LMASSONN@ESOC.BITNET (11/08/90)
Date: 07 November 1990, 09:53:36 CET From: Lutz Massonne +49 6151 90 2027 LMASSONN at ESOC To: SPACE@ANDREW.CMU.EDU Subject: Profit from Space? Some recent posters stated that the main goal of a Space Agency should be earning profilts from space development. This may be only indirectly correct. I don't know about NASA, but ESA is not able to gain any profit by its constitution. The purpose of ESA is to develop space technologies and to perform scientific research (and to benefit European industry :-) ). As soon as any field of ESA's activity get profitable, it has to be taken out of ESA and handed over to industry or other organisations. This happened with Ariane (which is now marketed by Arianespace, a legally private company), and ESA pays to Arianespace for the launches like any other customer. The meteorological business is handled by EUMETSAT (though the satellite operations are still with ESOC) and the communication satellites are operated by EUTELSAT (but development of new communication satellite technology is still done by ESA). If the situation is the same with NASA, it mey be a cheap shot to say "they can't make profit out of space" if the people are not PERMITTED to do so. Regards, Lutz Massonne Disclaimer: Neither my company nor ESA is responsible for my opinions +===================================+===============================+ | Lutz Massonne |This mail expresses my personal| | Robert-Bosch Str. 5 |opinions only and is in no way | | D-6100 Darmstadt, FRG |official or reliable. | +===================================+===============================+