Perspective – Page 3 – The Space Report

2012 – Spaceports as an Economic Engine

[caption id="attachment_2864" align="alignright"]The Falcon 9 launch vehicle carrying the Dragon C2 spacecraft lifts off from the SpaceX launch pad at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. The Dragon was the first…

2012 – Building Space Infrastructure and Achieving Mission Objectives Within Reduced Budgets

Today, nations are under pressure to replace aging satellite infrastructure while continuing to deploy new satellite systems and achieve the related mission objectives within the constraints of tighter budgets. The…

2012 – Space as a Tool of International Trade and Development

The value of space assets and applications for economic and social development is increasingly apparent to decision-makers in emerging space states. At the same time, more established space nations are…

2012 – Space Policy: Common Topics and Different Approaches

Throughout the world, space policies, strategies, and plans are formalized in documents through which governments communicate the priorities and strategic objectives of their space programs. Space policies describe the overarching…

2013 – Changing Context in Government Space Programs: National, Regional, and Local

As the commercial space sector matures, government space programs wrestle with defining the context and objectives for scientific and exploration activities while optimizing economic and societal return through space applications.…

2013 – An Evolving Space Industry: Commoditization, Differentiation, and the Rise of Regional Operators

The space industry is evolving, moving from a phase of testing and development in the mid-20th century, to limited satellite coverage and use by specialists in the late 20th century,…

2010 – Perspective

Space activities have become central to the way we live, work, and play. Every day, around the world, people experience the benefits of human engagement in space. Space applications and…

2011 – Perspective

For half a century, human beings have been traveling to and from Earth’s orbit. Since the April 12, 1961 flight of Yuri Gagarin, 523 spacefarers from 34 countries have flown…

2008 – Perspective

2008 was a challenging year for the world in many ways, and the space industry has not been immune to these challenges. Despite the systemic problems besetting the economy, positive…

2009 – Perspective

Connections between people are the foundation of society. Whether by telephone, internet, or face-to-face conversation, people have an innate desire to communicate with friends, family, colleagues, and contacts near or…