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WASHINGTON: There were a record number of space launch attempts around the globe in 2019, as well as growth in sector employment and the number of spacefaring countries, finds the latest report by the Space Foundation released today.

The report shows that global launch attempts increased 39 percent in the last decade, according to the executive summary provided to Breaking D, with 103 launch attempts in 2019, an average of almost two a week.

Some 183,000 workers were employed in the US space workforce at the end of 2019, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics; employment in jobs most closely aligned with the space industry — rather than the larger aerospace industry — rose to 141,520 jobs in 2019. This represents a 4.1 percent increase from the 135,930 workers in 2018 and marks the third year in a row of rising US employment in the sector, the report finds.

In addition, the number of new nations in space has climbed to 102: 82 nations have spacecraft in orbit; the rest either partially own or otherwise use satellites.

Traditionally made public at the foundation’s signature Space Symposium in Colorado Springs, which was scheduled for this week but was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Space Report was compiled prior to the outbreak. However, the authors remain optimistic about the space sector’s future.

Space Report Q1 2020 chart

“The COVID-19 pandemic is expected to drastically change the trajectory of the 2020 economy, but the sector is better insulated from market upheaval, industry experts advised The Space Report,” Space Foundation said in a press release.

“”The diverse nature of our industry – from Fortune 500s primarily dependent on the federal government to a mix of entrepreneurial ventures dependent on domestic and foreign commercial customers – may help mitigate some of the devastating effects being witnessed in other more vulnerable sectors such as travel/leisure,” said Courtney Stadd, president of Capitol Alliance Solutions. “Many space companies offer communications and imaging services that contribute to our national security, while providing critical communication connectivity that is of paramount importance to a society in a safe harboring mode — and therefore may warrant additional support from our government.”

Meagan Crawford, managing partner of SpaceFund, said smaller startup companies should expect to feel the brunt of the economic upheaval, according to the report’s executive summary.

“The economic impact of this situation may be most acutely felt by the smaller businesses in the booming space startup sector,” Crawford said. “These companies could be drastically affected by delayed launches (resulting in a delay of revenue for the satellite companies), and by the inevitable slowdown in the investment sector as the private investors and venture capitalists the industry relies on are maintaining their liquidity in these uncertain times.”

Indeed, Air Force acquisition czar Will Roper told reporters last week that his office is focusing efforts on helping small businesses and the startup community survive via a new COVID-19 acquisition task force.

The Space Report sums up: “Despite the current uncertainty, the continued growth along other fronts of the space industry offer confirmation that program advancements are fueling investor interest, which is creating new opportunities for how the space industry will continue to expand and reach greater potential.”