First Issue of new Space Quarterly Magazine

1. September 2011 SpaceQuarterly.com
SpaceX: Vision v. the Market
ISSN 2162-9404
Digital edition $5.95
Commercial Crew to the Rescue?
Lunar Economic Development
The Future of On-Orbit Satellite Servicing
9 772162 940005 Jeff Greason: The Accidental CEO & Policy Guru

2. 2 SPACE QUARTERLY September 2011
Celebrating the Space Transportation System 1981–2011
The first space shuttle Columbia leaves the Vehicle Assembly
Building for the launch pad in late December, 1980.
Credit: NASA

3. September 2011 SPACE QUARTERLY 3
Volume 1, Number 1
Page 36: Companies are building spacecraft in the United
States to take astronauts to low Earth orbit and beyond.
SpaceX has plans to land Dragon spacecraft on the planet
Mars.
5 Editor’s Letter 28 Online
Our First Issue Social Media Tweetups
By Marc Boucher Proving Popular
By Randy Attwood
6 Calendar
31 Commercial Space: Moon
8 Commercial Space Travel The Philosophy of Lunar
Spaceport America: Commercialization and Economic
Build It and They Will Come? Development
By Leonard David By Dennis Wingo
11 CCDEV2 Updates 34 Commercial Space
Commercial Crew Development SpaceX — Vision vs the Market
Program Status By Marc Boucher
By Randy Attwood
43 Interview
13 SpaceX Dragon Rider The Accidental CEO
By Ken Kremer Eva-Jane Lark speaks with Jeff Greason,
CEO of XCOR Aerospace
17 Boeing CST-100 Crew Capsule
Progressing Swiftly 51 Africa
By Ken Kremer Africa and Space
By Jim Volp
20 CCDev2 Provides Rare Insight Into
Blue Origin Development 55 Japan
By Ken Kremer Japan’s Space Program After the
Disaster
22 Sierra Nevada Dream Chaser — By Paul Kallender-Umezu
What’s Old is New Again
By Marc Boucher 58 Commercial Space
The Future of On-Orbit Satellite
27 South America Servicing
The First Soyuz Launch from By Marc Boucher
Kourou, French Guiana
By Chris Gainor 62 In the Next Issue

4. 4 SPACE QUARTERLY September 2011
Volume 1, Number 1
Publisher and Editor-in-Chief Subscription Rates
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5. September 2011 SPACE QUARTERLY 5
Editor’s Letter
Our First Issue
By Marc Boucher
Sic Itur Ad Astra
WELCOME TO SPACE QUARTERLY. IT WAS OVER TWO as this gives us and our writers enough time to research and
years ago that I decided I wanted to create a new publication, o er well thought analysis. e issue you are reading now will
but at the time I had no idea it would become Space Quarterly. hopefully be our smallest. We want to cover as much as we can
I sketched ideas out for some time but didn’t actively pursue in each issue.
the project until January of this year. It was then I decided it But aren’t magazines dying? e short answer is no.
was time to move forward. But even then it took awhile for the e print world is changing. We realize that. at’s why
ideas to take shape that would eventually lead to what you are this magazine is available in both print and digital formats.
seeing and reading now. What’s more, we want to engage you in the important topics
For almost 12 years now my business partner, Keith this magazine addresses. To that end we’re also launching the
Cowing, and I have been diligently updating our websites SpaceRef Forum where these articles will be available so that
including SpaceRef with the daily happenings in the space the conversation we start here can continue there. e Forum
sector. However, there is so much news that it’s hard to cover will be the home not only for articles found in Space Quarterly
everything in great depth. And besides, our websites have been but for many other related topics.
more about the news now, as it happens. But that’s changing. We’ve started to assemble a highly quali ed group of
And this magazine is part of that change. writers, some who are dedicated journalists, while others are
is magazine is meant to o er greater depth, analysis and industry experts. Our goal is that with each subsequent issue
context about the topics we consider important. We’re going we increase the quality of our magazine.
to focus on commercial space, space policy, military space and I hope that together, we can help grow this industry which
other timely topics. We’re going to publish quarterly for now can be so bene cial to humanity.

6. 6 SPACE QUARTERLY September 2011
Calendar
September October November
4th China Society of 62nd International First Annual Canadian
Astronautics & IAA Astronautical Congress Aerospace Summit
Conference on Advanced October 3–7, 2011 November 2–3, 2011
Space Technology http://srs.gs/16Qq http://srs.gs/16Qh
September 5–8, 2011
http://srs.gs/16Qz International Symposium Annual Meeting of the Lunar
for Private and Commercial Exploration Analysis Group
Planetary Science Short Spaceflight November 7–9, 2011
Course, UWO October 20–23, 2011 http://srs.gs/16Qt
September 6–11, 2011 http://srs.gs/16Qu
http://srs.gs/16Qr MILCOM 2011
Wernher Von Braun November 7–10, 2011
Commercial Suborbital Symposium http://srs.gs/16R1
Vehicles Workshop October 25–27, 2011
September 7, 2011 http://srs.gs/16Qw First hackerSPACE Workshop
http://srs.gs/16Qk November 11–12, 2011
http://srs.gs/16Qp
Euroconsult World Satellite
Business Week American Astronautical
September 12–16, 2011 Society National Conference
http://srs.gs/16Qy November 15–16, 2011
http://srs.gs/16Qx
Canadian Space Agency
Workshop on the Utilization 3rd Canadian Science Policy
of Field Programmable Gate Conference
Arrays (FPGA’s) In Canadian November 16–18, 2011
Space Missions http://srs.gs/16Qi
September 27–28, 2011
http://srs.gs/16Qg 2011 Canadian Space Society
November 23–25, 2011
AIAA Space 2011 Conference http://srs.gs/16Qj
September 27–29, 2011
http://srs.gs/16Qv 29th AIAA International
Communications Satellite
Space Generation Congress Systems Conference
2011 November 28–December 1,
September 29–October 1, 2011
2011 http://srs.gs/16R0
http://srs.gs/16Ql
13th Annual Global
100 Year Starship Study MilSatCom Conference
Public Symposium Novermber 29–December 1,
September 30–October 2, 2011
2011 http://srs.gs/16Qs
http://srs.gs/16Qo
To get your event listed in
the next edition of Space
Quarterly, please contact our
sales team at sqadsales@
spaceref.com, or in the U.S. at
703-652-0973, or in Canada at
416-619-9203.

8. 8 SPACE QUARTERLY September 2011
Commercial Space Travel
SPACEPORT AMERICA:
Build It and They Will Come?
By Leonard David

9. September 2011 SPACE QUARTERLY 9
Spaceport America Lobby
Credit: Spaceport America
NEW MEXICO’S SPACEPORT AMERICA were prime contractor complaints of late of air travel today that dot the globe, airports
is kicking up lots of desert dust as it reaches payments. that handle millions of yers daily
its billing as the world’s rst purpose-built Undaunted, it has been full-speed ahead
commercial spaceport. As the crow ies – for Anderson while tackling problems. Whiff of optimism
not yet the tra c of outgoing and incoming “I’m a person that likes unprecedented Any visitor to the site can’t help but get a
spaceships -- this rambling facility is taking things…and the rst commercial purpose- slight whi of optimism about the future of
shape some 30 miles (48 km) east of Truth or built spaceport in the world, that’s kind of public space travel. A er all, anchor tenant
Consequences and 45 miles (72 km) north of unique,” Anderson said. “Many of the things Virgin Galactic and its WhiteKnightTwo/
Las Cruces, New Mexico. that I did in my career, there was no job SpaceShipTwo system is being readied for
A critical centerpiece of the spread out manual that said come in here and this is how pay-per-view space tourists – not at Spaceport
complex that is Spaceport America is a you do it. I’m learning lots of things on the America, but at the Mojave Air and Space Port
runway to space. It measures 10,000 feet job and using a lot of what I used in 30 years in California.
long by 200 feet wide, an elongated stretch of with the U.S. Air Force.” e promise: On a commercial cruise,
tarmac specially built to handle horizontal e overall Spaceport America SpaceShipTwo would be hauled to about
launch to space and air operations at the development comes with a price tag of $209 16 kilometers or 52,000 feet by the
spaceport. million. Now dotting the 18,000 acre site WhiteKnightTwo mothership. At that point,
For those advocates of Spaceport America is a futuristic-looking terminal hangar, the the SpaceShipTwo vessel would disengage,
over the years, its construction has slowly spaceport operations center, fuel storage ignite its hybrid motor, and continue to over
moved from hard hat blueprints to a ready- facilities, water treatment infrastructure, 100 kilometers, some 62 miles straight up, to
for-prime-time tomorrowland. along with vertical launch pads and that the Kármán line—a common de nition of
Still, there are challenges ahead in lengthy spaceway to handle horizontal where “space” starts. Along with freefall, a
prepping Spaceport America, not the least of operations of such companies like Virgin spectacular view of Earth, each patron would
which is just who will show up to make the Galactic, the spaceport’s anchor tenant. earn astronaut wings.
enterprise a growing concern. Beyond Virgin Galactic, the state-of- Once entered into commercial ight
the-art launch facility is working closely operations, SpaceShipTwo would ing two
Full-speed ahead with entrepreneurial space start-ups like UP pilots and six paying customers to the edge
Clearly bullish on the promise of Spaceport Aerospace, Armadillo Aerospace, along with of space. e cash on the barrel head fee for
America is Christine Anderson, Executive established aerospace rms, such as Lockheed each rocketeer is a per-seat price of $200,000.
Director of the New Mexico Spaceport Martin, Boeing, and Moog-FTS – all for the “Book your place in space now and join
Authority in Las Cruces. purpose of developing commercial space ight around 430 Virgin Galactic astronauts who
Anderson is no stranger to space. Before at the new facility. will venture into space,” claims the company’s
retiring from 30 years in civilian positions For example, UP Aerospace has conducted website.
with the U.S. Air Force, she was the founding nine suborbital launches from Spaceport Bankrolled by British entrepreneur,
Director of the Space Vehicles Directorate at America since 2006. Another entrepreneurial Sir Richard Branson, the Virgin Galactic
the Air Force Research Laboratory, Kirtland rocket rm, Armadillo Aerospace, began WhiteKnightTwo/SpaceShipTwo launch
Air Force Base in New Mexico. ight testing multiple vehicles on-site earlier system has already undergone a step-by-step
Anderson also served as the Director this year. Lockheed Martin has also found campaign of piloted glide tests, including
of the Space Technology Directorate at the a home at Spaceport America, testing a mid-air evaluation of the passenger cra ’s
Air Force Phillips Laboratory at Kirtland. prototype reusable launch system by ying a unique reentry technology.
As the Director of the Military Satellite sub-scale ight demonstrator. SpaceShipTwo was rolled out into the
Communications Joint Program O ce at the Yet another user of the spaceport is public limelight in December 2009. Since
Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center the New Mexico Space Grant Consortium then, the cra has chalked up15 free ights.
in Los Angeles she directed the development, (NMSGC). Making use of the UP Aerospace- Following high-altitude release by its ying
acquisition and execution of a $50 billion provided SpaceLo rocket, the NMSGC’s launch pad, the WhiteKnightTwo, the
portfolio. mission is to promote space programs SpaceShipTwo has been piloted through a
Escaping from a short-lived retirement, and education to New Mexico students check list series of test objectives.
and slipping into the Spaceport America post, and educators. Hurled to the edge of
she was immediately thrust into a whirlpool space, experiments designed and created Laws of physics
of New Mexico politics and construction by New Mexico students are providing Indeed, over that period of testing, there’s
bedlam: A state funding cut to the spaceport hands-on experience with the design and been quick turnaround of the rocket plane
o ce budget equaled $1.1 million. en there implementation of scienti c payloads. and WhiteKnightTwo, showcasing an ability
Still, more users of the spaceport are to rapidly whisk ticket-in-hand tourists into
A frequent visitor to Spaceport America, clearly needed to shore up the viability and space in the future. Test hops also included
Leonard David has been reporting on the vitality of the complex. mid-air appraisal of the cra ’s distinctive
space industry for more than five decades. But Anderson blanches at any gloomy “feathered” reentry technology.
He is a winner of this year’s National forecast that Spaceport America could be an Likened to the ight of a shuttlecock in
Space Club Press Award and has been a
expensive white elephant of a project—a space badminton, SpaceShipTwo’s fall to Earth from
contributor to SPACE.com since 1999.
bridge to nowhere. She is quick to say that the suborbital heights relies on aerodynamics
nobody could have predicted the busy hubs

10. 10 SPACE QUARTERLY September 2011
VSS Enterprise flies over Runway Dedication at Spaceport America, New Mexico
Credit: Spaceport America / Mark Greenberg
level of medical examination or history.
Many companies also require the space ight
participant to purchase personal insurance.
Finding insurance to cover this risky venture
will require a specialized broker to obtain the
policy, usually at a substantial premium.
“ e purchase of a space ight ticket
involves many more legal issues than buying
a plane ticket. e participant should plan
to consult with an attorney, a physician, and
an insurance broker for guidance,” Yates
concluded.
Next up
Legal issues aside, a wide array of
SpaceShipTwo test goals appear to have been
met – according to the builder of the system,
and the laws of physics to manage speed and Yates said that the prospective traveler Scaled Composites of Mojave, California. e
altitude. will want to read the disclosure closely glide test agenda reached a summer hiatus
Once SpaceShipTwo rockets itself out of because it reports on the risks of launch in 2011, with technicians weighing the data
the atmosphere, the entire tail structure of and reentry, including the safety record of gathered by the numerous WhiteKnightTwo/
the spaceship can be rotated upward to about the vehicle. Following the disclosure, the SpaceShipTwo ights.
65 degrees. In this feathered con guration, participant will be asked to sign an informed But ahead is a crucial chapter of testing.
automatic control of attitude with the consent acknowledging that the participant at next phase of quali cation ying will
fuselage parallel to the horizon is achieved. understands the risks and that his or her make rst use of a hybrid motor mounted
is creates very high drag as the spacecra presence on board the vehicle is voluntary. within SpaceShipTwo, an engine provided by
descends through the upper regions of the By signing, the space ight participant limits the Sierra Nevada Corporation and built to
atmosphere. his or her legal remedies if any problems later shove SpaceShipTwo and its customers on a
e combination of high drag and low arise, she noted. suborbital space voyage.
weight -- due to the very light materials used Given a successful test program,
to construct SpaceShipTwo -- means that the “Waive” goodbye to rights? SpaceShipTwo ights lled to the portholes
vehicle’s skin temperature during the plunge “ e U.S. government has not certi ed with rubbernecking adventurers could begin
to Earth stays very low in comparison to the launch vehicles as safe for carrying in late 2012 or in rst quarter of 2013.
previous human-carrying spacecra . at humans, and it requires that participants “We have been working steadily with
said, thermal protection systems such as heat waive any rights to sue the government. e Spaceport America for several years now.
shields or tiles are not required. space ight company also will likely require It is a major commitment for both Virgin
On a commercial suborbital ight, a signed waiver,” Yates said. e scope and and the State of New Mexico,” explained
following re-entry at around 70,000 feet, enforceability of these company waivers, she Virgin Galactic CEO, George Whitesides.
SpaceShipTwo’s feathered tail drops back to pointed out, can vary from state to state, so “We are very serious and the State is as well
its original con guration and the spaceship the participant will want to have all of the about making Spaceport America the largest
becomes a glider for the trek back to the contracts, disclosures, and waivers reviewed success possible,” he told Space Quarterly.
runway. beforehand by legal counsel. Similarly, if the Whitesides said that both his company and
trip is cancelled, the space ight participant New Mexico have made signi cant progress
Legal beagle talk might be limited in what she can recoup, – evidenced by the WhiteKnightTwo/
While the technology to institute suborbital unless the contract spells out those rights SpaceShipTwo vehicles now in test- ight and
space tourism for astronaut wannabes may clearly. Spaceport America, which is getting closer to
be attained by Virgin Galactic, a number of “ e FAA requires a space ight completion every day.
thorny legal issues are in the o ng. participant to be trained to respond “ e task at hand is to stay focused
“Space tourists, or space ight participants to emergency situations and to avoid on our respective work as we progress
as they are known in legal jargon, must jeopardizing the safety of the ight crew or through the nal phases of development
rst be aware of their right to information,” the public. For many, the company-required and construction,” Whitesides added. “I am
explained Rachel Yates, a space lawyer of training is almost as rigorous as the actual convinced that the State’s investment will
note with Holland & Hart LLP in Greenwood ight, so the participant should be ready to pay o signi cantly in real economic growth,
Village, Colorado. “By federal law, the incur substantial time and cost to prepare inspiration for local children, and global
space ight company will need to provide a for the ight,” Yates observed. Although the attention to the high-tech future of New
written disclosure in advance of the ight to riders are not required by law to undergo Mexico.”
insure that the participant understands the medical examinations, her view is that
risks of space ight and remains willing to companies may prudently insist on some
travel,” she advised Space Quarterly.

11. September 2011 SPACE QUARTERLY 11
CCDEV2 Updates
Commercial Crew Development
Program Status
By Randy Attwood
WITH THE COMPLETION OF THE LAST SPACE CCDev2 funding was announced last April. e
shuttle ight last July, the only two countries with crew second installment of $269.3 million was awarded to
access to Low Earth Orbit today are Russia and China. the following companies:
All astronauts traveling to the International Space » Blue Origin received $22 million
Station must get there on a Russian Soyuz spacecra , » e Boeing Company received $92.3 million
launching from and returning to Kazakhstan. » SpaceX received $75 million
is fact is not lost on American politicians and » Sierra Nevada Corporation received $80 million
members of the public. Shutting down the space Blue Origin is developing the New Sheppard
shuttle was a blow to the American ego. Not having a spacecra . Boeing is building its CST-100 – an Apollo
replacement launch system and spacecra made the inspired type capsule. Sierra Nevada is working on
whole thing worse. e problem was in part money – its Dream Chaser winged spacecra . All will use
there isn’t enough in the annual NASA budget to fund a United Launch Alliance Atlas V to launch their
ying the shuttle as well as developing its replacement. spacecra . SpaceX has already orbited and recovered
A new program called Constellation was announced in its Dragon spacecra , launched on its Falcon 9 booster
2004 by the Bush administration to build a replacement last December and currently leads the program in its
spacecra and booster to take astronauts not only to development e orts.
Low Earth Orbit, but to the Moon and beyond. Beset by In the next four articles, Space Quarterly takes
technical problems and budget shortfalls from the start, a look at each company and the status of each of its
the program was o cially terminated earlier this year. programs. It should be noted that while this program
In its place, NASA turned to the commercial market is currently funded and a third round of funding is
for access to space. e Commercial Crew Development expected this fall, it is not guaranteed that the program
(CCDev) program would provide funding for will go forward. Congress can be very ckle and with
companies to help them develop spacecra to launch budget shortfalls and partisan politics dominating in
crew to the International Space Station. Washington, nothing is certain. Should there not be a
e CCDev program would be run in phases. e third round of funding then at least two of the current
rst phase—CCDev1—provided nancing to ve participants would stop work on their e orts. is
companies. e rst installment was a total of $49.8 includes Boeing and Sierra Nevada. Blue Origin and
million distributed to the following companies: SpaceX would continue on, but the pace of progress of
» Blue Origin received $3.7 million both would be slowed as they fund further development
» e Boeing Company received $18 million themselves.
» Paragon Space Development Corporation received
$1.4 million
» Sierra Nevada Corporation of Louisville received
$20 million
» United Launch Alliance received $6.7 million

12. 12 SPACE QUARTERLY September 2011
Panels being added to a Dragon spacecraft.
Credit: SpaceX

13. September 2011 SPACE QUARTERLY 13
CCDEV2 Updates
SpaceX Dragon Rider
By Ken Kremer
SPACEX, THE UPSTART NEW SPACE a ords SpaceX an unparalleled base of With the forced retirement of the Space
company founded by entrepreneur Elon experience with their space ight vehicles. Shuttle eet, NASA is now totally dependent
Musk in 2002, is blazing a private sector trek At one point, rival Boeing was considering on Russia’s Soyuz capsule to ferry US
to space where no company has gone before. the Falcon 9 as the launch vehicle for its astronauts to the ISS and back. e resulting
e rm’s Dragon capsule is a strong entrant competing CST-100 crew capsule but has now gap in US human launch capability will
into NASA’s Commercial Crew Development chosen the ULA Atlas V. endure for a minimum of three to ve years
Program – known as CCDev – which seeks to Last December, SpaceX successfully ew and has created a Russian monopoly in
stimulate the private sector into developing the inaugural operational Dragon cargo crewed access to the ISS.
a new and lost cost means of commercially spacecra atop the second ight of a Falcon 9 e Russians have responded to the
transporting astronauts to Earth orbit and the booster. In so doing, SpaceX became the rst monopoly by increasing the price of the
International Space Station. commercial company to y a spacecra to limited number of Soyuz seats—tripling the
“In April 2011, NASA awarded SpaceX orbit and achieve a successful reentry, landing cost to $63 million per seat from roughly $20
$75 million to develop a revolutionary launch and recovery back on Earth. million ten years ago.
escape system that will enable the company’s “ e Falcon 9 and Dragon represent the SpaceX claims they can o er a far better
Dragon spacecra to carry astronauts as safest and fastest path to American crew deal to the American taxpayer—$20 million
part of the agency’s CCDev initiative to help transportation capability,” stated Grantham. per seat aboard their human rated Dragon
private companies mature concepts and “With the December 8th, 2010 ight, many capsule—also dubbed the Dragon Rider.
technologies for human space ight,” Kirstin Falcon 9 and Dragon components that are “SpaceX will be ready to y its rst
Grantham, SpaceX Communications Director needed to transport humans to low-Earth manned mission in 2014. But it all depends
told Space Quarterly. orbit have already been demonstrated in ight on how many tests are required by NASA,
NASA distributed $270 million amongst and both vehicles were designed from the nalization of the human rating requirements
four rms to continue forward into the outset to y people.” and funding,” said Garrett Reisman, CCDev2
second round of the commercial initiative— SpaceX is aiming for a giant leap in the Project Manager and former NASA astronaut
known as CCDev2. e other competitors are capabilities of the Dragon cargo version by at the SpaceX launch control center in Cape
Boeing, Blue Origin and Sierra Nevada. combining the COTS II and COTS III cargo Canaveral, Florida
Unlike the other companies, SpaceX is demonstration ights into one, which would Reisman recently joined SpaceX and said
simultaneously developing an unmanned allow Dragon to berth soon with the ISS is safety is a top priority.
variant of the Dragon capsule and the capability is translatable and essential to the “I’m an engineer and am happy with
necessary launch vehicle—known as the human rated Dragon. what I see at SpaceX, and I won’t have our
Falcon 9—under the existing NASA COTS “We are taking all of the necessary steps guys design a vehicle that I would not feel
contract to deliver cargo to the ISS. is to combine those two missions, but NASA comfortable ying in.”
hasn’t given us formal approval yet. We are “ e Dragon Rider is designed to carry
Dr. Ken Kremer is a freelance science working with NASA towards a November seven astronauts and stay at the station for
journalist, research scientist and speaker 30th launch target that would have us berth 210 days. For the initial ight it’s not yet
whose articles, space exploration with the International Space Station nine days decided if the crew will be NASA astronauts
images and Mars photomosaics later,” said Grantham. Since this interview, or a SpaceX crew,” Reisman said in a recent
have been widely published in
SpaceX formally con rmed the November 30 interview.
magazines, books and websites..
launch date. “Our design goal is to have minimal
di erences between the Dragon Rider and

14. 14 SPACE QUARTERLY September 2011
Falcon 9 launch from Space launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral.
Credit: SpaceX/Chris Thompson
the cargo Dragon. e Falcon 9 launcher will within minutes of li o , but the SpaceX “ ese milestones include static re
be identical. So, every time we y a Falcon 9 innovative design builds the escape engines testing of the launch escape system engines,
we accumulate ight history and have a test into the side walls of Dragon, eliminating initial design of abort engine and crew
ight. Our top priority right now is getting the danger of releasing a heavy solid rocket accommodations and prototype evaluations
Dragon up to the ISS,” explains Reisman. escape tower a er launch.” by NASA crew for seats, control panels and
At NASA’s direction, SpaceX is focusing “ e SpaceX design also provides the cabin.”
their CCDEV2 e orts on the Launch Abort crew with emergency escape capability “SpaceX only gets paid by NASA when
System, or LAS, which is an emergency escape throughout the entire ight, whereas the we meet those milestones. And we are also
system that would save astronauts lives in the Space Shuttle had no escape system. e investing our own money,” said Reisman.
event of an in- ight catastrophe by pulling result is that astronauts ying on Dragon will “So that gives us a lot of incentive to be cost
the crew cabin away from the launcher in a be considerably safer.” e ective.”
split second. “Dragon will have escape capability all the At a CCDev2 Kicko meeting with
“During CCDEV2, we will be designing, way to orbit. Even Apollo did not have that,” NASA in May 2011, “SpaceX reviewed NASA
testing and developing the engines, tanks and says CEO Elon Musk. certi cation requirements, and the company
related components for the LAS and doing Since the escape system returns with the presented to NASA o cials the design status
all the risk assessments and safety mission spacecra , it can be reused along with the of all systems along with risks and potential
assurance work that needs to be done,” says capsule and results in even more signi cant mitigations”, Brantham elaborated.
Reisman. reductions in the cost of space transport. “ e next SpaceX milestone is the LAS
“ e integrated escape system will be According to the CCDEV2 award, “SpaceX Propulsion Conceptual Design Review,
superior to traditional solid rocket tractor will modify Dragon to accommodate a crew, planned for July, where SpaceX will present
escape towers used by other vehicles in the with speci c hardware milestones that will design data, documentation, risk assessments,
past,” said Brantham. “Due to their extreme provide NASA with regular, demonstrated and schedule data along with analysis and
weight, tractor systems must be jettisoned progress,” explained Brantham.

15. September 2011 SPACE QUARTERLY 15
The Dragon spacecraft recovered after its maiden flight.
Credit: SpaceX/Roger Carlson
veri cation plans to show that their concept is When asked how well is Dragon aligned
technically sound and accommodates human with NASA’s dra human rating
factors requirements.” requirements, Brantham replied, “Falcon 9
SpaceX CEO Elon Musk told Space and Dragon were designed from the start to
Quarterly that the LAS review was successful be capable of carrying astronauts. We are
and the next milestone, the Preliminary con dent we will be able to meet NASA’s nal
Design Review is scheduled for September. requirements.”
SpaceX currently employs over 1500 “CCDEV2 is all about taking what we
people at major facilities in Hawthorne, CA; have and putting astronauts inside. Since
McGregor Texas; Cape Canaveral Air Force no other competitor has own their vehicle
Station, Vandenberg Air Force Base and and we bring our own rocket to the table, we
o ces in Washington, DC., and continues to are pretty con dent with where we stand,”
grow,” Branthan told Space Quarterly. Reisman agreed.
In addition to the two former NASA “I think that if we do our job well in the
astronauts already working at SpaceX – Ken commercial arena than we are on the cusp
Bowersox of SpaceX Astronaut Safety and of a golden age in space ight, where you
Mission Assurance O ce, and Garrett will see a tremendous amount of innovation
Reisman—they expect to hire even more and unlocked,” concluded Reisman. “We have
are looking for exceptional talent as the rm many competitors coming up with di erent
continues to sign new launch contracts. designs. at’s very exciting from an
engineering perspective, just like the Golden
Age in Aviation.”

16. 16 SPACE QUARTERLY September 2011
Shown here is an artist’s concept of Boeing’s Crew Space Transportation
(CST)-100 spacecraft approaching the International Space Station.
Credit: Boeing

17. September 2011 SPACE QUARTERLY 17
CCDEV2 Updates
Boeing CST-100 Crew Capsule Progressing
Swiftly
By Ken Kremer
AEROSPACE GIANT BOEING IS MAKING technologies wherever we can to minimize and abort scenarios. We need to integrate
rapid progress on the CST-100 capsule, risk in the development.” the CST-100 avionics systems with those of
which it hopes will one day take American e CST-100 Crew Space Transportation the launch vehicle to verify they can work
astronauts into space. is is the company’s Vehicle is a capsule-shaped spacecra that together and carry out an abort if necessary.”
entry into NASA’s Commercial Crew program consists of a crew module and service module e CST-100 is speci cally designed to
that is aimed at stimulating private sector and can also carry some very limited cargo quickly reach the ISS and the planned Bigelow
development of a new and low cost human depending on the con guration. “ e capsule Aerospace Orbital Space Complex. “Our
rated vehicle for journeys to low Earth Orbit is reusable up to 10 times. It’s the same mission model includes a rst day rendezvous
and the International Space Station (ISS) and aerodynamic shape as Apollo but can carry a er about 8 to 9 hours,” said Elbon. “ ere
designed to replace NASA’s now retired Space up to seven crew members. I liken it to seven is no potty or galley. CST-100 is just intended
Shuttle eet as soon as possible. people sitting in a minivan,” said Elbon. as a transportation to low Earth orbit system.
With the retirement of the shuttles from Under the NASA CCDev2 contract, And that makes it much more a ordable
active ight duty status, NASA faces a which Boeing received $92.3 million, Boeing to operate compared to a system designed
manned launch gap of at least three to ve has a 14 month time span in the space act for long duration missions. It’s designed for
years with no means to lo astronauts to agreement to continue development of the 48 hours of nominal powered ight, with a
orbit from American soil. In the interim, CST-100 crew capsule, continuing on the possibility of increasing to 60 hours to better
all ISS astronauts will travel on the Russian work started in the rst round and initiating align with NASA requirements. A er docking
Soyuz rocket. at’s why NASA’s commercial work on integrating the capsule with a launch with the ISS or Bigelow space stations we
crew initiative is so critical to reestablishing vehicle and reach a Preliminary Design would plug into their power source and could
American access to human space ight Review (PDR). e PDR is an essential step stay for up to 7 months.”
capability. that ensures the system design meets all “During the rst round of CCDEV,
“Boeing is focused on making the capsule requirements. Boeing received $18 million from NASA and
safe, simple and a ordable so that we can On August 3, Boeing announced that it added a similar amount of our own money.
make it available soon to close the gap had chosen the United Launch Alliance Atlas We’ve taken it through the SDR or System
between shuttle and the next spacecra ,” V rocket to launch the CST-100 from Cape Design Review milestone.” With those funds,
said John Elbon, Boeing Vice President and Canaveral. e rst crewed mission could be Boeing built a full scale pressure test article,
program manager for commercial crew launched as early as 2015. completed several risk reduction objectives
transportation in an interview with Space Selecting a launch vehicle provider is and settled on a baseline design. “Using
Quarterly at the Kennedy Space Center. “ e important according to Elbon because “we very cost weld free e ective manufacturing
CST-100 could be ready as early as 2015. need to down select to a speci c vehicle to techniques and just seven engineers, we
Our design philosophy is to use proven work out the speci cs for the normal launch constructed the test article in only 9 months,”

18. 18 SPACE QUARTERLY September 2011
An aluminum pressure-test article on display at the Kennedy Space Center
Credit: Ken Kremer
said Elbon. “We red our abort engine and it available for on orbit maneuvering. So it’s workspace that would be available to future
did drop tests with the landing air bags.” a good idea. e abort system and the three astronaut crews.
“Boeing also built a mock up so that foot long fuel tanks are in the service module Two months into CCDEV2, Boeing
we could have the crew sit in it and help below the crew module. So we will also be o cials reviewed the progress to date with
out with the layout of control panels. And test ring the rockets to verify they work and NASA. “We met with NASA and compared
we fabricated our heat shield using a new testing the propellant tanks to make sure they our design to NASA’s dra set of human
lightweight material that Boeing developed— can expel all the fuel in those 3 seconds.” rating requirements and were synched up
called Boeing Lightweight Ablator. We also During a normal ight, the abort engines with the vast majority of them,’ said Elbon.
tested rendezvous and docking so ware. All will play another role and carry out the “ ere are a handful of simple things that
that work was completed by October 2010 for deorbit burn and are jettisoned before the we are still working—like the mission
just $18 million in 9 months which is pretty landing. duration and how many hours of free ight
amazing.” “Boeing is also building a 12 inch wind are available in case of contingencies. In our
Boeing is now in the midst of tunnel model to verify all the aerodynamic baseline the crew doesn’t wear pressure suits.
accomplishing their CCDEV2 objectives and data and forces on the capsule,” Elbon stated. But NASA would prefer that the crew wear
is supplementing the NASA funding with “ e CST-100 will be at the Preliminary pressure suits. And there were a couple of
about $5 to 10 Million of their own. “As part Design Review (PDR) stage by February places were the levels of redundancy didn’t
of CCDEV 2 we are making a light weight 2012.” quite match. So we are working through those
version of our abort engine—which only res e full scale mockup and pressure test relatively simple things.”
for 3 seconds. It’s a pusher system. So if we article were on display in a special Boeing “We are maturing the design and we went
don’t use the fuel for an abort then we have pavilion at the Kennedy Space Center Press through a Phase 0 safety review with NASA
Site during the launch countdown of the and went through each of our subsystems.”
nal shuttle ight in July. e mockups gave
an excellent feeling as to the volume and

19. September 2011 SPACE QUARTERLY 19
A mockup of the CST-100 on display at the Kennedy Space Center
Credit: Ken Kremer
A busy schedule of aggressive parachute good progress. So I’m hopeful that NASA will as overall prime contractor for the ISS. “A
tests lie ahead. “ e next upcoming select us to continue in the next phase.” lot of the people working on and designing
milestones over the summer and beyond “Of course that next phase has to happen CST-100 worked on the Space Shuttle via our
include drop tests from a rig using the and needs to be funded.” Given the dire heritage company Rockwell International,”
landing airbags. is will also test horizontal budget outlook in Washington, funding is said Paul Diggins, Boeings CST-100
velocity movement since we’ll be using by no means assured. “Realistically we could Manufacturing Director. “ ose folks were
parachutes and there will be wind. Next launch an initial crewed test ight in 2015 trained by Rockwell engineers in our space
March 2012, we’ll drop a new mockup with a with two Boeing test pilots under our baseline exploration division who earlier built the
parachute deploy o a helicopter and test the scenario—since this is being developed as a Apollo Command Module.”
air bag deploy.” commercial venture.” “But the CST-100 is a new design
e landing engines are located on the side “By the end of 2015, the CST-100 would compared to Apollo and with about twice the
of the capsule. “CST will land on land and in be operational. Leading up to this would be a habitable volume.”
the ocean only in a contingency. e primary pad abort test in 2014, an uncrewed multi- “We have to compete on cost with
landing sites are Edwards AFB and White day test ight later in late 2014 and an ascent our competitors. It’s a very competitive
Sands.” abort test in early 2015.” environment. If we don’t achieve our cost
As Boeing works through the design in e ight schedule has already been targets then we won’t survive and be there at
the coming months, there will also be an somewhat delayed due to NASA funding the nish line,” concluded Diggins.
Interim Design Review with many design and shortfalls.
analysis cycles. “We are optimistic that we’ll Boeing must be counted as a strong
continue in CCDEV 3. It’s a competition. contender given the rm’s 50 year experience
We have a good design and we are making building spacecra like Apollo and the Space
Shuttle as well as their current responsibility

20. 20 SPACE QUARTERLY September 2011
CCDEV2 Updates
CCDev2 Provides Rare Insight Into
Blue Origin Development
By Ken Kremer

21. September 2011 SPACE QUARTERLY 21
Artist’s rendering of Blue Origin’s space vehicle
Credit: Blue Origin
BLUE ORIGIN IS A PRIVATE AEROSPACE “Our incremental development program System Requirements Review (SRR) which
company founded in 2000, funded by approach uses suborbital tests to retire are the rst reviews in the design process”
Amazon.com founder Je Bezos, development risks. at’s how we intend to said Meyerson.
headquartered in Kent, WA and one of four step our way toward human space ight. Our “Our second project is to continue the
rms competing in the second round of Kent site is about 250,000 square feet in size design work we started under CCDev1 on our
NASA’s Commercial Crew program—known and where we have the facilities, teams and pusher escape system which will culminate
as CCDev2. tools to take on this endeavor. We have our with a pad escape test of our suborbital crew
NASA’s goal is to stimulate the private own rocket engine test facilities at Kent. We capsule. e third project is accelerating
sector into developing a safe and low cost also have our own privately developed launch our booster engine development. We are
‘space taxi’ to lo US astronauts to Earth orbit test site in West Texas, 33 square miles in size, developing our own LOX/LH2 booster engine
and the International Space Station (ISS) now where we’ve own the rst iteration of our and will be testing that thrust chamber at
that the Space Shuttle is retired. Until then, suborbital vehicles.” one of the existing stands at NASA Stennis.
astronauts ying to the ISS must depend on “Under CCDev1, we successfully at engine is designed to do deep throttling
the Russian Soyuz. accomplished both of our milestones. We to support our vertical takeo and vertical
In April 2011, NASA awarded Blue Origin assembled a composite pressure vessel for our landing technology,” Meyerson elaborated.
$22 million in CCDev2 funding. is was suborbital vehicle. en we proof pressure Blue Origin’s suborbital ‘New Shepard’
the smallest slice of the $270 million in total tested it and drop tested it to demonstrate a development program will be used to prove
that was distributed amongst the remaining hard landing and veri ed all our loads and out technologies in an incremental fashion
competitors; Boeing, Sierra Nevada and design parameters. We also developed our before the rm commits to orbital space ight,
SpaceX. in-house pusher escape system. We tested Meyerson explained.
“If we have enough funding—as we work that using a solid rocket motor developed by “ e CCDEV2 projects were proposed
through the political realm—we want to keep Aerojet and conducted two ground tests.” because they help us accelerate orbital
the competition going as long as we can and Blue Origin has chosen the Atlas V—built capability. We are committed to developing
get services to the International Space Station by United Launch Alliance (ULA)—as the safe and a ordable commercial human
by the middle of the decade,” says Ed Mango, initial launcher of choice due to its proven space ight.”
NASA’s Commercial Crew Program manager. track record. Simultaneously the rm plans Asked about whether there is a market
According to the NASA Space Act to build their own ‘Reusable Booster System’ for commercial human space ight beyond
Agreement, Blue Origin is working to mature (RBS) to further reduce costs at some NASA, Meyerson told Space Quarterly, “I
the design of their biconic spacecra , develop unde ned future date. absolutely do believe there is a market beyond
an abort system and test engine components. ULA and NASA just signed a new Space NASA for multiple suppliers to launch people
Details about Blue Origin’s highly secretive Act Agreement on July 18 to speed up studies to orbit—as long as the price is competitive.”
space projects are hard to obtain and Blue on determining exactly what would be Of the four companies selected for the
Origin representatives are not granting required to human rate the Atlas V—which second phase of the CCDev program Blue
interviews at this time. three of the four CCDev2 awardees have Origin faces the toughest obstacles moving
e biconic vehicle would be capable of selected as their launch vehicle. forward. It is not considered a front-runner in
carrying seven astronauts and cargo to and Blue Origin is working on three projects the program, but the fact that it made it this
from the ISS, serve as an emergency lifeboat in CCDev2; maturing the orbital space far suggests NASA has some faith in them
and stay docked for up to 210 days. e vehicle design development for their biconic and that they should be taken seriously.
vehicle would accomplish a ground landing spacecra , further development of the pusher SpaceX leads the way, followed by Boeing
on return to Earth. abort system and engine component testing. and Sierra Nevada, with Blue Origin a distant
In a rare public presentation, Rob “First, we are maturing the design of fourth. With NASA’s funding in a precarious
Meyerson, President of Blue Origin, gave our Orbital Space Vehicle. Several items in position going forward it would appear
a short overview of the company’s CCDev that task are completing key system trades; unlikely that more than three companies
plans at a recent brie ng for reporters at the working on our ermal Protection System would receive funding in the next round. is
Kennedy Space Center. with NASA Ames Research Center; de ning would suggest that Blue Origin may be out
“Blue Origin is developing a Crew the biconic shape which provides lower entry of luck for CCDev3 funding. But even so, its
Transportation System (CTS) that is g loads than a capsule – we’ll re ne that billionaire owner does have the resources to
comprised of an ‘Orbital Space Vehicle’ and with aerodynamic analyses and wind tunnel keep the company a oat for years to come.
a ‘Reusable Booster System’ that will take testing; developing the interface requirements However, eventually this 11-year-old very
humans safely and a ordably to and from low between the Orbital Space Vehicle and the secretive company will have to emerge from
Earth orbit (LEO),” said Meyerson Atlas V rocket by working hand in hand the shadows and show what it’s made of.
with United Launch Alliance; and we’ll
be completing two program reviews—the
Mission Concept Review (MCR) and the

22. 22 SPACE QUARTERLY September 2011
CCDev Updates Artist Rendering of the Dream Chaser
Docked to the International Space Station
Credit: Sierra Nevada
Sierra Nevada Dream Chaser —
What’s Old is New Again
By Marc Boucher

23. September 2011 SPACE QUARTERLY 23
Dream Chaser Structure Current Status
Credit: Sierra Nevada
SIERRA NEVADA CORPORATION’S (SNC) Module Test Firings, and Dream Chaser
Dream Chaser is a reusable spacecra similar Engineering Test Article (ETA) Preliminary
to the shuttle: it is designed for vertical launch Structure Proof Testing. SNC reached all four.
and horizontal landing. Within about four Once these milestones were met, SNC
years we may see the Dream Catcher perched competed for the second round of funding in
on top an Atlas V at the Kennedy Space the CCDev program. is time, there were 22
Center waiting for launch. proposals submitted to NASA, four of which
e Dream Chaser Space System (DCSS) were selected. SNC was selected in April 2011.
has resulted from research in the early 1990s One of the reasons SNC was selected for
at the Langley Research Center on NASA’s the second round of funding was because
HL-20. e “HL” stands for horizontal NASA wanted diversity in the program.
lander. e HL-20 itself resulted from years e nal selection was made by Philip
of research in the 1960s and 1970s on other R. McAlister, who said in the selection
li ing-body concepts, such as NASA’s M2-F1 statement, “ ere are signi cant technical
and M2-F2, the HL-10, and the Air Force’s challenges associated with li ing bodies
X-24A and X-24B. e HL-20 was dubbed that are not present in capsules; however,
the “personnel launch system.” Unlike the li ing bodies o er signi cant operational require less than $1 billion, including the
shuttle, the HL-20 was designed to be small, capability including cross range performance, NASA money it has already received and
carry astronauts on suborbital and orbital ability to land on multiple runways, lower being contingent on the continuation of the
ights, but carry little cargo. e smaller entry g-forces, and quick crew access and CCDev program.
and simpler spacecra allows for lower-cost egress post landing. At this early stage in the On July 7, SNC signed a commercial
operations and improved ight safety. development, I felt it was important to have space agreement with the Kennedy Space
It is with this legacy that Sierra Nevada both li ing bodies and capsules represented Center (KSC) for ground operations support,
proceeded to enter NASA’s Commercial Crew in the portfolio.” something KSC has plenty of experience
Development (CCDev) program with the SNC was not alone in proposing a li ing- with a er processing the shuttle for 30 years.
Dream Chaser. body spacecra for the second round. Orbital By signing the agreement with KSC, SNC
e DCSS has very little in common Sciences Corporation was also competing, con rmed its plan to launch from KSC and
with the original HL-20 design other than and its design was also based on the HL-20 has stated it plans on using a United Launch
the outer mould line and centre of gravity. legacy. Both proposals were good, but SNC’s Alliance Atlas V rocket. e Atlas V is a
SNC kept the outer mould line and centre proposal had a few more bene ts to it: the reliable launcher, with 26 successful launches
of gravity because years of tests have proposal demonstrated a strong commitment and one partial success. However, before
demonstrated that the outline works. SNC is to public–private partnerships associated it can launch any crew, it must go through
using a new composite structure with modern with the program, it reached a Preliminary stringent human rating certi cation. at is
materials and construction techniques along Design Review by the end of CCDev round not expected to take very long, however. e
with their own hybrid rocket motor design, 2 compared to a System Design Review for DCSS is a much less complex spacecra than
which has already been used on Scaled Orbital, and it o ered exibility in optimizing the shuttle and has no need for hazardous
Composite’s SpaceShipOne. e DCSS will crew and cargo up-mass and down- post-landing ground support. So, SNC hopes
always use a “human-in-the-loop,” meaning a mass. SNC’s proposal allowed for a crew that the DCSS can be turned around much
pilot, during launch. Landings, however, can con guration of two to seven astronauts and faster for the next launch than the shuttles
be automated or piloted. the ability to trade out crew for cargo. Orbital were.
In the rst round of CCDev funding, Science Corporation’s proposal was set at a For CCDev round 2, SNC has one year
SNC received $20 million of the available crew con guration of four. to reach 9 milestones and can optionally
$50 million, the largest share. To reach the Of the $270 million NASA allocated to complete an additional 10 milestones if it so
rst round of funding, SNC had to reach the four selected CCDev2 proposals, SNC chooses. e milestones are as follows:
four milestones: a Program Implementation was awarded $80 million, bringing its total 1. System Requirements Review
Plan, a Manufacturing Readiness Review of contribution from NASA to $100 million. (completed)
Aeroshell Tooling, Space Vehicle Propulsion SNC is a private company, and it will not 2. Canted airfoil section (completed)
disclose how much money it has invested in 3. Cockpit-Based Flight Simulator
Marc Boucher is a space policy and the development of DCSS. When contacted (completed)
commercial space analyst, co-founder by Space Quarterly, Mark Sirangelo, Executive 4. Vehicle Avionics Integration Laboratory
of SpaceRef and Editor-in-Chief of VP and Chairman, commented that their (September 2011)
Space Quarterly. He has a background in investment is in the tens of millions. Another 5. System De nition Review (October 2011)
software development and has started
source said the investment was equal to what 6. Flight Control Integration Laboratory
up several technology businesses.
NASA had invested. Sirangelo also stated (November 2011)
that to nish development of the DCSS would 7. ETA Structure Delivery (December 2011)

24. 24 SPACE QUARTERLY September 2011
Artist Rendering of the Dream Chaser Launching on an Atlas V
Credit: Sierra Nevada
8. Separation System Test (February 2012) e other optional milestones include; ongoing maturation of the commercial
9. Preliminary Design Review (May 2012) Perform materials testing, captive carry space sector which can only bode well for
interface and ETA landing gear drop tests, the rest of the industry as it slowly takes
Completing these milestones on time is ETA captive carry ight test, wind tunnel root and grows.
important because the third round of CCDev testing, Dream Chaser handling qualities SNC also announced in July that it had
funding is expected to be announced this fall, evaluation, Main RCS test, two hybrid rocket recently expanded its already impressive
with contracts awarded in the spring of 2012. motor test rings, thrust vector control test team by adding former astronaut Steve
SNC needs to win money in the next round if and an ETA active carry ight test readiness Lindsey, who recently commanded
it hopes to complete the DCSS program. So it review. STS-133, as their new Director of Flight
would be helpful to SNC to reach some of the Interestingly, the atmospheric drop test Operations. Lindsey joins former astronaut
optional milestones before the end of May. would be conducted using e Spaceship Jim Voss who recently became SNC’s Vice
However, reaching all 10 does seem to make Company’s (TSC) WhiteKnightTwo aircra . President of Space Exploration Systems
for a very aggressive schedule. SNC plans on TCS is a jointly owned company of Scaled along with another half-dozen former
conducting an atmospheric drop test, the Composites and the Virgin Group and NASA employees, mostly from the defunct
last of the optional milestones, in 2012. It started by their respective founders, Burt Constellation program.
had been previously reported in the media Rutan and Sir Richard Branson. Rutan is Should SNC receive CCDev round 3
that the drop test would occur sometime popularly known for designing the White funding then they plan on doing an orbital
between April and the end of June, however Knight aircra and SpaceShipOne which test in late 2014 or early 2015.
Sirangelo told Space Quarterly that it would helped Scaled Composites win the $10 million
be sometime in 2012 bringing into question Ansari X Prize in 2004. With SNC using the
the previous report. TSC aircra for it’s drop test, we’re seeing the

26. 26 SPACE QUARTERLY September 2011
Final testing of the Soyuz launch site at Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana last April
Credit: ESA/S. Corvaja

27. September 2011 SPACE QUARTERLY 27
South America Credit: ESA/S. Corvaja
The First Soyuz Launch
from Kourou, French Guiana
By Chris Gainor
THE WORLD’S UNDISPUTED said the Soyuz complex is actually closer to
workhorse space launch vehicle, the the town of Sinnamary than to the town of
Soyuz rocket, enters a new era this Kourou.
fall when it launches for the rst time Many of the features of the new launch
from the Guiana Space Centre near the complex are similar to the Soyuz launch
equator in South America. pads at Baikonur and Plesetsk. e launch
e Soyuz launch vehicle is vehicle is assembled horizontally in an
the direct descendant of the R-7 integration building and then moved by rail
Intercontinental Ballistic Missile 600m to the launch pad, where it is erected
that put Sputnik into orbit in 1957. and supported on the pad by the tyulpan
Starting with the rocket that launched (tulip) launch system that falls away as the
Yuri Gagarin in 1961, rockets in this rocket rises at li o .
family have launched every Soviet and Like the older Soyuz launch pads, the
Russian spacecra carrying human passengers, along with many other Guiana launch pad stands atop a gigantic ame trench. e Guiana
satellites and space probes. Up to now, all of the Soyuz rocket’s more launch complex di ers from other Soyuz launch pads in that it also has
than 1,760 launches have taken place from the Baikonur Cosmodrome an eight-level, 53m tall mobile launch service tower that can surround
in Kazahkhstan or the Plesetsk Cosmodrome in northern Russia. the rocket on the pad and permit vertical integration of the upper stage
e European Space Agency and Arianespace began construction and payload for each rocket.
of the French Guiana launch facility for Soyuz in 2004 a er reaching e Soyuz rocket is one of the few launch vehicles rated to launch
agreement with the Russian space agency Roscosmos, and Soyuz human passengers, and while no such launches are planned at the
rockets began arriving at the Guiana Space Centre in 2009. moment, the Guiana launch facility can be easily modi ed to permit
A er the new Soyuz launch pad systems were tested in a simulated launching of human passengers.
launch campaign that ended with a “virtual mission” on May 5, e Soyuz rocket launched from Guiana typically stands 46.2 m tall
preparations began for the rst Soyuz launch from Guiana, which and has four stages, including the four booster rockets and the central
is scheduled for October 20 at 7:34 a.m. local time. e rocket is due core stage that constitute the rst two stages, a third stage and the
to orbit a pair of satellites from Europe’s Galileo satellite navigation Fregat fourth stage that is designed to function in orbit with restartable
system. engines. is rocket di ers from previous versions of the Soyuz rocket
Launching a rocket from a site closer to the equator allows you to with an enlarged payload fairing, a new ight control system, and
take advantage of the Earth’s eastern rotation. e rotation speed at the upgraded engines in the third stage.
equator is greater than that at the northern latitudes of Baikonur and e addition of Soyuz to the stable of launchers in Guiana gives
Plesetsk. Because French Guiana is close to the equator, the rocket is Arianespace an intermediate-size rocket between its large Ariane 5
already moving 1700 km/h towards the east while sitting on the pad. launch vehicle, which has been in service for 15 years, and the new
Launching Soyuz from Kourou with this extra boost makes Soyuz Vega rocket, which is soon coming into service for smaller satellite
capable of launching larger payloads to geostationary transfer orbit. payloads going to low Earth orbit.
“With a launch location close to the equator, Soyuz will have e October 20 launch will carry the rst two operational satellites
improved performance and be able to carry up to three tones into in the Galileo satellite navigation system, which is slated to consist
geostationary transfer orbit, compared to the 1.7 tonnes that can be of 27 satellites and three spares on orbit, all at an inclination of 56
launched from Baikonur,” ESA spokesman Roberto Lo Verde told degrees. Experimental versions of the Galileo satellites were launched
Space Quarterly. in 2005 and 2008.
e Soyuz launch complex is 12 km northwest up the French is launch is attracting so much interest that the Guiana Space
Guiana coastline from the existing Ariane 5 launch complex. Lo Verde Centre is expecting a large number of spectators, Lo Verde said. “ ere
is already such a huge interest that there are no hotel rooms anymore
le in Guiana, and all viewing sites are completely full.”
Chris Gainor is an author and historian specializing in space flight and
aeronautics. He has written four books, including Arrows to the Moon:
Avro’s Engineers and the Space Race, and To a Distant Day: The Rocket
Pioneers, and articles in various academic and other publications.

28. 28 SPACE QUARTERLY September 2011
Online
Social Media Tweetups
Proving Popular
By Randy Attwood
OVER 19 YEARS AGO, AS PEOPLE BEGAN TO
discover the World Wide Web, NASA jumped in and set
up web sites for all of its centers and activities. Today,
they are following that tradition by making extensive
use of Twitter, a fast growing popular social media
service that allows its users to send short messages of
140 characters or less to people who follow them. ey
can access these messages, called tweets, using a variety
of so ware programs and on their mobile phones.
It is not uncommon for people who follow Twitter to
receive tweets from astronauts aboard the International
Space Station (ISS). A recent tweet from astronaut Ron
Garan was accompanied by a photo he had taken of
Atlantic Canada.
All four astronauts on the STS-135 mission, Atlantis’
recent last ight of the space shuttle program, had
Twitter accounts. Although some tweeted more than
others, there were few tweets during the busy mission.
Canadian astronaut Chris Had eld regularly sends
tweets from Russia as he trains for his 2012 ISS mission.
A few years ago NASA started to organize and
run Tweetups. Tweetups are gatherings of people who
tweet an event. NASA invited people from all over the
world to register to attend the launch of a space shuttle.
Although there is room for only 150, thousands apply.
e lucky few chosen are given access to the Launch
Complex 39 Press Site at the Kennedy Space Center and
enjoy two days of presentations and tours, culminating
with a view of the launch from only ve kilometers
away.
Randy Attwood has been following the space program
for over 40 years. He has appeared on television
and radio for over 30 years as a commentator.
He is a Senior Editor at SpaceRef Interactive
Inc. and Managing Editor of Space Quarterly.
A

29. September 2011 SPACE QUARTERLY 29
A: Canadian Space Agency astronauts David Saint-Jacques and B: 150 Tweeters participate in the NASA Tweetup the morning
Jeremy Hansen at the July 8 CSA Tweetup in St Hubert, Quebec of the launch of STS 135 at the LC39 Press Site, KSC
Credit: Katrina Ince-Lum Credit: Randy Attwood
SpaceRef has many
Twitter accounts.
@SpaceQuarterly
@SpaceRef
@NASAWatch
B @CanadaInSpace
@OnOrbit
@SpaceWeather
A large tent is set up for the Tweeters near the
@SpaceCommerce
countdown clock. Tables are provided with power
@ShuttleStation
and most important, wi- for Internet access. NASA
@SpaceEd
astronauts and representatives as well as a Hollywood
@Space_Calendar
celebrity or two give presentations while the tweeters
@EuropeanSpace
can type away, tweeting what they are hearing. e
@ChinaInSpace
Tweeters also are taken on tours of the NASA facilities
@AsiaInSpace
and even get a close up look at the shuttle on the pad.
@India_InSpace
e Tweetup provides NASA with a social media base
@AfricaInSpace
to get its message out to the public.
@MercuryToday
e Canadian Space Agency (CSA) held a Tweetup
@VenusToday
B for the last shuttle launch. Next to the NASA Tweetup
@EarthToday
tent, the CSA set up a tent for broadcasting a webcast
@MoonToday
back to St. Hubert, Quebec where 20 tweeters had been
@MarsToday
selected and gathered to learn more about the mission,
@JupiterToday
the program and to tweet out to their followers.
@SaturnToday
Astronauts Chris Had eld, Robert irsk, Julie Payette
@PlutoToday
and David Williams were in Florida. Astronauts
@NASAHackSpace
David St Jacques and Jeremy Hansen were at the CSA
@HubbleScience
headquarters for the #CSATweetup.
@SpaceMeme
Other NASA centers have hosted Tweetups include:
@SpaceElevator
the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), the Johnson Space
@Astrobiology
Center and NASA Headquarters.
Tweetups are now being held to mark launches of
Here are some of our
unmanned missions. NASA organized Tweetups for
editors’ accounts:
the recent launch of Juno to Jupiter and the upcoming
@00mb
launch of Grail to the Moon.
(Marc Boucher)
Tweetups are in fashion now and look to be a
@KeithCowing
growing phenomenon.
@RandyAttwood
Here are the primary
NASA and Canadian
Space Agency Twitter
accounts:
@NASA
@CSA_ASC
@ASC_CSA
A

30. 30 SPACE QUARTERLY September 2011
Taken by Lunar Orbiter 2 in 1966 and restored by by the Lunar Orbiter Image Recovery
Project (LOIRP), this view looks into the giant crater Copernicus at an angle that no human—
or robotic eye—had ever seen before. The mountains rising from the floor of Copernicus
allowed people see the Moon in a new way—as a world waiting to be explored.
Credit: NASA/LOIRP