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Individuals, companies, and nations continue to create many other space-related products and services. Governments, which benefit directly and indirectly from new space products and services, often play an important supporting role in their development.
Read MoreChina is developing its own space station as the next phase of its human spaceflight program. The first module for this station was completed in 2010, with China planning to launch it in 2011. The module, Tiangong-1 (Chinese for “Heavenly Palace”), is undergoing testing and will be launched on a Chinese Long March 2F rocket.
Read MoreThe Bureau of Labor Statistics, which regularly surveys local, state, and national workforce trends across the entire range of U.S. economic activity, offers the broadest source of U.S. space industry workforce data. Data from the six space-related industry sectors shown in Exhibit 4c forms the basis for a detailed assessment of U.S. space employment and salary trends.
Read Morehe number of European space workers counted has expanded by 20% over five years, from 28,584 full-time equivalent (FTE) employees at the end of 2005 to 34,334 FTE employees in 2010. While some of the changes in European space workforce by sector reflected in Exhibit 4l are attributable to Eurospace methodology changes, they also underscore the shifting composition of the European space workforce.
Read MoreIn June 2010, Israel launched the OFEQ-9 reconnaissance satellite which joined ## others already in operation. China’s utilization of space for military purposes is even harder to gauge due to the country’s lack of transparency in its space programs. In 2010, the country launched ## Yaogan satellites with the stated purpose of engaging in scientific experiments, land survey, crop yield assessment, and disaster monitoring. Many space analysts believe that the true mission of these satellites is for reconnaissance or other military purposes.
Read MoreThe ISS is a joint project of the United States, Russia, Japan, Canada, and 11 of ESA’s member states to build and operate a research facility in LEO that can host crews of up to six people. Assembly of the ISS in space began in 1998.
Read MoreProducts and services from space permeate daily life in a number of ways, many of which are not obvious. Fleets of satellites monitor the Earth’s lands, oceans, and atmosphere, helping us improve our quality of life in a sustainable manner. Communications satellites provide greater connectivity, allowing humans to interact with each other and a wide array of technological systems.
Read MoreAn unmanned U.S. Air Force space plane, the X-37B, was launched in April 2010 aboard an Atlas V rocket. The X-37B remained in orbit for ## days, testing its capabilities and conducting a variety of experiments on behalf of the Air Force. Some international observers expressed concerns that the secrecy shrouding this vehicle could be interpreted by other nations as evidence that the U.S. was developing a space-based weapon. Other space technology experts believe the most likely mission of the X-37B is reconnaissance, given its ability to land, change payloads, and alter its orbit more rapidly than a LEO satellite.
Read MoreOne classification of satellite is based not just on the spacecraft’s capabilities. Military satellites are generally characterized by the end users they are built to serve, not the type of service provided. Although they may perform the same functions as their non-defense counterparts, such as communication or remote sensing, they are instead operated by national intelligence or defense personnel. Armed forces from across the globe also rely on leased capacity from commercial satellite operators.
Read MoreThe closer proximity to the Earth also greatly reduces signal delay from a LEO satellite to ground stations and allows for smaller receivers on the ground. While these attributes are beneficial, these lower orbits are challenging in that these satellites constantly move in and out of view of individual ground receivers. If it is necessary to maintain a continuous link, a fleet of spacecraft is required to form what is called a satellite constellation. LEO is home to communications constellations belonging to mobile satellite services companies such as Iridium and Globalstar.
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