# New Space Engineering Design: Characterization of Key Drivers
## 1 Introduction  
The term \"New Space\" can refer both to the transformation phase of the space industry that began in the early years of the twenty-first century and to the resulting ecosystem in which recent space activities are taking place [1]. It is a widely used expression in today's literature to promote every latest space initiative or program perceived as advancing beyond traditional approaches within the space industry. The so-called \"Old Space\" paradigm, which originated during the Cold War and continues to coexist with the New Space regime, is characterized by large-scale, government-led programs, primarily dominated by nationalspace agencies and large prime contractors. In contrast, New Space is defined by innovative Research and Development (R&D) and business trends, broader commercial participation, technological innovation, and new models of collaboration across the public and private sectors [2]. Indeed, the space sector has experienced significant expansion, allowing private companies of various sizes, including those from emerging countries, to enter the market. These new players are introducing disruptive ways of thinking about space technologies and missions, reshaping space exploration and utilization, in line with the trends defining the current landscape. However, the rapid evolution of the space ecosystem has not been matched by equally critical analyses of how these trends influence engineering directions and technical solutions, highlighting a need for a structured investigation to support both newcomers and traditional actors as they adapt to these changes. In the literature, several authors have addressed the New Space phenomenon and its implications for the space industry from various perspectives, ranging from economic to geopolitical, to clarify the definition and role of this multifaceted ecosystem. One of the earliest attempts to characterize the emerging New Space was provided by Hay et al. [3]. Their work identified key attributes that distinguish traditional and New Space companies, revealing that the distinction is not clear-cut; there are cases in which traditional space actors, such as governments, can benefit from adopting certain new practices to streamline their operations. More recently, Golkar and Salado [4] tried to clarify the increasingly complex New Space landscape by identifying three defining characteristics: a customer-focused approach, the emphasis on new product development, and the rise of entrepreneurial companies supported by private investments and venture capital, partially replacing government funding. A similar objective is pursued in the work by Garzaniti et al. [5], whose main finding is the identification of ten application domains, such as space platforms and image analysis, that are most relevant to the activities of today's space companies, which are mostly innovation-driven small enterprises and startups. Due to this latter feature, Chechile [6], from a systems engineering perspective, highlighted the need to move from traditional development approaches toward tailored products and organizational life cycle management, particularly in light of growing concerns about the ethical and sustainable use of space. To contribute to the state of the art, this paper focuses on characterizing key concepts of engineering design that characterize New Space systems, linking them to the broader trends from which they originate. The goal is to provide a structured breakdown that serves as a foundation for strategic decision-making during the early phases of New Space system development. A key early innovation that anticipated several New Space trends is the CubeSat standard [7]. Introduced in 1999, these small modular satellites (100 mm \(\times\) 100 mm \(\times\) 100 mm units) allow universities to conduct space research on a limited budget. Inspired by their success, the space industry has evolved and, today, the small satellite market is expected to undergo significant expansion in the coming years [8].