Economy
Commercial Infrastructure and Support Industries
Economy: Space Economy – TSR 2013
2012 – Space Insurance
XL Insurance, an insurance brokerage, reported that space insurance premiums in 2012 totaled approximately $## million, compared to approximately $## million paid out in claims. This is comparable to Aon/ISB’s estimates of approximately $## million collected in premiums and $## million paid out in claims in 2011.
2012 – Commercial Human Spaceflight
The retirement of the Space Shuttle is spurring development of commercial cargo and crew transportation services. NASA’s Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) program, started in 2006, has awarded contracts to private companies to develop vehicles that transport cargo and personnel to and from the ISS. Although some companies, such as Boeing and Sierra Nevada, had started vehicle development work on their own, COTS funding has sped up the development process. So far, most COTS funding has been directed toward the development of two rockets and their associated cargo-carrying spacecraft. SpaceX has developed the Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon capsule, while Orbital Sciences is developing the Antares rocket and Cygnus freighter.
2012 – Ground Stations and Receivers
The market for ground stations and equipment was estimated at $## billion in 2012, a ##% increase from $## billion in 2011. The term “ground equipment” refers to Earth-based infrastructure and technology…
2012 – Space Stations
For fiscal year (FY) 2012, NASA allocated $## billion for ISS operations, a slight increase over the $## billion allocated in FY 2011. The ISS was designed for a full-time crew of six and is expected to maintain this staffing level until at least 2020.
2012 – Satellite Manufacturing
A total of ## satellites were launched (or attempted to be launched) in 2012, a ##% increase from the ## in 2011. This includes all payloads launched into space except for technology development payloads and missions to the ISS. These ## satellites were worth approximately $## billion, a ##% increase over the $## billion value of the ## satellites launched in 2011.
2012 – Launch Industry
In 2012, ## orbital launches were attempted, carrying ## payloads, including satellites, interplanetary probes, and flights to the International Space Station (ISS). Compared to the 2011 total of ## launch attempts, this represents a #% decrease. Of these ## launches, ## placed their primary payloads into orbit.
2012 – Commercial Infrastructure and Support Industries Overview
Revenue for commercial space infrastructure and support industries, which include satellite manufacturing, launch services, space stations, ground stations, and associated equipment, totaled $## billion in 2012, an increase of ##% from $## billion in 2011. This total does not include government spending on space infrastructure, which is described separately in Government Space Budgets.
Economy: Space Economy – TSR 2012
2011 – Commercial Human Spaceflight – Snapshot
New commercial transportation services are in development to carry cargo, passengers, and astronauts into space. In the United States, the retirement of the Space Shuttle in July 2011 creates an opportunity for new commercial cargo transportation services to resupply the ISS. The Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) program, started in 2006, is designed to help develop U.S. commercial cargo transportation systems. Through Space Act Agreements, SpaceX and Orbital will receive up to $## million upon successful completion of their current agreements in 2012. In April 2011, NASA estimated that it would invest a total of $## million in the COTS program from its beginning in 2006 to its completion in 2012. This figure exceeds the original program cost estimate of $## million. The bulk of COTS funding has been directed to two launch vehicles and associated spacecraft: Orbital Sciences’ Antares (formerly Taurus II) rocket with its Cygnus spacecraft, and SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket with its Dragon spacecraft. Both SpaceX and Orbital have won contracts under NASA’s Commercial Resupply Services (CRS) initiative, a follow-on to the COTS program, to provide cargo supply services to the ISS. Under these contracts, SpaceX and Orbital are required to launch a total of 20 tons of cargo each to the ISS through 2016.