Space and satellite: A reflection on 2025 and what's on the horizon for 2026

In 2025, the space and satellite industry continued its rapid evolution, marked by record-breaking launch activity, major commercial breakthroughs, and scientific milestones. The year saw the highest number of orbital launches to date, signalling intensified competition in broadband constellations. On the science front, NASA’s Perseverance rover continued its analysis of Mars’ geology, identifying organic compounds that may inform future biosignature research, and new satellite-based methods for methane monitoring were progressed to support global climate goals. 

As orbital congestion intensifies and new technologies emerge, governments worldwide have responded with new frameworks and strategies addressing the sector's most pressing challenges. Several themes have run through this year's developments, including a strong focus on direct-to-device (D2D) and mobile satellite spectrum (MSS) frameworks, emerging space traffic management (STM) approaches to tackle orbital sustainability, and an increased focus on enhanced space security measures. These developments reflect both the maturation of the industry and its legal and regulatory frameworks, as well as growing recognition that effective space governance requires coordinated international action.

We provide a more detailed wrap up of some of the key developments from 2025 here, including in relation to: 

• national frameworks and strategies, with a focus on commercial investment and emerging technology regulation;
• spectrum management, particularly for D2D and MSS technologies; and
• international partnerships and space diplomacy, including bilateral agreements and multilateral cooperation.

Looking ahead

Building on these developments, several trends and topics are expected to be prominent in discussions and regulatory agendas in 2026, including the following:

• the EU’s evolving role: we expect to see continued discourse around the role of the EU in the space sector, driven by increased investment in European space capabilities and reactions to the proposed EU Space Act. Market attention will also focus on the pending merger discussions between major primes Airbus, Leonardo, and Thales, which could reshape Europe’s industrial landscape;
• sovereign space and data: building on momentum from 2025, national interests in space assets and data control will likely remain a priority, with the concept of geopatriation (moving data and applications to sovereign cloud systems) likely to continue to gain traction. A key challenge will be defining what “sovereign” capabilities mean in a sector reliant on global supply chains and cross-border capabilities; and
• advanced connectivity and communications: the convergence of satellite and terrestrial networks will continue, with initiatives to build space-based communications infrastructure for real-time data exchange. This includes projects for cellular connectivity on the Moon, exploring data centres in space, expanded satellite constellations, and further development of D2D services and frameworks, which remain central to next-generation connectivity strategies.