Russia
2007 – ISS
The largest in-space platform ever constructed is the International Space Station (ISS). The development of the ISS, led by the United States, “draws upon the scientific and technological resources of 16 nations: the United States, Canada, Japan, Russia, 11 nations of the European Space Agency, and Brazil,” according to NASA.[
2007 – ICBMs and SLBMs
Long-range missiles travel through space, reaching apogees of 950-1100 kilometers, or about five times the altitude of what is generally considered the threshold of low Earth orbit. Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBM) and Submarine Launched Ballistic Missiles (SLBM) are intended to carry a warhead, typically nuclear, as a payload on a suborbital ballistic trajectory. In the United States, ICBMs fall under the purview of U.S. Air Force Space Command. Funding for their maintenance and operation falls within the major force program for DoD space spending.
2007 – Space Insurance
Revenue from space insurance premiums is estimated to be lower in 2007 than in 2006. This is partially due to the loss of the NSS-8 satellite from the January explosion of Sea Launch’s Zenit-3SL. Several insured launches were postponed as a result. Pagnanelli Risk Solutions, an insurance consultancy, estimates total premiums of between $## and $## million.
2007 – European Military Space Budget
Military space spending among European countries in 2006 totaled $## billion (€## million), according to the European Space Policy Institute, a research institute founded and supported by European aerospace industry partners. For 2004, Euroconsult estimates non-U.S. space spending at $## billion. Countries included in this estimate are the United Kingdom, France, Russia, Germany, Belgium, Spain, Italy, and Israel. Data on international military space spending is generally held closely and difficult to find in public sources. Until better data becomes available, we will continue to use this 2004 figure as an estimate in our aggregated number.
2007 – Government Space Budgets Overview
Government space budgets support infrastructure and space products and services. Government spending accounted for ##% of global space activity in 2007, and the United States accounted for ##% of global government space spending, based on available information. Overall, U.S. government space spending rose ##%. International government budgets rose almost ##% in U.S. dollars, though the actual growth is closer to #% when adjusted for currency fluctuations. Large increases in Russian space spending (##%) and in the budget for Italy’s Agenzia Spaziale Italiana (##%) drove this growth
2007 – Demand Drivers and Growth Areas
Satellite-related products and services form the largest portion of the space industry, driven primarily by the use of communication and positioning satellites.
Commercial communications satellites provide both fixed and mobile satellite services. Fixed satellite services (FSS) are those where the ground receiver is stationary, pointed at one spot in the sky. Mobile satellite services (MSS) uplink and downlink to mobile users
Detecting Poachers in Africa
Satellite technology can be critical to managing resources and protecting endangered species in natural areas with little existing infrastructure. The use of satellite images allows researchers to study patterns of deforestation caused by logging and land-clearing in remote areas of Africa and South America.
The Fifth Space Tourist
While communications satellites have long been used to help travelers arrange accommodations on Earth, commercial companies are developing an ability to provide accommodations in space. On April 7, 2007, software developer Charles Simonyi, the fifth orbital “private space explorer,” launched into space for a nearly two week stay aboard the International Space Station.
2007 – Russia Launch, Human
The Clipper (Kliper) vehicle, under design by Russia’s Energia, has not yet found a customer. Clipper may become a follow-on to the Soyuz vehicle, and has attracted interest from the European Space Agency (ESA) for ISS access. In 2006, Anatoly Perminov, the director of Russia’s Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos), said the agency planned to start construction of the vehicle in 2012.
2006 – Space Industry Demographics – Snapshot
Although new hiring statistics are not uniformly available for other major civil space programs or international companies, steady growth in the global space industry over the past five years suggests that demand for skilled S&E workers with space-relevant skills exists around the world.