Aerospace & Defense

Commercial Space Transportation, an emerging market

The Commercial Space Transportation sector is a fast growing industry with many emerging companies seeking to become providers of space services for civil, military, and commercial applications. Rising global appetite for more power, mobility and information and need for effective communication boost satellite services demand. Technological advancement, favorable government policies and increasing strategic government-industry partnerships remain key industry growth drivers. In 2007, satellite industry was estimated at about $119 billion, with increasing contribution from satellite services sector.

A joint forecast from COMSTAC and FAA projects an average annual demand of 26.7 commercial space launches worldwide from 2009 to 2018. This combined forecast shows a decrease of 3% compared to the 2008 forecast of 27.4 launches per year. Twenty-eight commercial launches occurred worldwide in 2008. The forecasts project a launch demand increase up to 29 launches during 2009, which include 21 Geosynchronous Orbit (GSO) and eight non-geosynchronous orbits (NGSO). In the geosynchronous market, satellite demand currently averages about 20.8 satellites per year, while the number of non-geostationary satellites averages about 26.0 satellites per year, according to the 2008 forecast.

From 2009 to 2018, it is projected an annual average demand for about 15.7 launches of medium-to-heavy launch vehicles to GSO, 8.3 launches of medium-to-heavy launch vehicles to NGSO and 2.7 launches of small vehicles to NGSO, totaling an average of 26.7 commercial space launches worldwide.

As per the 10-year Industry Forecast prepared for the American Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (ASPRS), the civil U.S. remote sensing industry is currently growing at the rate of 8% to 10% per year and is estimated to reach a $5 billion to $6 billion industry by 2010. The Frost & Sullivan report states that worldwide civil remote sensing market is estimated to be $8.34 billion by 2010 with an annual growth rate of 5.9%.