Browse Resources by Year

2008 – Other Countries, Launch, Human

In 2006, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) announced plans to develop a human-rated version of its proposed GSLV Mark 3 vehicle. The vehicle, whose maiden launch is proposed for 2015, would be capable of carrying a crew capsule to LEO. Additionally, in January 2007, ISRO successfully launched and retrieved the Space Recovery Experiment, the nation’s first recoverable spacecraft, demonstrating the reentry and recovery technologies required for a future human-rated spacecraft.

2008 – China Launch, Human

In 2003, China became the third nation to achieve orbital human spaceflight. The Long March 2F vehicle and its Shenzhou capsule are similar in design and function to the Soyuz rocket and capsule configuration. In October 2008, China launched Shenzhou 7, whose three-person crew performed the first Chinese extra vehicular activity, or spacewalk. In 2006, the Chinese government updated its China’s Space Activities white paper, which lists potential activities of follow-on Shenzhou missions. These include testing docking procedures, with the eventual objective of creating a space station.

2008 – Russia Launch, Human

Russia’s Soyuz is the most frequently launched human-rated vehicle. The Soyuz typically performs five to six missions per year at regular intervals to ferry crew and cargo to the ISS. In the period between retirement of the Space Shuttle and introduction of a new U.S. human-rated launch system, the Soyuz is expected to be the only vehicle able to transport crew members to the space station. Since 2001, the Soyuz has also been used six times to transport private spaceflight participants to and from the ISS under a partnership with the space exploration company, Space Adventures.

2008 – U.S. Launch, Human

NASA plans to retire the Space Shuttle in 2010, though the agency has considered extending the vehicle’s life to support continued operation of the ISS. ## shuttle missions took place in 2008, all devoted to ISS assembly.

2008 – Positioning, Navigation, and Timing Services – Snapshot

The satellite positioning market is extremely large, with estimates of the total revenues from equipment and services ranging as high as $## billion a year, according to a 2008 study from ABI Research. Since there is no direct usage fee for the positioning signal provided by the GPS satellites, these revenues flow from user equipment, software applications, and secondary services related to such applications. The equipment market is discussed with other ground equipment and the associated revenues are included in the ground equipment revenues.

2008 – Earth Observation – Snapshot

Broadly defined, the Earth observation market includes revenues from applications as varied as weather forecasting, intelligence-gathering, highway inspections, climate change studies, and commercial uses in agriculture, fishing, mining, construction, and public health. Based on BCC Research revenue data, the estimated total global expenditure for this overall satellite-based Earth observation market in 2008 was $## billion, a #% increase from $## billion in 2007. Weather forecasting and intelligence-gathering applications experienced the highest growth rates, approximately #% and #%, respectively.

2008 – Satellite Communications – Snapshot

The key components of FSS revenues are video distribution and data communications, which include both private enterprise networks using VSATs and consumer broadband access. VSAT networks use FSS capacity, and the revenues from those services are captured in the FSS section. VSAT operators also provide hardware and network management services. The newest area of data communications, consumer broadband Internet access, is small but growing in importance. In 2008, the primary market for broadband to the home was in North America, where…

2008 – Satellite Television – Snapshot

FSS includes the provision of satellite capacity for a range of applications from video distribution to relaying telephone signals, and integrated voice/data services on private networks which often use very small aperture terminals (VSAT networks). Estimated 2008 revenue for FSS is $## billion. This value is based on actual data reported as of January 2009, and past years’ data from SIA.

2008 – U.S. Space Workforce – Snapshot

In 2007, nearly ## U.S. personnel were employed in the space industry. A 2008 U.S. government report estimated that approximately ## U.S. workers were indirectly employed in the provision of primary, secondary, and tertiary goods and services related to space.

2008 – Commercial Space Products and Services – Snapshot

Total revenue for space products and services in 2008 is estimated at $## billion, ##% more than the $## billion in 2007. This estimate takes into account the transition of GPS revenues to the ground equipment sector, as noted above. Space products and services encompass commercial satellite services and in-space activities such as orbital and suborbital commercial transportation services. The exhibit below shows 2008 revenue estimates for this sector.