Commercial Space Transportation QUARTERLY LAUNCH REPORT
Special Report:
Trends in Space Launch Services: Globalization and Commercial Development
4th Quarter 1996 United States Department of Transportaion • Federal Aviation Administration Associate Administrator for Commercial Space Transportation 800 Independence Ave. SW Room 331 Washington, D.C. 20591 Special Report SR-1
Trends in Space Launch Services: Globalization and Commercial Development
Launch service providers are leading the The most visible entrants in the global globalization of the space industry by forming commercial launch market are a series of international partnerships. The end of the Cold partnerships between western companies and War has created an environment that favors the space enterprises in the former Soviet cooperation between manufacturers of high Union. technology launch systems, with less emphasis on national security concerns. As a result, an International Launch Services (ILS) international marketplace in launch vehicle A partnership between Lockheed Martin of the manufacturing has emerged in which United States and Khrunichev and Energia of manufacturers can coordinate and consolidate Russia, ILS offers customers the choice of the their technologies. Atlas or the Proton launch vehicle for geosynchronous payloads. This arrangement These companies offer a variety of launch allows customers to take advantage of greater vehicles from multiple countries and flexibility in scheduling as well as cost benefits manufacturers, and can launch them from from consolidation of services. multiple launch sites. Launch customers now have the opportunity to choose from a wider Starsem assortment of launch vehicles and can benefit from the lower costs provided by a highly A partnership between Arianespace and competitive market (see graph of the Global Aerospatiale of France, and the Russian Commercial Launch Trend on page SR-3). Space Agency (RKA) and the Samara Space The major players in the launch industry are Center of Russia, Starsem will offer diversifying to provide launch services across commercial launches on Russia’s Soyuz the full range of the market, from light weight launch vehicle. With Soyuz’s ability to launch intermediate weight payloads to low earth
Launch Companies Involved in Launch Payload Class Partnership Partnership Vehicle(s)
International Lockheed Martin Proton Heavy Launch Services Khrunichev Energia Atlas Medium
Arianespace Starsem Aerospatiale Soyuz Medium Russian Space Agency Samara Space Center
Boeing Sea Launch Kvaerner Zenit Heavy Yuzhnoye Major International Launch Partnerships
LEO payloads to heavy geosynchronous orbit, Starsem complements Ariane 5’s heavy satellites. lift capability and allows Arianespace to compete across a wide range of launch services.
Federal Aviation Administration • Associate Administrator for Commercial Space Transportation Special Report SR-2 seeking an FAA license for a series of test Sea Launch flights. Sea Launch represents an innovative partnership between Boeing of the United Domestically, Lockheed Martin is developing States, the ship-building company Kvaerner of the Atlas 2AR on a commercial basis, with Norway, and Yuzhnoye of Ukraine. company funding. In addition, Lockheed Launching the Ukrainian Zenit from an ocean Martin recently won the NASA competition for platform, Sea Launch provides a unique option the X-33, a technology pathfinder for the next for customers seeking to place their payloads generation reusable launch vehicle. The in geosynchronous orbit. The ability of Sea company contributed approximately one fourth Launch to launch from near the equator of the early development costs for the X-33, increases the maximum payload mass that and is expected to fully fund development of Zenit can place in orbit. the orbital vehicle if the demonstrator is successful. ILS, Starsem, and Sea Launch also offer services on existing launch vehicles. Global Satellite Partnerships The trend toward manufacturers forming Other Launch Partnerships consolidated service companies is not limited In addition to the three partnerships described to the launcher market. Satellite manufactures above, the manufacturers of the Cosmos, are also involved in the emergence of new Cyclone, and Rokot launch vehicles all have international satellite communications services. international partners to market their vehicles. Hughes has announced it will acquire The Surf venture, using a converted submarine PanAmSat and has shown interest in acquiring ballistic missile system, also involves a U.S.- Nethold, a satellite television service provider Russian partnership. based in the Netherlands. Such measures would allow Hughes to consolidate its International partnerships are also being television broadcast services into a global formed to take advantage of proven launch network. vehicle components. For example, Pratt and Whitney and Aerojet both have agreements to Similarly, equity stake holders in Iridium market Russian propulsion technology. The include a wide variety of companies involved selection of the Russian RD-180 engine for the in satellite manufacturing as well as in new Atlas 2AR and potentially for Lockheed communications services. The result is a Martin’s Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle consolidated commercial company that is (EELV) demonstrates how manufacturers can service-oriented and can take advantage of take advantage of foreign technologies now opportunities in the international available in the international market. There are telecommunications market. also several proposals to use Ariane 5 components for the EELV program. If Hughes’ plan for the broadcast television market is carried out, it will become the single Kistler Aerospace Corporation plans to use largest private satellite communications system Russian designed NK-33 engines on its K-1 provider, second only to the government- two-stage reusable launch vehicle and is sponsored Intelsat organization in terms of overall system size.
Federal Aviation Administration • Associate Administrator for Commercial Space Transportation Special Report SR-3
25 25%
20 20%
15 15%
10 10%
5 5%
0 0% 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995
Total Commercial Launches As Percentage of Total Launches
Global Commercial Launch Trend, 1982 - 1995
Federal Aviation Administration • Associate Administrator for Commercial Space Transportation