Two dozen communications satellites are estimated to be launching over the period of a year, it is predicted that the satellites industry will have a global worth of $196 billion worldwide with the ISRO planning to launch two new telecommunications satellites and Inmarsat undergoing plans to launch a new satellite constellation within the next year.

The International Space Commerce 2013 Summit, organised by IRN on 29th-30th October in a 5* setting of London, will bring together both public and private bodies to address financial issues, business strategies, and optimum technologies that are helping to drive the commercial space industry forward.

The International Space Commerce Summit will cover all commercial aspects of space with two specific sections of the programme dedicated to discussing Satellites and Infrastructure and Space Technologies. The expert speaking faculty will discuss opportunities in the commercial communication satellites industry looking at specific satellites for observation, navigation, and communication functions across a number of sectors, as well as successful integration strategies for satellite launch and use with existing business models.

Within the Space Technology section of the programme there will be presentations around the latest software and applications that enable effective data acquisition, processing, distribution and transmission. Applications, high-resolution radar, optical imagery and monitoring functions will be addressed by expert speakers to determine how space-related technology can help to optimise results and increase both short and long-term ROI of using space satellites, infrastructure, and technology.

To properly explore the long term prospects of Space, the Summit will look into latest developments in the space tourism market, again assessing both the short-term and long-term investment opportunities, with specific discussions around sub-orbital spaceflight, health and safety measures and the need for further developed amenities to facilitate space flights in the near future.

The speaker faculty at the ISC includes, Bas Lansdorp, CEO and Founder of Mars One; Tim Just, Head of Space from the Technology Strategy Board; Tommaso Sgobba, President, of International Association for the Advancement of Space Safety; Space X, Karin Nilsdotter, CEO of Spaceport Sweden and Carlo Viberti, Founder and President, of COSMO Spaceland, amongst many others.