36 EXPANDING GLOBAL LAUNCH SERVICESAno<strong>the</strong>r U.S. government study <strong>for</strong>ecasts <strong>the</strong>following global demand <strong>for</strong> commercial launchservices <strong>for</strong> <strong>the</strong> period 1999-2010 (in average number<strong>of</strong> launches per year):GEO satellites:LEO/MEO/ellipticalsatellites:LEO satellites:Total launches peryear:Total launches in 12years period:25 launches <strong>of</strong> medium-toheavylaunch vehicles15 launches <strong>of</strong> medium-toheavylaunch vehicles11 launches <strong>of</strong> small launchvehicles51 (+40%)610, <strong>for</strong> a total <strong>of</strong>1369 satellites.2A private market research firm gives <strong>the</strong> following<strong>for</strong>ecast <strong>for</strong> <strong>the</strong> years 1999-2008, a 10-year period,including an approximate total value <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> satellitesconcerned:commercial communications satellites: 1.017(value: US $ 49.8 billion)commercial earth imaging satellites: 40-50(value: US $ 3.5 billion)military satellites: 305(value: US $ 35.1 billion)3The above sources do not provide data on (o<strong>the</strong>r)government launches in <strong>the</strong> same period (scientific,experimental, Space Station etc), but, as indicated2 See 1999 Commercial space transportation <strong>for</strong>ecasts, FAA’sAssociate Administrator <strong>for</strong> Commercial Space Transportation(AST) and <strong>the</strong> Commercial Space Transportation AdvisoryCommittee (COMSTAC) (May 1999)3 See Satcom market buffeted by economic uncertainties,Marco Antonio Caceres, Teal Group Corp. (January 11, 1999),Aviation Week & Space Technology Online The military <strong>for</strong>ecast is based on an estimated I5 satellitesper year launched by <strong>the</strong> Russians, and 10-11 per year launchedby <strong>the</strong> U.S, with Europe, China and some o<strong>the</strong>r countriesresponsible <strong>for</strong> <strong>the</strong> remainder.above, <strong>the</strong> trend definitely points at a preponderance <strong>of</strong>launches <strong>for</strong> global and regional commercialcommunications satellite systems. These systems inturn serve communications conglomerates, whichprovide worldwide (mobile) phone, data, internet,navigation and o<strong>the</strong>r communications services. Thisglobal telecom market with an estimated value <strong>of</strong> someUS $ 600 billion, is growing dramatically, supportedinter alia by <strong>the</strong> - start <strong>of</strong> - worldwide liberalization <strong>of</strong>telecommunications through a 1997 WTO agreementOne <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> consequences <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> above ‘marketrealities’ is that <strong>the</strong> launch service providers areincreasingly faced with requirements <strong>of</strong>commercial/private enterprise (-oriented) customers(this does not necessarily exclude governmentscontracting <strong>for</strong> domestic or <strong>for</strong>eign launch services),and in that respect <strong>the</strong>y have to live up to <strong>the</strong>expectations <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir customers like any o<strong>the</strong>r serviceindustry. The more ‘result oriented’ <strong>the</strong> industry is, <strong>the</strong>more demanding it may be as a customer.One approach to <strong>the</strong> question <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> legal andpolitical aspects <strong>of</strong> expanding global launch services is<strong>the</strong>re<strong>for</strong>e to look at <strong>the</strong>se requirements and demands,review <strong>the</strong> impediments, which may stand in <strong>the</strong> way <strong>of</strong><strong>the</strong>m being met, and look <strong>for</strong> possible remedies <strong>of</strong> alegal or political nature, including, space law.After all, space law, like o<strong>the</strong>r branches <strong>of</strong>international law, should first and <strong>for</strong>emost address realproblems and matters <strong>of</strong> space trade and commerce,which are sure to produce <strong>the</strong>se to an increasingdegree.Launch services: <strong>the</strong> customers’requirementsReliability <strong>of</strong> launch servicesAny annual review <strong>of</strong> worldwide launch activities willnot fail to highlight both <strong>the</strong> successes and failures <strong>of</strong><strong>the</strong> launches per<strong>for</strong>med. The reliability ‘quote’ <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>launch systems concerned are <strong>of</strong> interest to <strong>the</strong>insurance community and to <strong>the</strong> customers alike. But all
EXPANDING GLOBAL LAUNCH SERVICES 37established launch providers have experienced failuresboth with <strong>the</strong> proven and <strong>the</strong> new launch vehicles,affecting <strong>the</strong> confidence <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> parties concerned, atleast temporarily. Examples are <strong>the</strong> Space Shuttledisaster in 1986, and, much more recently, <strong>the</strong> failedfirst European Ariane 5 launch in 1996, <strong>the</strong> RussianProton in December 1997, <strong>the</strong> Japanese H-2 inFebruary 1998, <strong>the</strong> U.S. Delta 3 and Titan 4 in August1998, <strong>the</strong> Ukrainian Zenit 2 in September 1998, and in<strong>the</strong> first 5 months <strong>of</strong> 1999 four more U.S. failuresinvolving <strong>the</strong> Delta 3, <strong>the</strong> Titan 4 (2) and <strong>the</strong> A<strong>the</strong>na 2.A private industry database on all spaceflightsper<strong>for</strong>med shows 60 significant launch failures since1990.4A number <strong>of</strong> suggested explanations <strong>for</strong> this recentstring <strong>of</strong> U.S. failures includes an overreliance oncomputer models instead <strong>of</strong> flight testing, too fewexperienced engineers <strong>for</strong> too many programs, <strong>the</strong>pressure to reduce cost in <strong>the</strong> face <strong>of</strong> <strong>for</strong>eigncompetition, and an “unprecedented number <strong>of</strong>customers in science, communications and o<strong>the</strong>rindustries clamoring to get <strong>the</strong>ir payloads into space.”5Whe<strong>the</strong>r <strong>the</strong> launch failures occur in <strong>the</strong> U.S.,Brazil or Japan, <strong>the</strong> effects are worldwide because <strong>of</strong><strong>the</strong> international customer base and <strong>the</strong> latter’srequirements. In fa c t, <strong>the</strong> limited number <strong>of</strong> countrieswith a launch industry creates a vulnerability <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>industry in toto <strong>for</strong> disruption <strong>of</strong> services to <strong>the</strong>ircustomers. It is not uncommon to have lengthy postaccidentinvestigations, pending <strong>the</strong> outcome <strong>of</strong> which<strong>the</strong> launcher or even <strong>the</strong> complete launch familyremains grounded: it took one and a half years be<strong>for</strong>e<strong>the</strong> Space Shuttle resumed services; <strong>the</strong> recent Delta 2failure caused a 4 month hiatus in Delta 2 launches; <strong>the</strong>Proton failure <strong>of</strong> December 1997 grounded that vehicle<strong>for</strong> 3 months and flights <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Titan 4 have beenpostponed indefinitely. This may seriously affect <strong>the</strong>continuity or feasibility <strong>of</strong> those (planned)activities/services which depend on <strong>the</strong> launch industry,such as <strong>the</strong> global telecommunications andmeteorological services industry.Whe<strong>the</strong>r and how soon <strong>the</strong>se technical problemsmay be solved in each case depends on national hightech knowledge and <strong>the</strong>ir expertise. We emphasize <strong>the</strong>word national, because <strong>the</strong> space industry, and <strong>the</strong>launch industry more in particular, is subject to, if not<strong>the</strong> victim <strong>of</strong>, a number <strong>of</strong> aspects and factors typical<strong>for</strong> that industry, which hamper internationalcooperation:• Military-strategic background• National prestige• National security• Foreign policyImportant to understand nations’ attitudes towards<strong>the</strong> sharing <strong>of</strong> this technology with ‘outsiders’ is <strong>the</strong>fact that <strong>the</strong> launch vehicles are <strong>of</strong>ten regarded asdangerous, similar to military missiles.6 In fa c t, <strong>the</strong>transfer <strong>of</strong> know-how about launch vehicles and launchtechnology from one country to ano<strong>the</strong>r is discouragedthrough national export controls, which in many casestreat launch vehicles as missiles, that is as a means <strong>of</strong>delivery systems <strong>for</strong> weapons <strong>of</strong> mass destruction(WMD, i.e. nuclear, chemical and biological weapons).Basis <strong>for</strong> <strong>the</strong>se national controls is a multilateralregime, <strong>the</strong> Missile Technology Control Regime(MTCR) <strong>of</strong> 1987. This regime includes Guidelines <strong>for</strong>sensitive missile-relevant transfers and an Equipmentand Technology Annex, which require <strong>the</strong> participatingcountries to exercise “particular restraint” in <strong>the</strong>consideration <strong>of</strong> transfers <strong>of</strong> complete rocket systemswhich include ballistic missiles, space launch vehicles,and sounding rockets, all with certain per<strong>for</strong>mancecriteria, and complete subsystems, as well as <strong>the</strong>specially designed production facilities <strong>for</strong> <strong>the</strong>se (sub)systems, including <strong>the</strong> equipment and technology,4 The U.S. -based Aerospace Corporation, as quoted in NYT(May 12, 1999) at 1 (“Series <strong>of</strong> rocket failures unnerves U.S.space launching industry”)3 Id. As ano<strong>the</strong>r space programs expert, John Pike, quoted in <strong>the</strong>same article notes, “[s]pace launch vehicles are inherentlyunreliable and people should understand that this is still a riskybusiness.”6President Kennedy, asked in an interview in <strong>the</strong> early 1960s toexplain <strong>the</strong> difference between <strong>the</strong> rocket that put John Glenninto orbit and a missile carrying a nuclear bomb, was reportedto have answered with one word: “attitude!”