4 Space Startups to Watch in the Next Decade

Welcome back Maggie Bloom. This is her third contribution to the 21st Century Tech Blog. Maggie graduated from Utah Valley University with a degree in communications and writing. She has a wide array of interests and in this posting looks at the rapidly changing commercial space industry.

The space industry is experiencing a rebirth fueled by new technologies, cheaper launches, and more private investment. While SpaceX, Blue Origin and RocketLab are grabbing the spotlight, new startups are popping up with daring plans and game-changing technology.

These companies aren’t just pushing the boundaries of what we can do in space; they’re also moulding the future of the global space market. Here are four that you should keep an eye on in the next ten years.

1. Lux Aeterna: Reusable Satellites To Keep Low-Earth Orbit Clean

Denver’s Lux Aeterna has a bold plan to create reusable satellites. The company’s main project, Delphi, is a satellite built to withstand multiple trips back into Earth’s atmosphere, a feat many thought couldn’t be done because of the intense heat and pressure during reentry.

By adding an integrated cone-shaped heat shield that provides a rigid, ablative surface that can survive multiple re-entries, the company plans to take advantage of the large carrying capacity of powerful rockets like SpaceX’s Starship.

Lux Aeterna has designed Delphi for quick refurbishment and redeployment in the same way SpaceX uses its Falcon 9 first-stage boosters. And like SpaceX, reusability means lower costs and greater mission flexibility.

The effects are far-reaching. Reusable satellites mean that putting technology into space will be much cheaper and easier. At the same time, reusability can eliminate single-use satellites that eventually become space junk, filling up Low-Earth and geosynchronous orbits.

Lux Aeterna has raised US$4 million in pre-seed money from Space Capital, Dynamo Ventures and Mission One Capital. The company plans to launch Delphi in early 2027, aiming to lead the charge in satellite technology built to last.

2. Orbit Fab: Setting Up Space’s Fuel Stops

Orbit Fab is tackling refuelling in space. The company is headquartered in Colorado and is developing in-orbit refuelling infrastructure to extend the life of satellites and spacecraft, making space operations more sustainable and cheaper. Its slogan, “Gas Stations in Space,” describes a future where a satellite no longer needs to become space junk because it exhausts its fuel.

In 2021, Orbit Fab launched its first test fuel depot. Since then, it has gotten contracts with both commercial satellite operators and government agencies. The company is also developing refuelling ports that can become the industry standard. As satellite servicing becomes more common, Orbit Fab’s infrastructure could turn into a key part of the in-space economy. The latest space industry quarterly investment report shows that early-stage space ventures keep getting more funding. This tells us investors to feel good about the future of the company.

In 2025, the company plans to offer hydrazine refuelling services to satellites in geosynchronous orbit at US$20 million per 100 kilograms (220 pounds). The company is backed by Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman and Munich Re Ventures.

3. Astrolab: Rovers to Support Lunar and Planetary Logistics

Venturi Astrolab Inc. is a Hawthorne, California, aerospace company that is building planetary robotic rovers that can be operated remotely or with crews aboard for the lunar surface and planetary missions. Their rover is called FLEX, which stands for Flexible Logistics and Exploration. It can carry a combined human and material payload up to 3 cubic metres (105 cubic feet) and weighing 1,600 kilograms (over 3,300 pounds). Its modular design makes it highly adaptable. It can also be operated remotely from Earth or lunar orbit. 

Astrolab has tested its technology in environments similar to the Moon and is working with NASA and business partners to get ready for future Artemis missions. Vehicles like FLEX will be crucial for humans to live and work on the Moon or Mars. With more countries and companies looking to space, Astrolab is in a good spot to become a major player in moving stuff around on moons, planets and other space rocks.

4. Varda Space Industries: Making Things in Zero Gravity

Varda Space Industries is an El Segundo, California, company that is venturing into space-based manufacturing. It aims to make valuable products like medicines, fibre optics, and semiconductors in the microgravity of low Earth orbit. These items are high value and turn out purer in space than on Earth, which opens doors to new advanced production methods.

Varda has launched using RocketLab and SpaceX. The latest W-4 mission deployed a manufacturing platform with an integrated heat shield and pharmaceutical crystallization payload aboard. Factories in space like this will become routine for the company with planned launches between now and 2029. Micro-space factories like Varda’s represent the beginnings of what will become a routine space manufacturing ecosystem.

The company has received more than US$141 million from a number of venture capital companies, including Peter Thiel’s Founders Fund. Its current largest customers are the U.S. Air Force, NASA and Varda’s in-house pharmaceutical research.

The latest space industry quarterly investment report includes companies like those mentioned above, as well as others from early-stage to more established commercial space companies. These companies may not be household names today, but don’t be surprised in a decade if they become as well-known as Boeing, SpaceX and Blue Origin.