Unlike the 1960’s, the United States space program is no longer the sole domain of NASA and the Department of Defense (DOD). Today, there is a new player – civilian enterprise, and as a customer, it’s changing the way we view space.

When considering the vast capabilities that outer-space offers, space can now be viewed as a national resource for producing new products or services. As a result, the access to space has become a valuable commodity. The U.S. space program, as part of that valuable commodity, is now commercially available and launching a constellation of global business opportunities. World-wide communication, remote sensing, meteorology, forestry, environmental monitoring, crop management, fisheries, life sciences, space launch, space manufacturing, and future tourism all require commercial space-based capabilities. The spin-off technologies and research have begun to, and will continue to, fuel the nation’s economic engine for years.

The door to “commercial space” is provided by two space wings – the 30th Space Wing (30SW/XPR) at Vandenberg AFB, California, and the 45th Space Wing at Patrick AFB, FL. Each launch site offers different orbit patterns. Vandenberg’s unique location allows companies to launch their satellites into a polar orbit, and facilities at Patrick AFB allow companies to launch satellites in an equatorial orbit. Different orbits for different commercial needs.

The rapid growth of commercial space use came about through the Commercial Space Launch Act of 1984 and the Space Transportation Act of 1994, which allow companies to use excess or under-utilized launch facilities on military bases. With public law, national policies, and DOD directives as the baseline, the 30th Space Wing provides space launch facilities, launch services, and also test and evaluation, to more than 13 companies.

The wing is the nation’s leader in efforts to expand the commercial space industry to accommodate national goals. In its effort to attract commercial launch business, the wing was the first agency to execute a fixed price for launch services, and develop policies to establish new commercial rates. To improve communication with industry, the wing produced training manuals, fixed-price handbooks, and new customer handbooks of wing services. These are available on the World Wide Web, as well as a 1-800 phone line and a commercial space plan for long range planning. Both space wings have also given periodic workshops, team meetings, open forums, and senior management one-on-one interchanges which allows industry to voice concerns while giving the wings an opportunity to communicate plans and limitations.

Vandenberg AFB has had six commercial launches, with five more scheduled in the next six months. Major commercial activities at Vandenberg include:

• Astrotech Space Operations - A company which has leased sixty acres and constructed a 16,000 feet payload processing facility. It includes a recently completed addition to their facility to accommodate multiple payload processing support contracts which include processing at least 40 of Motorola’s Iridium Communication satellites. In 1993-1994 they received a total of $2.9M from Air Force dual-use grant funds.

• E’Prime Corp. - A two-year license was given to use an under-utilized test pad and processing facility for development of a new vehicle. Their space launch vehicle is based on the Peacekeeper-Rail garrison concept (mobile ICBM-derivative launched from a railroad car).

• Lockheed Martin Astronautics - In conjunction with its five year facility license, a multi-million dollar modification, using corporate funds, was completed on the abandoned SLC-6 space shuttle launch site for Lockheed’s Launch Vehicle. They made their launch debut in August 1995, and have two more commercial launches of NASA’s Lewis and Clark satellites scheduled for this year.

• McDonnell Douglas Aerospace - McDonnell Douglas launches the Delta II vehicle from the SLC-2 space site at Vandenberg. They have also made a multi-million dollar investment in corporate capital for infrastructure improvements at the site. Other commercial launches have included the $325 Million mid-course Space Experiment satellite in 1996. At least ten commercial launches are on contract for the Motorola Iridium Communication constellation which began with a successful launch May 5, 1997.

• Orbital Sciences Corp. - A company which obtained a five year facility license and completed refurbishment of a processing facility, with their own capital. Orbital has had two successful commercial Pegasus space launches and is planning two more this year. The company also completed the reactivation of an abandoned launch site complex to launch their own commercial version of the Taurus space launch vehicle.

• Western Commercial Space Center - Leasing 108 acres to build a commercial launch pad and space port, Western Commercial Space Center will be able to accommodate many small to medium lift vehicles when completed. In 1993-1994 they also received a total of $5.3M from Air Force dual-use grant funds. The operator of new space port is Space Systems International. Construction of the site has begun, with the extensive flame duct work (that channels away rocket flame exhaust at lift off) already completed. Contracts to process a number of satellites in the refurbished space shuttle payload processing facility have already been signed. They have processed their first two satellites and are planning several others.

Written by Paul Klock
Chief, Program Requirements Division
30th Space Wing
(For the Air Force Space Command publication The Guardian and updated for this newsletter)