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THIRD QUARTER 2001 QUARTERLY LAUNCH REPORT 8

International Partnerships in the Commercial 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 on projects such as services, even as stipulated within a scientific and human space launch services contract. They also 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 and partner’s location in the world. component manufacturers, launch service marketers, developers, This report explores the range of launch- 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 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 Space Corporation (RSC) marketing, and customer relations. 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 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 [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 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 route activities. possible to GTO and thus maximize the 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 Commercial Space Company operations. The Boeing Commercial to discuss Russian design ideas for a sea- Space Company manufactures the based . The launch- and performs 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 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 and Kvaerner of , 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 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 /kerosene NK-33 J1-U launch vehicle. engines in the . An improved version of the engine designed RD AMROSS by Kuznetsov for use in ’s lunar rocket program, the NK-33 itself In 1997, -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 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 . 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 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 , and the United States, responsible for design and construction APSC intends to market the vehicle of the spaceport, while a U.S. office is (capable of carrying 4,100 kilograms to focused on marketing the spaceport and GTO) to commercial payload operators. the Aurora. APSC expects construction of the spaceport to begin in September APSC has entered into agreements with 2001, with the first launch slated for late several Russian organizations, all of 2003. whom benefit from securing the use of this favorable launch site. Under the SpaceLift Australia plan, APSC will construct and operate the launch site and market the Aurora Founded in 1999, SpaceLift Australia is vehicle. The Russian Space Agency, a private, Adelaide-based company Rosaviakosmos, will act as the project’s working with two Russian organizations, prime contractor and chief coordinator the Scientific and Technical Center for the Russian companies involved. Complex and Puskovye Uslugi, to The Russian Samara Space Center develop commercial space launch (TsSKB-) will provide the operations from Woomera. SpaceLift Aurora’s first and second stages and Australia intends to provide the launch fairing while RSC Energia will provide site and vehicle marketing services while the third and fourth stages. The Russia the Russian partners will provide turn- Design Bureau of General Machine key Start launch vehicles that will be Building (KBOM) will contribute to the capable of making to low-Earth facility’s launch infrastructure. orbit (LEO). Like APSC, SpaceLift Australia has also received “Major Although not technically a partner, the Project Facilitation” from the Australian Australian government is heavily government. supporting this venture. Viewing the space launch industry as a provider of Kistler/Australia national revenues and jobs, the Australian government has given APSC Kistler Aerospace Corporation and the “Major Project Facilitation” status, Commonwealth of Australia have which ensures that all government teamed to develop and re-open THIRD QUARTER 2001 QUARTERLY LAUNCH REPORT 12

Woomera Rocket Range to bring Germany through profits earned by commercial launch activity to central launches of this new vehicle. According Australia. Under this arrangement, the to the agreement reached, Germany Australian government has offered would receive a predetermined payment Kistler the opportunity to develop the following each Rockot launch sale, Woomera site for the launch of its K-1 which would be deducted from Russia’s reusable launch vehicle. Australia has $35.5 billion debt to Germany. Each also supported the development of launch should help pay down Russia’s commercial launch activity by debt to Germany while also ensuring the establishing a legal framework allowing flow of hard currency to Russia. such operations to occur within its borders. Kistler will provide the K-1 Arranged between governments, vehicle to launch at the site and fund site Eurockot is presently a 51-49 percent development, using infrastructure partnership between DaimlerChrysler leftover from the former Woomera Aerospace (DASA) of Germany and launch range. The Australian Khrunichev State Research and government will also contribute to Production Center of Russia, developing launch facilities for the K-1. respectively. DASA provides marketing Australia hopes the venture will generate and technical management of the Rockot revenues and jobs for the nation, while program, while also contributing funding Kistler benefits from having secured a for development, production, and launch remote launch site for its reusable facilities. Khrunichev manufactures the vehicle in a nation with an appropriate Rockot vehicle hardware and will legal regime. perform mission analysis, payload integration, and mission control and Ground breaking of the Kistler launch launch operations. site took place in July 1998. Fundraising delays, however, have delayed Kistler’s The Rockot is a small vehicle, capable of ability to complete construction of the lifting 1,860 kilograms to LEO from site as well as the vehicle. either the in or Plesetsk in Russia. Eurockot is marketing the vehicle to MARKETING PARTNERSHIPS both commercial and government entities. A successful demonstration Eurockot flight took place in May 2000. Rockot’s first commercial launch is scheduled for Marketing the Russian Rockot vehicle is late 2001. the objective of the German-Russian Eurockot partnership. In 1995, three International Launch Services years after the Russians proposed the development of a vehicle using the SS- In 1992, Lockheed and Khrunichev 19 ICBM plus an additional third stage formed a commercial joint venture to based on Soviet military hardware, market Russia’s launch vehicle Eurockot was founded when Germany’s outside of Russia. The following year, Minister of Economics agreed to allow the partnership expanded to include Russia to repay part of its debt to Energia, the supplier of Proton’s Block- THIRD QUARTER 2001 QUARTERLY LAUNCH REPORT 13

DM upper stage, and became Lockheed- the payload/vehicle interfaces for this Khrunichev-Energia International type of back-up system are not yet in (LKEI). In June 1995, Lockheed place, the ILS partnership can still merged with Martin Marietta, who was provide greater flexibility for customers. then producing and marketing the Atlas launch vehicle in the West, to form In 1999, ILS also received exclusive Lockheed Martin. Realizing that the marketing rights to the new Lockheed Martin Atlas and LKEI’s family of launch vehicles currently Proton would become competitors for under development at Khrunichev. ILS the same customers, the two companies paid a “franchise fee” to Khrunichev for created a new joint venture to market marketing rights. Lockheed Martin, in both launch vehicles. The new venture, exchange, will receive a commission on International Launch Services (ILS), is a the sale of each Angara vehicle. 50-50 partnership between LKEI and Lockheed Martin Commercial Launch LeoLink Services. Aircraft Industries (IAI) and Under this arrangement, Lockheed Coleman Aerospace (a division of Martin wholly produces the Atlas launch Coleman Research Corporation) vehicle, an intermediate capable partnered in 1998 to bring the Shavit of lifting 8,860 kilograms to LEO and family of launch vehicles to the United 3,600 kilograms to GTO (the new Atlas States and market it here as LeoLink 5 will be to achieve much greater (LK). Capable of placing 200 kilograms performance). Khrunichev produces the into LEO, the LK-1 is a Shavit vehicle Proton vehicle, with Energia building the that will use a solid motor for Block DM fourth stage for the Proton K. its first and second stages and a The largest Russian vehicle in service, third stage motor, all built by Cordant the Proton can launch 20,900 kilograms Technologies (formerly ). The to LEO and 5,500 kilograms to GTO. Shavit was modified in this way to Lockheed Martin Commercial Launch market the vehicle in the United States, Services provides marketing and mission where Government payloads may only management for the Atlas while LKEI be launched on vehicles that are at least provides the same for commercial 51 percent comprised of American-made Proton launches. components. NASA approved the LK-1 for procurement under the agency’s ILS is targeting the global Small Expendable Launch Vehicle telecommunications satellite market and Services multi-launch procurement. intends to serve commercial operators as well as governments. The partnership LeoLink plans to launch its first LK-A combines the experience of more than vehicle from Israel in late 2001, carrying 800 launches of two mature space launch the 5 observation satellite. The systems. ILS is currently in the process first commercial flight of the LK-A is of developing a system by which scheduled to launch an unidentified payloads scheduled for one of the commercial payload from Alcantara, vehicle models could be moved to the Brazil, in late 2002. other in case of schedule delays. While THIRD QUARTER 2001 QUARTERLY LAUNCH REPORT 14

Starsem PROVIDER/CUSTOMER PARTNERSHIPS During the mid-1990s, four organizations from France and Russia Boeing/Alenia Spazio came together to bring to the commercial market various Russian spacecraft Boeing Space & Communications of including Earth-observation satellites Seal Beach, , and Alenia and launchers. Today, the consortium, Spazio of Rome formed an innovative called Starsem, focuses exclusively on partnership in March 2001. Boeing has marketing the highly reliable Russian agreed to purchase Alenia-built fuel booster to both commercial and tanks at “better than standard” prices for government entities desiring to launch use in all five variants of its Delta 2 satellites to LEO. launchers. In exchange, Alenia Spazio will be able to purchase launch services Partners in France-based Starsem on any Delta vehicle for its satellite include the European Aeronautic customers at “better than standard” Defense and Space Company (EADS, prices. This arrangement saves Boeing originally Aerospatiale) with 35 percent the time and expense of developing its ownership); Arianespace, 15 percent; own fuel tanks while allowing Alenia Rosaviakosmos, 25 percent; and Spazio to receive launch services at Russia’s TsSKB-Progress, 25 percent. discounted prices. Boeing expects to While the Russian entities produce the take delivery of the first group of tanks Soyuz vehicle and their engines, all four by the end of 2001. partners fund work to modernize Soyuz and upgrade the Soyuz’s Baikonur Boeing/Mitsubishi Cosmodrome launch site in Kazakhstan. Involvement in the consortium offers the In June 2001, Boeing and the Mitsubishi Russian partners access to Western Electric Corporation signed an customers while giving Europe a agreement to formalize and expand the foothold in the LEO launch market cooperation between the two companies without the need to develop a new in areas including launch services as vehicle. well as space-based communications, air traffic management, multimedia, space Soyuz vehicles currently launch infrastructure markets, and navigation. exclusively from Baikonur. Russian The agreement includes up to six Boeing officials, however, have been in Delta launches for Mitsubishi payloads negotiations with the European Space (one firm Delta 4 launch and options for Agency (ESA) about launching Soyuz five other Delta launches) and names from the ESA-owned Guiana Space Boeing’s Delta Launch Services as Center. Mitsubishi’s preferred non-Japanese launch provider. The arrangement will also allow Boeing to access the market for satellite construction in Asia. In return, Mitsubishi hopes to improve its ability to attract customers in the region by taking advantage of Boeing’s THIRD QUARTER 2001 QUARTERLY LAUNCH REPORT 15 experience building and selling potential returns on equity investment in satellites. Subject to both companies’ the satellite systems for the launch approval, the agreement is expected to providers while enabling the satellite be finalized before the end of 2001. companies to finance their ventures. Recently formed partnerships involving Previously, in February 2000, Boeing’s a launch provider acquiring an equity Rocketdyne Propulsion and Power share in a satellite system include deals business and Mitsubishi Heavy between Starsem and satellite broadband Industries announced that they had service provider SkyBridge; Boeing and teamed to develop a liquid oxygen/liquid global mobile satellite communications hydrogen upper-stage engine for next- system company Ellipso; Arianespace generation expendable launch vehicles. and Ellipso; and Arianespace and the European space company Astrium. AO /Final Analysis

In 1995, Final Analysis and AO Polyot, CONCLUSIONS the Russian manufacturer of the Cosmos launch vehicle, created a partnership The past few years have witnessed the whereby Polyot would launch Final formation of numerous international Analysis’ FAISAT satellites aboard partnerships designed to strengthen and Cosmos vehicles and in exchange would fulfill commercial and national business market Final Analysis’ satellite interests in space transportation activity. communications services in Russia. Comprised of innovative ideas to Final Analysis entered the agreement develop launch hardware and because of the Cosmos vehicle’s infrastructure, market vehicles, and affordability, reliability, and small size. attract customers, today’s launch-related With this agreement, Final Analysis partnerships involve a range of players became the first American company to with space interests. They include not launch a commercial payload, FAISAT only companies but also governments. 1, on a Russian rocket from Russia. As Some of the entities hail from nations a result of FAISAT launch contract with a long history of space launch renegotiation during the 1998 Russian capability: Russia’s design bureaus, in consolidation of commercial launch particular, have become heavily services using Cosmos and Start involved in partnerships with foreign vehicles, FAISAT launches were entities to sell their excess supplies of captured by Russia’s State Company boosters for much-needed cash. Today’s Rosvooruzhenie. partnerships also include companies from countries such as Australia and Various: equity investments Israel as well as start-up satellite companies that hope partnering with Several launch providers have partnered more mature players will help them gain with satellite customers in arrangements a prominent place in the space launch whereby the launch providers agree to industry. These partnerships exist invest in the satellite companies in despite the political risks, cultural exchange for their launch business. differences, and conflicting priorities Such partnerships yield launch sales and that could potentially hinder them. THIRD QUARTER 2001 QUARTERLY LAUNCH REPORT 16

In a business environment where launch to develop or improve their own launcher supply outstrips demand, space capabilities, generate revenues and launches are costly, and world markets jobs, repay outstanding debts and are freer than they were a decade ago, strengthen international relations. the recent flurry of international Governments and companies alike see partnerships in launch enterprises makes merit in international partnerships as sense. Pooling resources—hardware, means to foster long-term relationships facilities, land, knowledge, marketing in the interest of cooperating on capabilities, and funds—enables the aerospace projects in the future. contributing partners to pursue business opportunities that would be too costly or In addition to benefiting the involved risky for an individual entity to launch companies, the new wave of undertake. Joint efforts can also prove international partnerships in launch also more efficient for partners, sparing them has the potential to positively impact the from having to develop, for example, commercial and government satellite designs, processes, or facilities in order owners and operators that depend on to access a particular opportunity or launch services. As already noted, those market. The companies involved in satellite companies involved in these partnerships have also begun to partnerships will enjoy discounted engage in strategic alliances with long- launches of their payloads as well as time competitors in an effort to avoid investment in and marketing of their preemption and instead leverage their satellite systems and services. But all strengths. Special arrangements satellite customers may benefit from the between launch providers and their back-up launch arrangements toward customers can encourage the customers which some launch providers are to continue to patronize them. With moving via partnerships. The partnering launch capability and facilities so rare in of several Russian launch vehicle the world, companies have often had manufacturers with Western entities in little place other than foreign countries marketing arrangements and emergence to seek partners. of several spaceport partnerships will offer satellite operators more choices of There are still other reasons why launch vehicles and launch sites. As companies have specifically pursued launch options grow, competition for international alliances in the launch satellite customers will increase, industry. Many companies have entered potentially driving down launch prices. into international launch marketing partnerships as a means to gain access to If the launch business environment new, foreign launch markets. Physical remains unchanged and the launch geography has also fostered international industry continues to evolve in this way, partnerships, bringing together launch it may be possible that within a few vehicle manufacturers with nations or years an American launch vehicle with companies from nations that have land Russian engines will be launching a or facilities available and are situated in Japanese payload from a launch site in locations advantageous for launch. Australia. Over time, the benefits and National governments have teamed with implications of international partnerships foreign-based companies in the area of will become understood more fully.