Q1 2026 Global Space Activity
Produced by BryceTech
Q1 2026 began on a strong note, seeing global launches, number of spacecraft launched, and total upmass all higher compared to Q1 2025. Looking at number of launches regionally, U.S. launch providers outpaced the rest of world combined. BryceTech’s trusted analysis, grounded in proprietary datasets and industry benchmarks, offers a clear perspective on this quarter’s performance. This edition of the BryceTech Briefing also introduces quarterly comparison data to show year-over-year and quarterly trends.
Key insights:
- Fast start to the year: Q1 2026 launch activity increased 6% compared to Q1 2025
- U.S. providers out front: U.S. launch companies conducted 47 orbital launches – almost doubling launches from the rest of the world combined
- More spacecraft to orbit: 1,216 spacecraft launched globally, up 35% from Q1 2025
- Small satellite focus: Satellites <1,200 kg represented 99% of spacecraft launched and 91% of total upmass
The year is off to a quick start compared to the same quarter a year ago, though momentum is slightly down from Q4 2025. Of the 25 providers that launched in 2025, only 13 launched in Q1 2026. To see another year-over-year increase in global launch activity, the global launch cadence will need to increase in subsequent quarters of 2026.
