12 companies at the forefront of space exploration

Space exploration has moved from government missions to a private sector gold rush.

Companies are researching everything from orbital payloads to lunar habitats, and they’re doing it faster, cheaper and with reusable hardware. The global space launch services market is expected to reach $78 billion by 2035, an annual growth of 16.4%, according to Spherical overviews.

This wave is not just about rockets. It’s about who controls access to orbit and who benefits from it.

From suborbital tourism to spaceships ready to go to Mars, these 12 companies are making serious bets on humanity’s next frontier.