Despite overcapacity in the commercial satellite market and the continuing decline in the number of commercial launches being conducted, satellite operators are having trouble finding rides to space because launch vehicle manufacturers have sized their industry to match commercial demand, according to Forecast International.

“The balance between supply and demand will become much more stable,” John Edwards, Forecast International’s space systems analyst and author of “The World Market for Expendable Launch Vehicles: 2006-2015,” said in a statement.

The number of satellites manufactured around the globe throughout the next 10 years will rise steadily, while the number of launch vehicles needed to place those spacecraft into orbit is declining due to multi-payload missions, according to the report.

More than 800 satellites will be manufactured between now and 2015, while an estimated 682 expendable launch vehicles valued at about $46 billion will be produced to meet the expected demand for launches.

“Commercial customers will find that it pays to book in advance,” Edwards said. “… In terms of launch service pricing, it looks as if the downward trend that began late in the last century has indeed come to an end, as prices have firmed up and are likely to continue their upward spiral in 2006.”

European, Russian, Ukrainian and U.S. launchers will account for about 78 percent of the total launch vehicle market, while the remaining 22 percent will be split fairly evenly among Chinese, Indian and Japanese launch vehicles, which will be used primarily to launch domestic payloads.