Department of Commerce BIS Survey: U.S. Space Industry ‘Deep Dive’

U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Industry and Security Industrial Base Surveys and Assessments

Overview: U.S. Space Industry ‘Deep Dive’

Download Survey Overview (PDF)

The Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS), Office of Technology Evaluation, in coordination with the U.S. Air Force, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the National Reconnaissance Office is undertaking a survey and assessment of the U.S. space industrial base supply chain network. The principal purpose of this project is to gain an understanding of the complicated network supporting the development, production and sustainment of products and services across the defense, intelligence community, civil and commercial space sectors.

Historically, the U.S. Government has had limited visibility into the issues and challenges facing the lower tiers of the space industrial base.

By working together, this joint survey is intended to lessen the burden on respondents who would otherwise be subjected to multiple agency surveys. Information collected will include government/commercial revenue, financial and operational health, employment and skills, production capacity, ownership, unique capabilities and technologies, and other topics. The subsequent single database highlighting multiple supplier tiers will allow for: analysis of organizations that support respective service/agency programs; better understanding of the interdependencies among agencies, programs, and suppliers; identification of signs of financial, economic, workforce and other competitiveness problems that could be impacted by declining defense and civil space budgets; evaluation of the need for technology infusion; Title III funding and other strategic investments and; development of targeted planning and acquisition strategies.

The survey is designed to provide information on companies, universities, non-profits, and government facilities in the U.S. space industrial base for more than 200 individual agency space programs encompassing 16 major product & service segments. Approximately 9,000 organizations representing all aspects of this sector are receiving this survey. Your participation is vital to ensure a comprehensive dataset for the assessment. BIS has previously worked in successful partnership with other U.S. industry sectors and we anticipate similar cooperation from your organization on this groundbreaking effort.

The information collected from all survey respondents may be used publicly in aggregated form, but at no time will such reporting identify your specific organization. All information submitted to BIS is protected as Business Confidential under provisions of the Defense Production Act (DPA) of 1950, as amended. Survey responses are also exempt from Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests.

Since 1986, BIS has completed over 50 industrial base assessments covering a variety of critical technologies and sectors. To view previous BIS reports and surveys, please visit our website at www.bis.doc.gov. Completed assessments are listed under “Defense Industrial Base Programs.”