ESPI Yearbook 2020 Space policies, issues and trends Report: Title: “ESPI Yearbook 2020 – Space policies, issues and trends” Published: June 2021 ISSN: 2218-0931 (print) • 2076-6688 (online) Editor and publisher: European Space Policy Institute (ESPI) Schwarzenbergplatz 6 • 1030 Vienna • Austria Phone: +43 1 718 11 18 -0 E-Mail: [email protected] Website: www.espi.or.at Rights reserved - No part of this report may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or for any purpose without permission from ESPI. Citations and extracts to be published by other means are subject to mentioning “ESPI Yearbook 2020 - Space policies, issues and trends, June 2021. All rights reserved” and sample transmission to ESPI before publishing. 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Design: copylot.at Cover page picture credit: Shutterstock TABLE OF CONTENT FOREWORD ............................................................................................................................................... 1 ABOUT ESPI SPACE SECTOR WATCH ........................................................................................................ 3 COVID-19: A SPACE PERSPECTIVE ON THE GLOBAL PANDEMIC .................................................................. 4 1 POLICY & PROGRAMMES .................................................................................................................... 9 1.1 Space Policy highlights and trends ..................................................................................................... 9 1.1.1 European Union sets new ambitions for space ............................................................................ 9 1.1.2 Changes in European institutional space leadership ................................................................. 16 1.1.3 Space defence and security agendas unfolding new governance and capabilities ............. 20 1.1.4 Artemis Accords: The U.S. sets conditions for international cooperation ............................. 28 1.1.5 Governments accelerate their support to investment in the space sector ............................ 33 1.1.6 Other outstanding Space Policy developments .......................................................................... 37 1.2 Major space programme developments in 2020 ............................................................................ 45 1.2.1 Access to space programmes ....................................................................................................... 45 1.2.2 Application programmes ................................................................................................................. 51 1.2.3 Space exploration and science programmes .............................................................................. 59 2 INDUSTRY & INNOVATION ................................................................................................................. 65 2.1 Space Industry highlights and trends in 2020 ................................................................................. 65 2.1.1 Rising interest in commercial spaceports .................................................................................... 65 2.1.2 Multiplication of reusable launcher programmes across the Globe ....................................... 72 2.1.3 C-Band clearing stimulates GEO satcom market ....................................................................... 81 2.1.4 Developments in U.S. Human Spaceflight programmes and Human Landing System ...... 85 2.2 Other outstanding developments in the space industry ................................................................. 89 2.2.1 OneWeb back in business ............................................................................................................... 89 2.2.2 EO industry sees value in SAR imagery ........................................................................................ 91 2.2.3 Trends in the Ground stations as a Service (GSaaS) domain .................................................. 93 2.2.4 Commercial developments in the space safety and sustainability domain .......................... 96 2.2.5 Europe explores breakthrough technologies ............................................................................... 98 2.2.6 European micro-launchers “take-off” .......................................................................................... 101 2.2.7 Starlink becomes the first mega-constellation to roll-out service ......................................... 104 2.3 Selected company profiles in 2020 ................................................................................................. 105 3 ECONOMY & BUSINESS .................................................................................................................. 126 3.1 Global Space Economy .................................................................................................................... 126 3.1.1 Overview and main indicators ...................................................................................................... 126 3.1.2 Commercial satellites and launches ........................................................................................... 130 3.1.3 Ground stations and equipment .................................................................................................. 133 3.1.4 Space products and services........................................................................................................ 134 3.1.5 Insurance sector ............................................................................................................................. 136 3.2 Institutional Space Budgets ............................................................................................................. 139 3.2.1 Global overview and evolution ...................................................................................................... 140 3.2.2 Space budget per country ............................................................................................................. 143 3.2.3 European space budgets ............................................................................................................... 148 3.2.4 Investment and entrepreneurship in the European space sector .......................................... 157 3.3 European space economy statistics ............................................................................................... 161 3.3.1 European space manufacturing industry ................................................................................... 161 3.3.2 European remote sensing industry insights .............................................................................. 165 4 LAUNCHES & SATELLITES .............................................................................................................. 166 4.1 Global space activity evolution 2000-2020 .................................................................................... 166 4.1.1 Launch activity evolution by country ........................................................................................... 167 4.1.2 Spacecraft orbit and mass ............................................................................................................ 168 4.1.3 Space missions and markets ....................................................................................................... 171 4.1.4 Spacecraft manufacturing and procurement by country ........................................................ 174 4.2 Global space activity in 2020 ........................................................................................................... 180 4.2.1 Launch activity in 2020 .................................................................................................................. 180 4.2.2 Spacecraft launched in 2020: customers and manufacturers ............................................... 183 4.2.3 Spacecraft launched in 2020: missions and markets .............................................................. 184 4.3 Launch log and activity highlights ................................................................................................... 185 4.3.1 ESPI launch log 2020 ..................................................................................................................... 185 4.3.2 ESPI Database definitions ............................................................................................................. 193 4.4 Space activity highlights in 2019 ..................................................................................................... 194 ABOUT THE AUTHORS ........................................................................................................................... 199 ABOUT ESPI ......................................................................................................................................... 201 ESPI Yearbook 2020 - Space policies, issues and trends FOREWORD Dear members and readers, I am happy and proud to introduce to you this 2020 edition of our ESPI Yearbook. This long-established annual publication has gained along the years a solid reputation of being a reliable source of information and a useful tool for monitoring