Classification of Countries Worldwide according to Satellite Activity Level

Abstract

Emerging countries worldwide can benefit technologically, economically, and socially from domestic space-related activities. However, limited resources and lack of know-how prevent many non-space faring nations from initiating space projects, much less building sustainable space or satellite programs. New opportunities exist to overcome these barriers. The number of small satellites launched in the last three years has increased by an order of magnitude, and the market of satellites less than 50kg is projected to grow from $700M USD in 2014 to $2B USD by 2019. This paper gives an overview of space-related activities in various emerging countries and categorizes countries in nine regions worldwide according to level of satellite activity.