The Space Report 2024 Q3 Shows Significant Private Workforce Growth in Europe, a Push for Commercial Space Stations, and Space Force Surpassing Guardian Recruiting Goals

Written by: Space Foundation Editorial Team

• Europe’s annual private sector space employment grew 66% in the last decade.
• Four space stations in development signal a new era of commercial space.
• The U.S. Space Force exceeded its Guardian recruiting goals set for FY 2024.

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — Oct. 22, 2024 — Space Foundation, a nonprofit organization founded in 1983 as a gateway to unite the global space community, today released The Space Report 2024 Q3, which shows continued growth in the commercial space sector and the U.S. Space Force. An increase in private sector space employment aligns with a burgeoning commercial space station industry. In the same quarter, the first-ever private spacewalk took place with the Polaris Dawn mission, signaling the transition into a new era of space industry and space exploration.

The global space workforce grew significantly from 2022 to 2023. In Europe, the space workforce increased by more than 5,000 employees from 2022 to 2023. Over the past five years, France’s space workforce grew 28%, the United Kingdom’s by 56%, and Germany’s by 30%. The U.S. space workforce expanded by more than 21,000 from 2022 to 2023. However, much of the U.S. increase comes from updated information about the Army space workforce. From 2013 to 2023, Europe’s space workforce grew 66% and the United States’ by 18%.

Japan’s numbers grew just slightly, while India experienced a decrease of roughly 400 government workers. India’s available employment data, however, does not include commercial space employment.

“Having a consistent measure of the global workforce helps us anticipate where the space community is headed,” said Heather Pringle, Ph.D., Space Foundation CEO and retired U.S. Air Force major general who last served as commander of the Air Force Research Laboratory. “The more we can accurately assess workforce needs, the better Space Foundation and other organizations can build capacity and strengthen the pipeline of available workforce talent far into the future.”

One of the strongest opportunities for workforce growth is in low Earth orbit (LEO). In preparation for the International Space Station’s deorbiting, planned for 2031, multiple private companies are investing in a commercial LEO future. Four commercial space stations are in development, with one scheduled for launch each year from 2025 to 2028. Axiom Space, Blue Origin, and Voyager Space are working with NASA to help fund and design their stations, while Vast Space is privately funded. Combined, more than $800 million has been invested in this potential industry.

In FY 2024, the U.S. Space Force enlisted 716 Guardians, surpassing its goal of 659 recruits. Guardians, the term for members of the Space Force, are frequently some of the highest scorers on the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery test. This high number of recruits differentiates the Space Force from other U.S. military branches, which have experienced difficulties recruiting new members in recent years. The Space Report Q3 edition also details the U.S. military’s work in hypersonic missile development and current international threats.

The Space Report Q3 edition also looks at NASA’s launch of the Europa Clipper mission from Kennedy Space Center and how this mission compares to other planetary ventures. The spacecraft will study the liquid oceans beneath the icy surface of Jupiter’s moon Europa. The mission has three primary goals: to determine the thickness of the icy shell, to better understand the ocean’s composition, and to characterize its geology. Europa’s ocean is believed to be one of the most likely places in our solar system to harbor life. The probe is scheduled to reach Jupiter in 2030.

About The Space Report

The Space Report, published by Space Foundation since 2006, is the authoritative report on the global space ecosystem, covering space exploration, global space spending, defense programs, commercial space trends, workforce development, launch and payload deployment, space innovation, and other key industry indicators. It is an unparalleled resource for policy analysts, congressional staff, investors, researchers, and space industry professionals and newcomers. The Space Report is available as a quarterly digital publication and as an online subscription for expanded research, interactive data, analysis, and white papers. Visit The Space Report at thespacereport.org.

About Space Foundation

Space Foundation is a nonprofit organization founded in 1983 as a gateway to unite the global space community and accelerate its growth and success. Space Foundation uniquely educates, collaborates and informs the entire space workforce from early education to college, to the start of their careers as new professionals, and to leaders at the highest levels in government and commercial industry. Driven by partnerships, Space Foundation raises support from corporate members, sponsors, fundraising and grants. Visit Space Foundation at www.SpaceFoundation.org, and follow us on Facebook, X, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube.

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Tags: Space Foundation, The Space Report, Symposium 365, global space economy, global workforce, space workforce, space launch, space technology, space innovation, space ecosystem, space advocate, space commerce, space exploration, space spending, commercial space, space defense, space stations, U.S. Space Force, Europa Clipper

Media Contacts:  

Rich Cooper
Vice President, Strategic Communications & Outreach
Space Foundation
(202) 596-0714
[email protected]

Dottie O’Rourke
TECHMarket Communications  
(650) 344-1260
[email protected]   

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