Economy
Commercial Infrastructure and Support Industries
2012 – Satellite Manufacturing
A total of ## satellites were launched (or attempted to be launched) in 2012, a ##% increase from the ## in 2011. This includes all payloads launched into space except for technology development payloads and missions to the ISS. These ## satellites were worth approximately $## billion, a ##% increase over the $## billion value of the ## satellites launched in 2011.
2012 – Launch Industry
In 2012, ## orbital launches were attempted, carrying ## payloads, including satellites, interplanetary probes, and flights to the International Space Station (ISS). Compared to the 2011 total of ## launch attempts, this represents a #% decrease. Of these ## launches, ## placed their primary payloads into orbit.
2012 – Commercial Infrastructure and Support Industries Overview
Revenue for commercial space infrastructure and support industries, which include satellite manufacturing, launch services, space stations, ground stations, and associated equipment, totaled $## billion in 2012, an increase of ##% from $## billion in 2011. This total does not include government spending on space infrastructure, which is described separately in Government Space Budgets.
Economy: Space Economy – TSR 2012
2011 – Commercial Human Spaceflight – Snapshot
New commercial transportation services are in development to carry cargo, passengers, and astronauts into space. In the United States, the retirement of the Space Shuttle in July 2011 creates an opportunity for new commercial cargo transportation services to resupply the ISS. The Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) program, started in 2006, is designed to help develop U.S. commercial cargo transportation systems. Through Space Act Agreements, SpaceX and Orbital will receive up to $## million upon successful completion of their current agreements in 2012. In April 2011, NASA estimated that it would invest a total of $## million in the COTS program from its beginning in 2006 to its completion in 2012. This figure exceeds the original program cost estimate of $## million. The bulk of COTS funding has been directed to two launch vehicles and associated spacecraft: Orbital Sciences’ Antares (formerly Taurus II) rocket with its Cygnus spacecraft, and SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket with its Dragon spacecraft. Both SpaceX and Orbital have won contracts under NASA’s Commercial Resupply Services (CRS) initiative, a follow-on to the COTS program, to provide cargo supply services to the ISS. Under these contracts, SpaceX and Orbital are required to launch a total of 20 tons of cargo each to the ISS through 2016.
2011 – Space Insurance – Snapshot
The satellite insurance industry saw profits decline in 2011 but the industry was still profitable, continuing a decade of strong performance. Aon/ ISB, an insurance brokerage, reported that the space insurance industry in 2011 collected premiums totaling approximately $## million while spending totaled $## million on claims.
2011 – Ground Stations and Receivers Snapshot
The ground equipment market totaled an estimated $## billion in 2011, a ##% increase compared to $## billion for 2010. Ground equipment includes all Earth-based infrastructure and technology necessary to…
2011 – Space Stations – Snapshot
The ISS reached core completion in 2011. The largest funding contributor to the ISS, NASA, received $## billion for the ISS in fiscal year (FY) 2011, compared to $## billion in actual spending during FY 2010. During 2011, the final ## flights of the Space Shuttle occurred. Those flights delivered cargo, crew, the Permanent Multipurpose Module, the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer, and the Robotic Refueling Mission testbed to the ISS.
2011 – Satellite Manufacturing – Snapshot
In 2011, a total of ## satellites—of which 40 were commercial—were launched into space, an increase of #% from the ## satellites launched in 2010. This total includes most spacecraft but excludes missions to the ISS or short-term technology demonstration missions. The ## satellites represented approximately $## billion in manufacturing revenue, compared to the 2010 total of $## billion. During the past five years, the number of satellites in each mass class has remained relatively consistent.
2011 – Launch Industry – Snapshot
In 2011, ## launches were attempted carrying ## payloads, including satellites, interplanetary probes, and flights to the International Space Station (ISS). Compared to the 2010 total of ## launches, this represents a ##% increase in launch rate.