Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
Articles 1 - 2 of 2
Full-Text Articles in Law
Access To Space: The Future Of U.S. Space Transportation Systems, U.S. Congress, Office Of Technology Assessment
Access To Space: The Future Of U.S. Space Transportation Systems, U.S. Congress, Office Of Technology Assessment
Space Law Documents
The United States today possesses a capable fleet of cargo and crew-carrying launch systems, managed by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the Department of Defense, and the private sector. Emerging technologies offer the promise, by the turn of the century, of new launch systems that may reduce cost while increasing performance, reliability, and operability~__···· . Continued exploration and exploitation of space will depend on a fleet of versatile and reliable launch vehicles. Yet, uncertainty about the nature of U.S. space program goals and the schedule for achieving them, as well as the stubbornly high cost of space transportation, makes …
Affordable Spacecraft: Design And Launch Alternatives, U.S. Congress, Office Of Technology Assessment
Affordable Spacecraft: Design And Launch Alternatives, U.S. Congress, Office Of Technology Assessment
Space Law Documents
Several major DOD and NASA programs are seeking ways to reduce the costs of launching spacecraft. However, it typically costs much, much more to build a spacecraft than to launch it into a low orbit. Therefore, unless the costs of building spacecraft are reduced, even dramatic reductions in costs of launching to low orbit would reduce total spacecraft program costs by only a few percent. This background paper examines several proposals for reducing the costs of spacecraft and other payloads and describes launch systems for implementing them. It is one of a series of products of a broad assessment of …