operating profit for the segment decreased by 1% ( 1 % ) in 2010 compared to 2009 .
for the year , operating profit declines in defense more than offset an increase in civil , while operating profit at intelligence essentially was unchanged .
the $ 27 million decrease in operating profit at defense primarily was attributable to a decrease in the level of favorable performance adjustments on mission and combat systems activities in 2010 .
the $ 19 million increase in civil principally was due to higher volume on enterprise civilian services .
operating profit for the segment decreased by 3% ( 3 % ) in 2009 compared to 2008 .
operating profit declines in civil and intelligence partially were offset by growth in defense .
the decrease of $ 29 million in civil 2019s operating profit primarily was attributable to a reduction in the level of favorable performance adjustments on enterprise civilian services programs in 2009 compared to 2008 .
the decrease in operating profit of $ 27 million at intelligence mainly was due to a reduction in the level of favorable performance adjustments on security solution activities in 2009 compared to 2008 .
the increase in defense 2019s operating profit of $ 29 million mainly was due to volume and improved performance in mission and combat systems .
the decrease in backlog during 2010 compared to 2009 mainly was due to higher sales volume on enterprise civilian service programs at civil , including volume associated with the dris 2010 program , and mission and combat system programs at defense .
backlog decreased in 2009 compared to 2008 due to u.s .
government 2019s exercise of the termination for convenience clause on the tsat mission operations system ( tmos ) contract at defense , which resulted in a $ 1.6 billion reduction in orders .
this decline more than offset increased orders on enterprise civilian services programs at civil .
we expect is&gs will experience a low single digit percentage decrease in sales for 2011 as compared to 2010 .
this decline primarily is due to completion of most of the work associated with the dris 2010 program .
operating profit in 2011 is expected to decline in relationship to the decline in sales volume , while operating margins are expected to be comparable between the years .
space systems our space systems business segment is engaged in the design , research and development , engineering , and production of satellites , strategic and defensive missile systems , and space transportation systems , including activities related to the planned replacement of the space shuttle .
government satellite programs include the advanced extremely high frequency ( aehf ) system , the mobile user objective system ( muos ) , the global positioning satellite iii ( gps iii ) system , the space-based infrared system ( sbirs ) , and the geostationary operational environmental satellite r-series ( goes-r ) .
strategic and missile defense programs include the targets and countermeasures program and the fleet ballistic missile program .
space transportation includes the nasa orion program and , through ownership interests in two joint ventures , expendable launch services ( united launch alliance , or ula ) and space shuttle processing activities for the u.s .
government ( united space alliance , or usa ) .
the space shuttle is expected to complete its final flight mission in 2011 and our involvement with its launch and processing activities will end at that time .
space systems 2019 operating results included the following : ( in millions ) 2010 2009 2008 .

( in millions )
2010
2009
2008
net sales
$ 8246
$ 8654
$ 8027
operating profit
972
972
953
operating margin
11.8% ( 11.8 % )
11.2% ( 11.2 % )
11.9% ( 11.9 % )
backlog at year-end
17800
16800
17900

net sales for space systems decreased by 5% ( 5 % ) in 2010 compared to 2009 .
sales declined in all three lines of business during the year .
the $ 253 million decrease in space transportation principally was due to lower volume on the space shuttle external tank , commercial launch vehicle activity and other human space flight programs , which partially were offset by higher volume on the orion program .
there were no commercial launches in 2010 compared to one commercial launch in 2009 .
strategic & defensive missile systems ( s&dms ) sales declined $ 147 million principally due to lower volume on defensive missile programs .
the $ 8 million sales decline in satellites primarily was attributable to lower volume on commercial satellites , which partially were offset by higher volume on government satellite activities .
there was one commercial satellite delivery in 2010 and one commercial satellite delivery in 2009 .
net sales for space systems increased 8% ( 8 % ) in 2009 compared to 2008 .
during the year , sales growth at satellites and space transportation offset a decline in s&dms .
the sales growth of $ 707 million in satellites was due to higher volume in government satellite activities , which partially was offset by lower volume in commercial satellite activities .
there was one commercial satellite delivery in 2009 and two deliveries in 2008 .
the increase in sales of $ 21 million in space transportation primarily was due to higher volume on the orion program , which more than offset a decline in the space shuttle 2019s external tank program .
there was one commercial launch in both 2009 and 2008 .
s&dms 2019 sales decreased by $ 102 million mainly due to lower volume on defensive missile programs , which more than offset growth in strategic missile programs. .

Question: what is the growth rate of operating expenses from 2009 to 2010?
Answer: -5.3%

Question: what are the total operating expenses as a percentage of sales in 2010?
Answer: 88.2%