Market Trends of asia-pacific satellite manufacturing Industry
The demand for satellite miniaturization is a growth driver in the Asia-Pacific market
- Miniature satellites leverage advancements in computation, miniaturized electronics, and packaging to produce sophisticated mission capabilities. Microsatellites can be included on the journey with other space missions, considerably reducing the launch costs. The demand from Asia-Pacific is primarily driven by China, Japan, and India, which manufacture the largest number of small satellites annually. Though the launches from the region have decreased over the last three years, the region's industry has a huge potential. The ongoing investments in the startups and the nano and microsatellite development projects are expected to boost the revenue growth of the region. On this note, from 2017 to 2022, more than 190 nano and microsatellites were placed into orbit by various regional players.
- China is investing significant resources toward augmenting its space-based capabilities. The country has launched the largest number of nano and microsatellites in Asia-Pacific. In April 2022, Chinese startup SpaceWish launched a nanosatellite into LEO boarding CZ-2C (3) rocket. XINGYUAN-2 is a 6U remote sensing CubeSat that weighs approximately 7.5 kg. In India, the indigenous development of nano and microsatellites has been one of the areas of emphasis for the industry. Many startups and universities are developing these satellites at various levels in the country. For instance, in December 2018, Exseed Space launched a nanosatellite named ExseedSAT 1 to provide vital communication for radio amateurs. This was India’s first privately owned satellite into space. Countries like Australia, Malaysia, South Korea, and Singapore are also investing in developing nano and microsatellites.
Increased spending by China, India, Japan, and South Korea is the growth driver of the Asia-Pacific market
- Considering the increase in space-related activities in the Asia-Pacific region, satellite manufacturers are enhancing their satellite production capabilities to tap into the rapidly emerging market potential. The prominent Asia-Pacific region countries with robust space infrastructure are China, India, Japan, and South Korea. China National Space Administration (CNSA) announced space exploration priorities for 2021–2025, including enhancing national civil space infrastructure and ground facilities. As a part of this plan, the Chinese government established China Satellite Network Group Co. Ltd to develop a 13,000-satellite constellation for satellite internet.
- In 2022, according to Japan's draft budget, the country's space budget was over USD 1.4 billion. It included investment in space activities of 11 government ministries, such as the development of the H3 rocket, Engineering Test Satellite-9, and the country’s Information Gathering Satellite program. India has become a global leader in third-party launch services and has several ongoing R&D programs for new launch platforms. The proposed budget for India's space programs for FY22 was USD 1.83 billion.
- South Korea's space program has recorded slow progress as other countries are reluctant to transfer core technologies. In 2022, the Ministry of Science and ICT announced a space budget of USD 619 million for manufacturing satellites, rockets, and other key space equipment. Many Southeast Asian countries started investing in space technology. As of March 2021, the Indonesian government secured USD 545 million to continue the fabrication of the Very High Throughput Satellite (SATRIA), using a Public Private Partnership (PPP) scheme, for launch in 2023.
OTHER KEY INDUSTRY TRENDS COVERED IN THE REPORT
- Medium and microsatellites are poised to create demand in the market