M. Rycroft, FacultyMember, InternationalSpaceUniversity e-mail:
Rycroft@isu.isunet.edu "The Space Transportation Market: Evolution or
Revolution?" was the question which was the focus for the papers
presented, and also the Panel Discussions, at the fifth annual Symposium
organised by the International Space University. Held in Strasbourg,
France, for three lively days at the end of May 2000, the Symposium
brought together representatives of the developers, providers and
operators of space transportation systems, of regulatory bodies, and of
users of the space transportation infrastructure in many fields, as well
as experts in policy and market analysis. From the papers published
here, it is clear that today's answer to the question tends more towards
evolution than to revolution. The space launch industry is still not a
fully mature one, and is still reliant on at least partial funding by
governments. Better cooperation is essential between governments, launch
providers, satellite builders and satellite operators in order to reduce
the problems which the space transportation market faces today.