Countries that possess satellite launch vehicles Besides the United States and Russia, five countries or international agencies possess satellite launch vehicles. They are the European Space Agency (ESA), China, Japan, India, and Israel. One other country, Brazil, is close to acquiring the capability to launch satellites. Most of these countries or organizations (along with the United States and Russia) offer their launch services on a commercial basis to other countries and corporations. Although the satellite launch market boomed in the late 1990s, more recently, a reduced commercial demand for communications, remote sensing, and navigation satellites has dampened hopes for a bustling launch vehicle industry. The launch vehicle that dominates the commercial satellite launch market internationally is ESA's Ariane, a stellar example of a successful international collaborative project much like another European success story, the Airbus passenger aircraft. Ariane has developed five major families of launch vehicles: Ariane 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5. The earliest, Ariane 1, made its first flight in December 1979. Most current launches use the Ariane 5, which made its first commercial launch in December 1999. China has also developed a wide array of launch vehicles, some of which it offers on a commercial basis via the China Great Wall Industry Corporation (CGWIC), a Chinese foreign trading company that was established in October 1980. Since 1970, China has developed 16 different launch vehicle models that have been launched nearly 80 times. Chinese attempts to commercially sell its launch vehicles have been thwarted by a well-publicized launch failure in February 1996 that killed civilians on the ground. There have also been concerns about Chinese appropriation of Western technology, which led to a U.S. embargo on commercial satellite launches using Chinese rockets. Like the United States and Russia, China's early launch vehicles were all derived from military ballistic missiles. The first Chinese launch vehicle was the Chang Zheng 1 (CZ-1 or ?Long March 1?), an improved version of the Dong Feng 3 military rocket. This launch vehicle put the first Chinese satellite into orbit in 1970. China was the fifth nation (after the Soviet Union, the United States, France, and Japan) to accomplish this feat. The two-stage CZ-2 design was based on the Dong Feng 5 intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). There have been at least six major versions of the CZ-2, whose first launch was in November 1974. Most of these are available for commercial launches. The most powerful is the CZ-2E with a capability to put as much as 9.2 tons into Earth orbit. Perhaps the most famous CZ-2 rocket is the CZ-2F, a three-stage vehicle intended to launch the first Chinese astronauts into space on board the Shen Zhou spaceship. It was first launched in November 1999. Since 1974, there have been 35 CZ-2-related launches of which only three have failed. The CZ-3 is an improved CZ-2 with the addition of a third stage. The CZ-3, first launched in January 1984, was capable of putting about 1.4 tons to geosynchronous transfer orbit (GTO). In April 1990, the CZ-3 launched the Hong Kong-owned AsiaSat-1 communications satellite into space, inaugurating commercial operations using Chinese rockets. Later versions have included the CZ-3A, the CZ-3B, and the CZ-3C. The CZ-3A, introduced in February 1994, included a new third stage using high-performance liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen. The most powerful of the CZ-3 family is the CZ-3B, which adds a fourth stage and has a capability to put about 5 tons into GTO. China has carried out 24 CZ-3-related launches since 1984. Four of these were failures. The three-stage CZ-4A, a new generation of launch vehicles, was first launched in September 1988. Since then, the Chinese have introduced a second variant, the CZ-4B, first flown in May 1999. The CZ-4B can put about 1.5 tons to GTO. These launchers use toxic storable propellants and were developed to orbit domestic scientific and weather satellites. There have been six launches of CZ-4-related rockets, all of them successful. Japan has two agencies that develop launch vehicles, the Institute of Space and Aeronautical Sciences (ISAS) and the National Space Development Agency (NASDA). It was one of the ISAS launch vehicles, the solid propellant Lambda L-4S, that launched the first Japanese satellite into orbit in 1970. Later ISAS launchers have included the M-4S (introduced in 1970), M-3C (in 1974), M-3H (in 1977), M-3S (in 1980), and M-3SII (in 1985) rockets that have launched a wide range of scientific satellites into space. All of these use solid propellants. More recently, ISAS has developed the M-5 (or M-V) launch vehicle that has a capability to place about two tons into low-Earth-orbit. The M-5, which was launched for the first time in February 1997, is used for deep space missions in addition to scientific missions to Earth orbit. NASDA's early launch vehicles such as the N-I and N-II were derived from the American Delta rocket. Later launch vehicles such as the H-I and H-II were indigenously developed for launching large applications satellites into orbit. Both use high-performance cryogenic propellants. The first H-II was launched in February 1994, after a two-year delay resulting from technical problems in the first-stage engine. NASDA is currently testing the new H-IIA rocket that will be the next generation of operational Japanese launch vehicle. The basic H-IIA is capable of launching about two tons into geostationary orbit, while uprated versions are expected to have a four-ton capability. The first H-IIA was launched in August 2001. NASDA and ISAS also jointly developed the solid-propellant J-1 satellite launch vehicle using available technology from each other's launch vehicles (the solid booster of the H-II combined with the upper stage of the M-3SII). The J-1 was launched for the first time in February 1996. India used its small solid-propellant four-stage Satellite Launch Vehicle-3 (SLV-3) rocket to launch its first satellite, the 90-pound (40 kilogram) Rohini-1B into orbit in 1980. The technology for the SLV-3 was derived in part from the American light Scout launch vehicles of the 1960s. After four SLV-3 launches, India produced an improved SLV-3 known as the Advanced SLV (or ASLV) that was launched four times between 1987 and 1994. Two of these orbital attempts failed. India then developed the five-stage Polar SLV (or PSLV) to launch remote sensing satellites into sun-synchronous orbit. The PSLV comprised a four-stage core surrounded by six strap-on boosters derived from the ASLV. The rocked used a mix of liquid- and solid-propellant rocket stages. Although the first PSLV launch in September 1993 failed, the subsequent five orbital launches have been somewhat successful. India's major program in the 1990s has been the development of the three-stage (plus strap-ons) Geostationary SLV (or GSLV), which would be capable of placing about 2.5 tons into GTO. Liquid propellants power all the stages besides the first stage core. Russia is providing the key third stage that uses high-performance cryogenic propellants. India is also developing an indigenous cryogenic stage to replace the Russian one for operation by 2005. The first launch of the GSLV in April 2001 was a success, but initial launches may not attain the promised capability of 2.5 tons to GTO. Israel's Shavit (or ?Comet?) launch vehicle lifted its Offeq satellite into orbit in 1988. The Shavit is a small three-stage solid-propellant rocket derived from the Jericho 2 ballistic missile developed by Israeli Aircraft Industries. Brazil has been attempting to develop a satellite launch vehicle, the VLS, for some time. The VLS is a four-stage rocket using solid propellants. Much of the technology for the VLS was derived from early Brazilian Sonda-class sounding rockets. Two orbital attempts of the VLS in 1997 and 1999 failed, but Brazil continues preparing for further launches. -Asif Siddiqi References: Baker, David, ed. Jane's Space Directory, 2001-2002. Couldson, UK: Jane's Publishing Group, 2001. Johnson, Nicholas L. and Rodvold, David. Europe and Asia in Space, 1991-1992. Colorado Springs, Colorado: Air Force Phillips Laboratory, 1993. ________________. Europe and Asia in Space, 1993-1994. Colorado Springs, Colorado: Air Force Phillips Laboratory, 1995. On-Line References: ?Go Taikonauts ? Launch Vehicle.? http://www.geocities.com/CapeCanaveral/Launchpad/1921/launch.htm ?Gunter's Space Page-Information on Launch Vehicles, Satellites, Space Shuttle and Astronautics.? http://www.skyrocket.de/space/index2.htm ?Indian Space Program.? http://www.geocities.com/indian_space_story/rocketpslv ?Japanese Launch Vehicles.? http://spaceboy.nasda.go.jp/note/Rocket/E/roc11_e.html ?SpaceRef ? Companies and Commerce-Launch Vehicles-Ariane.? http://www.spaceref.com/directory/companies_and_commerce/launch_vehicles/ariane/ International Space Agencies In the more than four decades since the launch of Sputnik in 1957, dozens of countries have initiated national space programs via government-sponsored space agencies. Fewer countries or international agencies have also developed the ability to launch their own satellites. Such a capability usually indicates a very mature and advanced space industry, and so far, very few countries or international organizations have managed to acquire this status. The ones that have satellite launch vehicles include Russia, the United States, France, China, Japan, the United Kingdom, the European Space Agency (ESA), India, and Israel. One more country, Brazil, is close to having this capability. Of these countries, France and the United Kingdom have given up their indigenous launch capacity (in 1975 and 1971, respectively) and have become active in the European Space Agency. The Soviet space program used to be run through a complex structure that involved several different ministries, committees, and commissions. Between 1965 and 1991, the so-called Ministry of General Machine Building (MOM) designed and built spacecraft while the Strategic Missile Forces operated all launch vehicles and space vehicles for the government. With the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, Russia formed the Russian Space Agency (RKA) on February 25, 1992, directly under the Russian Federal Congress. The RKA operates its launchers from Plesetsk in northern Russia and the famous Baikonur launch base in the newly independent country of Kazakhstan. RKA signed a cooperative agreement with ten other newly independent former Soviet republics in December 1991 (the Minsk declaration), to operate assets jointly. RKA recently merged with an aviation supervisory authority and became Rosaviakosmos, which oversees both the civilian aviation and space sector Yuri Koptev has headed i t since its formation in 1992. Russian military assets remain under the control of the Russian Military Space Forces (VKS). Apart from the American and Russian space programs, the most visible space achievements in recent years have been those of China. Since launching its first satellite in 1970, China has steadily expanded its space program, developing a large stable of launch vehicles and communications, weather, scientific, and recoverable satellites. The country appears poised to become the third nation (after the Soviet Union and the United States) to launch a human into space, using its Shen Zhou spacecraft. The Chinese National Space Administration and the China Aerospace Corporation (formerly the Ministry of Aerospace Industry), both established in June 1993, and under the same management, currently manage Chinese civilian space activities. Both share responsibility for policy-formulation and policy implementation. The China Great Wall Industry Corporation handles Chinese commercial activities. The space agency that has the most frequently used space delivery system is the European Space Agency, an organization created by merging two older international organizations, ESRO and ELDO. The European Space Research Organization (ESRO) was formed by 10 nations (Belgium, Denmark, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, and West Germany) on June 14, 1962. In its early years, ESRO designed and built scientific satellites that were launched into orbit by the United States. In parallel, European nations also formed the European Launcher Development Organization (ELDO) on March 29, 1962 to develop an indigenous satellite launch capability. After a series of failures, ELDO and ESRO combined to create ESA on April 30, 1975. By this time, three more countries (Austria, Norway, and Ireland) had joined. Through ESA, Western European countries have developed communications, weather, scientific, and technology satellites and deep space probes. ESA's most famous creation is the Ariane series of launch vehicles, first launched in December 1979. Since then, more than 150 have been launched to deliver payloads into space that belong to many countries and organizations around the world. Once ESA develops an Ariane launcher, it transfers operational control to a company called Arianespace that offers the rocket for commercial use. French companies have the largest stake in Ariane. By the turn of the millennium, Arianespace had a dominating presence in the international market for commercial satellite launch vehicles. ESA, based in Paris, France, also continues work on more advanced space probes (such as the Huygens probe to Saturn) and new launch vehicles (such as the Italy-led Vega launch vehicle). Japanese space activities are managed by two separate organizations. The first is the Institute of Space and Astronautical Sciences (ISAS) formed under the aegis of Tokyo University in 1964. ISAS separated from the university and became an independent government-funded organization on April 14, 1981. The second institution is the National Space Development Agency (NASDA), established on October 1, 1969. This was an official federally funded agency aimed at using space to support Japan's national economy. While ISAS focused on space science research, NASDA has typically focused on applications satellites. Both have also developed their own satellite launch vehicles. ISAS developed a series of small solid propellant rockets in the 1960s. Using one of these, the Lambda L-4S, it launched Japan's first satellite, Ohsumi, into space in 1970. Since then, ISAS has independently developed a large family of solid-propellant launchers that continue to launch scientific and deep space probes. NASDA's first satellite launch was in 1975 using the N-1 rocket derived from the American Delta liquid propellant launch vehicle. NASDA and ISAS are currently testing a new generation of launch vehicles, including the H-II and M-V. Both NASDA and ISAS policies are coordinated via the Japanese government's Space Activities Commission. India is the only developing country to have its own launch capability. Early Indian space efforts, which began in the 1960s, were consolidated into a single organization known as the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) on August 15, 1969. Later in 1972, the Indian government set up a Space Commission and assigned its new Department of Space to coordinate national space activities via ISRO. ISRO's first satellite, Aryabhatta, was launched on a Russian rocket in 1975. In 1980, India used its own launch vehicle, the SLV-3, to put the Rohini-1B satellite into orbit, thus becoming the seventh nation in the world to acquire this capability. Since then, ISRO has become even stronger by developing several powerful launch vehicles and applications satellites designed to aid economic and social development. ISRO's commercial operations are handled by Antrix Corp. Ltd., established in November 1992, by ISRO. The Israeli government established the Israeli Space Agency (ISA) in 1983 as part of the Israeli Defense Forces. The ISA has pursued space activities in cooperation with Tel Aviv University, the National Committee for Space Research of the Israeli Academy of Sciences and Humanities, and the Israel Aircraft Industries. Israel launched its first satellite, Ofeq, in 1998 using the Shavit solid-propellant booster. The Brazilian space program was founded by the Group of Organizations of the National Commission of Space Activities (GOCNAE), which was established on August 3, 1961. The Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas Espaciais (INPE) succeeded GOCNAE in October 1990, which is the main institution via which Brazil currently runs its space program. In cooperation with the Agencia Espacial Brasileira (AEB), INPE develops satellites (such as the SCD) and indigenous launch vehicles (such as the VLS). Several other industrialized and developing nations produce satellites, but unlike the above listed nations, do not have their own launch vehicles. Instead, they procure launch services from the United States, Russia, the ESA, or commercial companies. These countries include Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Canada, the Czech Republic, Egypt, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Mexico, the Netherlands, Pakistan, the Philippines, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, Ukraine, the United Arab Emirates, and the United Kingdom. Five of these nations have major space programs. The French space program, the largest in Europe, is run by the Centre National D'Études Spatiales (CNES), formed in December 1961. The French have a prominent role in the European Space Agency and are a major shareholder in Arianespace. France also builds advanced remote sensing satellites, such as SPOT, for commercial purposes. Two organizations, the part-government-funded German Aerospace Research Establishment (DLR), founded on April 27, 1989, and the fully governmental German Aerospace Agency (DARA), founded on December 24, 1988, manage the German space program. The Canadian Space Agency (CSA), formed on December 14, 1989, manages all Canadian participation in space exploration such as the development of satellites and the robot arm for the Space Shuttle. The Italian Space Agency (ASI) established in 1988 manages Italian space affairs. ASI has a major contribution to the International Space Station and future European launc h vehicles. The Ukrainian government formed the National Space Agency of Ukraine (NKAU) on March 2, 1992. Despite a vast space industry infrastructure, the Ukrainian space program has a relatively low profile in the international space market, although it commercially offers its Soviet-era Zenit launch vehicle jointly with Russia. -Asif Siddiqi References: Baker, David, ed. Jane's Space Directory, 2001-2002. Couldson, UK: Jane's Publishing Group, 2001. Johnson, Nicholas L. and Rodvold, David. Europe and Asia in Space, 1991-1992. Colorado Springs, Colo.: Air Force Phillips Laboratory, 1993. ________________. Europe and Asia in Space, 1993-1994. Colorado Springs, Colo.: Air Force Phillips Laboratory, 1995. On-Line References: ?ASI-Agenzia Spaziale Italiana,? at http://www.asi.it/sito/english.htm ?Civil Space Agencies, Associations and Institutes,? at http://www.fas.org/spp/civil/agency/index.html ?DLR Home,? at http://www.dlr.de/DLR-Homepage ?ESA Portal,? at http://www.esa.int/export/esaCP/index.html ?Indian Space Research Organisation,? at http://www.isro.org/ ?ISAS,? at http://www.isas.ac.jp/e/ ?Le CNES Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales-agence francaise de l'espace,? at http://www.cnes.fr/ ?NASDA Homepage? at http://www.nasda.go.jp/index_e.html ?Pagina Principal do INPE,? at http://www.inpe.br/ ?Russian Aviation and Space Agency,? at http://www.rosaviakosmos.ru/english/eindex.htm ?Space Agencies Around the World,? at http://spaceboy.nasda.go.jp/note/Kikan/E/kik01_e.html