2012
2012 – U.S. Spaceports
The United States is home to several spaceports operated by the military or NASA; others are run by public-private partnerships as commercial entities. The largest and most sophisticated U.S. spaceports are the adjacent facilities of NASA’s Kennedy Space Center (KSC) and the USAF’s Cape Canaveral Air Force Station (CCAFS) in Florida. All crewed U.S. orbital spaceflights flights have taken off from KSC. Meanwhile, CCAFS serves as a launch base for missile tests and launches of military and civil government unmanned spacecraft.
2012 – Spaceports Overview
Spaceports support the preparation and operation of launch vehicles, and in some cases, act as a gateway to space for the private citizens who dream of going there. Some spaceports are very large, such as the Baikonur Cosmodrome, which encompasses 6,717 square kilometers (2,593 square miles) of territory in Kazakhstan and features up to 15 pads for many different types of orbital launch vehicles.
2012 – Satellite Overview
In 2012, 119 satellites were successfully launched on behalf of 24 different countries and international organizations. There were 1,050 active satellites in orbit at the end of 2012, according to the Union of Concerned Scientists. Of these, 435 satellites (approximately 41% of the total) were in GEO. An additional 504 satellites (48% of the total) operate in LEO, with most flying at an altitude of 600–900 kilometers (370–560 miles). Between these extremes is medium Earth orbit (MEO), in which there are 73 satellites (7% of the total). The 38 remaining satellites (4% of the total) are in highly elliptical orbits (HEO); the high and low altitudes of their orbits are quite far apart—sometimes tens of thousands of kilometers
2012 – Spaceports as an Economic Engine
The Falcon 9 launch vehicle carrying the Dragon C2 spacecraft lifts off from the SpaceX launch pad at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. The Dragon was the first commercial spacecraft to successfully dock with the ISS and return to Earth, splashin… Thank you for visiting The Space Report! The Authoritative Guide to Global Space Activity,…
2012 – Space Policy: Common Topics and Different Approaches
Throughout the world, space policies, strategies, and plans are formalized in documents through which governments communicate the priorities and strategic objectives of their space programs. Space policies describe the overarching approach that guides a country’s space program within the contex… Thank you for visiting The Space Report! The Authoritative Guide to Global Space Activity, Packed…
2012 – Perspective
Space activities, investments, and technologies are an integral part of the toolkit that governments and industry use to create economic and social benefits. Certain undertakings rely on a mixture of the activities described elsewhere in The Space Report, drawing together policy, space products, finance, infrastructure, and human capital.
2012 – Positioning, Navigation, and Timing Services
Geo-location and navigation equipment and services continue to be the space industry’s largest and fastest-growing sector. Total global revenues for this market, estimated by the European GNSS Agency (GSA) in a May 2012 report, were $## billion in 2012, compared to $## in 2011.
2012 – Earth Observation
Earth observation and imaging services enabled by satellite remain a small but vital part of the global space economy. Earth observation revenues in 2012 were estimated to total $## billion, #% more than the $## billion generated in 2011. The largest revenue growth occurred in the defense and intelligence, and energy and natural resources sectors.
2012 – Satellite Communications
The 2012 revenue for the satellite communications sector is estimated at $## billion, #% higher than the 2011 figure of $## billion. The market is composed of satellite operators, which lease out the transmission capacity of their satellites to private and government clients in need of transmission capability. Traditionally, these satellites were used to transmit voice and television signals where it was economically or technically disadvantageous to string telephone wire. Examples include transoceanic transmissions, places like Siberia where…
2012 – Satellite Radio
Revenue for satellite radio broadcasting is estimated at $## billion in 2012, a ##% increase from $## billion in 2011. Sirius XM continues to be the sole revenue generator in this industry segment. In Europe, Madrid-based Ondas Media confirmed that it has temporarily abandoned its plan to launch its own radio broadcasting satellite due to Europe’s ongoing economic challenges. However, the company’s French affiliate, Onde Numérique, still plans to introduce its service in France by 2013.