szabo@sequent.com (06/15/91)
In article <92574@mbf.UUCP> lasorb@mbf.UUCP (Bill LaSor) writes: >NASA, warts and all, is the only agency with the facilities >to launch anything into orbit. I can hardly believe somebody wrote this. Wow. The "NASA is the space program" myth lives on in the minds of many. In fact, there is only one NASA launch vehicle, the Shuttle. It is illegal (with loopholes) to launch commercial payload on this vehicle. There is also a law called the Launch Services Purchase Act which requires NASA itself to use commercial launchers whenever possible. There are extensive USAF and foreign launch operations. In all, NASA launches less than 5% of the satellites going into space. Welcome to the 1990's! Here is a short list of non-NASA folks with launch capabilities. I am sure I will leave out some: United States: * USAF spaceport facilities and the following commercial launch services: McDonnel Douglas Corp. (Delta) Martin Marietta Corp. (Commercial Titan) General Dynamics Corp. (Atlas) * Air-platform commercial launch services (from NASA or USAF B-52 or commercial 747): Orbital Sciences Corp. (Pegasus) * USAF spaceport facilities and launch services: Scout (LTV Corp., contractor) Titan IV (Martin Marietta Corp., contractor) Europe: * French Guinea spaceport and Ariane commercial launch services to LEO, GTO, SSO, or deep space. Soviet Union: * Glavkosmos launch services (Proton) to LEO, GTO, SSO, or deep space. China: * Great Wall launch services (Long March) to LEO, GTO, SSO, or deep space. Japan: * Spaceport & H-1 launcher, small satellites to LEO, GTO, SSO, or deep space. All of these services are less costly for automated payloads than the Shuttle, which is only economical for carrying astronauts and astronaut-tended experiments. >We just may have to continue funding as planned, and hope the >organization starts to come together in response to public pressure. Instead of trying to continue "funding as planned", why don't we start improving those plans and applying that pressure. -- Nick Szabo szabo@sequent.com Embrace Change... Keep the Values... Hold Dear the Laughter... These views are my own, and do not represent any organization.