Space Logistics Market: Size, Segments, Refuelling Prices and Forecasts (2026)

The space logistics market is the business of moving, supplying and servicing spacecraft once they are in space. It is one of the smallest parts of the space economy today and one of the fastest growing, but published estimates of its size disagree by a factor of ten or more.

This guide sets out what the market covers, what has actually been measured, why forecasts differ, what services cost, who is paying and the risks. Every figure is from a named source, and we show where estimates come from rather than quoting a single headline number.

What is the space logistics market?

The space logistics market is the market for services that move, supply, maintain and dispose of spacecraft and cargo after launch. It is often grouped with in-space servicing, assembly and manufacturing (ISAM), and the terms in-orbit services (IOS) and in-space logistics are used for overlapping parts of it.

It sits between launch and the satellites and stations that use space. A rocket gets mass to orbit; space logistics gets it to the right place, keeps it working and removes it at the end. Our guide to in-space transportation explains the technology.

How big is the space logistics market?

Measured commercial revenue for in-space servicing, assembly, manufacturing and logistics was $304 million in 2025, up from $213 million in 2024, according to the Space Foundation. That is about 0.04% of the $686 billion space economy. Broader definitions produce much larger numbers:

Why space logistics market estimates differ so much

• Scope: some reports include launch, crewed flights and cargo resupply to the International Space Station; others count only services performed in orbit.
• Government contracts: demonstration missions are often funded as research and development rather than bought as services, so they may or may not count as market revenue.
• Timing: a single contract can be booked as revenue up front, over several years, or only when a service is delivered.
• Adoption assumptions: forecasts depend on how quickly commercial operators pay for services that are still being demonstrated.

The same pattern appears in the two leading analyst forecasts for in-orbit services. Novaspace projects about $3 billion of cumulative revenue over the next decade, while Analysys Mason projects $26 billion between 2024 and 2034. Analysys Mason's figure includes last-mile delivery by orbital transfer vehicles, which makes up 48% of its total, a segment Novaspace treats mainly as transportation.

Space logistics market segments

Profiles of the companies in these segments are in our guide to space logistics companies.

The in-orbit refuelling market

The in-orbit refuelling market is expected to become the largest in-orbit service over the next decade, worth about $1.2 billion in cumulative revenue, according to Novaspace. Today it is mainly government-funded demonstrations; there is no routine commercial refuelling service yet.

The Space Force refuelling demonstration

The first refuelling of a US Space Force satellite is planned for 2027. Astroscale U.S.'s Provisioner (APS-R) spacecraft will refuel one of two Tetra-5 client satellites, top itself up from an Orbit Fab fuel depot, then refuel the second, testing a depot, servicer and client model in geostationary orbit. Orbit Fab lists the mission as in test with launch in the second quarter of 2027, after earlier targets of 2025 and 2026.

Demand signals are growing: Astroscale reports that the Space Force plans to require refuelling capability on RG-XX, its next generation of geosynchronous surveillance satellites. The technology and players are covered in our guide to in-orbit refuelling.

What refuelling and life extension cost

Two prices are public, and they allow a rough comparison of what an extra year of satellite life costs:

How we estimated the refuelling figure

A geostationary satellite using chemical thrusters spends most of its propellant on north-south station keeping, typically about 50 metres per second of velocity change a year. For a 3,000 kg satellite with an engine specific impulse of 300 seconds, the rocket equation gives about 50 kg of propellant a year (3,000 × (1 − e^−50/2,943) ≈ 50). So 100 kg of delivered hydrazine buys roughly two years of operation, or about $10 million per year. Real figures vary with satellite mass, thrusters and orbit, so treat this as an order of magnitude.

The in-orbit servicing market

The in-orbit servicing market is moving from demonstrations to early operations. Analysys Mason tracks 78 in-orbit servicing missions planned to launch from 2026 onwards, covering debris removal, deorbiting, life extension, inspection, relocation and robotics.

• Life extension: Northrop Grumman's two Mission Extension Vehicles have docked with three communications satellites, and its Mission Robotic Vehicle, launched in 2026, installs Mission Extension Pods sold to customers including SES, Optus and Intelsat.
• Competition: Starfish Space has an SES life-extension contract, and Infinite Orbits has an agreement with SES for a 2027 mission.
• Novaspace's split: after refuelling ($1.2 billion), backpacking life extension, where a pod or vehicle attaches to the client, is the next largest segment at about $860 million over the decade.
• Analysys Mason's caution: commercial operators have shown lower willingness to pay for one-off missions than governments, so providers need recurring services.

Who buys space logistics services?

Governments dominate early demand. Novaspace expects government and defence organisations to play a pivotal role in shaping the market, and the growth of satellite internet constellations and commercial space stations is building a commercial customer base behind them.

Funding and investment in space logistics

• Impulse Space raised a Series D of $500 million in 2026, later extended to $808 million, to build in-space transport vehicles.
• Portal Space Systems raised a $50 million Series A in April 2026 and holds a $45 million US Space Force STRATFI award.
• Astroscale, listed in Tokyo, reports defence contracts across the US, UK and Japan, including a ¥6.6 billion Japan Ministry of Defense project.
• Across the wider space industry, Space Capital counted $92.5 billion invested in the first nine months of 2026, a record.

These figures show capital flowing into the sector; they are not a guide to the prospects of any individual company. Our guide to space venture capital explains how these rounds are structured.

Risks and open questions

• Demand: Space Force officials have asked publicly whether refuelling makes more sense than building cheaper satellites that are easier to replace.
• Schedule slips: the first Space Force refuelling demonstration has moved from 2025 to 2027.
• Small budgets: the Space Force put about $20 million towards space access, mobility and logistics in its 2025 budget.
• Standards: refuelling only scales if satellites carry compatible ports, such as Orbit Fab's RAFTI, from launch.
• Launch access: with launch capacity tight, getting servicers and depots to orbit on schedule is itself a constraint.

Outlook for the space logistics market

The space logistics market is likely to grow from a few hundred million dollars of measured revenue towards billions as demonstrations become services, if refuelling and docking work as planned in 2027 and 2028. More satellites, crewed commercial stations, orbital data centres and missions to cislunar space all need transport, supply and servicing.

The shift that matters most is from one-off missions to reusable vehicles that serve many customers. That is the model behind Orbit2Orbit's in-space logistics network: autonomous spacecraft that dock, deliver and redeploy between satellites, stations and orbital platforms. For information about Orbit2Orbit itself, visit the Orbit2Orbit homepage.

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