Browse Resources by Year

2016 – GPS – Snapshot

While the U.S. Air Force (USAF) maintained ## operational satellites in its Global Positioning System (GPS) positioning, navigation and timing (PNT) fleet, the U.S. share of overall global operational PNT satellites ## from ##% in 2015 to ##% in 2016. This was due to other nations, such as…

2016 – Positioning, Navigation, and Timing Services – Snapshot

The geolocation and navigation sector makes up the largest portion of commercial space products and services, with estimated 2016 revenues of €## billion (US$## billion), according the European Global Navigation Satellite Systems Agency (GSA). As calculated in…

2016 – GLONASS- Snapshot

Although Russia increased the overall number of its Global Navigation Satellite System (GLONASS) positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT) satellites, the number of operational GLONASS satellites decreased by ## during 2016. The country’s share of the world’s operational PNT satellites shrank to ##% in 2016, falling behind…

2016 – Satellite Communications – Snapshot

Communications satellites have traditionally been divided into two types: fixed satellite services (FSS) and mobile satellite services (MSS).

2016 – QZSS – Snapshot

In 2010, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) launched a single positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT) satellite as a start for its Quasi-Zenith Satellite System (QZSS). Japan has not launched other satellites into the QZSS constellation since. Japan’s 2016 share of the world’s operational PNT satellites was ##%. The country plans to…

2016 – NavIC – Snapshot

During 2016, India completed the first phase of a two-phase plan for its positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT) satellite system, the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS). Upon the launch of the final IRNSS satellite, the Indian government renamed IRNSS the Navigation with Indian Constellation (NavIC). The country launched…

2016 – Japan Payload Launch – Snapshot

Japan’s share of the 2016 global orbital launch market stayed around ##%, equaling the country’s ##. ## of Japan’s ## orbital launch attempts were ##, giving the country a ##% reliability record for 2016…

2016 – Galileo – Snapshot

Europe continued launching Galileo satellites during 2016, enlarging its positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT) constellation. Thanks to the launch of ## more Galileo satellites, the Europeans managed to grow their share of the total global operational PNT satellites by about ## percentage points for 2016 to ##%. Europe’s…

2016 – U.S. Payload Launch – Snapshot

U.S. launch activities constituted ##% of global orbital launch activity, matched only by China during 2016. The country’s ## successful launches for 2016 exceeded its 2015 efforts by ##.

2016 – BeiDou – Snapshot

China’s expansion of its positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT) constellation, BeiDou, continued during 2016. The country’s share of the world’s orbiting operational PNT satellites increased to ##%, ## more than its share in 2015. China’s share of PNT satellites exceeded…