Space R&D: Reports
Endorsements Coming In for Obama's Space Plan
"President Obama’s new plan for NASA, released February 1st, is endorsed by bipartisan groups representing governors, former legislators, astronauts, and former NASA senior managers and a half dozen editorial boards." See the Commercial Space Federation's links to all and the good news for commercial space.
New Course for Space Exploration Promotes Private Firms | WSJ
The Obama administration appears to be charting a new course for U.S. space exploration by promoting use of private companies to transport astronauts and ramping up international cooperation.
Space, Gravity and the Physiology of Aging: Parallel or Convergent Disciplines?
Vernikos and Schneider are space life scientists who have conducted research for years within NASA on the similarities and intriguing differences between the rapid aging effects seen during the gravity deficit experienced in spaceflight, in best rest which simulates some of these changes on Earth by minimizing gravity effects, and within the aging process as we grow older and tend to be much less active. They conclude that the research in these areas is actually converging to the benefit of better understanding of the critical role of gravity in keeping us fit and active. They prepared this short review article for a journal titled, "Gerontology", but it is accessible to all interested readers. There are potential commercial applications to utilizing this knowledge to allow us to experience "active aging" and lead a more vital life.
Sustainable Utilization of the ISS Beyond 2015 | IAC 2009
"This International Astronautical Congress (IAC) session summary addresses the significant and unique value of the International Space Station (ISS), with growing potential to deliver future benefits beyond 2015, in areas such as: biotechnology and life sciences; Earth imaging; engineering research and technology; materials science; and various commercial applications. Presenters also considered how enhanced management of operations costs can maximize ISS productivity."
Chairs: Paul Eckert, Boeing (Human Space Endeavours Symposium); Helmut Luttman, EADS Astrium (Space Operations Symposium)
Rapporteur: Rachid Amekrane, EADS Astrium (Human Space Endeavours Symposium)
Humans to Mars: Logical Step or Dangerous Distraction? | AIAA Space 2009
"This paper examines post-Apollo proposals for human exploration of Mars and assesses their failure to win enduring political and public support. There are lessons to be learned that are applicable to current exploration efforts. Foremost among them is that the path to solar system exploration that has dominated the space community's thinking since the 1950s may not be a logical or politically feasible approach for the 21st century. The paper proposes that human exploration of the Moon and Mars should be decoupled and treated as separate ventures with each justified by its own merits and pursued at its own pace." Good arguments are made for this viewpoint which include the role of commercial space and public benefits.
Approaches to Future Space Cooperation & Competition in a Globalizing World | NAP
"The Planning Committee for the Workshop on U.S. Civil Space Policy (Space Studies Board of National Acad. of Sciences)...organized a public workshop (Nov '08) to review past and present cooperation, coordination, and competition mechanisms for space and earth science research and space exploration; identify significant lessons learned, and discuss how those lessons could best be applied in the future particularly in the areas of cooperation and collaboration." Sixty U.S. and non-U.S. participants represented government, academia, and industry in the areas of: civil and commercial space, science and technology policy, international relations and space history. This workshop was held as the global economic collapse began and provides an excellent foundation for understanding the opportunities and challenges in commercial space. It also includes two first-class invited papers.
Small Business Innovative Research/Technology Transfer Programs & Aerospace
Blakey represents the Aerospace Industries Assn. consisting of about 300 aerospace manufacturing companies and thousands of small business subcontractor businesses who supply them with subsystem parts. Together they represent about 2 million well-paying jobs and the industry sector provides a positive trade balance of $57B, the largest of any U.S. manufacturing sector. The Federal Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs are highly important to these small businesses in developing next-generation innovations for this sector. SBIR grants provide R&D funds to 38 percent of all scientists and engineers in the U.S. and help produce 7 patents/day. Small businesses receive only 4.3% of Federal R&D funds and is critical to their ongoing innovation. In this testimony the AIA recommends program reauthorization with some suggested improvements that can positively impact the aerospace sector and U.S. competitiveness.
Small Aerospace Companies: Space Actitivies in N. America and Europe
“Although the aerospace industry is dominated by a small group of large companies, a sizeable and diverse universe of small aerospace companies are engaged in space activities (civil, defense/intelligence, commercial). [This includes] all elements of the value chain and provides critical and innovative components, subsystems and mission services to large prime contractors and end-user operators. This whitepaper seeks to develop a greater understanding of the contributions of smaller companies to space missions and operations in North America and Europe.”
Global Space Exploration 2025: Europe's Propsectives for Partnerships
“Space exploration is an emblematic domain of space activities where traditionally only established space powers have been active. However, new actors are demonstrating great interest in it, principally for international prestige reasons, with an increasing number making ambitious plans. Complementing national endeavours, international cooperation has become a central element of most countries’ exploration strategy, since the costs of doing it alone are so great. Europe’s development into a fully fledged actor in space exploration requires a shared assessment of the future challenges, threats and opportunities with which it will be confronted in order to derive the best options for cooperation to lead and anticipate rather than follow and endure change.”
Commercial Avenues for Space Utilization | Dittmar Associates (2003)
“Interest in the commercial development and utilization of Low Earth Orbit (LEO) has increased significantly over the past ten years with the advent of relatively advanced technologies including telecommunication and satellite applications as well as high-resolution sensor development for topographical surveys, environmental impact studies and community planning. Access to space remains a challenge; both in the high cost to orbit and in the dearth of commercially-viable transport mechanisms which can fully address the varying analytical and physical integration needs of a burgeoning market. This paper addresses these concerns and posits an innovative business approach to commercial placement in LEO of scientific, engineering, and new product projects utilizing existing platforms and examines the promise of new commercial programs which will expand the resources available on-orbit.”