Since the Space Race of the 1960s the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has been the face of the U.S. space industry, responsible for driving aeronautics research, exploring our solar system through human and robotic missions, and inspiring the nation through scientific achievement. NASA and its core group of large aerospace contractors have worked to successfully carry out U.S. space exploration goals and have been responsible for some of the most significant engineering successes in history. Over the past decade or so, however, it has increasingly been the private space sector advancing new markets, capturing the public imagination, and working to reduce the timeline and cost of access to space. As the Obama administration’s new space policy begins to put increased emphasis on developing the U.S. commercial space sector, legacy NASA contractors are starting to see what may be the beginnings of a new competitive environment in the human spaceflight market. With the end of the Space Shuttle Program looming, and the restructuring of its successor the Constellation Program in progress, NASA continues to look for a way forward for its human spaceflight program. At the same time the agency’s contractors are dealing with a loss of significant work statement, a lack of new development programs, and an increase in the number of competitors entering the commercial space market. As Boeing Space Exploration attempts to traverse this turbulent period it must also look ahead to the competitive conditions which may result from these changes. It is critical that companies such as Boeing analyze the current structural trends in the industry and attempt to develop a robust strategy to position the company going forward. This paper aims to present analysis of the current market challenges faced by Boeing Space Exploration and the emerging competitive environment in the human spaceflight industry. General competitive strategies are discussed along with recommendations on which strategic pursuits might best allow the division to maintain its leadership in the industry and successfully compete in a new, more commercial space market. / text

Software for space applications has special requirements in terms of reliability and dependability. As the verification & validation activities (VAs) of these software systems account for more than 50% of the development effort and the industry is faced with political and market pressure to deliver software faster and cheaper, new ways need to be established to reduce this verification & validation effort. In a research project together with RUAG Aerospace Sweden AB and the Swedish Space Corporation, the Blekinge Tekniska Högskola is trying to find out how to optimize the VAs with respect to effectiveness and efficiency. The goal of this thesis is therefore to develop a coherent framework for the management and optimization of verification & validation activities (VAMOS) and is evaluated at the RUAG Aerospace Sweden AB in Göteborg.

Le résumé en français n'a pas été communiqué par l'auteur. / Our thesis has for purpose to explain how subcontracting SMEs evolving in changing and globalized space industry respond to institutional complexity whilst going international. We refer to the literature on SMEs’ internationalization: processual approaches, International Entrepreneurship, research investigating more specifically subcontracting firms and their modes of internationalization, as well to institutional logics perspective. We conducted a single-embedded qualitative case study in the space industry in France with five subcontracting SMEs, carried out 4 open-ended interviews, 35 semi-structured interviews, took part in 2 international events and 3 professional meetings and analyzed 830 pages of field material related to the space industry. Our analysis shows that social actors involved in space activities and SMEs perceive two institutional logics: Space as National Pride and Space as Global. These both logics drive institutional change which creates institutional uncertainty and institutional disequilibrium between French and international markets. Despite the same changing context, the five SMEs adapt different strategies reflected in different patterns of internationalization. We suggest that this variation may be explain by each SME’s receptivity to institutional change and more particularly by the meaning associated to the impact of change on firms’ activities perceived as: either local threat, status quo, ambiguity, international threat, or potential growth. Furthermore, we suggest that receptivity to institutional change and more particularly the attitude associated to the French space industry, with namely: loyalty to one big contractor, inconsistency, historical ties, new dynamic needed, and detachment may contribute to reinforce the type of strategy and to shape patterns of internationalization.

Abstract Space has always pushed humanity further to acknowledge its existence and what was once mere speculation through observation, today we have reached a climax in fully understanding its reach and its potential for society. Through the utilization of technological advancements, people, countries, and organizations are starting to understand the capacity in utilizing our resources to create and develop fundamental applications that can create positive effects in our environment, society, and economy. The space industry is continuously evolving pushing forth a new age in space technology, a revolutionary space race. This transitory phase from old space and new space has furthered global competition and has created a new path for innovative practices that demand progression to remain sustainable and competitive in the present global environment. Which made us interested in exploring the following research question: How do new entrants in the high-technology space industry navigate the transition from old space to new space? Our thesis aims in understanding this transitory phase from old space and new space. To satisfactory answer our research question we selectively focus on Sweden’s space industry and its relative organizations and businesses. Through the evaluation of smalland medium sized organizations that exist in Sweden’s current space ecosystem, we aim to understand this evolutionary shift in innovative practices, collaborative efforts, and which factors contribute to increasing new entrants in what was once deemed a closed system. Therefore, fulfilling a research gap in academic literature by shedding light on new practices from a stakeholder’s perspective in the creation and diffusion of knowledge, networks, and motivational factors that form opportunities within existing platforms in the space industry that are essential and fundamental to the creation of progressive innovation ecosystems.  To conclude, this thesis contributes with an understanding of the historic, current and future possibilities for small and medium sized organisations within the space sector in Sweden. We explore the current ecosystem by interviewing SMEs that have embraced the opportunities that exist and with industry experts who have valuable insights to offer. We hope that with this thesis more individuals gain insight in the current restraints that new entrants are met with and how to effectively reduce those.  Key words: New space, Old space, Innovation, Ecosystem, Motivation, Platforms, Stakeholder, Opportunity forming / Business Administration

This thesis brings statistical analyses techniques to bear on data derived from an extensive database of satellite launches and on-orbit anomalies and failures. The data collected is analyzed from two different perspectives and addresses, in two separate studies, two research objectives. The first study proposes to identify trends and cyclical patterns in the space industry, and to forecast the volume of launches for the next few years. Satellites have been rightfully described as the lifeblood of the entire space industry and the number of satellites ordered or launched per year is an important defining metric of the industry's level of activity. The structure of the space industry, its financial health and its workforce retention and development is dependent on the volume of satellites contracted. As such, trends and variability in this volume have significant strategic impact on the space industry. Over the past 40+ years, hundreds of satellites have been launched every year. Thus, an important data set is available for time series analysis and identification of trends and cycles in the various markets of the space industry. For the purpose of this first study, we collected data for over 6,000 satellites launched since 1960 on a yearly basis. We separated the satellites into three broad segments: 1) defense and intelligence satellites, 2) science satellites, and 3) commercial satellites. Several techniques are available for the analysis of time series data, both in the time domain and in the frequency domain. In this first study, we conducted spectral analysis of the time series for each of the three satellite populations and identified cycles contained in the data. In addition, once harmonic models were derived and fitted to the data, we built forecasting models of satellite launch volumes in the different market segments for the next few years. The potential implications of the results are discussed as a number of strategic matters for the space industry are contingent on the predictions or forecast of the volume of satellites contracted (the example of the U.S. auto industry is a solemn reminder of such possible strategic issues). The second study uses the previously collected launch data, confined to Earth-orbiting satellites launched between 1990 and 2008, and expanded with the failure information and retirement of each satellite to conduct a comparative analysis of satellite reliability in GEO, LEO, and MEO orbits. Reliability has long been recognized as an essential consideration in the design of space systems. However, there is limited statistical analysis of satellite reliability based on actual flight data. The objective of this second study is to conduct nonparametric satellite reliability analysis, with orbit type as a covariate, and to explore appropriate parametric fits (Weibull, lognormal, and mixture distributions). The results indicate for example that differences exist between the failure behaviors of satellites in different orbits, or that satellite infant mortality exists or dominates more clearly in a particular orbit type. The findings can be useful to satellite manufacturers as they would provide an empirical basis for reviewing and adjusting satellite testing and burn-in procedures.

Developing software for high-dependable space applications and systems is a formidable task. With new political and market pressures on the space industry to deliver more software at a lower cost, optimization of their methods and standards need to be investigated. The industry has to follow standards that strictly sets quality goals and prescribes engineering processes and methods to fulfill them. The overall goal of this study is to evaluate if current use of ECSS standards is cost efficient and if there are ways to make the process leaner while still maintaining the quality and to analyze if their V&V activities can be optimized. This paper presents results from two industrial case studies of companies in the European space industry that are following ECSS standards and have various V&V activities. The case studies reported here focused on how the ECSS standards were used by the companies and how that affected their processes and how their V&V activities can be optimized. / Utveckling av programvara för hög funktionssäkra rymden applikationer och system är en formidabel uppgift. Med nya politiska och marknadsmässiga trycket på rymdindustrin att leverera mer mjukvara till en lägre kostnad, optimering av deras metoder och standarder måste utredas. Industrin har att följa standarder som absolut uppsättningar kvalitetsmål och föreskriver tekniska processer och metoder för att uppfylla dem. Det övergripande målet för denna studie är att utvärdera om den nuvarande användningen av ECSS standarder är kostnaden effektivt och om det finns sätt att göra processen smidigare och samtidigt bibehålla kvaliteten och för att analysera om V & V verksamhet kan optimeras. Detta dokument presenterar resultat från två industriella fallstudier av företag inom den europeiska rymdindustrin som är Följande ECSS krav och ha olika V & V verksamhet. Fallstudierna redovisas här fokuserat på hur ECSS standarder som används av företag och hur detta påverkat deras processer och hur deras V & V verksamhet kan optimeras.

The introduction of standards in software development is more or less common practice today and regarding software for space applications, standards are one of the primary mechanisms to ensure a sufficient quality level. The space industry has special requirements in terms of reliability and dependability and the European Cooperation for Space Standardization (ECSS) standards is a tool used to fulfill them. The use of standards provides many benefits however it also comes with a compliance cost, in terms of, for example, additional documentation and activities. For making the right decisions on which development and quality assurance activities to focus on, it is important to know not only their added value but also their costs. In this paper a method is presented for a Cost of Standard Compliance Analysis (CoSCA) in software development. It consists of seven steps and is based on a model which divides the costs into four different types based on the actual reason for conducting activities required by the standard. The four different types of compliance cost are quality-adding, confidence-adding, adherence and development necessary costs. The adherence costs are those costs that are required by or follow from the use of a standard but do not add any immediate value to the functionality, quality or quality assurance of the software. As a result of a CoSCA analysis, the cost for complying with the standard for all the separate development activities is calculated. Initial results from applying the method to a company, that develops software for the space industry and complying with the ECSS standards, are presented. The result gives an indication of potential optimization possibilities and for the top ten adherence activities examples are presented. The evaluation showed that the method is practical and usable with an acceptable level of effort and that it helps pinpoint development activities with high adherence costs.

As the commercialization of space continues on a global scale, it is increasingly common to see companies, as well as space agencies, become more and more interested in developing constellations of satellites, mainly for telecommunication and remote sensing missions. While there are multiple issues that arise when operating constellations of medium to large scales, one of the most challenging issue is the distribution of commands and control among satellites. The present thesis introduces a system that solves this issue through blockchain technology which provides multiple advantages. There are not many studies that have addressed the potential uses of blockchain in the space industry. The rest of this thesis illustrates the  benefits of using blockchains in a number of scenarios and does not address the usage of this technology in the financial industry. This thesis considers a number of scenarios corresponding to different operational modes of a constellation of satellites. Towards the end of the thesis, a recommended architecture and settings will be proposed for a real-world use case of a blockchain-based network for the command and control of a constellation of satellites.

O presente estudo tem por objetivo caracterizar o fluxo de conhecimento na interação universidade-empresa, identificando a relação em diferentes setores de diferentes países. O conceito de fluxo de conhecimento é apresentado como um complemento às teorias atuais de interação universidade-empresa, descritas principalmente pelo Triângulo de Sábato e pela Hélice Tripla. Argumenta-se que a interação universidade-empresa vem sendo apresentada pelo papel dos atores e canais de transferência de conhecimento, mas não deixa claro qual ator é responsável por iniciar a interação e o conteúdo de conhecimento transferido. Com isso, o conceito de fluxo de conhecimento é descrito pelo ator responsável por estimular a interação e pelo conteúdo de conhecimento, seja científico ou aplicado, transferido entre atores. A pesquisa foi conduzida pelo método de estudo de caso, em dois setores, horticultura e espacial, de dois países, Brasil e Holanda, totalizando 27 casos. Os resultados demonstram diferenças no fluxo de conhecimento entre os atores, relacionadas principalmente na comparação entre os países, e não tanto quanto aos setores. Os setores de horticultura e espacial holandeses possuem uma estrutura de conhecimento formada por universidades, centros tecnológicos e empresas, que desenvolvem atividades de pesquisa básica e aplicada voltadas à inovação. Como afirmam os entrevistados, comissões do governo aproximam pesquisadores e empresários, estimulando contatos informais e parcerias de desenvolvimento tecnológico. No Brasil, ambos os setores apresentam carências principalmente na geração de conhecimento, seja pesquisa básica, e na a formação de mão de obra. Os entrevistados declaram que os incentivos governamentais à pesquisa são restritos e descontínuos, dificultando o desenvolvimento tecnológico. Em relação ao fluxo de conhecimento, as interações universidade-empresa na Holanda possuem conteúdo de conhecimento descrito pelo critério pesquisa básica, pesquisa estratégica e pesquisa aplicada. No Brasil, o conteúdo de conhecimento presente no fluxo foi principalmente baseado no critério pesquisa aplicada, e tecnologia corrente. Os entrevistados de ambos os países mencionam que o estímulo ao fluxo ocorre principalmente pelo contato de empresas ou universidades, enquanto o estímulo do governo ocorre através de editais ou incentivos à pesquisa. Conclui-se que a interação universidade-empresa ocorre em ambos os países, porém o fluxo de conhecimento entre os atores reflete diferenças na estrutura científica e tecnológica instalada em cada país. Enquanto a Holanda desenvolve interações voltadas ao desenvolvimento tecnológico, no Brasil as interações buscam principalmente solucionar problemas técnicos, ou atividades de pesquisa aplicada às necessidades das empresas. Esta diferença ocorre pela reduzida capacidade científica das universidades brasileiras, pois as empresas buscam inovações em universidades e centros tecnológicos do exterior, ou desenvolvem internamente. Por fim, o conceito de fluxo de conhecimento demonstra que a Holanda possui uma avançada estrutura de pesquisa, e que comissões do governo formadas por pesquisadores e empresários aproximam os atores e alinham os objetivos tecnológicos. No Brasil, o conceito do fluxo de conhecimento apresenta restrições quanto à estrutura acadêmica de ensino e pesquisa científica, além de recursos governamentais limitados. / The present research aims to characterize the knowledge flow in university-industry relations, identifying this kind of partnership in different sectors of different countries. The concept of knowledge flow aims to complement the current university-industry relations theories, mainly described by Sábato’s triangle and the triple helix. It is argued that university-industry relations are generally defined by the role of actors and the channels of knowledge transfer. However, it is not clear which actor is responsible for initiating the interaction and the content of knowledge transferred. Thus, the concept of knowledge flow is described by the actor responsible for stimulating the relationship and the content of knowledge, between science and applied, transferred between actors. The case study research was conducted in two sectors, horticulture and space, in two countries, Brazil and The Netherlands, describing 27 cases. Results showed that differences in the knowledge flow between the actors can be mainly compared between countries, rather than between sectors. Both horticulture and space sectors in The Netherlands have a knowledge environment constituted by universities, research centres and companies which develop basic and applied research activities focused on innovations. As stated by the respondents, government commissions bring researchers and companies closer, encouraging informal contacts and partnerships for technological development. On the other hand, both sectors in Brazil present deficiencies especially in knowledge creation by basic research or training students. Respondents state that government subsidies for research are limited and discontinued, restricting technological development. Regarding the knowledge flow, university industry relations in The Netherlands are mainly defined by knowledge content criteria such as basic research, strategic research or applied research. In Brazil, the content of the knowledge flow was mainly based on applied research and current technology criteria. Respondents from both countries reported that the stimulus to the knowledge flow occurs by contact from companies or universities, while government stimulus is described by research tenders or subsidies. To conclude, universityindustry relations occur in both countries, but the knowledge flow between the actors reflects differences on the science and technology structure in each country. While The Netherlands develops interactions aiming to develop new technologies, in Brazil such relations mainly seek to solve technical issues, or applied research activities guided by market needs. This difference, however, is given by the reduced scientific capacity of Brazilian universities, as companies seek for technology innovations in research centres and universities abroad, or develops internally. Finally, the concept of knowledge flow shows that The Netherlands have an advanced research structure, and government commissions formed by researchers and companies approach the actors, aligning technology goals. In Brazil, the concept of knowledge flow demonstrates restrictions mainly in the structure of academic teaching, scientific research and also in government resources.

O presente estudo tem por objetivo caracterizar o fluxo de conhecimento na interação universidade-empresa, identificando a relação em diferentes setores de diferentes países. O conceito de fluxo de conhecimento é apresentado como um complemento às teorias atuais de interação universidade-empresa, descritas principalmente pelo Triângulo de Sábato e pela Hélice Tripla. Argumenta-se que a interação universidade-empresa vem sendo apresentada pelo papel dos atores e canais de transferência de conhecimento, mas não deixa claro qual ator é responsável por iniciar a interação e o conteúdo de conhecimento transferido. Com isso, o conceito de fluxo de conhecimento é descrito pelo ator responsável por estimular a interação e pelo conteúdo de conhecimento, seja científico ou aplicado, transferido entre atores. A pesquisa foi conduzida pelo método de estudo de caso, em dois setores, horticultura e espacial, de dois países, Brasil e Holanda, totalizando 27 casos. Os resultados demonstram diferenças no fluxo de conhecimento entre os atores, relacionadas principalmente na comparação entre os países, e não tanto quanto aos setores. Os setores de horticultura e espacial holandeses possuem uma estrutura de conhecimento formada por universidades, centros tecnológicos e empresas, que desenvolvem atividades de pesquisa básica e aplicada voltadas à inovação. Como afirmam os entrevistados, comissões do governo aproximam pesquisadores e empresários, estimulando contatos informais e parcerias de desenvolvimento tecnológico. No Brasil, ambos os setores apresentam carências principalmente na geração de conhecimento, seja pesquisa básica, e na a formação de mão de obra. Os entrevistados declaram que os incentivos governamentais à pesquisa são restritos e descontínuos, dificultando o desenvolvimento tecnológico. Em relação ao fluxo de conhecimento, as interações universidade-empresa na Holanda possuem conteúdo de conhecimento descrito pelo critério pesquisa básica, pesquisa estratégica e pesquisa aplicada. No Brasil, o conteúdo de conhecimento presente no fluxo foi principalmente baseado no critério pesquisa aplicada, e tecnologia corrente. Os entrevistados de ambos os países mencionam que o estímulo ao fluxo ocorre principalmente pelo contato de empresas ou universidades, enquanto o estímulo do governo ocorre através de editais ou incentivos à pesquisa. Conclui-se que a interação universidade-empresa ocorre em ambos os países, porém o fluxo de conhecimento entre os atores reflete diferenças na estrutura científica e tecnológica instalada em cada país. Enquanto a Holanda desenvolve interações voltadas ao desenvolvimento tecnológico, no Brasil as interações buscam principalmente solucionar problemas técnicos, ou atividades de pesquisa aplicada às necessidades das empresas. Esta diferença ocorre pela reduzida capacidade científica das universidades brasileiras, pois as empresas buscam inovações em universidades e centros tecnológicos do exterior, ou desenvolvem internamente. Por fim, o conceito de fluxo de conhecimento demonstra que a Holanda possui uma avançada estrutura de pesquisa, e que comissões do governo formadas por pesquisadores e empresários aproximam os atores e alinham os objetivos tecnológicos. No Brasil, o conceito do fluxo de conhecimento apresenta restrições quanto à estrutura acadêmica de ensino e pesquisa científica, além de recursos governamentais limitados. / The present research aims to characterize the knowledge flow in university-industry relations, identifying this kind of partnership in different sectors of different countries. The concept of knowledge flow aims to complement the current university-industry relations theories, mainly described by Sábato’s triangle and the triple helix. It is argued that university-industry relations are generally defined by the role of actors and the channels of knowledge transfer. However, it is not clear which actor is responsible for initiating the interaction and the content of knowledge transferred. Thus, the concept of knowledge flow is described by the actor responsible for stimulating the relationship and the content of knowledge, between science and applied, transferred between actors. The case study research was conducted in two sectors, horticulture and space, in two countries, Brazil and The Netherlands, describing 27 cases. Results showed that differences in the knowledge flow between the actors can be mainly compared between countries, rather than between sectors. Both horticulture and space sectors in The Netherlands have a knowledge environment constituted by universities, research centres and companies which develop basic and applied research activities focused on innovations. As stated by the respondents, government commissions bring researchers and companies closer, encouraging informal contacts and partnerships for technological development. On the other hand, both sectors in Brazil present deficiencies especially in knowledge creation by basic research or training students. Respondents state that government subsidies for research are limited and discontinued, restricting technological development. Regarding the knowledge flow, university industry relations in The Netherlands are mainly defined by knowledge content criteria such as basic research, strategic research or applied research. In Brazil, the content of the knowledge flow was mainly based on applied research and current technology criteria. Respondents from both countries reported that the stimulus to the knowledge flow occurs by contact from companies or universities, while government stimulus is described by research tenders or subsidies. To conclude, universityindustry relations occur in both countries, but the knowledge flow between the actors reflects differences on the science and technology structure in each country. While The Netherlands develops interactions aiming to develop new technologies, in Brazil such relations mainly seek to solve technical issues, or applied research activities guided by market needs. This difference, however, is given by the reduced scientific capacity of Brazilian universities, as companies seek for technology innovations in research centres and universities abroad, or develops internally. Finally, the concept of knowledge flow shows that The Netherlands have an advanced research structure, and government commissions formed by researchers and companies approach the actors, aligning technology goals. In Brazil, the concept of knowledge flow demonstrates restrictions mainly in the structure of academic teaching, scientific research and also in government resources.