WASHINGTON, DC — Launch industry officials and analysts offered little hope for a quick turnaround in the beleaguered launch sector due to drastically curtailed demand, according to a panel discussion held Tuesday night sponsored by the Society of Satellite Professionals International and Women in Aerospace.

One ray of hope is that the budget proposed by President Bush includes $540 million for evolved expendable launch vehicle (EELV) missions between fiscal years 2004 and 2009, said Lt. Col. Blaise Kordell, deputy division chief of the U.S. Air Force’s space launch range operations. The funding would include $160 million for the next fiscal year alone, he added.