Space Research and Technology Business Guide
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We documented 11 challenges in Space Research and Technology. Now get the actionable solutions — vendor recommendations, process fixes, and cost-saving strategies that actually work.
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All 11 Documented Cases
Fehlerhafte Entscheidungsprozesse und mangelhafte Kostenkontrolle in Raumfahrtprojekten
€59 billion across 170 projects attributable in part to poor decision processes. For space sector (€1.2B annual budget), if 15–25% of overruns stem from decision errors (conservatively), annual loss = €180–300 million.The Hertie School study concludes: 'These miscalculations resulted from faulty processes in the areas of decision-making, planning and management. Administrators and political leaders are often too optimistic and overestimate their own skills. This, for example, leads to decision-makers agreeing to contractual stipulations that burden public expenditure with risk or give companies false incentives.' Specifically for space technology and ICT projects (394% average overrun), the root cause is not technical complexity alone, but governance failure at decision points where budget increases are approved without adequate scrutiny. Space projects (under DLR and BMWi) lack structured re-forecasting gates that would trigger corrective action.
Fehlende Weltraumhaftungsregelung und unbegrenzte Staatshaftung
€500K–€5M annually per operator due to: (1) Manual insurance procurement with international brokers = 100–200 hours/year at €150–250/hour = €15K–€50K; (2) Legal complexity and contract negotiation overhead = €50K–€500K per operator; (3) Delayed market entry = lost revenue from 3–12 month delays; (4) State's unlimited liability exposure = unquantified but significant contingent liability.Germany currently has no comprehensive national space law (Weltraumgesetz) and no mandatory insurance requirements for commercial space operators. The upcoming WRG (German Space Act) mandates that operators prove financial liability, but implementation details remain vague. Operators must manually negotiate insurance with international brokers (AXA XL, Munich Re, etc.), creating bottlenecks. The state retains full liability for third-party damage, creating fiscal exposure.
Ineffiziente Versicherungsbeschaffung durch fehlende risikobasierte Versicherungsstaffeln
€2M–€10M annually across German space sector due to: (1) Over-insurance for low-risk missions (premium overage 20–40% above UK/US tiered rates); (2) Manual underwriting delays = 4–6 weeks × average operator cost of €50K/week = €200K–€300K per operator; (3) Rush order premiums for delayed projects = 5–15% premium markup.The draft German Space Act (WRG) mandates insurance but does not implement risk-based tiering. Operators cannot reduce coverage costs even for small satellites or proven-safe missions. International insurance brokers (Munich Re, AXA XL) must manually underwrite each policy, causing 4–6 week delays. No transparency on pricing methodology or regulatory cap on premiums.
Manuelle Versicherungsbeschaffung und Flaschenhals bei Genehmigungen
€1M–€5M annually per operator cohort due to: (1) Manual coordination overhead = 50–100 hours/mission × €150/hour × 4–6 missions/year = €30K–€90K/operator; (2) Launch delays (4–12 weeks) = lost revenue from postponed missions or customer penalties = €250K–€2M per delayed mission; (3) Idle capacity = satellites/launch vehicles sitting due to insurance delays = 15–25% capacity loss.No standardized digital process for insurance approval in Germany. Operators must manually prepare insurance documentation, coordinate with brokers, obtain legal review, and submit to regulators. Each cycle takes 4–6 weeks. Complex coordination across multiple stakeholders creates queues and rework.