By Kurtis Archer | 2025-08-11

The United States and other nations are increasing their investments in spaceports -- facilities for launching and receiving spacecraft -- as the commercial space industry continues to evolve.

The space launch industry is undergoing a dramatic transformation. Even as it continues using the large state-owned facilities of the past, it is embracing a new era of smaller, specialized and often privately operated spaceports.

Private space companies have ignited a shift toward a new industry environment emphasizing smaller satellites and rockets, and consequently more-compact and privately run spaceports are in demand.

For example, Rocket Lab's Launch Complex 1 on New Zealand's Mahia Peninsula is only the size of a football field, but this facility was the first private spaceport to host a successful orbital launch in 2018.

Specializing in small satellite deployments with its Electron rocket, the site has already seen dozens of orbital launches from its two modest launch pads.

Countries like the United Kingdom seek to leverage their geography to become key players in the small satellite launch market.

With a long coastline and island location, the United Kingdom is uniquely positioned to host various launch services, including vertical and air-launched rockets, suborbital spaceplanes and high-altitude balloons.

The country aims to be Europe's leading provider of small satellite launches by 2030.

A dual future

For decades, space exploration had been synonymous with massive launch complexes designed for large-scale governmental missions.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the primary regulatory body responsible for licensing and overseeing the development of commercial spaceports in the United States, lists 20 spaceports in 10 American states.

The FAA's Office of Spaceports aims to develop a national network of spaceports in the United States to support the growing demand for commercial space transportation operations.

Florida and Texas are major hubs for spaceflight, hosting major spaceports like the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and SpaceX's Starbase, respectively.

Cape Canaveral has been a cornerstone of US space endeavors, serving as the launch site for the Mercury, Gemini, and early Apollo missions. In 2022, it was the busiest spaceport globally, with 39 launches. It plays a key role for private companies that utilize multiple launch sites, such as SpaceX.

Meanwhile, Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan stands as the world's first and largest spaceport. It was the Soviet launching site for the first satellite in 1957 and the first human into space in 1961.

Spanning an astonishing 6,717 sq. km and containing 15 launch pads, the spaceport is larger than some major cities like London and Tokyo.

These historic spaceport sites represent a centralized model featuring extensive infrastructure including launch pads, vehicle assembly buildings and control centers -- all protected by vast prohibited areas extending up to 128.7km away for public safety.

Looking ahead, the space industry anticipates a dual future.

While smaller, specialized launch sites will proliferate to meet the growing demand for space access, larger complexes like Cape Canaveral and Baikonur remain essential.

Ambitions of future moon bases and Mars colonization efforts necessitate facilities of immense scale, as exemplified by SpaceX's Starbase in Boca Chica, Texas.

The development and production facility for Starship rockets, Starbase already rivals the Kennedy Space Center in scope.

At the same time, China has committed a staggering $3.05 billion for a new domestic spaceport and an additional $1 billion for a facility in Djibouti.

Australia is making significant investments, with the Arnhem Space Center in the Northern Territory completed in 2022. That year it hosted NASA's first ocket launch from a commercial spaceport outside the United States.

Canada is set to join the ranks with its first spaceport in Nova Scotia expected to be operational this October.

Global facilities

With dozens of operational sites around the world and counting, the global launch landscape is more dynamic and diverse than ever before.

Countries and companies alike are establishing launch sites away from home for legal and strategic reasons, including proximity to the equator for increased Earth rotation benefits.

The European Space Agency's complex in French Guiana, China's planned spaceport in Djibouti and Türkiye's in Somalia are examples of this.

Whether large or small, these spaceports are undeniably important gateways to humanity's exploration of outer space amid an unprecedented commercial boom.

The space sector is projected to grow to an estimated $1.8 trillion in the next decade, according to the World Economic Forum.

"Launching a satellite is now relatively affordable," Ross Hulbert, director of engagement at Spaceport Cornwall in England, told Modus in June 2024.

"You're talking about tens of thousands of [British] pounds, rather than tens of millions, which means universities and SMEs [small- and medium-sized enterprises] with funding can demonstrate a technology, or an idea and work out if they have a business model, where before it was only accessible to the biggest companies or organizations."

The director of launch at the UK Space Agency, Matt Archer, highlighted the rapid growth in orbital assets.

"When I joined the Agency six years ago, there were fewer than 1,000 satellites in orbit, now we are up to about 6,000 and by the end of this decade we'll be somewhere in the region of 15,000, or more," he said in the Modus report.

"After that, attention will turn to satellite replenishment cycles [replacing failed units] so there will be constant ongoing demand," he added.