CASE STUDY FOR PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP TO ESTABLISH AN EQUATORIAL SPACEPORT by Meshack Ndiritu & Selina Hayes

Contributed as a source for Lamu Spaceport.

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Paper ID: 87819 75th International Astronautical Congress 2024 IAF BUSINESSES AND INNOVATION SYMPOSIUM (E6) Entrepreneurship Around the World (5-GTS.1) Author: Mr. Meshack Ndiritu Kenya Ms. Selina Hayes United States CASE STUDY FOR PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP TO ESTABLISH AN EQUATORIAL SPACEPORT Abstract Thedemandformorespaceportsisontherise. Thecompellingreasonsincludethedrivetoincreasing access to space for all, diversification of launch options, promoting international collaborations in science and technology, etc. It is estimated that the population of active satellites in orbit is surpassing 10,000, andanaverageof50arebeinglaunchedonaweeklybasis. Theindustryshowsnosignofslowingdown,as private companies, governments and militaries embark on mega-projects such as space stations, Artemis, science missions, etc. The predicted demand through 2030 shows an overstretched supply. In the base casescenario,27,000activesatellitesareforeseenbytheendof2030,implyinganannuallaunchcapability of 15 kilotons (Chris Daehnick, 2023). Starship promises to launch every day, but it might be hindered by the weather conditions in the east coast of US. Space News noted that “Space Launch Delta 45 received 329 requests for launch dates on the Eastern Range,ofwhichitapproved238,leadingto58launchesand11scrubsforweatherortechnicalissues.”This case demonstrates the need to seek for non-traditional launch site(s), and it is one of many rationales for establishinganequatorialspaceport. Theinherentadvantagesforanequatorialspaceportaremaximizing launch efficiency, increasing payload capacity, stable weather conditions for launches, enabling access to various orbital inclinations, facilitating international collaboration in space exploration and commercial activities, etc. The paper presents a practical approach for establishing an Equatorial Spaceport off the Kenyan coast to satisfy the demands for the growing launch traffic. 1