The National Security Space Strategy recently released information from the 2011 Cyber and Space Conference. For more information on Assistant Secretary Creedon’s Omaha remarks, as well as the National Security Space Strategy, please visit: www.defense.gov/nsss
Wednesday at the USSTRATCOM symposium featured a high-powered panel with a look at the space industry in light of a budget constrained environment. The panel was moderated by Mr. Richard McKinney, Deputy Under Secretary of the Air Force for Space Programs.
Mr. McKinney focused on the importance of stability of budgets, requirements and schedule to maintaining a healthy and productive military space sector. When budgets are unstable, this can impact space system development and ultimately significantly increase the cost of the product. McKinney described a growing awareness in the Pentagon of the critical role of space in military operations. While that won’t mean space will be immune from budget cuts, the hope is that because of its integral role in U.S. security efforts, space program will continue to be a funded priority for the Department of Defense well into the future.
The key message from the panelists also focused on stability, but each had their own tweak on the definition. Representatives from Boeing and Lockheed Martin described the important role that satellite block buys – a similar approach to how the Navy purchases ships – which would add greater stability into the space business and supplier base. A representative from DigitalGlobe provided an overview of a concept known as Service Level Agreements, an approach where the vendor provides the infrastructure and operations for a service and the customer makes stable, multi-year commitments to acquire that service. SpaceX’s representative was also present and discussed the importance of stability in the context of NASA’s Commercial Resupply Services program, which allows a stable environment for industry to work with NASA in support of International Space Station resupply efforts.
On Thursday the symposium closed out with a different take on stability. This time officials from the U.S. government discussed how the stability of the space environment is critical to U.S. national security and economic interests. The State Department’s Frank A. Rose, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Space and Defense Policy, provided an overview of the threat posed by the growing presence of space debris and the need to develop international standards to mitigate orbital debris. Rose also described how the State Department is pursuing transparency and confidence-building measures with other space-faring nations to promote mutual understanding and improve collision avoidance. Rose mentioned the importance of the best practices found in the European Union’s space code of conduct and that the U.S. is still considering adoption of similar best practices. Also speaking on a similar topic was the Defense Department’s Amb. Gregory Schulte, the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Space Policy, who mentioned that an international space code of conduct could help support U.S. national security and protect the sustainability of space. Schulte also moderated a panel of experts including one individual who argued for the adoption of a model for space traffic similar to the U.N.’s International Civil Aviation Organization.
On day two of the AAS annual meeting, the audience received an opening briefing on the state of JSC operations, along with activities planned for the near term from JSC chief of staff, Lauri Hansen. By offering expertise built from JSC’s long history in human spaceflight, the center is directly supporting upcoming commercial crew and cargo transportation missions planned for the ISS. JSC also continues to play a central role in the Orion program, the U.S. vehicle intended for human exploration beyond Earth orbit.
Hansen also addressed the issue of job loss in the wake of the Shuttle program ending this past summer. Although JSC suffered thousands of private sector job losses in the near term, the Center’s losses were not as severe as initially estimated. This was in part due to new jobs created by post-Shuttle space exploration programs.
This instance of job loss mitigation makes clear that sustaining the new human spaceflight program in the immediate near term is crucial to ensuring the U.S. aerospace workforce remains the best in the world.
JSC Chief of Staff Hansen showcased this video of Orion’s latest prototype and test progress.
The first panel of the morning centered on technology development at NASA, which started off with a presentation by Joe Parrish, the acting chief technologist at NASA. Parrish outlined the efforts of his office in developing breakthrough technologies and making them available for NASA’s human spaceflight program. Parrish noted, “We don’t have all the technologies we need for human exploration beyond the Moon.”
Parrish’s office has addressed the fundamental technology challenges posed by human exploration beyond Earth orbit by outlining 13 grand space technology challenges that the agency must overcome. Technology roadmaps have been written for each of these challenges by Parrish’s office, and are currently under review by the National Research Council (NRC). The NRC will be issuing a report assessing NASA’s roadmaps in the near term.
The second panel provided an overview of medical research that is investigating the prevention and mitigation of negative health effects experienced by astronauts on human spaceflight missions. Although crew nutrition is not a major concern for most medical researchers in spaceflight, long-duration missions beyond Earth orbit pose unique logistical challenges that merit considerable research.
For example, Michele Perchonok of JSC explained that food supplies for a human mission to Mars might have to be preserved in storage for up to five years. NASA recently tested astronaut food supply durability by storing 65 typical food items for 3 years. Only seven food items survived – an unacceptable amount for a balanced, healthy diet.
Perchonok explained that food for any space mission must be balanced between aspects of crew safety, nutrition, and strain on spacecraft resources. Research to balance between these needs on long-duration flights could yield incredible breakthroughs in food science, with the potential for far reaching applications on Earth.
Astronaut George Zamka, pictured here in the ISS Cupola module, was offered as a visual reminder that space missions are isolating and consequently, logistically complicated for maintaining good medical health in flight.
The third panel of the day looked at NASA programs that are aimed at enabling deep space exploration in the near future. Larry Price of AIA member company Lockheed Martin, outlined the latest developments in the Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle program. Orion of course, is the new crew transportation capsule that will take American astronauts to destination beyond low Earth orbit.
Price explained that Orion capsule development is well into the test and prototype phase in preparation for its early 2014 test flight. This first flight will launch an Orion prototype into orbit with a 5000 nautical mile apogee above the Earth. Such a high altitude test allows the vehicle to re-enter the Earth’s atmosphere at velocities experienced by future Orion flights returning from deep space.
Further, Price explained that the Orion program is on time and on schedule, and has met numerous milestones, including extravehicular testing in the Neutral Buoyancy Lab at JSC, pad abort testing, and flight software testing for the ascent, orbital and entry phases of flight.
Orion test vehicle at Dryden Flight Research Center.
Lastly, former astronaut Alvin Drew of JSC, offered an overview of his office’s effort to develop prototype technology for supplemental modules that will aid in long-duration human spaceflight.
While the Orion will be the primary transit vehicle for human crews, the small size of the Orion necessitates additional modules for habitation and storage. Drew likened his team to those that build “concept cars” for auto manufacturers. The modules and technologies his team develops will not be directly used in space, but they will serve as pathfinders for future Orion deep space missions.
The Habitat Demonstration Unit is built in time-lapse video.
The theme for this year’s AAS Annual Meeting is “Celebrating Achievements, Celebrating the Future.” In looking at recent achievements of the past, the meeting took time to reflect on the success of the Space Shuttle Program, and what lessons might be borrowed from that experience for future human spaceflight programs.
Brewster Shaw, former astronaut and retired vice president and general manager at Boeing offered hard fought wisdom from his years in the Shuttle Program. Perhaps the most poignant advice Shaw offered is that “In life, some things are worth doing – devoting your career to something that is good for America is worth doing.” As we evaluate the enormous benefits of human spaceflight in this tight financial environment we found ourselves, this is a simple but well-grounded truth to remember.
The meeting’s first panel continued this reflective focus on the Shuttle program with a panel of highly distinguished Space Shuttle Program veterans. John Shannon, former manager of the Space Shuttle Program Office offered the important insight that the Shuttle program may not have accomplished its initial goal of routine, inexpensive spaceflight, but it brought about other important milestones in space.
For example, the Shuttle opened up spaceflight to peoples of all genders and ethnicities, as well as nationalities from around the world. Furthermore, the Shuttle provided enabling capabilities for incremental advances in spaceflight construction and habitation.
Kirk Shireman, Deputy Program Manager of the ISS offered that the Shuttle’s ISS assembly experience has the potential to be leveraged for future in-space construction activities for deep space exploration. Additionally, Jean Haensly of Technical Integration at JSC pointed out that the Shuttle’s Spacelab Program was the initial proving ground for ISS-like operations.
The second panel of the day looked at what’s next in supplying the ISS in the post-Shuttle era – namely the Commercial Orbital Transportation System (COTS), and the Cargo Resupply Service (CRS). Alan Lindemoyer, the Program Manager for the Commercial Crew and Cargo Program at JSC explained that COTS is an investment to develop low Earth orbit transportation, not unlike investments made by the U.S. government to develop commercial aviation. Brian Bjelde of AIA member SpaceX outlined the company’s recent success in demonstrating COTS capabilities, particularly their most recent flight of the Falcon 9 with an uncrewed Dragon capsule.
Brian Bjelde of SpaceX featured this video of the Falcon 9’s first-ever orbital test flight with the Dragon spacecraft.
The final panel of the day focused on the recent and upcoming activities of NASA’s robotic exploration of the solar system. Jim Adams, Deputy Director of the Planetary Science Division at NASA, offered an exciting overview of recently launched missions to destinations like Mercury (Messenger), the Moon (GRAIL), and Jupiter (Juno). Adams also highlighted the soon-to-be launched Mars rover named Curiosity. Curiosity is scheduled to launch in just a matter of weeks, with the potential to uncover groundbreaking scientific truths on the Martian surface.
Adams showcased this video on the upcoming Mars rover known as Curiosity.
Adams recalled that he was recently asked why we conduct robotic planetary exploration in the first place. He replied that there are three basic questions planetary science seeks to answer, “How did we get here, where are we going, and are we alone?”
No doubt, the world leaders in science and technology for this new century will be those that tackle these challenging but profound questions.
AIA staff attended the 2011 Cyber and Space Conference in Omaha, Nebraska this week.
Omaha is home to Offutt Air Force Base where U.S. Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM) is located. USQSTRATCOM is one of nine unified commands in the Department of Defense.
USSTRATCOM is the senior military command that unifies control of nuclear weapons, space operations, global strike, Defense Department information operations, global missile defense, and global command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (C4ISR), and combating weapons of mass destruction.
Tuesday's program opened with two major military space speakers. Ms. Madelyn Creedon, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Global Strategic Affairs discussed her priorities as the top DOD policy official for space, cyber, and nuclear and missile defense. Creedon discussed the importance of the space industrial base and educating our young people to pursue science and technology careers. In light of budget cuts, Creedon noted it will be critical to maintain a robust, competitive and healthy industrial base. Creedon, who is also responsible for cyber policy, also noted the need to continue to strengthen our understanding of the synergy of space and cyberspace.
Amb. Gregory Schulte, DOD's Deputy Assistant Secretary for Space Policy also discussed the space industrial base and the path forward under budget constraints. Schulte discussed how the National Security Space Strategy highlights the need for a robust industrial base. According to Schulte, one way to keep the industrial base cutting edge in a time of diminished funding would be to modernize our export control system. He mentioned that the NDAA interim 1248 report was completed earlier this year, which suggested commercial communications satellites could be exported - under certain conditions - without harming our national security needs to protect sensitive technology. Schulte said the final 1248 report is expected by the end of the year. He also pointed out the need to look at how international partnerships, commercial imagery and hosted payloads could be leveraged.
Tuesday's lunch speaker was Gen. Keith Alexander, head of the National Security Agency and U.S. Cyber Command. Gen. Alexander discussed the importance of network protection in the midst of very serious threats. He pointed out that over $1 trillion in U.S. intellectual property has been stolen due to cyber attack. Network protection is vital as opponents find ways to take our aerospace technology knowledge through cyberspace. Other cyber panelists this day noted similar concerns, and pointed out that deterrence theory has not yet been fully developed in this realm.
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