The Leading Producers of Space Race Materials

The Leading Producers of Space Race Materials

The modern space race depends on far more than rockets and launch pads. Satellites, spacecraft, and launch vehicles all rely on a steady supply of critical minerals, metals, gases, and fuels sourced from around the world.

This visualization, created in partnership with the Hinrich Foundation, shows the leading producers of the materials powering the space race, highlighting the countries shaping one of the world’s most strategic supply chains.

China Leads the Space Race Materials Supply Chain

China is the largest producer of four of the eight materials shown. It accounts for the production of 99% of gallium, 78% of graphite, 70% of titanium, and 69% of global rare earth elements.

	Top Producers
Mineral/Commodity	1	2	3
Rare Earth Elements	China	U.S.	Australia
% share	69.2%	13.1%	7.4%
Gallium	China	Russia	Japan
% share	99.0%	0.7%	0.3%
Titanium	China	Japan	Russia
% share	70.3%	14.3%	6.8%
Graphite	China	Madagascar	Tanzania
% share	77.8%	4.4%	4.2%
Helium & Rare Gases	U.S.	Qatar	Russia
% share	42.6%	33.2%	9.5%
Rhenium	Chile	China	Poland
% share	37.0%	24.7%	12.3%
Beryllium	U.S.	Brazil	China
% share	53.5%	18.6%	17.9%
Oil	U.S.	Saudi Arabia	Russia
% share	21.5%	10.9%	10.6%

These materials underpin today’s space technologies. Rare earth elements power high-performance magnets used in satellites. Gallium is essential for semiconductors and solar cells. Graphite is used in rocket components and batteries, while titanium provides the lightweight strength needed for aerospace applications.

The Space Race Extends Beyond Mining

China’s advantage doesn’t stop at production. It also dominates the processing and refining of many critical minerals, including rare earth elements, graphite, and gallium.

China plays an outsized role across the global supply chain—even when other countries mine the raw materials. In many cases, countries rely on China not just for the minerals themselves, but also for the refined materials needed to manufacture space technologies.

Other Countries Powering the Space Economy

China isn’t the only major supplier. The United States produces 43% of the world’s helium and rare gases and 54% of global beryllium, both critical inputs for spacecraft and satellites. Rocket manufacturers use helium for testing and manufacturing, while aerospace engineers rely on beryllium for its exceptional strength-to-weight ratio.

Elsewhere, Chile accounts for 37% of global rhenium production, a metal used in heat-resistant rocket and jet engines. The United States also leads global oil production, supplying the fuel that powers many of today’s launches.

Critical Materials Are Becoming a Battleground

As governments and private companies accelerate investment in the space race, competition is expanding beyond launch capability to the materials that make those launches possible.

Production of many critical materials is highly concentrated, while refining is even more so. As countries work to secure resilient supply chains, access to these resources is becoming a strategic advantage—and a new front in the global space race.

Visit the Hinrich Foundation to learn more about space dominance and its importance in global trade.