2012
Japanese Workforce by Sector, 2005-2021
JAXA employed 1,580 individuals at the beginning of 2023. Out of this total, 1,123 (71%) are engineering and research employees. Even though Japan as a whole is struggling with an aging population, JAXA’s age demographics are more normally distributed than many other nation’s space agencies.
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.
India Department of Space Employment, 2012-2022
India has traditionally maintained a large government workforce relative to its private space workforce. However, in recent years, the Indian government has been working to grow its commercial space sector.
Japanese Space Workforce, 2011-2021
Japan saw growth across all three of these sectors in the past year, with the largest growth, 12.8%, in software.
European Space Industry Employment, 2012-2022
Eurospace collects data through an annual survey of nearly 500 space organizations in Europe. Its analysis focuses on manufacturing of space systems, including launchers, spacecraft, and ground segments.
Space Workforce Trends in the United States, Europe, Japan, and India
The United States, Europe, and Japan have all seen net growth in their space workforce over the past decade, with steady increases in Europe, and more varied trends in the United States and Japan.
European Nations Lead with Space Workforce Growth from 2021 to 2022
Trends in the size and composition of the global space workforce provide a lens into the health and trajectory of the industry. While many countries do not collect or release data on their space workforce, several major space actors, including the United States, Europe, Japan, and India, publish this information annually.
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.