Space communications have developed tremendously since 1963 when the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) launched the synchronous communication satellite, Syncom II, into geostationary orbit. The capacity of that spacecraft was one two-circuit voice channel. Intelsat V, launched in 1980, has a capacity of 12,000 circuits plus two television channels. Due to the increasing number of satellites in operation today, space telecommunications plays a major role in regional and domestic systems, as well as in international networks. The cost to the customer or to the final user is constantly decreasing due to coherent program leadership, technological development, and increasing customer demands. Still, the needs for space telecommunications are widely different for the developed countries and for the countries in the process of development. When one tries to estimate the space market for the current decade the main difficulties lie with determining the financial means for funding the projects and with the decision making process in various countries. While the major technical tools required for fulfilling the needs of the 1980s actually exist or are under development, drastic changes may occur in space technology as a shift from satellites to space stations is made and progress occurs in the field of telecommunications. (MKM)