Commercial Launch Research Articles

Public‐Private Coproduction of Risk: Government Indemnification of the Commercial Space Launch Industry

AbstractUsing rockets to launch communications satellites and other spacecraft poses risks to the uninvolved public, including persons and property under the flight path of the launch vehicle. The federal government plays a pivotal technical role during the actual launch by carrying out certain risk‐related procedures, thus causing third‐party risk to be jointly produced by the company and the government. In addition, under the Commercial Space Launch Act, the government partially indemnifies commercial launch companies for third‐party damages. We compare the indemnification policy to optimal liability rules under public‐private co‐production of risk. Under modest assumptions, shared liability created by the indemnification rules decreases the incentive of both parties to take care relative to the optimum. If care were observable, it would be preferable for the government to fully indemnify companies that take due care. The role of the government as an agent for third parties may qualify these findings.

Statistical Analyses of Next Generation Sequence Data: A Partial Overview.

Next generation sequencing has revolutionized the status of biological research. For a long time, the gold standard of DNA sequencing was considered to be the Sanger method. However, in 2005, commercial launching of next generation sequencing has made it possible to generate massively parallel and high resolution DNA sequence data. Its usefulness in various genomic applications such as genome-wide detection of SNPs, DNA methylation profiling, mRNA expression profiling, whole-genome re-sequencing and so on are now well recognized. There are several platforms for generating next generation sequencing (NGS) data which we briefly discuss in this mini overview. With new technologies come new challenges for the data analysts. This mini review attempts to present a collection of selected topics in the current development of statistical methods dealing with these novel data types. We believe that knowing the advances and bottlenecks of this technology will help the researchers to benchmark the analytical tools dealing with these data and will pave the path for its proper application into clinical diagnostics.

A methodology for realistic space launch risk estimation using information-fusion-based metric

In light of the significant changes being observed in the US space industry, in terms of the increase share of commercial launches, the development of inland spaceports, and the emergence of new vehicle designs and propulsion systems, there is need to reassess launch safety. In this paper, several issues related to space launch safety are reviewed, one in particular being the use, as the main the safety metric, of the mean collective risk to the general public, also known as the expectation of casualties. A new, decision level, information-fusion-based metric is proposed, and through a detailed case study, its merit in terms of the quality and quantity of information it generates is illustrated. The need for a new metric is here advocated as a critical first step toward the necessary transition from a risk avoidance philosophy to space launch safety to a risk management philosophy.

A MODEL OF ATTITUDES TOWARDS THE ACCEPTANCE OF MOBILE PHONE USE IN PUBLIC PLACES

Since the first commercial launch of cellular telecoms by NET in Tokyo Japan in 1979 and the launch of the NMT system in Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden in 1981, the mobile phone has undergone continual incremental innovation for changing market needs. This study investigates the factors affecting the attitudes towards the social acceptance of mobile phones in public places and how this attitude affects its usage. Theories on innovation and technology acceptance were reviewed, and studies relating demographic factors to technology acceptance were examined. A model was proposed relating the usage frequency and attitudes towards acceptance of mobile phone in public places to demographic factors, such as country, age, education, gender, and work status. A survey was conducted among mobile phone users, and the sample consisted of 1079 respondents in the United States, France, Italy, Turkey, and Finland. A structural equation model was developed to analyze the survey data. Results of the analysis indicate that the attitudes about mobile phone use in public places depend on country, and age factors. This attitude in turn significantly affects the usage frequency of mobile phones. In addition, usage frequency also is affected by gender and work status. Implications of the findings for both academicians and practitioners are discussed.

Hazard area and recurrence rate time series for determining the probability of volcanic disruption of the proposed high-level radioactive waste repository at Yucca Mountain, Nevada, USA

The post-12-Ma volcanism at Yucca Mountain (YM), Nevada, a potential site for an underground geologic repository of high-level radioactive waste in the USA, is assumed to follow a Poisson process and is characterized by a sequence of empirical recurrence rate time series. The last ten time series are used as a prediction set to check the predictive ability of the candidate model produced by a training sample using autoregressive integrated moving average modeling techniques. The model is used to forecast future recurrence rates that, in turn, are used to develop a continuous mean function of the volcanic process, which is not only required to evaluate the probability of site disruption by volcanic activity but accommodates a long period of compliance. At the model validation stage, our candidate model forecasts a mean number of 6.196 eruptions for the prediction set which accounts for seven volcanic events of the 33 post-12-Ma eruptions at the YM site. For a full-scaled forecasting, our fitted model predicts a waning volcanism producing only 3.296 new eruptions in the next million years. We then present the site disruption probability as the chance that a new eruption will occur in the “hazard area” based on a model developed for licensing commercial space launch and reentry operations in the space transportation industry. The results of the site disruption probability and sensitivity analysis are summarized with a numerical table generated from a simple equation sufficient for practical use. We also produce three-dimensional plots to visualize the nonlinearity of the intensity function associated with the underlying model of a nonhomogeneous Poisson process and emphasize that the interpretation of site disruption probability should always be accompanied by a compliance period.

La TV digitale terrestre: conservazione dell'esistente o innovazione verso la convergenza?

- Even though competition among platforms has not yet clearly established a winner, digital TV has grown significantly everywhere. Technological developments have allowed new models for content consumption. User-generated content, on-demand services, catch up TV, PVRs which allow the creation of individual schedules and skipping commercials are disrupting the traditional passive mode of content consumption. Faced with these new models, some TV players are actually proactive in creating cross-platform synergies, in order to exploit their expertise and brand across a multitude of platforms, thus increasing their profits. The competitive scenario is undergoing substantial changes compared to the one we had grown familiar with over the last twenty years. Penetration of digital TV is moving ahead: in June 2008, there were nearly 100 million digital TV households in Western Europe, thus reaching 60% of European TV households. Satellite is still the most widespread digital access, but digital terrestrial television records the highest growth rates, thanks to the success reported in some of the biggest markets. After the Netherlands, also Finland and Sweden have completed the analogue switch-off. New platforms such as ADSL, FTTH are still struggling to conquer a place in the market. Although it is still a marginal platform, the IPTV is reporting interesting figures. Other services followed in Germany, Finland and the United Kingdom after the first commercial launch of mobile broadcast TV in Italy in June 2006,. Other services are expected to be launched with the EC supported standard DVB-H. Keywords: television, digital TV, convergence, market strategy. Parole chiave: televisione, TV digitale, convergenza, strategia di mercato. . Jel Classification: L82

Next-Generation Sequencing: From Basic Research to Diagnostics

For the past 30 years, the Sanger method has been the dominant approach and gold standard for DNA sequencing. The commercial launch of the first massively parallel pyrosequencing platform in 2005 ushered in the new era of high-throughput genomic analysis now referred to as next-generation sequencing (NGS). This review describes fundamental principles of commercially available NGS platforms. Although the platforms differ in their engineering configurations and sequencing chemistries, they share a technical paradigm in that sequencing of spatially separated, clonally amplified DNA templates or single DNA molecules is performed in a flow cell in a massively parallel manner. Through iterative cycles of polymerase-mediated nucleotide extensions or, in one approach, through successive oligonucleotide ligations, sequence outputs in the range of hundreds of megabases to gigabases are now obtained routinely. Highlighted in this review are the impact of NGS on basic research, bioinformatics considerations, and translation of this technology into clinical diagnostics. Also presented is a view into future technologies, including real-time single-molecule DNA sequencing and nanopore-based sequencing. In the relatively short time frame since 2005, NGS has fundamentally altered genomics research and allowed investigators to conduct experiments that were previously not technically feasible or affordable. The various technologies that constitute this new paradigm continue to evolve, and further improvements in technology robustness and process streamlining will pave the path for translation into clinical diagnostics.

Rozee.Pk

Rozee.pk is a case about how an entrepreneur, having recently migrated from the Silicon Valley to Pakistan, is working on the commercial launch of his fourth (commercial) dot-com venture—as a late entrant into the online job posting and search market. However, this investment is different from his earlier ventures because the revenue streams will be coming from within the low e-readiness economy of Pakistan. The key decision the protagonist faces is how to move from free to paid services; delays add to the ‘burn rate’ and allow heavy promotions by a rival to capture market share. Launching prematurely may hurt the Rozee brand in pursuing key accounts.

More than a Wing and a Prayer: Government Indemnification of the Commercial Space Launch Industry

Using rockets to launch communications satellites and other spacecraft poses risks to the uninvolved public, including persons and property under the flight path of the launch vehicle. The federal government plays a pivotal technical role during the actual launch by carrying out certain risk-related procedures, thus causing third-party risk to be jointly produced by the company and the government. In addition, under the Commercial Space Launch Act, the government partially indemnifies commercial launch companies for third-party damages. We compare the indemnification policy to optimal liability rules under public-private co-production of risk. Under modest assumptions, shared liability created by the indemnification rules decreases the incentive of both parties to take care relative to the optimum. If care were observable, it would be preferable for the government to fully indemnify companies that take due care. The role of the government as an agent for third parties may qualify these findings.

Gene Tests Under Scrutiny

Australia may soon get its own direct-to-consumer genetic testing business, but the company is heading into choppy waters. Lumigenix, based in Sydney, aims for a commercial launch early next year. But it could run afoul of the national Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA), which a spokesperson

Measurement of a Customer Satisfaction Index for Improvement of Mobile RFID Services in Korea

One of the ubiquitous technology fields that have received the most attention recently from technology communities worldwide is mobile radio frequency identification (RFID). Mobile handsets loaded with RFID readers enable the identification and retrieval of information on RFID tagged objects. In Korea, a variety of mobile RFID services are currently being piloted, and their commercial roll-out looks imminent. The goal of this study is to propose, ahead of the commercial launch of mobile RFID services, a customer satisfaction index (CSI) model for this service category and to then measure the CSI to derive practical implications for their providers and pointers related to the improvement of service. A web survey was conducted on Korean mobile phone subscribers who had participated in a mobile RFID pilot program. Using the results of this survey, we tested the CSI model and its hypotheses by employing a partial least-squares-based structural equation model analysis and calculated the index. We further conducted an importance-performance analysis in order to provide insights that may be useful for improving the quality of mobile RFID services.

SpaceShipOne: An Illustrated History

In April of 2003, a company called Scaled Composites lifted the veil of secrecy from a longtime research program and introduced to the world. And the age of commercial space travel took off ...like a rocket. This book chronicles the development of the world's first commercial manned space program - a program that includes an airborne launcher (the White Knight), a space ship (SpaceShipOne), rocket propulsion, avionics, simulator, and full ground support. With ample illustrations, photographs, and behind-the-scenes information, SpaceShipOne provides a full picture of this classified project - from the conception and design to the deals that brought together Scaled Composites' Burt Rotan and Virgin Airlines' Sir Richard Branson to the plans for building a fleet of commercial suborbital spaceships and launch aircraft.

Évolution des pratiques pour la réalisation des injections intravitréennes

The technique of intravitreous injections has been well documented for several years. Recently, a descriptive article on the intravitreous injections procedure was published in the Journal Français d'Ophtalmologie, and the AFSSAPS (French agency for drug safety) released recommendations concerning this matter on the occasion of commercial launch of pegaptanib. Since that time, the number of intravitreal injections has considerably increased, because anti-VEGF drugs had been made available to ophthalmologists, and several teams have performed a large number of procedures, allowing them to better comprehend intravitreous injections. The present paper describes our current practice of intravitreous injections. Several specialists have exchanged their experiences and issued a common synthesis. Detailed modifications of the initial recommendations have been suggested, with such basic changes such as abandoning preoperative pupil dilatation and easing postsurgical monitoring. Follow-up examinations should be adapted to each patient rather than being systematic. The suggested modifications do not change the procedure of intravitreous injections substantially, but they simplify many steps and detail the various procedures when consensus is lacking.

Commercialized Multigene Predictors of Clinical Outcome for Breast Cancer

In the past 5 years, a number of commercialized multigene prognostic and predictive tests have entered the complex and expanding landscape of breast cancer companion diagnostics. These tests have used a variety of formats ranging from the familiar slide-based assays of immunohistochemistry and fluorescence in situ hybridization to the nonmorphology-driven molecular platforms of quantitative multiplex real-time polymerase chain reaction and genomic microarray profiling. In this review, 14 multigene assays are evaluated as to their scientific validation, current clinical utility, regulatory approval status, and estimated cost-benefit ratio. Emphasis is placed on two tests: oncotype DX and MammaPrint. Current evidence indicates that the oncotype DX test has the advantages of earlier commercial launch, wide acceptance for payment by third-party payors in the U.S., ease of use of formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissues, recent listing by the American Society of Clinical Oncology Breast Cancer Tumor Markers Update Committee as recommended for use, continuous scoring system algorithm, ability to serve as both a prognostic test and predictive test for certain hormonal and chemotherapeutic agents, demonstrated cost-effectiveness in one published study, and a high accrual rate for the prospective validation clinical trial (Trial Assigning Individualized Options for Treatment). The MammaPrint assay has the advantages of a 510(k) clearance by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, a larger gene number, which may enhance further utility, and a potentially wider patient eligibility, including lymph node-positive, estrogen receptor (ER)-negative, and younger patients being accrued into the prospective trial (Microarray in Node-Negative Disease May Avoid Chemotherapy). A number of other assays have specific predictive goals that are most often focused on the efficacy of tamoxifen in ER-positive patients, such as the two-gene ratio test and the cytochrome P450 CYP2D6 genotyping assay.

60.4: Invited Paper: Rollable Displays — A Technology Development Enabling Breakthrough Mobile Devices

AbstractA Rollable Display has been developed that can be rolled to a radius of 7.5mm (0.3inch). The display is of the active‐matrix electrophoretic type, based on organic electronics. The display is integrated into a novel mobile device that is ready for commercial launch. The device merges the mobile phone platform and form factor with the abilities of an e‐reader.

Legal analysis of Sea Launch license: National security and environmental concerns

Abstract This paper analyzes the national security and environmental concerns surrounding the Sea Launch consortium's international license from a legal perspective. The growing market demand for a more affordable, reliable, and convenient commercial satellite launching service has led to the idea of Sea Launch—launching satellites from the sea near the Equator. However, this can pose potential conflicts between national security and foreign policy interests, and between environmental conservation and economic growth because of the international technology development issues around launching from the sea. This paper illustrates a case for balancing such multiple constraints via legal interpretation. The analysis is conducted in reference to 49 U.S.C. § 70101–70119 Commercial Space Launch Activities and 42 U.S.C. § 4321–4345 National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969. The paper also examines weather the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea is binding on Sea Launch operations. Although the scope of this paper is limited mostly to the US law and the national security and environmental aspects of Sea Launch, it provides a useful example for policy making of an international collaborative technology development project.

Optimized Low-Thrust Orbit Transfer for Space Tugs

Introduction Recent advances in low-cost, commercial launch systems predict rapid insertion of relatively large payloads into Low Earth Orbit (LEO). At the same time, extensive work performed on radiation hardening of solar cells—specifically GaAs, InP and InGaP/GaAs cells—has permitted repeated transfers through the Van Allen belt with minimal loss of conversion efficiency. 1 The combined impact of these two technological advances suggests that a market for an in-space transportation system capable of ferrying payloads from LEO to GEO and beyond is not only possible, but desirable. The space tug configuration demonstrates a viable candidate for an Earth-Moon cargo vehicle system satisfying NASA’s Vision for Space Exploration. Establishment of permanent outposts on the Moon will require the transfer of large quantities of cargo to the Moon’s surface at low cost. A high power, reusable, solar electric propulsion system optimized for both transfer mass and transfer time is capable of delivering high-tonnage cargo per year to the surface of the Moon. The cost saving from both the use of smaller launch vehicles and the reuse of the power and propulsion subsystems makes such a mission system an attractive choice for the Lunar Exploration Program. In this note, the authors apply an optimization technique previously developed by Burton and Wassgren 2 to a reusable electrically-propelled Earth-Moon “space tug” transfer vehicle proposed by Spores et al. 3 Both transfer mass and mission time are optimized, and the results show that significant reductions in the round trip transfer time can be achieved. In addition, either the initial launch mass can be significantly reduced, while keeping the yearly delivered payload constant, or the yearly delivered cargo can be significantly increased by appropriately increasing the available power.

NTP-DownloadT: a conformance test tool for secured mobile download services

Many mobile data services have been developed. Before commercial launch of a data service, it is required to ensure that the service is implemented securely and correctly on a mobile device. To address this issue, Open Mobile Alliance (OMA) has defined test specifications to guarantee the conformance of data services on mobile devices. This paper describes a conformance test tool called NTP-DownloadT for OMA Download services. We discuss OMA Download requirements such as content discovery, authentication, delivery negotiation, content delivery and delivery confirmation. In this paper, we demonstrate how OMA Download test suite can be implemented to realise conformance tests.

Commercial Space Tourism and Space Weather

Commercial Space Tourism and Space Weather

A TRANSATLANTIC POLYMERIC SOLUTION

A START-UP started by a start-up, California-based Ilypsa is a biopharmaceutical company that in just four years has brought a drug into Phase II clinical trials. Now, with the help of the German custom manufacturer Saltigo, Ilypsa is looking ahead to the product's final stage of clinical testing and potential commercial launch. Although a robust 70-person company today, Ilypsa was just two people and a good idea in May 2003, when it was spun off of Symyx Technologies. At the time, Symyx, a specialist in materials research and highthroughput experimentation (HTE), had been a public company for only four years. Gerrit Klaerner, a German polymer chemist, remembers that time well. Now Ilypsa's chief business officer, he had come to the U.S. in 1997 for a postdoctoral fellowship at the Center on Polymer Interfaces & Macromolecular Assemblies, a National Science Foundation-sponsored partnership among Stanford University, IBM's Almaden Research Center, and the Davis and ...