Space

U.S. space efforts – civil, commercial and national security – drive our nation’s competitiveness, innovation and economic growth. Space technologies and applications are essential to our warfighters and national leadership, as well as the everyday American.

Facts

Investment in space has yielded many exciting discoveries, invaluable technologies and a better understanding of Earth and our universe.

Originally developed to computer-enhance pictures from remote spacecraft in the 1960’s, image processing now enables CT scans and MRI technologies are widely used today to diagnose health issues in people.

National security space systems provide missile warning; global communications; environmental monitoring; global positioning; intelligence gathering and surveillance.

Due to growing international competition, outdated export control policies and impending cuts to the defense budget, the U.S. national security space industrial base is at risk.

U.S. space efforts – civil, commercial and national security – drive our nation’s competitiveness, innovation and economic growth. Space technologies and applications are essential to our warfighters, national leadership, as well as the everyday American.

America’s innovative space programs have made our nation the envy of the world – from the six landings on the Moon to rovers on Mars and spacecraft visiting every planet in the solar system, NASA has revolutionized how we see life on Earth. Our space programs have resulted in high-technology marvels that benefit everyday life including GPS, satellite telecommunications, and weather.

Of $218 billion in projected aerospace industry sales in 2011, space system industry sales topped $46.3 billion. Even harder to quantify — but no less valuable — is the impact that technology spinoffs from space activities bring to our economy. In 2009 alone, NASA entered into more than 250 agreements with private and other external entities for development of technologies.

In order to preserve America’s leadership role in space technology we will need national level leadership that provides a long-term space investment strategy across all space sectors. Stable budgets and funding are also critical to executing cutting-edge space programs.

We also need to modernize our export control policies with regard to satellites and related technologies and promote industry’s ability to compete worldwide. U.S. firms accounted for 73 percent of the world market for commercial satellites in 1998, the year before current ITAR space restrictions were implemented. By 2000, the U.S. market share dropped to 27 percent. In the launch industry, U.S. firms earned over $300 million in revenues from launch services in 2003, but by 2007 this was down to $150 million. In the same period revenues from European launches increased from $178 million to $840 million.