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Theme · 07 · Orbit & beyond

Space Economy.

Reusable launch turned space from a national-program-only domain into a commercial supply chain. Six layers, from the rockets that get mass to orbit, through the satellite manufacturers and constellation operators, into the connectivity and earth-observation businesses that sell the data, plus the defense-space programs and the parts suppliers underneath all of it.

6 layers
16 companies
US-listed only
Updated live
The map

Six layers, one orbit stack.

Launch at the apex. Components at the foundation. Every US-listed public company actually operating in between.

LAYER 06 · FOUNDATION Components & Subsystems TDY · HEI · KTOS LAYER 05 Defense Space Systems LMT · NOC · RTX · LHX LAYER 04 Earth Observation PL · BKSY LAYER 03 Connectivity SPCX · IRDM · ASTS · VSAT LAYER 02 Satellites SPCX · RKLB · BA APEX Launch LAYER 01 · APEX SPCX · RKLB · LMT ↑ ENABLES ↑ 16 COMPANIES · US-LISTED
Layer 01 · Apex

Launch

The companies actually getting payloads to orbit. SpaceX has been publicly traded since its June 12, 2026 listing and flies the majority of the world’s orbital launches on Falcon and Starship. Rocket Lab is the pure-play small-launch provider; Lockheed Martin and Boeing fly heavy national-security missions through their United Launch Alliance joint venture.

Layer 02 · Spacecraft

Satellites

Manufacturers of the satellite buses and integrated spacecraft sold to commercial operators, government, and intelligence-community customers. SpaceX builds and flies its own Starlink spacecraft at the largest production volume in the industry. Rocket Lab is vertically integrated into Photon, alongside the traditional aerospace primes.

Layer 03 · Data downlink

Connectivity

Constellation operators selling voice, data, IoT, and direct-to-device connectivity. Includes Iridium's L-band global voice network, AST SpaceMobile's direct-to-cellphone constellation, Viasat's broadband fleet, and Globalstar's Apple-anchored services.

Layer 04 · Pixels

Earth Observation

Operators of remote-sensing constellations selling imagery, change detection, and geospatial intelligence to commercial, defense, and intelligence customers. Planet's daily global scans and BlackSky's high-revisit imagery and analytics.

Layer 05 · National security

Defense Space Systems

Prime contractors with major Space Force, Missile Defense Agency, and National Reconnaissance Office programs, missile-warning constellations, GPS modernization, secure communications, and the next-generation overhead persistent infrared layer.

Layer 06 · Subsystems

Components & Subsystems

Sub-tier suppliers of the avionics, sensors, RF gear, and electronics that get integrated into spacecraft and launch vehicles, Teledyne's space-qualified instruments, HEICO's aftermarket aerospace parts, and Kratos's satellite and command-and-control software.

Methodology & coverage.

Constituent lists are reviewed quarterly against segment disclosures, government program awards, and revenue mix. Quotes are sourced from licensed market data; the Veridion Score is computed from six published factors. Inclusion is not a recommendation.