Affordable Access to Space Using the Russian Dnepr Launch Vehicle: Twists and Turns in the Road to Export Approval and Launch

Affordable Access to Space Using the Russian Dnepr Launch Vehicle: Twists and Turns in the Road to Export Approval and Launch

The Russian Dnepr Launch Vehicle, available to U.S. companies through the launch services of International Space Company Kosmotras (“ISC Kosmotras”), provides flexible and affordable access to space for small satellites, but involves a number of legal, bureaucratic and logistic challenges. The launch of two LatinSat spacecraft in December 2002 from Baikonur Cosmodrome represents the first U.S.-manufactured microsatellites launched on a Russian military rocket. SpaceQuest has documented its experience in an effort to assist other U.S. companies as they weigh the benefits of a Dnepr launch against the daunting prospect of a lengthy and burdensome launch preparation process and the logistics of conducting a launch campaign from a remote launch base in Kazakhstan. SpaceQuest’s successful navigation through this complicated and time-consuming process provides insight into factors that a company must consider when deciding if a Dnepr launch is a viable option. This paper details the entire preparation process, the documents that need to be submitted, the required approvals, the costs associated with the various activities, and the launch campaign itself.