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Space Launch Capabilities and National Strategy Considerations

Space Launch Capabilities and National Strategy Considerations Launching spacecraft into orbit is one of the most challenging and critical aspects of spaceflight, and thus, is a key element of any national space strategy. Over the last several decades, the United States, seeing the high cost of space access as a primary impediment to greater government and commercial utilization of space, has made several attempts to lower the cost of space access, but without success. This analysis challenges whether cost should be the primary criterion for any national space launch strategy. A review of six different civil, commercial, and national security space launch customers shows that for the four major existing customer segments, cost is a lower priority than launch reliability, crew safety, and schedule assurance. Only for two emerging customer segments, Operationally Responsive Space and entrepreneurial space ventures, is cost a primary factor. Given this analysis, existing launch systems actually meet most customers' needs, creating equilibrium in the market. Several events, though, could disrupt that equilibrium in the near future, including the development of new reusable suborbital vehicles and a shift to commercial providers for crew transportation to low Earth orbit. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Astropolitics Taylor & Francis

Space Launch Capabilities and National Strategy Considerations

Foust, Jeff
Astropolitics , Volume 8 (2-3): 19 – Dec 3, 2010
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19 pages

Space Launch Capabilities and National Strategy Considerations

Abstract

Launching spacecraft into orbit is one of the most challenging and critical aspects of spaceflight, and thus, is a key element of any national space strategy. Over the last several decades, the United States, seeing the high cost of space access as a primary impediment to greater government and commercial utilization of space, has made several attempts to lower the cost of space access, but without success. This analysis challenges whether cost should be the primary criterion for any...
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Publisher
Taylor & Francis
Copyright
Copyright Taylor & Francis Group, LLC
ISSN
1557-2943
eISSN
1477-7622
DOI
10.1080/14777622.2010.522940
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

Launching spacecraft into orbit is one of the most challenging and critical aspects of spaceflight, and thus, is a key element of any national space strategy. Over the last several decades, the United States, seeing the high cost of space access as a primary impediment to greater government and commercial utilization of space, has made several attempts to lower the cost of space access, but without success. This analysis challenges whether cost should be the primary criterion for any national space launch strategy. A review of six different civil, commercial, and national security space launch customers shows that for the four major existing customer segments, cost is a lower priority than launch reliability, crew safety, and schedule assurance. Only for two emerging customer segments, Operationally Responsive Space and entrepreneurial space ventures, is cost a primary factor. Given this analysis, existing launch systems actually meet most customers' needs, creating equilibrium in the market. Several events, though, could disrupt that equilibrium in the near future, including the development of new reusable suborbital vehicles and a shift to commercial providers for crew transportation to low Earth orbit.

Journal

Astropolitics – Taylor & Francis

Published: Dec 3, 2010

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