DOCSLIB.ORG

International Partnerships in the Commercial Space Launch Industry

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
International Partnerships in the Commercial Space Launch Industry THIRD QUARTER 2001 QUARTERLY LAUNCH REPORT 8 International Partnerships in the Commercial Space Launch Industry INTRODUCTION other or makes a contribution toward a common effort in an attempt to improve International partnerships are hardly a the economic condition of all entities new concept in space activities: national involved. Partnerships, as discussed governments and space agencies have herein, are not simply payments of been collaborating since the early years money for purchase or lease of goods or of the Space Age on projects such as services, even as stipulated within a scientific satellites and human space launch services contract. They also flight missions. National space agencies exclude mergers and acquisitions of recognized that cooperation across companies and international launch trade borders presented challenges but agreements. afforded them the opportunity to achieve common goals and complete ambitious All of the partnerships considered herein projects by sharing costs, risk, have launch activity as a central focus, infrastructure, and expertise. involve at least one purely commercial entity, and encompass players from at While governments undertook the least two different nations.1 This report earliest international collaboration also addresses only partnerships that projects in space, today increasing have actually been enacted; agreements numbers of international partnerships under discussion are not covered here. involve one or more commercial players This report does not attempt to address and focus on the business of space every launch-related partnership that has transportation. Indeed, like other ever existed. modern, technology-based businesses, private launch-related companies operate As the next sections show, international in the global economy and have come to partnerships in the launch business have recognize the advantages of forging proliferated in recent years. Involving strategic alliances, regardless of the combinations of launch vehicle and partner’s location in the world. component manufacturers, launch service marketers, spaceport developers, This report explores the range of launch- satellite operators, and governments, related international partnerships today’s launch-related alliances have involving private companies that exists been formed, most fundamentally, to today in an effort to understand the improve the local and global business nature of these partnerships, the reasons prospects of those involved. These for their emergence, and the impact they partnerships fall into three major may have on the launch industry as well as the customers they serve. In this 1 This report does not describe or analyze intra- report, the term “partnership” refers to a European launch-related consortia such as contract between at least two entities in Arianespace or the European Aeronautic Defense which each entity offers a product, and Space Company (EADS) because, from the European perspective, these are enterprises of a service, or capability of value to the single, solidified Europe. THIRD QUARTER 2001 QUARTERLY LAUNCH REPORT 9 categories of launch interest: technology, while Rocket Space Corporation (RSC) marketing, and customer relations. Energia owns 25 percent; the Anglo- Technology partnerships encompass Norwegian Kvaerner Group, 20 percent; relationships formed to produce or and SDO Yuzhnoye/POYuzhmash, 15 assemble launch vehicles and their percent. components as well as launch equipment and facilities. Marketing partnerships Sea Launch offers satellite customers are relationships designed to expand the heavy-lift launch services (up to 5,700 reach of various launch vehicles to kilograms to geosynchronous transfer global markets. Provider/customer orbit [GTO]), with launches taking place partnerships involve the teaming of from a platform positioned on the launch service providers with companies equator in the Pacific Ocean. Instead of who use their launch services in various using the proposed Energia M vehicle, efforts to bring mutual benefits to Sea Launch uses the Zenit 3SL—a themselves and their customers. While model of the Ukrainian Zenit launch some partnerships span more than one vehicle developed for Sea Launch. category, the enterprises discussed here Launching from the equator enables the are listed according to their primary Zenit to travel the most direct route activities. possible to GTO and thus maximize the payload mass it can carry there. TECHNOLOGY PARTNERSHIPS All partners in Sea Launch provide hardware and services to make the Sea Launch Company enterprise a reality. SDO Yuzhnoye/PO Yuzhmash provide the first and second Founded in 1995, the Sea Launch stages of the Zenit 3SL vehicle as well Company is the result of a meeting of as launch support operations. RSC minds and resources of companies from Energia produces the vehicle’s upper four nations. During the early 1990s, the stage (the Block DM-SL), integrates the Russian company NPO Energia met with vehicle, and conducts mission the Boeing Commercial Space Company operations. The Boeing Commercial to discuss Russian design ideas for a sea- Space Company manufactures the based space launch system. The launch- payload fairing and performs spacecraft at-sea concept Energia proposed integration and mission operations. The involved the use of Energia M, a launch Kvaerner Group provides and operates vehicle design the company desired to the launch platform and assembly and promote; Boeing, for its part, had not command ship. yet acquired McDonnell Douglas and the Delta launch vehicle but was interested The first privately financed, working in entering the launch business. launch system and infrastructure, Sea Recognizing the many advantages such a Launch has completed six successful system could offer in the launch market, launches and has sold 19 launches to Energia and Boeing, along with SDO date. Yuzhnoye of Ukraine and Kvaerner of Norway, signed an agreement to form the joint venture Sea Launch. Today, Boeing owns 40 percent of Sea Launch, THIRD QUARTER 2001 QUARTERLY LAUNCH REPORT 10 Aerojet/Kuznetsov constructed, paying $4 million per engine. In addition, the Japanese space Sacramento-based Aerojet and the agency NASDA granted Aerojet a Russian design bureau Kuznetsov contract in March 2001 to design an formed an alliance in 1996 to produce engine based on the NK-33 for its new and sell liquid oxygen/kerosene NK-33 J1-U launch vehicle. engines in the United States. An improved version of the engine designed RD AMROSS by Kuznetsov for use in Russia’s N1 lunar rocket program, the NK-33 itself In 1997, Florida-based Pratt & Whitney actually never flew due to the N1 and NPO Energomash of Russia program’s cancellation in 1974. established the RD AMROSS LLC joint However, several hundred NK-33s were venture to produce the Russian RD-180 manufactured and 70 NK-33s remained engine for the American market. Having stored in Russia. partnered to sell other engine models, Pratt & Whitney and Energomash came When the U.S. Air Force announced the together again to attempt to meet Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle Lockheed Martin’s need for a new (EELV) program, Aerojet recognized an engine for its Atlas 3 and 5 vehicles with opportunity to be a major supplier of the RD-180 engine, then under engines for the new vehicle: if it could development. Lockheed Martin selected secure the rights to NK-33, it could take the RD-180 as the first stage engine for advantage of the engine’s desirable its new Atlas models. Government features without expending resources policy, however, required that Lockheed and time developing a new product. Martin demonstrate the ability to Kuznetsov, on the other hand, could sell manufacture RD-180s in the United the warehoused NK-33s while States in order to avoid dependence on potentially reopening a production line Russia to launch national security that otherwise had no future. Under the payloads. Therefore, under the RD agreement Aerojet and Kuznetsov AMROSS partnership, Energomash will reached, Kuznetsov is supplying the produce 101 RD-180 engines for the engine’s design and engineering Atlas 3 and commercial launches on expertise while Aerojet is providing a Atlas 5 at its Khimky plant in Russia, manufacturing facility and has purchased while Pratt & Whitney will build some 70 NK-33s. Aerojet has also acquired two dozen more RD-180s in Florida to intellectual property data and holds launch government payloads. Pratt & rights to build NK-33s in the United Whitney also contributed $25 million to States after the existing supply runs out. Energomash for upgrades at the Khimky plant. The two companies are 50-50 While NK-33 engines were not selected partners in the joint venture. for use in the EELV program, Seattle- based Kistler Aerospace Corporation has Production of RD-180 in the United taken interest in using NK-33s in its K-1 States was expected to begin in 2005, reusable launch vehicle. Kistler has but technology control issues and negotiated with Aerojet for exclusive changes in Lockheed Martin’s rights for 58 of the 70 total NK-33s production plans have pushed back the THIRD QUARTER 2001 QUARTERLY LAUNCH REPORT 11 start of domestic production to 2008 at approval processes related to the project the earliest. are facilitated in a timely manner. The government also plans to support the Asia Pacific Space Centre effort by upgrading Christmas Island’s airport, constructing a new port and The most recent of a series of Australian road, and aiding the development of spaceport development concepts, the spaceport infrastructure. Australian and Australian-based Asia Pacific Space Russian officials signed a cooperative Centre’s (APSC) plan is to establish a pact in May allowing Russian rockets to spaceport on Christmas Island, Australia, be launched from the Christmas Island and develop a commercial space launch site as well as from Woomera Rocket service using Russia’s new Aurora Range in central Australia. launch vehicle design. A private company with investors in Australia, APSC’s Christmas Island office is South Korea, and the United States, responsible for design and construction APSC intends to market the vehicle of the spaceport, while a U.S.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Space Launch System (Sls) Motors
    Propulsion Products Catalog SPACE LAUNCH SYSTEM (SLS) MOTORS For NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS), Northrop Grumman manufactures the five-segment SLS heavy- lift boosters, the booster separation motors (BSM), and the Launch Abort System’s (LAS) launch abort motor and attitude control motor. The SLS five-segment booster is the largest solid rocket motor ever built for flight. The SLS booster shares some design heritage with flight-proven four-segment space shuttle reusable solid rocket motors (RSRM), but generates 20 percent greater average thrust and 24 percent greater total impulse. While space shuttle RSRM production has ended, sustained booster production for SLS helps provide cost savings and access to reliable material sources. Designed to push the spent RSRMs safely away from the space shuttle, Northrop Grumman BSMs were rigorously qualified for human space flight and successfully used on the last fifteen space shuttle missions. These same motors are a critical part of NASA’s SLS. Four BSMs are installed in the forward frustum of each five-segment booster and four are installed in the aft skirt, for a total of 16 BSMs per launch. The launch abort motor is an integral part of NASA’s LAS. The LAS is designed to safely pull the Orion crew module away from the SLS launch vehicle in the event of an emergency on the launch pad or during ascent. Northrop Grumman is on contract to Lockheed Martin to build the abort motor and attitude control motor—Lockheed is the prime contractor for building the Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle designed for use on NASA’s SLS.
    [Show full text]
  • Measurements of Π , K , P and ¯P Spectra in Proton-Proton
    EUROPEAN ORGANISATION FOR NUCLEAR RESEARCH (CERN) Submitted to: Eur. Phys. J. C CERN-EP-2017-066 September 28, 2017 Measurements of π±,K±, p and ¯p spectra in proton-proton interactions at 20, 31, 40, 80 and 158 GeV=c with the NA61/SHINE spectrometer at the CERN SPS The NA61/SHINE Collaboration Measurements of inclusive spectra and mean multiplicities of π±,K±, p and p¯ produced in =c inelasticp p+p interactions at incident projectile momenta of 20, 31, 40, 80 and 158 GeV ( s = 6.3, 7.7, 8.8, 12.3 and 17.3 GeV, respectively) were performed at the CERN Super Proton Synchrotron using the large acceptance NA61/SHINE hadron spectrometer. Spectra are presented as function of rapidity and transverse momentum and are compared to predictions of current models. The measurements serve as the baseline in the NA61/SHINE study of the properties of the onset of deconfinement and search for the critical point of strongly interacting matter. arXiv:1705.02467v2 [nucl-ex] 27 Sep 2017 © 2017 CERN for the benefit of the NA61/SHINE Collaboration. Reproduction of this article or parts of it is allowed as specified in the CC-BY-4.0 license. 1. Introduction This paper presents experimental results on inclusive spectra and mean multiplicities of π±,K±, p and p¯ produced in inelastic p+p interactions at 20, 31, 40, 80 and 158 GeV=c. The measurements were performed by the multi-purpose NA61/SHINE experiment [1, 2] at the CERN Super Proton Synchrotron (SPS). The new measurements complement previously published results from the same datasets on π− production [3] obtained without particle identification as well as on fluctuations of charged particles [4].
    [Show full text]
  • L AUNCH SYSTEMS Databk7 Collected.Book Page 18 Monday, September 14, 2009 2:53 PM Databk7 Collected.Book Page 19 Monday, September 14, 2009 2:53 PM
    databk7_collected.book Page 17 Monday, September 14, 2009 2:53 PM CHAPTER TWO L AUNCH SYSTEMS databk7_collected.book Page 18 Monday, September 14, 2009 2:53 PM databk7_collected.book Page 19 Monday, September 14, 2009 2:53 PM CHAPTER TWO L AUNCH SYSTEMS Introduction Launch systems provide access to space, necessary for the majority of NASA’s activities. During the decade from 1989–1998, NASA used two types of launch systems, one consisting of several families of expendable launch vehicles (ELV) and the second consisting of the world’s only partially reusable launch system—the Space Shuttle. A significant challenge NASA faced during the decade was the development of technologies needed to design and implement a new reusable launch system that would prove less expensive than the Shuttle. Although some attempts seemed promising, none succeeded. This chapter addresses most subjects relating to access to space and space transportation. It discusses and describes ELVs, the Space Shuttle in its launch vehicle function, and NASA’s attempts to develop new launch systems. Tables relating to each launch vehicle’s characteristics are included. The other functions of the Space Shuttle—as a scientific laboratory, staging area for repair missions, and a prime element of the Space Station program—are discussed in the next chapter, Human Spaceflight. This chapter also provides a brief review of launch systems in the past decade, an overview of policy relating to launch systems, a summary of the management of NASA’s launch systems programs, and tables of funding data. The Last Decade Reviewed (1979–1988) From 1979 through 1988, NASA used families of ELVs that had seen service during the previous decade.
    [Show full text]
  • Paper Session IA-Shuttle-C Heavy-Lift Vehicle of the 90'S
    The Space Congress® Proceedings 1989 (26th) Space - The New Generation Apr 25th, 2:00 PM Paper Session I-A - Shuttle-C Heavy-Lift Vehicle of the 90's Robert G. Eudy Manager, Shuttle-C Task Team, Marshall Space Flight Center Follow this and additional works at: https://commons.erau.edu/space-congress-proceedings Scholarly Commons Citation Eudy, Robert G., "Paper Session I-A - Shuttle-C Heavy-Lift Vehicle of the 90's" (1989). The Space Congress® Proceedings. 5. https://commons.erau.edu/space-congress-proceedings/proceedings-1989-26th/april-25-1989/5 This Event is brought to you for free and open access by the Conferences at Scholarly Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in The Space Congress® Proceedings by an authorized administrator of Scholarly Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. SHUTTLE-C HEAVY-LIFT VEHICLE OF THE 90 ' S Mr. Robert G. Eudy, Manager Shuttle-C Task Team Marshall Space Flight Center ABSTRACT United States current and planned space activities identify the need for increased payload capacity and unmanned flight to complement the existing Shuttle. To meet this challenge the National Aeronautics and Space Administration is defining an unmanned cargo version of the Shuttle that can give the nation early heavy-lift capability. Called Shuttle-C, this unmanned vehicle is a natural, low-cost evolution of the current Space Shuttle that can be flying 100,000 to 170,000 pound payloads by late 1994. At the core of Shuttle-C design philosophy is the principle of evolvement from the United State's Space Transportation System.
    [Show full text]
  • View / Download
    www.arianespace.com www.starsem.com www.avio Arianespace’s eighth launch of 2021 with the fifth Soyuz of the year will place its satellite passengers into low Earth orbit. The launcher will be carrying a total payload of approximately 5 518 kg. The launch will be performed from Baikonur, in Kazakhstan. MISSION DESCRIPTION 2 ONEWEB SATELLITES 3 Liftoff is planned on at exactly: SOYUZ LAUNCHER 4 06:23 p.m. Washington, D.C. time, 10:23 p.m. Universal time (UTC), LAUNCH CAMPAIGN 4 00:23 a.m. Paris time, FLIGHT SEQUENCES 5 01:23 a.m. Moscow time, 03:23 a.m. Baikonur Cosmodrome. STAKEHOLDERS OF A LAUNCH 6 The nominal duration of the mission (from liftoff to separation of the satellites) is: 3 hours and 45 minutes. Satellites: OneWeb satellite #255 to #288 Customer: OneWeb • Altitude at separation: 450 km Cyrielle BOUJU • Inclination: 84.7degrees [email protected] +33 (0)6 32 65 97 48 RUAG Space AB (Linköping, Sweden) is the prime contractor in charge of development and production of the dispenser system used on Flight ST34. It will carry the satellites during their flight to low Earth orbit and then release them into space. The dedicated dispenser is designed to Flight ST34, the 29th commercial mission from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan performed by accommodate up to 36 spacecraft per launch, allowing Arianespace and its Starsem affiliate, will put 34 of OneWeb’s satellites bringing the total fleet to 288 satellites Arianespace to timely deliver the lion’s share of the initial into a near-polar orbit at an altitude of 450 kilometers.
    [Show full text]
  • Trade Studies Towards an Australian Indigenous Space Launch System
    TRADE STUDIES TOWARDS AN AUSTRALIAN INDIGENOUS SPACE LAUNCH SYSTEM A thesis submitted for the degree of Master of Engineering by Gordon P. Briggs B.Sc. (Hons), M.Sc. (Astron) School of Engineering and Information Technology, University College, University of New South Wales, Australian Defence Force Academy January 2010 Abstract During the project Apollo moon landings of the mid 1970s the United States of America was the pre-eminent space faring nation followed closely by only the USSR. Since that time many other nations have realised the potential of spaceflight not only for immediate financial gain in areas such as communications and earth observation but also in the strategic areas of scientific discovery, industrial development and national prestige. Australia on the other hand has resolutely refused to participate by instituting its own space program. Successive Australian governments have preferred to obtain any required space hardware or services by purchasing off-the-shelf from foreign suppliers. This policy or attitude is a matter of frustration to those sections of the Australian technical community who believe that the nation should be participating in space technology. In particular the provision of an indigenous launch vehicle that would guarantee the nation independent access to the space frontier. It would therefore appear that any launch vehicle development in Australia will be left to non- government organisations to at least define the requirements for such a vehicle and to initiate development of long-lead items for such a project. It is therefore the aim of this thesis to attempt to define some of the requirements for a nascent Australian indigenous launch vehicle system.
    [Show full text]
  • Human Spaceflight Plans of Russia, China and India
    Presentation to the ASEB Committee on NASA Technology Roadmaps Panel on Human Health and Surface Exploration June 1, 2011 by Marcia S. Smith Space and Technology Policy Group, LLC Russia Extensive experience in human spaceflight First animal in space (1957), first man in space (1961), first woman in space (1963), first spacewalk (1965), first space station (1971) Seven successful space stations (Salyut 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and Mir) before partnering in International Space Station (ISS) No people beyond low Earth orbit (LEO), however For earth orbit, continues to rely on Soyuz, first launched in 1967, but upgraded many times and is key to ISS operations Designed space shuttle, Buran, but launched only once in automated mode (no crew) in 1988 06-01-2011 2 Russia (2) Existing reliable launch vehicles Proton is largest: 21 tons to LEO; 5.5 tons to geostationary transfer orbit (GTO) Attempts to build Saturn V-equivalent in 1960s and 1970s failed (N1 failed four times in four attempts 1969-1972) Energiya booster in 1980s only flew twice (1987 with Polyus and 1988 with Buran). Abandoned for financial reasons. Was 100 tons to LEO; 18-20 tons to GTO; 32 tons to lunar trajectory. RD-170 engines for Energiya’s strap-ons live on today in other forms for Zenit, Atlas V, and Angara (under development) 06-01-2011 3 Russia (3) Robotic planetary space exploration mixed Excellent success at – Moon (Luna and Lunokhod series, plus Zond circumlunar flights) Venus (Venera series) Halley’s Comet (Vega 1 and 2—also Venus) Jinxed at Mars More than a dozen failures in 1960s - 1970s Partial success with Phobos 2 in 1988 (Phobos 1 failed) Mars 96 failed to leave Earth orbit Phobos-Grunt scheduled for later this year; designed as sample return from Phobos (includes Chinese orbiter) 06-01-2011 4 Russia (4) Grand statements over decades about sending people to the Moon and Mars, but never enough money to proceed.
    [Show full text]
  • Proton Accident with GLONASS Satellites
    3/29/2018 Proton accident with GLONASS satellites Previous Proton mission: SES­6 PICTURE GALLERY A Proton rocket with the Block D 11S861 stage and 813GLN34 payload firing shortly before liftoff on July 2, 2013. Upcoming book on space exploration Read more and watch videos in: Site map Site update log About this site About the author The ill­fated Proton rocket lifts off on July 2, 2013, at 06:38:21.585 Moscow Time (July 1, 10:38 p.m. EDT). The rocket crashed approximately 32.682 seconds later, Roskosmos said on July 18, 2013. Mailbox Russia's Proton crashes with a trio of navigation satellites SUPPORT THIS SITE! Published: July 1; updated: July 2, 3, 4, 5, 9, 11, 15, 18, 19; 23; Aug. 11 Related pages: Russia's Proton rocket crashed less than a minute after its liftoff from Baikonur, Kazakhstan. A Proton­M vehicle No. 53543 with a Block DM­03 (11S­86103) upper stage lifted off as scheduled from Pad No. 24 at Site 81 (launch complex 8P­882K) in Baikonur Cosmodrome on July 2, 2013, at 06:38:21.585 Moscow Time (on July 1, 10:38 p.m. EDT). The rocket started veering off course right after leaving the pad, deviating from the vertical path in various RD­253/275 engines directions and then plunged to the ground seconds later nose first. The payload section and the upper stage were sheered off the vehicle moments before it impacted the ground and exploded. The flight lasted no more than 30 seconds. Searching for details: The Russian space agency's ground processing and launch contractor, TsENKI, was broadcasting the launch live and captured the entire process of the vehicle's disintegration and its crash.
    [Show full text]
  • Rex D. Hall and David J. Shayler
    Rex D. Hall and David J. Shayler Soyuz A Universal Spacecraft ruuiiMicPublishedu 11in1 aaaundiiuiassociationi witwimh ^^ • Springer Praxis Publishing PRHB Chichester, UK "^UF Table of contents Foreword xvii Authors' preface xix Acknowledgements xxi List of illustrations and tables xxiii Prologue xxix ORIGINS 1 Soviet manned spaceflight after Vostok 1 Design requirements 1 Sever and the 1L: the genesis of Soyuz 3 The Vostok 7/1L Soyuz Complex 4 The mission sequence of the early Soyuz Complex 6 The Soyuz 7K complex 7 Soyuz 7K (Soyuz A) design features 8 The American General Electric concept 10 Soyuz 9K and Soyuz 1 IK 11 The Soyuz Complex mission profile 12 Contracts, funding and schedules 13 Soyuz to the Moon 14 A redirection for Soyuz 14 The N1/L3 lunar landing mission profile 15 Exploring the potential of Soyuz 16 Soyuz 7K-P: a piloted anti-satellite interceptor 16 Soyuz 7K-R: a piloted reconnaissance space station 17 Soyuz VI: the military research spacecraft Zvezda 18 Adapting Soyuz for lunar missions 20 Spacecraft design changes 21 Crewing for circumlunar missions 22 The Zond missions 23 The end of the Soviet lunar programme 33 The lunar orbit module (7K-LOK) 33 viii Table of contents A change of direction 35 References 35 MISSION HARDWARE AND SUPPORT 39 Hardware and systems 39 Crew positions 40 The spacecraft 41 The Propulsion Module (PM) 41 The Descent Module (DM) 41 The Orbital Module (OM) 44 Pyrotechnic devices 45 Spacecraft sub-systems 46 Rendezvous, docking and transfer 47 Electrical power 53 Thermal control 54 Life support 54
    [Show full text]
  • Igor AFANASYEV, Dmitry VORONTSOV Cosmonautics | Event
    cosmonautics | event Andrey Morgunov Igor AFANASYEV, Dmitry VORONTSOV AANGARA’SNGARA’S FFIRSTIRST BBLASTOFFLASTOFF At 16.04 hrs Moscow time on 9 July 2014, the Plesetsk space launch centre saw the launching facility in February 2014 to the first launch of the Angara-1.2PP launch vehicle of the advanced space rocket practice its fuelling and the nose fairing was family being developed by the Khrunichev state space research and production fitted on the rocket in March. The successful ground tests were followed by the prelaunch centre. The maiden blastoff conducted as part of the Angara flight test programme preparations. was aimed at testing the solutions embodied in the design of the URM-1 and URM-2 The date of the launch was put off for versatile rocket modules and the Angara’s launch and technical facilities as well. 27 June 2014 due to extra checks required. In this connection, orbiting an actual spacecraft had not been considered, with On 9 June, Khrunichev hosted a session of an inseparable full-scale mock-up used as payload. The flight was suborbital to the Chief Designers Council, dedicated to prevent cluttering near-Earth orbit with space junk. the preparation of the Angara to its flight tests. The session pronounced the rocket fit To say the Angara’s first launch had been In spite of the hurdles, the developer, for the trials. anticipated for a long time would be an nevertheless, got in the stretch with the Angara The LV had been taken out of the assembly understatement: it was slated for 2005 under programme.
    [Show full text]
  • Building and Maintaining the International Space Station (ISS)
    / Building and maintaining the International Space Station (ISS) is a very complex task. An international fleet of space vehicles launches ISS components; rotates crews; provides logistical support; and replenishes propellant, items for science experi- ments, and other necessary supplies and equipment. The Space Shuttle must be used to deliver most ISS modules and major components. All of these important deliveries sustain a constant supply line that is crucial to the development and maintenance of the International Space Station. The fleet is also responsible for returning experiment results to Earth and for removing trash and waste from the ISS. Currently, transport vehicles are launched from two sites on transportation logistics Earth. In the future, the number of launch sites will increase to four or more. Future plans also include new commercial trans- ports that will take over the role of U.S. ISS logistical support. INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION GUIDE TRANSPORTATION/LOGISTICS 39 LAUNCH VEHICLES Soyuz Proton H-II Ariane Shuttle Roscosmos JAXA ESA NASA Russia Japan Europe United States Russia Japan EuRopE u.s. soyuz sL-4 proton sL-12 H-ii ariane 5 space shuttle First launch 1957 1965 1996 1996 1981 1963 (Soyuz variant) Launch site(s) Baikonur Baikonur Tanegashima Guiana Kennedy Space Center Cosmodrome Cosmodrome Space Center Space Center Launch performance 7,150 kg 20,000 kg 16,500 kg 18,000 kg 18,600 kg payload capacity (15,750 lb) (44,000 lb) (36,400 lb) (39,700 lb) (41,000 lb) 105,000 kg (230,000 lb), orbiter only Return performance
    [Show full text]
  • The New Commercial Spaceports
    The New Commercial Spaceports Derek Webber1 Spaceport Associates, Rockville, Maryland 20852,USA During the second half of the 20th Century, the first launch sites were established, mostly during the ‘fifties and ‘sixties. They were originally a product of the cold war and served military and civil government purposes. They were used for launching sounding rockets, space probes, for missile testing and injecting military, scientific, and eventually commercial satellites into orbit. Initially the sites were in either the USA or the former Soviet Union, but gradually they were introduced in other countries too. Governmental astronaut crews were also sent into orbit from these early launch sites. As the 21st Century begins, a new era is emerging where a fuller range of commercial missions will be undertaken and moreover where public space travel will become common place. This situation ushers in a new kind of launch facility, known as the commercial spaceport. I. Introduction here will be vastly different requirements for the future public space travelers, and their families and friends, T than are normally available at the traditional launch sites built fifty years ago. Indeed, the creation of this emerging kind of facility, the commercial spaceport, is in some ways a very necessary part of the creation of the new space businesses that the twenty-first century offers. It will be essential that, while the space tourism companies are becoming established in order to provide services to the new public space travelers, suitable ground based facilities will be developed in parallel to sustain and support these operations. This paper provides an insight into these commercial spaceport facilities, and their characteristics, in order to assist in both design and business planning processes.
    [Show full text]