2016
2016 – U.S. Space Surveillance Network (SSN)
The U.S. Space Surveillance Network (SSN) was originally designed to alert deployed U.S. sailors of a possible spy satellite’s approach. It also served as a way to prevent irreversible…
2016 – Spaceports – Snapshot
For 2016, the busiest orbital spaceport in the world was ####, ahead of ## other operational orbital spaceports during the year. The spaceport accounted for…
2016 – Orbital Launch Reports and Forecasts – Snapshot
After many years of conducting launch operations in more or less the same way, the orbital launch industry is experiencing substantial changes on some fronts. In December 2015, one U.S. company was the first to successfully conduct an orbital launch of satellites, then have the space launch vehicle’s (SLV’s) first stage return and land safely on the ground…
2016 – Russia: SSA – Snapshot
The Russian Space Surveillance System (RSSS) consists of a network of ground-based radars and optical telescopes, operated by the Russian Defense Ministry’s Space Control Center (TSKKP), which is responsible for the nation’s space situational awareness (SSA). The RSSS sensors give the nation the ability to…
2016 – Space Employment – Snapshot
Exhibit 3U provides a snapshot of the workforce sizes in space agencies around the world. Direct comparisons among agencies should be avoided or undertaken with care, as differences…
2016 – Commercial Human Spaceflight – Snapshot
In FY 2016, funding for NASA’s Commercial Crew Program increased by ##%, from $## million in FY 2015 to $## billion. Boeing and SpaceX continued to make progress in the…
2016 – U.S. Suborbital – Snapshot
The promise of humans routinely traversing space for the purposes of business and pleasure has been around for nearly as long as…
2016 – Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency Employment – Snapshot
The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) workforce remained constant from 2015 to 2016, shedding just ## employees. Of the ## space professionals working at JAXA in 2016, nearly…
2016 – Earth Observation and Remote Sensing – Snapshot
The business of monitoring from orbit the activities and changes occurring on the Earth’s surface continued to grow in 2016. Earth observation/remote sensing satellite missions have grown to accommodate different needs. Some satellites gather weather and environmental data, while others capture…
2016 – Japanese Space Industry Employment – Snapshot
The Japanese space workforce ## by ##% from 2014 to 2015, ## workers. This continued a trend of ## that began after a ## point for the industry in 2008. Since that time…