spacebottlenecks

The chokepoints

Each layer of the supply chain has its own physics, its own moat, and its own catalyst calendar. Pick a strait.

I

Rad-hard & space-grade silicon

Space electronics must survive radiation no commercial fab designs for; the qualified supplier list is short and defense-gated.

FRONTGRADE · BAESY · MCHP · TXN · TDY · STM · MRCY

II

Space-grade solar & power

Multi-junction space solar cells come from two or three qualified suppliers; constellation demand outstrips germanium-wafer capacity.

RKLB · FPLSF · UMICY · RDW · BA · SPCX

III

Propulsion & propellants

Engines and storable propellants concentrate in a few qualified lines; hydrazine alternatives and Hall-effect thrusters have single-digit benches.

RKLB · KRMN · LHX · MOG.A · RDW · SPCX

IV

Laser comms & optical terminals

Inter-satellite laser links are becoming mandatory for LEO constellations; qualified terminal suppliers are scarce.

CACI · RKLB · IONQ · VSAT · LHX · TSAT · SPCX

V

Atomic clocks & space PNT

Every GNSS and alt-PNT constellation routes through space-qualified atomic clocks from a tiny supplier set.

FEIM · MCHP · IRDM · SITM · EXCELITAS · XONASPACE

VI

Ground segment & direct-to-device

Constellations are worthless without gateways, phased arrays and spectrum; the ground layer is consolidating fast.

GILT · ASTS · VSAT · GSAT · SGBAF · CMTL

VII

Launch & reusability

The visible layer everyone prices: launch capacity is SpaceX plus a thin bench of listed challengers with dated manifests.

SPCX · RKLB · FLY · NOC · LHX · DXYZ · XOVR · VCX

VIII

In-space infrastructure & servicing

Docking, refueling, debris capture and orbital transfer are pre-revenue but program-funded; the qualified bench is tiny.

NOC · MDA · ASRHF · RDW · LUNR · ORBITFAB

IX

Earth observation & space data

Sensing constellations with government anchor contracts own a data chokepoint that reprices on every NRO/NGA award.

PL · BKSY · SATL · SPIR · VANTOR

X

Private giants & exposure vehicles

SpaceX just went public — but Blue Origin, Anduril-space, Sierra, Axiom and K2 still anchor private cap tables; map the listed paths in.

SPCX · DXYZ · XOVR · VCX · BLUEORIGIN · AXIOMSPACE · K2SPACE · SIERRASPACE