Stern/Sep 2009

Research & Education MissionsFor Next-Gen Suborbital Flight

Alan Stern

Southwest Research InstituteBlue Origin

Virgin Galactic

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X-Prize Private Suborbital Flight Competition: 2004

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X-Prize Private Suborbital Flight Competition: 2004

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SpaceshipOne’s Successor: SpaceshipTwo: 2008

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Spaceship Two Development: 2009

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Spaceship Two Development: 2009

Spaceship Two Begins Test Flights Early Next Year and Commercial Ops the Next Year.

Seat Prices for Early Commercial Ops are$200K.

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And Virgin’s SpaceShip Has Some Competition: from Blue Origin

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Blue Origin is an aerospace company building a suborbital vehicle for research and space tourism.

Blue Origin is based in Kent, Washington.

Jeff Bezos’s Blue Origin

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Blue Origin is developing the New Shepard isuborbital system to routinely fly multiple astronauts into space

at competitive prices.

Blue Origin’s Vehicle is New Shepard

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<0.003 Gs in CoastMicrogravity Levels

Attribute New ShepardVehicle Capability

Crew/Payload Capacity 3 or more astronauts and/or racks

Experiment Mass 120 kg per position

Windows One per crew positionPower 28 VDC provided

In-Flight Communications Recorded voice, & low-data rate link for experiment TM/control

Data Recording Post-flight download of trajectory measurements

Pointing Accuracy ±5° per axis during coastTurning Capability Yes

Some New Shepard Capabilities

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And Virgin and Blue Origin Have Competition Too

From Newspace Companies Like:

Armadillo Aerospace

XCOR

Masten Space Systems

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Research & Education Missions (REM)

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Research & Education Missions (REM)

All scientific, engineering, and other technical R&D activities applicable to commercial suborbital space flight vehicles.

And all education and public outreach activities applicable to commercial suborbital space flight vehicles.

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Unique Features of Next-Gen Suborbital Research

Frequent Access to Space at Low Cost– 10x the microgravity time of Zero-G aircraft, and a 100x

cleaner microgravity environment. – Direct access to the “ignorosphere.”– Hundreds to thousands of Seats flown each year.

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Fewer constraints on, and Gentler Rides for Payloads– Fly off the shelf laboratory equipment.– Fly researchers with their payloads.– Fly larger payloads than can be flown inside Shuttle or

ISS.– Simple, fast safety/integration processes, Like zero-G

aircraft instead of Shuttle/ISS.

Unique Features of Next-Gen Suborbital Research

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Flexible Operations– Worldwide launch basing.– Ability to launch at specific times coincident with

phenomenology, in synch with classes, in sync with circadian rhythms, etc.

– Rapid access to samples, test subjects, etc. post-flight

Unique Features of Next-Gen Suborbital Research

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These Attributes Make the REM Market Rich With Applications

In Atmospheric ScienceIn Life SciencesIn Earth Science & OceanographyIn Space PhysicsIn Astronomy & Solar PhysicsIn Instrument Test & DemonstrationIn Microgravity R&DAnd for Education, Training, & Public Outreach

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Why REM Is Next-Gen Suborbital’s Killer App

Only relatively small numbers of tourists (hundreds) have paid $200K to fly.

But $200K is cheap for governments and industry space research programs.

There are over 190 nations on Earth, And virtually all can afford a rem program that spurs national pride, research, & education at $200K per flight. (Even aruba can now have a human space flight program!)

unlike tourists who buy 1 or 2 tickets, research programs buy dozens to hundreds, and then come back for more, year after year.

The estimated REM market over 5 years is many, many thousands of seats.

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But There Are Some ChallengesOvercoming the Giggle FactorOvercoming Safety Concerns

Educating ResearchersEducating IndustryEducating USG Funding AgenciesInitiating Proof of Concept Investigations

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A Historical PerspectiveTHE 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), General Electric Co. 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 University F. L. Whipple, Harvard University”

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Enter: SARG

msummers@physics.gmu.eduAtmospheric Science

George Mason U.Dr. Michael Summers

miles@princeton.eduAero/DoD AppsPrincetonDr. Richard Miles

john@pojman.comμGLSUDr. John Pojman

collicott@purdue.eduμGPurdueDr. Steven Collicott

jcolwell@physics.ucf.eduPlanetary Science

U. Central FloridaDr. Joshua Colwell

durda@boulder.swri.eduPlanetary Science

SwRIDr. Daniel Durda

mjs@dizzy.med.jhu.eduLife SciencesJohns HopkinsDr. Mark Shelhamer

erika@mit.eduLife SciencesMITDr. Erika Wagner

dgrinspoon@dmns.orgEPODMNSDr. David Grinspoon

Astern2010@aol.comVariousSwRIDr. S. Alan Stern Chair

EmailDiscipline InstitutionIndividual

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Next-Generation Suborbital Researchers Conference

Boulder, Colorado: 18-20 February 2010

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Suborbital Researchers Conference (SRC)

Objectives: Educate 250+ researchers across 9 relevant REM fields; Demonstrate interest in REM to Government agencies, suborbital providers, press, & policy makers.

Organizing Institutions: SwRI, USRA, CSFVenue: Boulder, CO; 18-20 Feb 2010Format: 2.5 days, plenary overview

& parallel technical sessionsSponsors: SwRI, USRA, ULA, NASTAR,…

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SRC Meeting Outline

Day 0: Welcome Reception (Evening)Day 1:

Morning: Plenary Opening Session: Invited Keynote TalksAfternoon: Three Parallel Technical SessionsEvening: Public Lecture

Day 2:Morning: Three Parallel Technical SessionsAfternoon: Three Parallel Technical Sessions

Day 3:Morning: Plenary Panel Discussion, Closing Session, Press Conference

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SRC Meeting Sessions

3/Morning

2/Afternoon2/Afternoon2/Afternoon2/Morning2/Morning2/Morning

1/Evening1/Afternoon1/Afternoon1/Afternoon1/Morning

Day/SegmentDay/Segment

Closing Plenary (Sirangelo)

Ionosphere/Aurora (Englert)Miscellaneous/Other (Pojman)EPO (Grinspoon)Technology Applications & Payloads (Miles)Microgravity Physics (Collicott)Atmospheric Science (Summers)

Evening Public Lecture (Durda)Planetary and Astrophysical Science (Durda)Space Grant REM CompetitionSpace Life Sciences (Wagner & Shelhamer)Opening Plenary (Stern & Colwell)

Session (Proposed Chair)Session (Proposed Chair)

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SRC Meeting Milestones

First announcement posted Sep 2009

Abstract deadline Nov 2009

Abstracts to program committee Nov 2009

Final text & session assignments due Dec 2009

Final announcement posted Dec 2009

Pre-registration deadline Jan 2010

http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/nsrc2010/

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2010Suborbital Researchers Conference

Boulder, Colorado: 18-20 Feb 2010

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Suborbital Research & Education Missions:Momentum is Building

Suborbital Providers Are Taking REM SeriouslySuborbital Programs are in the NewsThe NRC is Taking NoticeAs are Foreign Countries