steven h. collicott school of aeronautics and astronautics, purdue university

Activities of the Sub-orbital Applications Researchers Group

(SARG) of the Commercial Spaceflight Federation (CSF)

Steven H. CollicottSchool of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Purdue University

Alan Stern, SwRI BoulderJohn Gedmark, Commercial Spaceflight Federation

AIAA 50th ASM January 2012

Today

• What is SARG, what is CSF?• What does SARG do? Why? • Update on activities• Conclude

SARG Intro: A Historical Perspective• THE V-2 PANEL: “Milton Rosen…suggested that the group might

apply its wartime experience with missiles and communications, including television, to a study of the upper atmosphere. Accordingly, at an organizing meeting at Princeton University 27 Feb 1946, a panel was formed of members to be actually engaged in or in some way directly concerned with high-altitude rocket research. The original members were:

• E. H. Krause (chairman), Naval Research Laboratory • G. K. Megerian (secretary), GE • W. G. Dow, University of Michigan • M. J. E. Golay, U.S. Army Signal Corps • C. F. Green, General Electric Co. • K. H. Kingdon, General Electric Co. • M. H. Nichols, Princeton University • J. A. Van Allen, Johns Hopkins U. • F. L. Whipple, Harvard University”

What is CSF?The Commercial Spaceflight Federation is an industry

association to collectively advance commercial spaceflight in various forms.

CSF is in Washington, DC.A small staff, four people now:

A president plus Alex Saltman, Exec. Dir., Matt Isakowitz, Assoc. Dir., Srishi Bandla, Ass’t Dir.

Member companies: Rocket companies, spaceports, rocket hardware suppliers, and now Educational Affiliates too.

Advocacy nationally (FAA, etc.) and at state level too regarding licensing, liability, etc.

EXECUTIVE MEMBERS

Armadillo AerospaceBigelow AerospaceBlue OriginExcalibur AlmazJacksonville - Cecil Field Spaceport

Masten Space SystemsMojave SpaceportSierra Nevada CorporationSouthwest Research Institute Space AdventuresSpace FloridaSpaceport America SpaceXUnited Launch AllianceVirgin GalacticXCOR Aerospace

ASSOCIATE MEMBERS

AerojetAndrews Space, Inc.ARES CorporationBarrios TechnologyBWSCCimarronDavid Clark CompanyDCI Services and Consulting Ecliptic Enterprises Corp. ETC - NASTAR CenterGriffin CommunicationsIHAJacobs TechnologyJ&P TechnologiesMDA CorporationMEI TechnologiesMoon Express

ORBITECOSIDAParagon SDCPratt & Whitney RocketdyneRaytheonRS&HScaled CompositesSEAKR EngineeringSpecial Aerospace ServicesSRA InternationalTriumph Aerospace-NNUnited Space AllianceWyleX PRIZE FoundationAeroports de Catalunya

CSF Members

What is SARG?

SARG is Sub-orbital Applications Researchers Group SARG is about Sub-orbital . Not Dragon Lab, not

ISS, etc.SARG is about Researchers. Not a certain topic, not

a certain NASA division.SARG is a collection of volunteers who are

dedicated to accelerating the research use of the emerging commercial sub-orbital rocket industry.

SARG Purpose

The purposes of SARG are to:- Advance or accelerate the use of the new

commercial sub-orbital industry for scientific research.

- Advocate for legislative and policy choices that will enable, or remove roadblocks to, use of the new commercial sub-orbital industry for scientific research.

Who is SARG?Dr. Alan Stern SwRI - Boulder Planetary ScienceDr. Emily CoBabe-Amman

Emily A. CoBabe-Ammann and Associates

Science Education and Planning

Dr. Josh Colwell U. Central Florida Particulate PhysicsDr. Steven Collicott Purdue University Microgravity FluidsDr. Dan Durda SwRI - Boulder Planetary ScienceDr. John Pojman Louisiana State U. Polymer ChemistryDr. Richard Miles Princeton University HypersonicsDr. Mark Shelhamer Johns Hopkins Life SciencesDr. Mike Summers George Mason Atmospheric SciencesDr. Erika Wagner X-Prize/U. Washington Life SciencesMr. Charles Walker various Commercial Astronaut

How does SARG work?

1. Advocacy (this talk is one example)2. The annual Next-gen Sub-orbital Researchers

Conference (NSRC). 3. Individuals dedicate their time to developing

new programs, relationships, opportunities, demonstration experiments, etc.,

4. Education and Public Outreach activities.

SARG Advocacy

SARG Advocacy

• Who: SARG talks to FAA Commercial Spaceflight Division, OMB, congressional committee staffers, congressional representatives, NASA leaders, etc.

• Topics: – Uncertainty in FAA licensing for research flights, – Renewing legislation regarding FAA regulation of early

commercial sub-orbital flights– NASA CRuSR program

• Creating it• Maintaining it• Trying to save the second R

SARG Advocacy

• Spurring NSF, NIH, NOAA, DOE, etc., to recognize that some of their research interests can be addresses with these new low-cost vehicles.

• We are working to eliminate the reaction, “Rocket? Space? Zero-g? NASA funds that.”

• This talk• I organized an ASM 2010 session that kicked off MSP-

TC inclusion of next-gen suborbital topics. Was well-attended.

Volunteerism

• We are not compensated for our service.• Altruistically seeking to advance US science (South

Korea already has signed a $30M wet-lease with XCOR) and industry for science flights. Members are `nuts about space flight’ and interested in a chance to make a difference.

• Many of us desire to be flying experiments as soon as possible, and getting involved early with SARG is one way to do so.

Early Involvements• Most SARG members have participated in `Sub-orbital scientist

training’ at NASTAR Center.– Become familiar with the hardships and requirements of 3-minute

human-tended experiment operations. – Become, thus, wiser for experiment planning and hardware design.

• Three selected by Blue Origin for `Pathfinder’ missions.

Significant automated science payloads. • A sub-group of SARG is meeting to define a smart choice for

pre-flight training for human-tended flight research. Differs from tourism because of research sponsors. – Avoiding spurious requirements

Training Working Group

• A sub-group of SARG is meeting to define a smart choice for pre-flight training for human-tended flight research. Differs from tourism because of research sponsors. – Increase odds of earliest sub-orbital flights to drive

further use of the industry for research. – Avoiding spurious requirements imposed by

sponsors, agencies, insurance companies, etc.– Maintain the industry’s low cost for access to space

Education and Public Outreach

• Dr. Emily Co-Babe Amman has joined SARG this year to accelerate EPO efforts.

• NSRC-10 and -11 both had `Public Nights’ which drew well (NSRC-12 abstract submittals just grew too big for a public night)

• Numerous media interactions: NY Times, AvWeek, Physics Today, down to very small events like a talk to a Tippecanoe County Public Library book club.

NSRC

• An annual gathering of researchers, flight providers, associated industries, NASA, FAA, etc., interested in “Next-Gen Suborbital” research.

• 2010 in Boulder, SwRI• 2011 in Orlando, UCF• Feb 27-29, 2012 in Palo Alto, NASA-Ames

nsrc.swri.org• 2013 planning has begun

NSRC Research Attendees

• Microgravity Fluids• Microgravity

combustion• Life Sciences• Planetary Sciences• Astronomers• Atmospheric Sciences• Planetary

Atmospheres

• Crew Training• Neuro-Vestibular

Studies• Particulate Physics• HypersonicsPlus:FAA, NASA, AFOSR

attendees too.

Rocket Companies Participating

• Virgin Galactic• Blue Origin• XCOR• Armadillo Aerospace• Masten Space Systems

NSRC Reminders

• Register early for XCOR raffle! (after reading the fine print from the lawyers)

• Record number of abstracts submitted• Special sessions with rocket company updates,

spaceport-research interfacing, lessons learned in sub-orbital experiment design for next-gen vehicles, policy, markets, etc.

• Sunday evening reception kicks it off.

1. Conclude: SARG has…

- aided in creation of CRuSR program- aided in persistence of CRuSR program- aided in driving legislative and policy choices

to permit the emergence of the commercial sub-orbital rocket market for science applications

- Failed to protect the second `R’ in CRuSR

2. Conclude: SARG has…- Succeeded in creation of NSRC, an annual meeting

of extreme variety in science topics to help drive the commercial sub-orbital rocket research market.

- To, still, enlighten NSF, NIH, NOAA, DOE, DoD, and others that sub-orbital rocket flights can be used to address their research needs in a new, low-cost, repeatable manner.

- XCOR charges $95k for 200lb person, this is $500 per pound.