Expendable Launch Vehicle Revenues Increase as Industry Emerges
from Soft Market
Like the rest of aviation, the expendable launch vehicle
industry is emerging from a sluggish market and a near-term
resurgence now seems likely. According to a recently released
Forecast International market analysis, "The World Market for
Expendable Launch Vehicles: 2004-2013," launch industry revenues
have risen over 60 percent – from $3.7 billion in 2002 to
over $5.5 billion in 2003. Also, in 2003 seventeen new commercial
geosynchronous communications satellites were ordered, compared
with only three in 2002. Satellite industry officials also believe
that demand will exceed capacity and the need to replace older
satellites will push satellite orders to about 20 by 2006. This
rate of prod