DOCSLIB.ORG

Space Planes and Space Tourism: the Industry and the Regulation of Its Safety

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Space Planes and Space Tourism: the Industry and the Regulation of Its Safety Space Planes and Space Tourism: The Industry and the Regulation of its Safety A Research Study Prepared by Dr. Joseph N. Pelton Director, Space & Advanced Communications Research Institute George Washington University George Washington University SACRI Research Study 1 Table of Contents Executive Summary…………………………………………………… p 4-14 1.0 Introduction…………………………………………………………………….. p 16-26 2.0 Methodology…………………………………………………………………….. p 26-28 3.0 Background and History……………………………………………………….. p 28-34 4.0 US Regulations and Government Programs………………………………….. p 34-35 4.1 NASA’s Legislative Mandate and the New Space Vision………….……. p 35-36 4.2 NASA Safety Practices in Comparison to the FAA……….…………….. p 36-37 4.3 New US Legislation to Regulate and Control Private Space Ventures… p 37 4.3.1 Status of Legislation and Pending FAA Draft Regulations……….. p 37-38 4.3.2 The New Role of Prizes in Space Development…………………….. p 38-40 4.3.3 Implications of Private Space Ventures…………………………….. p 41-42 4.4 International Efforts to Regulate Private Space Systems………………… p 42 4.4.1 International Association for the Advancement of Space Safety… p 42-43 4.4.2 The International Telecommunications Union (ITU)…………….. p 43-44 4.4.3 The Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS).. p 44 4.4.4 The European Aviation Safety Agency…………………………….. p 44-45 4.4.5 Review of International Treaties Involving Space………………… p 45 4.4.6 The ICAO -The Best Way Forward for International Regulation.. p 45-47 5.0 Key Efforts to Estimate the Size of a Private Space Tourism Business……… p 47 5.1. NASA’s Initiatives —The COTS Program………………………………. p 47-50 5.2 Projecting the Space Tourism Business………………………………….. .. p 50-57 6.0 Current Corporate Effort to Develop the Space Tourism Market in the US… p 57 6.1 History of Space Planes & Alternative Ways to Access Low Earth Orbit. p 57-60 6.2 The X-Prize and Commercial Efforts to Develop Space Tourism………… p 60-69 6.3 Space Adventures…………………………………………………………….. p 69-70 6.4 Scaled Composites, The SpaceShip Corporation and Virgin Galactic p 70-71 6.5 Rocketplane-Kistler………………………………………………………….. p 71-72 6.6 Space Exploration Technologies Corporation (SpaceX)………………….. p 72 6.7 SpaceDev – Dreamchaser…………………………………………………… p 72-74 6.8 AERA SpaceTours – Altairis…………………………………….………… p 74 6.9 Kelly Space and Transportation Company……………………..…………. p 74-75 6.10 Alliant ATK Pathfinder……………………………………………………. p 75-76 6.11 XCOR (Xerus)……………………………………………………………… p 76-77 6.12 JP Aerospace – The “Other Space Program”………………………….… p 77-79 6.13 Blue Origin……………………………………………………………. p 79-80 6.14 The Transformational Space Corp (t/Space)………………….……. p 80-81 6.15 The Personal Spaceflight Federation……………………………….. p 81-82 6.16 Other Programs………………………………………………………. p 82-83 6.17 US Oversight of Space Tourism……………………………………… p 83-85 7.0 Other Initiatives to Develop Space Plan Capabilities…………………………. p 85 7.1 Russian Initiatives……………………………………………………… p 85 7.1.1 Energia Space Missile Corp……………………………………… p 85-87 7.1.2 Federal State Unitary Enterprise Myasishschev Design Bureau p 87 7.2 Argentine Commercial Launch Development Program……………… p 87-88 7.3 Australian Projects……..……………………………………………….. p 88-89 7.4 Canadian Projects………..……….…………………………………….. p 89 7.4.1 Canadian Arrow Project and Planet Space…………………….. p 89-90 7.4.2 The DaVinci Project……………………………………………… p 90 7.5 Chinese Space Program………………………………………………… p 91 7.6 European Private Space Initiatives……………………….…………… p 91 7.6.1 European Space Agency and Space Tourism…………………. p 91-92 7.6.2 ESA’s Future Launch Preparatory Program…………………… p 92-93 7.6.2.1 Phoenix and PreX projects of EADS……………………… p 93 7.6.2.2 Project Enterprise………………………………………….. p 93-95 7.6.3 Bristol Space Planes.......................………………………….. p 95-97 George Washington University SACRI Research Study 2 7.7 Indian Space Plane – RLV Initiative……………………………..……… p 97-98 7.8 Israeli Space Plane initiative……….. ……………………………………. p 98 7.9 New Commercial Space Plan Efforts in the Military Sector…………… p 98 7.9.1 Military Initiatives in the United States………………………….. p 98-99 7.9.2 Other Military Space Plane Programs…………………………… p 99 8.0 US Spaceports (Federally Licensed and Proposed)……………….………… p 99-103 8.1 California Spaceport………p 104 8.2 Kodiak Launch Complex………………………………………………….. p 103-105 8.3 Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport……………………………………….... p 105-106 8.4 Mojave Airport…………………………………………………………….. p 106-108 8.5 Space Florida……………………………………………………………….. p 108-109 8.6 Southwest Regional Spaceport, Upham, New Mexico…………………… p 109-110 8.7 Proposed or Currently Being Implemented Non-Federal US Spaceports p 110-112 8.7.1 The Gulf Coast Regional Spaceport (Brazoria County, Texas)… p 112 8.7.2 Oklahoma Spaceport…………..…………………………………... p 112-113 8.7.3 South Texas Spaceport…………………………………………….. p 113-114 8.7.4 Spaceport Alabama………………………………………………... p 114 8.7.5 Spaceport Washington……………………………………………. p 114-115 8.7.6 West Texas Spaceport…………………………………………….. p 115 8.7.7 Wisconsin Spaceport………………………………………………. p 116 8.8 Assessment of US Spaceport Safety……………………………………… p 116-117 9.0 International Spaceport Projects……………………………………………… p 117-118 9.1 Canadian Forces Meaford Range………………………………………….. p 118 9.2 Space Adventures Singapore and UAE Spaceports………………………. p 118-120 9.3 Woomera, Australia………………………………………………………... p 120 10.0 Inhabited Space Facilities…………………………………………………... p 120-121 10.1 Inflatable Spacehabs - Bigelow Aerospace……………………………… p 121-123 10.2 Neptune Space Station—InterOrbital Systems………………………… p 123-127 11.0 Longer range efforts to provide private access to space………………….. p 127 11.1 The Space Elevator Project……………………….……………………. p 127-130 11.2 Tethers Unlimited Inc…………………………………………………… p 130-132 11.3 Nuclear Propulsion, Ion Engines, Solar Sails and other space access.. p 132 12.0 New Approaches to Space Safety in the 21st Century…………………….. p 132-133 12.1 Impact of New Technologies……………………………………………. p 133-134 12.2 Innovations in Regulations and Best Practices………………………… p 134-139 12.3 Differences in Approach to Space Safety by Private Ventures & NASA p 139-140 13.0 Findings, Observations and Conclusions…………………………………... p 140-142 Bibliography and References…………………………………………………….. p 143-152 APPENDICES 1. Chronology of Space Tourism…………………………………………..p. A-1/A-6 2. International Space Projects and Launch Centers…………………….p. A-7/A-12 3. FAA Final Rulemaking………………………………………………….p. A-13/A-71 4. Glossary………………………………………………………………… p. A-72/A-76 George Washington University SACRI Research Study 3 Shuttle and the Russian Soyuz programs EXECUTIVE SUMMARY have demonstrated that human access to space is possible with some regularity, and now true mass access to space appears to Introduction be on the horizon. Indeed the most significant The space age is now a half- development in space activities in the last century old. Over the past fifty years, few years seems to be the emergence of since the launch of Sputnik, in October private enterprise as an important 1957 there have been remarkable stimulant to the growth of a new “space achievements. Astronauts have gone to the tourism” business. Remarkably we now Moon and returned. The Hubble and begin to see the realistic emergence of Chandra Telescopes have discovered new space commercialization as a serious secrets of the Universe at its most remote business enterprise. A number of high reaches. The International Space Station profile billionaire entrepreneurs are now has now been largely deployed and new bankrolling many of these new rockets are being built to allow longer- commercial space businesses. Notable term exploration of space. For decades, the individuals include Paul Allen, the advancement in space technology and Microsoft co-founder, Sir Richard space exploration has been spearheaded by Branson, founder of Virgin Atlantic and the official national space agencies. The now head of Virgin Galactic, Elon Musk, National Space and Astronautics the founder of PayPal and now head of Administration (NASA) in the United Space X, Jeff Bezos, founder of States has made numerous strides, but has Amazon.com and now head of Blue stumbled with deployment of the Origin, and Robert Bigelow, heir to International Space Station and the Budget Suites and now the dynamic head Challenger and Columbia Space Shuttle of Bigelow Aerospace. These billionaire disasters. NASA Commercial Orbital backers of new space commercialization Transportation Service (COTS), by initiatives, and others of their ilk, have seeking active commercial leadership in become trailblazers in this remarkable new this development, may well have helped to industry where the sky is no longer the provide an important commercial boost to limit. the rapid development of the space tourism business. Arguably of equal importance is the stimuli created by several new and The world’s other space innovative space technology competitions. organizations have also made their These competitive space prizes—most contributions to space development and, in notably the Ansari X-Prize—have altered some cases are helping with the the landscape of contemporary space development of space plane vehicles and systems development. Literally dozens of even the space tourism industry. The new efforts to create viable space plane European Space Agency (ESA), the industries trace their origins to the X-Prize French Space Agency (CNES), the competition. The $10-million dollar X- German Space Agency (DLR), the Prize, that Burt Rutan and Paul Allen have Russian Space Agency (Roscosmos), the now claimed, has done perhaps more to Japanese Space Exploration Agency create a new space commercialization (JAXA), the Chinese Space Agency, the industry than any other single factor. Peter Indian Space Research Organization Diamandis, who sees himself as the (ISRO), the Brazil Space Agency (INPE) ultimate entrepreneur, joined with fellow and other governmental space agencies graduate students Todd Hawley and Bob have all made contributions and, as Richards to found the International Space discussed later, some agencies such as University in 1983-1984. Along with Greg ESA and Roscomos have active programs Maryniak and others, Diamandis has long in the space tourism arena.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • SPEAKERS TRANSPORTATION CONFERENCE FAA COMMERCIAL SPACE 15TH ANNUAL John R
    15TH ANNUAL FAA COMMERCIAL SPACE TRANSPORTATION CONFERENCE SPEAKERS COMMERCIAL SPACE TRANSPORTATION http://www.faa.gov/go/ast 15-16 FEBRUARY 2012 HQ-12-0163.INDD John R. Allen Christine Anderson Dr. John R. Allen serves as the Program Executive for Crew Health Christine Anderson is the Executive Director of the New Mexico and Safety at NASA Headquarters, Washington DC, where he Spaceport Authority. She is responsible for the development oversees the space medicine activities conducted at the Johnson and operation of the first purpose-built commercial spaceport-- Space Center, Houston, Texas. Dr. Allen received a B.A. in Speech Spaceport America. She is a recently retired Air Force civilian Communication from the University of Maryland (1975), a M.A. with 30 years service. She was a member of the Senior Executive in Audiology/Speech Pathology from The Catholic University Service, the civilian equivalent of the military rank of General of America (1977), and a Ph.D. in Audiology and Bioacoustics officer. Anderson was the founding Director of the Space from Baylor College of Medicine (1996). Upon completion of Vehicles Directorate at the Air Force Research Laboratory, Kirtland his Master’s degree, he worked for the Easter Seals Treatment Air Force Base, New Mexico. She also served as the Director Center in Rockville, Maryland as an audiologist and speech- of the Space Technology Directorate at the Air Force Phillips language pathologist and received certification in both areas. Laboratory at Kirtland, and as the Director of the Military Satellite He joined the US Air Force in 1980, serving as Chief, Audiology Communications Joint Program Office at the Air Force Space at Andrews AFB, Maryland, and at the Wiesbaden Medical and Missile Systems Center in Los Angeles where she directed Center, Germany, and as Chief, Otolaryngology Services at the the development, acquisition and execution of a $50 billion Aeromedical Consultation Service, Brooks AFB, Texas, where portfolio.
    [Show full text]
  • Mitchell Thomas JOS Article
    H-SC Journal of Sciences (2017) Vol. VI Thomas Mars: A prospect for settlement Mitchell H. Thomas’17 Department of Biology, Hampden-Sydney College, Hampden-Sydney, VA 23943 The exploration of Mars was once left to the imagination. However, in recent years, the topic of exploring Mars has become more realistic and increasingly popular in news articles and scientific communities. Technology developed in the previous half-century have already allowed humans to send rovers to Mars in order to retrieve some basic data about the planet. Current technological advancements are resulting in reusable rockets that could one day travel between Earth and Mars. Exploration and colonization of Mars are important for the development of research on the planet and the search for life. Current data is limited, but shows that the conditions on Mars could have supported life in the past. To further our knowledge of the red planet, The atmosphere surrounding Earth is nearly organizations like NASA and companies like SpaceX one-hundred times denser than that of Mars and its are developing plans to colonize Mars. Many composition is crucial to life. According to NASA, the obstacles stand in the way before humans can reach Earth’s atmosphere is comprised of 78% Nitrogen, and colonize the red planet. However, Mars is the 21% Oxygen, and 1% Other. On Mars, the sparse best option for interplanetary colonization and the atmosphere is comprised of nearly 96% Carbon most feasible way to research current and future life Dioxide, less than 2% Argon, less than 2% Nitrogen, on a planet other than Earth.
    [Show full text]
  • White House Frontiers Conference
    View the Conference Website Conference Mobile Site View the CMU Highlight Video Example Schedule: National Track Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning, Automation, Robotics October 13, 2016 | 8:30 AM – 12:00 PM Pittsburgh, PA| Carnegie Mellon University Welcome & Introduction Remarks on Harnessing Emerging Technologies at the State and Local Level Tom Wolf, Governor, Pennsylvania Ignite Talks: Artificial Intelligence (AI) For Good AI for Wildlife Preservation Tanya Berger-Wolf, Professor, Department of Computer Science, University of Illinois-Chicago AI to Relieve Pittsburgh Traffic Congestion Stephen F. Smith, Research Professor, Carnegie Mellon University AI in Healthcare Suchi Saria, Assistant Professor, Johns Hopkins Industry Panel: Best Practices in AI Moderator: Issie Lapowsky, Staff Writer, WIRED Jeannette M. Wing, Corporate Vice President, Microsoft Research Françoise Beaufays, Research Scientist, Google Yann LeCun, Director of Al Research, Facebook Guruduth Banavar, Vice President of Cognitive Computing, IBM Research Raffi Krikorian, Engineering Lead, Uber Advanced Technologies Center Ignite Talks: Artificial Intelligence (AI) For Good Drones for Search and Rescue Robin R. Murphy, Raytheon Professor of Computer Science and Engineering Texas A&M AI For Poverty Mapping Stefano Ermon, Assistant Professor of Computer Science, Stanford University Cyber Grand Challenge Michael Walker, Program Manager, Information Innovation Office, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency Brain Computer Interfaces for Assistive Technology
    [Show full text]
  • Commercial Space Transportation Developments and Concepts: Vehicles, Technologies and Spaceports
    Commercial Space Transportation 2006 Commercial Space Transportation Developments and Concepts: Vehicles, Technologies and Spaceports January 2006 HQ003606.INDD 2006 U.S. Commercial Space Transportation Developments and Concepts About FAA/AST About the Office of Commercial Space Transportation The Federal Aviation Administration’s Office of Commercial Space Transportation (FAA/AST) licenses and regulates U.S. commercial space launch and reentry activity, as well as the operation of non-federal launch and reentry sites, as authorized by Executive Order 12465 and Title 49 United States Code, Subtitle IX, Chapter 701 (formerly the Commercial Space Launch Act). FAA/AST’s mission is to ensure public health and safety and the safety of property while protecting the national security and foreign policy interests of the United States during commercial launch and reentry operations. In addition, FAA/AST is directed to encour- age, facilitate, and promote commercial space launches and reentries. Additional information concerning commercial space transportation can be found on FAA/AST’s web site at http://ast.faa.gov. Federal Aviation Administration Office of Commercial Space Transportation i About FAA/AST 2006 U.S. Commercial Space Transportation Developments and Concepts NOTICE Use of trade names or names of manufacturers in this document does not constitute an official endorsement of such products or manufacturers, either expressed or implied, by the Federal Aviation Administration. ii Federal Aviation Administration Office of Commercial Space Transportation 2006 U.S. Commercial Space Transportation Developments and Concepts Contents Table of Contents Introduction . .1 Significant 2005 Events . .4 Space Competitions . .6 Expendable Launch Vehicles . .9 Current Expendable Launch Vehicle Systems . .9 Atlas 5 - Lockheed Martin Corporation .
    [Show full text]
  • Reusable Launch Vehicles Exos Aerospace Is Making
    Reusable Launch Vehicles Exos Aerospace is making SPACEavailable…TM The 4 FAA/AST The other 6 of 10 Licensed Reusable EXOS AEROSPACE is… “Non-Reusable Rocket Launch Rocket” Launch Providers Providers companies of companies of 1 4 IN THE 1 10 in the United WORLD with a licensed States with an Active reusable rocket. Launch License $ <10% reuse cost Access to space $$ 25% reuse cost is too inflexible Air Launch Provides for increased flexibility $$ reuse cost… % unknown (Exos, Virgin Orbit, Lockheed Martin) Reusability Enables increased ROI through cost reductions (Exos, SpaceX, Blue Origin) 1- Ignition 2- Clean Lox Ethanol Engine (launch) Apogee SARGE Flight 1 3- Drogue Return to 4.- Canopy Return from reenter the atmosphere Rocket flight 3 Our team has built hundreds of rocket engines and dozens of suborbital flying vehicles designed for reusability TEAM’S PAST EXPERIENCE Vehicle Evolution (20+ Years) Armadillo 4 Launches and 3 Rocket Racing st J Aerospace Lunar recoveries on 1 League SARGE vehicle Founded by Lander development SARGE a st John Carmack Challenge 1 Today program Super Mod Aug 2018 – Oct 2019 SARGE-LW Place g u a r 2000 2006 2008 2009 2010 2011 2015 2020 Apr 2020 Air Force X-Prize Lunar lander 2010-2013 Stig Exos Aerospace Hypersonic Challenge2009 flies to 95km acquires assets of Contract Competition Armadillo Aerospace Armadillo prize $ w/Pixel and and brings on the team Testing SARGE R2 J Texel Round 1 winner- NASA with new management for return to flight Winners Morpheus Sale supporting commercial post COVID 19 a objectives
    [Show full text]
  • A Leader's Journey: from Iran Into Space
    TESTIMONY A Leader’s Journey: From Iran Into Space Interview with Anousheh ANSARI, founder and chairman of Prodea Systems Anousheh Ansari has dreamed of travelling into the stars for as long as she can remember. In September 2006, she made this dream come true and became the first woman “space explorer”. Entrepreneur and business leader, Ansari was elected to the Forum of Young Global Leaders in 2007. The credo she lives by is form Gandhi and translates a distinct mindset: “Be the change you want to see in the world”. In this interview, Ansari shares her vision of global leadership. What do you consider the attributes of a global leader to be, and why do you define your- self as begin one of them? A global leader’s principal quality is a constant awareness that the world is far vaster than his or her local environment. People tend to restrict their viewpoint to routine activities and to information received that is primarily related to events that are close to home. As a result, people cannot help but develop biases. Any leader whose decisions will potentially have a global impact must repeatedly put him or herself in situations and positions that remind him that the world goes far beyond what is immediately perceptible to the eye. Personally, I travel very often, both for business and for pleasure, and I ensure that each trip is a learning opportunity. I was born in Iran and went to a French Catholic school. I thus became familiar with French and Canadian cultures—both of which are quite diffe- rent from my native culture—when I was quite young.
    [Show full text]
  • Suborbital Platforms and Range Services (SPARS)
    Suborbital Capabilities for Science & Technology Small Missions Workshop @ Johns Hopkins University June 10, 2019 Mike Hitch, Giovanni Rosanova Goddard Space Introduction Flight Center AGENDAWASP OPIS ▪ Purpose ▪ History & Importance of Suborbital Carriers to Science ▪ Suborbital Platforms ▪ Sounding Rockets ▪ Balloons (brief) ▪ Aircraft ▪ SmallSats ▪ WFF Engineering ▪ Q & A P-3 Maintenance 12-Jun-19 Competition Sensitive – Do Not Distribute 2 Goddard Space Purpose of the Meeting Flight Center Define theWASP OPISutility of Suborbital Carriers & “Small” Missions ▪ Sounding rockets, balloons and aircraft (manned and unmanned) provide a unique capability to scientists and engineers to: ▪ Allow PIs to enhance and advance technology readiness levels of instruments and components for very low relative cost ▪ Provide PIs actual science flight opportunities as a “piggy-back” on a planned mission flight at low relative cost ▪ Increase experience for young and mid-career scientists and engineers by allowing them to get their “feet wet” on a suborbital mission prior to tackling the much larger and more complex orbital endeavors ▪ The Suborbital/Smallsat Platforms And Range Services (SPARS) Line Of Business (LOB) can facilitate prospective PIs with taking advantage of potential suborbital flight opportunities P-3 Maintenance 12-Jun-19 Competition Sensitive – Do Not Distribute 3 Goddard Space Value of Suborbital Research – What’s Different? Flight Center WASP OPIS Different Risk/Mission Assurance Strategy • Payloads are recovered and refurbished. • Re-flights are inexpensive (<$1M for a balloon or sounding rocket vs >$10M - 100M for a ELV) • Instrumentation can be simple and have a large science impact! • Frequent flight opportunities (e.g. “piggyback”) • Development of precursor instrument concepts and mature TRLs • While Suborbital missions fully comply with all Agency Safety policies, the program is designed to take Higher Programmatic Risk – Lower cost – Faster migration of new technology – Smaller more focused efforts, enable Tiger Team/incubator experiences.
    [Show full text]
  • Evidence Review – Environmental Innovation Prizes for Development
    Evidence Review – Environmental Innovation Prizes for Development DEW Point Enquiry No. A0405 A Report by Bryony Everett With support from Chris Barnett and Radha Verma Peer Review by William Masters July 2011 Acknowledgements We would like to thank all the interviewees detailed in Annex 1 for their time and support in providing us with their insights and information, without which we would not have been able to produce this report. Particular thanks go to Erika, Jaison and Will. Disclaimer This report is commissioned under DEW Point, the DFID Resource Centre for Environment, Water and Sanitation, which is managed by a consortium of companies led by Harewelle International Limited1. Although the report is commissioned by DFID, the views expressed in the report are entirely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent DFID’s own views or policies, or those of DEW Point. Comments and discussion on items related to content and opinion should be addressed to the author, via the “Contact and correspondence” address e-mail or website, as indicated in the control document above. 1 Consortium comprises Harewelle International Limited, DD International, Practical Action Consulting, Cranfield University and AEA Energy and Environment Table of Contents Evidence Review – Environmental Innovation Prizes for Development Summary .................................................................................................................................... 1 Introduction .............................................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Commercial Orbital Transportation Services
    National Aeronautics and Space Administration Commercial Orbital Transportation Services A New Era in Spaceflight NASA/SP-2014-617 Commercial Orbital Transportation Services A New Era in Spaceflight On the cover: Background photo: The terminator—the line separating the sunlit side of Earth from the side in darkness—marks the changeover between day and night on the ground. By establishing government-industry partnerships, the Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) program marked a change from the traditional way NASA had worked. Inset photos, right: The COTS program supported two U.S. companies in their efforts to design and build transportation systems to carry cargo to low-Earth orbit. (Top photo—Credit: SpaceX) SpaceX launched its Falcon 9 rocket on May 22, 2012, from Cape Canaveral, Florida. (Second photo) Three days later, the company successfully completed the mission that sent its Dragon spacecraft to the Station. (Third photo—Credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls) Orbital Sciences Corp. sent its Antares rocket on its test flight on April 21, 2013, from a new launchpad on Virginia’s eastern shore. Later that year, the second Antares lifted off with Orbital’s cargo capsule, (Fourth photo) the Cygnus, that berthed with the ISS on September 29, 2013. Both companies successfully proved the capability to deliver cargo to the International Space Station by U.S. commercial companies and began a new era of spaceflight. ISS photo, center left: Benefiting from the success of the partnerships is the International Space Station, pictured as seen by the last Space Shuttle crew that visited the orbiting laboratory (July 19, 2011). More photos of the ISS are featured on the first pages of each chapter.
    [Show full text]
  • Following the Path That Heroes Carved Into History: Space Tourism, Heritage, and Faith in the Future
    religions Article Following the Path That Heroes Carved into History: Space Tourism, Heritage, and Faith in the Future Deana L. Weibel Departments of Anthropology and Integrative, Religious, and Intercultural Studies, Grand Valley State University, Allendale, MI 49401, USA; [email protected] Received: 29 November 2019; Accepted: 28 December 2019; Published: 2 January 2020 Abstract: Human spaceflight is likely to change in character over the 21st century, shifting from a military/governmental enterprise to one that is more firmly tied to private industry, including businesses devoted to space tourism. For space tourism to become a reality, however, many obstacles have to be overcome, particularly those in finance, technology, and medicine. Ethnographic interviews with astronauts, engineers, NASA doctors, and NewSpace workers reveal that absolute faith in the eventual human occupation of space, based in religious conviction or taking secular forms, is a common source of motivation across different populations working to promote human spaceflight. This paper examines the way faith is expressed in these different contexts and its role in developing a future where space tourism may become commonplace. Keywords: anthropology; tourism; spaceflight; NASA; heritage; exploration 1. Introduction Space tourism is an endeavor, similar to but distinctly different from other forms of space travel, that relies on its participants’ and brokers’ faith that carrying out brave expeditions, modeled on and inspired by those in the past, will ultimately pay off in a better future for humankind. Faith, in this case, refers to a subjective sense that a particular future is guaranteed and may or may not have religious foundations. This faith appears to be heightened by the collective work undertaken by groups endeavoring to send humans into space, creating a sense of what anthropologists Victor and Edith Turner have described as communitas, a shared feeling of equality and common purpose.
    [Show full text]
  • A Low-Cost Launch Assistance System for Orbital Launch Vehicles
    Hindawi Publishing Corporation International Journal of Aerospace Engineering Volume 2012, Article ID 830536, 10 pages doi:10.1155/2012/830536 Review Article A Low-Cost Launch Assistance System for Orbital Launch Vehicles Oleg Nizhnik ERATO Maenaka Human-Sensing Fusion Project, 8111, Shosha 2167, Hyogo-ken, Himeji-shi, Japan Correspondence should be addressed to Oleg Nizhnik, [email protected] Received 17 February 2012; Revised 6 April 2012; Accepted 16 April 2012 Academic Editor: Kenneth M. Sobel Copyright © 2012 Oleg Nizhnik. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. The author reviews the state of art of nonrocket launch assistance systems (LASs) for spaceflight focusing on air launch options. The author proposes an alternative technologically feasible LAS based on a combination of approaches: air launch, high-altitude balloon, and tethered LAS. Proposed LAS can be implemented with the existing off-the-shelf hardware delivering 7 kg to low-earth orbit for the 5200 USD per kg. Proposed design can deliver larger reduction in price and larger orbital payloads with the future advances in the aerostats, ropes, electrical motors, and terrestrial power networks. 1. Introduction point to the progress in the orbital delivery systems for these additional payload classes. Spaceflight is the mature engineering discipline—54 years old as of 2012. But seemingly paradoxically, it still relies solely 2. Overview of Previously Proposed LAS on the hardware and methodology developed in the very beginning of the spaceflight era. Modernly, still heavily-used A lot of proposals have been made to implement nonrocket Soyuz launch vehicle systems (LVSs) are the evolutionary LASandarelistedinTable 1.
    [Show full text]
  • China's Strategic Modernization: Implications for the United States
    CHINA’S STRATEGIC MODERNIZATION: IMPLICATIONS FOR THE UNITED STATES Mark A. Stokes September 1999 ***** The views expressed in this report are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Department of the Army, the Department of the Air Force, the Department of Defense, or the U.S. Government. This report is cleared for public release; distribution is unlimited. ***** Comments pertaining to this report are invited and should be forwarded to: Director, Strategic Studies Institute, U.S. Army War College, 122 Forbes Ave., Carlisle, PA 17013-5244. Copies of this report may be obtained from the Publications and Production Office by calling commercial (717) 245-4133, FAX (717) 245-3820, or via the Internet at [email protected] ***** Selected 1993, 1994, and all later Strategic Studies Institute (SSI) monographs are available on the SSI Homepage for electronic dissemination. SSI’s Homepage address is: http://carlisle-www.army. mil/usassi/welcome.htm ***** The Strategic Studies Institute publishes a monthly e-mail newsletter to update the national security community on the research of our analysts, recent and forthcoming publications, and upcoming conferences sponsored by the Institute. Each newsletter also provides a strategic commentary by one of our research analysts. If you are interested in receiving this newsletter, please let us know by e-mail at [email protected] or by calling (717) 245-3133. ISBN 1-58487-004-4 ii CONTENTS Foreword .......................................v 1. Introduction ...................................1 2. Foundations of Strategic Modernization ............5 3. China’s Quest for Information Dominance ......... 25 4.
    [Show full text]