2011
2011 – German Government Space Budget – Snapshot
The Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt (DLR), Germany’s national space agency, oversaw an authorized budget of €## million (US$## million) in 2011, excluding contributions made to ESA. This represents an increase of ##% from 2010. In addition to the DLR-only spending, Germany made €## million (US$## billion) in ESA contributions in 2011. Combined, the DLR authorization and ESA contribution total €## billion (US$## billion), representing approximately ##% of Germany’s 2011 budget of €## billion ($## billion).
2011 – U.S. Military Satellites – Snapshot
In March 2011, the U.S. Air Force launched the ## test flight of the top secret X-37B space plane. Originally scheduled to land after ## days, the mission was extended and the spacecraft was still in orbit at the end of 2011. The 2010 maiden flight of the X-37B lasted for ## days. The military has not divulged specifics about the space plane’s cargo or mission, but it is speculated that it carries advanced Air Force experiments, sensors, and other research payloads. Some space technology experts believe the X-37B is a reconnaissance tool, given its ability to land, change payloads, and alter its orbit more rapidly than a LEO satellite.
2011 – French Government Space Budget – Snapshot
The French space agency, the Centre National d’Études Spatiales (CNES), operated on a government budget of approximately €## million (US$## billion) in 2011, excluding contributions made to ESA and EUMETSAT. This represented a ##% increase from the 2010 budget of €## million (US$## million). Government spending was supplemented by €## million (US$## million) in revenue from activities such as launch services for ESA. In 2011, France contributed €## million (US$## billion) to ESA programs and €## million (US$## million) to EUMETSAT.
2011 – EUMETSAT Space Budget – Snapshot
EUMETSAT, which operates a pan-European system of meteorological satellites, planned a 2011 budget of €## million (US$## million). Approximately €## million (US$## million) of that budget was contributed to activities executed by ESA and is included in the ESA budget totals. EUMETSAT is responsible for the operations of a fleet of meteorological satellites and the associated ground control and data processing systems.
2011 – Military Reconnaissance – Snapshot
The German Federal Armed Forces operate a ##-satellite LEO fleet called SAR-Lupe, which provides radar imagery with one-meter (3-foot) resolution for surveillance purposes.
2011 – Military Satellite Overview Snapshot
The national defense needs of many countries help to drive demand for satellite capacity. Armed forces and international peacekeeping organizations from across the globe lease capacity from various commercial satellite operators or acquire Earth imagery services from commercial companies. Military forces are also building more of their own dedicated satellites due to increased capacity demands and the need for secure connectivity for deployed troops.
2011 – European Space Agency Budget – Snapshot
ESA, representing 19 member states, had a 2011 budget of €## billion (US$## billion), a ##% increase over the 2010 budget of €## billion (US$## billion). As in the previous year, the largest three ESA funding line items are Earth observation activities at ##%, navigation activities at ##%, and activities related to the Ariane and Vega launch vehicles at ##% of the budget.
2011 – European Commission Space Budget – Snapshot
The EC 2011 budget included €## billion (US$## billion) in funding for space-related programs (excluding EUMETSAT), a reduction of ##% from 2010 levels. This represented approximately ##% of the EU’s €## billion (US$## billion) 2011 budget. EC budgets operate as yearly funding commitments within multi-year funding periods.
2011 – Workforce – Snapshot
The hundreds of thousands of talented individuals working in the global space industry are critical to its overall success and future growth. The trends in space employment and education provide an indicator of the health of the industry, showing growth or decline not only in the current workforce, but also in the likely pool of future qualified individuals.
2011 – Meteorology – Snapshot
Funding is a serious concern for government-supported remote sensing satellite endeavors. Europe’s Global Monitoring for Environment and Security (GMES) program is facing difficulties because of the global economic climate, which is forcing many space programs around the world to cut costs. In November 2011, the European Commission (EC) proposed moving funding for operating the GMES space segment from the 27-member commission to the individual EU member states.