Developing economies are making space and the orbital economy work for them

Space is no longer a distant frontier, but the next layer of global infrastructure, and developing economies are learning to climb it.

When a farmer in East Africa’s Rift Valley checks rainfall patterns on a basic smartphone, or a health worker in the Amazon uploads field data from a remote clinic, both are quietly using the same space-based infrastructure that powers global finance and logistics.

Satellites are no longer symbols of prestige. They are the invisible backbone of development, from connectivity and navigation to climate monitoring and disaster response. More than 10,000 satellites already circle Earth, and that number could surpass 100,000 by 2030 as access costs fall and commercial activity accelerates. This would reshape who benefits from orbit and how quickly.

The economic stakes are immediate. According to the Space Foundation, the global space economy reached $613 billion in 2024 and is on track to exceed $1.8 trillion by 2035, as satellite-enabled services expand into every sector. That growth is not about rockets; it is about reliable timing, imaging and communications that keep markets synchronized and supply chains visible. A prolonged outage of the United States' GPS alone could cost roughly $1 billion per day, illustrating how orbital shocks can ripple through agriculture, logistics and payments far from any launch pad.

This is why access to space matters now. It has become a critical infrastructure for resilience and inclusive growth.

Among the most compelling developments is that, now, countries without large space agencies are managing to capture value. University-built CubeSats, smaller-scale satellites, and public-private partnerships have lowered the threshold to entry. Kenya’s first satellite, deployed through the UN and Japan’s KiboCUBE programme, began as a university project and helped establish national capacity for space data and engineering. Brazil’s Amazônia One satellite delivers regular forest imagery that policymakers and supply chains use to monitor deforestation and plan enforcement more effectively. These are modest assets with an outsized impact because they connect directly to real-world needs on the ground.

Connectivity is the second fast lane. Low Earth orbit constellations now bring broadband to communities that fiber has never reached, enabling remote classrooms, telemedicine and local enterprise. Starlink and OneWeb together have placed thousands of small satellites into service, and as prices fall, governments can connect schools and clinics first while private users follow. For many low and middle-income countries, this is practical leapfrogging rather than a moonshot.

Orbit is also becoming a frontline for climate resilience. Earth observation satellites provide crop stress indices, water maps and fire detection in hours rather than weeks, turning data into decisions. During the Turkey and Syria earthquakes in February 2023, open satellite imagery and ground movement analysis supported emergency teams and informed risk assessments used for reconstruction planning, according to data from the European Space Agency.

Turkey's recent trajectory shows how an emerging economy can turn access into advantage. After years of purchasing capacity from abroad, Turkey launched TÜRKSAT 6A in 2024, its first fully indigenous communications satellite, extending national coverage while opening exportable services across Europe, North Africa and Asia. In parallel, the IMECE mission has given Turkey domestic high-resolution imaging that supports agriculture, disaster response and urban planning. These steps have reduced external dependency, seeded a local supplier base and positioned Turkey as a regional data hub that shares capacity with neighboring markets.

What makes these examples persuasive is not national prestige but operational leverage. A single observation microsatellite can help farmers time irrigation, insurers price climate risk and customs authorities detect illicit activity. A leased communications transponder can connect thousands of classrooms before a terrestrial cable arrives. Training a first cohort of university engineers through a CubeSat programme creates a talent pipeline for downstream analytics and applications. Access is not binary. Countries can buy services, lease capacity, host ground stations, or build step by step. Each rung on that ladder delivers measurable benefits while building sovereign capability over time.

The opportunity is real, but so are the risks. Orbital congestion, debris, cyberthreats, and a first-come, first-served approach to spectrum and prime orbital slots could turn access into exclusion. Just a few entities still own most of the active satellites in a few countries, and coordination rules can be hard to navigate for agencies with thin budgets and small technical teams. According to the Union of Concerned Scientists database, without thoughtful guardrails, the same networks that promise inclusion could harden into an orbital divide that mirrors inequalities on the ground. This is why governance must keep pace with access.

A practical way forward is a Global Orbital Compact that complements existing space law with implementation tools. Three priorities stand out. First, capacity building at scale so that latecomers can file, coordinate and operate effectively, drawing on programmes led by the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs. Second, transparent sustainability norms for debris mitigation and data sharing so that low Earth orbit remains usable for all. Third, pro-development access models for broadband constellations that treat connectivity for schools and clinics as a baseline public good rather than a premium feature. This is about ensuring that the next trillion dollars of value created in orbit is widely shared and resilient.

The story of space is no longer a tale of a few. It is a test of whether the world can turn a new class of infrastructure into inclusive growth. Developing economies have demonstrated how to leverage small satellites and shared networks to enhance food security, digital access and governance. If we match that ingenuity with fair rules and practical support, orbit can become the most equitable infrastructure humanity has ever built.