Building Alaska’s space industry one statistic at a time

Originally submitted to the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner's "Community Perspective".

The Alaska Department of Labor produces annual labor statistics for the state.  These statistics help forecast future industry projections and can affect new industry players from obtaining support and funding.  Labor statistics that should become included by the state are the layers: [space industry] infrastructure, distribution, and applications.

Space industry infrastructure is the hardware and physical components of the space industry, such as satellites, rockets, engines, life support systems, and onboard software.  Space industry distribution encompasses the companies that allow space data to be purchased by the government, commercial industry, and civilians such as telecoms and GIS data.  The distributors then allow for the rise of space industry applications, which creates software and devices such as Garmin, the Accuweather phone app, Google maps, and more.

Alaska’s space industry comprises four parts: US government, other governments, institutional, and commercial.  Here are the main players:  US Government (NASA, Pacific Spaceport Complex, Space Force, Air Force, Army, NOAA, Navy, USGS, Department of Defense, and state and local government); Other Governments (Swedish Space Corporation, Canadian Space Agency, NATO); Institutional (UAF, UAA, Tribal Corporations); and Commercial (Aurora Launch Company, various telecoms, AWS, Starlink, Iridium, Hughes Network, SES Space & Defense, various GIS/RS companies, outside commercial).

According to Space Capital’s most recent issue of Space Investment Quarterly Q3 2024, the USA makes up 49% of the global space private market.  Of that global space private market, the satellites make up the largest industry by bringing in $281.6B annually and the highest producing layer is applications which bring in $232.0B annually.  The USA makes up 64% of the global infrastructure investments and 74% of the emerging infrastructure industry.  The USA makes up 67% of the global distribution investments, primarily through GPS/GNSS and SatCom.  The USA makes up 58% of the global applications investments with GPS, GEOINT, and SatCom leading the way.

How does Alaska fare across this labor sector?  Based on estimations from company annual reports and the government numbers not being available, thus excluded, the estimated total for 2024 is 5863 people.  This is broken into Infrastructure 42.58%, Distribution 28.10%, and Applications 29.3%.  If the Alaska Department of Labor kept statistics on this industry, we would be able to see firm numbers and an established history of the space industry within the state.

	Year 2024 (5863 approximately; government numbers n/a)
Infrastructure	2497  42.58%
Government	n/a
Other Government	254*
Institutional	340*
Commercial	2003*
Distribution	1648  28.10%
Government	n/a
Other Government	269*
Institutional	330*
Commercial	1318*
Applications	1718  29.3%
Government	n/a
Other Government	10*
Institutional	140*
Commercial	1568*

* estimated numbers from available data in company reports

The purpose is to show that Alaska needs to start looking into the space industry.  We are home to the Pacific Spaceport Complex in Kodiak, various projects through UAF’s Geophysical Institute, various projects through the military, and a growing number of commercial space enterprises.  As space industry trends have shown, the commercial sector has the ability to bring in revenue, innovation, and an increase of population.  If the state of Alaska can produce space industry statistics, it opens the doors to potential industry growth.

Three areas of space industry growth that have the potential to prosper in Alaska are in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) mining, cold weather human space factor innovation, and space infrastructure research and innovation.

In-situ resource utilization (ISRU) mining is more commonly referred to as asteroid mining or lunar mining.  Asteroids are resource-rich with minerals and metals.  With Alaska’s long history of mining, the idea of mining in space seems to simply be the next step.  The website Asterank (asterank.com) is a database of asteroids, their estimated values, and a map of their orbits.  A single asteroid could be worth hundreds of millions or even tens of trillions with the amount of harvestable resources.

Cold weather human space factor innovation refers to any object that would need cold weather testing and innovation to help sustain humans in space, whether its a new spacesuit or a design for a new space habitat or space robotics.  Typically from these specialized designs comes a design for public consumption, allowing for commercial sales.

Space infrastructure can be 3D printed parts, new hardware, new fuel research, new onboard computers, ground station innovation, and more.  Major trends, based on emerging technology over the past 3 years, for space infrastructure are D2C satellites, creating cost efficient resources, creating clean or green space resources, using AI and machine learning technology, lunar exploration, nuclear space power, space manufacturing, and space-based quantum communications.

Desmond, Jessica. Jan 13, 2025. Building Alaska’s space industry one statistic at a time. Fairbanks Daily News-Miner (Fairbanks, AK).