Space: December 19, 1999

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: The Pentagon has completed a study of the US commercial space launch systems and has reached two somewhat contradictory findings: 
1. The space launch industry is not as "mature" as the military had expected it to be, i.e., it has not achieved capabilities that the military expected to be able to buy and use. 
2. The space launch industry meets current requirements and its support for Air Force space operations is "more extensive than we initially believed" (according to Robert Cox, Co-Chairman of the study commission).--Stephen V Cole