Space Launch Vehicles: Government Activities, Commercial Competition, and Satellite Exports
Order Code IB93062 CRS Issue Brief for Congress Received through the CRS Web Space Launch Vehicles: Government Activities, Commercial Competition, and Satellite Exports Updated March 22, 2002 Marcia S. Smith Resources, Science, and Industry Division Congressional Research Service The Library of Congress CONTENTS SUMMARY MOST RECENT DEVELOPMENTS BACKGROUND AND ANALYSIS U.S. Launch Vehicle Policy From “Shuttle-Only” to “Mixed Fleet” Clinton Administration Policy U.S. Launch Vehicle Programs and Issues NASA’s Space Shuttle Program Future Launch Vehicle Development Programs DOD’s Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) Program Government-Led Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV) Programs Private Sector RLV Development Efforts U.S. Commercial Launch Services Industry Congressional Interest Foreign Competition (Including Satellite Export Issues) Europe China Russia Ukraine India Japan LEGISLATION IB93062 03-22-02 Space Launch Vehicles: Government Activities, Commercial Competition, and Satellite Exports SUMMARY Launching satellites into orbit, once the Since 1999, projections for launch services exclusive domain of the U.S. and Soviet gov- demand have decreased dramatically, however. ernments, today is an industry in which compa- At the same time, NASA’s main RLV nies in the United States, Europe, China, Rus- program, X-33, suffered delays. NASA termi- sia, Ukraine, Japan, and India compete. In the nated the program in March 2001. Companies United States, the National Aeronautics and developing new launch vehicles are reassessing Space Administration (NASA) continues to be their plans, and NASA has initiated a new responsible for launches of its space shuttle, and “Space Launch Initiative” (SLI) to broaden the the Air Force has responsibility for launches choices from which it can choose a new RLV associated with U.S.
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