Based on the history of commercial space launch, we can summarize the forms of subsidization as follows: 1. Government-funded development, no cost to commercial user 2. Government-funded O&M of launch facilities, no cost to commercial users 3. Government support of the industrial base and economic order quantities 4. Government subsidization of production and launch 5. Commercial pays only added costs of use of government-owned facilities 6. Free or reduced cost support services 7. Use of surplus missiles at reduced cost to commercial firm 8. Cost sharing 9. Access to expertise The United States government has employed methods "1.", "3.", "4.", "5.", "8", and "9" in the past, and of late is tending to modifying these with an increasing use of method "8." Method 4 was a chief feature of the original Space Shuttle program, but now in the U.S. this method is limited largely to use of government-owned production facilities and factories. There has been some limited use of method "7." in the U.S., but not for commercial payloads; examples include the use of surplus Atlas E/F and Titan II missiles and use of Peacekeeper missile first stages for Orbital Sciences Taurus boosters. The French, ESA, Arianespas, consortium has used all of these except for method 6, and that probably only because they lacked the surplus missiles to use. ESA has increased interest in method 7, cost sharing, but only very cautiously. The Chinese appear to have used all of the methods except possibly methods "7." and "8." The Russians appear to have used all of the methods, and for the most part still are.
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