Spacesuit Market Expected to Reach $1.5 Billion by 2031—Allied Market Research

According to a new report published by Allied Market Research, titled, “Spacesuit Market," The spacesuit market was valued at $0.75 billion in 2021, and is estimated to reach $1.5 billion by 2031, growing at a CAGR of 7.3% from 2022 to 2031.

Asia-Pacific includes countries such as China, India, Japan, South Korea, and the rest of Asia-Pacific. Several countries in the Asia-Pacific region, including China, India, Japan, and South Korea, are rapidly expanding their space programs. As these programs continue to increase, there is a rise in demand for advanced spacesuits to support human space missions. The Asia-Pacific region is engaged in various space projects and space programs, which are expected to accelerate the development of spacesuits. Moreover, countries in the region are actively developing space programs and sending astronauts into space, increasing their presence in human spaceflight. Such developments are expected to drive the growth of the spacesuit market.

An Intra-Vehicular Activity Suit (IVA) is a spacesuit designed to be worn during activities such as launching, docking, and re-entry into a spacecraft or space station. It is not intended for extravehicular activity (EVA) or spacewalk use, as it does not have life support systems, locomotion capabilities, or other tools necessary for working outside the spacecraft. IVA suits typically provide the wearer with basic protection, such as pressure and fire resistance, and may have integrated communications and cooling systems. IVA suits are simpler and less complex than EVA suits, resulting in lower development, maintenance, and operational costs.

Moreover, IVA suits are easier to don and doff than EVA suits as they do not require complicated airlocks or decompression procedures. Manufacturers develop flight suits for their astronaut capsules to help protect astronauts on launch day, in emergency situations. For instance, in May 2020, the crewed flight of Crew Dragon astronauts wore IVA suits called SpaceX spacesuits or the Crew Dragon spacesuit developed by SpaceX for the Demo-2 mission. 

EVA stands for Extravehicular Activity. EVA suits are space suits designed for astronauts to perform activities outside of spacecraft and space stations. These suits are also called spacesuits and are specifically designed to protect astronauts from the harsh environment of space, including extreme temperatures, dust, radiation, and the vacuum of space. These come with a helmet with a visor that allows astronauts to see the surroundings clearly.EVA suits provide life support systems such as oxygen, temperature control, and waste management to assist astronauts during missions. 

Moreover, manufacturers and space agencies are focused on the design, development, and launch of new exploration spacesuits and other human surface mobility systems. For instance, in March 2023, NASA and Axiom Space announced the launch of a prototype of EVA suit for its Artemis Moon Mission called Artemis III mission. The reveal is expected to be scheduled at Space Center Houston in Texas.

On the basis of material, the global spacesuit market has been segmented into soft shell, hard shell, and hybrid. Soft suits are commonly made of fabric but have a hard material used to some extent. Some even have hard pivot bearings. The intravehicular spacesuits and space-shuttle suits are soft shell spacesuits with some hard material used. Moreover, early space suits were soft shell spacesuits such as The Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo suits. M-Suit American space suit, tested in 1998 was a soft shell suit. In 1998, two soft suit prototypes were delivered to NASA by two companies, ILC Dover and David Clark. ILC Dover's M-Suit operated at a pressure of 0.26 atmospheres and weighed 30 kg. 

Soft-shell spacesuits are generally less expensive to design and manufacture than hard-shell spacesuits, which require complex and specialized materials and manufacturing processes. Moreover, manufacturers develop soft suits made from flexible fabrics and materials to provide mobility and comfort for the astronauts while providing essential life-support functions such as oxygenation and temperature regulation in spaceflight. 
For instance, in June 2022, Boeing revealed its soft shell spacesuit at the Kennedy Space Center for its Starliner spacecraft to transport NASA astronauts to and from the International Space Station (ISS). The Boeing Blue spacesuit features a lightweight and flexible soft shell. The suit is designed to provide the wearer with maximum mobility and comfort while providing essential life support and environmental control functions. 

Significant factors that impact the growth of the spacesuit market comprise rise in space exploration programs, an increase in the space industry budget, and advancements in material science. However, factors such as high manufacturing and maintenance cost, and lack of standardization are expected to hamper the market growth during the forecast period. Furthermore, growth in space tourism is expected to create new growth opportunities for the market during the forecast period.

COVID-19 Impact Analysis
The outbreak of COVID-19 led to the reduced demand for spacesuits as many space programs and commercial space companies scaled back their operations due to safety concerns and financial constraints. However, post-pandemic, space programs resume their operations. For instance, in August 2021, India’s space agency resumed its activities from the Sriharikota spaceport with the planned launch of the EOS-3 earth observation satellite aboard its Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV)

KEY FINDINGS OF THE STUDY
•    By type, the EVA suits segment is anticipated to exhibit significant growth in the near future.
•    By material, the hybrid segment is anticipated to exhibit significant growth in the near future.
•    By end-use, the training segment is anticipated to exhibit significant growth in the near future.
•    By region, Asia-Pacific is anticipated to register the highest CAGR during the forecast period.

Key players operating in the global spacesuit market include Paragon Space Development Corporation, Oceaneering International, Inc., SpaceX, Boeing, David Clark Company Incorporated, ILC Dover LP, Vinyl Technologies, Inc., Raytheon Technologies Corporation, Pacific Spaceflight, and Sure Safety.