Revenue from the global sale of space-based semiconductors is forecast to rise to $4.3 billion by 2030 up from $2.6 billion in 2024. This equates to a compound annual growth rate of 8.5%, according to new data from Research and Markets.
This growth will come from the dominant application — satellites. As commercial broadband constellations, military satellites and Earth observation platforms payloads become more advanced and data-intensive, high-performance computing and secure communication hardware is intensifying. These radiation-hardened chips will only become more important for these satellites as well as for navigation, telemetry and environmental monitoring systems and defense and intelligence sectors.
Other sectors growing for space semiconductors include:
- Autonomous spacecraft
- Robotic landers
- Lunar habitats
Rad-hard and radiation-tolerant semiconductors are the primary type of space semiconductors that can withstand cosmic rays and solar flares that would destroy conventional electronic components. Advances in gallium nitride (GaN), silicon carbide (SiC) and silicon-on-insulator (SOI) are enabling new types of space semiconductors that are more efficient, smaller and balance performance.
What are space semiconductors?
Space semiconductors are those engineered specifically to operate in the harsh and unpredictable conditions in space and must withstand:
- Extreme temperatures
- Exposure to vacuum
- Exposure to radiation
- Electromagnetic interference
These are critical in applications like satellite systems, spacecraft avionics, deep-space probes and interplanetary rovers for uses like:
- Signal processing
- Data transmission
- Power regulation
- Altitude control
