Space commerce over the past decade has become a field in transition as comsat markets exponentially expand with prospect for further growth in other areas also very positive. As part of this change process, new competitors are stepping forward. The Russian Federation successor state to the former Soviet Union’s space program represents one facet of that new challenge. Its competitiveness grows directly from its historic status as one of the two first space powers. A more intriguing situation is developing in the Western Pacific Rim states, there space-related activities span the spectrum from fairly comprehensive space programs to states just emerging into the space applications arena. This paper explores these changes and discusses their implications for the United States commercial space effort
