Global investment in space programmes undiminished - According to Euroconsult, a company specialising in the aeronautical and communications sector, expected growth in global public investment in space programmes will be an average of 4.5% by 2012. In the next ten years, the number of satellite launches will grow by 38%. This forecast was made following a record year in 2008 with governments from around the world investing more than $62bn in their satellites and related projects that ranged from launches to satellite use. Aeronautics does not appear to be affected by the crisis, explained Steve Bochinger, the director of institutional affairs at Euroconsult: “Government space programmes respond to long term strategic imperatives, which make them less vulnerable to short term economic slowdowns”. According to Bochinger, the crisis could lead to decision makers having to make choices on what investment in non-priority projects should be reduced. Mr Bochinger did add, however, that public investment remains the most popular means of supporting the economy and cited the example of the European Space Agency, which has just been allocated almost €10bn for the next few years. Euroconsult puts the record-breaking 2008 down to the increase in spending made by different countries, particularly the 40 or so that invested in space, twice as many as ten years ago. These include China and India, which include manned space flights, and Nigeria and Thailand, which purchased communications satellites. Out of the $62bn spent in 2008 on space programmes, military applications managed to grab $29.4bn. Investment only focused on ten countries, which were overwhelmingly dominated by the US (95%). Civilian applications (33 billion) were divided up between Earth observation, communications, navigation (the segment that experienced the sharpest growth over the last five years) and manned space flights. (I.L./transl.rh)