Spain
2010 – Spanish Government Space Budget – Snapshot
The Instituto Nacional de Técnica Aeroespacial (INTA), the primary organization responsible for space activities in Spain, oversaw a budget of €## million (US$## million) in 2010. This budget included €## million (US$## million) in appropriations from Spain’s national budget and €## million (US$## million) in expected revenue from other sources, including INTA’s own commercial operations. The 2010 INTA appropriation in the Spanish national budget decreased by ##% from 2009. Spain’s contribution to ESA is not funded through INTA, but through the Center for the Development of Industrial Technology (CDTI).
2010 – European Space Agency Budget – Snapshot
ESA, representing 18 member states, had a 2010 budget of €## billion (US$## billion), ##% more than the 2009 budget of €## billion (US$## billion). The largest three ESA funding line items are navigation activities at ##% of the budget, Earth observation activities at ##% of the budget, and launcher activity—related to the Ariane and Vega launch vehicles—with ##% of the budget.
2010 – Satellite Radio – Snapshot
Revenue from satellite radio broadcasting in 2010 is estimated to be $## billion, a ##% increase over 2009. Following the bankruptcy and liquidation of WorldSpace, which had provided services globally, satellite radio is available only in North America. U.S.-based Sirius XM announced in November 2010 that it has more than 20 million subscribers despite operating in a difficult financial environment. The company attributes its…
2010 – Degrees Awarded – Snapshot
While mechanisms such as the PISA test reveal a cross-national focus on primary and secondary STEM competency, a more direct measure of the potential international space workforce is offered through a comparative analysis of STEM university graduates by country.
2010 – European Space Industry Employment – Snapshot
Despite the recession and financial crisis, the European space workforce has continued to add jobs. According to data collected by Eurospace, the nonprofit European space industry association, 31,369 full time equivalent (FTE) employees worked in the European space sector in 2009. This marked a net increase of 1,068 FTEs, or 3%, between 2008 and 2009.
2010 – Ground Networks – Snapshot
An essential element of space infrastructure, ground stations transmit commands to and receive data from spacecraft. They also often contain facilities to process that data, particularly in the case of Earth observation satellites. The data sent from ground stations includes command and control data, software upgrades, and other mission-critical instructions. Satellites send information such as tracking and telemetry data in addition to imagery and scientific observations.
Why Is the Grass Greener In the Neighbor’s Yard? Landsat Might Have the Answer
In the United States, the state government of Idaho uses a water-use mapping system based on data from the U.S. Geological Survey’s Landsat satellites. The system can identify the amount of water being used in individual fields and supports decisions to enable more sustainable water consumption practices.
2009 – European Space Industry Employment – Snapshot
By 2008, European space employment reached ## full-time equivalent (FTE) employees, which remains ##% lower than the near-historic high in 2001, when employment totaled approximately ## jobs with ##% annual growth. Space employment fell each year from 2002 to 2005, including a ##% decrease in 2005 when space employment fell to ## FTE employees. Beginning in 2006, growth resumed, with ##% employment growth in 2008.
2009 – Government Space Budgets – Snapshot
Government space budgets are estimated at $## billion for 2009, comprising ##% of the global space economy. This funding supports military, civilian, and commercial space programs covering a broad variety of activities such as national security, scientific research, technology development, and social welfare that target health, rural communications, and emergency services. The U.S. government accounted for ##% of the global space economy in 2009, a slight increase from ##% of the total in 2008. International space budgets tracked in 2008 and 2009 increased by ##%.
2009 – Ground Networks – Snapshot
Ground stations are an essential but often overlooked segment of space infrastructure. Ground stations connect satellites to terrestrial networks and collect satellite information ranging from tracking and telemetry to imagery and scientific data. The stations also upload information to spacecraft, including command and control data, software upgrades, and other mission-critical instructions. Employees at some ground stations process, analyze, and distribute satellite-based data, products, and services.