South Korean launch provider INNOSPACE has signed a distribution agreement with UK-based Commercial Space Technologies Ltd. (CST), as it looks to convert growing European small satellite demand into confirmed launch contracts.
The agreement positions CST — a London-headquartered consultancy and launch brokerage firm — as INNOSPACE’s business development representative across Europe. CST will focus on identifying potential satellite customers, supporting contract negotiations and coordinating launch schedules, effectively acting as a commercial bridge between European payload operators and INNOSPACE’s launch services.
The move follows INNOSPACE’s recent acquisition of the Malbusca Launch Center in Portugal, which the company intends to use as its European launch hub. Combined with existing access to Brazil’s Alcântara Space Center and Australia’s Whalers Way Orbital Launch Complex and Koonibba Test Range, the Portuguese site expands INNOSPACE’s geographic footprint into the European market at a time when regional launch sovereignty is under increasing scrutiny.
INNOSPACE says the partnership is designed to establish a more integrated business model in Europe — covering customer acquisition, contract facilitation and launch execution — rather than relying solely on ad hoc international sales efforts. The company is positioning the arrangement as a way to deliver faster, more tailored launch options aligned with customer schedules and orbital requirements.
Europe’s small satellite sector is projected to grow steadily over the remainder of the decade. Market research firm Mordor Intelligence estimates the market will expand from approximately USD 3.99 billion in 2025 to USD 6.42 billion by 2030, reflecting a compound annual growth rate of just over 10 per cent. That growth is being driven by Earth observation, telecommunications, defence and IoT applications.
However, while satellite manufacturing capacity across Europe has increased, launch capacity has faced constraints in recent years. Delays in next-generation European launch vehicles and limited availability of rideshare slots have created opportunities for non-European providers willing to operate from European soil or offer flexible access to orbit.
CST, founded in 1983, brings more than four decades of launch brokerage and project management experience. As a distribution partner rather than a joint venture stakeholder, CST’s role will centre on commercial development rather than technical integration.
INNOSPACE founder and CEO Soojong Kim said the company intends to target European customers seeking greater schedule flexibility and alternative orbital options. CST Managing Director Alan Webb framed the partnership as a way to expand access to competitive launch opportunities for European satellite operators.
The announcement does not disclose revenue targets, launch cadence expectations, or the operational timeline for launches from the Malbusca site. Nor does it clarify how INNOSPACE will position itself against emerging European micro-launch providers or established international competitors already serving the region.
The agreement nevertheless reflects a broader pattern in the global launch market: as small satellite demand diversifies geographically, launch providers are increasingly pairing physical infrastructure expansion with local commercial representation to secure contracts in-region.
For INNOSPACE, the success of its European strategy will ultimately depend less on distribution reach and more on demonstrated launch reliability, regulatory alignment and cost competitiveness — factors that remain decisive in a crowded and rapidly evolving small launch market.
[Photo] Overview of the Malbusca Launch Center located on Santa Maria Island in the Azores, Portugal
