2016


2016 – Surface Imaging – Snapshot

The majority of Earth observation satellites launched in 2016 were ##. Only ## of the ## Earth observation satellites had a launch mass of ### kilograms (### pounds) or more. The number of Earth observation satellites with a mass between ## and ## kilograms (##–## pounds) launched in 2016 was ##. Together, the Earth…

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2016 – U.S. Spaceports – Snapshot

Three spaceports conducted orbital launch operations from the United States in 2016: Vandenberg Air Force Base (VAFB), Cape Canaveral Air Force Station (CCAFS), and the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport (MARS). CCAFS conducted 82% of the nation’s orbital launch attempts, while VAFB was responsible for… Thank you for visiting The Space Report! The Authoritative Guide to Global…

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2016 – Military Satellites – Snapshot

Military satellites—spacecraft acquired, launched, and operated by a nation’s military forces—share many of the same mission types used in commercial and civilian applications. Communications, remote sensing, positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT) missions can seem remarkably similar to civilian … Thank you for visiting The Space Report! The Authoritative Guide to Global Space Activity, Packed with…

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2016 – Satellite Orbits – Snapshot

As in previous years, the most used orbit type is low Earth orbit (LEO). In 2016, 80% of the 219 spacecraft launched or deployed around the Earth were inserted into LEO. The effective range of this type of . . .

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2016 – Annual Infrastructure – Snapshot

Launching people and satellites into orbit, providing directions to tourists, and warning residents on the Pacific Rim of an impending hurricane…all of these activities require infrastructure, the spine of an industry. A bigger space infrastructure can support more activity, such as the number of orbital launches conducted annually. A flexible infrastructure can rapidly adapt to growth or unexpected changes, such as the increased demand for launch services.

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2016 – Sounding Rockets – Snapshot

Government sounding rocket programs, such as NASA’s Sounding Rockets Program Office (SRPO), use sounding rockets as training tools for future engineers and scientists. More launch opportunities…

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