2021
Launches in First Six Months of the Year, 1957-2022
From Jan. 1 to June 30, the first six months of 2022 saw 75 orbital launch attempts worldwide with 72 successful launches. The launch number was matched only in 1967 and the number of successes broke records.
Global Space Activity by Category, 2005-2021
For this year’s analysis, Space Foundation incorporated historical data and 2022 government spending to project the global space economy’s growth over the next five years. Using our methodology, we predict that the total could reach $639 billion by 2026. Our modeling takes a more conservative approach based on average growth of established sectors and does not factor in developing sectors such as lunar habitation or still exploratory concepts such as asteroid mining.
Global Space Activity by Category, 2021
Commercial revenues continued to make up a majority – 77% – of the space economy. This proportion has declined from a previous five-year average of 79%. Commercial infrastructure and support industries remained the smaller of the two subcategories but widened its share of commercial revenues from 35% in 2019 to 38% in 2021.
Government Space Spending Increases 19% from 2020 to 2021
Total government space spending in 2021 reached $107 billion, a 19% increase from 2020, based on Space Foundation analysis. Space Foundation examined government space spending of 46 nations, including 14 nations new to the analysis this year.
Commercial Space Revenue Climbs More Than 6%, Edging Toward $400 Billion Annually
Commercial space activity refers to efforts undertaken by private industry with little or no government investment. Commercial space revenue in 2021 totaled $362 billion.
U.S. Space Industry Employment and U.S. Total Employment Relative to 2010
Estimates of the size of the U.S. space workforce are based on statistics made available in the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages. This program covers 95% of U.S. jobs and provides a consistent and reliable source of information to compare changes in the workforce over time.
NASA Civil Servant Workforce Demographics 1993-2021
NASA civil servant workforce demographics spanning the years 1993 through 2021.
NASA Civil Servant Workforce, 2012-2022
NASA’s civil service workforce has grown gradually in recent years, contributing to an increase in U.S. space employment.
U.S. Space Industry Core Employment, 2011-2021
Core employment in 5 key space sectors continued to grow in 2021. These employment levels do not reflect all employment in the U.S. space industry, but rather, track employment in key sectors most closely associated with U.S. space employment.
Market Annual Premiums and Claims, 2000 to 2021
Space insurance claims in 2021 fell to one of the lowest levels in the past two decades.