Satellite manufacturers, launch providers may see downturn.

The above headline was posted in Avationweek.com on March 22, 2010: The telecom satellite industry will likely continue to withstand the economic downturn, but the trend may not extend to satellite manufacturers and launch providers. Satellite sales are expected to peek in 2011 and begin tapering off in 2012 through 2013, and while an upswing in low-Earth-orbit telecom and Earth-observation satellites will help compensate, the total value of LEO spacecraft will be less than 20% GEO sales, experts predict.

Satellite sales and launches are expected to peek in 2011. Notice that the total amount of sales and launches were not mentioned. This year there are 402 satellite launches scheduled, what will next years total launches be 500 or more? Regardless, that only indicates that launches will average more than 1.5 per day. You can rest assured that the ozone hole in Antarctica will enlarge from the current 16.8 to 17.5 million sqare miles or more. All the 2,000 plus weather satelltes currently orbiting Earth will not be able to predict weather patterns due to the constant bombardment of solar flares and winds that will enter through the newely depleted ozone holes.