RLV

1
RLV Summit Debrief
Launch Operations Support Working Group May
23, 2006
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Why an Entrepreneurial RLV Summit

• New National Space Transportation Policy set the
  policy playing field
• Encourages use of U.S. commercial capabilities to
  meet national needs
• Identifies commercial human space flight sector
  of industry -- first time
• FAA/AST sought to increase the Air Forces level
  of awareness of entrepreneurial space industry
  capabilities
• ASTs mission is to encourage, facilitate, and
  promote growth of the commercial space
  transportation industry
• Attempt to highlight new low-cost,
  rapid-prototype space technologies that may be
  options for meeting challenging spacelift goals
  under tight budgets

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Outline

• Agenda
• Forum
• Format
• Attendees
• Highlights
• Key Discussion Topics
• Way Ahead

t/space
XCOR
t/space
Andrews
XCOR
Masten
Starchaser
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Agenda

• Opening Remarks
• Patti Grace Smith, FAA Associate Administrator
  for Commercial Space Transportation
• Dr. Ron Sega, Under Secretary of the Air Force
• Lt Gen Frank G. Klotz, Commander of Air Force
  Space Command
• Entrepreneurial RLV Developer Presentations
• XCOR Aerospace
• The Rocketplane Kistler Company
• Transformational Space (t/Space)
• SpaceDev
• Masten Space Systems
• Interorbital
• Andrews Space and Technology
• Starchaser Industries
• Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX)
• Government Presentations
• Assured Access to Space Objectives
• Operational Responsive Spacelift Needs
• Joint Warfighting Space Objectives

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Forum

• First RLV Summit of its kind, developed by
  General Lord and Ms. Smith
• To increase awareness at Air Force executive
  level about commercial RLV industry capabilities,
  concepts and designs
• Consistent with national policy and increased
  activity in the commercial space transportation
  market
• To discuss and explore the militarys needs,
  policy direction and potential applications for
  commercial space launch systems
• Assured Access objectives
• Operationally Responsive Spacelift needs
• Joint Warfighter Space objectives

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Format

• Scope
• FAA/AST and U.S. Air Force jointly hosted an
  executive-level summit
• Facilitated interaction between emerging RLV
  developers and the Air Force in an effort to
  better understand how commercial systems can meet
  military plans and needs for the future
• Involved developers who have a working
  relationship with AST and who have shared their
  development plans
• Many of the developers either hold or are
  actively seeking a license or permit from AST
• Format
• 3 Phases, followed by an Executive Session
• Phase 1- Private industry presentation on
  capabilities to include concepts, designs and
  technical objectives
• Phase 2 - Government presentation on needs,
  policy direction, and potential use of emerging
  commercial systems
• Phase 3 - Industry and government open discussion
  on how to meet the nations needs through
  exploitation of reusable launch systems

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Attendees
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Summit Highlights

• Observations
• Entrepreneurs want to be recognized for their
  uniqueness
• Firm, fixed-price contracts vs. cost-plus
• AF needs to visit with entrepreneurial companies
• US needs a clear and results producing
  acquisition strategy
• Nuggets
• Convergence of USAF/Entrepreneurial/NASA sector
  goals
• AF committed to innovative, complementary
  technologies
• NASA needs satisfied with commercial technologies
• Focus on reusability, turnaround and use of
  existing technologies in new ways
• Practical solutions near term -- Innovative
  solutions that can meet near and far term targets
• Technical and launch

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Summit Highlights (cont)

• Nuggets
• Perception that only a large company can achieve
  these goals Entrepreneurial uniqueness Taking
  advantage changes the institutional paradigm
• Streamlined capabilities with low overhead
• Options for horizontal and vertical launch,
  manned and unmanned
• Government contracting/program delays
• Responsive companies w/ staying power
• Insight vs. oversight
• Reconsider approach to risk
• Where can Government afford to take more risks?
• Risk/reward relationship reexamined -- Risk
  rationale
• Which barriers should be eliminated first?

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Way Ahead

• Review results with AF and FAA --Share
  information w/community
• Raise issues to the national level -- Stress
  economic imperative
• Agree to follow-on meetings -- Working Level and
  Executive Level
• Gain insight into new technologies that could be
  incorporated into science and technology
  demonstrations
• Arrange and establish schedule for visits to
  entrepreneurial companies to see hardware and
  observe where efficiencies are in evidence to
  produce results
• AST participation in AFRL Technology Exchange
  with explicit pro-entrepreneurial groups to share
  and receive insight and information

Lt Gen Klotz Build national security space
community awareness of ongoing entrepreneurial
efforts in the commercial spacelift industry