Small satellites are platforms that can be sent into orbit at a lesser cost compared to large satellites. The parameters which characterize a small satellite haven’t been clearly defined. A small satellite is not necessarily physically small or low-weight and its typical characteristics may include a reasonably short development time and modest infrastructure requirements along with affordable development and operation costs for the manufacturers. This research study focuses on estimating the market for these satellites which have been categorized into minisatellites (100-500 kg), microsatellites (10-100 kg), and nanosatellites (1-10 kg).

Visionary leaders are the leading market players in terms of new developments such as product launches, innovative technologies, and the adoption of growth strategies. These players have a broad product offering that caters to most of the regions globally. Visionary leaders primarily focus on acquiring the leading market position through their strong financial capabilities and their well-established brand equity.

Dynamic Differentiators are established players with very strong business strategies. However, they have a weaker product portfolio compared to the visionary leaders. They generally focus only on a specific type of technology related to the product.

Innovators in the competitive leadership mapping are vendors that have demonstrated substantial product innovations as compared to their competitors. The companies have focused on product portfolios. However, they do not have very strong growth strategies for their overall business, when compared with the visionary leaders.

Emerging companies have niche product and service offerings. Their business strategies are not as strong as that of the established vendors. The emerging vendors include the new entrants in the market, emerging in terms of product portfolio and geographic reach, and require time to gain significant traction in the market.