Browse Resources by Year

2007 – Japan Launch, Payload

Japan plans to replace the former M-V launch vehicle, which was active as recently as 2006, with an advanced solid rocket.

2007 – Europe Launch, Payload

The European Space Agency is developing a small launch vehicle, Vega, which will be operated by Arianespace.

2007 – India Launch, Payload

India is developing a heavy lift launch vehicle, the GSLV Mk-III, with a test flight planned in 2009 or 2010.

The Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) 2008 U.S. Commercial Space Transportation Developments and Concepts: Vehicles, Technologies, and Spaceports report notes that a variety of orbital vehicles, shown in Exhibit 3f, are currently in development. Vehicles are classified by type either as expendable launch vehicles (ELV) or reusable launch vehicles (RLV). Please note that the FAA lists the Falcon 1 as developmental, even though it has been declared operational by its manufacturer. The vehicles in the upper portion of the exhibit have initial launch dates under contract.

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 agencies support launch command and control. In addition, space situational awareness systems like the U.S. Space Surveillance Network track space debris and assist with collision avoidance.

2007 – U.S. Spaceports

Oklahoma Spaceport received an FAA license for suborbital flights in June 2006. Blue Origin, founded by Amazon.com’s Jeff Bezos, received an experimental permit in 2006 for its West Texas launch site. The first test flight from Blue Origin’s facility was conducted on November 13 of the same year.

2007 – Spaceports Overview

The availability of U.S. launch sites continued to expand in 2006 and 2007 with the addition of several non-federally funded spaceports. Internationally, there are numerous launch sites both planned and in operation around the world. Exhibit 3n lists current major international launch sites as compiled by the Teal Group and Astronautix.

2007 – Perspective

Space has been transformed from an entirely government dominated research and development (R&D) program to an industry whose revenues from commercial goods and services are more than one-half of its business, as is illustrated in Exhibit 5d.

2007 – Commercial Human Spaceflight

While the personal spaceflight market is still in its early stages, revenue continues to accumulate for individual trips and as deposits for future flights. Charles Simonyi, by his own account, paid $## million for his 2007 flight to the ISS. Alex Tai, chief operating officer of Virgin Galactic, a spaceline offering suborbital flights, reported in late 2007 that the company had collected $## million in deposits for future suborbital trips aboard SpaceShipTwo.

2007 – Positioning, Navigation, and Timing Services

Sales of GPS equipment and chipsets grew ##% in 2007, reaching an estimated $## billion in revenue. Of the estimated $## billion in economic activity in the global space economy, GPS equipment sales account for ##%. ABI Research estimates the total GPS equipment market to be $## billion in 2007. However, this includes $## billion in revenue from mobile phones that incorporate a GPS chipset. These are not included in the totals for global space activity because GPS capabilities are secondary applications of these devices.