“We have signed contracts with some other customers, so I think we'll be putting more effort in the LEO market,” he said. “We have heard customers complain there are not enough opportunities for LEO launchers, so this is an area for more attention.”

In the U.S., Lockheed Martin Space Systems is still toying with the idea of introducing a small-class launcher from the Athena rocket family. It expects the solid-fueled rocket to address U.S. Defense Department demand for small-spacecraft capabilities and take advantage of NASA's shift away from high-dollar flagship campaigns to medium and small missions.