PRIVATE HUMAN ACCESS TO SPACE VOLUME 1: SUBORBITAL FLIGHTS International Academy of Astronautics Notice: The cosmic study or position paper that is the subject of this report was approved by the Board of Trustees of the International Academy of Astronautics (IAA). Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this report are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the sponsoring or funding organizations. For more information about the International Academy of Astronautics, visit the IAA home page at www.iaaweb.org. Copyright 2014 by the International Academy of Astronautics. All rights reserved. The International Academy of Astronautics (IAA), a non-governmental organization recognized by the United Nations, was founded in 1960. The purposes of the IAA are to foster the development of astronautics for peaceful purposes, to recognize individuals who have distinguished themselves in areas related to astronautics, and to provide a program through which the membership can contribute to international endeavors and cooperation in the advancement of aerospace activities. © International Academy of Astronautics (IAA) June 2014 Title: Private Human Access to Space Volume 1: Suborbital Flights Edited by Angie Bukley and Walter Peeters Printing of this cosmic study was sponsored by IISC (Douglas, Isle of Man) International Academy of Astronautics 6 rue Galilée, BP 1268-16, 75766 Paris Cedex 16, France Cover Illustration: Silverbird II (credit: by Ondrej Doule, Space Innovations) PRIVATE HUMAN ACCESS TO SPACE VOLUME 1: SUBORBITAL FLIGHTS Editors: Angie Bukley Walter Peeters Private Human Access to Space: Vol. 1 - Suborbital Flights Table of Content Executive Summary .......................................................................................................................................... 1 1. Introduction Objectives and Scope of the Report ......................................................................................... 1 1.1. Suborbital Space Tourism ..................................................................................................................... 1 1.2. Orbital Space Tourism ........................................................................................................................... 1 1.3. Point-to-point Suborbital Spaceflights. ................................................................................................. 2 2.The History of Space Tourism ....................................................................................................................... 4 2.1. Space Hotels .......................................................................................................................................... 4 2.2. Early (Orbital) Spaceplane concepts ..................................................................................................... 5 2.3. The X-Prize Effect ................................................................................................................................. 7 3. Suborbital Vehicles： ................................................................................................................................... 9 3.1. General Remarks ................................................................................................................................... 9 3.2. Technical Considerations .................................................................................................................... 10 3.2.1. Maturity ........................................................................................................................................ 10 3.2.2. Vehicle Configuration .................................................................................................................. 10 3.2.3. Safety and Reliability ................................................................................................................... 11 3.2.4. Propellants and Emissions ............................................................................................................ 12 3.3. Operational Aspects ............................................................................................................................. 13 3.3.1. Maintainability and Turnaround .................................................................................................. 13 3.3.2. Durability and Lifetime ................................................................................................................ 13 3.3.3. Crew and Crew Training .............................................................................................................. 14 3.3.4. Productivity .................................................................................................................................. 14 3.4. Passenger Considerations .................................................................................................................... 14 3.4.1. Mission Duration .......................................................................................................................... 14 3.4.2. Maximum Acceleration ................................................................................................................ 14 3.4.3. Passenger Facilities ...................................................................................................................... 15 3.5. Regulatory Criteria .............................................................................................................................. 15 3.6. Blueprint of the Ideal Suborbital Vehicle ............................................................................................ 16 3.7. Design Approaches .............................................................................................................................. 17 3.8. General Principle ................................................................................................................................. 18 I Private Human Access to Space: Vol. 1 - Suborbital Flights 3.9. Architectures........................................................................................................................................ 18 3.10. Rocket Propulsion ............................................................................................................................. 19 3.11. Environmental Impact ....................................................................................................................... 22 3.12. Reliability - Safety – Abort capability ............................................................................................... 22 3.12.1. Propulsion .................................................................................................................................. 22 3.12.2. Transitory Phases ....................................................................................................................... 23 4. Spaceports ................................................................................................................................................... 24 4.1. Space Tourism and the General Public ................................................................................................ 24 4.1.1. Comparison with an Airport ......................................................................................................... 24 4.1.2. Comparison with a Launch Site ................................................................................................... 24 4.2. Spaceports: Selection Criteria ............................................................................................................. 25 4.2.1. Altitude and Geographic/Scenic Values ...................................................................................... 25 4.2.2. Accessibility vs. Remoteness ....................................................................................................... 25 4.2.3. Safety ........................................................................................................................................... 26 4.2.4. Constraints Associated with Air Traffic Control ......................................................................... 26 4.2.5. Meteorological Constraints .......................................................................................................... 26 4.3. Main Functions and Facilities of a Commercial Spaceport ................................................................. 26 4.4. Current Examples ................................................................................................................................ 28 5. Suborbital Vehicle Interior Design ............................................................................................................. 30 5.1. Boundary Conditions ........................................................................................................................... 30 5.2. Interior Design Requirements .............................................................................................................. 31 4.3. Interior facilities and operational aspects ............................................................................................ 33 6. Payload Flight Opportunities ...................................................................................................................... 35 6.1. Introduction ........................................................................................................................................