US space technology companies Hughes Electronics and Boeing Satellite Systems have been fined by the US State Department for illegally sharing space technology with China in the 1990s, Reuters reported. The charges related to satellite matters involving China, including the failed launches of two commercial communications satellites.
The two firms, which had denied the charges, issued a joint statement accepting responsibility and expressing regret for not having obtained the necessary licences before providing China with analysis of launch failures, or information or assistance relating to the design and construction of satellite-related products. They will pay a civil penalty totalling US$32m and have agreed to appoint a third party to monitor export compliance with China and former Soviet Union countries.
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