April 15 News Items

Heated Space Race Under Way in Asia (Sources: AP, ERAU)
Upstart China challenges the U.S. by blasting a satellite out of orbit. North Korea lobs a missile over Japan, prompting Tokyo to initiate a multibillion dollar spy satellite program. India is readying a lunar mission, while rival Pakistan makes headlines with a new, improved warhead. The most heated space race since the Cold War is under way in Asia, where countries are concluding that a space program is no longer just an expensive status symbol but a matter of national security. And they are scrambling to keep abreast. China, the only Asian country to put its own astronauts into orbit, is far ahead.

But India, South Korea, Malaysia and Taiwan all have satellites in orbit. North Korea claims to have sent one up with its 1998 ballistic missile launch. Japan is closest to keeping pace with China. Tokyo now spends about $500 million a year on its spy satellite program. Japan, India and China currently have the capability to launch their own rockets into space, and Pakistan and North Korea have active missile programs. In 2000, South Korea broke ground on a $277 million rocket launch site. It plans, with Russian help, to put a small satellite in orbit next year. India's technological prowess and $700 million space budget remain well behind its ambitions. China spends at least $1.2 billion on space-related projects and the U.S. about $16 billion.

Jump In: There's Space for Everyone! (Source: Denver Post)
While government funding for space exploration withers, a new and exciting source of aerospace dollars is developing. Entrepreneurs who made their fortunes in other industries are stepping forward, including PayPal's Elon Musk, Amazon.com's Jeff Bezos, Microsoft's Paul Allen and Budget Suites of America's Robert Bigelow. They have started or are financing companies that build low-cost rockets, inflatable space stations and craft that can carry paying passengers into space. "Our customer isn't NASA or (the Department of Defense), and that creates a tremendous difference in philosophies," Bigelow said. Rather than relying on federal budgets that regularly shrink and expand, these businesses can support themselves by selling their products to foreign governments, private companies, individuals and federal agencies. That produces a net economic benefit while helping humankind, Bigelow said.

Russia-Australian Launch Pad Project Unfeasible (Source: Interfax)
The resumption of the program to turn Christmas Island (Indian Ocean, Australia) into a launch pad and to launch Russia's upgraded Soyuz vehicles from it is hardly possible, said an advisor with the Engineering Sciences Academy. "By all accounts, it would be unrealistic to get funding for making one more medium-class launch vehicle and for its launches from a fourth pad in addition to Plesetsk, Baikonur and Kourou (French Guiana,)" he said.

These comments come after reports claiming that the Asia Pacific Space Center is weighing plans to resume talks with Russia on building a launch pad on Christmas Island and on using Russian medium-class launch vehicles. A contract was signed in December 2001 whereby Russia was to provide the launch vehicles and Australia the launch pad, in which it planned to put $450 million. The first launch was to be carried out in the middle of 2004 with the use of the Aurora launch vehicle - an upgraded Soyuz with the Korvet upper stage. Four-five launches were to be carried out each year. But given the lack of financing the APSC froze the project.