Suborbital Experiment Platform

1
Suborbital Experiment Platform
FASTRACK
TM

• Presented to
• National Council of Space Grant Directors
• Executive Committee
• October 30, 2007
• James E. Ball
• Spaceport Development Manager
• NASA John F. Kennedy Space Center

2
FASTRACK
TM
A new spaceflight experiment platform in
development by NASA Kennedy Space Center and
Space Florida
The emerging commercial suborbital industry will
dramatically expand access to the space
environment
It offers promise of frequent, affordable, and
responsive flight opportunities
FASTRACK is being designed and developed to
rapidly employ this new experiment environment to
advance microgravity research and space
exploration technologies
FASTRACK is a trademark of NASA John F.
Kennedy Space Center
3
FASTRACK
TM

• Will be jointly developed by NASA Kennedy Space
  Center and Space Florida
• Discussions are underway with other potential
  partners including NASAs Innovative Partnership
  Program and Science Mission Directorate
• Plan is to design and produce in 2008 with
  initial flight testing in 2009 aboard parabolic
  aircraft
• Space qualification of flight units aboard one or
  more suborbital vehicles targeted by end of 2010

4
FASTRACK
TM

• Key project objectives are to achieve
• Compatibility
• Across the entire fleet of emerging commercial
  suborbital vehicles, existing and future
  parabolic flight providers, future orbital
  free-flyers or transports, ISS National Lab
• Accessibility
• Readily available to NASA mission directorates,
  other Federal agencies, industry, academia, and
  educational user groups
• Affordability
• Flights available through government or
  privately-procured commercial services at
  competitive rates anticipated to be in the range
  of 100,000-200,000 in FY 2008 dollars for
  suborbital spaceflight opportunities

5
FASTRACK
TM

• Is
• A versatile rack system incorporating standard
  middeck locker experiment accommodations with
  self-contained power
• Capacity for two single lockers or one double
  locker, a subsystem drawer, and experiment
  apparatus
• Multiple racks can be flown depending on
  supporting vehicle

6
FASTRACK
TM

• Horizontal operations feature runway takeoff and
  recovery
• Offers 2-3 minutes of microgravity, reaching 62
  miles or higher
• Pressurized, conditioned air environment
• Multiple launch sites support reliable and
  competitive opportunities

7
FASTRACK
TM

• Shortened lead time for experiment integration
• Rapid retrieval of samples and data
• Opportunity to re-fly on short turnaround
• Fills gap in microgravity research capabilities
• Reduces risk to longer duration, higher
  investment orbital operations by enabling
  first-step flight testing

8
FASTRACK
TM

• KSC brings extensive experience in space
  experiment processing, hardware development, and
  flight operations
• Space Florida has established the Stephen
  Hawking Microgravity Education and Research
  Center, and has commercial parabolic flight
  experiment experience

9
FASTRACK
TM
A new opportunity for Space Grant to excite
educators, inspire students, promote scientific
inquiry, and stimulate the next generation of
space explorers.
10
Advancing Microgravity Science and
Applications Steps to the ISS National
Laboratory and beyond
Charles Quincy Sustainable Systems
Division Applied Technology Directorate John F.
Kennedy Space Center National Council of Space
Grant Directors October 30, 2007
11
Microgravity Science Fields of Study Primary
Use Drivers

• Combustion Science
• Fluid Physics
• Materials Science
• Dust Aggregation

• ESMD technology development.
• Assessment of SOMD developmental hardware and
  software.
• Growth and success of ISS user base
• (National Lab Initiative).
• Education/Outreach
• National Space Grant Consortium

• The Aging Process
• Infectious Disease
• Molecular Biology
• Preventive Medicine
• Gene Protein Expression

• National Institutes of Health
• National Science Foundation
• Department of Energy
• Department of Agriculture
• Department of Defense

• Private Space Hardware Developers
• Offers cost-effective hardware experiment
  pre-ISS test flights.
• Reduces risk to space operations technology
  development.
• Pharmaceuticals (crystal formation in Micro-g)
• Biotechnology Product Development
• Computer Chip Materials Development
• Cosmetic Firms (novel product development)

12
Investigation Progression

• Drop Tower testing
• Parabolic flight
• Sub-orbital flight
• Highly elliptical flight
• Orbital sorties
• Visits to ISS

Increased Cost
13
Customers
ISS National Laboratory
Resource Allocation Crew time
SAA TRL 1-9
MOU SAA LOA
MOU TRL 1-9
UP Mass Down Mass
ISS Operations Control
Shuttle, Other, COTS, CEV
Public State
SAA TRL 1-9
Launch Landing Preparation Zone
Concept Refinement Zone
Activity Selected for ISS Experimentation
Evaluation
SAA TRL 1-3
Selection For ISS Experimentation
Project Plan TRL 4-6
- Concept Evaluation - Team Development and
Meeting - Requirements Development - Selection of
Flight Configuration - Science verification Test
- Build, Configure, and Test Flight
Configuration - Certify for Flight - Conduct
Flight Operations - Conduct Post Flight Operations
NASA (SOMD, SMD, ESMD)