Corporate
President John F. Kennedy, the leader who inspired so many to reach for the stars during the first Space Age, said “The future promise of any nation can be directly measured by the present prospects of its youth”1. The prospects for a future driven by the space industry has never been greater, with investment at record highs – pushing $1 trillion2 in this decade.
However, new research commissioned by Inmarsat in 11 countries speaking with 20,000 people worldwide, reveals the perception of space among younger generations differs greatly around the world. Youngsters in newer space entrants such as India, China, South Korea and the UAE are the most positive about the prospects offered by space.
Despite the US being the biggest spender when it comes to space ($54.59 billion annually3) – 5 times larger than its nearest ‘rival’, China – less than half of American Gen-Zs want to know more about space (44 per cent), behind Brazil, South Korea, and China.
Just 32 per cent of 18–24-year-olds in the US are “excited” about what could happen in space – less than India (47%) UAE (43%), China (37%), and Brazil (37%). When it comes to the desire to work in the space sector, America’s youth comes in eighth place, with only 1 in 10 interested in a career in the sector (10 per cent) despite record levels of investment – and India’s youngsters again on top (25 per cent).
Rajeev Suri, CEO at Inmarsat, said “The space industry impacts the lives of billions of people every day. It underpins online payments, keeps us safe when we fly, is a cornerstone of global trade and is vital in putting food on our tables, to name just a few. The general lack of excitement about space among Gen-Z could hamper the ambitions countries have for growing their space industries. It is the role of the space sector to make sure the ‘Apollo effect’ does not fade, and that the youngest generations continue to appreciate space for what it is: an endless source of new pioneering solutions that could help dramatically improve life on Earth.”
One thing US youngsters do have on their side is optimism, with 47 per cent saying they are hopeful about the possibilities of space. This was closely followed by China (46%) and South Korea (43%). The lowest levels of optimism were found in Australia (29%), UK (27%) and, finally, Germany (19%).
Suri continued “The industry is too important to the future of our planet to disregard its impact. For example, we know that space technology may be the only option to connect the three billion people who remain unconnected and it is a vital tool for addressing climate change. We must ensure the younger generations remain interested and engaged when it comes to space, be that the work of our astronauts and scientists, or the innovators creating new space-based or connected technologies, such as flying taxis.”
| "I wish I knew more about space" | "I'm hopeful about the possibilities of space" | "I feel excited about what could happen in space" | "I would like to work in the space sector" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Brazi |
52% |
USA |
47% |
India |
47% |
India |
25% |
South Korea |
46% |
China |
46% |
UAE |
43% |
Germany |
16% |
China |
46% |
South Korea |
43% |
China |
37% |
UAE |
16% |
USA |
44% |
UAE |
33% |
Brazil |
37% |
Brazil |
13% |
Australia |
42% |
Brazil |
32% |
Canada |
32% |
South Korea |
11% |
India |
40% |
India |
31% |
USA |
32% |
China |
11% |
UAE |
37% |
Japan |
30% |
South Korea |
31% |
Canada |
10% |
Germany |
36% |
Australia |
29% |
Australia |
29% |
USA |
10% |
Canada |
35% |
Canada |
29% |
Japan |
28% |
Australia |
9% |
UK |
34% |
UK |
27% |
UK |
24% |
UK |
7% |
Japan |
28% |
Germany |
19% |
Germany |
24% |
Japan |
2% |
Global |
41% |
Global |
33% |
Global |
34% |
Global |
13% |
1 Harvard Kennedy School – Institute of Politics [https://iop.harvard.edu/about/founding]
2 https://www.euroconsult-ec.com/press-release/government-space-budgets-driven-by-space-exploration-and-militarization-hit-record-92-billion-investment-in-2021-despite-covid-with-1-trillion-forecast-over-the-decade/
3 https://www.euroconsult-ec.com/press-release/government-space-budgets-driven-by-space-exploration-and-militarization-hit-record-92-billion-investment-in-2021-despite-covid-with-1-trillion-forecast-over-the-decade/
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Jonathan Sinnatt / Matthew Knowles
Corporate Communications
Tel: +44 (0)788 960 5272 / +44 (0) 7725 476 507
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