integrationMelbourneUnited States189547kLHX
Its Aerojet Rocketdyne unit (acquired 2023) makes RS-25 and RL10 rocket engines and solid rocket motors, and built the SJY61 scramjet that flew on the X-51A WaveRider.
In Advanced Propulsion & Hypersonic Systems
Very high relevance · Systems integration · United States, Melbourne · founded 1895 · 47k staff
- 7Very highHardware & devicesLong BeachUnited States20062,100RKLB
Flies the Electron small launcher (with booster recovery trials) from New Zealand and the US and is developing the reusable medium-lift Neutron rocket and Archimedes engine.
In Space Launch & Reusable Systems
Very high relevance · Hardware & devices · United States, Long Beach · founded 2006 · 2,100 staff
- 8Very highHardware & devicesKentUnited States2000–Private
Develops the reusable New Glenn heavy launcher and New Shepard suborbital vehicle and supplies BE-4 methane engines that power ULA's Vulcan.
In Space Launch & Reusable Systems
Very high relevance · Hardware & devices · United States, Kent · founded 2000
- 9Very highSystems integrationBethesdaUnited States1995121kLMT
Prime contractor on US hypersonic programmes including ARRW, Conventional Prompt Strike/LRHW glide bodies, and Skunk Works' high-speed aircraft research.
In Advanced Propulsion & Hypersonic Systems
Very high relevance · Systems integration · United States, Bethesda · founded 1995 · 121k staff
- 10Very highSystems integrationParisFrance189383kHO
Through Thales Alenia Space (67% owned, with Leonardo) it is Europe's other prime for telecom, navigation and science satellites, including the Iridium NEXT and SES O3b mPOWER-era payloads and the Space Inspire software-defined platform.
In Satellite & Constellation Technologies
Very high relevance · Systems integration · France, Paris · founded 1893 · 83k staff
- 11Very highSystems integrationFalls ChurchUnited States193997kNOC
Leading US solid rocket motor producer and provider of the scramjet engine for the HACM programme, plus the advanced air-breathing propulsion behind its hypersonic work.
In Advanced Propulsion & Hypersonic Systems
Very high relevance · Systems integration · United States, Falls Church · founded 1939 · 97k staff
- 12Very highOperations & infrastructureMoscowRussia2015–State-owned
State corporation whose enterprises (Progress RSC, Khrunichev, Energomash) build and launch Soyuz-2, Angara and Proton vehicles and RD-series engines.
In Space Launch & Reusable Systems
Very high relevance · Operations & infrastructure · Russia, Moscow · founded 2015
- 13Very highHardware & devicesLes MureauxFrance20157,600Private
Airbus-Safran joint venture that is prime contractor for Ariane 6 and the Vulcain/Vinci engines, and parent of reusable-launcher venture MaiaSpace; the top patent applicant in this capability.
In Space Launch & Reusable Systems
Very high relevance · Hardware & devices · France, Les Mureaux · founded 2015 · 7,600 staff
- 14Very highComponents & subsystemsParisFrance2005100kSAF
Co-maker with GE of the CFM LEAP, maker of the Rafale's M88, lead on the RISE open-rotor demonstrator, and co-owner of ArianeGroup.
In Advanced Propulsion & Hypersonic Systems
Very high relevance · Components & subsystems · France, Paris · founded 2005 · 100k staff
- 15Very highOperations & infrastructureCentennial, ColoradoUnited States2006–Private
Boeing-Lockheed Martin joint venture flying the Vulcan Centaur and Atlas V for US national-security and NASA missions.
In Space Launch & Reusable Systems
Very high relevance · Operations & infrastructure · United States, Centennial, Colorado · founded 2006
- 16Very highComponents & subsystemsLondonUnited Kingdom190642kRR.
Major gas-turbine maker (Trent, EJ200 partner, UltraFan demonstrator) that leads the UK engine work for the GCAP/Tempest sixth-generation fighter.
In Advanced Propulsion & Hypersonic Systems
Very high relevance · Components & subsystems · United Kingdom, London · founded 1906 · 42k staff
- High9 companies
- 17HighSystems integrationArlingtonUnited States1916172kBA
Its Boeing Satellite Systems arm builds WGS, the O3b mPOWER constellation and the 702 bus, and its Millennium Space Systems subsidiary builds missile-tracking and FOO Fighter smallsat constellations.
In Satellite & Constellation Technologies
High relevance · Systems integration · United States, Arlington · founded 1916 · 172k staff
- 18HighHardware & devicesPalo AltoUnited States1957–Private
Lanteris Space Systems (formerly Maxar Space Systems)The former SSL/Maxar Space Systems, a leading builder of 1300-series geostationary communications satellites and SDA Tranche Tracking Layer satellites; renamed in 2025 and announced for sale to Intuitive Machines.
In Satellite & Constellation Technologies
High relevance · Hardware & devices · United States, Palo Alto · founded 1957
- 19HighOperations & infrastructureSeattle, WashingtonUnited States19941.6mAMZN
Designs and serially builds, in its Kirkland plant, the satellites for its planned 3,236-satellite Kuiper (now Amazon Leo) broadband constellation, which began production launches in 2025.
In Satellite & Constellation Technologies
High relevance · Operations & infrastructure · United States, Seattle, Washington · founded 1994 · 1.6m staff
- 20HighSystems integrationBeijingChina1956–State-ownedChina Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation (CASIC)
State missile maker whose academies develop ramjet and scramjet cruise missiles, hypersonic systems and solid rocket propulsion for China.
In Advanced Propulsion & Hypersonic Systems
High relevance · Systems integration · China, Beijing · founded 1956
- 21HighHardware & devicesTokyoJapan188477k7011
Prime contractor and launch operator for Japan's H3 (successor to H-IIA) with the LE-9 expander-bleed engine, under JAXA.
In Space Launch & Reusable Systems
High relevance · Hardware & devices · Japan, Tokyo · founded 1884 · 77k staff
- 22HighComponents & subsystemsBeijingChina2016–State-ownedAero Engine Corporation of China (AECC)
China's consolidated military and civil aero-engine group, which develops the WS-10, WS-15 and CJ-1000 turbofans and combined-cycle engine research.
In Advanced Propulsion & Hypersonic Systems
High relevance · Components & subsystems · China, Beijing · founded 2016
- 23HighOperations & infrastructureXiong'anChina2021–State-ownedChina Satellite Network Group (China SatNet)
State company created to build and run Guowang, China's planned 13,000-satellite national broadband megaconstellation, which has been deploying satellites since late 2024.
In Satellite & Constellation Technologies
High relevance · Operations & infrastructure · China, Xiong'an · founded 2021
- 24HighOperations & infrastructureBeijingChina2015––
First company to reach orbit with a methane-fuelled rocket (Zhuque-2) and is developing the reusable stainless-steel Zhuque-3.
In Space Launch & Reusable Systems
High relevance · Operations & infrastructure · China, Beijing · founded 2015
- 25HighHardware & devicesTokyoJapan1921150k6503
Japan's leading satellite prime, building DS2000-bus communications satellites, the Michibiki QZSS navigation constellation and Himawari weather satellites, and it is a top patent applicant in this field.
In Satellite & Constellation Technologies
High relevance · Hardware & devices · Japan, Tokyo · founded 1921 · 150k staff