[Satellite TODAY 12-30-09] U.S. Congress has extended government indemnification of U.S. commercial launches for another three years, the Aerospace Industries Association (AIA) announced Dec. 24.
    The indemnification regime, set to expire on December 31, helps protect U.S. commercial launch services providers against third-party liability claims resulting from launch activities licensed by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration.
    AIA said that as space launch capabilities have been developed by other nations the United States’ share of commercial launches has decreased significantly.
     “Elimination of government indemnification would have driven launch business overseas. In 2008, only six of the 28 worldwide commercial launches were conducted by U.S. companies, and America can’t afford to lose more of that business … The indemnification regime provides a level playing field in a very competitive global space launch market, since every other space faring nation provides some form of government indemnification to commercial launchers,” said AIA President and CEO Marion Blakey, in a statement.