Smallsats by the Numbers 2024
Alexandria, Va., April 18, 2024 - BryceTech announced the new edition of its annual Smallsats by the Numbers report. In 2023, a record number of 2,680 smallsats (≤1200kg) were launched, an 18% increase from 2022 and a 61% increase from 2021. Smallsat broadband megaconstellation operators dominated smallsat activity in 2023 and are continuing deployments in 2024
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In 2023, a record number of 2,680 smallsats (≤1200kg) were launched, an 18% increase from 2022 and a 61% increase from 2021. Smallsat broadband megaconstellation operators dominated smallsat activity in 2023 and are continuing deployments in 2024. The launch of large constellations will continue to influence smallsat activity over the next few years
More highlights from the report:
- 97% of all spacecraft launched in 2023 were smallsats
- Starlink & OneWeb satellites make up 64% of all smallsats launched since 2019
- 164 launches in 2023 carried smallsats
- 5% of smallsats launched on small/micro launch vehicles in 2023
- Between 2014 and 2023, China has deployed three more government smallsats than the United States
For this year’s report, BryceTech adjusted the definition of smallsats to include spacecraft up to 1,200 kg. This adjustment was made to accommodate the increasing mass of next-generation satellites, including Starlink.
