2013
Satellite Communications and Typhoons
Space provides a uniquely valuable vantage from which to track conditions and events on the Earth’s surface. The November 2013 typhoon that decimated the Philippines was tracked from space well before landfall, allowing some citizens to be evacuated and countless others to prepare for the storm.
2013 – Workforce
Trends in the global space workforce continue to be mixed, with the U.S. space workforce contracting for the sixth year in a row while space workforces in Japan and Europe saw further increases.
2013 – U.S. Space Workforce
The U.S. space workforce has decreased in size each year since 2006, bringing the current workforce to ##. NASA’s civil servant workforce has remained relatively stable over this period, even as its budget has declined. NASA employed ## civil servants as of the beginning of fiscal year (FY) 2014.
For the Dune Enthusiast: the Stillshower?
The everyday activities that dominate life are host to space products and services that play unexpected roles. Just as the shift from baths to showers saved water, the new OrbSys Shower promises to go a step further. A mostly closed-loop system, the OrbSys Shower immediately purifies the soapy, used water, cycling it from the drain back into the shower head for reuse.
2013 – U.S. Space Industry Salaries
Given the requirements for advanced skills and education, it is not surprising that space sector jobs command high salaries. In 2012, the average space sector salary was about $##, more than double the average private sector salary of $##. It is also greater than the average annual salary for STEM occupations.
Space Technology Hall of Fame and Space Certification – 2013 Inductees
Space-based assets play a role in the governmental and economic framework of many countries, utilizing the unique vantage point of space to provide services otherwise unavailable. Space activities also permeate our lives in less visible ways: many consumer goods incorporate mechanical and technological advances originally developed for space programs.
2013 – The Mars Rover Programs, Benefiting Life on Earth
Space agencies explore distant planets and study galaxies billions of light years away, endeavors that might appear far removed from Earthly concerns, but in reality represent the building blocks for technologies that are changing our lives on a daily basis.
2013 – Trends and Events Affecting U.S. Employment Snapshot
Analysis of trends in the individual industry classifications making up the total U.S. space workforce shows decreases across all sectors over the past year, though losses were not evenly distributed. The greatest percentage decline from 2011 to 2012, ##%, occurred in Other Guided Missile and Space Vehicle Parts, representing a loss of approximately ## jobs.
2013 – Land Imaging Snapshot
Collectively, land-imaging satellites—which are also known as Earth observation or remote sensing satellites—are systems used to observe, monitor, and track changes and developments on the Earth’s surface using a variety of optical or electronic imaging capabilities. Earth observation satellites may be distinguished from each other on the basis of spatial resolution—the level of detail their images are capable of recording. Another distinction is the sensor type, such as optical cameras, synthetic aperture radar (SAR), or various types of infrared and electronic imaging.
Launch Log, 2013
Interested in global space launch vehicle satellite activity? Please select the associated link to read about it. Launch data is updated every day during weekdays, excluding U.S. holidays.