Space Sector Equity Financing Activity Reaches Near Record Levels in Q3
Space sector equity financing activity posted another near-record high in Q3 2021, following the prior quarter’s all-time high, according to “The Space Report 2021 Q3" which was recently released by Space Foundation.
"Bolstered by recent successes by commercial space companies, confidence is high that today’s space exploration and utilization initiatives will be realized more expeditiously than we have seen in years past.”
Space Foundation CEO Tom Zelibor.
“The Space Report 2021 Q3,” examines space sector equity financing activities, commercial space revenue, and spacecraft value by market and manufacturing country.
“Near-record Q3 investment activity underscores the bright future ahead for the space ecosystem," said Space Foundation CEO Tom Zelibor. "Bolstered by recent successes by commercial space companies, confidence is high that today’s space exploration and utilization initiatives will be realized more expeditiously than we have seen in years past.”
Space sector equity financing activity posted another near-record high in Q3 2021, following the prior quarter’s all-time high. Third-quarter equity financings nearly doubled to 55 from 28 in the same period of last year (Q3 2020), according to Quilty Analytics analysis. In dollar value of those disclosed transactions, Q3 2021 recorded $9.8 billion in investment activity, up from $6.6 billion in Q3 2020 — a 48% increase.
Since 2018, the higher volume has been matched by greater investment per transaction, resulting in a 200% increase in the average value of the 10 largest transactions examined in the last four years. The maximum transaction value has jumped more than 300%.
The Q3 edition of “The Space Report” also investigates spacecraft value by market and manufacturing country. From 2017 to 2020 (the latest year for which data is available), manufacturing revenue associated with commercial payloads recorded a 134% increase. Human spaceflight logged a 14% increase over the same time, and revenue for military spacecraft grew 10%.
Those revenue gains, however, weren’t spread equally across the top countries in space. Europe and Japan saw manufacturing value fall since 2018, while Russia and India saw declines of more than 50% from 2019. China’s spacecraft value rose 88%, followed by the United States with 48% growth.
In addition to analysis of Q3 investment and commercial space revenue, “The Space Report 2021 Q3” explores six new space telescopes scheduled for launch this decade. The James Webb Space Telescope is expected to be the first into service, but it will be joined by others that are ushering in a new era of studying the universe.
(Source: Space Foundation news release)