Global Trends In The Commercialization Of Space

Abstract

For the past half century, the commercial potential of space has been a major rationale for the space program in the United States and elsewhere. This paper will provide an overview of space-related industries, which accounted for global revenues in the range of $106 billion by 2006, and the drivers that impact their development. It incorporates the evolution of space policy, recent economic data, and the emergence of the private spaceflight industry.