Infrastructure
Satellites
2018 – Communications Satellites Mission Segment Breakdown – Snapshot
The majority of communications satellites deployed in 2018, 66% (85), were for commercial purposes (or “missions”). Civil government missions ranked second with a 28% share (36). The seven satellites launched…
Infrastructure: Space Infrastructure
Introduction | Space infrastructure, like its terrestrial counterpart, is an invisible backbone for services used by people all over the world. Like terrestrial infrastructure, space infrastructure is increasingly relied upon… 2017 – Satellite Overview – Snapshot
The year 2017 was a significant one for spacecraft, with a record-setting 443 satellites deployed. This was a 96% increase from 2016 and easily broke the previous satellite deployment record…
2016 – Military Satellites – Snapshot
Military satellites—spacecraft acquired, launched, and operated by a nation’s military forces—share many of the same mission types used in commercial and civilian applications. Communications, remote sensing, positioning, navigation, and timing…
2016 – Satellite Orbits – Snapshot
As in previous years, the most used orbit type is low Earth orbit (LEO). In 2016, 80% of the 219 spacecraft launched or deployed around the Earth were inserted into…
2016 – Satellite Overview – Snapshot
Traditional satellite missions, such as Earth observation, communications, and positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT), continued dominating the global space industry, but other missions are coming forward. Air traffic control and…
2005 – Ground Networks
Ground station infrastructure provides command, control, tracking, and telemetry systems for launch vehicles, satellites, and other platforms. Worldwide tracking systems operated by government agencies support launch command and control. Satellite…
2007 – Ground Networks
Ground station infrastructure is a key component of space systems providing command control, tracking, and telemetry services for launch vehicles, satellites, and other platforms. Worldwide tracking systems operated by government…
2012 – Ground Networks
Satellite teleports are permanent ground-based satellite uplink facilities. Teleports consist of several satellite dishes sited near a major terrestrial communications backbone, and they serve as the link between terrestrial communications…
2013 – Satellite Orbits
There were ## active satellites in orbit at the end of 2013, all performing various missions depending on their configuration and orbit. Of all active satellites, ## (approximately ##% of…