Spaceport Architectures Discussion What is a Spaceport? Spaceport Functional Performance—How Are We Doing? A Structured, Generic Model to Envision Spaceport

Spaceport ArchitecturesDiscussion

• What is a Spaceport? • Spaceport Functional

Performance—How Are We Doing?

• A Structured, Generic Model to Envision Spaceport Enterprises

• A Vision of Space Launch Operations…for ALL of US

CautionCaution: To Achieve the Vision, There WILL Be Catastrophes Along the Way—So, We Need Need to Re-Establish our Proving Grounds

O ctober 8 , 1999 50th in ternationa l A stronautica l C ongress, A m sterda m ,

The N etherlands2

S paceport R o le inS pace T ransporta tion & C om m erce

• D evelopm ent of com m ercia lly viab le spaceports is still in its re lative infancy

• N eed to conceive revo lu tionary spaceport arch itectures Ar

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A vita l architectural elem ent in a new age ofA v ita l architectural elem ent in a new age ofspacebornespaceborne com m erce com m erce

What is a Spaceport?

O ctobe r 8 , 1999 50 th in te rna tiona l A stronau t ica l C ongress, A m ste rda m ,

T he N e the rlands3

L E A D IN G S P A C E P O R T S O F T H E W O R LD

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Im p o rts , A n n u al 19 97” (Issu ed Ju ly 1 99 8)

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*** S o u rce: N o kn o w n in tern a tio n a l trad e so u rces th a t p u b lishw o rld w id e sp aceb o rn e carg o tra ffic fro m sp acep o rts

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N A S A P h o to

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Global Payload Mass Delivery to Space

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Near-termGrowth

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How Can We Help EnableNew Space Market Growth?

•Re-Inventing Flight Systems/Spaceports •Higher Throughput Capability/Capacity•Higher Throughput Capability via Higher Flight Rate Capability•Near-Term: Innovative Applications for Excess Launch Capacity•Minimum of Infrastructure & Operations to Produce a Flight

How Can We Help EnableNew Space Market Growth?

•Re-Inventing Flight Systems/Spaceports •Higher Throughput Capability/Capacity•Higher Throughput Capability via Higher Flight Rate Capability•Near-Term: Innovative Applications for Excess Launch Capacity•Minimum of Infrastructure & Operations to Produce a Flight

Community Infrastructure

Traffic & Flight Control(Including “Range” functions)

System Operations Planning & Management

Spaceport Support Infrastructure

Payload/Cargo

Landing/Recovery

Assembly &Integration

Launch

Turnaround

Depot MaintenanceElement Receipt &

Acceptance

Concept-UniqueLogistics





Payload/Cargo

Landing/Recovery


Launch

Turnaround


Acceptance


A Structured Model ofGeneric Spaceport Functions

Relationship of Generic Functions to Spaceport Enterprises

Vehicle Operator (“airline”)• Landing/Recovery• Turnaround• Element Receipt & Acceptance• Assembly/Integration• Launch• Concept-Unique Logistics• Depot Maintenance

Example Enterprise Grouping of Example Enterprise Grouping of Generic Functions…Generic Functions…

Ground Host/Suppliers (“airport”) • Offline Payload Services

(Cargo/Passenger)•Civil/Military•Commercial

• Traffic/Flight Control • Operations Planning & Management• Spaceport Support Infrastructure • Connecting Infrastructure & Community

Support ServicesCommunity Infrastructure




Cargo

Landing/Recovery


Launch

Turnaround


Acceptance






Landing/Recovery


Launch

Turnaround


Acceptance


A Conceptual ModelA Conceptual Modelof Generic Spaceport Functionsof Generic Spaceport Functions

Offline PayloadProcessing

A Closer Examination of theGeneric Spaceport Model

• Will look at a few examples of the twelve functions in more detail to reveal the technical challenges, management complexities and business opportunities

– Payload FunctionsPayload Functions– Turnaround Functions– Traffic & Flight Control Functions





Payload/Cargo

Landing/Recovery


Launch

Turnaround


Acceptance







Landing/Recovery


Launch

Turnaround


Acceptance


Generic Spaceport Functional DescriptionOffline Payload Processing

Typical Service Options for Customer:

•Sealed Delivery/Deployment only•Scientific Experiments Support•Late Access Services (Perishables/Life Sciences)

•Govt High Security•Payload Commodity Servicing•Personnel Life Support•Test & Checkout•Assembly & Packaging

Payload Varieties & Flight Design Choices:

• Passengers

• Deployable

• Bulk (Commodities and equipment)

• Vehicle Packaging Options

• Design Approaches

Examples of Potential Top-Level FunctionsThat Emerge from the Design ChoicesReceiving/inspection

Verify payload functional

Prepare payload for transport to the launch vehicle

Perform fluids servicing

Perform weight, CG & balance

Package P/L in shipping container; ship

Definition:Functions required at the spaceport to prepare cargo

for shipment into space and retrieval from space.

Also includes those functions performed offline from launch vehicle activity to prepare passengers and/or flight crew for departure to and return from space.

Note: These functions DO NOT include the installation or “integration” of the payload into the launch vehicle.

CRUCIALRELATIONSHIP!

1

From Payload Integration toFrom Payload Integration toSpace Cargo Shipping & ReceivingSpace Cargo Shipping & Receiving

Move from labor intensive, clean room, custom services only...

Vision Spaceport artwork by PatVision Spaceport artwork by Pat Rawlings Rawlings

…To rapid bulk shipping and receiving to and from the space frontier!



– Payload Functions– Turnaround FunctionsTurnaround Functions– Traffic & Flight Control Functions





Payload/Cargo

Landing/Recovery


Launch

Turnaround


Acceptance







Landing/Recovery


Launch

Turnaround


Acceptance


Generic Spaceport Functional DescriptionFlight Element Turnaround Functions

Typical Service Options for Customer:

•P/L installation and/or removal

Flight System Design Options Needing Consideration

• Complexity v. simplicity

• Dependability of reusable flight hardware

• Elimination of Leaks, Shorts, Opens, Cracks, Corrosion • Operational Design Life, Margins

• # of fluid systems

List of Potential Top-Level FunctionsThat Emerge from the Design ChoicesSafing, if required (ordnance, cryos, etc.)

Inspection/checkout to verify system health

Cargo removal/Installation if desired

Troubleshooting and repair as needed

Service commodities and perform close-out if desired

Definition:Functions required to receive and prepare reusable

space vehicle element(s) for assembly/launch ops

Includes any necessary vehicle “safing”, inspections, troubleshooting/repair, checkout, and servicing

Also includes support operations resulting from the foregoing functions (e.g., gaining access, applying power, controlling temperatures, supplying purge gases, etc.).

CRUCIALCRUCIAL

RELATIONSHIP!RELATIONSHIP!

From Complex Turnaround ProcessesFrom Complex Turnaround ProcessesTo Gate-Like OperationsTo Gate-Like Operations

Move from time-consuming, labor-intensive, servicing-intensive, repair-intensive operations with extensive ground support infrastructure, to…

…Simple, dependable vehicle turnaround that replenishes consumables only


Shuttle Orbiter in its Processing Facility



– Payload Functions– Turnaround Functions– Traffic & Flight Control FunctionsTraffic & Flight Control Functions





Payload/Cargo

Landing/Recovery


Launch

Turnaround


Acceptance







Landing/Recovery


Launch

Turnaround


Acceptance


Generic Spaceport Functional Description

Traffic and Flight Control Functions

Typical Service Options for Customer:•Protects space flight from harming general public•Also…

• Measurement and tracking services• In-Flight Communication services• Navigational services• Photographic services

Architectural Design Options Needing Consideration

•Custom vs. Standard Flight Planning

•Lack of Demonstrated Reliability vs Vehicle Certificate following Extensive Flight Certification

•Labor Intensive Control Rooms vs Traffic/Flt Management

•Ground Based vs Space-Based Monitoring

•Ascent vs Descent/Landing Monitoring Req’d

List of Potential Top-Level FunctionsThat Emerge from the Design Choices Management & control of systems for Ground-to-Flight

Vehicle communications

Weather advisory for flight vehicle departure and returns (also for ground operations)

Flight Safety monitor and control during Ascent, Reentry, and Approach & Landing phases

Audio-Visual monitoring of ground operations

Definition:Functions required monitor and control outbound and

inbound space traffic, ground element movements within a spaceport , and also protect the public and high value assets during ground processing and space flight operations

CRUCIALCRUCIAL

RELATIONSHIP!RELATIONSHIP!

A New Vision forA New Vision forSpace Traffic & Flight ControlSpace Traffic & Flight Control

Tomorrow’s Space Traffic & Flight Control Center


Move from labor-intensive, time-consuming “Firing Rooms,” “Range Operations Control rooms”and “Mission Control rooms,” to…

Key Issue in Achieving the Space Traffic and Flight Control Vision

• Must demonstrate dramatic improvements in space flight reliability

– Moving from complex “Range” operations to airport/airliner-like Space Traffic and Flight Control requires orders of magnitude improvement in vehicle reliability

– Status quo is not compatible with the vision

– Will require one or more dedicated RLV “proving ground” with adequate development infrastructure to demonstrate and achieve the dramatic improvements (Back to our initial Cape Canaveral roots)

SA004151-AZ-01-SW -E (A-8)

Aircraft Based on FAA Airworthiness Design CriteriaAre Much More Reliable Than Launch Vehicles

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O ctober 8, 1999 50th internationa l Astronautica l C ongress, A msterdam,

The N etherlands4

Spaceports in Upcom ing M illennium

New Spaceport Architectural Concepts Needed...New Spaceport Architectural Concepts Needed...– Able to integrate functions of launch, landing, traffic/flight

control, cargo/passenger services, propellant logistics (supply, distribution, loading and conditioning), etc., into a reliable, affordable and responsive space transportation capability

… To respond to new m arket developm ent requirem ents:… To respond to new m arket developm ent requirem ents:– Shipping Costs: Reduced an two orders of m agnitude– Safety: Increased from by several orders of m agnitude– Responsiveness: Need weekly/daily launch capability

Spaceport ArchitecturesSpaceport ArchitecturesKey to Achieving a National VisionKey to Achieving a National Vision

Our MissionOur Mission::

Stimulating the Stimulating the creation of affordable creation of affordable space transportationspace transportation

Accomplishing the Accomplishing the mission through mission through collaborative research collaborative research and use of concept & and use of concept & technology technology assessment tools assessment tools

SummarySUMMARY• Taken a Structured, Generic Look at Spaceport Architectural Elements

and a Few Key Issues• Key Principle for Everyone Involved and a charge:

– We must pursue dramatic improvements in space transportation systems such that the flight systems are compatible with the ground systems and our vision of spaceport operations

– That vision is one of affordable, responsive and safe space travel …for all of us!

– Further, research & development investments by both government and industry must recognize the importance of the flight-to ground interactions and use its collective influence to demonstrate that dramatic improvements are achievable and supportive of grand, new space ventures

Documents

Spaceport Architectures Discussion What is a Spaceport? Spaceport Functional Performance—How Are We Doing? A Structured, Generic Model to Envision Spaceport