Military space spending topped $54B in 2022, report finds
- The U.S. led the way in military space spending, followed by China
- The overall space economy has grown 91% over the past decade
- Space spending is forecast to continue to grow in coming years
The first anniversary image released Wednesday, July 12, 2023, by Space Telescope Science Institute Office of Public Outreach, shows NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope displaying a star birth like it’s never been seen before, full of detailed, impressionistic texture. The subject is the Rho Ophiuchi cloud complex, the closest star-forming region to Earth. (NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, Klaus Pon via AP)
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(NewsNation) — New data shows military space spending hit $54 billion in 2022, led by the U.S. Department of Defense.
The Space Foundation’s report on the space economy examined 51 countries and governments, focusing on both commercial and government spending. The total space economy grew by $260 billion over the past decade and is forecast to continue to grow over the coming years.
The increase in military space spending came as global tensions rose across the globe, with the U.S. facing fears of future conflict with Russia over the war in Ukraine and China over Taiwan.
Both adversaries also invested heavily in space. China came in second to the U.S. in military spending, though the exact amount spent is unclear. That is in part because Beijing does not clearly separate military and civilian investments in space.
Russia also heavily invested in space spending, spending $257 on military space projects. The Pentagon, meanwhile, spent $43 billion on military space.
Other countries also increased space spending, including those potentially impacted by conflict with Russia or China. Those included Japan, which invested $688 million, a 75% jump over previous budgets and Poland, who increased its military space budget from $2 million to nearly $12 million.