The Economic Impact of Commercial Space Transportation on the U.S. Economy

摘要

The Economic Impact of Commercial Space Transportation on the U.S. Economy is the Federal Aviation Administration Associate Administrator for Commercial Space Transportation's (FAA/AST) first study of the U.S. commercial launch industry's effect on the nation's economy. This report is a quantitative analysis of the extent to which commercial space transportation is responsible directly and indirectly for supporting a variety of space and non-space-related industries, thereby contributing to production and generating jobs in the United States. Monies are generated in the U.S. economy from the manufacture and purchase of commercial launch vehicles as well as from the commercial space activities "enabled" by the launch industry. This report examines the U.S. commercial launch vehicle industry and the enabled commercial space activities together, as both are needed to fully assess the impact of commercial space transportation on the U.S. economy. The industries analyzed include launch vehicle manufacturing; satellite and ground equipment manufacturing; satellite services; remote sensing; and distribution industries. The impacts quantified in this report are based on data for the year 1999. The economic impacts measured for the commercial space transportation industry and the industries it enables include economic activity (revenues), earnings of employees, and jobs. This report assesses the full economic impact of the commercial launch industry and the industries it enables; it does not simply present the revenues and employment statistics for the commercial launch industry and enabled industries. The figures herein reflect the economic activity, employee earnings, and number of jobs generated not only within these industries but also within the industries they support directly and indirectly. U.S. economic activity linked to the commercial space industry in 1999 totaled over $61.3 billion. Commercial space transportation was directly and indirectly responsible for $16.4 billion in employee earnings in the United States. Over 497,000 people were employed in the United States as a direct or indirect result of commercial space transportation and enabled industries. Commercial space transportation and the industries it enabled affected the economic activity, employee earnings, and number of jobs in all major U.S. industry sectors.