Jeffrey Manber

Jeffrey Manber is regarded as one of the pioneering commercial space entrepreneurs. [ [Star Crossed Orbit, James Oberg, Pages 15-16] ] Manber has been involved in several of the key breakthrough commercial space projects, principally those revolving around the commercialization of space assets as well as the integration of the Russian space industry into major space programs, including that of the International Space Station. Manber is believed to be the only American to be an official part of the Russian space corporation RSC Energia, during their privatization period of the 1990's. [ [RKK Energia Organization Chart, 50th Anniversary Book, "Russian Language" Page 453] ]

History

His early interest in space took the form of writing on microgravity business opportunities for publications such as "The New York Times", McGraw Hill, and Town and Country Magazine, among others.

Reagan Administration and Russian Cooperation

This work led him to be invited by the Reagan Administration to help establish the Office of Space Commerce within the U.S. Department of Commerce. In so doing, he became involved in the early efforts by the Soviet Union to privatize and commercialize that nation’s space efforts. In 1988 he assisted in the first ever commercial contract between the brand-new Soviet space station Mir and a U.S. company, Boston-based Payload Systems. [ [Across the Board Magazine, July/August 1990, "Perestroika In Orbit, Page 51"] The highly controversial pharmaceutical research undertaken on this project showed that microgravity was not always conducive to industrial research, despite the claims of NASA at that time. He was invited to the Soviet Union in 1989 to witness the launch, and began working with the Russians and the international banking community to privatize post Soviet space assets.

Representing Energia

In 1992, Manber became the Managing Director of Energia Ltd, which represented the Russian space company NPO Energia. His initial task was to help support the first contact between the U.S. space agency NASA and the Russian space program for use of the Soyuz TM manned spacecraft as a lifeboat for the then-planned space station Freedom. His work with senior NASA officials Arnie Aldridge and Sam Keller helped open the door between the Russian space program and key U.S. aerospace firms, including Lockheed, Boeing and Rockwell Aerospace. His efforts to market the space station Mir played a role in bringing the Russian and American space industries together, ensuring greater safety for astronauts and continuity for the International Space Station project. The payoff in terms of safety took place when the Clinton Administration agreed to raise the orbital inclination of the U.S. space station to allow for flights from the Russian Soyuz and cargo ship Progress, which proved critical after each of the two groundings of the space shuttle program.

MirCorp

In 1999 Manber was asked by space entrepreneur Walt Anderson and RSC Energia to head MirCorp, which leased the aging space station Mir for two years. [ [Orphans of Apollo, Documentary Film, Released September 2008, http://www.orphansofapollo.com ] Though commercially unsuccessful, it proved the business model that a private company could lease a manned space program and generate revenues in a non-traditional manner.

History was made in April 2000 when the world’s first and still only privately funded manned mission to orbit was launched. Two cosmonauts, commander Sergei Zalyoton and Alexander Kalery traveled to the dormant space station Mir, opened it up and returned the station to normal life. During the more than 70-day mission, a number of critical firsts were achieved: the first commercially-funded space walk, the first space mission without government funding, and the first space explorers to be paid fully by a private company.

Commercial Record of MirCorp

MirCorp concluded a number of ground-breaking agreements. Jeffrey Manber signed Dennis Tito, the first space tourist [ [Lost In Space, Greg Klerkx, Pantheon Press, Chapter One] ] to pay for his own ticket, to his launch contract. He also signed a contract with television producer Mark Burnett, who produced the Survivor reality television series, and with NBC, to develop a game show that would have sent the winner blasting off for a one-week stay on the Mir. However, due to extreme political pressure from NASA, the space station was de-orbited in March 2001 and MirCorp was shut down.

Later, Manber negotiated an agreement that allowed retailer Radio Shack to film the first commercial shot on the International Space Station, to be shown on American television, which featured a Russian Cosmonaut opening a Father’s Day gift.

Other Activities

In addition to many published articles on space and foreign policy, Manber is also the co-author of Lincoln’s Wrath, published by Sourcebooks [http://www.amazon.com/dp/1402207557/ Amazon] , which tells the story of media censorship against anti-war newspapers during the time of Abraham Lincoln and the U.S. civil war.

Manber also served as CEO of Yuzoz [http://cosmiclog.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2006/11/09/14072.aspx MSNBC.com] , which generates random numbers from live astronomical events, such as solar flares, northern lights and solar winds, for a variety of commercial products.

Currently, he is senior adviser to Kentucky Space.

See Also

References

External Links

[http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1402203985 Lincoln's Wrath - Amazon.com] [http://www.MirCorp.org MirCorp.org]

[http://www.yuzoz.com Yuzoz.com]

[http://www.jeffreymanber.org JeffreyManber.org]