For the last three decades, the satellite and space industry has been dominated by a handful of established GEO operators. These businesses built the foundations of global connectivity, broadcast television, maritime communications and government networks.

But slowly, over the last 10 years or so, that has all changed. The market today looks very different, with the rise of Starlink, Amazon Project Kuiper, and a new generation of LEO constellations. Customer experience and expectations around capacity, latency, pricing and deployment are now completely different.

In the traditional satellite market, we have seen consolidation, with operators merging, business models changing, and margins coming under pressure.

While one part of the sector is accelerating at an incredible pace, the other is slowing and consolidating. But is this evolution, or a battle being lost?

A Different Story is Emerging

What is particularly exciting about the NewSpace era isn’t the challenges faced by the traditional market; it’s the level of innovation happening elsewhere across the space ecosystem.

Almost every week we’re seeing new investment announcements across a plethora of specialisms:

These aren’t just interesting technologies anymore; they’re becoming entire industries, with huge financial backing to support growth. What stands out most about these companies is that they are bringing in a new generation of space talent and insight, changing not only how satellites are operated, but the culture that comes with it.

Recent investments into companies including Portal Space Systems, ORiS, deltaVision, K2 Space, AVEALTO and Outlier demonstrate where investors believe the next wave of value creation will come from.

Talent is Becoming the Competitive Advantage

With such large investment opportunities comes enormous opportunity, but funding alone doesn’t build successful companies. As organisations scale from 10 or 20 people to 100, from prototype to production, and from engineering-led businesses to commercial organisations, the biggest challenge quickly becomes people.

We’re already seeing increased demand for:

• Systems Engineers
• AI & Data Specialists
• Flight Dynamics Engineers
• Optical Communications Experts
• Commercial Leaders
• Programme Managers
• Manufacturing & Production Talent

Competition for experienced people is only going to intensify. When we are approached to help find these hires, it’s often because these companies are so new that they do not yet have the networks to support their own hiring. This makes our role essential in finding, often, a very senior person who can help take the business forward into the next stage of its journey. It also recognises that there are limits to what smaller companies and start-ups can do on their own.

What This Means for Established Operators

I don’t believe this is the end of traditional satellite operators, far from it. Many have world-class assets, incredible engineering capability, and decades of customer relationships. The real challenge for these companies is adapting to the pace of change. The organisations that embrace software, automation, AI, multi-orbit architectures, and new commercial models will continue to play a significant role in the industry’s future. Those that rely solely on legacy business models may find the transition far more difficult.

The Industry Has Never Been More Exciting

One of the reasons I’ve loved working in this sector for so many years is that it never stands still. This recent growth feels like one of the most exciting periods I’ve seen. We’re watching entirely new markets emerge, with unprecedented levels of private investment. And we’re witnessing the convergence of space, defence, AI, cloud and communications.

For those building companies in these markets, and for the people considering their next career move, the opportunities have never been greater.

My Final Thoughts

There is still a place for traditional satellite operators if they can adapt to change effectively, but where the real excitement comes from is LEO and the investment being made across different sectors.

What are you seeing in the market, and do these thoughts align with your experiences?

• Is the traditional satellite market simply evolving, or losing ground?
• Which areas of the space economy do you think will see the biggest growth over the next five years?
• And where do you see the biggest talent shortages emerging?

If you are a traditional satellite operator looking to innovate, a NewSpace start-up looking for help, or somewhere in between, chances are we can help you with your hiring and talent growth.

Get in touch with hello@neuco-group.com or contact our satellite team today: Laurie Scott, Millie Rose Hall, Tom Wilding, Gia Thomas and Callum Davis.