Paris, France | August 2026– More than 6,500 Earth observation (EO) satellites are expected to launch by 2035, generating $155.9 billion in manufacturing revenues as governments expand sovereign intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities, according to the latest edition of Novaspace’s Earth Observation Satellite Systems report.
“The rules of the game are changing,” said Federico Banfi, Consultant at Novaspace. “Defense users increasingly require sovereign access to Earth observation capabilities, while commercial operators are becoming essential partners in delivering them. This shift is reshaping constellation architectures, sensor strategies, and the broader EO market.”
Historically, EO performance was largely defined by image resolution. Today, defense users are placing greater emphasis on revisit rates, persistence, and wide-area coverage to support continuous monitoring and faster decision-making. This is driving demand for larger constellations and more diverse sensor architectures.
The shift is also accelerating the adoption of multi-sensor constellations combining synthetic aperture radar (SAR), optical, and radio frequency (RF) payloads. By integrating complementary intelligence sources, operators can provide more resilient and comprehensive Earth observation capabilities while meeting increasingly demanding defense requirements.
