# Presentation: 530305

## Kennedy Space Center

**Jim R. Heald                                             Director,                                                        Spaceport Engineering & Technology**

***The Gateway to Space***

***Kennedy Space Center***
***Florida***

**Notes:**
Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to talk to you this morning about my passion – technology.  Sometimes I feel I’m one of the luckiest people around – I get to live near the beach and launch rockets. As the title states, the Cape (KSC/CCAS) is the “gateway” to Space and it is the  “gateway” to our future in space.

As we look back, it is hard to believe that in our lifetime, we built NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, from the swamps of Florida, to send humans to the moon, and we are now working with other NASA centers to build a human outpost approximately 250 miles up in low earth orbit, launching missions to explore our incredible universe, and my personal responsibility of developing the technologies needed for tomorrow’s Spaceports.   

## Kennedy Space Center

***Future***

- _Mission_
-  Space Launch Operations
-  Spaceport and Range Technologies

- _Center of Excellence_
- Launch & Payload Processing Systems

- _Guiding Principles_
-  Safety & Health First
-  Build Reliance & Teamwork Everywhere
-  Satisfy Our Customers Needs   Anytime, Anywhere
-  Environmental Leadership

**Notes:**
Mission, Center of Excellence, Guiding Principles
Our Mission and Center of Excellence are assigned by NASA’s Strategic Planning Process and are an excellent fit for KSC and NASA.
As part of our Implementation Planning we have developed Guiding Principles to add emphasis to four very critical areas; of which, “Safety and Health First” is the top priority.
Additional aspects of our Implementation Planning are available in our Year 2000 edition of the KSC Implementation  Plan and its enclosed roadmap.  All of these planning aspects have been incorporated throughout the organization including each individual employees performance plan via our Goal Performance Evaluation System (GPES).
KSC completed a center-wide reorganization, KSC 2000, in May 2000 which brought the entire center in line with our Implementation Plan, Roadmap, and Vision.  The Vision will be discussed on the next chart. 

## Slide 3

**Notes:**
SSME (Main Engine) Ignition
Loud roar and heavy vibrations in the cockpit.  Similar to driving a car down a railroad track or sitting close to speakers at a rock concert.
SSME’s produce over a million pounds of thrust; since STS is held to the pad with a nut and bolt arrangement, the noise is loud and tooth rattling.
SRB (Solid Boosters) Ignition
Noise and vibration increase significantly
Despite the noise and vibrations, the astronauts can still read instruments and hear fellow astronauts (over intercom)
Ascent Phase
Vibrations steadily increase through Mach 1 where shock waves add to the shaking. In fact we throttle back to 92% to get thru Max Q. Then Throttle up to 103% for the rest of the assent. 
Vibrations moderate as the Shuttle rises into thinner air
A dramatic change in noise and vibration occurs when the SRB’s burn out
There is a “bang” when the SRB attach bolts explode about 2 minutes after SRB ignition (T-0)
SRB separation occurs around 29 miles up
Significant noise and vibrations end even though the three SSME’s run for about another 6.5 minutes.  Air is very thin for significant wind noise or shock waves.
Now you don’t get successes like the Space Shuttle unless you make sure everything is close enough for Government work. 

## Spaceport Today

- <date/time>

- Kennedy **Space** Center
- LC-39

## Cape Canaveral Spaceport of the Future

**Cape Canaveral Spaceport of the Future**

**Notes:**
Space Launch Initiative
Working w/ AF to build 1 Cape Canaveral Spaceport

...We are working with other Centers to design a Spaceport of the Future which could possibly look like this.

Here is a visionary look at Florida’s spaceport in 50 years when we expect space travel to low Earth orbit as well as suborbital travel to domestic destinations around the world to be more routine. Today it costs ~ $10,000 per pound to go to space. Technologies we are working on have as a goal to reduce this cost to ~$100 per pound. If we can achieve that goal, then you will be able to go for a week’s vacation to a hotel in Earth orbit. It would be well worth the cost. Also, it would spark a boom in pre-vacation dieting if we sell tickets based on weight. Also, you could fly much more quickly around the globe. We lost an engine on my space flight and I joke with people that I missed setting a trans-Atlantic speed record by 30 seconds. If we had lost the engine 30 seconds sooner, we would have flown from Florida to Spain in 37 minutes. 
Flying a future spaceship from Florida to Australia in less than two hours is very possible. So I envision many spaceports around the globe just as we have many international airports today.

## Program Objectives

- Identify, coordinate, develop & demonstrate technologies that will improve safety and reliability and will lower the cost of access to space
- Develop spaceport and range technologies to:
- Upgrade spaceports and ranges to meet the goals of existing space flight vehicle upgrades and to keep pace with the technology of new space flight vehicles.
- Execute current spaceport and range functions with increased safety and efficiency.
- Will become the only synergistic focus for advanced spaceport and range technology development for the Nation.

## The ARTWG and ASTWG are technical forums for sharing ideas and identifying technology development areas with greatest potential for achieving overall goals
These working groups and their sub-teams are developing roadmaps to be used as guides for spaceport and range technology development for the nation.
Representation from all sectors insures the applicability of the technologies to user’s requirements  
Membership includes Private Industry, Current and Future Spaceport and Range Customers, Operators and Developers ( including existing and emerging launch service providers), NASA Centers/Programs, Commercial Spaceports, Academia, States, FAA, DoD, DoC.
The ARTWG and ASTWG will be a clearinghouse of information and will eliminate duplication of effort while increasing synergy

- These working groups and their sub-teams are developing roadmaps to be used as guides for spaceport and range technology development for the nation.
- Representation from all sectors insures the applicability of the technologies to user’s requirements
- Membership includes Private Industry, Current and Future Spaceport and Range Customers, Operators and Developers ( including existing and emerging launch service providers), NASA Centers/Programs, Commercial Spaceports, Academia, States, FAA, DoD, DoC.
- The ARTWG and ASTWG will be a clearinghouse of information and will eliminate duplication of effort while increasing synergy

- ARTWG & ASTWG

## Approach

- Task 1-Identify, coordinate, and determine the path for S&R technology development for the nation
- Task 2-Perform the Development in cooperation with the private sector and other government agencies
*Historically in the U.S., spaceport and range systems have received the least attention or funds of any system in aerospace.  The concentration has been on flight system development with the spaceport and range systems funding and advancement being compromised.*
*There has never been a synergistic effort focused on the development of these spaceport and range technologies for the nation.*

## Task 1-Determine the Technology Path

- Task 1-Determine the Technology Path

- The path (roadmaps) for technology development will be the products of two working groups:
- Advanced Range Technology Working Group (ARTWG)
- Co-chaired by NASA and USAF
- Sub-groups currently meeting
- Advanced Spaceport Technology Working Group (ASTWG)
- Chaired by NASA
- Sub-groups currently meeting
- Stakeholder/User Focused: Participation from private Industry(Existing and emerging launch service providers, payload service providers, component level technology developers), NASA Centers/Programs, Commercial/Federal Spaceports, Academia, States, FAA, DoD, DoC

## Technology Development Strategy Process

***Evaluate and Evolve Technology ***
***and Product Roadmaps***

**Gate 2**

**Gate1**

**Gate4**

*** ***

**Funnel for Execution **
**“****Doing Things Right”**

**Customer focused technologies & products**

**Customers**

**Operators**

**Stake-**
**holders**

**Gate 3**

**Strategic Front End for **
**Project Selection**
**“****Doing the Right Things”**

*ASTWG & ARTWG *

*Project Development & Demonstration*

- Periodic Project Reviews

## Task 2-Develop the Technology

- The S&RT Program will develop and demonstrate the technology emphasizing:
- Technologies with the highest return
- Leveraging technology efforts in work by other agencies or industry to reduce/eliminate duplication of effort

## Spaceport Challenges

**No one solution will fit all situations**
**Type of vehicle**
**RLV or ELV?**
**Single or multi-stage?**
**Manned or unmanned?**
**Vertical or horizontal take-off?**
**Orbital or sub-orbital?**
**Polar or equatorial orbit?**
**Solid or liquid fuels?**
**Etc.**

## Spaceport Challenges

**Geographic considerations**
**Latitude**
**Elevation**
**Topography**
**Climate**
**Range**
**Launch Hazard Zone**
**Environmental concerns**
**Proximity to population centers**
**Existing infrastructure**
**Etc.**

## Purpose of ASTWG

**What ASTWG is:**
**An opportunity for federal & state government agencies, industry, and academia to work together to develop a common strategy for Spaceport development**
**A forum open to all stakeholders of the aerospace community to discuss issues related to the development of Spaceports**
**A mechanism for establishing partnerships with NASA/KSC**
**A benefit to all states, not just those with existing Spaceports**
**What ASTWG is **_**not**_**:**
**A funding source**
**Input & partnering  vs.  NRA, RFP, etc.**
**A bureaucratic roadblock/impediment to technology development**
**“****Inviting” vs. “imposing”**
**A forum for range technologies (separate ARTWG)**

## ASTWG EXPECTATIONS

- Take a national viewpoint
- Represent your organization
- Participate without monopolizing
- Develop a vision
- Begin to work the “GOTCHA” Process
- Be mindful of the Goal – a national technical roadmap

## Advanced Spaceport Technologies will benefit current and future spaceports on the earth, moon, Mars, and beyond

***Advanced Spaceport Technologies will benefit current and future spaceports on the earth, moon, Mars, and beyond***

- December 16, 1998

**Notes:**
KSC’s goal is to be the Spaceport Technology Center for the future.

Our development capability must grow and grow

Strong sense that workforce agrees on expanding spaceport

KSC provides complementary advanced technologies to benefit current and future spaceports on the Earth, Moon, Mars, and beyond.