TRANSMITTAL OF INTELLIGENCE ANALYSIS (W/ATTACHMENT)

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: FOIA Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0000962879
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 9
• Document Creation Date: June 22, 2015
• Document Release Date: December 3, 2009
• Case Number: F-2003-00569
• Publication Date: September 20, 1983

APPROVED FOR RELEASE^
DATE: 10-28-2009
r o n pe~..o~.~n
CQtlf7~ ~flft~"iy" ^" r "%'
2 0 SEP 1983
FRO;i E. Wayne Boring
Director of Scientific and Heapons P.esearch
As you requested, the attached memorandum provides information
and the areas where these
programs can rompete economically with the United States` space
program. ~~
Attachment: As Stated (Memorandum on Economic Competition to the US)
 w,c.~..actows
DIRI:CTORA'IE OF INTELLIGENCE
PROGkAt1S OF i,ESTERN EUROPE,
eco-torci.c com~ae,t~,Li?o-t 5.?om to Eutcopean Space Age,tcy. Thtia
eompe,#,iti.ort tat.CC ocean t-t
'~ Launch Se~tvLcee. Tice Ecuopea-t Space Agency (FSA) cui.~ 6e NASA's pn,imw2y
Surmnary
Uuniccg .tJte nema,~ndr~t n t{te ce-tfiunt the US space es6oat ttci.~ 6ace tncr.uv~t,cg
oaercgn comp " on tfvcougit the 19606 ctcitft .the M.i.ane ~ami,Ey o6 expe-tdabte
? Commu-t.~cat,~on Sate.CCite6.
" Remote Se-ta.c-t Satee,Cite6. f~ta-tce w.c,Q.2 6e t/te pnimany competitah, tuit/t .eta
- -?
Yf mug t-zeeo u o-i ccuc.f .imag~.ng aaxe,CCi,te.
~~
 France is the leader in space development in Europe. The French national
space agency, CXES, is the largest such organization in Europe. CI:ES operates
the most complete and elaborate facilities, and is competing aggressively for
the space services and products markets. France has the largest European
space budget, 5300 million, not including its contribution to ESA. France has
won the contract for the Arabsat communications satellite, and is building the
SPOT remote sensing satellite. tie belie~~e France is ).ikely to capture a small
share of the communications satellite market and a large share of the remote
T}iE FREXCI{ SPACE PROGRA`t
 ellthougli France ::o lonEcr has 8 domestic satellite launch vehicle, it is
Heavily involved 4itir the ESA Ariane space Isunch velticle. Arianespnce, a
semi-private firm which operates and markets the Ariane launch vehicle, is
essentially a French firm, and France has supplied about 70 percent of the
funding for Ariane. 'The Frwrtl: initiated the Ariane program, and French
companies arc heavily im?olved, building the first and third stages and other
systems. Aerospatiale is tt:e p:?ime contt?actor on Ariane s?stem~, and four
additional Frenc?: firms lra~?e subcontractor roles.
France has either started or been xesponsible for the continuance of such
ESA satellite programs as tl:e ~ieteosat metoorological satellites, and the OTS
and ECS commu:ric ations satellites. France has also beers tare prime mover. for
the French/Best German col2abcration on the TI' Sat/TDb'-1 direct-broadcast
satellites. The French aerospace company, Aerospatiale, with a US aerospace
corporation as its partner, ~:ill build the Arabsat communications satellite.
:iatra is th~r prime contractor for tl:e French domestic telecommunications
If its current program is successful, France should capture a significant
share of the market for remote sensing satellite imagery. France has been
most aggressive in developing a remote sensing satellite program, called SPOT,
and its developing a market fer the satellite data. Simulated SPOT data from
aircraft are being marketed to acquaint potential users t;ith the
characteristics of SPOT imagery. SPOT is scheduled co be launched in 1985,
and is to be operated by a French-subsidi2ed company, SPOT-IPIAGE. SPO:'-I"PAGE
will offer imagery with a much higher resolution than US Landsat imagery, but
at comparably prices. There arc currently no plans to launch additional
Landsat satellites after the launc}~ of.Landsat D-Prime i:r 1984. In t}re event
of a loss of Landsat imagery, France would achieve a stranglehold on the world
~~
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