Spaceflight A British Interplanetary Society Publication Space Stations Global Space Talking to Industry Icarus Women Mars For Risks Mars? Vol 59 No 8 August 2017 £4.50 www.bis-space.com 281.indd 281 6/28/2017 9:24:39 AM INBOX 282 Spaceflight Vol 58 March 2016 282.indd 282 6/28/2017 9:25:52 AM CONTENTS Editor: Published by the British Interplanetary Society David Baker, PhD, BSc, FBIS, FRHS Sub-editor: Volume 59 No. 8 August 2017 Ann Page Production Assistant: 292-293 The Global Space Industry Ben Jones In response to questions about the cost of space programmes and the Spaceflight Promotion: benefits that accrue, Spaceflight introduces a new periodic feature called Gillian Norman FACTCHECKER, which will address a specific issue in contention and Spaceflight attempt to find out the truth behind the headlines. Arthur C. Clarke House, 27/29 South Lambeth Road, 294-295 China’s First Space Station Plans London, SW8 1SZ, England. Renowned analyst of Russian and Chinese space missions, trajectories Tel: +44 (0)20 7735 3160 and projections, Philip Clark examines the build-up to China’s first major Fax: +44 (0)20 7582 7167 space station complex and explains the various elements which will go Email: [email protected] into its assembly. www.bis-space.com ADVERTISING 299 Women first? Tel: +44 (0)1424 883401 Recent studies of physiological reactions to long duration space Email: [email protected] flight reveals that women are better equipped to survive the trip than DISTRIBUTION men. Why is this so and what are the implications for protection from Spaceflight may be received worldwide by prohibitively high levels of radiation? mail through membership of the British Interplanetary Society. Details including Library 300-302 Stations in LEO – and beyond subscriptions are available from the above In the second part of a two-part examination of future plans for human address. space flight goals in the next decade or so, we examine the options for * * * maintaining stations in Earth orbit and for placing new facilities around Spaceflight is obtainable from UK newsagents the Moon. and other retail outlets in many countries. In the event of difficulty contact: Warners 303-304 Genetic gifts and a Mars mission Group Distribution, The Maltings, Manor Lane, Bourne, Lincolnshire PE10 9PH, England. William Rowe MD looks at challenges faced by humans on flights to Tel: +44 (0)1778 391 000 Mars and asks whether we have learned anything at all from the Moon Fax: +44 (0)1778 393 668 missions of the Apollo era. * * * 305-307 Talking to Icarus Spaceflight is a publication which promotes the Peter Milne takes time from his work on the Icarus interstellar study to mission of The British Interplanetary Society. Opinions in signed articles are those of the report on challenges to communicating with space probes at our nearest contributors and do not necessarily reflect the stellar neighbours. views of the Editor or the Council of the British Interplanetary Society. * * * Back issues of Spaceflight are available from the Society. For details of issues and prices go Regular Features to www.bis-space.com or send an sae to the address at top. 284-286 News Analysis – More Phantom than Express? – The Future’s Bright * * * Published monthly by the British Interplanetary 286 A Letter from the Editor Society. Registered Company No: 402498. Registered Charity No: 250556. Printed in the 287 Briefing notes – news shorts from around the world UK by Latimer Trend & Company Ltd. * * * 288-290 ISS Report – 9 May - 8 June 2017 Copyright © British Interplanetary Society 2017 ISSN 0038-6340. All rights reserved. No part of this magazine may be reproduced 308 Flashback – A regular feature looking back 50 years ago this month or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photo- copying or recording by any information storage 309-311 Satellite Digest – 534 May 2017 or retrieval system without written permission from the Publishers. Photocopying permitted 313 Shelf – Space Shuttle 1972-2013 by license only. * * * 314-317 Society News – Sir Arthur Clarke Awards – Sino-Russian Technical Forum – The British Interplanetary Society is a company limited by guarantee. IAC Student Paper Competition Mission 318 What’s On The British Interplanetary Society promotes the exploration and use of space for the benefit of humanity, by connecting people to create, educate and inspire, and advance knowledge in Cover image: An artist’s depiction of the Boeing Phantom Express, a rapid-response solution to all aspects of astronautics. replacing medium class satellites in Earth orbit with a reusable first stage (see pages 284-285). Boeing Spaceflight Vol 59 August 2017 283 283.indd 283 6/28/2017 9:26:23 AM NEWS ANALYSIS More Phantom than Express? Boeing’s Phantom Express could be flying by 2020 demonstrating a piggy-back ride for an expendable upper stage delivering small satellites to orbit. Boeing Winged spaceplanes are back – as spacecraft capable of sustained in- AR-22, the reusable cryogenic engines will orbit flight for long duration missions, such as the X-37B, or as a new have to meet a tougher requirement, flying 10 generation of winged rocket stages defined under the US Experimental missions in 10 days during the demonstration Spaceplane-1 (XS-1) programme. phase. Currently, DARPA have contracted for two AR-22 engines. anaged by the Defense Advanced the way. While several of these were based on The specification for XS-1 is daunting and Research Projects Agency (DARPA), the concept of Single-Stage-To-Orbit (SSTO), requires a system capable of turnaround within XS-1 originated in 2013 when the in the last decade emphasis has switched to 24 hours, a consecutive operational sequence Mescalating cost of launching vital satellites and recoverable first stages lifting expendable of one flight for 10 successive days, as with spacecraft crucial to the national interest was a upper stages with their costly payloads. the demonstration run, and at a launch cost restraint on capabilities and applications – there Now there is the XS-1 programme, initially of $5 million per flight for delivering a 1,800 was just too much money going into getting off with three teams vying for a credible solution kg satellite to Low Earth Orbit (LEO). The the ground and up into orbit. The search for a and government contracts to build and fly: recoverable, winged first stage must have solution began long ago, originating with paper Boeing teamed with Blue Origin; Masten Space autonomous fly-back capability (similar to the studies by von Braun during the 1960s into the Systems teamed with XCOR Aerospace; and X-37B, although there are some differences recovery of Saturn rocket stages employing Northrop Grumman with Virgin Galactic. Unlike there). parachutes and paragliders. Fast forward a other DARPA work, the object here was not to Named Phantom Express by Boeing, overall decade and NASA began building a reusable hand off the project to a US Air Force team but the winged spaceplane will have a total length Shuttle, ostensibly to lower the cost of getting to retain it as an industry/agency partnership, of 30.5 m, a wing span of 19 m, a height of 7.3 payloads into orbit. saving costs and gaining maximum m and a body diameter of 4.1 m, incorporating After it was recognised that the Space Shuttle amortisation from the seed investment. integral cryogenic tanks for its liquid hydrogen/ was more costly (per kg lifted) than expendable Phase 1 morphed into Phase 1B and liquid oxygen propellants. There are distinct rockets, several options were tried, only to be earlier this year DARPA selected Boeing to similarities to the Boeing X-37B and the consigned to the dustbin of failed ideas: the build the XS-1, but with propulsion provided double-delta wing planform shares the same X-30 National Aerospace Plane of the 1980s, by reworked early-phase Space Shuttle Main cross-sections but with significant upswept Delta Clipper and the X-33 Venture Star of the Engines (SSMEs) assembled from parts outer panels, or winglets. Winglets are helpful 1990s, and several intermediate projects along provided by Aerojet Rocketdyne. Designated in preventing air spilling over from the top of 284 Spaceflight Vol 59 August 2017 284-286.indd 284 6/28/2017 9:26:44 AM NEWS ANALYSIS the wing to the undersurface and causing instability at slow speed. They also inhibit vortexes forming and lessen the induced drag. Challenges The XS-1 will employ advanced materials technology, tested on the X-37B, as well as third-generation thermal protection which has been evaluated after long duration flights in orbit. Other DARPA induced technologies include Autonomous Flight Termination, an Automated Launch Coordination Tool and the Rapid Mission Planning Tool, elements of each are being incorporated into the spaceplane which is, itself, a research tool as well and one which could lead to an evolution. Scaled up for supporting a fly-back, upper stage payload delivery system, the potential for growth is built in. The key operating advantage of the Phantom Express is that it will cut the time-to- launch as well as the cost, putting defence and The main aim of DARPA’s XS-1 programme is to lower launch costs per kilogramme by an order of reinforcement of national security assets as the magnitude and if that can be achieved it will prove a game-changer. DARPA priority. This is so that replacement satellites and replenishment of applied services can be achieved with minimum delay, which is to establish reconstitution of small satellite complementing the evolving medium to heavy- impossible to achieve with today’s launch constellations, which are seen as the antidote lift capabilities of SpaceX and Blue Origin.