Commercialization of space
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Commercialization of space is the use of outer space for the purpose of generating a profit, either by a corporation or state. Global positioning systems (GPS), satellite television and satellite radio are current examples of this concept.
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[edit] Satellite communication
- See also: Communications satellite
The satellite communication industry is often broken into four sectors: transponder leasing, subscription satellite services, ground equipment manufacturing, and satellite manufacturing. Together these sectors produced 89 billion dollars in revenue as of 2002, and exhibited a 17% annual growth rate between the years of 1996 and 2002.
[edit] Subscription satellite services
- See also: Direct broadcast satellite and Satellite radio
Subscription satellite service experienced the majority of the growth seen in the last decade. The reason for this growth can be attributed to the availability of Low Earth Orbit satellite constellations, which enhanced the services of direct-to-home (DTH) television service. In 1994, DirecTV debuted by introducing a dish only 18 inches in diameter. In November of 1999, the Satellite Home Viewer Improvement Act became law, and local stations were then made available in satellite channel packages, fueling the industry’s growth in the years that followed. By the end of 2000, DTH subscriptions totaled over 67 million.
[edit] Transponder leasing
Businesses that operate satellites often lease or sell access to their satellites to data relay and telecommunication firms. This service is often referred to as transponder leasing. Between 1996 and 2002, this industry experienced a 15 percent annual growth. The United States accounts for about 32 percent of the world’s transponder market.
[edit] Ground equipment manufacturing
For satellites to operate, they need receivers and transmitters on the ground. The manufacturing of satellite uplink and downlink terminals (including VSATs), consumer mobile satellite telephone units, and direct-to-home television receivers and dishes make up the ground equipment manufacturing sector. This sector grew at a quick pace through the latter half of the 1990s as it manufactured equipment for the satellite services sector. Between the years of 1996 and 2002 this industry saw a 14 percent annual increase.
[edit] Satellite manufacturing
Commercial satellite manufacturing is defined by the United States government as satellites manufactured for civilian government or non-profit use. Not included are satellites constructed for military use, nor for activities associated with any human space flight program. Between the years of 1996 and 2002, satellite manufacturing within the United States experienced an annual growth of 11 percent. The rest of the world experienced higher growth levels of around 13 percent. Less than 43 percent of the satellites launched in 2002 for commercial use were manufactured in the United States. Fear of technology transfer to foreign governments prompted a 1999 law which allowed the US State Department to control export licensing of satellite technology. These heightened security measures have, some believe, stifled the commercial growth of satellite manufacturing within the US.
[edit] Satellite imagery
Several operators of Earth observation satellites, such as GeoEye and Spot Image, provide images commercially.
[edit] Satellite navigation
[edit] Space transportation
The commercial space transportation industry derives the bulk of its revenue from the launching of satellites into the Earth’s orbit. Commercial launch providers typically place private and government satellites into Low Earth Orbit (LEO). In 2002, commercial space transportation garnered 6.6 billion dollars, which made up 6% of the total gross of commercial space activities.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has licensed four commercial spaceports in the United States: the Virginia Space Flight Center/Wallops Flight Facility, Kodiak Launch Complex, Spaceport Florida/Kennedy Space Center/Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, and the California Spaceport/Vandenberg AFB. Launch sites within Russia and China have added to the global commercial launch capacity. The Delta IV and Atlas V family of launch vehicles are made available for commercial ventures for the United States, while Russia promotes eight families of vehicles. The three largest Russian systems are the Proton, Soyuz, and Zenit.
Between 1996 and 2002, 245 launches were made for commercial ventures while government (non-classified) launches only total 167 for the same period. Commercial space flight has spurred investment into the development of an efficient reusable launch vehicle (RLV) which can place larger payloads into orbit. Several companies such as SpaceX are currently creating new RLV designs.
[edit] Space tourism
Space tourism is the recent phenomenon of space travel by individuals for the purpose of personal pleasure.
As of 2007, space tourism is only affordable to wealthy individuals and corporations, with the Russian space program providing transport. It has become so popular that, even at $20 million a ticket, the Russian Space Agency is fully booked until 2009. Some are beginning to favour the term "personal spaceflight" instead, as in the case of the Personal Spaceflight Federation.
Among the primary attractions of space tourism are the uniqueness of the experience, the thrill and awe of looking at Earth from space (described by astronauts as extremely intense and mind-boggling), the experience's notion as an exclusive status symbol, and various advantages of weightlessness. The space tourism industry is being targeted by spaceports in numerous locations, including California, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Florida, Virginia, Alaska, Esrange in Sweden and Wisconsin, as well as Singapore and the United Arab Emirates.
[edit] Regulation
In the United States, Office of Commercial Space Transportation (generally referred to as FAA/AST or simply AST) is the branch of Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) that approves any commercial rocket launch operations—that is, any launches that are not classified as model, amateur, or "by and for the government."[1]
[edit] See also
- Space tourism
- Space Adventures
- Space colonization
- Private spaceflight
- Commercial Astronaut
- Space Tourism Society
- List of private spaceflight companies
- Quasi Universal Intergalactic Denomination
- Asteroid mining
- Dish Network
- Sky Angel
- DiSEqC
- Satellite dish
- Rocket Racing League
- Satellite television
- Sirius Satellite Radio
- Space manufacturing
- Space-based industry
- XM Satellite Radio
- Mining the Sky: Untold Riches from the Asteroids, Comets, and Planets
[edit] References
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This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding reliable references. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (February 2008) |
[edit] Sources
- Futron Corporation (2001) "Trends in Space Commerce". Retrieved Jan. 24, 2006
[edit] External links
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