France
Flock of launch vehicles set for first flight in 2025
With as many as 23 launch vehicles set to make their first flights in 2025, there’s also a renewed focus on sovereign launch capabilities
SNAPSHOT: Launch vehicles set for 2025 first flights
Twenty-four new launch vehicles, many delayed from 2024, are expected to take flight this year.
The S-Network Space Index℠ 2024 H1 Performance
The S-Network Space Index℠ tracks a global portfolio of publicly traded companies that are active in space-related businesses.
Government space budgets grow 11% to reach new heights
International government space budgets reached new heights in 2023 with $125 billion spent on space programs, 11% higher than a revised 2022 total of $113 billion.
Astronauts by top nations
The majority of astronauts (95%) have also reached the Kármán line at 100 km — the internationally recognized boundary of space.
SNAPSHOT: Global space economy
The global space economy totaled $546 billion in 2022, 8% higher than 2021 — and it could reach $772 billion by 2027, according to Space Foundation analysis.
SNAPSHOT: Human spaceflight
As of mid-March, 685 astronauts have reached at least 80 kilometers above the Earth’s surface. This total includes 86 private astronauts, 22 times as many as there were two decades ago.
Up to 14 Large Rockets and Tiny Competitors Are Poised for Launch in 2024
Space leaders in 2023 pondered a lack of launch vehicles to lift anticipated swarms of satellites to orbit. But 2024 could bring relief.
Astronaut and Mission Count for Top Nations
Public astronauts typically complete multiple missions in space over their careers — 65% have two or more flights compared to only 9% of private space travelers. Retired NASA astronaut Frederick “CJ” Sturckow remains the only person to have visited space eight times.
SNAPSHOT: Human Spaceflight
From the early days of the space race, sending humans to space has always been a key priority. The International Space Station (ISS) has maintained a continuous human presence in orbit for more than 20 years, and microgravity research on space stations has provided valuable insight for future long-term human missions in space.