United States
Commercial Space Stations Steadily Make Progress, Begin Preliminary Tests
As the International Space Station (ISS) nears the end of its life and the U.S. celebrates the 50th anniversary of Skylab, its first space station, the commercial sector is hard at work designing the next generation of space stations in low Earth orbit (LEO).
Launch Attempts by Top Operators, 2000-2022
Two of the top three launch operators — CNSA and SpaceX — have contributed to overall launch activity growth by exponentially increasing their pace, while the third — Roscosmos — decreased its annual launches by 42% from 2000 to 2022.
U.S. Aerospace Engineers by Age
In addition to the current openings, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics expects the need for aerospace engineers possessing at least a bachelor’s degree to grow by 6% through 2031.
NASA Procurement Chief Open to New Ways to do Business with NASA
NASA has been working to increase collaboration with commercial space companies . . . Karla Smith Jackson, tasked with reshaping NASA’s approach to business, explains key aspects of the new methodology.
Study Shows Steady Decline in U.S. Students Studying Engineering, Science
U.S. Space firms battling for workers in an increasingly tight employment market could face a bigger fight after five years of declining enrollment for engineering and science majors at American colleges and universities.
U.S. Space Force Enlisted Guardians, 2022
While recruitment has been a challenge across other sections of the military, the Space Force has had more applicants than it could accept. For example, when looking for cyber professionals with private-sector experience, the Space Force received hundreds of applications for six positions.
Science and Engineering Degrees, in Thousands, 2000-2016
“Space education, research, and workforce development in the public and private sectors are core components of the U.S. national interest, with the potential to drive exploration and scientific discovery, to find new solutions for pressing challenges, including climate change, to strengthen American national security, and to provide good-paying jobs for Americans,” the roadmap document states.
U.S. Military Space Spending 2005-2022
Gallagher said the military must accelerate its efforts in space and cyberspace to keep pace with Russia and China, improving Pentagon cybersecurity and redesigning Space Force satellites to harden constellations against attack.
U.S. College Enrollment for Engineering, 2017-2022
Across the United States, the pipeline for new engineers and scientists has dropped steadily over the last five years, as the number of college students majoring in those fields shrank by nearly 90,000 from record levels set in 2017.
Number of FAA Licensed and Permitted Operations Worldwide by Fiscal Year, 2015-2026
The Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) Office of Commercial Space Transportation and the Office of Spaceports have growing data supporting the rising pace of launches and the current strain on U.S. launch capacity.