the astrium experience - a large space system prime contractor point of view towards ppp space projects
- Paper number
IAC-08.E3.3.3
- Author
Dr. Mathias Spude, EADS Astrium, Germany
- Coauthor
Mr. Max Grimard, Astrium SAS France, France
- Year
2008
- Abstract
Public Private Partnerships (PPP) for Space projects came up at the beginning of the new millennium. Faced with decreasing governmental space budgets at that point of time, the state space agencies elaborated on new financial schemes to fund space projects. The aim was, of course, to continue to initiate new space projects with less governmental funds. Hence, the PPP scheme came into the discussions with space industry.
Astrium, created in 2000, is a large space system prime contractor company and covering the full spectrum of space activities. Some 30% of the Astrium business is already commercial, i.e.telecommunication satellites and space transportation systems. As governmental budgets were flat at the beginning of the new millennium, Astrium growth relied on the proactive development of new market segments. Hence, the PPP scheme came up from the industrial side too.
Astrium has been and is still involved in some PPP space projects: Astrium implemented as the most spectacular PPP space programme together with the UK Ministry of Defence the secured telecommunications service Paradigm, using Skynet 5. Astrium is PPP partner to DLR in the German Earth observation satellite TerraSAR. Astrium was part of the industrial consortium that went for the operations of the European Navigation Satellite System Galileo. And Astrium implemented with the German Aerospace Centre DLR the German PHOENIX demonstrator of a future re usable space transportation system.
The paper looks both at the governmental and industrial motivation behind these PPP projects, describes the objectives, mission and history of the projects, and it looks at the concrete scenario, scheme and organisation of the PPP projects. The paper investigates the results of these PPP projects from an industrial point of view. It will be shown that several aspects are in favour of PPP schemes, but that there are also scenarios and types of space projects that do not allow for this type of financing. Finally on the basis of this evaluation from a large space system integrator’s point of view the future of PPP schemes for space projects is discussed.
- Abstract document
- Manuscript document
IAC-08.E3.3.3.pdf (🔒 authorized access only).
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