Each of those steps was a landmark in human communications, and it didn’t just change our ability to talk to one another, it spawned whole new ways to do tech-adjacent things as well.
For example, high-speed wireless networks allowed us to develop the Internet of Things, which has helped create autonomous vehicles.
Having a network of satellites that can deliver communications from Earth to Earth, Earth to space, and space to Earth, like Eutelsat’s OneWeb or SpaceX’s Starlink, will mean anyone can connect to anyone else – via voice, video, or online – anywhere on the planet.
The second massive shift in this early stage of Space Race 2.0 is the commercialization of launching objects into space.
Rockets are like 21st Century trains. They’re the workhorses that make space the MegaTrend it’s becoming.
Now and for many years to come, building rockets to send satellites and other payloads in various orbits, as well as to planets and asteroids, is going to be an exciting and dynamic market.
Here’s a look at some of the newest entrants.
None of these rockets can deliver their payloads without rocket engines. While some of these launch companies build their own, there’s another new industry of building engines for aspiring launch companies.
Of the three big payload launch players, none are publicly traded. It will likely be just a matter of time before they IPO, and you can still find great companies to get your feet wet while you wait.
Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) and Northrop Grumman (NYSE: NOC) are big defense contractors that have worked with NASA going back to Gemini. They will be beneficiaries of the commercial and the defense facets of the new space race.
Another significant player is L3 Harris (NYSE: LHX). It purchased rocket engine maker Aerojet Rocketdyne and combined with decades-long communications work for NASA.
Of the smaller companies that are making a big splash, Rocket Lab (NYSE:RKLB) is off to a great start. It’s second only to SpaceX in launches year after year.
