Satellite Data Services Market

Market Overview

The global satellite data services market size was estimated at USD 6.81 billion in 2022 and is expected to reach USD 61.22 billion by 2031, growing at a CAGR of 27.7% during the projected period (2023–2031).

The satellite data service makes available the data that satellites orbiting the Earth and other planets in space collect. Satellite data (EO) is primarily used for Earth observation. Satellite data is produced by remote sensing technologies like Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) and Real Aperture Radar (RAR), and this stream of data is trustworthy and timely. The Earth's surface, the weather, chemistry, and biology are all covered by satellite data services. Innovations in satellite technology are facilitating the need to incorporate smaller sensors into satellites which results in minimizing the size of the satellite, effectively leading to smaller development cycles and cost-saving opportunities.

Furthermore, multiple small satellites can be more effective than fewer large satellites for specific operations such as land surveying and radio relaying. Small, low-cost, lightweight satellites are usually deployed in the lower orbits, thus facilitating better communication and data-sharing capabilities than larger and further satellites. Adopting satellite imagery-based data enables companies to get detailed insights into the current trends and movement, which facilitates decision-makers to make better and more calculated business decisions.

Highlights

• Administrative media dominates the application segment.
• Defense and security dominate the vertical industry segment.
• North Americais the highest contributor to the market.

Market Dynamics

Market Drivers

Technological Proliferation in Satellite Data Services Industry

Technological proliferation and advancements in satellite data services are envisioned to offer several growth opportunities, enabling service providers to foster deeper relations with their clients. The integration of advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), and big data analytics into satellite imagery offers deeper insights and highly specific earth images, enabling companies to make more calculated decisions. For instance, Planet Labs Inc. leverages deep learning to offer Planet Analytic Feeds to identify features of interest and objects, thus empowering its clients to prioritize resource spending and act accordingly.

Technological innovation in the satellite data industry has also enabled governments and federal agencies to efficiently map contour changes, track maritime operations, and conduct effective surveillance. Additionally, AI-based satellite imagery empowers governments to predict and tackle issues such as tracking livestock and deforestation and offers essential insights to small farmers. For instance, Satellio, a Finnish space technology company, provides AI-based insights on forestry by developing a special tool that combines satellite data with several ground data sources using automated processes and algorithms.

Miniaturization of Sensors and Satellites

Organizations are increasingly looking for ways to miniaturize the components used in satellites to reduce the size of satellites on account of higher efficiency and cost-effectiveness. Service providers and small satellite manufacturers like Spire have started manufacturing satellites using minimally adapted electronics to mitigate high manufacturing costs. Furthermore, small sensors and satellites enable manufacturers to build cost-effective satellites, low on mass, have lower orbital ranges, and are easily deployable, thus facilitating the option to launch several satellites simultaneously. For instance, PSLV-C37, launched by the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) in February 2017, successfully launched 104 satellites at lower orbitals for remote sensing and surveillance.

Furthermore, small satellites are highly useful for earth observation missions because of their lower orbital presence, low power requirement, and lesser vibrations, making them suitable for capturing highly precise pictures of the Earth. Single-sensor satellite missions offer a high amount of mission flexibility by allowing solo orbits for each sensor and avoiding interference between sensors on a joint platform, thus promising a higher adoption rate. Additionally, the miniaturization of satellites facilitates shorter development time, which provides potential to the market. It also enables integrated product development, thus offering time-saving opportunities.

Market Restraint:

Strict Regulations in Satellite Data Industry

Stringent government regulations could be a detrimental factor in the growth of this industry. Technological disruption in the satellite industry has enabled manufacturers to produce satellites capable of capturing highly detailed images of a given location. When coupled with AI-based platforms, these images offer deep and accurate insights about future trends, threatening residents' privacy at that location. Government regulations have been put down to prevent misuse of this data. However, these strict regulations put restrictions on satellite manufacturers. The introduction of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in the European Union gives consumers the power to safeguard their personal information, thus preventing satellite data providers from capturing personally identifiable information (PII) of people.

Furthermore, several data analytics companies produce products and services revolving around cloud computing, a highly regulated space. Data on cloud servers are susceptible to being accessed by other third parties with malicious intent, which poses a threat to consumer or classified government data. However, stringent regulations on data storage and transfer may restrict market growth. For instance, the International Telecommunication Union is developing standards for cloud computing, such as data portability, interoperability, and deployment consideration.

Market Opportunities:

Incrementing Demand for Small Sized Satellites

Increasing demand for high-speed, low-cost broadband by enterprises, government growth in industrialized countries, and demand for faster internet connections amongst individuals in lesser developed countries are facilitating the need for small satellites to be launched by telecom providers. These trends promote satellite manufacturers developing small satellites because of cost and resource-saving. Additionally, the market is growing due to rising demand from non-government organizations for satellite imagery or image-based analytics for economic forecasting, resource management, maritime, agriculture, and urban planning. For instance, Cape Analytics, in the U.S., uses satellite data to underwrite property values. Descartes Labs, Inc., a predictive intelligence company based in the U.S., uses satellite data to predict crop yields using smallsat operators and large government satellites.

Furthermore, private sector organizations are looking for new opportunities to increase reliability and reduce the cost of components and systems to increase performance and offer better service to their clients. Companies are further increasing investments to increase the reliability and performance of commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) components by integrating satellites with robotic systems, increasing standardization and modularity, and developing mass manufacturing. For instance, York Space Systems, a space-based manufacturing platform provider based in the U.S., is redesigning satellite buses to facilitate mass manufacturing and low cost of satellites. Similarly, OneWeb Satellites, a subsidiary of Airbus SE, are developing standard satellites which can be developed in robotic factories in bulk, thus enabling cost efficiency.

Regional Analysis

The global market is bifurcated regionally into North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and LAMEA.

North America Dominates the Global Market

North America is the most significant global market shareholder and is expected to exhibit a CAGR of 26.1% over the forecast period. Incremental growth in the scientific application can be accounted for the rising need amongst government and non-government agencies to effectively map and analyze glaciers, rivers, and topography and determine the societal impact of economic trends. In addition, many major players, such as DigitalGlobe and Harris Geospatial Solutions, Inc., enable regional organizations to leverage their diverse service offerings, offering growth prospects to the market. These companies offer data provided by the Landsat and Terra satellites, critically acclaimed for their Earth Observation. Such factors drive regional market growth.

Europe is estimated to exhibit a CAGR of 23.7% over the forecast period. The European satellite data services are expected to grow steadily in the forecast period. This can be accounted to recent initiatives undertaken by the European Union (EU) to ensure the free availability of image data captured by the Copernicus Satellites. The European Association of Remote Sensing Companies (EARSC) recently started commercializing satellite images captured by the WorldView – 4. The initiative has been undertaken to accelerate the development and innovation of new products and services, thus offering attractive market growth prospects for the region. Furthermore, the region is regulated by the European Environment Agency (EEA), the EARSC, European Space Agency (ESA). DTU Space, and European Union Satellite Centre (EUSC), thus ensuring sustainable and secure market growth.

Asia-Pacific is the fastest-growing satellite data services market, with an increasing focus on disaster management and forest cover mapping. The presence of an advanced scientific community in India is helping government planners and the private industry drive sales. Providing images from Landsat and MODIS satellites enables organizations to offer highly detailed images of the Earth's surface, which is essential in mapping agriculture and tourism activities and monitoring disputed border areas. In addition, countries like India, China, and South Korea also actively adopt satellite data services to map socio-economic trends and enhance security. National governments in this region have also undergone strategic partnerships in the recent past, such as the Inter-Governmental Framework Agreement for the Exploration of Outer Space for Peaceful Purposes between India and Vietnam, offering the latter access to images of China and the South China Sea from India's earth observation satellites.

Segmental Analysis

The global market is based on application and industry verticals.

Based on application, the global market is broadly divided into scientific, administrative, commercial, and others. 

The administrative segment dominates the global market and is predicted to exhibit a CAGR of 24.8% during the forecast period. Satellite imagery data can be leveraged for administrative purposes such as surveillance, remote sensing, defense activities, and government activities such as population count, land use, study development of particular areas, and monitoring urbanization of new places. Satellite data has been highly beneficial when used for administrative purposes.

In addition, the information provided regularly enables governments and administrative bodies to prepare beforehand for upcoming events and mitigate any risks. The administrative application captured the highest market share, owing to incrementing demand amongst organizations to gather insightful satellite imagery data for land use, population count, and urbanization of new places.

Scientific applications of satellite data services involve scientific research and space exploration using satellite-based data to monitor and track changes such as threats to marine reefs and marine life, historical and present changes to arctic glaciers and rivers, understanding forest dynamics, and further designing solutions for societal benefits. The scientific applications segment has the highest CAGR for the global market, owing to the increased use of satellite imagery data for geospatial and disaster mapping.

Based on industry verticals, the global market is bifurcated into defense and security, engineering and infrastructure, maritime, BFSI, transportation and logistics, agriculture and forestry, energy and power, environment, and others. 

The defense and security segment owns the highest market share and is anticipated to grow at a CAGR of 25.5% during the forecast period. The adoption of satellite-based offers high tactical support to militaries to plan and deploy defense and security missions. Fragmentation in traditional warfare practices and the rising adoption of asymmetric warfare amongst military outfits stimulate the need to resort to almost real-time, high-quality satellite imagery feed to facilitate immediate decision-making to mitigate the crisis. Governments and defense contractors use satellite-based data for surveillance, military mission deployments, and operations planning.

The environmental segment is the second largest. Satellite imagery has been highly impactful for environmentalists to understand and analyze different aspects that affect the environment. These include information about terrestrial and marine wildlife populations, detection of deforestation, changes in the landscape, and counting and movement of wildlife, which is essential to determine the planet's sustainability. The environmental sector has widespread use of satellite imagery. It is continuously used by governments and non-government agencies for weather monitoring, detecting changes in wind speed and currents, and predicting natural disasters, thus establishing sustained growth opportunities for the market.

Recent Developments

• May 2023- Airbus selected the National Satellite Test Facility (NSTF) at Harwell in Oxfordshire to conduct the comprehensive test campaign on the UK Ministry of Defence's next-generation secure communications satellite SKYNET 6A.
• June 2023- Azista BST Aerospace, envisioning mass manufacturing of satellites built in India for the global market, launched its first satellite ABA First Runner (AFR), aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket as part of the Transporter 8 Mission.
• June 2023- BlackSky Technology secured a two-year multimillion-dollar ground station infrastructure augmentation contract establishing the strategic framework for BlackSky's next major international advanced tactical ISR Ministry of Defense customer.