Interactive Tables and Charts
Total Spacecraft by Mission Segment, 2020-2023
The number of satellites in all three mission segments grew by double digits in 2023, with civil government payloads growing most rapidly (74% year-over-year). Over the past four years, the size of all mission segments has more than doubled. Commercial payloads once again made up the largest proportion of deployments in 2023 thanks to mega-constellations such as Starlink.
Japanese Launch Attempts, 2013-2023
One problem area for Japan is the possibility of a gap in reliable access to space. The nation is one of 10 capable of orbital launch, but its launch activity is relativity infrequent.
Japanese Workforce by Sector, 2005-2021
JAXA employed 1,580 individuals at the beginning of 2023. Out of this total, 1,123 (71%) are engineering and research employees. Even though Japan as a whole is struggling with an aging population, JAXA’s age demographics are more normally distributed than many other nation’s space agencies.
Spacecraft by Mass Range, 2023
The known mass of spacecraft deployed last year was 1.4 million kg, 42% more than 2022. This total does not include masses for satellites without publicly available information, including many classified U.S., Chinese, and Russian military satellites. Excluding these uncategorized satellites, the average payload mass in 2023 was 550 kg.
Launch Log, 2024
Interested in this year’s global space activity? Keep track of orbital launch trends with our 2024 launch log. Launch data is updated every day during weekdays, excluding U.S. holidays.
Artemis Program vs Total India Space Budget, 2021-2023
In 2014, four space startups existed in India. In less than a decade, that number increased to 142, according to Goswami.
NASA Share of U.S. Federal Budget, 1959-2023
The PwC study showed the lunar economy could be worth as much as $100 billion by 2040.
Planned Scottish Space Workforce, 2023-2030
Scotland increasingly sees its future in orbit, with the Scottish Parliament planning to more than double its space workforce to 20,000 workers by 2030.
Engineering Trades Enrollment at Two-Year Schools 2019-2023
At two-year post-secondary schools, the number of students studying manufacturing and technical trades hasn’t bounced back to pre-pandemic levels, with engineering fields taking the biggest hit.
Students at Two Year Schools 2019-2023
Low unemployment in the United States and an uptick in domestic manufacturing across sectors have driven up demand for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) skills across the U.S. industrial base.