The Lower Tiers of the Space Transportation Industrial Base
Abstract
Current national space transportation policy, when it considers industry related questions, is principally directed at, and influenced by, the industry's large prime contractors. Yet the industry is comprised of a much wider variety of firms. The U.S. space transportation industry includes large and small providers of subsystems, components, and materials in areas such as propulsion, avionics, guidance, and structures. For each dollar spent on the procurement of space transportation systems and services, roughly half flows down to second and lower tier supplier firms. This background paper, prepared by the Office of Technology Assessment (OTA) for the House Committee on Science, examines the current status and future prospects of these critical, but often ignored, lower tiers. It is the second product of OTA's assessment of the U.S. space transportation technology and industrial base. It also represents the final OTA report on space technology policy.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Aug 01, 1995
- Accession Number
- ADA337627