Private investment in space companies hit $3.9 billion in the third quarter, according to a report by New York-based firm Space Capital, propelling this year to a new annual record of $10.3 billion.
“This quarter sets a new record for yearly infrastructure investment, having surpassed the previous of $9.8B set in 2020,” Space Capital managing partner Chad Anderson wrote in the report.
The quarterly Space Capital report divides investment in the industry into three technology categories: infrastructure, distribution and application.
Space companies closing SPAC mergers and going public made up a significant portion of the capital raised in the third quarter – with moves completed by Rocket Lab, Spire Global, BlackSky, Momentus, and Redwire.
The two largest deals in the quarter were by ORBCOMM, which was taken private for $1.1 billion, and satellite broadband company OneWeb, which raised $550 million.
