Space Activities: Ukraine Looking for New Developments E S P I 51 PERSPECTIVES Space Activities: Ukraine Looking for New Developments Michel LAFFAITEUR , Consultant, AAAF/CSD, Oleg FEDOROV , Director, Ukrainian Space Research Institute and Sergey GERASYMCHUK , Consultant, Aerospace and Innovation As the country that inherited one third of the industrial space capabilities of the former Soviet Union, Ukraine was one of the first ex-Soviet states to create a Space Agency and to conceive a comprehensive space policy through the implementation of four consecutive space programmes. The latest of these programmes includes space activities in several areas, such as Earth observation, navigation, launch services’ development and space science missions. In spite of the setback to the country’s commercial space activities caused by the Sea Launch bankruptcy, future prospects for Ukrainian subcontractors engaged in the project under the company’s new Russian management seem promising. On an institutional level, the importance of space activities in Ukraine is reflected in its complex and comprehensive national space legislation, which includes the Law on Space Activities of 1996 and the Law on State Support for Space Activities of 2000. This legal framework includes extremely elaborate provisions regarding registering, licensing and certifying procedures for all space related products and services provided in Ukraine, or under Ukrainian jurisdiction abroad. However, further efforts should be made towards its harmonisation with European standards. At the moment, EU-Ukraine cooperation in space is conducted through the activities of a Joint Support Office in Kiev, operating within the FP7 framework. Further strengthening of this cooperation could be made possible through the Ukrainian participation in the EU flagship programmes of Galileo and GMES. 1. Background the development of both launch vehicles and spacecrafts. Space activities are conducted in Ukraine inherited a third of the industrial space accordance with the National Space capacity of the former Soviet Union. To further Programme, which is approved by the develop this activity, considered by the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine (Parliament): authorities of the country as a key sector, Ukraine established in January 1992 the • The first programme (1993-1997) was devoted National Space Agency of Ukraine (NSAU), to the preservation of the scientific and whose mission was to control and monitor more production capacity of the space industry in than thirty institutions directly related to space the interest of the country’s national economy activities, including industries, offices, military and security, as well as to the promotion of installations, research institutes and other Ukraine’s participation to the international organisations involved in the sector. From 9 market of space services. December 2010, NSAU became the State Space • The second programme (1998-2002) was Agency of Ukraine. The main objectives of aimed at establishing a domestic market of SSAU are to prepare the state policy in the field space services, introducing Ukrainian products of space exploration, to promote the and services in the international market and strengthening of defence capabilities and integrating the country into the international national security of the state, and to organise space community. and develop cooperation with other states and • The third programme (2003-2007) focused on international organisations. the development of space technologies, which took into account the new tendencies in space Ukraine wishes to be considered as one of the activities and the need for economic and six world leaders in space with technologies in scientific-technical progress of the country. ESPI Perspectives No. 51, August 2011 1 Space Activities: Ukraine Looking for New Developments • The objectives of the fourth programme (2008- • Launchers (Sea Launch, Land Launch, Dnepr) 2012) are: and mainly (with high priority) Cyclone-4, in cooperation with Brazil. - Orientation towards specific customer. - Development and utilisation of advanced Sea Launch technologies and new design methods. - Creation of the conditions under which the In 1995, State Design Office Yuzhnoye and space technologies can be used in other Production Association Yuzhmash, together with branches of the economy and commercia- Boeing (USA), Kvaerner (Norway) and Energia lisation of space activities. (Russia) set up the Sea Launch Joint Venture to - Re-equipment of the technical basis and implement the Sea Launch Project. For that development of a common technological purpose, the Ukrainian Zenit-2 launch vehicle environment in the space sector. was upgraded into a three-stage launcher - Multilateral and international cooperation. (Zenit-3SL). Development and implementation of the project were performed on a fully 2. The Current Situation commercial basis without the involvement of any government funds, but under the control and Overview with the support of state enterprises. The Cooperation between EU and Ukraine has been launches were performed from a marine successfully developed, starting from the early platform located on the equator in the Pacific years of Ukraine’s independence, and currently Ocean, thus allowing for the maximum use of embraces several initiatives, such as the the effect of the Earth’s rotation and permitting cooperation on the Global Navigation Satellite to orbit satellites with smaller power Systems EGNOS and Galileo, as well as the consumption, especially to geostationary orbits. joint use of Ukraine’s ground satellite telemetry The sea segment, which was the responsibility stations. The Twinning project between the EU of the Norwegian Kvaerner company, included and SSAU, from 2006 to 2009, has been a very the assembly and control ship Sea Launch important step that contributed to a larger Commander (with the flight control centre and cooperation between Ukraine and Europe.1 other technical instruments on board) and the Odyssey launch platform (for the preparation Ukraine is one of Europe’s neighbouring and launch of the rockets). countries with the most significant space research and exploration capabilities. The rocket segment, for which the Russian Rocket-Space Corp. Energia was responsible, consisted of a three-stage launch vehicle and SSAU gives special attention to the the technical hardware necessary for its development of competitive launch vehicles and preparation and launching. These instruments spacecrafts, modern space telecommunication were developed by the Russian Design Bureau and information systems, use and dissemination of Transport Machinery and RSC Energia. The of information obtained during Earth observation space vehicle included: and space exploration. As mentioned, the basis for the Ukrainian space activity is the National • The two-stage Zenit-2S launch vehicle Space Programme. The main priorities of the developed by Yuzhnoye and manufactured by current programme, which covers the period Yuzhmash. 2008-2012, are: • The acceleration module DM-SL (third stage) developed by the Energia Corporation. • Earth observation: the Sich-2 satellite for • The payload module developed by the Boeing measuring neutral atmosphere and ionosphere Company. plasma parameters is expected to be launched in the second half of 2011. The spacecraft segment included a base port in • A space science series of Russian-led space the U.S. (Long Beach, California) designed to projects with Ukrainian participation, such as support the preparation of the spacecrafts, the Koronas-F (2009), Spektr-Radioastron (2011), mooring of the launch platform and the Resonans (2012) and the Russian-Ukrainian assembly and control vessel, the fueling of the programme for the International Space Station. components, and the loading of the launch • Space navigation (a joint activity with the vehicle stages, acceleration and payload Russian Glonass project). modules onto the assembly and control ship. Boeing was responsible for operating the base port. On 28 March 1999, the first launch of the new Zenit-3 SL vehicle was performed. It 1 For more information: Twinning Programme Administration confirmed the operability of the entire system, Office in Ukraine http://twinning.com.ua/index.php . ESPI Perspectives No. 51, August 2011 2 Space Activities: Ukraine Looking for New Developments the reliability of the launch vehicle and the As it was mentioned above, in late July 2010 the quality of the launch services. As of April 2009, it Bankruptcy Court of Delaware finally approved had launched thirty rockets, with two failures the plan to reorganise the consortium proposed (NSS-8 in January 2007 and ICO-F1 in March by a subsidiary of Russia's RSC Energia, 2000) and one partial failure.2 Energia Overseas Ltd. (EOL). EOL acquired the right to buy an 85% stake in the reorganised In June 2009, Sea Launch voluntarily declared consortium in exchange for a pledge to provide itself bankrupt in accordance with paragraph 11 $30 million for operating costs, invest in equity of the U.S. bankruptcy laws. Boeing was a 40% $140 million and give access to working capital owner of Sea Launch, and in addition to its by an additional $200 million. The remaining equity stake it issued guarantees to the launch- 15% would go to the five biggest creditors of services provider to facilitate its operations. As a Sea Launch: the communications’ satellite result, the bankruptcy filing and resulting Sea operators Intelsat Ltd., SkyTerra LP, Hughes Launch default on its loans