Commercial Space: A New Frontier Dr. George C. Nield Deputy Associate Administrator for Commercial...

Commercial Space: A New Frontier

Dr. George C. NieldDeputy Associate Administrator for Commercial Space Transportation

January 9, 2007

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Background

• The U.S. space program today has 3 sectors:• Civil• Military• Commercial

• The commercial sector was created in 1984 with the passage of the Commercial Space Launch Act.

• Regulatory oversight for the commercial sector was given to the Office of Commercial Space Transportation, which was originally a staff office within the Department of Transportation.

• Today, AST is one of the lines of business within the FAA.

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The AST Mission

To ensure the protection of the public, property, and the national security and foreign policy interests of the United States during commercial launch and reentry activities, and to encourage, facilitate, and promote U.S. commercial space transportation.

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Who Needs a Launch License?

• Commercial Space Launch Act of 1984 requires U.S. citizens to obtain a license prior to conducting the launch of a launch vehicle

• Only exception is for missions conducted by and for the government (such as launches by NASA or the U.S. Air Force)

• Over the last 20 years, there have been 180 licensed launches, without any fatalities or property damage to the uninvolved public.

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U.S. SpaceportsCommercial and Government Active and Proposed

Launch Sites

Key

U.S. Federal Launch Site

Non-Federal FAA Licensed Launch Site

Proposed Non-Federal Launch Site

Kodiak Launch Complex

Blue Origin Spaceport

Vandenberg AFB

California Spaceport

Mojave AirportEdwards AFB

White Sands Missile Range

Southwest Regional

Spaceport

Gulf Coast Regional

Spaceport

South Texas Spaceport

West Texas Spaceport

Oklahoma Spaceport

Wallops FlightFacility

Spaceport Florida

Cape Canaveral Spaceport- Kennedy Space Center- Cape Canaveral Air Force Station

Mid-AtlanticRegional Spaceport

Other interested states include Alabama, Nevada, Ohio, Utah, Washington, and Wisconsin.Reagan Test Site

Kwajalein Atoll, Marshall Islands

Sea Launch PlatformEquatorial Pacific Ocean

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What’s Been Happening in Commercial Space Transportation?

• Licenses and Permits Issued• Launches Conducted• New Companies Formed• Announcements Made• Regulations Published

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2/16/06 - Announcement of Explorer Spaceplane System

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2/17/06 - Plans for UAE Spaceport Announced

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2/20/06 - Plans for Singapore Spaceport Announced

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3/1/06 - New Mexico Approves $100M for Spaceport

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3/24/06 - Falcon I Launch

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4/3/06 - RLV Summit

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6/12/06 - Oklahoma Spaceport Licensed

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7/12/06 - Launch of Bigelow Aerospace Module

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8/18/06 - NASA Announces COTS Winners

• As part of the Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) program, NASA has committed $500M in “seed money” for the private sector to develop and demonstrate the capability to deliver crew and cargo to the International Space Station.

• After reviewing over 20 different proposals, NASA selected SpaceX and Rocketplane Kistler to receive Space Act Agreements.

• The Agreements are fixed-price, and payments are based on accomplishing a series of programmatic milestones.

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Rocketplane Kistler

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SpaceX

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9/15/06 - Blue Origin Receives First-Ever Launch Permit

• Company is headquartered in Seattle and is led by Jeff Bezos of Amazon.com.

• A private launch site has been developed in West Texas.

• The first unmanned test flight of their vertical-takeoff/ vertical-landing vehicle took place on November 13, 2006.

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9/18/06 - Anousheh Ansari Becomes Space Tourist #4

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The SpaceShip Company

• Formed by Richard Branson (Virgin Group) and Burt Rutan (Scaled Composites)

• Scaled will design, build, and test a fleet of 5 suborbital spaceships and 2 launch aircraft

• Virgin Galactic will be the operator• Each vehicle will carry up to 6 passengers

and 2 crew• Initial ticket price to be $200,000• Operations to start in 2008

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9/28/06 - SpaceShipTwo Cabin Unveiled

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9/28/06 - Benson Space Company Formed

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10/19/06 - Armadillo Aerospace Flights at X-Prize Cup

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10/30/06 - Successful SeaLaunch Mission

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12/15/06 - Human Space Flight Regulations Published

• Provides requirements for launch vehicles carrying flight crew and/or space flight participants (passengers)

• Pilots must have an FAA pilot certificate with instrument rating

• Safety-critical members of the flight crew must have a second class FAA medical certificate

• Space flight participants must agree to accept the risks involved by providing informed consent in writing

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12/16/06 - 1st Launch from Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport

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Conclusions

• Up to this point, the launch of communications satellites using expendable launch vehicles (ELVs) has been the mainstay of the commercial space transportation industry.

• However, development of a new market -- Commercial Human Space Flight -- appears to be well underway.

• Congress, through the Commercial Space Launch Amendments Act, has challenged DOT and the FAA to “encourage, facilitate, and promote” this new activity in a way that continuously improves its safety.

• The Office of Commercial Space Transportation is committed to doing our part to enable this exciting new part of the industry, while continuing our support for ELV operations.