The satellite sector proved strikingly resilient to the global economic crisis in 2009, with all sectors reporting revenue growth for the year, according to an annual industry report.
The Satellite Industry Association's 2010 State of the Satellite Industry Report - conducted by Futron Corp and released last week - reported 11% revenue growth from 2008 to 2009 for the global satellite sector, with worldwide satellite revenues totaling close to $161 billion in 2009.
While that's a lower growth rate than 2007-2008 - when global revenues grew 19% year on year - SIA president Patricia Cooper said 2009 results still worked out to a steady industry growth rate of 11.7% from 2004 through 2009, and the results "reinforce the satellite industry's resilience, despite the global economic downturn."
Broken down by sector, all segments saw revenues rise last year, with satellite manufacturing and launch services the two fastest-growing segments worldwide, followed by the satellite services sector.
Satellite manufacturing revenues worldwide grew 29%, from $10.5 billion in 2008 to $13.5 billion in 2009, as larger and higher-value new spacecraft were launched. Commercially procured satellites for government missions were the primary driver of growth, with several large and high-value satellites serving a variety of civil, scientific, and military missions were built and launched last year.
The SIA report says the value of commercially procured government satellites launched in 2009 was $9.8 billion, up from $5.3 billion in 2008.
Satellite orders for future delivery also grew last year with 41 commercial GEO satellite manufacturing orders announced last year, almost double the orders announced in 2008. While the US and Europe won the lion's share of those orders, Russian, Chinese, Canadian and Japanese manufacturers managed to land 24% of orders between them last year, compared to 14% a year ago.
The satellite launch industry also had a good year, with revenues up 18% in 2009 on 46 commercially-procured launches - slightly lower compared to 49 in 2008, but with higher average revenue per launch. Government demand was the main growth driver for commercial launches, representing 55% of all commercially-procured launch revenues.
Revenues from the satellite services sector maintained steady growth of 11% globally, with satellite television leading this sector, amounting to a total of $71.8 billion in 2009. The SIA says eight million satellite pay TV subscribers were added between 2008 and 2009 - mainly in Asia - bringing the world total to over 140 million.
Transponder agreement revenues increased 7.8% from $102 billion in 2008 to $11 billion, exceeding the 6% growth posted from 2007 to 2008.
Meanwhile, mobile satellite services growth continued to be driven by data - so much so that data services revenue, which grew 13% last year, now represents three-quarters of all mobile satellite services revenues. By contrast mobile voice revenues declined 23% in 2009.
Satellite ground equipment revenues grew 8% to $49.9 billion, led by consumer-oriented products such as satellite TV and broadband, mobile satellite, and GPS devices.