Analysis
Payload’s take on what you need to know about the news of the day.
SDA Needs Better Planning, GAO Says
In a report released this week, the watchdog agency was unimpressed with the SDA’s planning for the Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture (PWSA).
2025 Orbital Launch Attempts by Country
Around the world, rockets attempted to lift off 329 times—with 321 of these attempts reaching orbit or near orbit—according to data compiled by astronomer Jonathan McDowell.
Novaspace Predicts 43,000+ New Sats to Launch by 2034
If you think space is crowded now, you ain’t seen nothin’ yet.
This Isn’t Our First Obsession With Mars
An insightful new book documents turn of the century excitement over the Red Planet.
New Report Details Trump DoD’s Space Spending Spree
Between the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (BBB) and the Trump administration’s budget request, the Space Force could see a budget of $40.2B in fiscal 2026.
ASD-Eurospace’s 2024 Report Suggests a Rocky Future
ASD-Eurospace concluded that 2024 was indeed a banner year for the European space sector on many fronts. Things start to derail, however, when extrapolating data into the future.
New Report Values the Space Industry at $944B by 2033
The report, released yesterday, predicted that the global space economy will reach $944B by 2033.
Trump’s “Skinny” Space Budget Winners and Losers
Our guide to the people, companies and concepts that stand to gain, and those that are in trouble.
Charts Defining the Space Industry in Q1 ‘25
Despite turbulence in public markets, Q1 private space dealmaking was strong—particularly for the launch sector.
New Small Launchers are in Decline
Outside of the established companies, investment in small US launchers has slowed to a crawl, forcing dozens of companies to go dormant, or pivot to defense.
US Space Companies Make a Run at Europe
After years of investor malaise and memes about the region’s lack of innovation, investing in the EU is suddenly back in vogue.
SDA’s Tranche 0 Satellites Criticized, Tranche 1 Delayed
The Space Development Agency (SDA) announced last week it is pushing the launch of its Tranche 1 satellites until late summer due to system readiness and supply chain issues.
New Satellite Constellation Companies are in Decline
The number of new satellite constellation businesses has sharply declined over the past decade as the space market matures and new startups struggle to find angles to differentiate.
