United Kingdom
2010 – Degrees Awarded – Snapshot
While mechanisms such as the PISA test reveal a cross-national focus on primary and secondary STEM competency, a more direct measure of the potential international space workforce is offered through a comparative analysis of STEM university graduates by country.
2010 – European Space Industry Employment – Snapshot
Despite the recession and financial crisis, the European space workforce has continued to add jobs. According to data collected by Eurospace, the nonprofit European space industry association, 31,369 full time equivalent (FTE) employees worked in the European space sector in 2009. This marked a net increase of 1,068 FTEs, or 3%, between 2008 and 2009.
Economy: Space Economy – TSR 2010
2009 – Military Space Activities
Militaries around the globe use space as a force multiplier, a capability that significantly increases the efficiency of other military assets, thereby enhancing the probability of mission success with minimal casualties. Military space capabilities increase the effectiveness of traditional air, gro… Thank you for visiting The Space Report! The Authoritative Guide to Global Space Activity,…
2009 – Expanding Human Boundaries
For the majority of the space era, human spaceflight was pursued solely by the United States and Russia, or the former Soviet Union. This exclusive club is likely to expand significantly in the future. China has joined the group of nations with orbital human spaceflight capabilities, and in the Unit… Thank you for visiting The…
2009 – European Space Industry Employment – Snapshot
By 2008, European space employment reached ## full-time equivalent (FTE) employees, which remains ##% lower than the near-historic high in 2001, when employment totaled approximately ## jobs with ##% annual growth. Space employment fell each year from 2002 to 2005, including a ##% decrease in 2005 when space employment fell to ## FTE employees. Beginning in 2006, growth resumed, with ##% employment growth in 2008.
2009 – Human Launch -Snapshot
In addition to government human spaceflight efforts, some companies are developing commercial systems for orbital human spaceflight. Several American companies have shown an interest in orbital human spaceflight to serve both government and commercial customers. SpaceX has designed its Falcon 9 launch vehicle and Dragon capsule to be able to support human missions, although that is not a requirement under the terms of the Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) program run by NASA. Orbital Sciences, the other U.S. company with a funded COTS agreement, has expressed interest in developing a crewed version of its Cygnus cargo spacecraft that would be able to carry three or four astronauts.
2009 – Disaster Charter – Snapshot
Remote sensing satellites provide data to assess the scope and impact of disasters that have occurred. The information also enables planning for the mitigation of events that may occur. The International Charter on Space and Major Disasters provides a means for relief agencies to request satellite imagery of an area affected by a disaster.
2009 – United Kingdom Government Space Budget – Snapshot
In the United Kingdom, responsibility for space activities is distributed across several agencies. Through 2009, space activities in the United Kingdom were coordinated by the British National Space Centre (BNSC), although individual agencies retain control of their own budgets. In December 2009, Britain’s Science Minister announced a decision to establish a dedicated British space agency to direct the country’s space policy, although the exact date this agency will begin to operate is unknown.
2009 – European Space Agency Budget – Snapshot
With 18 member states, ESA had a 2009 budget of €## billion (US$## billion), approximately ##% more than the 2008 budget of €## billion (US$## billion). The largest ESA funding line items are the Ariane and Vega launch vehicles, at ##% of ESA’s 2009 budget, and Earth observation activities at ##% of the budget, including projects such as the European Remote Sensing series of satellites, the Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity satellite, and the new Sentinel series of satellites to be developed in connection with GMES.