What characterizes access to space in the NewSpace? How to define the NewSpace with respect to launchers and rocket engines? Well, in the past, the space market was dominated by a small number of players supported by their governments. Small number of countries were able to access space, and the companies were funded and operated by governments. The number of countries has increased over time, but what has really changed the picture recently is the entry of independent private companies into this market. These new private companies able to raise funds and make profits in the space market are becoming more and more numerous. More than 60 launchers are in use today, and the competition is growing. At the time of making this video, more than 80 countries have operated artificial satellites. The demand for launchers is growing and space is becoming more accessible. This paradigm shifts in the space market is a revolution for space. In the past, the development of launchers was driving solely by the need to increase performance. Today, there is an order main driver: cost. I don't want to say that in the past, cost was not an issue, it always was, but today, it is the main aspect, the main player. The reason is simple. To remain competitive and have a place in the space market, it is essential to produce more flexible and cheaper launchers. There are many other companies that do not appear in this list today because they are just developing launchers that have not yet flown. Indeed, when reality of NewSpace is the exponential growth of new micro launch vehicle startups. Micro launchers, that is launchers design to put a payload of less than one ton into low Earth orbit. The number of startups getting funding for this market is really impressive. For example, we can name some of them VOS in France, in Germany, we have Hymples, ISAR aerospace in the US, Virgin Orbit. Those are just a few examples, you can find a lot. We can find today that we are total of 10 operational small launchers and 48 under-development have been listed in 2021 and the number is continuously changing. Of course, not all small launcher startup will survive, but they are clearly a reality of a NewSpace. Why? Well, first, from a technological and economical point of view, micro-launcher are more accessible than heavy launchers. Second, there is a market. Which market? Where? The nanosatellites market, that means more satellites called cube set. Another one is the recent years we have seen the emergence of mega-constellations. They are intended for telecommunications, real-time monitoring, and other application. They consist of thousands of satellites in low Earth orbit. This market is said to grow in the coming years towards tertiary level, that will probably be constrained by maximum possible orbit occupancy or other constraint. To put mega-constellations into orbit, heavy launcher that can launch dozens of satellites in a single launch, for instance, Falcon 9 will lunch 60 Starlinks in a single lunch, what seemed to be the best choice for deploying the mega-constellations. But to replace single satellite, this will not be the case, and micro-launcher will probably be the best solution. Especially for nanosatellites, micro-launchers can offer a competitive launch price. In addition, they can offer to insert the nanosatellites into a precise orbit. Whereas if nanosatellites are launched with heavy launchers, they are injected where the heavy launcher can. The other strong ideas is that the price could be affordable for individuals or more companies that want to put a satellite into orbit. Last but not least, the NewSpace is emerging together with a growing awareness of societal challenges, including climate change, mobility, demography, health, and well-being. Here is another, let's say, contradiction of the NewSpace. On one side, we have this idea of access to space for all. The idea that everyone should be able to put a satellite into orbit, even a small one at an affordable price. This is the space for all. The idea of being able to connect every person on every side of the world. That is one of the future deployment and impact of mega-constellations. NewSpace is the space for whole. But from another side, we have the negative aspects as the ecological awareness. What is the environmental impact of NewSpace launchers? We have both impact on Earth. The radiative forcing or other impacts on Earth and in space, for instance, space debries. The growth of even greater tensions between countries is also a consequence of this NewSpace revolutions. There is a need for global regulation, which is very difficult to achieve. At the same time, many space activities contribute to fight actually against climate change. Web application like Earth observation, monitoring, etc. In short, it is a very complex subject. In summary, it is very difficult to give a definition of the NewSpace. But we can say that there are several aspects that characterized the NewSpace and access to space in the NewSpace. Innovation. With regards to production methodologies, services, and technologies. Opening up the exploitation of space to private actors and variability to raise fund, as well as establishing a partnership between public and private actors. Third, reducing the price of access to space. Four, space for all, collaboration, and resource sharing together with awareness of societal challenges like climate change. In particular, in this course, you will first acquire basic knowledge to understand how to access space. This would, in particular, concerns mission analysis, launchers design, and rocket engines design. This introductory information will help you to understand what characterizes space access in the NewSpace in relation with three main aspects. First, methodologies of design, development, and production of launchers and rocket. Second, innovative technologies and third, sustainable space with future development of green launchers towards the green space.
