2004
NASA share of U.S. federal budget, 1959-2025


The overall Pentagon budget proposal for 2025 is $850 billion, $8 billion more than its 2024 request.
Satellites lost by launch operator country and type, 2003-2023


Despite the rising number of lost payloads, satellite operators are getting better at mitigating the harm done to their mission by a launch failure.
Launch Attempts and Deployed Payloads, 1983-2022


Two items stand out as primary examples of astronomers’ concerns: the SpaceX Starlink constellation due to its number of satellites and AST SpaceMobile’s BlueWalker 3 satellite due to its size — 693 square feet6 — which ranks as the largest commercial communications array in space.
Orbital Launch Attempts, 1957-2023


The number of U.S. launch at- tempts climbed from 87 in 2022 to 116 last year. The number of U.S. launches has more than doubled since 2021, which saw 51 launch attempts.
Leap Second Adjustments to UTC, Navigation Satellites, 1972-2023


But every technological leap in clock accuracy can’t overcome the wobbly planet’s ability to throw off timing standards. Using leap seconds, the International Bureau of Weights and Measures has changed clocks to match the astronomical time on Earth 27 times.
University nanosatellite launches skyrocket over past decade


Universities across the globe are building an increasingly large presence in space by attaching student satellite projects to launches. Since the advent of nanosatellites and CubeSats, the barrier to space entry has never been lower for students.
NASA Share of U.S. Federal Budget, 1959-2023
Male vs Female Astronauts, 1961-Sept. 8, 2023


The most significant human spaceflight trend in recent years has been a shift to focus on diversification.
Space Insurance Industry Estimates, 2002-2022


Operating in the space sector involves risks. Space launch is complex and launch failures are possible, even for well-established vehicles. New vehicles typically carry even greater risk. Once spacecraft successfully reach orbit, issues may arise due to factors such as space weather, space debris and a crowded orbital environment. To deal with these risks, many companies in the space sector invest in space insurance. As of 2023, there were about 25 direct space insurance companies worldwide.
Active Launch Vehicle Operators by Type, 2000-2022


Orbital launch attempts have more than tripled since a lull in activity in the early 2000s bottomed out at 55 attempts in 2004. Part of the rapid growth in the past few years is due to a sharp increase in launch vehicle operators after a long period with an average just shy of 10 distinct operators per year.
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