National Aeronautics and Space Administration INNOVATIONTECHNOLOGY MAGAZINE FOR BUSINESS & TECHNOLOGY Volume 15 • Number 2 • 2009

NASA and the Growing Private Space Sector: Working Together for Mutual Benefit

Commercial Firms to LOX/Methane Propulsion Centennial Challenge PLUS Deliver Cargo to Space System May Help NASA Winner Tells His Own Station Return to the Moon Success Story How You Can Participate in the Space Program

Centennial Challenges http://www.ipp.nasa.gov/cc

August 14, 2009: Tether Seattle, WA 2008 PURSE: $2,000,000 Super­strength materials Managed by: Spaceward Foundation http://www.spaceward.org/elevator2010­ts

October 17­18, 2009: Regolith Excavation NASA Ames Research Center, Mountain View, CA 2009 PURSE: $750,000 Robotic devices to excavate simulated lunar soil Managed by: California Space Education & Workforce Institute

Events http://regolith.csewi.org/

Through October 31, 2009: Lunar Lander Competitors’ Locations: TBA

Events REMAINING PURSE: $1,650,000 Rocket vehicles simulating lunar takeoff and landing

Managed by: X PRIZE Foundation http://space.xprize.org/lunar­lander­challenge

November 2009: Astronaut Glove MIT, Cambridge, MA 2009 PURSE: $400,000 Innovative spacesuit glove designs Managed by: Volanz Aerospace, Inc. http://astronaut­glove.tripod.com/

Date TBA: Power Beaming Location TBA

Upcoming 2008 PURSE: $2,000,000 Wireless power transmission Managed by: Spaceward Foundation http://www.SpaceElevatorGames.org

July 2011: Green Flight Sonoma County Airport, Santa Rosa, CA PURSE: $1,653,000 Safe, quiet & super­efficient aircraft Managed by: Comparative Aircraft Flight Efficiency Foundation http://cafefoundation.org/v2/pav_home.php

N THE COVER RBITAL CIENCES YGNUS SPACECRAFT LOWER LEFT AND PACE S RAGON

Upcoming O : O S ’ C ( ) S X ’ D SPACECRAFT (LOWER RIGHT), WINNERS OF NASA’ S COMMERCIAL ORBITAL TRANSPORTATION SERVICES COMPETITION, ARE DEPICTED WITH THEIR POSSIBLE DESTINATIONS IN THE DISTANCE – THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION (UPPER LEFT) AND A BIGELOW AEROSPACE HABITAT (UPPER RIGHT). contents NASA Technology Innovation

co Ver STORY PAGE 28 COMMERCIAL SPACE: CRITICAL TO NASA’S FUTURE SUCCESS BY CHARLES E. MILLER Accessible space travel, suborbital vehicles, lunar habitats – the growing commercial space industry creates a strategic opportunity for NASA to lever­ age private sector resources, commercial markets and free enterprise innovation.

COMMERCIAL ORBITAL 46 feature articles TRANSPORTATION SERVICES PROGRAM BLAZES NEW TRAILS FOR NASA 34 NASA is partnering with industry to enable the demonstration of commercial space transportation systems and capabilities to enable space station cargo delivery services.

COMMERCIAL RESUPPLY SERVICES CONTRACTS TO 38 BENEFIT SPACE STATION Building on the COTS Program, NASA breaks new ground with a firm­fixed­price procurement to provide cargo resupply services to the International Space ASTRONAUT GLOVES: Station. MOVING BEYOND THE CHALLENGE 42 INNOVATIONS IN REUSABLE The winner of NASA’s 2007 Astronaut ROCKET ENGINES: Glove Challenge tells how he COMPETITION AND approached the contest and provides COLLABORATION tips for entrepreneurs wishing to try. With its innovative rapid prototyping approach, Armadillo Aerospace won the 2008 Level 1 NASA Lunar Lander Challenge, test flighted a rocket aircraft for the Rocket Racing League and part­ nered with Johnson Space Center to test LOX/methane engines for lunar travel.

NASA’S MAGAZINE FOR BUSINESS & TECHNOLOGY 3 contents NASA Technology Innovation

To view online and for past issues, visit departments http://www.ipp.nasa.gov/innovation

6 NASA NEWS BRIEFS 50 INFUSION

— Ames Director Named FLC Director of the Year — NASA’s FAST Program — SpaceX Heat Shield Material Passes Tests 53 INNOVATIVE RESEARCH — NASA’s Human 8 TECH TALK Suborbital Flight Program — This Is Rocket Science! — Commercial Research — Space Habitats Aboard the International — Commercial Communications Space Station — Technology for Orbital Propellant Depots — Water Production Services for the ISS — 21st­Century Pony Express to the Moon 59 OPPORTUNITIES FOR PARTNERSHIP — Hydrogen Reclamation and Revitalization Technology — System Health Monitoring Software

60 NASA IPP NETWORK — Directory of NASA’s Innovative Partnerships Program National Offices, and Affiliated and Allied Organizations

24 INNOVATOR’S CORNER IPP WELCOMES CHARLES MILLER

— NASA and Air Force Partner on Charles Miller joined the Commercial Space Transportation Innovative Partnerships Program Technology Exchange earlier this year as Senior Advisor for Commercial Space. With experience as an entrepreneur and commercial space advocate, he will help to build and strengthen the relationships 26 FACILITY FOCUS between NASA and commercial — Glenn’s Atomic Oxygen Testing Facilities space entities.

Material from this publication may be reproduced without the permission of the publisher.

4 Volume 15 • Number 2 • 2009 A Message from NASA

CHIEF EDITOR Janelle Turner NASA UPFRONTwith…

MANAGING EDITOR Douglas A. Comstock Kathryn Duda Director, NASA Innovative Partnerships Program National Technology Transfer Center e have begun to focus each issue of on a particular theme, and the ART DIRECTOR/PRODUCTION Innovation Dennis Packer theme for this issue is something that I am really excited about – Commercial National Technology WSpace. We have many stories about how NASA and the emerging commer­ Transfer Center cial space industry are working together for mutual benefit. There are three key themes that are woven throughout these stories that underscore some of the changes underway in CONTRIBUTING AUTHORS Brett Alexander how NASA is engaging the commercial space community: Donna P. Anderson • Private sector role as partner rather than contractor. James Ball • Government purchase of services instead of hardware. Larry Barone • Creating broader opportunities for innovation. Jeanne L. Becker Christopher Boshuizen First is the shift in relationships between the government and the private sector from Michele Brekke the traditional roles of customer­contractor to one of partners. The Commercial Orbital Bradley M. Carpenter Transportation (COTS) program is a prime example of this, where NASA is partnering Jacob Collins with SpaceX and Orbital Sciences to develop new space transportation capabilities. Douglas A. Comstock Jason Crusan Other examples include licensing NASA technology for development of commercial space Philip Davies habitats and revolutionary propulsion systems, as well as IPP Seed Fund projects where Cynthia Dreibelbis cost­shared technology development among partners advances important technologies of Carol Anne Dunn common interest, such as propellant depots and LOX/Methane rockets. Phil Eaton Marybeth Edeen The second important change is the transition to a model where the government is William H. Gerstenmaier buying services from commercial providers rather than paying for development and oper­ Tim Glover ation of hardware. The biggest example of this – for billions of dollars in launch services

Kevin Grohs with commercial service providers – is the Commercial Resupply Services contracts to Mark Haberbusch Timothy G. Hammond provide cargo delivery to the ISS. Another example is the Sabatier water production sys­ Lynn Harper tem that is being deployed on the ISS where NASA will pay for services provided rather Peter K. Homer than for the development of hardware. Looking forward, another story highlights how

Eric Hurlbert Robert Kelso lunar communications needed in the future could be a commercial service provided to Seth S. Kessler users rather than a NASA­owned system. Kathryn L. Lueders The third major shift focuses on the creation of broader opportunities for innovation Charles E. Miller that address NASA’s needs but also those of commercial space and other markets. Such Steven A. Mirmina Nancy Oates opportunities can be found through NASA’s Centennial Challenges competitions that are Lawrence Petak open to the citizen inventor. We have great stories from some of our winners. Our first Andrew J. Petro winner, Peter Homer, discusses the progress he has made since winning and gives advice Daniel J. Rasky for other competitors. Our most recent winner, Armadillo Aerospace, describes how the Robert Richards Howard Runge capabilities demonstrated in winning the Lunar Lander Challenge are leading to opportu­ James Schier nities in other markets. Commercial parabolic flight services are being used by NASA’s Robert “Joe ” Shaw FAST program to mature innovative technologies in reduced gravity, and NASA is part­ Peggy Slye nering with other agencies and the private sector to conduct research on the International Jon Michael Smith Laurel J. Stauber Space Station as a National Laboratory. Sidney Sun As I think you will see when you read the stories in this issue, there is a lot to be excit­ Bruce Thieman ed about! NASA will continue to push the boundaries of aeronautics and space explo­ Valin Thorn ration with increasing reliance on – and benefit from – the innovation and new capabili­ William M. Toscano Max Vozoff ties provided by our business partners and entrepreneurs in commercial space. Kris Zacny

Technology Innovation is published by the NASA Innovative Partnerships Program. Your feedback provides important contributions to this publication. NASA’S MAGAZINE FOR BUSINESS & TECHNOLOGY 5 Technology Innovation

NASA News Briefs

CREDIT: NASA Ames Director Named Earth data to include satellite and Federal Lab Consortium suborbital data. Director of the Year ARC and Cisco Systems are devel­ oping an online collaborative global he director of NASA's Ames monitoring platform to capture, col­ Research Center (ARC), lect, analyze and report data on envi­ TS. Pete Worden, has been ronmental conditions around the named the Federal Laboratory world. And a partnership with Consortium (FLC) 2009 Laboratory Microsoft Corporation will make Director of the Year. The FLC was planetary images and data available to established in 1974 to promote and the public through Microsoft’s strengthen technology transfer nation­ Worldwide Telescope. wide and today consists of more than Under Worden’s leadership, ARC 250 federal laboratories and centers. has strongly committed to its develop­ S. PETE WORDEN Worden has supported the develop­ ment as a leader for Green/Clean ment of competitive mission propos­ commercial robotic lander systems for technologies in Silicon Valley. als, licensing of ARC intellectual lunar exploration. (See related story on Numerous partnerships have emerged property and the coordination of an page 21.) Odyssey plans to commer­ with private industry, universities and array of educational outreach and cialize this ARC technology to develop federal laboratories to collaborate on internship programs to inspire and a series of robotic missions to the green technologies. (See Technology recruit future scientists and engineers moon. Its initial MoonOne (M­1) Innovation Volume 15, Number 1, for who are critical to sustaining a robust lunar lander will use the Common information on these initiatives.) technology transfer network inside Spacecraft Bus to provide low­cost, fre­ Worden also supported the creation and outside of NASA. quent access to the moon for private, of the Greenspace Initiative As a strong supporter of small academic and government customers. (www.nasa.gov/centers/ames/green­ spacecraft and satellites, Worden has ARC is located at Moffett Field, space), which aligns ARC’s green given an important role to their devel­ Calif., in Silicon Valley, and Worden’s research and institutional activities opment at ARC. It is with this in vision for the future of ARC strongly with NASA missions and green activi­ mind that he created the Small emphasizes cultivating partnerships with ties at other NASA centers by provid­ Spacecraft Division, where the small the center’s neighboring companies. ing strategy, integration and imple­ spacecraft system called the Common ARC and Google are collaborating on mentation support for a diverse port­ Spacecraft Bus was developed. the design of a disaster geospatial imag­ folio of alternative energy and envi­ The development of the Common ing system and a Google Earth tool for ronmental projects. Spacecraft Bus led to an agreement disaster response, and on another proj­ Another example of Worden’s com­ between ARC and Odyssey Moon ect that will compile and test moon mitment to promoting partnerships is Ventures LLC, which is developing and Mars imagery and update NASA his support in bringing the International

6 Volume 15 • Number 2 • 2009 NASA News Briefs

NASA TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER AND INDUSTRY­RELATED NEWS

Space University (ISU) Summer The Space Technology Division at However, just a few inches of the Session Program to ARC in 2009. NASA Ames Research Center original­ PICA­X material will keep the interior ARC is providing the ISU student ly developed the rigid, lightweight of the capsule at room temperature. body with a rich, interdisciplinary cur­ PICA (Phenolic Impregnated Carbon “It was a great experience working riculum along with the mentorship of Ablator) material and assisted SpaceX closely with SpaceX over this past year NASA's scientists, engineers, in developing the ability to manufac­ to help them develop their capabilities researchers and partners from academia ture PICA­X. The “X” stands for the for design and fabrication of spacecraft and industry. Worden’s vision includes SpaceX­developed variants that have thermal protection systems, including ARC having a key role in developing several improved properties and greater PICA­X,” says Daniel J. Rasky, Ames future leaders in the global space ease of manufacture. senior scientist and PICA co­inventor. community. PICA­X was subjected to tempera­ The Ames Arc Jet Complex has a tures as high as 1,980 degrees Celsius rich history in the development of For more information, contact (3,600 degrees Fahrenheit) in the Arc thermal protective systems for NASA William M. Toscano at Ames Jet Complex at Ames in tests that sim­ spacecraft, including Apollo, the space Research Center, (650) 604 ­0894, or ulate the reentry heating conditions shuttle and robotic missions to Venus, [email protected]. that the Dragon capsule will experi­ Mars and Saturn. The Arc Jet Complex Please mention that you read about ence. Panels of the high­performance is uniquely capable of simulating con­ it in Technology Innovation. carbon­based material will protect ditions experienced during reentry, and cargo and crew during the spacecraft's it actively supports emerging space return from Earth orbit. companies such as SpaceX. “The arc jet tests represent the cul­ NASA’s Innovative Partnerships SpaceX Heat Shield mination of an aggressive six­month Program (IPP) Office in the New Material Passes development effort, and our goals have Ventures and Communications High­Temperature Tests been met or exceeded,” said Elon Directorate and Ames technical experts Musk, CEO and CTO of SpaceX. have established good working rela­ “Dragon will be the first craft to return tionships, effective partnering pace Exploration Technologies from low­Earth orbit using a PICA­ approaches and streamlined procedures (SpaceX) recently passed a signif­ based thermal protection system.” that are compatible with the needs and Sicant technical milestone in the The inaugural Dragon spacecraft interests of these new, fast­moving development of its Dragon spacecraft flight is scheduled for 2009 aboard companies. with the successful arc jet testing of a SpaceX's new Falcon 9 launcher. high­performance heat shield material, The Dragon capsule will enter the For more information, contact PICA­X. Dragon is designed to deliver Earth's atmosphere at around 7 kilo­ Daniel J. Rasky at Ames Research Center, (650) 604 ­1098. cargo and crew to and from the meters per second (15,660 miles per International Space Station. (See related hour), heating the exterior of the Please mention that you read about story on page 34.) shield to up to 1,980 degrees Celsius. it in Technology Innovation.

NASA’S MAGAZINE FOR BUSINESS & TECHNOLOGY 7 Tech Talk INDUSTRY PARTNERSHIPS WITH NASA

CREDIT: AD ASTRA ROCKET COMPANY This Is Rocket Science!

By Tim Glover Ad Astra Rocket Company Michele Brekke NASA Johnson Space Center

he recent interest of com­ mercial and government AD ASTRA ENGINEERS POSITION THE 200 KW VASIMR® PROTOTYPE PLASMA ROCKET ENGINE IN THE COMPANY' S LARGE VACUUM CHAMBER TO PREPARE FOR FULL­ POWER TESTING. THE ENGINE WAS entities in sending payloads T DEVELOPED THROUGH A PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN AD ASTRA AND NASA JOHNSON SPACE CENTER. to the moon has generated a substan­ tial, ongoing demand for cost­effective ates Ad Astra Rocket Company in think it will, will take us to Mars in 39 transport from low­Earth orbit to the Costa Rica. Chang­Diaz developed the days instead of eight to 11 months. lunar surface. VASIMR® concept while with NASA’s NASA provided him a very small One technology that may make astronaut corps. After leaving NASA, stipend to get started and to bring his lunar transport more economically he established Ad Astra and partnered project to what we call the technology affordable is being developed by Ad with NASA to license, develop and readiness level one, two and three. And Astra Rocket Company through a part­ commercialize the technology. As com­ now he's at the point where it's ready nership with NASA’s Johnson Space pany CEO, Chang­Diaz has directed to fly. But he has done that with what Center (JSC) – the Variable Specific the technology maturation that com­ they call venture capitalists, private Impulse Magnetoplasma Rocket prises the company’s intellectual prop­ investors.” (VASIMR®) engine. Ad Astra’s models erty portfolio. Ad Astra entered into its first agree­ indicate that the VASIMR® technology In his July 8, 2009, testimony to the ment with JSC in 2005, receiving the could economically meet the needs of U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, use of onsite lab space for the initial this emerging market. Science and Transportation, NASA's development of the VASIMR® engine. Ad Astra is based in Webster, Texas, new administrator, Charles Bolden, NASA also provided an engineer, who where it has its main laboratory and said this of Ad Astra's leader,“Franklin assisted with facility safety and the corporate headquarters and is led by Chang­Diaz, who is my idol, another development of the super­conducting founder Franklin Chang­Diaz, a seven­ astronaut who now is in the entrepre­ magnets used in the technology. time space shuttle astronaut and rocket neurial space business, has a plasma The VASIMR® engine operates by scientist. Ad Astra also owns and oper­ rocket engine that if it works, and I heating argon gas to extremely high

8 Volume 15 • Number 2 • 2009 INDUSTRY PARTNERSHIPS WITH NASA temperatures with radio waves in a logue with subject matter experts. This serve as a direct measurement of the strong magnetic field. Propulsion is support facilitated the most recent VASIMR® thrust, making the entire produced as this energized plasma negotiations with NASA and the ISS a sensitive thrust stand. escapes along the magnetic field lines. International Space Station (ISS), lay­ Once continuous megawatt power The argon plasma at the core of the ing the groundwork for the partner­ levels become available through either VASIMR® engine reaches tempera­ ship agreement to have the new plas­ solar or nuclear space power plants, the tures nearly as high as those within the ma­based propulsion technology VASIMR® technology could emerge sun – millions of degrees Fahrenheit. installed and tested on the ISS. as a great enabler of manned flights to At this high temperature, the engine This is the first such agreement for Mars, due to the reduced flight times ejects its propellant at speeds more a privately funded payload on the ISS made possible by its continuous thrust than 10 times those of the best chemi­ exterior, and it represents an expansion and high exhaust velocity. cal rockets, which makes the rocket of NASA’s plans to operate the U.S. Possible commercial applications significantly more efficient than con­ portion of the space station as a include reboost of space stations in low­ ventional rockets and even more effi­ national laboratory. (See article about Earth orbit to cancel the effects of cient than high­efficiency electric the ISS National Laboratory on page atmospheric drag. Simple cost models thrusters. 57.) The Space Act Agreement for the demonstrate that continuous thrust by Use of the highly efficient VASIMR® ISS project specifically a VASIMR® thruster would keep sta­ VASIMR® engine could make lunar describes it as the pathfinder project tions in orbit at much lower cost than base support more economical by for external payloads under the periodic reboosting with chemical greatly reducing the mass of propellant National Lab program. rockets. required to transfer payloads from low­ NASA and Ad Astra envision that The partnership between Ad Astra Earth orbit to low­lunar orbit. It also the VASIMR® engine will be and NASA’s Innovation Partnerships should accelerate planetary exploration launched to the ISS and tested, for Office allows Ad Astra to gain situation­ by reducing flight times and by the first time, in the vacuum of space. al awareness of NASA’s commercial increasing the mass that can be deliv­ The Space Act Agreement allows for space concepts, with the IPP Office as a ered to other planets with existing the feasibility assessment of this ven­ resource to the company. Meanwhile, launch vehicles. ture, ranging from what vehicles will NASA is able to stay abreast of commer­ Ad Astra has, through a privatization be used to transport the payload cial space propulsion concepts and to agreement with NASA, obtained an (approximately the size of a small better understand commercial business exclusive license to the original car), to how to provide power to run practices. VASIMR® patents, thereby positioning the test firing. itself as the premier developer for an As conceived at present, the engine Tim Glover is director of development for electric rocket technology that may one will be attached to a truss of the space Ad Astra Rocket Company, and Michele day take mankind to Mars and beyond. station, where ISS electrical power will Brekke is director of the Innovation be used to trickle­charge a large battery Partnerships Office at NASA’s Johnson Space Center. A New Type of Agreement bank. This unique space station payload There is now in place an open­ended will operate in 10­minute, 200­kilowatt For more information contact Tim agreement that allows NASA to estab­ pulses, directing its thrust slightly off Glover at lish specific tasks as the VASIMR® the center of the ISS’s mass and impart­ [email protected]. technology and product line mature. ing a small torque on the station with Please mention that you read about it JSC is providing Ad Astra with part­ each firing. Detection of this small in Technology Innovation. time liaison support to facilitate dia­ torque by existing ISS equipment will

NASA’S MAGAZINE FOR BUSINESS & TECHNOLOGY 9 Tech Talk INDUSTRY PARTNERSHIPS WITH NASA Space Habitats Opening New Frontiers for Business in Microgravity CREDIT By Donna P. Anderson :

NASA Johnson Space Center B IGELOW

estination: low­Earth orbit; A EROSPACE the commodity: microgravi­ Dty. Bigelow Aerospace plans to be the first to provide a com­ mercial microgravity environment using expandable habitats. Having launched Genesis I in 2006 and Genesis II in 2007, Bigelow Aerospace celebrated Genesis II’s 10,000th orbit this past spring. “We have learned that the durability of our system is extremely robust. Despite BIGELOW AEROSPACE ’S GENESIS I, THE FIRST EXPANDABLE SPACE HABITAT TECHNOLOGY ON ORBIT, LAUNCHED

the years in orbit, the leak­rate on our IN 2006 AND IS SHOWN HERE HEADING INTO AN ORBITAL SUNRISE. spacecraft is still undetectable,” says Mike Gold, a director at Bigelow aboard Genesis II. Bigelow Aerospace was founded in Aerospace. Genesis II has 22 cameras on the 1999 by Robert Bigelow, and the com­ Genesis I was the first expandable interior and exterior of the craft, mag­ pany’s relationship with NASA space habitat technology on orbit, and netic torque rods, GPS and sun sen­ Johnson Space Center (JSC) began in the first spacecraft produced by Bigelow sors, plus the aforementioned reaction 2002 when the company entered into Aerospace. Genesis II represents the sec­ wheel system providing altitude con­ a series of Space Act Agreements that ond deployment of an expandable habi­ trol and stabilization. Genesis II does primarily consisted of short­term tech­ tat and contains a number of systems, not have any propulsion mechanisms nical personnel exchanges. Bigelow additional cameras, sensors and new of its own. Aerospace now has an active Space Act subsystems not flown aboard Genesis I, Mission control for Bigelow Agreement with JSC, and several such as a reaction wheel. Aerospace is in north Las Vegas, Nev., exclusive and partially exclusive licens­ Bigelow Aerospace also offered the where its corporate headquarters is ing agreements for NASA technologies general public the opportunity to par­ based. The company operates four associated with inflatable habitats. ticipate in the “Fly Your Stuff” com­ ground communication stations that “Bigelow Aerospace is a pioneer for mercial program by allowing people to provide relays between its spacecraft the emerging commercial space mar­ pay to send small objects into space and mission control. ket. NASA is excited to be partnered

10 Volume 15 • Number 2 • 2009 INDUSTRY PARTNERSHIPS WITH NASA

with them,” says Michele Brekke, able to provide turn­key opportunities at JSC in particular, and NASA folks director of the JSC Innovation where, for pennies on the dollar, for­ who want to be innovative. However, Partnerships Office. eign nations will be able to have their Gold asserts that NASA Headquarters Bigelow has identified a wide variety own dedicated modules and essentially and NASA leadership need to figure of potential markets for its services, their own human spaceflight programs. out how to empower individual NASA according to Gold, and initially is “If the costs are kept reasonable this mid­level managers, and partnerships focusing on two of them — micro­ will unquestionably be an extremely with commercial projects, to work gravity research and development, and exciting market,” Gold says. through the “bureaucratic process international astronaut corps. “We are [that] currently takes an extraordinary particularly intrigued by the potential A Bright Future amount of patience.” in the biotech and pharmaceutical On the horizon for Bigelow is launch­ “New frontiers offer many chal­ markets. There is a vast amount of ing Sundancer, the node bus and the lenges,” says NASA JSC’s Brekke. R&D dollars in this area and it’s a very full­standard habitat. Sundancer will be “Developing a solid working structure promising market to tap,” says Gold. approximately the size of a large between partners is a part of the “The ability to conduct scientific Greyhound bus initially, although process. We are working in exciting and commercial R&D in a microgravi­ Gold muses that he expects “the views times, on the forefront of new discov­ ty environment will open up a new from the windows to be much better.” eries and advancements.” possibility for industry and govern­ The habitat will grow with each Ultimately, Bigelow Aerospace ment that can be conducted for a frac­ launch through modules that will pro­ wants to see crewed space activities tion of what NASA or large corpora­ vide useable space that exceeds the transformed in the same way that tele­ tions spend,” Gold adds. space for the International Space com has been from the domain of the At issue however, is reliable trans­ Station, according to Gold. Again, the government to a booming commercial portation to and from the habitats. schedule for launch depends upon reli­ market. “There is no other company Gold says that the single greatest able transportation. Bigelow has relied globally that has made even a fraction Achilles heel that Bigelow now faces is upon the Russians and some very cre­ of the investment or the progress that a lack of crew transportation. “Both ative and unique arrangements to we have in developing and proving the private sector and the government launch each of the previous Genesis expandable space habitat technology, need a reliable, safe and affordable habitat pathfinder prototypes. Gold all on our own dime,” Gold says. means of transporting crew to and would not predict at this time when from low­Earth orbit,” Gold says. Sundancer and other Bigelow systems Donna P. Anderson is in the Innovation NASA’s Commercial Orbital will launch, since they are dependent Partnerships Office at JSC. Transportation Services (COTS) pro­ on the development of a commercial For more information, contact the JSC gram was a step in the right direction, crew transportation system. Innovation Partnerships Office at in Gold’s opinion, but he says that In working with NASA, Gold says (281) 483 ­3809; or Bigelow much more needs to be done. that private companies need to be fore­ Aerospace at Several countries have a strong warned, and prepared, to deal with the www.bigelowaerospace.com/ (702) 688 ­6600. desire to develop their own native delays of working with a government astronaut corps, according to Gold. bureaucracy. Gold continues, stating Please mention that you read about it He anticipates that Bigelow will be that there are some excellent attorneys in Technology Innovation.

NASA’S MAGAZINE FOR BUSINESS & TECHNOLOGY 11 Tech Talk INDUSTRY PARTNERSHIPS WITH NASA Commercial Communications Achievable in NASA’s Lunar Science & Exploration Programs

By James Schier NASA Headquarters CREDIT :

Robert Kelso NASA NASA Johnson Space Center

AND

Lawrence Petak A ASRC Management Services STROBOTIC Peggy Slye T

Futron Corporation ECHNOLOGY Jon Michael Smith Jon M. Smith and Associates

uring the Apollo era in the 1960s, NASA was the only D“customer” for the moon, and the United States government did everything itself, using traditional pro­ curement approaches for creating the capability and infrastructure for lunar missions. NASA owned all of the flight and ground hardware except for sys­ tems provided by the Air Force and IN THIS FUTURISTIC LUNAR ENVIRONMENT, TWO LUNAR RELAY SATELLITES PROVIDE COMMUNICATION CAPABILITIES Navy, procuring what it needed from BETWEEN THE EARTH AND THE MOON. SHOWN CLOCKWISE FROM LOWER RIGHT ARE CONCEPTS FOR A LUNAR prime contractors who worked for HABITAT, NASA ’ S ALTAIR LUNAR LANDER, NEXT ­GENERATION MOON ROVER, CARGO SPACECRAFT, LUNAR OUT ­ POST ROAD AND MINING ZONE, ROBOTS EXCAVATING REGOLITH AND A COMMERCIAL INDUSTRIAL PARK. NASA. The Agency funded all testing and development. It defined not only different. NASA is no longer the only exploration programs, the success of what was required, but also how it was party that wants to engage the moon. commercial satellite communications to be built in terms of design and Many space­faring nations, commercial in Earth orbit opens the opportunity implementation. Buying systems and groups and academic institutions also for new types of public­private part­ components from industry, NASA led are planning to reach for the moon. nerships (PPP) that can substantially the integration, testing and operations While the communications and navi­ reduce the cost of space activities for for its missions. gation systems are among the least NASA. Now, as NASA prepares to return to costly of all the systems to implement In describing NASA’s lunar explo­ the moon by 2020, the environment is in the national lunar science and ration initiatives at the 2nd Space

12 Volume 15 • Number 2 • 2009 INDUSTRY PARTNERSHIPS WITH NASA

Comparison of Apollo Era and Next Generation Characteristics

Lunar Program Apollo Era Commercial Characteristics “Best in Class” Era

Owner NASA Industry/Space­Faring Nations Contract fee­type Cost+ Fixed Price Contract arrangement Prime Contractor PPP/Indefinite Delivery­ Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) Customer(s) NASA NASA and others Funding for capability NASA procures capability; funds NASA provides seed investment demonstration performance evaluation board dispersed by milestone payment Design responsibility NASA PPP owned by NASA, Industry, & other Space­Faring Nations Maintainability/Disposition NASA PPP owners Procurement length Short term; Single­year Buy Long Term; Multi­year buy Business Approach System/component buy Service­based buy NASA’s role in capability NASA defines “what” and “how” NASA defines only “what” development (Industry defines “how”) Requirements definition NASA defines detailed NASA defines top­level requirements capabilities needed Cost structure Total cost $/unit measure

Exploration Conference (December provide commercial communications Study Backs Commercialization 2006), Agency leaders explained that and navigation services, an interest in In 2007, NASA began a series of stud­ NASA would focus on space trans­ growing into this new lunar market ies to determine if the time was right portation as its leadership role. It also and the ability to marshal the for a new collaboration with the com­ would provide Extravehicular Activity resources for such a venture if NASA munications industry (“Commercial (EVA) suits and basic communications sets up the means and commits to its Lunar Communications and and navigation services for mission success. Navigation [C&N] Study Final support, while encouraging partners to NASA wants to open the door to Report,” NASA Space provide augmented or high bandwidth commercial partners and has congres­ Communications and Navigation capabilities. Everything else would be sional direction to do so. By involving [SCaN] Program, James Schier, ed., open to provision by international or the commercial sector and by encour­ March 2009). The studies concluded commercial partners. aging everyone to contribute what they that commercial lunar communica­ Industry has already shown that it do best, the potential exists for more tions is feasible, the time to act is now believes that it has the technical capac­ progress, lower cost and faster imple­ and industry is ready and able to par­ ity to design and operate systems to mentation in returning to the moon. ticipate. NASA has developed new

NASA’S MAGAZINE FOR BUSINESS & TECHNOLOGY 13 Tech Talk INDUSTRY PARTNERSHIPS WITH NASA

Cumulative Lunar Missions in the Next Decade

and innovative ways in which it could were signed by governments and oper­ at the moon. engage the communications industry ating entities. By 1965, Early Bird I Together, NASA and industry in collaboration, as shown in the table was launched as the world’s first com­ would explore the benefits of lunar on page 13 comparing Apollo to the mercial communication satellite. operations for science, astronomy and new era of exploration. INTELSAT became a private company entrepreneurial endeavors such as The public­private partnership in 2001. searching for new sources of energy. arrangement envisioned is similar to In the new commercial era, NASA NASA could provide innovative seed­ INTELSAT. In 1962, President would collaborate with the “best in fund investments to aid industry in Kennedy signed the Communications class” members of the communica­ developing lunar communications Satellite Act with the goal of establish­ tions industry to provide innovative capabilities. In this new era, NASA ing an international satellite system. lunar communications for the second would decide what communications The International Telecommunications generation of lunar exploration by services it needs, and industry will Satellite Consortium (INTELSAT) was both NASA and industry, allowing decide how to provide the services. established in 1964 when agreements both parties to benefit from operations This would allow NASA to purchase

14 Volume 15 • Number 2 • 2009 INDUSTRY PARTNERSHIPS WITH NASA

only the services that it needs at a was made with Western Union in would not only aid the scientific and lower cost that is shared among the 1976 when NASA leased commercial human exploration programs in which lunar customers. service for 10 years on the Tracking NASA has been the historic leader. Marketing studies by both NASA and Data Relay Satellite System They also would foster parallel devel­ and the communications industry show (TDRSS). NASA could provide basic opment of innovative space capabili­ that the early lunar explorers, driven by communications and navigation infra­ ties, which are valued at $1­5 billion in prize money and unique opportunities, structure as backup to ensure crew the near term in an independent are commercial firms, and they are safety and mission success. assessment conducted by Futron Corp. expected to begin as early as 2011 in Additionally, NASA will also transfer as part of the Commercial Lunar pursuit of the Google Lunar X Prize. advanced, innovative communication Communications and Navigation These entrepreneurs will be followed by technologies, such as optical communi­ (C&N) Study. They would pave the scientists interested in learning more cations, to industry to accommodate way for the commercialization of an about the nature of the moon and solar the growing communications needs of entirely new market sector. By leverag­ system. During the next decade, more the community, in much the same way ing the lessons gathered through 50 commercial firms, governments and that NASA does for industry now. years of technical experience and academic institutions will join in the As the partnership matures, NASA redefining the essential business para­ moon’s economic growth. There will be can turn its attention to Mars and fur­ digm for future exploration programs, an increasing growth opportunity for ther develop innovative ways to pro­ NASA could create a robust and all who conduct lunar operations, and vide for communications needs for resilient model in which government all will require communications services martian exploration. and commercial partners can succeed (see graph on page 14). If NASA achieves this strategic goal by continuing to do what they do best of re­entering the lunar market from individually. New Role for NASA an entirely new perspective, as a part­ NASA would provide the innovative ner and collaborator with the global James Schier is systems engineering and leadership for this collaboration, but commercial space communications integration manager in the Space not necessarily its control. One prom­ industry, the Agency would attain Communication and Navigation Office, ising option is for a public­private some additional significant goals. By NASA Headquarters; Robert Kelso is man ­ ager of commercial lunar services, NASA partnership to control the lunar assets, leveraging its experience in partnering Johnson Space Center; Lawrence Petak is whereby NASA becomes just one of with industry and other space­faring senior systems engineer, ASRC the government­industry partners. In nations to create this innovative busi­ Management Services; Peggy Slye is presi ­ the early years, NASA could behave as ness model designed for the chal­ dent, Futron Corporation; Jon Michael Smith is president, Jon M. Smith and a lead tenant in the partnership as a lenges of a new lunar era, NASA Associates. senior partner with the most need for would reap tangible benefits in the communications services. The part­ critical program management areas of For more information, contact James nership’s communication system would cost efficiency, risk minimization and Schier at James.schier­ [email protected] or (202) 358 ­5155. be used as the primary support to avoidance, and improved time to mar­ NASA’s operations, with additional ket for the requisite new technical Please mention that you read about it capacity sold to international and com­ capabilities. in Technology Innovation. mercial users. A similar arrangement These business model improvements

NASA’S MAGAZINE FOR BUSINESS & TECHNOLOGY 15 Tech Talk INDUSTRY PARTNERSHIPS WITH NASA Technology for Orbital Propellant Depots

THE SUN SHIELD WAS DEVELOPED THROUGH A PARTNERSHIP AMONG KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, UNITED LAUNCH ALLIANCE AND ILC DOVER CORPORATION. IT IS SHOWN HERE, FULLY DEPLOYED, BEHIND THE ENGINEERS WHO DEVELOPED IT.

CREDIT: UNITED LAUNCH ALLIANCE

By Carol Anne Dunn cryogenic liquids if they are in space options and capabilities to explore NASA Kennedy Space Center for only a matter of hours. Human many destinations including near­ missions using cryogenic propellants Earth objects, Mars and beyond. ne of the problems to be will need much longer duration storage For NASA, the need for such tech­ overcome with long­dura­ – months or even years – particularly if nology is becoming critical with the Otion space exploration is the using concepts such as propellant advent of Constellation and planned long­term storage of high­performance depots, which would be on­orbit gas future space travel. A proposed solu­ propellants – oxygen and hydrogen – stations that could be supplied by tion is to develop a space­based, at cryogenic temperatures. Heating commercial or international launches. deployable sun shielding device that from the sun in space can cause loss of Such a robust infrastructure could add would keep the cryogenics at a constant propellant through “boiloff” of the flexibility and enhance exploration temperature and support extended

16 Volume 15 • Number 2 • 2009 INDUSTRY PARTNERSHIPS WITH NASA

CREDIT: NASA cryogenic storage without boiloff. The back quite a long time, including look­ significance of such an innovation is ing at a shield for Sky Lab and for the that not only would it extend cryogen­ Orbital Space Plane (OSP) Program. In based exploration, but it also would order to increase the in­space longevity aid in the development of other space­ for the existing Atlas V and Delta IV related inflatable structures such as second stages, NASA’s Launch Services human shelters, antennas, solar power Program conducted the Advanced arrays and reentry shields. Cryogenic Evolved Stage (ACES) proj­ Enter the NASA Innovative ect. The project was intended to Partnerships Program (IPP) Seed Fund, reduce the long­term boiloff of cryo­ which assists with funding and over­ genic propellants. The results showed sight development by partnering with that extending storage of cryogenic industry to take a concept from the propellants could be accomplished for demonstration model to a full­scale periods of eight months passively and test article. NASA Kennedy Space nearly an unlimited time thereafter Center’s Technology Programs and with active cooling. One of the critical Partnerships Branch used the seed fund technologies recommended by the to partner with United Launch ACES project for further development A SINGLE PETAL FROM THE SIX­ PETAL SUN SHIELD IS Alliance (ULA) and ILC Dover DEPLOYED IN THE VACUUM CHAMBER AT GLENN was the deployable sun shield. RESEARCH CENTER. Corporation. In doing so, it built upon As a result of the ACES project, ULA these companies’ common interests and ILC Dover had already developed a and helped them with design, develop­ tions and configurations. full­scale proof­of­concept model; how­ ment, and testing and risk analysis of Space­based, long­term cryogenic ever, the companies needed help taking the sun shield, materials, components storage of large amounts of cryogenic the concept from a Technology and assembly. Actual flight is still a few fluids is an old concept but still in its Readiness Level of 4 (TRL­4) to a full­ years off, but a test article will be ready infancy regarding technology maturity. scale test article with a TRL­6. The IPP for a full­scale flight test sometime in Current capabilities for long­term stor­ Seed Fund has helped to further mature the near future. age of space­based cryogenics is limited this important technology, and the next The overall system design is a six­ to small amounts on payloads that typ­ step will be flight testing. petal configuration, three­layer shade ically use multi­layer materials for that has a roller assembly, vertical insulation and cryogenic refrigeration Carol Anne Dunn is a project specialist in the Technology Projects and Programs boom and columnator and sleeve. A to extend use. These methods do not Branch at Kennedy Space Center. 25­degree cone angle was selected for lend themselves to large­scale opera­ thermal performance. The fairing is tions as they would be too heavy. For more information, please contact jettisoned prior to the sun shield Lower­weight shielding concepts to the Kennedy Space Center project manager, Alexis Hongamen, at deployment. Extensive research was reduce heat gains from the sun passively, alexis.hongamen ­[email protected] or conducted in order to select the appro­ and active large­scale cooling systems (321) 867 ­3107. priate materials for the shield, and test­ are needed. Sun shields will be an ing was done in extremely cold tem­ important part of future systems. Please mention that you read about it in Technology Innovation. peratures in different loading condi­ NASA’s interest in sun shields dates

NASA’S MAGAZINE FOR BUSINESS & TECHNOLOGY 17 Tech Talk INDUSTRY PARTNERSHIPS WITH NASA Water Production Services for the ISS by NASA’s Marshall Space Flight By Jason Crusan Center and Hamilton Sundstrand. NASA Headquarters However, one remaining system is Marybeth Edeen required to close the loop in the oxygen NASA Johnson Space Center and water regeneration cycle. Currently, Kevin Grohs the ISS systems remove carbon dioxide Hamilton Sundstrand and create oxygen on orbit. These processes create by­products of carbon s NASA nears the end of the dioxide and hydrogen, which are sim­ Space Shuttle Program and ply vented overboard. But since all A the beginning of full science materials are precious once in orbit, a operations on the International Space system that could use these by­products Station (ISS), it prepares to test some to generate additional water for ISS was UNDSTRAND of the most unique and complex space S desirable.

flight hardware. But NASA is con­ THE FULLY ASSEMBLED SABATIER REACTOR The Sabatier Reaction System, now

AMILTON SYSTEM, WHICH WILL REUSE CARBON ducting more than just science aboard H under contract to be developed by : DIOXIDE AND HYDROGEN TO GENERATE the ISS. The Agency is using the ISS WATER ABOARD THE INTERNATIONAL Hamilton Sundstrand CREDIT as an engineering testbed for hardware SPACE STATION. (www.hamiltonsundstrand.com) of on orbit, and also is testing new duce oxygen had to be designed, devel­ Winsor Locks, Conn., has been acquisition models that could be used oped and tested. This hardware was planned for this function since the ISS for future space programs. necessary to minimize use of cargo was first designed. NASA and the gen­ While NASA’s missions are familiar space for consumables, thus maximizing eral technical community have been to most Americans, the process by the space for science payloads and engi­ conducting research on Sabatier sys­ which key infrastructure is supplied to neering experiments. However, this tems for more than 20 years through enable those missions is often less clear. hardware development serves another various advanced development initia­ Here is an example of an innovative purpose in that it provides a testbed for tives. NASA’s Space Operations new method used by NASA to acquire on­orbit assessment of key technologies Mission Directorate (SOMD), which space flight services, rather than buy­ that are needed to continue human manages the ISS, felt the need for ing hardware. exploration of the solar system. procuring this system would be a good Most of the regenerative environ­ opportunity to test not only the tech­ New Way of Doing Business mental control and life support systems nology, but also an innovative acquisi­ For a crew of six to survive aboard the are now in place and operational tion method for space flight services. ISS, systems to recover water and pro­ aboard the ISS. They were developed The technology was already well

18 Volume 15 • Number 2 • 2009 INDUSTRY PARTNERSHIPS WITH NASA

understood, thanks to extensive, previ­ Historically, this type of require­ role to safety and interface require­ ously conducted development work. ment would be procured using a cost ments. This approach relies on the Also, all of the systems with which the reimbursable “hardware” type of pro­ contractor’s willingness to accept addi­ Sabatier would be interfacing were curement. In this case, however, a tional technical and financial risk. In already built, so all interfaces were well service contract was desirable for sever­ return, the contractor has the potential defined. This allowed SOMD to limit al reasons. It significantly limited to realize financial returns commensu­ the technical, financial and schedule NASA’s risk related to technology, cost rate with its risk, provided that the risk that is often associated with tradi­ and schedule, but it still enabled service obligations of the contract are tional acquisitions of systems. The NASA to hold Hamilton Sundstrand met (in this case, on­orbit water gener­ approach is based on having the com­ accountable for the successful perform­ ation). It also reduces NASA’s overall plete Design, Development, Test and ance of the service requirements. program cost structure by limiting its Evaluation (DDT&E) of the Sabatier NASA has completed many service oversight requirements to just the areas System conducted and financed by the contracts, fixed­price contracts, and per­ of critical importance, such as safety.

Controller, Sabatier Trays Motor Controller, Filter, Manifold, System CO2 Heat Interface Exchanger Manifold, Compressor

Manifold, Reactor

Manifold, Tray, Separator, Separator Bottom Pump Reactor Liquid Tray, Top Compressor Air, AAA Absorber, Sensors ORU Large Top Tray Bottom Tray Side 1 Bottom Tray Side 2 contractor (in this case, Hamilton formance­based contracts in the past. Through this innovative contracting Sundstrand). In return, NASA pays for The unique aspect of this procurement approach, which directly ties the con­ water production service on orbit and was the combination of all these princi­ tractor’s financial returns to technical is not responsible for any payments to ples into a single procurement. performance, NASA can be sure that its the contractor if the system fails due to Other unique aspects of the con­ requirements for space flight are met. Sabatier­related hardware and/or soft­ tract, to meet the needs of this innova­ ware issues. In effect, NASA pays for tive procurement approach, included Tailoring of Requirements the availability of the water production the use of termination liability, fund­ Since NASA was not procuring a tradi­ service while the contractor is responsi­ ing obligations in a non­traditional tional hardware system, the Agency ble for maintaining system operability manner, performance­based look­back defined the requirements that would for a given period of time. provisions, and truly limiting NASA’s enable Hamilton Sundstrand to meet

NASA’S MAGAZINE FOR BUSINESS & TECHNOLOGY 19 Tech Talk INDUSTRY PARTNERSHIPS WITH NASA

the technical interfaces as well as stone­based payments throughout the All of this allows for a true service NASA’s safety requirements. More contract’s period of performance. To provider­based model that is much like than 70 percent of NASA’s standard ensure that Hamilton Sundstrand ground­based services. flow­down requirements were removed would still take on the majority of the from the specification. Verification of risk, the milestone payments made Lessons Learned the remaining requirements was left as before on­orbit activation of the system From the perspective of Hamilton flexible as possible, and specific verifi­ are subject to a 100­percent look­back Sundstrand, two factors were critical cation criteria were defined only where penalty if the system does not operate for success in establishing this innova­ they were absolutely required. In when first activated on orbit. Since tive contracting approach. First, clear many cases, certificates of compliance experience has shown that initial activa­ and open lines of communication from Hamilton Sundstrand will be tion of a system on orbit is always chal­ between the respective organizations accepted as verification compliance. lenging, there is a small grace period in allowed both to understand the other’s Items such as the failure mode and the contract to allow Hamilton goals and challenges more clearly. This effects analysis (FMEA) and hazard Sundstrand to work through any start­ understanding enabled more efficient analysis were retained, along with the up issues. Specific protocols have been collaboration toward the common goal requirements of the normal safety agreed upon between NASA and and resulted in the negotiation of a review panels. Another unique aspect Hamilton Sundstrand governing the mutually acceptable agreement that of the contract is that NASA did not use of any resources that will be ultimately met all parties’ objectives. commit to a specific launch date, or required for initial system operation, Second, an unwavering team commit­ even launch vehicle, for the hardware, such as crew time. ment from both organizations made it and the Agency supplied launch loads The performance­based criteria do possible to work through unexpected that would meet several vehicle not stop after activation – there are per­ difficulties that arose as new contract­ options. NASA left itself a six­month formance criteria throughout the entire ing approaches were generated and window from the final delivery to on­orbit life cycle. To simplify the cri­ ultimately implemented. Without this launch the hardware and to perform teria, a system was created for calculat­ joint commitment toward realizing the the on­orbit check out. ing the number of days during which common objective, any one of several Hamilton Sundstrand is on track to the system is available for water pro­ significant obstacles had the potential meet the delivery date of October 31, duction, versus the days during which to stop the project. 2009, for the Sabatier System and the system is not available. The per­ November 30, 2009, for the system’s formance payment for any given year is Jason Crusan is program executive, NASA

process and motor controllers. a simple calculation that defines Headquarters; Marybeth Edeen is national upfront the maximum payment and lab manager, NASA Johnson Space Center; Performance­Based Payments subtracts any down days as a direct per­ Kevin Grohs is program manager, One of the more commonly used centage of the overall days in the year. Hamilton Sundstrand.

approaches in contracting is perform­ Specific protocols also have been agreed For more information, contact Jason ance­based milestones and performance upon, covering a series of contingency Crusan at (202) 358 ­0635 or awards. This contract used this general scenarios associated with addressing [email protected]. concept but made the entire contract system inoperability issues, related to Please mention that you read about it value performance based. However, either NASA interfaces or the in Technology Innovation. Hamilton Sundstrand was given mile­ Hamilton Sundstrand Sabatier System.

20 Volume 15 • Number 2 • 2009 INDUSTRY PARTNERSHIPS WITH NASA

The 21st­Century Pony Express to the Moon

NASA AMES RESEARCH CENTER IS PROVIDING TECHNICAL DATA AND ENGINEERING SUPPORT TO ODYSSEY MOON VENTURES FOR THE DEVELOPMENT ENTURES

V OF THE OON NE LUNAR LANDER M O (M ­1) . NOO M YSSEY D O

: CREDIT

By Sidney Sun new partnership between A Reversal of Roles NASA Ames Research Center NASA and Odyssey Moon Recent commercial success stories, Christopher Boshuizen Ventures is leveraging such as the winning of the Ansari X Logyx LLC A NASA research and development to Prize in 2004 and the successful flight Philip Davies help create a “pony express” delivery of SpaceX’s Falcon 1 launch vehicle in Bay Area Economics service to the moon. Just as the pony 2008, have emboldened a new genera­ tion of private space explorers. Robert Richards express helped expand this country’s Odyssey Moon Limited exploration and settlement of the Odyssey Moon Ventures (OMV) LLC west, so too could this new space­ (www.odysseymoon.com), a U.S. com­ Larry Barone

Bay Area Environment Research craft development offer a low­cost pany developing commercial systems Institute way of reaching the moon. for lunar exploration, is one such

NASA’S MAGAZINE FOR BUSINESS & TECHNOLOGY 21 Tech Talk INDUSTRY PARTNERSHIPS WITH NASA

company. OMV has partnered with agencies proves that a new value­added capabilities. Small lunar landers can NASA Ames Research Center for the paradigm is possible with private sector undertake critical precursor mapping, development of a robotic lunar lander. involvement in space exploration. infrastructure and in­situ resource uti­ This unique public­private partnership This partnership between NASA lization missions prior to and coinci­ combines NASA expertise with an and OMV, as well as NASA’s program dent with human return to the moon. entrepreneurial company’s innovative for Commercial Orbital Transportation Studies of small spacecraft missions approaches to commercial space sys­ Services (COTS) are two examples of have highlighted their value, pointing tems, resulting in new industrial capa­ how the Agency is trying to reduce the out their significantly lower cost, and bilities for the company and benefits to costs for spaceflight through collabora­ rapid development and deployment the American space program. tions with private industry. (See article schedules. As a result, a greater num­ In many NASA spaceflight pro­ on pg. 34.) ber of missions can be flown within a grams, NASA purchases technology “The prospect for commercial deliv­ set budget and timeframe, as compared from private industry. But in this ery of NASA science and exploration with programs involving larger space­ agreement, the roles are reversed as instruments to the moon is consistent craft. Such attributes also have stimu­ OMV will be leveraging NASA tech­ with the precedents already set by the lated interest in the burgeoning com­ nology to aid in the company’s com­ NASA COTS program supporting com­ mercial spacecraft industry, which mercial efforts. NASA will provide mercial supply for orbital operations,” NASA is helping to nurture. technical data and engineering support remarks S. Pete Worden, director of Ames Research Center is leading to OMV to aid the company’s efforts Ames Research Center.“Extending com­ NASA’s efforts to develop small, low­ to develop its commercial MoonOne mercial supplier concepts and relation­ cost spacecraft. As part of that effort, (M­1) small robotic lunar lander. M­1 ships to advance NASA’s mandates for the Ames’ Small Spacecraft Division is planned to have the capabilities of exploration and permanent operations designed the Common Spacecraft Bus delivering both internal­ and external­ on the moon is a logical next step.” (CSB) to serve as a vehicle to support a mounted payloads to the surface of the Jay Honeycutt, president of Odyssey range of missions designed for small moon in support of science and com­ Moon Ventures and a veteran space spacecraft. The CSB’s modular design mercial endeavors. NASA has been executive, says, “I am extremely provides a spectrum of capabilities that offering this technology to industry on pleased and excited to be working on can be adapted to meet specific mis­ a broad basis, and OMV is the first to getting us back to the moon in a sus­ sion parameters. The system can be seize this opportunity. tainable way. I believe the private sec­ configured as an orbiter or as a lander OMV is planning a series of robotic tor has an important role to play in a using common off­the­shelf compo­ missions to the moon during the permanent and affordable lunar pro­ nents arranged in modular segments. International Lunar Decade, which gram. We look forward to working Both the lander and orbiter configura­ extends through 2019. The company with NASA as both partners and cus­ tions share common propulsion, avion­ already has signed on two commercial tomers in this effort.” ics and structural modules. As a lander, organizations for the mission and has the CSB can be outfitted with legs. An received proposals for payloads from Background additional module can be inserted into customers worldwide. NASA is developing small spacecraft the spacecraft to give it extra payload The tremendous response from both capable of landing on the lunar surface capacity. The orbiter version can be the private sector and government to help advance space exploration outfitted with reaction wheels for sta­

22 Volume 15 • Number 2 • 2009 INDUSTRY PARTNERSHIPS WITH NASA

bilizing the spacecraft when in orbit. The partnership between NASA ing this lunar lander, NASA is able to The technology enables the develop­ Ames and OMV was formalized shorten the development time and ment of lunar surface missions that though a Reimbursable Space Act learn how private industry streamlines cost less than $100 million, including Agreement (RSAA) October 30, 2008. its engineering processes. the cost of the launch vehicle, and Under the agreement, OMV will reim­ Ultimately, OMV might be in a orbiting missions for a fraction of their burse NASA for technical assistance position to provide NASA with a fast current cost. provided by Ames’ Small Spacecraft turnaround delivery service to the By making the CSB available and Office regarding CSB plans and specifi­ moon and other destinations, creating supporting its adoption by commercial cations. The company also will provide an entirely new niche in lunar science. firms, Ames will accelerate the further valuable feedback on the viability of the Currently, it can cost hundreds of mil­ development of system variants, increase CSB for commercial applications. lions of dollars to send scientific exper­ the number of components/sub­systems The term sheet allowed NASA to iments into space, taking many years to come to fruition. The success of With industry playing a collaborative role...NASA is OMV could make it possible to fly able to shorten the development time and learn how rapid­turnaround experiments for less than $10 million, leading to a great private industry streamlines its engineering processes increase in the amount of science that could be conducted. produced by suppliers, reduce costs in offer the technology to all interested Taking this approach also allows future missions and increase the avail­ parties in an equitable manner. In the NASA to focus less on infrastructure ability of spares. NASA described the context of the Google Lunar X Prize, and more on its fundamental research CSB technology at the Google Lunar X several of the competing teams have and missions. At the same time, cre­ Prize Team Summit in May 2008 and expressed interest in adopting the Ames ative partnerships like this allow NASA announced its willingness to share the design. The final agreement is also con­ to see its innovative breakthroughs technology with any interested U.S. sistent with NASA’s goal to provide the pave the way to the future. parties. CSB on a non­exclusive basis to U.S. commercial and private sector entities. Sidney Sun is a project manager at NASA Partnership Ames Research Center, Christopher Boshuizen is a project engineer for Logyx To encourage the agreements, Ames Benefits LLC, Philip Davies is a business develop­ released a term sheet in May 2008 that While OMV will reimburse Ames for all ment consultant at Bay Area Economics, described how potential partners could technical assistance through the RSAA, Robert Richards is CEO of Odyssey Moon learn more about the CSB technology the benefits of the partnership extend far Limited and Larry Barone is a research sci­ entist with the Bay Area Environment and enter into a working relationship beyond the monetary transaction. Research Institute. with Ames. Using the term sheet facili­ Having an outside entity take the tated the development of an agreement lead in developing the capability allows For more information, contact Sidney between ARC and OMV by addressing the design to mature faster than it Sun at [email protected], (650) 604 ­4835. many of the standard questions that would in a normal development arise during the initial phase of partner­ process inside NASA. With industry Please mention that you read about it ship development. playing a collaborative role in develop­ in Technology Innovation.

NASA’S MAGAZINE FOR BUSINESS & TECHNOLOGY 23 Innovator’s Corner GOVERNMENT AGENCY PARTNERSHIPS WITH NASA

NASA and Air Force Partner on Commercial Space Transportation Technology Exchange

By Robert “Joe” Shaw NASA Glenn Research Center Bruce Thieman Air Force Research Laboratory

ASA and the Air Force Dayton, Ohio (www.usasymposium. purpose of encouraging partnerships Research Laboratory (AFRL) com/raste/default.htm). Looking ahead among commercial space transporta­ Nare collaborating on a tech­ to next year, the 2010 C/RASTE work­ tion firms, as well as between industry nology exchange forum that will sup­ shop will be held at NASA Ames and NASA. AFRL independently sup­ port the growth and success of a U.S. Research Center. ported General Dynamics Information commercial space transportation indus­ Leading up to the creation of Technology’s two successful Responsive try while bolstering respective agency C/RASTE, NASA and AFRL have Access to Space Technology Exchanges goals. This jointly planned and con­ been involved independently in similar (RASTE), which were conducted to ducted event is the Commercial and commercial space forums. NASA spon­ develop and encourage partnerships Government Responsive Space Access sored two successful commercial space between commercial space transporta­ Technology Exchange (C/RASTE), to transportation workshops, at Langley tion firms and to transfer AFRL­fund­ be held October 26­29, 2009, in and Glenn research centers, for the ed technology to industry.

24 Volume 15 • Number 2 • 2009 GOVERNMENT AGENCY PARTNERSHIPS WITH NASA

CREDIT: U.S. AIR FORCE rently funded programs, space transportation industry. A com­ 2. To identify and develop mercial space access technology approaches to expediently transfer roadmap would supply both NASA available technologies to commercial and AFRL with additional information space organizations where needed and that might be useful when considering aligned with the organization’s needs. their individual technology investment This includes promoting technology portfolios. The knowledge that a par­ interchange between commercial space ticular technology might also be useful access technology providers and the to industry could be incorporated by commercial space access community. each agency into its respective technolo­ 3. To explore and pursue, where gy investment decisions. Finally, this appropriate, NASA/AFRL/commercial process may also identify opportunities space industry partnerships to acceler­ for NASA and AFRL to combine ate the technology development and resources on technology development for transfer process, and areas of common need and interest. 4. To provide opportunities for commercial space organizations to tap Bruce Thieman is the responsive space into the wealth of knowledge that access capability lead at the Air Force Research Laboratory and chairman of the NASA and AFRL possess relevant to C/RASTE 2009 steering committee. He THIS ARTIST 'S DEPICTION SHOWS A NOTIONAL technologies that are beneficial to the REUSABLE BOOSTER SYSTEM TO BE DEVELOPED can be reached at THROUGH A COLLABORATION AMONG THE AIR commercial space community. [email protected]. FORCE RESEARCH LAB, NASA AND INDUSTRY. NASA and the AFRL have discussed THE C/RASTE FORUM WILL BRING THESE ENTITIES Robert “Joe” Shaw is chief of the Business TOGETHER TO MAKE THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE opportunities to expand the collabora­

SYSTEM VIABLE. Development and Partnership Office at tion in support of commercial space NASA Glenn Research Center and the transportation beyond the joint tech­ NASA representative on the C/RASTE Building on these experiences, the nology exchange events. In particular, steering committee. He can be reached at [email protected]. two agencies agreed on the new, com­ opportunities may exist for joint fund­ mon brand name – C/RASTE – for ing of development and demonstra­ these workshops. The event will have tions of technologies and capabilities Those interested in developing other the following objectives: that are required to achieve the mission joint NASA ­AFRL actions to support the emerging space transportation 1. To provide an opportunity for the objectives of both NASA and AFRL. industry should contact Charles members of the commercial space Also, both organizations have identi­ Miller, NASA senior advisor for com ­ industry to become familiar with fied a potential need for a commercial mercial space, in the Innovative NASA­ and AFRL­relevant capabilities space access technology roadmap that Partnerships Program (IPP) Office, at [email protected]. (such as rocket propulsion testing at would provide the government with Stennis Space Center) as well as tech­ insight on the consensus technology Please mention that you read about nologies under development in cur­ needs of the emerging commercial it in Technology Innovation.

NASA’S MAGAZINE FOR BUSINESS & TECHNOLOGY 25 Facility Focus CREDIT :

NASA’s Atomic Oxygen NASA Testing Facilities Help Commercial Remote Sensing Industry

By Laurel J. Stauber and Cindy L. Dreibelbis NASA Glenn Research Center Nancy Oates THE LARGE AREA ATOMIC OXYGEN EXPOSURE FACILITY AT GLENN RESEARCH CENTER TESTS AND EVALUATES PROTECTIVE COATINGS IN A SIMULATED SPACE Fuentek LLC ENVIRONMENT. THE FACILITY IS AVAILABLE TO NASA AND TO INDUSTRY.

ingle atoms of oxygen can pick a surface clean. That program, which is sponsored by the National Geospatial­ corrosive power can be harnessed for beneficial purposes, Intelligence Agency (NGA). WorldView­2 will launch in fall Ssuch as removing organic contaminants from a 2009, while GeoEye­2 is expected to launch in 2012. centuries­old oil painting. But it’s bad news for satellites. NextView aims to ensure the availability of high­resolu­ Low­Earth atmosphere – the stratum where satellites orbit tion imagery from the next series of U.S. commercial satel­ – is rife with atomic oxygen. To extend the useful life of satel­ lites. NGA sponsors the construction and launch of these lites that are intended to remain in orbit for years, scientists satellites to fill imagery and geospatial needs for military, and engineers must select exterior polymer surfaces composed intelligence, foreign policy, homeland security and civil users. of substances that resist highly reactive atomic oxygen. Utilizing Glenn’s testing facilities and the expertise of Which materials work best? NASA and commercial aero­ Glenn’s researchers over the past 11 years has strengthened space companies have teamed up to answer that question ITT’s reputation for quality and reliability, according to Rob quickly and cost effectively. Mitrevski, vice president and director of commercial and NASA’s Glenn Research Center has atomic oxygen expo­ space sciences for ITT’s Space Systems Division. sure facilities to test and evaluate protective coatings in a “Through this collaborative relationship, we can make simulated space environment, providing accurate informa­ great use of our technology and Glenn’s capabilities to assure tion about how well the materials will hold up in space. In that we have a very robust product,” Mitrevski says. addition to their use for NASA, Glenn’s facilities are available to commercial companies, a collaboration that gives busi­ Glenn’s Unique Testing Facilities nesses and NASA researchers valuable knowledge and bene­ In the early 1980s, Glenn’s Electro­Physics Branch (now called fits society as well. For example, by testing mirror coatings the Space Environment and Experiments Branch) constructed for ITT Corporation optics, Glenn contributed to the suc­ its first ground facility that employed atomic oxygen to test cess of the satellites in the NextView program. the durability of materials that would be used to build the International Space Station (ISS) and NASA satellites. Glenn Opening NASA Facilities to Businesses researchers Bruce Banks and Sharon Miller were among the ITT Corporation’s Space Systems Division was selected in 2003 first to recognize the benefits of using protective coatings to to build the advanced imaging systems for WorldView­1 and, the prevent erosion of polymers to be used in low­Earth orbit and following year, for GeoEye­1, both satellites in the NextView to develop ground­based facilities in which to test them.

26 Volume 15 • Number 2 • 2009 HIGHLIGHTING NASA FACILITIES THAT PROVIDE FUNCTION BEYOND SPACE EXPLORATION

Work that Banks and Miller patented on the protective says. “With reflective surfaces of mirrors, for instance, we want coatings used on the solar arrays of the ISS have yielded sig­ to make sure not only that the coatings don’t degrade but that nificant savings for NASA — more than $15 billion by one their light reflectance properties, like scattering, don’t change.” estimate. Banks and Miller published more than 70 papers The work that Banks and Miller have done with atomic on that research and earned Glenn’s largest Space Act Award oxygen has been applied in a number of innovative ways. The in recognition of the significant savings. technology has been used to restore damaged oil paintings by Glenn now has atomic oxygen testing simulators of vary­ removing organic materials of soot and lipstick, and to identify ing sizes. The largest accommodates a 5x7­foot testing area, alteration of hand­written documents. In the biomedical field, which offers unique capabilities in that it is considerably atomic oxygen can be used to improve adhesion of cultured larger than commercially available testing facilities. This bone cells, to remove contaminants from the surfaces of ortho­ facility allows researchers to test an entire component instead pedic implants and to create a device that provides a faster, of small samples of material, a particular advantage in equip­ cost­effective and less­painful method of testing blood glucose. ment with complex parts that are difficult to disassemble. The testing apparatus, in a vacuum chamber, can expose Forming Collaborations Quickly components to atomic oxygen and can accommodate larger In order to access Glenn’s atomic oxygen and other unique samples than commercial testing sites can handle. facilities, companies work with Glenn’s Technology Transfer “Our facility can simulate a full mission dose of atomic and Partnerships Office (TTPO) to establish Space Act oxygen over a larger area and at lower cost than commercial Agreements. In fact, the TTPO offers a singular service that sites,” Banks says. businesses find appealing. For projects that cost no more than In addition to being larger and having a high atomic oxy­ $50,000, Glenn uses a Simplified Space Act Agreement form gen exposure rate, Glenn’s facilities can operate around the that can be completed quickly and speeds the approval process. clock. “That way, we can simulate more years of exposure in “Customers want to get started quickly and get their data less time and at a reasonable expense,” Banks adds. back soon,” Miller explains. “The TTPO has been very help­ ful in making sure the process happens fast and we’re kept Putting the Power to Work aware of any issues.” The WorldView and GeoEye satellites are designed to have a NASA’s willingness to open its doors to commercial compa­ useful life of seven years. But ITT asked Glenn to test its nies benefits business and society. “Having a national asset like materials with an atomic oxygen dose equivalent to 10 years’ Glenn allows us to make use of an existing capability and core exposure in space. competency that has been years in the making,” Mitrevski “Most of ITT’s demands for high doses of atomic oxygen says. “The testing by Glenn helps us capture new business and exposure would be extremely expensive to perform in most retain the industrial base capability that we’ve demonstrated commercial facilities,” Miller says. “Glenn has one of the few through our commercial remote sensing program.” facilities in the country that could provide the dose they Laurel J. Stauber is lead technology commercialization specialist, wanted. Exposure of materials in most commercial facilities and Cindy Dreibelbis is award liaison specialist in the Technology would require shorter duration tests and extrapolation to Transfer and Partnership Office at NASA’s Glenn Research Center; predict durability in space.” Nancy Oates is a writer from Fuentek LLC. The data analysis that ITT requires is much more com­ For additional information on this technology, as well as plex than the material’s longevity in a corrosive environment, information on the variety of ways you can partner with according to Vincent Smoral, ITT’s manager of commercial GRC, please visit http://technology.grc.nasa.gov/ or e ­mail remote sensing programs. [email protected] or call (216) 433 ­3484. “We have Glenn look for certain parametric degradations Please mention that you read about it in Technology that may be important to our mission performance,” Smoral Innovation.

NASA’S MAGAZINE FOR BUSINESS & TECHNOLOGY 27 cover story

Commercial Space: Critical to NASA’s Future Success

By Charles E. Miller, NASA Headquarters

ow, perhaps more than ever, commercial space is vital to achieving NASA’s future goals. The United States is confronted Nwith significant federal budget deficits. In the next few years, the pressure to reduce federal spending will increase as baby boomers start retiring in large numbers, and the costs of Medicare and Social Security continue to grow. NASA’s plans to send humans to the far frontier may not be affordable unless the Agency can hand off some of its existing responsibilities on the near frontier in Earth orbit to private industry. Doing so may allow NASA to focus its limited resources on the exciting and unique challenges of exploration beyond.

LUNAR LANDERS BY ODYSSEY MOON VENTURES (LOWER LEFT) AND ARMADILLO AEROSPACE (UPPER RIGHT) ARE TWO OF MANY VEHICLES UNDER DEVELOPMENT BY COMPANIES IN THE GROWING COMMERCIAL SPACE MARKET. Technology Innovation

AD ASTRA ROCKET COMPANY’S VASIMR® CREDIT: AD ASTRA ROCKET COMPANY VX­200I PROTOTYPE PLASMA ROCKET ENGINE FIRES AT A POWER LEVEL OF 150 KW, DIRECTING A PLUME OF ARGON PLASMA INTO A SET OF PROBES MEASURING CHARACTERISTICS OF THE EXHAUST PLUME.

For this reason, NASA needs a the American people, noting: “I innovative means to partner with healthy, growing and thriving U.S. dream of a day when any American numerous commercial firms, leverage commercial space sector. Charles can launch into space and see the mag­ private sector investments, and achieve Bolden, the new NASA Administrator, nificence and grandeur of our home Agency and national goals. It could recognized the importance of innova­ planet Earth as I have been blessed to mean NASA will stimulate the emerg­ tion and the commercial sector during do.” He also said the agency will uti­ ing space transportation industry, just his confirmation hearing before the lize the International Space Station to as the Agency’s predecessor – the Senate. Both he and the new Deputy “allow commercial entrepreneurial ven­ National Advisory Council on Administrator of NASA, Lori Garver, tures to have a place where they can Aeronautics – stimulated and support­ noted they understand “the necessity seek to carry cargo and one of these ed the growth of the then­emerging to involve commercial entities” in days maybe even carry crew.” aeronautics industry. It may mean NASA's efforts. In this manner, Bolden made clear NASA will play a larger role in catalyz­ Bolden said the “government cannot his understanding of the strategic ing key technology demonstrations, as fund everything that we need to do, opportunity for NASA to leverage the it did with the commercial communi­ but we can inspire and open the door innovative capacity of the American cations satellite technology. It certainly for commercial entrepreneurial entities commercial sector. means the Agency should work to to become partners with NASA” in Encouraging and stimulating the understand the needs of the American research and development that will commercial space sector can mean commercial space industry. enable advancement in space. many things at NASA. It may mean As noted above, NASA is learning During the hearing, Bolden consideration of commercial­style how to effectively hand off to private explained that he understands the firm­fixed price arrangements to con­ industry activities historically owned vision of many entrepreneurs whose tract with private firms for goods and and operated by the government. goal is making space travel accessible to services. It could mean the Agency uses When it is in the strategic interests

NASA’S MAGAZINE FOR BUSINESS & TECHNOLOGY 29 cover story Commercial Space

of the nation and NASA, and where NASA’s Current Commercial Space would­be inventors will benefit from private sector markets are failing to Projects his advice on innovation. develop a new capability on their own, The articles in this issue of • The $500 million COTS program the NASA Space Act provides “other Technology Innovation offer many is utilizing NASA’s original “other transactions authority” allowing NASA examples of how NASA is learning to transactions authority” to fund Space to “co­invest” with commercial enti­ leverage private investments and to Act Agreements with private industry ties. This can happen in a number of take advantage of commercial efficien­ to develop new capabilities. circumstances, such as the following: cies. You can read about how: • The ISS program arranged to buy • Where markets are potentially • The ISS recently signed $3 billion commercial water delivery services in orbit. Ask yourself, “If NASA can buy a commercial water service at the ISS, NASA is learning how to effectively hand what else can NASA do on a commer­ off to private industry activities historically cial basis?” • NASA is looking at expanding the owned and operated by the government commercial model to buying commer­ cial communication and navigation services for the moon. The Agency is quite large, but are undeveloped, in firm­fixed­price commercial­style even looking at stimulating develop­ unproven and not effectively growing contracts with SpaceX and Orbital ment of commercial lunar rovers, lan­ on their own, Sciences for space station cargo delivery. ders and oxygen production. • Where the barriers to entry are • Johnson Space Center is utilizing • Two private commercial ventures, prohibitive, and the rapid­prototyping capability of SpaceX and Odyssey Moon, in a rever­ • Where the total package of business Armadillo Aerospace to accelerate sal of roles, are acting as customers for risks (technical, political, regulatory, learning based on building and testing unique NASA technical services. customer demand, financial) are too real rocket engine hardware, learning In conclusion, NASA has been high to justify large­scale private from the test and then designing and making great strides in learning how investment from traditional sources of building a new engine to test again — to partner with the commercial space capital. all in one week. industry for the benefit of the nation. For these reasons, NASA created • Ames Research Center is starting We now have the policy direction and the Commercial Orbital up a Human Suborbital Science the leadership we need to use that Transportation Services (COTS) pro­ Program to utilize emerging commer­ knowledge to catalyze innovation, gram and the ISS Commercial cial suborbital reusable launch vehicles. create new industries and help open Resupply Services (CRS) program to These new systems have tremendous the space frontier for the American develop new space transportation implications for inspiring the next gen­ taxpayer. capabilities focused on International eration, for science, technology, engi­ Space Station (ISS) cargo delivery. neering and mathematics (STEM) Charles E. Miller is the Senior Advisor for (See articles on pages 34 and 38.) In education and for NASA microgravity Commercial Space in NASA's Innovative Partnerships Program. addition, NASA will utilize funding science and technology development. from the 2009 American Recovery • One man, in his garage workspace For more information, contact the and Reinvestment Act to fund firms at home, developed a breakthrough author at [email protected] to demonstrate orbital commercial approach to building astronaut gloves Please mention that you read about it crew service technologies. and won a $200,000 NASA prize. All in Technology Innovation.

30 Volume 15 • Number 2 • 2009 Technology Innovation

Clear Guidance from National Leaders

The following is a summary of some of the existing legal and policy guidance given to NASA on the issue of commercial space.

The 1958 National Aeronautics and Space Act The White House Space Transportation Policy (2006) (P.L. 85­568) directs that NASA: states that U.S. government departments and agencies “shall ... seek and encourage, to the maximum extent shall: possible, the fullest commercial use of space.” “Use U.S. commercial space capabilities and services to the maximum practical extent; purchase commercial capabilities and services when they are available in the commercial mar­ The Commercial Space Act of 1998 (P.L. 105­303) ketplace and meet United States Government requirements...” states that: To the maximum extent practicable, the Federal Government shall plan missions to accommodate the space The NASA Authorization Act of 2005 (P.L. 109­155) transportation services capabilities of United States states that: commercial providers;” that “a priority goal of constructing “In carrying out the programs of the Administration, the the International Space Station is the economic development Administrator shall … work closely with the private sector, of Earth orbital space;” and that “competitive markets... including by … encouraging the work of entrepreneurs who should therefore govern the economic development of Earth are seeking to develop new means to send satellites, crew, or orbital space.” cargo to outer space.”

The White House Space Policy (2004) states: The NASA Authorization Act of 2008 (P.L. 110­422) “To exploit space to the fullest extent … requires a states that: fundamental transformation in U.S. space transportation “In order to stimulate commercial use of space, help maxi­ capabilities,” and “the United States Government must capi­ mize the utility and productivity of the International Space talize on the entrepreneurial spirit of the U.S. private sector,” Station, and enable a commercial means of providing crew and “dramatic improvements in the reliability, responsiveness, transfer and crew rescue services for the International Space and cost of space transportation would have a profound Station, NASA shall make use of United States commercially impact on the ability to protect the Nation, explore the solar provided International Space Station crew transfer and crew system, improve lives, and use space for commercial purposes.” rescue services to the maximum extent practicable.”

NASA’S MAGAZINE FOR BUSINESS & TECHNOLOGY 31 COMMERCIAL SPACE Accomplishments to date have met and exceeded the 2006 Commercial Space Plan

❉ ESMD and IPP ❉ SpaceX completes all SPACEX FALCON 9 milestones for COTS Seed Fund Phase 1 and delivers support includes Falcon 9 to KSC lunar drilling robotics and ❉ Orbital Sciences oxygen from completes Cargo simulated lunar Module PDR regolith

ORBITAL TAURUS II ❉ Commercial water production ❉ Signs firm­ fixed­ price multi­ billion­ dollar services contract for ISS signed contracts for commercial resupply with Hamilton Sundstrand that services (CRS) for space station will be using a Sabatier­ based reactor system ❉ ISS National Lab MOUs with NIH and USDA, including biotech and other ❉ Contract with Zero­G for aircraft commercial ISS payloads parabolic flight services SABATIER REACTOR SYSTEM

❉ Earth science activities involving commercial remote sensing RECENT TESTING OF 5­M MESH ❉ NASA Lunar Science Institute established, including REFLECTOR FOR commercial ISRU initiatives FUTURE EARTH SCIENCE MISSIONS ❉ Spin­ off of advanced optics and detectors to industry

❉ Research on broad spectrum of fundamental ❉ Research on technologies relevant to launch technologies (e.g. materials, computation fluid and return of reusable spacecraft dynamics, vehicle health maintenance) with possible applicability to commercial space

NASA X­43

❉ SBIR and STTR efforts including docking sensors, ❉ IPP Seed Fund support of lunar habitat INFLATABLE HABITAT power systems, avionics and others development including inflatable technologies

❉ IPP works with NASA Mission Directorates on Seed ❉ Armadillo Aerospace wins $350,000 Level 1 Fund projects for ISS research, lunar tires, prize of Lunar Lander Challenge cryogenic fluid management, Li­ Ion Batteries and others ❉ FAST sponsors ❉ Peter Homer wins $200K Astronaut Glove Challenge technology development for several SBIR companies in a simulated space environment on parabolic aircraft flights ZERO­GRAVITY’S G­FORCE ONE ARMADILLO LANDER

❉ KSC commercial launch site, and SpaceX Falcon 9 at KSC; work on launch pad at Complex 40

Key to Abbreviations: ATC Air Traffic Control ARMD Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate COTS Commercial Orbital Transportation Services DOD Department of Defense ESMD Exploration Systems Mission Directorate EVA Extra Vehicular Activity FAA Federal Aviation Administration FAST Facilitated Access to the Space Environment for Technology Development and Training IPP Innovative Partnerships Program ISS International Space Station LEO Low ­Earth Orbit MOU Memorandum of Understanding NEO Near­ Earth Object ❉ New commercial initiatives include ❉ Applying the COTS model to new areas consistent with Low Impact Docking System and ESMD commercial space policy development of lunar surface systems ❉ Lunar, Mars, NEOs/Asteroid, and other exploration ❉ Studying feasibility of using suborbital with commercial space partnering missions for microgravity research including life & physical sciences & ❉ Space tourism complementing exploration technology development ❉ Space resource commercialization, such as ISRU ❉ Stimulate commercial human and/or space solar power for lunar applications LUNAR HABITAT CONCEPT spaceflight capabilities

❉ ISS serving as engineering testbed for future ❉ Commercial LEO and lunar habitats complementing commercial communication technologies, NASA missions including recent testing of Delay Tolerant Networking (DTN) to enable ISS to serve as an ❉ On ­orbit satellite servicing, space debris internet node for cloud computing on­ orbit management, on­ orbit fuel depots and other commercial space operations services ❉ Currently testing sub­ systems demonstrations for solar ­electric power conversion that have ground­ based and space­ based applications SOLAR POWER CONCEPT

❉ Remote sensing instruments as secondary payloads ❉ Work continues on international science and commercial on commercial systems partnering, such as NLSI agreements with Korea, Canada ❉ and the United Kingdom Partnerships on instruments and technology development, or small science investigations ❉ Use of commercial remote sensing satellites for Earth ❉ Enabling commercial space weather information products science MT. REDOUBT, AK, MARCH 2009 such as warning to communications systems operators

❉ Evaluation of re ­entry technologies, including those that support reusable applications ❉ Further development of technologies to facilitate reusable access to space

❉ Research for point ­to ­point suborbital flight including commercial global flight projects such as DOD Small Unit Space Transport Insertion (SUSTAIN)

❉ Centennial Challenges prizes advancing innovation and technology needed for ❉ IPP programs supporting commercial LEO and lunar commercial space resource utilization such as lunar regolith programs, space solar power for lunar operations, micro ­gravity ❉ IPP Seed Funding work with NASA Mission Directorate involving universities, private and others; Earth viewing/global monitoring initiatives sector and other agencies, and SBIR/STTR efforts related to commercial space SPACEPORT AMERICA

❉ FAST will use commercial suborbital services as they become available

VIRGIN GALACTIC’S SPACESHIP2 XCOR AEROSPACE’S LYNX

❉ Commercial space partnerships with U.S.and/or ❉ Development of Wallops Flight Facility Mid ­Atlantic Regional Spaceport (MARS) international entrepreneurs, including work for commercial launch such as COTS ­Orbital Sciences Taurus II complementing Spaceport America in New Mexico

NIH National Institutes of Health NLSI NASA Lunar Science Institute NRA NASA Research Announcement OSC Orbital Sciences Corporation PDR Preliminary Design Report RFI Request for Information SBIR Small Business Innovative Research SMD Science Mission Directorate SOMD Space Operations Mission Directorate STTR Small Business Technology Transfer feature Commercial Orbital Transportation Services

Commercial Orbital Transportation Services Program Blazes New Trails for NASA rom Lewis and Clark to the commer­ By Valin Thorn cial aviation industry, government has NASA Commercial Crew & Cargo Program Foften provided the initial impetus for Howard Runge the exploration and development of new Orbital Sciences frontiers, followed by rapid commercial Max Vozoff development and expansion once the trail is SpaceX blazed. NASA’s new Commercial Orbital Transportation Services program (COTS) continues that tradition (www.nasa.gov/offices/c3po/home/index.html). COTS will enable the creation of new, cost­ effective commercial space transportation systems and demonstrate capabilities to provide these services to orbit for cargo and eventually crew.

CREDIT: SPACEX

Technology Innovation

Through COTS, NASA is creating develop and demonstrate space cargo we had the technical expertise,” partnerships with American industry transportation capabilities. Lindenmoyer says. “And you put that and taking essential steps toward more NASA is using Space Act all together with some very capable routine access to space that will trans­ Agreements to help fuel the private suppliers and providers, then we had form our world. sector’s imagination and drive with the basis for what could be a very suc­ While NASA forges paths to the technical support from NASA’s nearly cessful program.” moon, Mars and beyond in the 50 years of human spaceflight. Constellation program, COTS will After industry competitions for the Orbital allow commercial partners to deliver highest level of NASA assistance, Just about 100 miles up the coast cargo and crew to already­established C3PO granted up to $500 million from where the Wright brothers first destinations. over four years to two companies – flew their airplane at Kitty Hawk, “Once those trails are blazed and Orbital Sciences (www.orbital.com) Orbital Sciences is planning to the path is made, then it is natural that and Space Exploration Technologies, launch its COTS system at the Mid you turn that over to industry, who or SpaceX (www.spacex.com). Atlantic Regional Spaceport, or can operate those services in what In a separate industry competition, MARS, at NASA’s Wallops Flight should be a more efficient manner, and the International Space Station Facility in Virginia. Wallops is part of a profitable manner,” says Alan Commercial Resupply Services market NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. Lindenmoyer, program manager of was offered to the private sector with Orbital Sciences was founded in NASA’s Commercial Crew and Cargo potential revenue in the hundreds of 1982 with the goal of making space Program (C3PO), which manages millions of dollars each year. (See arti­ technology more affordable, accessible COTS. cle on page 38.) and useful to millions of people on COTS was developed to overcome “This was set out from the begin­ Earth. The company has grown to the cost barrier that currently limits ning not to be a traditional research become the world's leading developer space transportation, and to serve as a and development cost contract. This and manufacturer of smaller, more catalyst for new ideas, new technolo­ was going to be a partnership – we’re affordable space and rocket systems. gies and a new way of doing business sharing the cost; we’re sharing the Orbital pioneered new classes of by engaging the innovation, imagina­ risk,” Lindenmoyer says. launch vehicles, satellites and other tion and drive of American industry. For COTS, NASA did not dictate space technologies. Once COTS partners have made design solutions. Rather, overall per­ Orbital’s COTS program involves sufficient progress developing cargo formance objectives were established full­scale development and flight transport capabilities and funding is with the needs of the International demonstration of a commercial cargo approved, the C3PO will initiate the Space Station (ISS) serving as a repre­ delivery system. It consists of the fol­ COTS Crew Transportation phase of sentative orbital destination. The lowing elements: the program. COTS partners have maximum lati­ • Taurus II, a new medium­class tude to freely innovate and optimize launch vehicle, Implementing COTS their launch vehicles and spacecraft • Cygnus, an advanced maneuvering With a “walk before running” incre­ designs and operations. spacecraft capable of carrying up mental strategy, the initial focus of “We had the need, we had some to 2,700 kg of cargo to the ISS, and COTS is on helping the private sector seed money, we had the interest and • Ground systems for ISS cargo integration, launch and spacecraft OPPOSITE PAGE: THE SPACEX FALCON 9 LAUNCH VEHICLE IS SHOWN AT CAPE CANAVERAL PAD 40 IN on­orbit operations. JANUARY 2009.

NASA’S MAGAZINE FOR BUSINESS & TECHNOLOGY 35 feature Commercial Orbital Transportation Services

TAURUS II rating elements drawn from Orbital and Established in 2002 by Elon Musk,

CIENCES S its partners’ existing, flight­proven the founder of PayPal and the Zip2 AL TRBI spacecraft technologies. Cygnus consists Corporation, SpaceX is well into the O

of a common service module and a development of two new launch vehi­ : cles and has already established an CREDIT CYGNUS extensive launch manifest. By keeping the vast majority of manufacturing in CIENCES

S house, SpaceX reduces costs, keeps AL TRBI tighter control of quality and ensures a O

: tight feedback loop between the design and manufacturing teams. CREDIT The system that SpaceX has devel­ oped under NASA’s COTS project offers a simple, elegant solution for cargo delivery services to the ISS and Taurus II the return of cargo to Earth. Like all Designed to provide responsive, low­ pressurized cargo module. The service of SpaceX’s developments, this design cost and reliable access to space, module incorporates avionics systems is driven by two fundamental require­ Taurus II is a two­stage rocket (with from Orbital’s Dawn interplanetary ments — high reliability and low cost. optional third stage) capable of spacecraft, plus propulsion and power The SpaceX COTS system consists of launching up to 7,600 kg into low­ system from Orbital’s flight­proven the following three main elements: the Earth orbit. Internally funded by STAR GEO communications satellites. Falcon 9 launch vehicle; the Dragon Orbital, Taurus II is under develop­ The pressurized cargo module is based spacecraft; and the ground segment, ment, with its first mission slated to on the Multi­Purpose Logistics Module, including the launch pad, control cen­ demonstrate commercial re­supply developed by Thales Alenia Space for ters and ground support systems. All capability of the ISS under the COTS NASA. The module will carry crew sup­ three segments are designed, fabricated program. The Taurus II launch system plies, spare parts and scientific experi­ and tested almost exclusively in­house utilizes management approaches, ments. The Cygnus spacecraft will be at SpaceX. engineering standards, production capable of delivering up to 2,700 kg of and test processes common to cargo to the ISS and disposing up to Falcon 9 Orbital’s family of highly successful 2,700 kg of cargo during entry. The Falcon 9 launch vehicle is small­class launch vehicles, along A demonstration flight of Orbital’s designed to deliver Evolved with hardware from one of the COTS system is scheduled for early Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) world’s leading launch vehicle inte­ 2011. class launch capability with significant grators. Taurus II is designed to improvements in reliability, respon­ achieve a 98 percent or greater launch SpaceX siveness and cost over existing vehicles. reliability. At Florida’s Cape Canaveral, within Its design philosophy emphasizes sight of the launch pads where every architectural simplicity and resulting Cygnus NASA human spaceflight mission has minimization of failure modes. Falcon 9 Orbital’s Cygnus advanced maneuvering originated, SpaceX is planning to is a two­stage vehicle powered by liq­ spacecraft is a low­risk design incorpo­ launch its COTS system. uid oxygen and rocket­grade

36 Volume 15 • Number 2 • 2009

Technology Innovation

CREDIT: NASA

FALCON 9 DRAGON X of crew to and from ISS. ACEP S

: SpaceX also offers Dragon as a commercial CREDIT free­flyer for microgravi­ ty research, with mission durations up to two years. “DragonLab” will debut in late 2010 with a broad manifest of sci­ ence and engineering payloads from both government and commercial customers. Dragon As with the Falcon 9, the vast major­ The Dragon spacecraft is fully ity of Dragon subsystems were autonomous and capable of delivering designed, manufactured and qualified more than 3,300 kg of pressurized and in house by SpaceX. unpressurized cargo to the ISS, and SpaceX’s COTS cargo transporta­ returning 2,500 kg of pressurized tion demonstration flights will begin in cargo back to Earth. It is composed of 2009 and conclude with a third two main elements — the capsule for demonstration to the ISS in 2010. kerosene (RP­1) bipropellant Merlin pressurized cargo; and the unpressur­ The era is coming in which people engines, designed and produced by ized section, or “trunk.” The capsule can travel to space in much the way SpaceX. The first stage generates is fully recoverable and performs all they now travel by airplane or ocean 3,781 kN (855,000 lbf ) of thrust at the functions of a “service module,” liner. To achieve this, space transporta­ lift­off using nine Merlin 1C engines with a passive common berthing tion has to become much more rou­ while the second stage uses a single mechanism on top for berthing with tine, much cheaper and much more Merlin Vacuum engine capable of ISS. The 15 m3 of pressurized volume reliable. The COTS program’s defini­ multiple restarts while in orbit. contains a modular cargo rack system tive goal is to help U.S. companies Payload capacity to ISS orbit is over designed to accommodate pressurized make this a reality. 9,800 kg. cargo in various form factors. The The use of nine identical engines on trunk houses unpressurized cargo on

the first stage, and a variant of the flight­releasable grapple fixtures that Valin Thorn is deputy program manager, same on the second stage, improves the ISS robotic arm can access once NASA Commercial Crew & Cargo Program quality and cost efficiency in produc­ Dragon is berthed to station. The (C3PO); Howard Runge is COTS/CRS mission systems engineer, Orbital Sciences; tion and testing, allows flight heritage trunk is jettisoned after Dragon per­ and Max Vozoff is senior mission manager

to be accumulated very quickly, and forms the de­orbit burn. and Dragon product manager, SpaceX. makes Falcon 9 the first U.S. launch Although initially targeted to meet vehicle since Saturn 5 with engine­out NASA’s ISS cargo logistics needs, For more information contact Valin Thorn at [email protected]. capability — a key reliability feature. Dragon is designed to meet NASA’s The inaugural flight of the Falcon 9 “Human Rating” requirements with Please mention that you read about it will occur this summer. only minor upgrades to allow transport in Technology Innovation.

NASA’S MAGAZINE FOR BUSINESS & TECHNOLOGY 37 feature Commercial Resupply Services CREDIT :

S PACE X

Commercial Resupply Services Contracts to Benefit

ASA’s procurement of Commercial Resupply Services (CRS) is Space Station important to the Agency, vital to the success of the NInternational Space Station (ISS), and unlike any other pro­ By William H. Gerstenmaier curement undertaken in NASA history. During the procurement NASA Space Operations Mission Directorate process, NASA used myriad ways to encourage industrial participation Kathryn L. Lueders through contract strategy, creation of a competitive environment, use of NASA Johnson Space Center, ISS Program Office an innovative approach to intellectual property, and other features such Steven A. Mirmina as payment milestones, a guaranteed minimum on the contract, and a NASA Office of the General Counsel creative on­ramp clause that would allow additional providers the oppor­ tunity to develop capabilities and participate in future ISS commercial resupply opportunities.

38 Volume 15 • Number 2 • 2009

Technology Innovation

OPPOSTIE PAGE: THE SPACEX DRAGON SPACECRAFT, WITH SOLAR PANELS DEPLOYED, IS SHOWN APPROACHING THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION IN AN ARTIST ’S DEPICTION.

cargo services to the ISS pursuant to Background in this issue on page 34, and this international agreement. While the On January 14, 2004, then­President eventually led to the development and U.S. Space Exploration Policy mandat­ Bush set a new course for the U.S. execution of the CRS procurement, ed the retirement of the space shuttle space program and gave NASA “a new dicussed here. in 2010, it did not relieve NASA from focus and vision for future explo­ the obligation for ISS cargo services. ration.” One element of this U.S. What is the CRS? To date, the ISS partner nations have Space Exploration Policy was the direc­ The purpose of the CRS procurement invested tens of billions of dollars and tion to NASA to “pursue commercial is to provide critical cargo resupply over 15 years of effort. On­orbit today opportunities for providing transporta­ services to the ISS from the end of the are more than 610,000 pounds of tion and other services supporting the Space Shuttle Program (2010) to the structure stretching 308 feet in width International Space Station and explo­ end of the ISS Program (currently and 243 feet in length, and containing ration missions beyond low Earth 2015, although discussions and studies more than 10,600 cubic feet of habit­ orbit.” are underway to examine the possibility able volume. Since that time, the U.S. Space of extending the life of the ISS). The To support the research in and stan­ Transportation Policy of 2004 and critical supplies comprise air, water, dard maintenance of these new National Space Policy of 2006 both food, clothing, medicine, spare parts research facilities, the full­time crew of strongly support commercial activities. and scientific experiments — all to the ISS increased from three to six in The 2006 policy says that U.S. govern­ support a six­person crew on the ISS. May 2009 when the ISS reached full ment departments and agencies shall: While NASA is continuing to procure operability. This increased crew size is “Use U.S. commercial space capabili­ crew transportation and rescue services critical to the continuing performance ties and services to the maximum prac­ from Russia, the Agency plans to dis­ of research and maintenance in these tical extent; [and] purchase commercial continue the purchase of Russian new international research facilities. If capabilities and services when they are Progress cargo resupply services, upon NASA cannot provide cargo trans­ available in the commercial market­ conclusion of the existing contract, at portation, the U.S. cannot meet its place and meet United States the end of calendar year 2011. NASA’s obligation to its international partners Government requirements...” European partners, with the to support and use the ISS for science, Additionally, the NASA Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV), technology and research. Authorization Act of 2005 (P.L. 109­ and NASA’s Japanese partners, with NASA timed the CRS procurement 55) states that: “In carrying out the the H­II Transfer Vehicle (HTV), will to take into account the production programs of the Administration, the provide some cargo upmass as part of cycle for resupply spacecraft (approxi­ Administrator shall … work closely their contributions to the ISS Program, mately 24–27 months), since NASA with the private sector, including by … but these spacecraft alone would still needs these CRS services to be avail­ encouraging the work of entrepreneurs be unable to provide for all of the sta­ able in December 2010. New space who are seeking to develop new means tion’s needs, particularly with a six­per­ vehicle production is a high­risk enter­ to send satellites, crew, or cargo to son permanent crew and three major prise with a high probability of delay. outer space.” science laboratories on board. Once the space shuttle retires, there are In that light, NASA created the currently no other alternative sources Commercial Orbital Transportation Why is CRS important to NASA? that could meet NASA’s requirement Services (COTS) Program, discussed NASA is responsible for providing to resupply the ISS.

NASA’S MAGAZINE FOR BUSINESS & TECHNOLOGY 39 feature Commercial Resupply Services

CREDIT: ORBITAL SCIENCES

The Procurement Strategy commercial as possible were key input place. U.S. law (the Commercial The planning for the CRS procure­ themes from industry. NASA took Space Act, 42 U.S.C. Section ment began in March 2007 and result­ those inputs and developed an RFP 14701(5)) specifies that the govern­ ed in the release of a Request for structured for a “FAR Part 12” fixed ment must buy space transportation Proposal (RFP) in April 2008. NASA price IDIQ services contract. FAR services as a “commercial item” for engaged industry in many ways stands for the Federal Acquisition purposes of applicable acquisition laws through the strategy development and Regulation (FAR), which is the regula­ and regulations. An “IDIQ” contract used its input in designing an RFP that tion governing how the government refers to a contract for indefinite deliv­ met both NASA’s and industry’s needs. buys goods or services. FAR Part 12 ery and indefinite quantity – NASA Allowing competition and main­ governs how the government buys determined that an IDIQ contract was taining a contract format that is as commercial items from the market­ appropriate for this procurement,

40 Volume 15 • Number 2 • 2009

Technology Innovation

OPPOSTIE PAGE: THE ORBITAL CYGNUS SPACECRAFT, WITH SOLAR PANELS DEPLOYED, IS SHOWN APPROACHING THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION IN THIS ARTIST ’S CONCEPT.

because NASA could not predetermine company. Having multiple providers entirety. The denial of the protest the precise quantity of services it will mitigates the risk of NASA being clears the way for NASA to move out require during the contract period, dependent on a single provider in this unobstructed in its continued efforts to above a certain minimum. emerging and currently unproven find prudent ways to commercialize The “FAR Part 12” fixed price market. In addition, having multiple outer space. IDIQ services contract was a very awardees permits continued competi­ different contract vehicle than that tion and a method of dissimilar Looking to the Future typically used, and it enabled both redundancy throughout the contract The ISS represents a new market in mature and emerging space transporta­ performance. Moreover, competition low­Earth orbit, and NASA’s CRS con­ tion providers to propose to provide between the two providers was critical, tracts represent the first steps in creat­ new capabilities. so that a single competitor would not ing a commercial market to resupply Other features that NASA added in become complacent and therefore less the ISS, beginning initially with critical response to both industry inputs and reliable or timely. In other words, cargo and leading, perhaps one day in NASA needs were: a) flexibility to should one contractor be unsuccessful, the future, to commercial crew trans­ propose the financing milestones, the fate of the ISS program would not port. Additionally, the new vehicles b) increasing the standard minimum be as severely impacted. being created by Orbital and SpaceX contract award to 20 metric tons, Three proposals were received by under NASA’s innovative CRS program c) awarding task orders through 2015, NASA on June 30, 2008: from Orbital may one day also serve additional mar­ d) adding a limited on­ramp clause, Sciences Corporation (Orbital); kets, apart from the ISS, such as and e) allowing contractors to retain all PlanetSpace, Incorporated through the provision of frequent, low­ intellectual property developed under (PlanetSpace); and Space Exploration cost access to space for NASA’s scientif­ the contract, with NASA retaining Technologies (SpaceX). NASA ordered ic missions. If these vehicles are ulti­ only a government purpose license in eight flights valued at $1.88 billion mately successful, they will serve to any inventions made and data pro­ from Orbital and 12 valued at $1.59 improve both the cost and reliability of duced under the contract. billion from SpaceX. The maximum spacecraft transportation. All of these changes were made to potential value of each contract is $3.1 make the CRS procurement attractive billion. Based on known requirements, to industry and to expand the poten­ the value of both contracts is projected William H. Gerstenmaier is associate administrator for Space Operations, NASA

tial market for commercial space trans­ at $3.5 billion total. Each contract Headquarters. Kathryn L. Lueders is trans ­ portation. calls for the delivery of a minimum of portation integration manager in the 20 metric tons of unpressurized or International Space Station Program at Award of the Contracts pressurized cargo to the ISS, as well as NASA Johnson Space Center. Steven A. Mirmina is lead counsel in the Space

The central goal of the CRS procure­ the return or disposal of cargo from Operations Mission Directorate, NASA ment was to buy safe and reliable the orbiting complex. Headquarters. cargo resupply to the ISS. Currently, On January 13, 2009, PlanetSpace no commercial U.S. vehicle has protested the award of the two con­ For more information, please contact Steven Mirmina at demonstrated the ability to deliver tracts, but on April 22, 2009, the [email protected]. resupply services to the ISS. United States Government Therefore, it was key to NASA to Accountability Office (GAO) issued its Please mention that you read about it award contracts to more than one decision denying the protest in its in Technology Innovation.

NASA’S MAGAZINE FOR BUSINESS & TECHNOLOGY 41 feature Reusable Rocket Engines

Innovations in Reusable Rocket Engines: Competition and Collaboration

By Phil Eaton was an eventful year for Armadillo Aerospace. Armadillo Aerospace First, the company applied its rapid prototyping Jacob Collins ability to win the $350,000 prize for Level 1 NASA Johnson Space Center 2008 NASA Lunar Lander Challenge (LLC). Then the same innovative mindset Eric Hurlbert

NASA Johnson Space Center that helped win the Challenge was applied again in serving the needs of two new customers – the Rocket Racing League and the Propulsion Systems Branch at the NASA Johnson Space Center (JSC).

CREDIT: ARMADILLO AEROSPACE

42 Volume 15 • Number 2 • 2009 Technology Innovation

Based in Caddo Mills, Tex., CREDIT: ARMADILLO AEROSPACE cost of testing increases and reduces Armadillo operates with a core strate­ the number of tests conducted. gy that gives the company its compet­ itive advantage – rapid prototyping, Lunar Lander Challenge the building and testing of hardware Armadillo Aerospace’s involvement in used to accelerate the learning curve the NASA Lunar Lander Challenge based on empirical data. Armadillo’s (LLC) began in April 2006. During in­house computer numerical con­ the Space Access Society conference, trolled (CNC) machining capability John Carmack of id Software, the sole allows it to try new injector designs as source of funding for Armadillo often as twice per week, with modifi­ Aerospace and one of the company’s cations to the design implemented original co­founders, was inspired with and manufactured in less than three an idea for a new style of vehicle that days. Designs are turned into hard­ he thought might have the ability to FLYING A TETHERED HOVER USING LIQUID ware and tested faster than drawings OXYGEN/METHANE, THE MODULE DEMONSTRATES A accomplish both the Level 1 and Level can be produced for the parts that are STABLE ENGINE RUN THROUGH THE REQUIRED THROT ­ 2 challenges – a quad­style vehicle, TLING RANGE FROM TAKEOFF TO LANDING AND IS THE manufactured. FIRST FLIGHT OF A LIQUID OXYGEN/METHANE VEHICLE which utilizes a readily available ship­ This ability to quickly go from UTILIZING PYRO IGNITION. building material, aluminum alloy prototyping to building and testing is will the design be committed to a 5083, spun into 36­inch hemispheres. a key to what makes the Armadillo drawing. For this reason, the design The Armadillo team immediately approach effective. Throughout the process is not burdened with docu­ began construction of the quad­style year, with only three full­time and five mentation revisions. Instead, the test vehicles. James Bauer, the Armadillo part­time employees, the team kept on data hold the revised information. team master welder, developed a pace developing a propulsion module Drawings and documentation revisions process to weld hemispheres of 5083 that would be robust and reliable for begin once an engine is performing as aluminum into the tanks, and they use on an aircraft for rocket racing expected. This is completely at odds proof­tested near the theoretical purposes. More than 20 different with the current approach seen in the strength of the material. The first of injectors were tested and fine­tuned for aerospace industry. two vehicles was completed by June the Armadillo liquid oxygen In traditional aerospace develop­ 2006, only two months after the origi­ (LOX)/alcohol engine alone, which ment programs, a large amount of nal design was sketched. would power the company’s LLC vehi­ design and analysis is performed, and However, Armadillo’s attempts at cles. Concurrently, the team began then drawings are made. Only then is the Level 1 prize were unsuccessful in developing the LOX/methane engine hardware fabricated and committed to 2006 and again in 2007. Even though for its project with NASA. test. This approach drives up the time the team had already demonstrated the Armadillo’s approach is somewhat and cost to test and it creates a nega­ full Level 1 LLC profile early in 2007, counterintuitive — first, the team tive feedback loop by adding the many challenges arose regarding regu­ quickly designs and tests an engine, incentive to conduct more analysis lations and flight conditions, and those and only when it is working properly before performing further testing. The challenges were not revealed until the time of the competition. In spite of (OPPOSITE PAGE): ARMADILLO AEROSPACE ’­S FOUR MODULE LANDER IS SEEN IN THIS RENDERING AS IT WOULD this, the team continued to apply the APPEAR IN FLIGHT OVER THE GULF OF MEXICO. THE COMPANY WON NASA’ S 2008 LEVEL 1 LUNAR LANDER practical data that it had accumulated CHALLENGE USING ONE OF THE FOUR MODULES. and created a much more robust

NASA’S MAGAZINE FOR BUSINESS & TECHNOLOGY 43 feature Reusable Rocket Engines

CREDIT: ARMADILLO AEROSPACE

THE ENGINE THAT WAS USED TO FLY THE ARMADILLO VEHICLE IN THE TETHERED HOVER, WITH LARGE DUAL­ BELL NOZZLE ATTACHED, UNDERGOES TESTING IN THE ALTITUDE CHAMBER AT NASA’ S WHITE SANDS TESTING FACILITY.

modular vertical takeoff vertical land­ pressures, Armadillo won the Level 1 methane propulsion system is of interest ing (VTVL) design. LLC in Las Cruces, N.M., and a prize to NASA as a technology that could The team continued refinements of of $350,000. meet that need. its engine technology through 2008 Following on its demonstrated Liquid methane represents one of and developed a lighter­weight, more VTVL vehicle successes in 2006, 2007 the most abundant sources of green robust design utilizing an all­welded and 2008, Armadillo forged a collabo­ energy on Earth. It can be manufac­ stainless steel construction. The rative relationship with NASA through tured on the surface of Mars, allowing engine also was used on a new project the Agency’s Innovative Partnerships an exploration vehicle arriving on that for the Rocket Racing League as the Program (IPP). The partnership planet to refuel for the return journey team installed and performed several involved Armadillo working with the by refining methane from the martian test flights of one of the league’s proto­ Propulsion Systems Branch in the atmosphere. In addition, LOX can be type aircraft. Energy Systems Division at JSC, the processed from both the martian and The 2008 LLC event was not with­ Spacecraft Propulsion Systems Branch lunar environments. As compared out its own challenges. Due to regula­ at the Marshall Space Flight Center, with traditional fuels, both LOX and tory issues, the team was unable to and the Propulsion and Cryogenics methane offer several other advantages conduct its usual tethered vehicle test­ Advanced Development Project at the for human spacecraft, such as space ing. Permission to fly was obtained 10 Glenn Research Center to convert the storability, fluid commonality with life days before the event, and the team company’s lander vehicle to use liquid support and power systems, reduced rapidly took the vehicles through a methane rather than alcohol as the fuel. power consumption compared to series of tests. A few issues remained With NASA’s renewed interest in Earth­storable propellants, lower toxic­ when the deadline came, but the team returning to the moon, the Agency is ity and higher density. decided to continue with the flight investigating new technologies that Initial tests indicated that the con­ attempts. Working through complica­ may yield a more efficient and sustain­ version would not be difficult, but as tions with flight windows and a last­ able transportation system than the testing progressed, the team discovered minute requirement to reduce tank one created 40 years ago. A LOX/ that the liquid methane injector had to

44 Volume 15 • Number 2 • 2009 Technology Innovation be designed in a completely different iterations and performed hot­fire test­ was removed from the test stand and manner to operate over the throttling ing of their final concept. installed on one of the modules. It was range required for a vertical takeoff “This partnership is a great demon­ flown successfully on a tethered vehicle and landing operation. The team stration of how two organizations that using the same pyrotechnic ignition abandoned the split­triplet injector generally function in very different module. Cycle times of 15 minutes that had worked successfully on alco­ manners are able to approach a com­ can be attained between flights lasting hol engines and implemented a like­ mon goal. Both NASA and Armadillo up to 200 seconds. impinging design that provided stabili­ know their business very well and are During the methane engine testing ty through the throttle range required eager to share their technical knowledge process, Armadillo Aerospace developed for a flight system. and resources to achieve mutual success. its first prototype of a LOX/methane Hover testing commenced. Once The NASA Test Team has certainly ben­ coaxial swirl injector, which has a sig­ the procedures had been established for efited from the alliance and I think the nificant increase in performance over the like­impinging design. It is being Both NASA and Armadillo know their business very tested in a self­pressurized configura­ tion without the need for any pressuriz­ well and are eager to share their technical knowledge ing gases such as helium. The vehicle and resources to achieve mutual success has been flown successfully with this injector and it can be used to power safe operation, and flight data had same can be said for Armadillo." Armadillo upper stage modules in the been collected, the engine was sent to Several technology firsts were future. nTech Inc. for a specially formulated accomplished during the IPP partner­ high­temperature coating that would ship, including these: Phil Eaton is a founding member of reduce the amount of heat transferred • The first hot­fire test of a dual­bell Armadillo Aerospace. Jacob Collins and Eric into the chamber walls. nozzle at altitude while simulating an Hurlbert are aerospace engineers at NASA Armadillo Aerospace gained valu­ ascent profile, which allows the engine Johnson Space Center. able data by running its engine design to run over­expanded at sea level up to For information on the NASA ­ in the altitude test chamber at the full expansion at altitude, Armadillo collaboration on NASA White Sands Test Facility • The first LOX/methane pyrotech­ LOX/methane propulsion, contact (WSTF) in New Mexico. The cooper­ nic ignition at altitude, and Jacob Collins at jacob.collins ­ ative work was beneficial for NASA as • The first self­pressurized throttling [email protected]. For information on rapid rocket engine prototype testing, con ­ well. Jennifer Allred, a NASA engineer LOX/methane lander. tact Phil Eaton at (214) 585 ­9953, or at WSTF, offered these observations: Due to rapid prototype flexibility, visit www.armadilloaerospace.com. For “The WSTF engineers were able to Armadillo also successfully integrated information on the N1008 coating watch Armadillo's test team in action, and tested the J2X pyrotechnic ignition that was applied to the engine, con ­ tact David Burton at (336) 447 ­2000, as the group of five took an engine module at no additional cost to NASA. or visit www.ncoat.com. For informa ­ design from concept to testable hard­ The J2X engine is a derivative of the tion on the Lunar Lander Challenge ware in two days. Their secret – a Apollo­era J2 engine that is intended and other NASA prizes, contact skilled, cohesive workforce, simply for use in the Ares launch vehicles. The Andrew Petro at NASA Headquarters, [email protected], or visit manufactured parts and a strong drive igniter was tested successfully for the http://www.ip.nasa.gov/cc/. to meet their goals every day. Within first time during a static test at the two­day visit, the Armadillo team Armadillo Aerospace’s facility. Less than Please mention that you read about it successfully completed multiple design two hours later, the engine assembly in Technology Innovation.

NASA’S MAGAZINE FOR BUSINESS & TECHNOLOGY 45 feature Astronaut Gloves AASSTTRROONNAAUUTT GGLLOOVVEESS:: Moving Beyond the Challenge

By Peter K. Homer, Flagsuit LLC

magine the next generation of spacefarers. No longer the highly trained test pilots of the Apollo age or Iscientist­engineers of the space shuttle era, they will be everyday people seeking to experience the thrill of subor­ bital spaceflight, and ultimately to travel quickly around the globe by rocket. Of the mere handful of space tourists who to date have traveled beyond the limits of Earth's atmosphere, at least one has already signed up for another flight. It's not hard to foresee that people will want to return to space several times, as increasingly cheaper suborbital flights become a reality. At the same time, many national space programs are turning their attention to building a lasting human presence on the moon. Everyone understands that a space suit is needed to survive the harsh environment of space. But existing designs are much too awk­ ward for suborbital or planetary missions, and too costly to fit the economic models of private­sector spaceflight. Because repeat space travelers, rocket pilots and moon base workers each will need a suit that dons like street clothing, fits like a glove, is comfortable enough for

AFTER WINNING THE NASA ASTRONAUT GLOVE CHALLENGE IN 2007, PETER HOMER FOUNDED FLAGSUIT LLC AND DEVELOPED MODIFIED VERSIONS OF THE GLOVE, SUCH AS THIS ONE.

CREDIT: FLAGSUIT/MATTHEW HOMER 46 Volume 15 • Number 2 • 2009 Technology Innovation extended wear, and can be reused Challenge caught my eye as both an load than the current NASA Phase VI many times, the notion of owning a interesting technical challenge and glove. The design is attractive not only personal space suit becomes increasing­ something that could be pursued with­ because of its flexibility, but also ly attractive. Until now, such a suit in the confines of my small “garage” because it has few parts and can be was more science fiction than reality. workspace. I entered the Astronaut fabricated from a range of different My goal is to change that. Glove Challenge and in 2007 became membrane materials. It can be applied Several years ago, NASA created a the first recipient of a Centennial to any articulating joint of a space suit, series of Centennial Challenges Challenge cash prize. At the time bringing improvements in overall (www.ipp.nasa.gov/cc), reaching out to there was no thought of pursuing any­ astronaut mobility, comfort and work non­traditional sources of innovation thing beyond competing, and I was efficiency. The manufacturing process for new ideas to solve some tough, lin­ CREDIT: FLAGSUIT/MATTHEW HOMER includes the capability to make adjust­ gering problems. This contest is part ments according to an astronaut's exact of a rich history of prize competitions body measurements, producing gar­ sparking the development of new ments off the line that literally fit like a industries. Charles Lindberg's crossing glove. Because of their simplicity, of the Atlantic Ocean to win the gloves and suits made using this new Orteig Prize became a tipping point in technology will only require one tenth the shift of air travel from novelty to the effort to produce and can utilize transportation industry. More recently, mass production processes, making the the Ansari X Prize, offered to the first prospect of an affordable personal non­government organization to suc­ space suit very real. ceed in launching a reusable manned Soon after the contest ended, Rick spacecraft into space twice within two Tumlinson, founder of the Space weeks, has begun a transformation of Frontier Foundation and vocal propo­ space travel. nent of space privatization, opened my Underlying each of these contests is eyes to all of the progress occurring a philosophy that, by offering a signifi­ THE ORIGINAL GLOVE IS MODELED HERE BY ITS since SpaceShipOne captured the X CREATOR, PETER HOMER. cant cash prize for solving a challenge, Prize in 2004. Rick had recently incentive is created that spurs private formed Orbital Outfitters with a vision investment by multiple competing not expecting to win. My motivations to become the Levi Strauss of the pri­ teams. Historically, the dollar value of were strictly personal—hoping to come vate sector space rush by producing combined investment by all competi­ up with something clever, to put in a space suits for the emerging New Space tors exceeds the prize amount at least good showing, and perhaps maybe launch services. Orbital Outfitters was sevenfold. NASA potentially benefits even to impress one of the NASA interested in using my flexible glove from the generation of novel ideas, observers. In the end, my design technology in their new suits. even when no prize money is awarded. achieved all of that and more. In 2007 I founded Flagsuit LLC If a challenge is met, NASA's out­of­ What was developed for the contest (www.flagsuit.com) to commercialize pocket cost is still well below that of is a unique, yet highly effective “soft the patent­pending soft hinge design, more traditional research­and­develop­ hinge” that allows the pressurized fin­ and to develop dexterous gloves and ment activities. gers of a space suit glove to flex more flexible pressurized structures for com­ A few years ago, one Centennial easily and predictably, with less work­ mercial applications. Today our focus

NASA’S MAGAZINE FOR BUSINESS & TECHNOLOGY 47 feature Astronaut Gloves CREDIT :

F LAGSUIT /M ATTHEW H OMER

THE AWARD ­WINNING GLOVE CONTAINS UNIQUE FEATURES SUCH AS A “SOFT HINGE ” THAT ALLOWS PRESSURIZED GLOVE FINGERS TO FLEX MORE EASILY AND PREDICTABLY.

is not only outfitting passengers and within a full or partial vacuum. vidual innovators that these events are crews for the first suborbital space Many people believe that the glove intended to attract. NASA's flights, but also enabling new terrestrial that won NASA's contest would auto­ Innovative Partnerships Program is uses for pressure­capable suits and matically become standard issue in the actively working to address these gloves. The latter provides many U.S. space program, but that is unreal­ obstacles. avenues for developing robust technol­ istic. The competition was a catalyst, Recently, Flagsuit teamed with ogy that can be adapted for use in but significant additional privately Orbital Outfitters and Texas A&M space. Opportunities currently being funded development is needed to raise University on a NASA contract to pursued or investigated include hands­ the technology maturity to a level develop new “soft shoulder” concepts on educational space glove exhibits for where NASA can seriously consider for future space suits. This project museums and schools, a wearable pres­ and evaluate it to address specific mis­ gave Flagsuit increased visibility with sure chamber for hyperbaric therapy, a sion needs. Prize competitions repre­ the NASA space suit designers in deep sea diving suit that allows faster sent a step toward embracing open Houston. Three concepts were fabri­ ascents to the surface, a positive pres­ innovation within NASA, but there cated and tested—an Apollo EVA suit sure suit for hazardous materials han­ still remain many barriers to dealing derivative, and two new designs from dling, and protective wear for working directly with the small firms and indi­ Flagsuit. Testing revealed that both of

48 Volume 15 • Number 2 • 2009 Technology Innovation

CREDIT: FLAGSUIT/MATTHEW HOMER the Flagsuit designs were an order of while simultaneously restraining pres­ magnitude more flexible than the sure load?" Solving that simple prob­ Apollo derivative. The design that lem gave me all I needed to construct emerged as the best performing of the the complete glove. While it is exciting three was essentially a scaled­up ver­ to design hardware for future space sion of the Flagsuit glove joint that missions, remember that your goal at won the Centennial Challenge. This this stage is to win the contest. Make design exhibited zero hysteresis—a sure you clearly understand and measure of a joint's dynamic drag, address all of the competition rules, hence workload. According to one and save the extras for later. NASA manager, this was an industry • Do something every day. Many “first,” proving the effectiveness of competitors come close to completing Flagsuit's soft hinge design. their hardware, only to run out of time Time will tell whether NASA's just before contest day. The number of investment to develop innovative new little tasks that crop up will confound THE ASTRONAUT GLOVE (SHOWN WITH A MIRROR IMAGE OF ITSELF) ATTRACTED ATTENTION WHILE ON astronaut glove technology will pay off you, so put some time in the bank by DISPLAY AT THE 2008 SMITHSONIAN FOLKLIFE for the Agency. It likely will be several getting ahead early. FESTIVAL. more years before the new technology • Build! I spent the first nine information I was finding. can be incorporated into flight hard­ months developing ideas on paper, and • Don't worry about protecting ware, if at all. A second round of the wound up with one design and no new your intellectual property until you Astronaut Glove Centennial Challenge knowledge. But once I started making have a properly functioning prototype. is scheduled for late 2009. Regardless prototypes, I quickly began to learn Through the process of building a of whether Flagsuit succeeds in captur­ and understand what the real issues working model, you will make changes ing another prize, we remain commit­ were. I built dozens of crude designs in to your original design anyway. A pro­ ted to finding ways to help solve the just nine days. All of them taught me visional application gives you "patent challenges of living and working in something and helped me move closer pending" status – the same as a full space. When mankind returns to the to my final design. Innovation is an patent application – for a lot less heavens, Flagsuit plans to be there, too. iterative process, like Edison and the money and effort, and you can file one light bulb. Don't make the mistake of in as little as one day. I used the book Lessons Learned assuming that your initial prototype Patent Pending in 24 Hours by Richard For those interested in competing, the will work perfectly. Allow enough time Stim and David Pressman. following tips may be helpful. They all in your project schedule for at least revolve around two key concepts – one complete rebuild – you'll need it! Peter K. Homer is founder and president of focusing on effort that adds the most • Research the problem, but don't Flagsuit LLC and the winner of NASA’s benefit, and managing your time: expect to find the solution in the 2007 Astronaut Glove Centennial • Clearly define the problem you literature. If the answers were there Challenge. For more information, contact him at [email protected]. are trying to solve, and your goal. the problem would already be solved. Simplify as much as possible. For the Again, limit your time. Until I became For information on NASA’s Centennial Astronaut Glove Competition, I intimately familiar with the subtle Challenges, visit www.ipp.nasa.gov/cc reduced the problem statement to, issues (through prototyping), I wasn't Please mention that you read about it "How can a (glove) finger be flexible educated enough to understand the in Technology Innovation.

NASA’S MAGAZINE FOR BUSINESS & TECHNOLOGY 49 NASA'S SBIR/STTR PROGRAMS FACILITATE DEVELOPMENT Infusion OF TECHNOLOGIES THAT MEET NASA'S MISSION NEEDS

The initial group of FAST projects on the September NASA’s FAST flights included five technologies funded through NASA’s Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) program. The Program and flights also carried several experiments in the FASTRACK test platform, the result of a partnership between NASA and Space Florida. Commercial Reduced The following are firsthand accounts of several of these Gravity Flight Testing flight­test experiences.

Honeybee Robotics By Andrew Petro, NASA Innovative Partnerships Program Honeybee Robotics (www.honeybeerobotics.com) has a strong SBIR legacy with NASA centers, including the Jet n January 2008, after decades of operating its own air­ Propulsion Laboratory, developing technologies currently craft to create reduced­gravity testing conditions, NASA used on both Mars Exploration rovers and the Mars Phoenix Icompetitively selected Zero­Gravity Corporation lander. Honeybee is now developing a pneumatic system for (www.gozero.com) to manage and oper­ CREDIT: NASA excavating and moving regolith or soil ate an aircraft to perform parabolic on the moon or Mars. Previous pro­ flights for research and development posals for using gas for excavation met work. This partnership marks the first with general reluctance due to the per­ time that a commercial operator has ceived need to bring a considerable been contracted to provide weightless supply of gas from Earth. However, flight services for NASA. during NASA SBIR Phase 1 research Zero­G operates a Boeing 727 air­ with Kennedy Space Center, craft, flying parabolic trajectories to cre­ Honeybee Robotics demonstrated that ate zero­gravity conditions or the partial when the method is employed at near­ gravity levels found on the surface of the vacuum pressures and gas dispensation moon or Mars. The reduced gravity is carefully controlled, 1 g of gas can conditions last for approximately 25 sec­ lift as much as 3 kg of soil. These

onds during each parabolic arc, and the A HONEYBEE ROBOTICS ENGINEER OPERATES THE results were very promising, but ques­ aircraft completes from 40 to 60 COMPANY ’S LUNAR MINING DEVICE WITHIN A tions about the effect of gravity VACUUM CHAMBER IN REDUCED GRAVITY parabolas on each flight. CONDITIONS AS PART OF NASA’ S FAST PROGRAM. remained. In September 2008, Zero­G conduct­ Honeybee Robotics received, ed two flights that provided testing opportunities for five through the NASA FAST program, an opportunity to test technologies through NASA’s new Facilitated Access to the pneumatic excavation at reduced gravity. An aircraft­ready Space Environment for Technology Development and vacuum chamber, loaned by NASA’s Langley Research Training (FAST) program. The FAST program was created Center, enabled Honeybee to perform pneumatic mining to help emerging technologies that are of interest to NASA experiments at both reduced gravity and reduced pressure. reach the maturity needed for consideration in flight proj­ This arrangement helped to bring the technology readiness ects. This help is provided through testing opportunities in level (TRL) of the pneumatic system from 4/5 to a 6, and to the space environment that reduce risk by demonstrating bring the technology much closer to flight. These experi­ how technologies perform. ments would not have been possible without the opportunity

50 Volume 15 • Number 2 • 2009 Technology Innovation

presented via the NASA FAST program. structure capable of autonomously facilitating remote testing The initial experiments showed that excavation efficiency for multiple sensor sources of various types. This data can be increases dramatically in reduced gravity. Preliminary results stored statically on internal flash cards or transmitted in real revealed that 1 g of gas can transport more than 6 kg of time through aircraft telemetry with little or no wiring. regolith. These high excavation rates make the pneumatic While good engineering practice was used in the design system a viable option for space applications. At the same and fabrication of this device, no amount of marketing can time, numerous sources of gas have been identified including be as compelling as true flight data. Operation in the pressurant gas from a propulsion system (which otherwise intended environment increases the technology maturity and would be vented) and burning residual propellant in a rocket provides confidence in mission survivability and stability. thruster and collecting the exhaust gas. The FAST program provides SBIR/STTR companies with The flight experience itself was tremendous – it provided a this opportunity, a chance to obtain validation data by flying firsthand experience of the way the system behaves under their NASA­sponsored research on a zero­gravity aircraft. lunar gravity. It became immediately obvious that digging and Being able to indicate that the SensorLoggerTM functions excavating hard, compacted regolith will be challenging unless were performed in a true flight environment has exponen­ novel means of excavating are developed. This experience pro­ tially increased interest in this product from large aerospace vided insights that inform Honeybee’s development of a per­ companies. cussive digging technology that enables digging force reduc­ For MDC, the FAST program was an educational experi­ tion by an order of magnitude and more. Percussive digging ence, training a relatively young group of engineers on how and pneumatic soil transfer form a highly synergistic system. to certify equipment for flight experiments. Going through — Kris Zacny, Director, Drilling and Excavation Systems, the required documentation and other gates of approval pro­ Honeybee Robotics vided hands­on experience that will benefit not only the Jack Craft, Project Manager, Honeybee Robotics SensorLoggerTM, but future MDC designs as well. Other SBIR/STTR companies would be wise to consider this Metis Design Corporation opportunity to validate flight­worthy hardware. Metis Design Corporation (MDC) (www.metisdesign.com) — Seth S. Kessler, President & CEO, is a small, technical consulting firm focused on custom sen­ Metis Design Corporation sor systems, providing a unique alternative to commercial­ off­the­shelf instrumentation. Sierra Lobo Traditional instrumentation of aircraft is complex and Sierra Lobo Inc. (SLI) (www.sierralobo.com) conducted test­ time­consuming. Once the sensors are installed, long wires ing to validate a new and innovative liquid­vapor detection for power and data must be routed to a central data­collec­ sensor for use in low­gravity fluid systems. The new sensor tion location, adding weight and cost, and increasing the is based on SLI’s heritage Cryo­Tracker® probe. The NASA probability of introducing error. At the data­collection loca­ Kennedy Space Center Launch Services Program assisted tion, several large electronic components are often found, with development of the new sensor. NASA plans to use the including signal conditioning boxes, amplifiers, data acquisi­ new sensor on launch vehicles to directly measure the liquid tion boards, laptops, power supplies and often, at least one slosh dynamics in a reduced­gravity environment. The person to supervise the testing. The need for this infrastruc­ Florida Institute of Technology (FIT) developed the test ture limits the number and types of sensors that can be used. tanks used in the flight experiment and used sensors tested MDC’s SensorLoggerTM is a standardized data acquisition in the flight to validate their Computational Fluid Dynamics hub that dramatically increases instrumentation efficiency sloshing models. for aircraft testing, developed under SBIR with the Dryden The opportunity to fly personnel with the experiment was Flight Research Center. It serves as a durable sensor infra­ an ideal way to instill excitement about the space business

NASA’S MAGAZINE FOR BUSINESS & TECHNOLOGY 51 NASA'S SBIR/STTR PROGRAMS FACILITATE DEVELOPMENT Infusion OF TECHNOLOGIES THAT MEET NASA'S MISSION NEEDS

CREDIT: NASA for use on orbiting vehicles and facilities. KSC’s engineering unit was a rack with three science investigations to help verify interfaces, procedures and per­ formance characteristics prior to final design and production of the flight units. The following three science investigations were performed: • Baseline characterization of the microgravity environ­ ment with instrumentation from NASA’s Glenn Research Center, • Fluid dynamics experiment by the University of Central Florida to study Faraday wave interfaces in microgravity, and A SIERRA LOBO RESEARCHER OBSERVES FLUID MOVEMENT AND • Tests of a biomedical sensor that performs continuous, PERFORMANCE OF THE CRYOTRACKER SENSING SYSTEM DURING REDUCED GRAVITY TESTING IN NASA’ S FAST PROGRAM. non­invasive monitoring and recording of human hemody­ namics during changes in gravity. among the younger engineers. From an experimental point Members of the project team flew with the apparatus and of view, it was very important to have the researchers accomplished all engineering test objectives, verifying the involved in the experiment. For example, video camera unit’s compatibility with the Zero­Gravity aircraft and its adjustments were critical during the flight to capture the ability to support multiple experiments. Since the flight, dynamic fluid motion as it related to our sensor validation. KSC and Space Florida have produced two flight units of the SLI is a small business, and the cost of flight­testing rack and are ready to offer it for use. KSC is working with would have been a significant barrier towards validating our commercial vehicle developers to provide FASTRACK™ as a technology. This flight­testing has enabled SLI to present capability supporting the NASA user community, while Space data and video confirmation that the new sensor works. Florida will be working with them to offer that same capabili­ This data enables SLI to market the technology to NASA ty commercially to industrial, academic or other groups. and industry and decreases the time to arrive at market. SLI FASTRACK™ will enable investigators to test experi­ believes this technology will revolutionize the way we do ments, apparatus and techniques in hardware compatible business in space by providing direct measurement of propel­ with the International Space Station. It also will allow them lant conditions while on orbit. The FAST program is to perform science during the reduced gravity available for enabling this technology. brief periods during aircraft parabolas, including those par­ —Mark Haberbusch, Director, Research and Technology, ticipating in NASA’s FAST program. Sierra Lobo Inc. KSC and Space Florida both contracted with the Bionetics Corporation to accomplish design, fabrication and Kennedy Space Center testing of the experiment rack. The Kennedy Space Center (KSC) project team developing — James Ball, Center Development Manager, the FASTRACK™ Space Experiment Platform successfully NASA Kennedy Space Center tested an engineering unit aboard the September FAST flights. The experiment rack is designed to support two For more information on the FAST Program, contact standard space shuttle mid­deck lockers, or a single double Andrew Petro, FAST program manager, at [email protected], or visit locker. It was developed jointly by KSC and Space Florida http://ipp.nasa.gov/ii _fast.htm. as an IPP Seed Fund project for use on commercial subor­ bital flight vehicles. It will accommodate experiments flown Please mention that you read about it in Technology aboard parabolic aircraft and may be adapted in the future Innovation.

52 Volume 15 • Number 2 • 2009 Innovative Research

“It is the sense of Congress that suborbital flight activities, Unleashing the including the use of sounding rockets, aircraft, and high­altitude balloons, and suborbital reusable launch vehicles, offer valuable Genius opportunities to advance science, train the next generation of sci­ entists and engineers, and provide opportunities for participants By Lynn Harper in the programs to acquire skills in systems engineering and sys­ Human Suborbital Flight Project tems integration that are critical to maintaining the Nation’s NASA Ames Research Center leadership in space programs.” Brett Alexander —NASA Authorization Act of 2008 Commercial Spaceflight Federation NASA is the first federal agency to step forward to sponsor “We must unleash the genius of private enterprise to secure commercial suborbital passenger transportation for research. the United States' leadership in space.” — Barack Obama, Intrigued by the potential, NASA’s then­acting administrator, “Advancing the Frontiers of Space Exploration," Christopher Scolese, along with all of NASA’s associate August 2008 administrators, signed a Program Decision Memorandum new era of space exploration and development December 16, 2008, creating the Human Suborbital Flight began October 4, 2004, when SpaceShipOne Program (http://suborbitalex.arc.nasa.gov/). This new pro­ and its intrepid citizen pilot, Brian gram will conduct science and technology research into areas A of interest to NASA’s Innovative Partnerships Program, Binnie, blasted into history with the first private manned spacecraft to Exploration Systems Mission Directorate, Space Operations exceed an altitude of 328,000 feet Mission Directorate and other organizations. twice within the span of a 14­day period. SpaceShipOne set two world A Wealth of Interest records, won the $10 million Ansari The opportunities for hands­on research on subor­ X Prize, and plowed a road beyond Earth that bital vehicles have generated significant interest opened the space frontier to everyone. among scientists and their organizations. The Commercial Spaceflight Federation Standing on the giant shoulders of almost 50 SPACESHIPONE years of government­sponsored, manned space (www.commercialspaceflight.org/), the flight, today’s new breed of space entrepreneurs Universities Space Research Association (www.usra.edu/) and has committed their lives and personal fortunes to provid­ NASA Ames Research Center sponsored meetings on the topic ing space transportation services for private citizens. The in December 2008 and May 2009, and both attracted stand­ rocket test firings have begun. The passenger capsules are ing­room­only audiences of scientists, technologists and educa­ being designed. The FAA has been engaged. Congress has tors. Attendees came to hear how they might make a traverse passed enabling legislation. New programs and policies are through one of the least understood parts of Earth’s atmos­ being formulated. All of this is being done to enable phere and then acquire four minutes of personal discovery Americans to realize their own dreams and bring their time in one of nature’s most elusive of environments – micro­ unique creative genius into space. In the next five years, gravity. if you have the money, you will be able to purchase a Astronauts have demonstrated that there is a unique poten­ ride to visit space on a commercial suborbital transportation tial for breakthrough when innovative scientists are able to system. conduct their own hands­on research in space. They see

NASA’S MAGAZINE FOR BUSINESS & TECHNOLOGY 53 Innovative Research CREDIT :

XCOR

A EROSPACE

XCOR AEROSPACE ’S INITIAL PROTOTYPE SUBORBITAL REUSABLE LAUNCH VEHICLE, THE LYNX MARK I, WILL TAKE OFF AND LAND HORIZONTALLY AS DEPICTED IN THIS FLIGHT PROFILE.

possibilities that untrained eyes often miss, and they follow quent fliers” who will be ideal early customers for commercial leads that are impossible for robotic or teleoperated devices to space flights. utilize. The first­hand experiences of creative minds armed For numerous applications, the 23 seconds of microgravity with today’s new technologies have revolutionary possibilities. gained from parabolic airplane flights is not enough, while Commercial entities want not only to fly passengers in four minutes of microgravity is. For example, four minutes is space, but to fly them often. Flight frequency has been the enough to characterize many of the elusive initiating events single most limiting factor in developing the power of the that lead to the remarkable changes in physiology seen when space laboratory sciences. On Earth, the biotech revolution’s Earth organisms live in space. Some of these are of interest to mantra was “Fail fast, fail often. Learn fast, learn often.” biotech and medicine. Laboratory science is iterative. A scientist conducts an experi­ The aerospace medical community is particularly excited ment, observes what happens, changes a variable, does it about the opportunities offered by commercial suborbital pas­ again … and again … and again … until a breakthrough senger flights. Four minutes of microgravity allow the space occurs. The space laboratory sciences are the kinds of “fre­ doctors to perfect life­saving medical procedures for use in

54 Volume 15 • Number 2 • 2009 EXAMPLES OF HOW NASA IS WORKING WITH SMALL BUSINESSES AND ACADEMIA

orbit and beyond. Studying the effects of gravity transitions Northrup Grumman Lunar Lander Challenge, one of NASA’s among the larger and more diverse passenger populations, Centennial Challenges. (See story on page 42.) many of whom will be older and less physically fit than the Blue Origin (www.blueorigin.com), a company started in astronaut corps, will provide new information that will be 2000 by billionaire Amazon.com founder Jeff Bezos, is devel­ important for selecting and training the next generation of oping vehicles for vertical takeoff, vertical landing (VTVL) space explorers. suborbital passenger flights. The Blue Origin Web site states, In addition, suborbital missions enable the following scien­ “We’re working, patiently and step­by­step, to lower the cost tific research: of spaceflight so that many people can afford to go and so • Fluid, material, physiologic and gravitational biology that we humans can better continue exploring the solar sys­ investigations throughout the dynamic altered gravity tem. “ Blue Origin is conducting test flights of its New phases and their transition zones, Shepard spacecraft design at the company’s Culberson County, • Astronomical and Earth observations at wavelengths and Texas, facility. special observing geometries not accessible from the Founded in 2004, Masten Space Systems (www.masten­ ground, space.com) is an aerospace startup company in Mojave, Calif. • Unique observations related to fundamental physics and (formerly Santa Clara), that is developing a line of reusable biology, and vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) rockets. Led by high­ • Repeated sampling of atmospheric regions that neither tech engineer David Masten, the company in May 2009 spacecraft, balloons nor aircraft can reach (called the began flight­testing the reusable VTOL Xombie as the next “ignorasphere” by some). step in its process to design, develop and prove the capability to control a VTOL launch vehicle. Masten is focused on But there is more. Technologies for science missions, com­ smaller microgravity payloads, and anticipates providing mercial satellites and military spacecraft can be tested in space experimental payload space to customers by the end of 2009. before being committed to high­performance, orbital or inter­ On September 25, 2004, English industrialist Sir Richard planetary flight. This opportunity offers a significant reduc­ Branson announced that his space tourism company, Virgin tion in risk that enables potentially high­performing but Galactic (www.virgingalactic.com), would license the technology unproven technologies to be incorporated in future missions. behind SpaceshipOne to take paying passengers into suborbital space. SpaceShipOne was funded by Microsoft co­founder Paul The Players and the Score Allen and designed by Scaled Composites, which is led by leg­ The number of brilliant entrepreneurs from many fields of endary American aeronautical engineer Burt Rutan. Virgin world commerce who have committed their personal fortunes Galactic now is selling tickets to the public, at $200,000 each, to developing the enterprise of commercial suborbital passen­ for a suborbital trip aboard SpaceShipTwo to 100 km. The car­ ger services is remarkable. Many American companies are rier aircraft for SpaceShipTwo, named WhiteKnightTwo, com­ building and flying real hardware, and have credible plans to pleted its first test flight in December 2008. begin commercial flights on or before 2012. Here is a sample: XCOR Aerospace (www.xcor.com) is a private liquid rock­ Armadillo Aerospace (www.armadilloaerospace.com) is led et propulsion and vehicle development company founded in by legendary computer game graphics entrepreneur John 1999 in Mojave, Calif. Led by CEO Jeff Greason, XCOR Carmack, who is primarily known for the games “Quake” and developed two generations of rocket planes, the EZ­Rocket “Doom.” While Armadillo’s initial goal is suborbital tourism, and the X­Racer, flying them at EAA’s Oshkosh Airventure in this Texas company’s stated long­term goal is to extend pas­ 2002 and 2008, respectively. XCOR’s initial prototype sub­ senger access to Earth orbit. Armadillo’s concept is a vertical orbital reusable launch vehicle, the Lynx Mark I, is being takeoff/vertical landing (VTVL) space tourism vehicle. In designed to take off and land horizontally and to carry its October 2008, the company won the first stage of the pilot and a passenger or payload on flights to 65 km several

NASA’S MAGAZINE FOR BUSINESS & TECHNOLOGY 55 Innovative Research CREDIT :

M ASTEN S PACE S YSTEMS

MASTEN SPACE SYSTEMS’ XA ­0.1B ­750 VEHICLE, XOMBIE, IS SEEN HERE ON ITS FIRST TETHERED FLIGHT.

times per day. The Lynx Mark II will have the same small great divide from Earth to the still­mysterious regions of airplane form factor, but it will fly to roughly 110 km. The space. Many will pay for their tickets and leave Earth for a Mark II also is being designed to launch nano­satellites into few tantalizing life­changing minutes. As astronauts and cos­ low­Earth orbit using an expendable upper stage mounted on monauts have done before them, they will bring back uniquely the back of the vehicle. The Lynx’s first engine firing was suc­ personal perspectives that will generate novel ideas, and new cessfully completed in December 2008, the first cockpit test solutions for crafting better futures. Eventually, those few article came off the mold in March 2009, and XCOR has minutes will become hours, days and weeks, and citizen travel completed the first stage of a three­stage wind tunnel test will extend to the moon. When that will happen is still con­ campaign. jecture. But one thing is certain: space is not just for rocket This is by no means a complete list of all the American scientists anymore. companies who are contributing to open the space frontier, but it highlights the power of a particular dream. These Lynn Harper is acting deputy project manager of the Human entrepreneurs have committed their own resources to give us Suborbital Flight Project at NASA Ames Research Center. Brett Alexander is president of the Commercial Spaceflight Federation. all the opportunity to travel beyond Earth and realize our own dreams in space. For more information contact Lynn Harper at Very different futures are available to a nation whose citi­ [email protected], or John Gedmark at zens can reach beyond their home planet versus those whose [email protected] destinies are constrained to a single world. Soon, entrepre­ Please mention that you read about it in Technology neurs will complete the first commercial bridge across the Innovation.

56 Volume 15 • Number 2 • 2009 EXAMPLES OF HOW NASA IS WORKING WITH SMALL BUSINESSES AND ACADEMIA

CREDIT: NASA Commercial Biomedical Research Aboard the International Space Station – A National Laboratory Pathfinder

By Bradley M. Carpenter NASA Headquarters

Timothy G. Hammond Durham Veterans Administration Medical Center

Jeanne L. Becker Baylor College of Medicine

nce completed, the International Space Station (ISS) will serve as a multidimensional, multifunc­ tional facility that will help humans solve many of NASA ASTRONAUT HEIDEMARIE M. STEFANYSHYN ­PIPER ACTIVATES O NATIONAL LAB PATHFINDER (NLP) CELLS ­01 EXPERIMENT TO STUDY CELLULAR the issues that we face now and that we will face in the future, REPLICATION AND DIFFERENTIATION IN A PUBLIC ­PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP WITH on Earth and in space. NASA, USDA, BIOSERVE AND ZERO GRAVITY INC. OF STEVENSVILLE, MD, ON NOVEMBER 20, 2008. NASA’s primary mission for the ISS is to resolve the health risks of long­duration space flight, and to validate the tech­ Once the ISS becomes available for full­time utilization, a nologies required by future generations of space exploration. pivotal opportunity will open to engage our national resources As Earth’s only outpost in space, the ISS provides many in a broad and robust program to identify and develop uses unique facilities required to prepare for missions to Mars and for space. Congress recognized this in the 2005 NASA other potential destinations. Authorization Act, when it designated the U.S. assets on the Also essential for the long­term future of humans in space ISS as a National Laboratory. With the Act, a historic corner is the opportunity that the ISS affords to explore and expand was turned, and NASA was directed to open the resources of the range of activities that can be usefully conducted in space. the ISS under the National Laboratory, for use by other feder­ Humans have only begun to identify activities in space that al agencies, the business community and academia, with non­ add value to society. Some, like satellite­based communica­ NASA financial sponsorship. tions and Earth observations, are part of daily life of our plan­ The ISS National Laboratory (www.nasa.gov/mission_ et. What others are waiting to be discovered? In what other pages/station/science/nlab) is poised to evolve into a major ways will space enterprise contribute to our well­being, and component of ISS utilization after assembly is complete in how? The answers to these questions will largely determine 2010. During initial Laboratory development, federal agen­ the long­term future of humans in space, and for this reason cies, including the National Institutes of Health and the the ISS has a critical role in shaping the future of human Department of Agriculture, reached agreements with NASA space flight. to develop ISS­based research projects. A number of private­

NASA’S MAGAZINE FOR BUSINESS & TECHNOLOGY 57 Innovative Research

sector efforts have already flown to the ISS as pathfinders, and antimicrobial therapeutics. Beyond Salmonella, the demonstrating positive proof of concept for research and Astrogenetix team is examining virulence profiles of methi­ development activities after assembly is complete in 2012. cillin­resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Listeria Astrogenetix Inc. (www.astrogenetix.com), a biotechnology monocytogenes, Enterococcus faecalis, and Candida albicans. company established to take advantage of the unique environ­ As antibiotic­resistant pathogens like MRSA and E. faecalis ment of microgravity in developing therapeutic products, has become more common in hospitals and other medical set­ a Space Act Agreement with NASA to use the ISS National tings, these therapies could offer an important alternative in Laboratory in research and development activities. One of the future. the company’s major efforts focuses on the development of In working with NASA, Astrogenetix and its partners have effective vaccines and therapeutics for bacterial pathogens that found these best practices to be of great importance to their are serious public health problems today, including Salmonella successful partnership: and Staphylococcus aureus. • Be adaptable in terms of launch dates, with built­in Astrogenetix was formed by Astrotech Inc., a company pre­ contingencies for conduct of the science if the dates are viously known as Spacehab and recognized for its expertise in shifted. payload management and research support, to pursue com­ • Maintain open communication among all team mercial development of a discovery made through space members and NASA to ensure maximum potential for research. successful payload outcome. Scientists examining the effects of the space environment • Set up asynchronous ground controls to allow for any on bacteria have observed that bacteria grown in space alter in­flight anomalies that may occur to be adequately their virulence profiles, making the microbes more patho­ mocked in on­ground operations. genic, or better able to cause disease. Using space experi­ The Astrogenetix project has an important role for NASA ments to identify the bacterial components responsible for as a pathfinder for future use of the ISS National Laboratory increased virulence, Astrogenetix plans to produce a com­ by commercial enterprises. By demonstrating that the ISS mercial vaccine for Salmonella, which is a common cause of National Laboratory can meet the needs of commercially food poisoning and a major cause of childhood death in the driven research for timely access to space and cost­effective third world. experiments, NASA hopes that the next decade will see a With resources provided under the ISS National broad new wave of creative thinking in commercial use of Laboratory Pathfinder program, Astrogenetix flew experiments the ISS. on three shuttle flights in 2008 and identified potential targets for development of a Salmonella vaccine. Flight hardware was provided by BioServe Space Technologies Bradley M. Carpenter is technical engineering operations man ­ ager at NASA Headquarters; Timothy G. Hammond is associ ­ (www.colorado.edu/engineering/BioServe/), a center of the ate chief of staff – research and development, at Durham University of Colorado, Boulder. Veterans Administration Medical Center; and Jeanne L. Becker Astrogenetix and its partners, Duke University, Duke is associate professor in the departments of obstetrics and Veterans Administration Medical Center, Baylor College of gynecology and surgery at Baylor College of Medicine. Medicine, the National Space Biomedical Research Institute For more information about this initiative, contact and the Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology, have Jeanne Lynn Becker at [email protected]. begun a comprehensive investigation of the response of path­ ogenic bacteria to the space environment. The outcome of Please mention that you read about it in Technology Innovation. this work may lead to the production of effective vaccines

58 Volume 15 • Number 2 • 2009 Opportunities for Partnership

Technologies are available for licensing and joint development at each of the NASA Field Centers through their Innovative Partnerships Program (IPP) offices. Provided here are details on one of numerous available technologies. Read more about other new technologies each month in NASA TechBriefs (www.techbriefs.com), and for a comprehensive list, go to http://ipp.nasa.gov. CREDIT

Hydrogen :

NASA Reclamation and Reutilization Technology

ASA’s John C. Stennis Space NCenter (SSC) seeks innovative solutions for efficient, cost effective, in­ situ methods to recapture, clean, pres­ SOLUTIONS ARE NEEDED TO OVERCOME THE SIGNIFICANT BOILOFF OF LIQUID HYDROGEN THAT TAKES PLACE surize and store hydrogen boiloff for DURING TRANSFER OF THE FUEL FROM BARGES, AS SHOWN HERE, AT NASA ’ S A ­2 TEST FACILITY AT STENNIS SPACE CENTER. reuse. Research into technologies in these areas, demonstration of the tech­ Technology Needs Technology Challenges nology capability and conceptual design Currently, most of the LH2 is brought • Safely capture, process and store for the technology installation at SSC to SSC by trucks or barges. During the large amounts of gaseous are desired to assist in the hydrogen transfers from the trucks or barges, as hydrogen released during test recovery and reuse. well as during storage and transfers operations. when conducting test operations, • Develop an on­site system capable of Background about half of the LH2 is lost. Much of recycling the captured hydrogen to SSC provides rocket engine propul­ the loss is due to boiloff as the heat in the cleanliness standards requirements. sion testing for NASA’s space pro­ the systems causes the LH2 to phase • Determine the appropriate utilization grams, and every space shuttle main into gaseous hydrogen, which is vented of the recaptured hydrogen for test engine (SSME) has undergone to test facility flare stacks. operations or alternative energy uses. acceptance testing at SSC before inte­ Most of the boiloff is burned in the The technologies developed must be gration into the shuttle. facility flare stacks as a safety precaution. cost effective and able to perform the The SSME is a large cryogenic However, the capability to safely reclaim recycling process in an in­situ rocket engine fueled by liquid hydrogen and utilize it could save millions of dol­ engine test area environment. They will (LH2). As NASA moves to the new lars annually. The emerging hydrogen be required to comply with all required Ares V launch system, the new vehicle’s economy has developed systems and safety and quality standards. main engines, as well as the upper technologies that could make use of this stage engine, are currently base lined to lost hydrogen if methods were devel­ For more information, or to discuss be cryogenic rocket engines that also oped to recover at least a portion of the ideas about this concept, contact Stennis Space Center at will use LH2. The main engines will boiloff for reuse. A potential reutiliza­ (228) 688 ­1929 or be larger than the SSME, while the tion would require systems to capture, ssc ­[email protected]. upper stage engine will be about half clean, pressurize and store boiloff for that size. Significant quantities of reuse by the test facility. Options for Please mention that you read about it in Technology Innovation. hydrogen will be required during their reuse could be as GH2 in the test facility development, testing and operation. or other alternate energy uses. (continued on page 62)

NASA’S MAGAZINE FOR BUSINESS & TECHNOLOGY 59 NASA CENTERS: • ARC – Ames Research Center • DFRC – Dryden Flight Research Center • GRC – Glenn Research Center NASA’S • GSFC – Goddard Space Flight Center

• HQ – Headquarters • JPL – Jet Propulsion Laboratory IPP • JSC – Johnson Space Center • KSC – Kennedy Space Center • LaRC – Langley Research Center NETWORK • MSFC – Marshall Space Flight Center • SSC – Stennis Space Center visit www.ipp.nasa.gov ALLIED AND AFFILIATED ORGANIZATIONS: • CAFE – Comparative Aircraft Flight Efficiency Foundation • CASI – NASA Center for AeroSpace Information • CSEWI – California Space Education & Workforce Institute • FLC – Federal Laboratory Consortium • NTTC – National Technology Transfer Center • SWF – The Spaceward Foundation • TBMG – Tech Briefs Media Group • USSF – United States Space Foundation • VAS – Volanz Aerospace, Inc./Spaceflight America • XPF – XPRIZE Foundation USSF GRC NTTC

TBMG SWF CASI VAS ARC GSFC CAFE NASA DFRC Headquarters FLC JPL CSEWI LaRC XPF

MSFC JSC SSC KSC NASA Headquarters Innovative Partnerships Program Offices at each of NASA’s 10 Field Centers represent NASA’s technology sources and manage center participation in technology transfer activities. Affiliated Organizations support NASA’s IPP objectives. Centennial Challenges Allied Organizations National Aeronautics and Space Administration Innovative Partnerships Program (IPP) Network

Environmental Control and Life Support, Elizabeth B. Plentovich NASA Center for AeroSpace NASA Headquarters Extra Vehicular Activity, Lunar Operations, 300 E Street, SW IPP Manager Energy Generation and Storage, Protection Information Washington, DC 20546 757/864­2857 Spinoff Project Office Systems, Exploration Crew Health [email protected] Douglas A. Comstock Capabilities, Spacecraft and Platform Hanover, Maryland Director, IPP Office Subsystems, Space Communications and Navigation, Processing and Operations Marshall Space Flight Center Daniel Lockney Phone: 202/358­2221 Marshall Space Flight Center, Editor/Writer E­mail: [email protected] Kathleen Needham Alabama 35812 [email protected] (see pgs. 18, 44) IPP Chief www.sti.nasa.gov/tto Jack Yadvish 216/433­2802 Structures, Materials, Mechanisms, Deputy Director, IPP Office Propulsion and Cryogenic Systems, Program Executive, Partnership [email protected] Tech Briefs Media Group Advanced Telescope Systems, Space New York, NY Development Transportation Phone: 202/358­1981 Goddard Space Flight Center E­mail: [email protected] Greenbelt, Maryland 20771 Joe Pramberger James Dowdy Publisher (see pg. 35) IPP Chief Charles E. Miller Structures, Materials, Mechanisms, Sensors, [email protected] 256/544­7604 www.techbriefs.com Senior Advisor for Commercial Space, Detectors, Instruments, Advanced Telescope [email protected] IPP Office Systems, Spacecraft and Platform Phone: 202/358­2220 Subsystems, Information Technologies, Space Communications and Navigation Stennis Space Center Contractor Support E­mail: [email protected] Stennis Space Center, Mississippi 39529 Nona Cheeks (see pgs. 24, 59) Systems Planning Corp. Andrew Petro Space Transportation, Rocket Propulsion Program Executive, Innovation IPP Chief Arlington, Virginia Testing, Remote Sensing Applications Incubator, IPP Office 301/286­5810 Phone: 202/358­0310 [email protected] James Kudla Ramona Pelletier Travis Vice President, Corporate E­mail: [email protected] IPP Chief Jet Propulsion Laboratory Communications 228/688­3832 [email protected] Carl G. Ray 4800 Oak Grove Drive [email protected] Program Executive, Technology Pasadena, California 91109 http://sysplan.com/ Infusion, IPP Office (see pg. 50) Phone: 202/358­4652 Sensors, Detectors, Instruments, Advanced Fuentek, LLC E­mail: [email protected] Telescope Systems, Robotics, Space Affiliated Apex, North Carolina Communications and Navigation Janelle Turner Organizations Working with NASA to advance the Laura A. Schoppe Program Executive, Outreach, Andrew Gray President IPP Office IPP Manager objectives of the Innovative Partnerships Program. [email protected] Phone: 202/358­0704 818/354­4906 http://www.fuentek.com E­mail: [email protected] [email protected] National Technology Johnson Space Center Transfer Center (NTTC) NASA Field Centers Houston, Texas 77058 Wheeling, West Virginia Allied Organizations (see pgs. 8, 10, 42) Partnering with NASA to manage prize Ames Research Center Sensors for Autonomous Systems, Helping to meet NASA's technology needs competitions for the citizen inventor. Moffett Field, California 94035 Environmental Control and Life Support, through innovative products and services (see pg. 2) (see pgs. 2, 6, 7, 21, 53, 62) Extra Vehicular Activity, Lunar In Situ to facilitate infusion and partnership Aviation Safety, Airspace Systems, Avionics Resource Utilization, Lunar Operations, development. The X PRIZE Foundation and Software, Protection Systems, Space Thermal Management, Exploration Crew Radiation, Small Spacecraft, Information Santa Monica, CA Health Capabilities, Space Human Factors Darwin Molnar Technologies, Integrated Health System http://space.xprize.org/ and Food Systems, Space Radiation Vice President Management [email protected] Michele Brekke www.nttc.edu Volanz Aerospace, Inc./ Lisa Lockyer IPP Chief IPP Chief 281/483­4614 United States Spaceflight America 650/604­1754 [email protected] Owings Mills, MD [email protected] Space Foundation Colorado Springs, Colorado http://www.astronaut­glove.us Dryden Flight Kennedy Space Center Kennedy Space Center, Florida 32899 Kevin Cook The Spaceward Foundation (see pgs. 16, 50, 51, 52) Director, Space Technology Research Center Mountain View, CA 4800 Lilly Drive, Building 4839 Space Transportation, Processing and Awareness Edwards, California 93523­0273 Operations, Launch Site Technologies [email protected] http://www.spaceward.org/ (see pgs. 2, 51) www.spacefoundation.org Aviation Safety, Atmospheric Research David R. Makufka California Space Education IPP Chief Federal Laboratory Gregory Poteat 321/867­6227 & Workforce Institute IPP Chief [email protected] Consortium Washington, DC Pasadena, CA 661/276­3872 http://csewi.org/ [email protected] Langley Research Center John Emond Hampton, Virginia 23681­2199 Collaboration Program Manager Comparative Aircraft Flight Glenn Research Center (see pgs. 24, 50) [email protected] 21000 Brookpark Road Aviation Safety, Fundamental Aeronautics, www.federallabs.org Efficiency Foundation Cleveland, Ohio 44135 Airspace Systems, Avionics and Software, Santa Rosa, CA (see pgs. 24, 26, 44, 52) Structures, Materials, Mechanisms, Sensors, http://cafefoundation.org/ Aviation Safety, Fundamental Aeronautics, Detectors, Instruments, Atmospheric Aeronautics Test Technologies, Research

NASA’S MAGAZINE FOR BUSINESS & TECHNOLOGY 61 Opportunities for Partnership

Technologies are available for licensing and joint development at each of the NASA Field Centers through their Innovative Partnerships Program (IPP) offices. Provided here are details on one of numerous available technologies. Read more about other new technologies each month in NASA TechBriefs (www.techbriefs.com), and for a comprehensive list, go to http://ipp.nasa.gov.

data collection capability including Applications System Health mechanical, electrical, thermal, envi­ IMS can be used to monitor nearly Monitoring ronmental, biological and hybrid sys­ any system with recurring behavior and tems. Successful NASA applications of appropriate data collection. This allows Software IMS have ranged from real­time moni­ application to any number of system toring of aircraft engine and control monitoring tasks. IMS applications ASA’s Ames Research Center has systems to anomaly detection in space under development include telescope Ndeveloped an innovative software shuttle wing temperature sensors from subsystems, uninhabited aerial vehicles, application that uses data mining tech­ STS­107 launch data. spacecraft and aircraft. Other potential niques to produce real­time health mon­ applications include the following: itoring capability for complex systems. • Aeronautics Benefits The Inductive Monitoring System • Air Traffic Control / Navigation • An innovative approach to system (IMS) was developed to provide an • Alternative Energy Production monitoring alternative to model­based and rule­ • Transportation: Automobiles, • Economical systems modeling ­ based system health monitoring applica­ Trucks, Trains, Ships automatically builds system tions that typically require a significant • Medicine models from archived data amount of system knowledge and effort • Research Facilities and Data • Detects unanticipated interactions for development, verification and main­ • Environmental Data Analysis by characterizing normal parameter tenance. IMS combines elements from • Infrastructure relationships machine learning, data fusion and • Conventional and Nuclear Power • Decreases operator workload ­ model­based reasoning in a novel man­ Plants and Power Distribution automatic identification of faults, ner to provide a unique system health • Pipelines anomalies and system behavior monitoring capability that is effective • Communications changes and easy to use. • Manufacturing Monitoring • Enhances monitoring capability • Process Industries Control and Technology Details with analysis of interactions Monitoring between multiple parameters IMS automatically learns typical sys­ • Military/Security • Increases operating efficiency with tem behavior by discovering parameter • Wind Tunnels relationships in archived nominal data the detection of subtle system and constructing general classes repre­ degradation For more information and details • Detects small problems before senting normal system operation. about licensing this software please Operational data is then compared they become big problems contact William M. Toscano in the with these classes to detect off­nomi­ • Helps maintain safe, efficient Entrepreneurial Initiatives Division of nal system behavior and to alert opera­ operations NASA Ames Research Center at (650) 604­ 0894 or • Widely applicable tors or other automated systems to [email protected]. Please possible subsystem failures or impend­ • Rapid, low­cost monitoring reference Case Number ARC ­15058 ­1. ing failures. system development IMS uses a flexible technique appli­ • Compact and efficient with low Please mention that you read about it in Technology Innovation. cable to most domains with adequate computing resource requirements

62 Volume 15 • Number 2 • 2009 Your Guide to NASA’s Technology Needs, Partnership Successes and Partnership Opportunities

How to Partner NASA Technologies NASA Encourages with NASA Contribute to Commercial Space Sustainability of Industry the Earth COMING IN FALL 2009 Technology Innovation Focuses on Health and Medical Innovations Resulting from Aeronautics and Space Exploration

For past issues or to register for your copy, go to www.techbriefs.com/tech­exchange and www.ipp.nasa.gov/innovation. National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Innovative Partnerships Program Washington, DC 20546-001 www.nasa.gov

NP-2009-05-585-HQ

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