Paper Session II-A - Development of Dual Use Launch Facilities

The space launch industry has a heritage rooted in early research, development and test programs sponsored by the federal government. These programs had large budgets and a sense of urgency derived from national defense or scientific requirements. They were dedicated to achieving specific goals, emphasized vehicle performance, and demanded unique facilities. When a launch program was completed, the launch facilities were abandoned and new facilities built for the next program. This heritage is easily recognizable today on the Eastern Range. Cape Canaveral Air Station contains 46 launch complexes. Of the 46 complexes, only five are approved for active launch vehicles. This includes one facility for small weather rockets. Each launch service provider typically has a unique launch site for each vehicle. Delta vehicles are launched from Launch Complex 17; Atlas vehicles from Launch Complex 36.etc. Only recently have launch providers been able to intermix launching different versions of the same vehicle from a common facility. The problems inherent in this approach are readily apparent when viewed from a commercial perspective. Each launch vehicle program must generate enough revenue to operate, maintain and amortize the capital cost of the launch site. Existing programs benefit from the governmentís investment. New launch vehicles find it difficult to enter the market and be competitive. One answer to this problem is to eliminate competing launch vehicles. Thus there is a unique facility designed specifically for a single user with a standard launch vehicle or family of vehicles. This solution is an efficient use of capital at the expense of competition. The alternative answer is multi-user facilities. The Spaceport Florida Authority pioneered this concept for new small commercial launch vehicles using the same model for infrastructure development used by commercial airports