Japan
2009 – QZSS – Snapshot
The complete constellation is planned to be in place by 2011, though no launches had been conducted by the end of 2009. Japan’s Quasi-Zenith Satellite System (QZSS) will consist of ## GEO satellites operating over Japan and surrounding areas. While these satellites are geosynchronous, orbiting the Earth once per day, they are not stationary as are FSS satellites. They are inclined-GEO satellites, meaning that they move in a north-south “figure eight” pattern as observed from a single point on the Earth.
2009 – Space Stations – Snapshot
The largest in-space platform is the International Space Station. NASA, the main contributor to the ISS, received $## billion for the station in fiscal year (FY) 2010 compared to $## billion approved by Congress in FY 2009. This funding does not include flight or ground operations costs of shuttle flights to and from the ISS. During 2009, two major modules were added: the final truss segment and a section of the solar array. The truss acts as the junction through which external utilities, such as power, communications, and ammonia for thermal control systems, are routed to the pressurized modules.
2009 – Disaster Charter – Snapshot
Remote sensing satellites provide data to assess the scope and impact of disasters that have occurred. The information also enables planning for the mitigation of events that may occur. The International Charter on Space and Major Disasters provides a means for relief agencies to request satellite imagery of an area affected by a disaster.
2009 – Russian Government Space Budget – Snapshot
Russian space spending increased dramatically in 2009. The planned budget for Roscosmos, the Russian Federal Space Agency, was more than ## billion rubles (US$## billion). This amount constitutes an increase of ##% from the previous year’s budget of ## billion rubles and represents approximately ##% of Russia’s ## trillion ruble (US$## billion) planned 2009 federal expenditures. This increase signifies both a positive view of the Russian space program within the Russian government and increased Russian government revenue due to oil markets.
2009 – Japanese Government Space Budget – Snapshot
In FY 2009, Japan’s national budget allocated ¥## billion (US$## billion) for space programs across the government, an increase of approximately ##% from the previous year’s total of ¥## billion. This represents approximately ##% of the country’s ¥## trillion (US$## trillion) national budget. The Japanese government approved Japan’s first national strategy for space activities, the Basic Space Plan, in June 2009. The strategy was accompanied by increases in financial resources for Japanese space activities. The Basic Space Plan lays out the tenets of Japanese space strategy for the 2009 to 2013 time frame, with the goal of improving the international competitive position of Japan’s space-related industries.
2009 – PISA Test Snapshot
An examination of PISA test scores among 14 countries active in space offers a more focused view of relative math and science literacy, which has implications for the numbers of STEM graduates each country produces and in turn the supply of STEM-skilled workers available for space-related professions. Exhibit 4bb shows national PISA test scores from 2009 for major space countries in mathematics and science.
2008 – TIMSS
To gauge how U.S. elementary and middle school students compare with other students in math and science, the results of a test administered by the U.S. Department of Education, known as Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) provide a standardized global measure. The most recent test was administered in 2007.
2008 – Workforce
Investment in space creates measurable benefits that flow across a wide spectrum of economic activity. The greatest investment that the space industry can make is in its people. The global space economy creates high-paying jobs and also stimulates demand for products and services in industries not directly linked to space.
2008 – Cosmic Discovery: A Look Ahead
Two competing influences shape the near-term prospects of space astronomy: the burgeoning worldwide development of astronomical technology and human talent, and the decrease in governmental support for basic science brought on by economic and fiscal pressures. Probably the most significant event … Thank you for visiting The Space Report! The Authoritative Guide to Global Space…
2008 – Evolving National Space Policies
The activities of spacefaring nations increased in 2008, and the policies of those and other countries continue to evolve. These policy changes often reflect the need to fund or authorize activities in response to steps taken by other national space programs, particularly when matters of national de… Thank you for visiting The Space Report! The…