United Kingdom
New Nigerian Satellite Can Help With Urban Planning
In addition to providing important information during emergencies, remote sensing satellites can be useful for land use and urban planning, and natural resources management. In August 2011, the NigeriaSat-2 remote sensing satellite was launched.
2011 – United Kingdom Government Space Budget – Snapshot
Civil space activities in the United Kingdom (UK) are primarily funded through the United Kingdom Space Agency (UKSA), which became operational in April 2011, and the Technology Strategy Board (TSB). Space budgets for FY 10/11, which ran from April 2010 through March 2011, had not been published by the UKSA as of January 2012.
2011 – Ground Observatories, Astronomy – Snapshot
To improve the resolution from ground-based observatories and to capture light from distant, dim objects, telescopes are growing larger. Due to the correspondingly large cost of construction and operation, these massive telescopes are often supported financially by multinational consortia.
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 $## billion in spending during 2011, which represents ##% of the total global space economy.
Economy: Space Economy – TSR 2011
Automating Emergency Response
Advanced telemedicine, or remote medical care, has improved due to space-related research in electronic sensors and navigation technology. One example is the development of a wrist monitor that, over time, calculates a person’s pattern of biological readings, such as body temperature, heart rate, blood pressure, and other basic measurements.
2010 – European Space Industry Employment – Snapshot
he number of European space workers counted has expanded by 20% over five years, from 28,584 full-time equivalent (FTE) employees at the end of 2005 to 34,334 FTE employees in 2010. While some of the changes in European space workforce by sector reflected in Exhibit 4l are attributable to Eurospace methodology changes, they also underscore the shifting composition of the European space workforce.
2010 – United Kingdom Government Space Budget – Snapshot
The British government established the United Kingdom Space Agency (UKSA) in 2010. However, the organization was not fully operational during 2010 and responsibility and funding for space activities remained distributed through several agencies. In FY 09/10, which ran from April 2009 through March 2010, estimated space spending in the UK totaled £## million (US$## million), excluding the country’s ESA contribution.
2010 – European Space Agency Budget – Snapshot
ESA, representing 18 member states, had a 2010 budget of €## billion (US$## billion), ##% more than the 2009 budget of €## billion (US$## billion). The largest three ESA funding line items are navigation activities at ##% of the budget, Earth observation activities at ##% of the budget, and launcher activity—related to the Ariane and Vega launch vehicles—with ##% of the budget.
2010 – Bigelow Space Stations – Snapshot
Bigelow Aerospace has been working for several years to develop commercial orbital habitats using expandable modules. This approach, leveraging technology licensed from NASA, involves launching modules in a compact form and inflating them once in orbit, creating much larger volumes than would be possible with traditional metallic structures.