When launch costs fall, do satellites shrink and constellations grow? The role of SpaceX in the SmallSat revolution
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: The rapid growth of small satellites has transformed the structure of the global space sector, yet the extent to which declining launch costs have contributed to this transition remains underinvestigated. This paper examines the relationship between launch affordability and the proliferation of satellites with a mass below 500 kg using a comprehensive dataset covering all operational satellites launched between 2003 and 2022. Six linear regression models are estimated to assess whether reductions in average launch costs are associated with changes in payload composition and average satellite mass. Results indicate a strong statistical association between lower launch costs and both an increasing share of small satellites and a substantial decline in average satellite mass after 2013. When low-cost, high-cadence launch services are excluded from the analysis, the relationship weakens, indicating that recent changes in launch supply conditions have played a major role in shaping deployment patterns. Evidence suggests that declining launch costs significantly contributed to the transition toward a small satellite-dominated orbital environment, while also interacting with broader technological, organizational, and market developments. These results shed empirical light into how access-to-orbit economics influences system design choices, investment strategies, and competitive dynamics in the contemporary space economy.
Institutions: Roma Tre University, Molde University College
Language: English
Subfield: Astronomy and Astrophysics
Field: Physics and Astronomy
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $2,620
OpenAlex ID: W7148631071