Security in Space The Next Generation - UNIDIR
Security in Space The Next Generation - UNIDIR
Security in Space The Next Generation - UNIDIR
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40<br />
INCREASE IN SPACE ACTORS<br />
L<strong>in</strong>ked to the operational challenges of the space environment are the<br />
number and diversity of space actors, which cont<strong>in</strong>ue to grow as the social,<br />
economic and security benefi ts that space access provides are sought.<br />
Chart 2 <strong>in</strong>dicates the grow<strong>in</strong>g number of national actors access<strong>in</strong>g outer<br />
space.<br />
50<br />
45<br />
40<br />
35<br />
30<br />
25<br />
20<br />
15<br />
10<br />
5<br />
0<br />
1955<br />
Chart 2. Growth <strong>in</strong> the number of national actors access<strong>in</strong>g space<br />
1959<br />
1963<br />
1967<br />
1971<br />
1975<br />
● = fi rst <strong>in</strong>dependent launch<br />
● = deployment of fi rst satellite<br />
1979<br />
Source: Jonathan’s <strong>Space</strong> Report, “Satellite Catalogue and Launch Catalogue”,<br />
; Encyclopedia Austronautica,<br />
“Chronology 2004”, .<br />
Not only are more national actors ga<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g access to outer space, particularly<br />
develop<strong>in</strong>g countries, but new private actors with a range of <strong>in</strong>terests are<br />
also emerg<strong>in</strong>g. As companies such as <strong>Space</strong>X and Bigelow Aerospace seek<br />
to revolutionize access to outer space by drastically reduc<strong>in</strong>g costs and<br />
provid<strong>in</strong>g access to private <strong>in</strong>dividuals, the number and type of users of<br />
outer space will cont<strong>in</strong>ue to grow. Even among traditional civil, military,<br />
and commercial space actors, the use of outer space is both grow<strong>in</strong>g and<br />
diversify<strong>in</strong>g. In 2007, the number of satellites launched by each actor<br />
1983<br />
1987<br />
1991<br />
1995<br />
1999<br />
2003<br />
2007