AIAA Space Transportation Technical Committee Meeting

1
AIAA Space Transportation Technical Committee
Meeting

• Craig H. Williams
• NASA GRC
• 27 Sept 99

2
NASA GRC Highlights (Jul-Sep 99)(Space
Transportation-Related tasks)

• LH2 and LOX densification test facility buildup
  continues and is on schedule for start of
  experiments in November 99 to support space
  transportation programs
• GRC leading preliminary definition of DRACO
  hydrocarbon RBCC engine system. Upon completion,
  engine system engineering and design will be
  handed over to MSFC
• Mostly continuing work in airframe core, Code M,
  etc. tasks within space transportation
• Awaiting resolution of Congressional (House)
  reduction in NASA funding for FY00

3
STCE 1999

• Space Mobility and Operations Track
• STTC chaired track (C.H.Williams)-
• sessions papers session chairmen
• In-space operations and autonomous telerobotic
  systems 5 D. Sciulli
• RLV and EELV policy issues 3 C. H.
  Williams
• Mitigation of the launch environment 3 S.
  Griffin, S. Huybrechts
• Technologies for reusable launch systems
  5 C. H. Williams
• Orbit transfer and maneuver vehicle 5 R.
  Sackheim, D. Stone
• Advanced future space systems 6 C. H.
  Williams
• Design innovations for new launch vehicle
  programs panel R. Simms
• Earth to orbit system studies 6 C. H.
  Williams

4
JPC 2001 Matters

• Letter sent to Arthur C. Clarke inquiring as to
  interest, ability to be a featured speaker.
• Clarke declined due to health reasons
• Metro Goldwyn Mayer contacted regarding
  promotions planned for film/year (awaiting
  response)

5
Space Transportation-Oriented Annual AIAA
Conferences

• Sessions Launch, Space
• Transportation, or Space
• Conference Month Propulsion Oriented Number of
  Attendees Dominated by
• Space Technology and Jan/Feb total 21
  out of 81 (26 ) 1,000 DOE labs,
  industry, foreignApplications International
  Forum systems14 (17 )
• nuclear propulsion power
• four other recently added topics(incl Next Gen
  Launch Systems)
• Joint Propulsion Conference Jun/Jul total
  89 out of 105 (85 )
  1,500 Industry, academia,
• technology systems 12 (11
  ) NASA GRC
• largely rocket propulsion
• Space Technology Conference Sep/Oct total
  14 out of 61 (23 ) 600 NASA
  MSFC, US Army and Exposition systems 9
  (15 ) (c.1990 - 1998)
• defense technology AFRL, other DOD (1999)
• International Astronautical Congress Sep/Oct
  total 20 out of 99 (20 )
  1,500 foreign
• broad range of topics systems16
  (16 )
• International Space Planes and Nov total
  34 out of 34 (100 )
  500 foreignHypersonic Systems and Technology
  systems 8 (24 ) Conference
• atmospheric vehicles
• plasma science

6
Observations and Options Re STTC Conference
Affiliation

• Observations
• Space transportation system, vehicle concept,
  program, etc. sessions are comparable across
  conferences with respect to number and percentage
  of conference activity
• STTC currently affiliated with only one of
  several conferences with significant space
  transportation system sessions
• Other conferences may actually be more
  appropriate to STTC than STCE (such as STAIFs
  Conference on Next Generation Launch Systems )
• Options
• Status quo
• requires no action
• STCE appears to be weakest of conferences
• lack of impact on other major conferences
• Diversify by supporting other conferences
• requires more effort
• more potential impact on higher visibility forums
• Initiate some realignment across conferences
• probably requires a lot work
• opening a can of worms, calling into question
  conference themes and organizers interests
• would simplify/clarify STTC support in future

7
Proposed STTC White Papers

• Proposed STTC white papers
• policy oriented
• promote discussion/action within space
  transportation community
• one page, similar to STTCs Technical Integrity
  white paper (pub. 1996)
• timeline
• draft initially Sep 99, reset to Mar 00
• final Jul 00 (influence post Fall 00 election
  OSTP-discussions)
• Three potential topics proposed
• professional integrity -- discussed by education
  subcommittee
• technical integrity government/industry stated
  goals vs. reasonable capability
• federal funding vs. payoff
• Telecon TBD Oct 99 within subcommittee to discuss
  whether/how to proceed

8
Proposed STTC White Papers(Technical Integrity)

• Emailed to sub-committee members the STTCs
  Technical Integrity white paper by Al McDonald,
  Leon McKinney, Lee Meyer, et al. (1992, 1996)
• theme government and industry promise too much,
  too soon, and too easily
• ill-advised Congressional establishment of
  technical requirements without technical
  background
• government more intent on cutting up funding pies
  than technical integrity
• industry buying-in with low bids and poor
  technical performance
• Potential topics
• lack of quality, reality-based advanced space
  propulsion system studies
• RLV program focussed on cost-to-LEO problem with
  technology program solution
• agency focus on SSTO (as opposed to TSTO)
• dearth of relevant cost estimation data and
  actuals-based projections
• lack of historical knowledge of field by
  leadership
• pedigree of cost reduction goals for technology
  programs
• interstellar transportation expectations vs.
  realities

White paper should present constructive criticism
to provoke thought and action
9
Proposed STTC White Papers(Federal Funding vs.
Payoff)

• No action taken to date
• Potential topic ETO RD vs. in-space
• NASA priority ETO cost/lb
• funding
• ?V (or mass penalty ) ETO vs. in-space
• market share
• manned access vs. unmanned delivery (differing
  requirements)

White paper should present constructive criticism
to provoke thought and action