Economy

Commercial Infrastructure and Support Industries


2009 – Space Insurance – Snapshot

The satellite insurance industry saw profits decline in 2009 compared to 2008. XL Insurance, a space industry specialist, estimates that 2009 premiums totaled $## million, while 2009 insurance claims totaled $## million. Aon/ISB, an insurance brokerage, reported that 2009 premiums totaled approximately $## million and claims amounted to $## million. These estimates indicate that 2009 was a slightly more challenging year than 2008, when XL Insurance reported premiums of $## million, against $## million in claims.

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2009 – Ground Stations and Receivers – Snapshot

Ground equipment encompasses all the Earth-based infrastructure and technology necessary to communicate with and manage satellites, a market that totaled an estimated $## billion in 2009, slightly less than the $## billion total for 2008.

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2009 – Space Stations – Snapshot

The largest in-space platform is the International Space Station. NASA, the main contributor to the ISS, received $## billion for the station in fiscal year (FY) 2010 compared to $## billion approved by Congress in FY 2009. This funding does not include flight or ground operations costs of shuttle flights to and from the ISS. During 2009, two major modules were added: the final truss segment and a section of the solar array. The truss acts as the junction through which external utilities, such as power, communications, and ammonia for thermal control systems, are routed to the pressurized modules.

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2009 – Satellite Manufacturing – Snapshot

In 2009, governments, companies, and organizations launched ## satellites, compared to ## satellites launched in 2008. This total includes all payloads except for missions to the ISS and Hubble. The ## satellites generated $## billion in manufacturing revenue, an increase of ##% from the $## billion value of satellites manufactured in 2008. The $## billion change in total value from 2008 to 2009 stems primarily from the deployment of high-value defense satellites, such as the U.S. Space Tracking and Surveillance System (STSS) ballistic missile warning satellites.

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2009 – Launch Industry – Snapshot

In 2009, ## orbital launches were conducted, carrying ## payloads into space, including cargo, satellites, and other types of spacecraft. This marked a notable increase from the 2008 total of ## launches carrying 106 payloads, and continued a five-year trend of annual increases in launch activity. The 2005 total of ## launches and ## payloads began a period of #% average annual increase in launches. Of the ## launches in 2009, ## were conducted by commercial launch providers and ## were non-commercial.

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2008 – Space Insurance – Snapshot

The satellite insurance industry had a positive year in 2008 due to successful launch experience. Launch insurance prices increased for 2009, bringing rates from the ##-##% range back up to the ##-##% levels seen in the earlier part of the decade. According to XL Insurance, a space industry specialist, 2008 premiums were $## million, against $## million in claims. The upward pressure on premiums stemmed largely from events in 2007 when claims of $## million due to launch failures surpassed premiums of $## million.

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2008 – Ground Stations and Receivers – Snapshot

The enhanced methodology employed this year eliminates potential double-counting of revenues that can occur because of separate, overlapping estimates for ground equipment and GPS equipment. Thus the total estimated 2008 revenue of $## billion appears lower than those reported as separate categories in The Space Report 2008.

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2008 – Space Stations – Snapshot

Funding for the largest in-space platform, the International Space Station, is included in the government budgets of ISS partners. NASA, the largest contributor, allocated $## billion for the space station in fiscal year (FY) 2008 and requested $## billion for FY 2009. During 2008, two major modules were added to the ISS: the Japanese Kibo, which cost approximately $# billion to develop; and the European Space Agency’s (ESA) Columbus, which cost €880 million (US$## billion).

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2008 – Satellite Manufacturing – Snapshot

In 2008, ## satellites were launched globally, down from ## satellites in 2007. The total number of satellites for 2008 and 2007 excludes robotic missions to the ISS and crewed missions. The estimated value of commercial and non-commercial satellites decreased by ##%, down to $## billion in 2008 from $## billion in 2007. The decrease in total value can be attributed primarily to a smaller number of high-value government satellites launched as compared to less-costly commercial satellites.

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