2011 The Year In Review

摘要

Between EchoStar's $2 billion purchase of broadband provider Hughes, the space shuttle's retirement after three decades of operation and the first launch of a Russian rocket from European soil, the space industry continued to demonstrate during 2011 that it is as diverse and dynamic as any global industry. Much of the news has been less than positive, fueled by the financial crises facing the United States and much of Europe. But for every failed company or failed mission there have been spectacular successes including the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office's multi-launch campaign that helped narrow looming gaps in intelligence-gathering capabilities and China's first on-orbit docking. The commercial satellite communications industry, meanwhile, continues to prosper, oblivious to the stubborn global economic downturn.