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Lessons from Earthbound Launchpad Failures Inform Future Missions to Moon, Mars

The incredible power in rocket boosters is magnificent when they are safely in the sky, but basic laws of physics are problematic closer to the ground, with every action creating an equal and concrete-shredding reaction. Now, with the Moon and Mars in NASA’s sights, engineers are working to overcome the dangers rocket thrust could bring when landing and taking off without the safety of a launchpad.

Maturing Sectors, Widening Space Applications Spur Commercial Revenues to $427B in 2022

Global commercial space revenue continues to grow, reaching $427.6 billion in 2022, up 7.9% from a revised $396.2 billion in 2021. Commercial space activity includes efforts undertaken by private industry with little or no government investment, as well as products and services sold to private customers. About two-thirds of commercial space revenue in 2022, $288 billion, came from space products and services. The remaining third, $139.6 billion, was generated by space infrastructure and support industries.

Global Space Economy Hits $546B Despite 2022’s Economic Turmoil

European Space Agency’s Plato satellite was subjected to as much as 156 decibels of sound at the agency’s Large European Acoustic Facility. The crushing noise is designed to simulate the sound satellites face upon launch. Space science missions such as Plato are seeing funding growth. Credit: ESA

Last year was a tumultuous time for the global economy. High inflation, fluctuating exchange rates, and constricting markets caused trouble across most industries, and space was no exception. The global space economy totaled $546 billion in 2022, 8% higher than the previous year, according to Space Foundation analysis. Government and commercial spending cooled year-over-year, but 2022 still exceeded the five-year growth average.