Space Launch Corporations | |
NASA Corp
The
2015 Space Business Bill began the process of dividing NASA into a number
of smaller organisations, owned by NASA Corporation. Large sections of
the agency were scrapped as focus was turned towards launch services and
communications satellites. The result, after massive layoffs, bitter infighting
and reorganisation was NASA Corp (formally named the National Aerospace
Consortium but usually called NASA Corp or just NASA). NASA
Corp has several subsidiaries: NASA Launch (satellite launches), NASA
Communications, NASA Remote Viewing, NASA Satelite Services (repair of
satellites), NASA Development and NASA Surveying. The different subsidiaries
have varying relations to each other, but work well as a whole. NASA
Corp is the only launch firm able to launch humans into space at present,
thanks to its fleet of 4 Venturestar shuttles bought at discount from
Lockheed-Martin . Owners:
United States Government (controlling interest), Lockheed-Martin Corp,
Boeing, InfoStar, Raytheon, United Technologies Corporation, USSAT. NASA
Corp is not popular in the space movement, which is filled with lay-offs
and disappointed idealists. Private launch firms in the US are also not
particularly fond of how it gets tax breaks and various help from the
government and big corporations; most have long since stopped trying to
compete in the US and gone international. European Space Operations
& Arianespace
After
the breakup of EU the European Space Agency remained, but split into the
European Space Network and European Space Operations. The Network retained
the scientific aspects, developing into an internationalised network.
Operations did the actual launch and control of satellites, and was originally
dominated by French, German and British interests. However, in 2028 Germany
left the organisation, preferring to deal with other launch services.
Currently ESO is strongly French-national, although some collaboration
with Britain, Italy and Spain occurs. ESO
still runs the ESA launch site at Kourou in French Guyana, where it launches
satellites commercially using Ariane 7 and 8 rockets. Ariane 7 is intended
for heavy launches, while Ariane 8 is a microsatelite dispenser. The main
rival of ESO in the heavy launch segment is NASA Corp; they dominate the
market for heavy space hardware. In the microsatelite business ESO has
strong competition from other companies, but it has profitable long-term
contracts with Alcatel, Eurosat and Newtelcom. N-Space
Nauru
based private launch company, specialising in sealaunching of microsatelites.
Founded in 2011, it focuses mainly on launching microsats and nanosats
using small specialised boosters exploiting the latest advances in materials
technology and innovative designs such as symbiotic boosters and sandwhich
satellites. N-Space’s
launch platform Rigel has been deliberately designed to be able to launch
boosters under harsh conditions; N-space is trying to capitalise on the
closure of Plesetsk to get as many polar orbits as possible. They also
have strong ties to the Kodiak Launch complex in Alaska. Sealaunch International
The
original sealaunch company. Sealaunch began with Boeing, RSC Energia,
Kvaerner of Norway and NPO Yuzhnoye of Ukraine as partners. As they demonstrated
the concept of launching from ocean platforms, other companies like N-Space
followed but Sealaunch remains the leader in the technology. When the
situation at Baikonur became too chaotic in the 2020’s, RSC Energia Rockets
moved most of its activities to the sealaunch venture. Currently
most launches are done from Odyssey III, an artificial movable island
in the Pacific, although the Energia section is trying to break in into
the heavy satellite business with the Neutron booster launched from Kwajalein
on the Marshall Islands. Rocket System Corporation
Japanese
launch service company, founded 1990. It has been having a steady business
at the Tanegashima and Kagoshima launch complexes with its H-III and H-IV
series of launch vehicles. It is mainly catering to Japanese telecommunications
and survey satellite customers. Moluccan Satelite Launch
Inc
After
the 2019 split, the Indonesian Institute of Aeronautics and Space eventually
ended up as Moluccan Satelite Launch, owned by a number of Indonesian
states and sponsored by internationalist
telecom corporations. It has headquarters in Pontianak and a launch
site on Pulau Gebe, as well as a number of ocean platforms. MSL
is a widely diversified launch corporation, mainly launching communications
satellites. It also does joint launches from Kwajalein and Alcantara.
International Launch
Services
ILS
was formed in June 1995 with the merger of Lockheed Martin Commercial
Launch Services, the marketing and mission management division for the
Atlas vehicle, and Lockheed-Khrunichev-Energia International, the marketing
and mission management arm for commercial Proton launches. When NASA Corp
was formed, Lockheed sold off ILS to an international consortium, the
Orbital Networks Group. ILS
does not have a launch site of their own, but instead launches from Cape
Canaveral, California Spaceport, Baikonur and especially Sriharikota (Andra
Pradesh, India). Launch Sites
Several
launch sites have been discontinued: Originally
it was planned that the Baikonur launches would move to Plesetsk after
the Proton booster had been finished, but a combination of political complications
and the emerging climate changes delayed the move. Eventually Plesetsk
was closed instead. Baikonur
was closed in 2025 after increasing political turmoil in Kazakhstan and
the sandstorms caused by the climate changes. The Kazak republic was disintegrating
into a number of mini-states, and although several internationalist groups
were taking an interest in supporting a Baikonur republic nothing came
of it. In the face of infrastructure uncertainties, roving marauders and
desertification Baikonur could not compete well with the sea launch companies. Esrange
in Sweden remains a monitoring station, funded by the ESO, but does not
perform any launches. New
Launch Sites: Alcantara
in Brazil has grown up, and is mainly used by Orbital and Fiat Avio. Kwajalein
Missle Range is the current site
for the Sealaunch-Energia Neutron project. Montana
Spaceport (Great Falls and Malmstrom AFB) is run by the Montana Space
Development Authority. It is mainly used for testing Venturestars and
occasional private launches. |