An FAA document on the origins of the commercial space industry:
https://www.faa.gov/sites/faa.gov/files/about/history/milestones/Commercial_Space_Industry.pdfOrigins of the Commercial Space Industry
' Between 1963 and 1982, U.S. expendable launch vehicle (ELV) manufacturers produced
vehicles only under contract to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) or
the Department of Defense (DOD).
...
On May 16, 1983, the President issued NSDD 94, “Commercialization of Expendable Launch
Vehicles.” This stated the “U.S. Government fully endorses and will facilitate the
commercialization of U.S. Expendable Launch Vehicles. The U.S. Government will
license,
supervise, and/or regulate U.S. commercial ELV operations only to the extent required to meet
its national and international obligations and to ensure public safety.” '
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A 1988 document of interest, about NASA commercialization:
https://commons.erau.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2121&context=space-congress-proceedingsNASA SUPPORT TO COMMERCIAL ELV'S
' NASA endorses the development of U.S. private sector launching capabilities and has proceeded to transfer authority to the private sector to use NASA- controlled facilities and capabilities for commercial launchings. NASA facilitates the private sector operations of ELV's by identifying the necessary support and determining the transition means. Agreements are negotiated to provide assistance, services f and facilities as may be available. A number of these agreements either have been executed or are in various stages of negotiation.
NASA employs two basic types of agreements in the commercial ELY area. Under the first type, called an "umbrella" agreement, the parties agree to the general scope of their commitments. This agreement includes a general description of NASA resources which would be made available on a noninterference basis, means of handling disputes and other necessary understandings. Under the authority of the umbrella agreement, NASA field installations can enter into secondary "subagreements" which specify the NASA facilities and equipment which will be made available and the specific charges for use of such equipment. These subagreements are negotiated by the NASA field installations having
responsibility for the facilities and equipment to be used.
NASA provides support in both the privatization and the commercialization of ELV's. Since there is at times some confusion concerning the terms "privatization" and "commercialization," it is important to define them at this point. "Privatization" is defined as shifting to the private sector for the acquisition of goods or services required to conduct NASA programs. In the context of ELV's, privatization is turning over to the private sector ELV's which were developed under past NASA contracts. ELV's in this category include Atlas/Centaur, Delta, and Scout. "Commercialization" is defined as encouraging and facilitating domestic private sector applications of the products, knowledge, or services resulting or derived from space activities. In the context of ELV's, commercialization is the development of ELV's by the private sector. An ELY in this category is the Conestoga launch vehicle. As of the date of this paper (January 1988), NASA has executed one privatization and one commercialization ELY agreement, and a number of others are in various stages of negotiation and coordination.
ELV PRIVATIZATION
General Dynamics - Atlas/Centaur
NASA published a Request for Expressions of Interest (REI) for privatization of the Atlas/Centaur which appeared in the June 21, 1983, edition of Commerce
Business Daily (CBD). This led to publication of a Request for Proposals (RFP) which appeared on September 9, 1983. General Dynamics (GD) was the only responder to the RFP, submitting their original proposal in November 1983. When the agreement was signed on March 26, 1987, it became the first U.S. Government agreement transferring operation of a Government-developed ELV to the private sector. A subagreement is being developed to incorporate the use of specific services and property including: security and
communications; payload calibration; institutional support; and
technical assistance for payload processing and pre-launch mission management.
Since signing the agreement, GD has announced that they will start construction of 18 commercial Atlas G/Centaurs. The vehicle, which will be commercially
available in 1989, can deliver a 5,200-pound payload to geostationary orbit. The company also announced future plans to develop an advanced version which can send 6,650 pounds to geostationary orbit.
...
CONCLUSION
The fledgling U.S. commercial ELV industry represents a major milestone for business investment in space, much like the first communications satellite companies whose goal was to develop a market for satellite-based breakthroughs in communication technology. Competition from foreign launch vehicles will be a clear and growing challenge to these emerging commercial endeavors, firms, for years under contract to the U.S. Government, have mastered technology required to send payloads into orbit. The challenge to these in the last decade of the 20th century will be to demonstrate the viability of private sector space launches.
NASA must, and will help. '