For decades, space was the domain of governments. Today, private companies launch most of the world’s rockets. Here’s how the space industry was transformed, and where Australia fits in.
For most of the space age, rockets were built and launched by governments, through agencies such as NASA and the Soviet space program. Launches were rare and enormously expensive.
That has changed dramatically. Private companies now design, build and launch most of the world’s rockets, and the number of satellites in orbit has exploded.
Reusable rockets
The biggest change came from SpaceX, founded by Elon Musk in 2002. It developed the Falcon 9 rocket, whose first stage, the large lower section, lands back on Earth after launch and can be reused many times.
Previously, rockets were thrown away after a single use, like throwing away a plane after one flight. Reusability has cut the cost of reaching orbit dramatically, and SpaceX now launches more often than every other company and country combined.
SpaceX is also developing Starship, the largest rocket ever built, designed to be fully reusable and to carry people and cargo to the Moon and eventually Mars.
The satellite boom
Cheaper launches have led to a boom in satellites. Thousands are now launched each year, many for internet services such as SpaceX’s Starlink, as well as for weather forecasting, Earth observation, navigation and defence.
Other companies, including Jeff Bezos’s Blue Origin and Rocket Lab, which was founded in New Zealand, are building their own rockets.
Back to the Moon
NASA’s Artemis program aims to return astronauts to the Moon for the first time since 1972, using commercial companies, including SpaceX and Blue Origin, to build landers. China is also planning to land astronauts on the Moon by 2030.
Australia in space
Australia has a long history in space, including tracking stations that relayed pictures of the 1969 Moon landing, and it set up the Australian Space Agency in 2018.
The local industry has grown, with companies building satellites, communications equipment and ground stations. Gilmour Space Technologies in Queensland is developing Australian-made rockets, and attempted its first orbital launch in 2025. Australia’s position in the southern hemisphere and clear skies make it valuable for tracking satellites and space objects.
The concerns
The boom has raised concerns about space debris, which threatens satellites and spacecraft, light pollution affecting astronomy, and the dominance of a small number of companies over critical infrastructure.
Supporters say cheaper access to space is driving innovation in communications, science and defence, and creating new jobs and industries.
