Infrastructure
Launch
2011 – Suborbital Payload Launch – Snapshot
Blue Origin, a secretive company funded by Amazon.com founder Jeff Bezos, revealed in September 2011 that in August it had suffered a failure of one of its New Shepard suborbital test vehicles. The company reported that it lost control of its PM 2 vehicle at an altitude of 13,700 meters (45,000 feet) and a speed of Mach 1.2.
2011 – Brazilian Spaceports – Snapshot
After several years of low activity, Brazil pledged in late 2011 to more than double its space budget for the years 2012-2015 with the aim of revitalizing the facilities at its Alcântara spaceport located on the northern coast of the country. Following a launch pad explosion in 2003 that killed 21 people, relatively little progress has been made at Alcântara, and no orbital launch attempts have been made.
2011 – Indian Spaceports Snapshot
The Satish Dhawan Space Centre, located on the east coast of India, is expanding to provide greater flexibility and permit a higher launch rate while supporting the launch of India’s upcoming GSLV Mk. III heavy-lift vehicle. ISRO completed an upgrade to the center in 2005, adding a second launch pad capable of processing and launching any of India’s orbital vehicles. The latest expansion will add a third launch pad to the complex, enabling India to launch more often and with fewer scheduling restrictions.
2011 – Russian Spaceports Snapshot
After several years of delays and false starts, Russia began construction of the Vostochny Cosmodrome in the Russian Far East in January 2011. During the year, workers completed geological surveys of the site and approved overall site plans. Workers’ housing and other preliminary facilities were completed and improvements have been made in the road and rail network connecting them with the site.
2011 – U.S. Spaceports Snapshot
The Kennedy Space Center (KSC), Florida, is the only spaceport in the United States that currently supports orbital human spaceflight, and it has been dramatically affected by the end of the Space Shuttle Program. As the home of the shuttle, KSC has seen its workforce decrease significantly as the program ended. More than ## workers at KSC lost their jobs over the past two years.
2011 – Spaceports Overview Snapshot
Spaceport infrastructure in the United States is in transition as NASA makes changes at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida to accommodate new launch systems in the post-shuttle era. Construction continued on new and upgraded facilities at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport in Virginia, and Spaceport America in New Mexico. China and Russia also continued development of new spaceports during 2011.
Infrastructure: Space Infrastructure – TSR 2011
2010 – India’s Launch Efforts – Snapshot
India conducted ## launches in 2010, up from two in 2009. However, ## of the ## in 2010 were unsuccessful. The ## ## used the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle to carry into orbit two remote sensing satellites, one of which was Indian and the other Algerian, along with several small technology demonstration craft.
2010 – Japan’s Launch Efforts – Snapshot
Japan conducted ## successful launches of its H-IIA rocket, compared with ## launches in 2009. The Japanese space program was also able to end a launch window restriction at its Tanegashima launch facility, which had limited launches for much of the year.
2010 – Europe Launch Efforts – Snapshot
In 2010, Europe launched ## rockets, as compared to ## in 2009. Although a higher launch rate was planned, along with the debut of the Russian-built Soyuz from the European launch complex in Kourou, French Guiana, the European launch industry experienced a series of setbacks which kept it from meeting these goals.