New Delhi, Nov. 4 -- Global private investment in space hardware surged from approximately USD 500 million in 2012 to USD 17 billion in 2025, marking a 34-fold increase, as falling launch costs, rising defence expenditure and growing commercial participation accelerate the development of the space economy, according to a research report published by Social Capital.

The research, titled "Deep Dive: Where Will Value Accrue In The Space Economy?", authored by investor Chamath Palihapitiya, highlighted that investment in space hardware has increased more than 30-fold since 2012, even excluding SpaceX.

"In 2012, private investors put about $0.5B into space hardware. In 2025, they put in about $17B," the research noted.

The report highlighte...