Israeli startups developing technologies ranging from medical devices and advanced materials to artificial intelligence and communications could soon have an opportunity to test their innovations in space, under a new government-backed initiative designed to make the costly process more accessible.
The 60 million shekels ($19 million) Access to Space program, funded by the Israel Space Agency and the Israel Innovation Authority, will help 15 companies and research groups send experimental equipment into space over the next three years.
Members of the Access to Space team: Gal Yoffe, Daniela Lorig, Elad Sagi and Tal Sela
(Photo: Eyal Toueg)
Selected participants will receive subsidies covering 35% of the launch costs for their experimental payloads — the equipment sent into space to test how a technology performs under conditions that cannot be fully replicated on Earth.
The program will also provide technical guidance and logistical support, helping participants identify suitable satellite operators, secure launch opportunities and navigate the complex preparations involved in conducting experiments in orbit.
Operated by Israeli company Creation Space, the initiative is open to startups, more established technology companies, academic research teams and research and development units at major defense companies. Applications will be accepted over several weeks, after which a joint committee representing the two government agencies will select the participants.
Breaking down the barriers to space
For many technology companies, the biggest challenge is not necessarily developing a product but proving that it works beyond Earth's atmosphere.
Space presents conditions that are difficult or impossible to reproduce in a laboratory, including microgravity, extreme temperature fluctuations and exposure to radiation. Demonstrating that a technology can withstand these conditions is often essential to attracting customers and investors in the space industry.
Yet securing an opportunity to test equipment in orbit can be prohibitively expensive, particularly for smaller companies. Launch schedules can stretch as far as two years into the future, while finding a satellite provider capable of accommodating a specific experiment presents another obstacle.
These challenges have historically kept much of the space industry in the hands of governments, major aerospace manufacturers and large defense contractors.
That landscape is changing with the rise of what is known as "New Space," a shift toward privately developed space technologies and commercial services that has attracted growing interest from startups and investors.
The global space economy is currently valued at approximately $626 billion and could reach $1.8 trillion by 2035, according to industry estimates. Investment has also accelerated, with space startups raising $11.3 billion in the first half of 2026, more than they secured throughout 2025, according to PitchBook.
Despite Israel's reputation as a technology powerhouse, the country remains a relatively small player in the global commercial space market.
The new program seeks to change that by reaching beyond companies already focused on satellites and spacecraft to businesses developing technologies with potential applications both on Earth and in space.
These could include innovations in medicine, cybersecurity, optics, energy, quantum computing, advanced materials and sensing technologies.
Looking beyond rockets and satellites
Tal Sela, business development manager at Access to Space, said one of the program's main goals is to bring companies into the space industry that may not even recognize the commercial potential of their technologies.
"Israel can become a much more significant player in the global space industry by broadening the circle of participants," Sela said.
He pointed in particular to companies developing complex, research-intensive technologies, often referred to as deep tech, whose products could have applications in space even if they were originally designed for entirely different markets.
According to Sela, opportunities are increasingly emerging in areas where Israeli technology companies already have considerable experience.
While the traditional space economy has focused heavily on building spacecraft and launching them into orbit, a growing share of commercial activity involves services based on space infrastructure and satellite data.
These include cloud-based data processing, AI-powered analysis, secure communications and subscription-based services that allow businesses to use space technology without owning satellites.
For Israeli companies with expertise in software, cybersecurity and data analytics, the shift could create opportunities that require less direct involvement in manufacturing spacecraft.
The Access to Space initiative is intended to help bridge the gap between developing promising technology on Earth and demonstrating its commercial viability in orbit.
Whether the program produces internationally competitive space businesses will depend on what participants can achieve after their experiments. For the 15 companies and research groups selected, however, it could provide an opportunity to overcome one of the industry's most difficult hurdles: getting their technology into space in the first place.