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2018 | Book

Space Agencies Commercial Space Transportation Programmes Read chapter Read first chapter

Emerging Space Markets

Author: Dr. Stella Tkatchova

Publisher: Springer Berlin Heidelberg

Book Series : Space Technology Library

Part of: Springer Professional "Wirtschaft+Technik" , Springer Professional "Technik" , Springer Professional "Wirtschaft"

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About this book

This book analyzes the commercial space activities and commercialization processes of the last fifteen years and maps the future challenges that NewSpace companies will face developing commercial space markets.

What is new and what has happened in these markets up till now? Is there a business case for private companies for commercial space? What are the targeted commercial space markets? Who are the future customers for commercial space transportation markets? How can NewSpace companies attract investors? Can we learn lessons from traditional space industries or other companies in other areas? In what way have the last fifteen years made a difference in the evolution of space markets? Is there a future for in-situ resource mining, space debris services, in-orbit satellite servicing and sub-orbital transportation? What are the lessons learned from ISS commercialization?

In addition the reader will find a synopsis of several space transportation programs, commercial space markets, future Moon and Mars missions, in-situ resource exploitation concepts, space debris mitigation projects and sub-orbital commercial markets. Major lessons learned are identified, related to the attraction of first time customers and long term R&D funding, managing technological and market risks and developing new markets and applications.

Table of Contents

Frontmatter
Chapter 1. Space Agencies Commercial Space Transportation Programmes
Abstract
The objective of this chapter is to present the demand for commercial launch services, introduce space agencies commercial space transportation programmes and analyse their economic impacts. The chapter will describe the role of commercial programmes in the context of the evolution of NewSpace markets and future space agencies exploration missions. The final recommendations will be related to NASA COTS, CRS and CCDev programmes in the context of encouraging the creation of sustainable commercial NewSpace markets, development of low-cost launchers, new markets and space applications.
Stella Tkatchova
Chapter 2. Commercial Space Markets and Stakeholders
Abstract
This chapter presents and analyses commercial space markets of the past and the present. The space economy is expected to become a multitrillion dollar industry in the coming decades. With more than $13 billion (Thomas 2017) being invested in the last 16 years in space-related start-ups and space companies, the new space age has become a reality. Their classification and analysis makes possible a selection of primary future commercial space markets of interest for NewSpace companies. These are commercial space transportation markets, orbital and suborbital space tourism, R&D commercial payloads (i.e. instruments, etc.), in-orbit satellite servicing, in situ resource extraction and space debris prevention. Stakeholders in NewSpace companies (SpaceX, Blue Origin, XCOR, Armadillo Aerospace, etc.), service providers (Space Adventures, Virgin Galactic, etc.), space agencies (NASA, ESA, etc.), federations (Commercial Spaceflight Federation) and targeted customers will also be discussed.
Stella Tkatchova
Chapter 3. Commercialization Lessons
Abstract
The pioneering nature of commercial space market creation, new technology development, high strategic and market risks and strong safety regulations will results in NewSpace companies facing similar problems as the ones faced by space companies in the 1980s and the 1990s. For example, in the 1980s companies like Space Industries Inc. (SII) proposed the creation of a commercial space station (i.e. Industrial Space Facility (ISF)) for the production of space materials in microgravity or in the mid-1990s the MIR commercialization attempts of the Russian and the early attempts of space agencies to commercialize the ISS. The lessons presented refer to difficulties in the creation of new markets, negative profits and strong government regulation.
Stella Tkatchova
Chapter 4. Interplanetary Settlement and In Situ Exploration
Abstract
Since the last Apollo 17 mission in 1972, interplanetary human spaceflight has been on hold due to various political and budgetary reasons. Even at the time of Apollo, it was a struggle to justify the direct financial return on investment, and politicians were unable to sustain the lunar exploration missions. Nevertheless, the global impact of the Apollo missions has never been forgotten. Many questions are asked today in this connection: Why has humanity not returned to the Moon? Why has a permanent human outpost not been constructed on the Moon? How can NewSpace companies contribute to taking humans to the Moon? Why has humanity waited for so long to exploit resources on the Moon and on asteroids or other near-Earth objects (NEO)? More questions sprang up in connection with Mars research: Is a future human spaceflight to Mars feasible? How can private initiatives and existing commercial space transportation vehicles contribute to Moon and Mars settlement bases? What are the economic benefits from exploiting in situ space-based resources?
Stella Tkatchova
Chapter 5. Commercial Space Station Activities
Abstract
At present five space agencies, NASA, Roscosmos, ESA, JAXA and CSA (e.g. ISS partners), are operating the International Space Station in low Earth orbit (LEO). They own and operate their own modules and share some of the on-board experimental racks. The space station is the result of 25 years of international cooperation between the agencies. The station is a space laboratory that could host up to six astronauts, and its size corresponds to around two football playgrounds. The space agencies have planned the operational life of the ISS to last until 2024; however, there are discussions for prolonging it by 2028. Presently the ISS partners do not have long-term plans for building a next generation of space stations although there are various ideas. One of them is that after the launch of the Russian multipurpose module in 2019, the Russian ISS segment will be fully independent from the rest of the ISS in terms of power, communications and other resources. Permitting the separation of the Russian ISS modules, a Russian space station may be created which will even be fitted with inflatable modules (Zak 2016). In addition China has been looking at launching its own Chinese large modular space station in low Earth orbit around 2022. Researchers worldwide are invited to fly their experiments on board it.
Stella Tkatchova
Chapter 6. Space Debris Mitigation
Abstract
Space debris is orbital waste from satellites or space stations and is defined as all nonfunctional, man-made objects, including fragments and elements thereof in Earth orbit and those re-entering the Earth’s atmosphere. Man-made space debris dominates over the natural meteoroid environment, except around millimetre sizes (ESA, Space Debris 2013b). They consist of everything from the entire spent rocket stages and defunct satellites to explosion fragments, paint flakes, dust and slag from solid rocket motors, coolant released, deliberate insertion of small needles and other small particles (Smith 2007).
Stella Tkatchova
Chapter 7. Sub-orbital Markets
Abstract
The dream of sub-orbital flights started to become a reality in 2004 when Burt Rutan won the Ansari X prize with SpaceShipOne that was dropped by the White Knight motherplane (built by Scaled Composites). Just before winning the prize, Richard Branson announced the creation of a partnership between Virgin, Scaled Composites and Mojave Aerospace Ventures called Virgin Galactic that aimed at creating a sub-orbital space tourism business. He initiated the emergence of a completely new spaceflight industry, marked by the creation of new sub-orbital reusable vehicles for crew and cargo transportation.
Stella Tkatchova
Chapter 8. Spaceports
Abstract
Spaceports are critical for the commercial space transportation operations of orbital and sub-orbital flights. They provide the necessary facilities, ground control and runway/launch pads and in the future are also expected to host passenger training facilities, visitor centres, hotels and other types of attractions (Pelt 2011). The expected growth of orbital and sub-orbital flights encourages the emergence commercial spaceports throughout the USA and now in Europe. Spaceports are the sites for launching orbital and sub-orbital vehicles in space. They will offer facilities for vertical and horizontal takeoff and landing. Spaceport sites are supposed to integrate launch vehicle components, fuel, and maintain vehicles as well as payloads into the vehicles (FAA 2016, The Annual Compedium of Commercial Space Transportation: 2016).
Stella Tkatchova
Backmatter
Metadata
Title
Emerging Space Markets
Author
Dr. Stella Tkatchova
Copyright Year
2018
Publisher
Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Electronic ISBN
978-3-662-55669-6
Print ISBN
978-3-662-55667-2
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-55669-6

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