Paris, France, March 13, 2026--The 25th Edition of Novaspace’s Government Space Programs report notes a US$ 137.4 Bil. government space market in 2025, signaling a structural shift toward defense-driven investment and commercial procurement models. Defense now accounts for 54% of global spending (US$ 73.5B), surpassing civil budgets (US$ 63.7B) and cementing space as a core national security domain alongside land, air, maritime, cyber, and information.
“Space programs are evolving from prestige projects into essential strategic assets,” said a Novaspace Manager Candice Massucci-Templier. “Governments are prioritizing resilience and rapid capability deployment, while leveraging commercial innovation to meet escalating security demands.”
Defense priorities dominate growth trajectories, with investment concentrated on early warning, counterspace systems and secure satcom. Militarization of LEO is intensifying as major powers expand surveillance, inspection, and resilience-focused assets. Updated doctrines, such as Japan’s Space Domain Defense Guidelines and France’s National Space Strategy, underscore this shift.
On the civil side, Human Spaceflight remains the largest category of activity, driven by Artemis, China’s station, and post-ISS infrastructure ambitions. Participation is broadening as emerging nations seek strategic and industrial returns from exploration and Earth observation programs.
Commercial engagement is reshaping procurement models, with governments moving from bespoke system development to “Buy Before Build” strategies. This trend, visible across the U.S., Europe, China, and NATO, reflects growing reliance on private providers for launch, imagery, RF sensing, and in-orbit services under strong sovereign oversight.
Looking ahead, budgets are expected to rise sharply from 2026, peaking around 2028–2029 on the back of U.S. early-warning architectures (e.g., Golden Dome), European defense allocations, and lunar milestones. Growth will moderate post-2030 amid fiscal constraints and sustainability concerns.
Strategic competition and commercial integration are defining a new era for government space programs, one where defense imperatives, flexible procurement, and multi-orbit strategies converge to shape the global space economy.
The 25th edition of Novaspace’s Government Space Programs report provides a comprehensive economic and strategic assessment of government space programs worldwide. The report benchmarks public space spending and national space programs across 95 governments and international organizations with dedicated space budget envelopes, covering both civil and defense domains. The report analyzes the full spectrum of government-funded space applications and examines policy orientations, programmatic choices, and budgetary dynamics shaping national space strategies. In addition, readers can access a forward-looking forecast and trend analysis through 2034, offering a long-term perspective on the evolution of global government space investment.
