[Satellite TODAY 06-03-10] According to Satellite TODAY’s May 2010 Web poll results, 67.9 percent of respondents said they believe commercial launch capacity will increase in the future as a result of more launch vehicle options.
   Out of that 67.9 percent majority, 39.3 percent said launch capacity will increase and launch costs will drop, with 28.6 percent expecting capacity to increase and prices remaining the same as they are today.
   A combined 32.1 percent of respondents said capacity will not increase, with 21.4 percent of those expecting prices to rise and 10.7 percent expecting costs to remain unchanged as a result.
   The poll results show a much more optimistic customer base for launchers, as debate over launch costs continues between some satellite customers and their launch providers. In April, Arianespace released a commissioned GEO launch price study from The Tauri Group, an analytical consulting firm for homeland security, defense, and space enterprises, which concluded that commercial GEO launch prices per kilogram dropped by 34 percent over the last decade after being adjusted for inflation.
The study also showed total cost per transponder equivalent of satellite capacity dropped even more rapidly than price per kilogram due to increased satellite capabilities, as well as the average satellite mass increasing 24 percent over the last decade.

Satellite TODAY’s June 2010 Web poll asks readers whether or not acquisitions of trusted suppliers affects the business relationship between vendors and customers. To participate in the poll, visit www.satelliteTODAY.com and scroll to the bottom of the page to submit your answer.