France
2012 – Space as a Tool of International Trade and Development
Space, Development, and International Trade in Africa Africa’s space sector typifies the dynamics at play in the intersection of space, trade, and development. The African continent is expanding the scale and scope of investments in its space sector. This expansion will include the development of a… Thank you for visiting The Space Report! The Authoritative…
2012 – Europe Launch, Payload
Europe operates a three-member family of launch vehicles from the Kourou spaceport in French Guiana. The newest and smallest member of this family, Vega, carried out its inaugural launch in February 2012, placing several small scientific and technology demonstration satellites into orbit.
2011 – Italian Government Space Budget – Snapshot
The Agenzia Spaziale Italiana (ASI), Italy’s space agency, managed a planned budget of €## million (US$## million) in 2011, excluding contributions made to ESA.This represents a ##% increase from ASI-only planned spending of €## million (US$## million) in 2010. Italy’s contribution to ESA totaled €## million (US$## million) in 2011, an increase of ##% from 2010.
2011 – India Launch Efforts – Snapshot
India had a successful year in 2011, launching ## rockets without any of the failures that plagued its 2010 launch season. All ## launches used the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV). While the rocket’s nomenclature hints at its original purpose to place satellites into polar orbit, over time it has launched medium-weight satellites into a variety of orbits.
2011 – German Government Space Budget – Snapshot
The Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt (DLR), Germany’s national space agency, oversaw an authorized budget of €## million (US$## million) in 2011, excluding contributions made to ESA. This represents an increase of ##% from 2010. In addition to the DLR-only spending, Germany made €## million (US$## billion) in ESA contributions in 2011. Combined, the DLR authorization and ESA contribution total €## billion (US$## billion), representing approximately ##% of Germany’s 2011 budget of €## billion ($## billion).
2011 – French Government Space Budget – Snapshot
The French space agency, the Centre National d’Études Spatiales (CNES), operated on a government budget of approximately €## million (US$## billion) in 2011, excluding contributions made to ESA and EUMETSAT. This represented a ##% increase from the 2010 budget of €## million (US$## million). Government spending was supplemented by €## million (US$## million) in revenue from activities such as launch services for ESA. In 2011, France contributed €## million (US$## billion) to ESA programs and €## million (US$## million) to EUMETSAT.
2011 – EUMETSAT Space Budget – Snapshot
EUMETSAT, which operates a pan-European system of meteorological satellites, planned a 2011 budget of €## million (US$## million). Approximately €## million (US$## million) of that budget was contributed to activities executed by ESA and is included in the ESA budget totals. EUMETSAT is responsible for the operations of a fleet of meteorological satellites and the associated ground control and data processing systems.
2011 – Military Satellite Overview Snapshot
The national defense needs of many countries help to drive demand for satellite capacity. Armed forces and international peacekeeping organizations from across the globe lease capacity from various commercial satellite operators or acquire Earth imagery services from commercial companies. Military forces are also building more of their own dedicated satellites due to increased capacity demands and the need for secure connectivity for deployed troops.
2011 – Meteorology – Snapshot
Funding is a serious concern for government-supported remote sensing satellite endeavors. Europe’s Global Monitoring for Environment and Security (GMES) program is facing difficulties because of the global economic climate, which is forcing many space programs around the world to cut costs. In November 2011, the European Commission (EC) proposed moving funding for operating the GMES space segment from the 27-member commission to the individual EU member states.
2011 – Government Space Budgets Overview Snapshot
Overall government investment in space remains strong and growing, although the effect of smaller budgets is being seen in some places, including the United States, where 2011 government space spending was below the 2010 level. While the United States remains responsible for ##% of global government space spending, other governments appropriate significant amounts. Some, such as Brazil, Israel, and Russia, are on the cusp or in the midst of major increases in government space appropriations. Government space programs accounted for approximately $## billion in spending during 2011, which represents ##% of the total global space economy.