Title: Suborbital Experiment Platform
1Suborbital 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
2FASTRACK
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
3FASTRACK
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
4FASTRACK
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
5FASTRACK
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
6FASTRACK
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
7FASTRACK
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
8FASTRACK
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
9FASTRACK
TM
A new opportunity for Space Grant to excite
educators, inspire students, promote scientific
inquiry, and stimulate the next generation of
space explorers.
10Advancing 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
11Microgravity 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)
12Investigation Progression
- Drop Tower testing
- Parabolic flight
- Sub-orbital flight
- Highly elliptical flight
- Orbital sorties
- Visits to ISS
Increased Cost
13Customers
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)