Why Space Sustainability Matters: Building Reusable Satellites

The growth of the space sector has delivered significant benefits on Earth. But as the number of launches grows rapidly year-on-year, one important question is frequently overlooked: what happens to the hardware once the mission is complete?

What’s launched into space often stays there

According to the European Space Agency’s 2026 Annual Space Environment Report‍, more than 300 launches and over 4,000 new payloads were placed into orbit in 2025 alone. (Download the full pdf report here.)

From defunct satellites to fragments of rocket bodies, man-made objects left behind in space are contributing to a growing problem of orbital congestion.

In ESA’s November 2026 update, statistical models indicate there may be around 68,450 objects larger than 10 centimetres currently in orbit - along with millions of other smaller pieces of debris.

Collisions can cause these objects to fragment, significantly increasing the quantity of debris in orbit. Travelling at orbital velocities, this debris can pose a risk to future spacecraft and missions.

How we design, operate and return spacecraft matters - and it needs to be more sustainable.

Designing for reusability

At Outlier, reusability is a key priority in how we design our satellite technology.

Rather than building a new platform for every mission, Outlier is developing an uncrewed, reusable platform. Our satellites bring payloads safely back to Earth and are prepared for the next mission into orbit.

As Outlier Space Founder and CEO, Jamie France, explains: “Reusability makes sense environmentally, operationally and commercially. It significantly reduces the need to leave mission hardware in orbit, as well as minimising the time and considerable costs involved in replacing an entire platform after each flight.

Most importantly, it allows us to provide our customers with more frequent and repeatable access to orbit.”

Reusable access to microgravity for research and manufacturing

Designing reusable satellites allows Outlier Space to deliver:

▪ Higher flight cadence with a faster turnaround between missions

▪ Lower cost thanks to reuse of the spacecraft

▪ Flight-proven platforms with higher reliability

▪ The ability for customers to retrieve payloads and gain crucial insights for what comes next

From pharmaceutical R&D to advanced material research, many of the benefits of microgravity access will not be realised through a one-off mission.

Researchers need the ability to test, learn, refine - and fly again. Manufacturers need regular, dependable access to the conditions their processes depend on, with predictable mission timeline.

Greater flight frequency, without the need to ‘start from scratch’ for every mission, helps make this possible.

Building a more sustainable space economy

The way humanity uses space today will help determine how accessible it remains in the future. That’s why sustainability has been considered from the outset at Outlier Space.

Instead of building new for every launch, we can focus on what matters most - helping our customers access microgravity more frequently, reliably and repeatedly.

To learn more about Outlier’s reusable satellites and microgravity missions, connect with our team.