Aerospace & Defense

The aerospace and defense sectors have long evolved in tandem, with breakthroughs in one consistently strengthening the other. Since 2021, space has shifted from a promising frontier to a central arena for economic growth, scientific progress, and national security. Commercial human spaceflight has matured beyond its first private crewed missions, launch activity has accelerated to record levels, and the global space economy reached $613 billion in 2024. At the same time, NASA is preparing for the International Space Station’s planned retirement in 2030 by supporting multiple commercial space stations in low Earth orbit, while Artemis II’s 2026 crewed lunar flyby signaled a new phase of deep-space exploration. On the defense side, space has become even more critical infrastructure: the U.S. Space Force’s latest budget request would raise its funding to $71.1 billion, reflecting the growing importance of protecting satellites, communications, navigation, surveillance, and other orbital assets from both physical and cyber threats. The dual role of space — as a domain of innovation and a pillar of security — makes it more consequential today than ever.