Spring 2007 Documentation

The Aerospace Technology Working Group
A Forum for Earth, Space, and Life
May 22-24, 2006
Dallas, TX

“Earth Orbit Support for Earth and Outgoing Exploration"

ATWG Administration:
Advanced Outer Space Consulting, LLC
327 Shadow Creek Dr
Seabrook, TX 77586

The Forum was held at the InterContinental Hotel in Addison, Texas.

Participant List

ATWG Administration:
Advanced Outer Space Consulting, LLC
327 Shadow Creek Dr
Seabrook, TX 77586

Tuesday May 22nd, 2007
InterContinental Hotel – Colonnade A
Addison, Texas

8:30AM – 10:00AM Session -  Architecting Earth Orbit – Ron Kohl

  • This session will discuss various aspects of Earth orbit as both a destination and stopover for science, exploration and commercial endeavors.  We will focus on infrastructure services/capabilities to support these various missions, including: What is needed,  Why, who cares, who funds, who owns, who maintains, open issues/challenges.
  • Orbiting fuel depot - Dallas Bienhoff, Boeing Company
  • Introduction to Wednesday workshop on building the Elements of a Space Faring Society - R. Eckelcamp

10:00AM – 10:15AM Break

10:15AM – 11:45AM Session - Space Solar Power Systems - Tom Matula, Feng Hsu and Ken Cox

  • The Geopolitics of Space Solar Power – Tom Matula and Ken Cox
  • Early Perspectives on SSPS – Hu Davis
  • The Technical Challenge of Space Solar Power – Feng Hsu

11:45AM - 1:15PM Lunch

1:15PM – 2:45PM Session - Planetary Defense Virtual Team – Co-organizers: William Smith & Martin Schwab

1:15-1:45 PM - The first presentation is by Lindley Johnson/NASA HQ regarding the scope and status of the NASA NEO Program and possibly a summary of the NEO Workshop results.

1:45-2:15 PM - The second paper by Brent Barbee, Emergent Space Technologies, Inc., will deal with a mitigation option using nuclear explosive technology.

2:15-2:45 PM - The third presentation by Martin Schwab will discuss international relations associated with planetary defense and potential organizational models

2:45PM – 3:00PM Break

3:00PM – 4:30PM Session - Space Commerce – Tom Matula and Bruce Pittman

Today's Overview of Space Commerce perspectives including  opportunities between public and private sectors – Bruce Pittman

  • Der Right Stuff for Space Want-to-Be's - Rick Eckelkamp
  • Some necessary principles for success in Earth Commerce
  • Space based workforce for space commerce – Ron Kohl
  • VSE and Lunar space commerce opportunities – Tom Matula and Ken Cox

4:30PM - Adjourn

 

Wednesday May 23rd, 2007
InterContinental Hotel – Colonnade A
Addison, Texas

8:30AM – 10:00AM Session – Affordable Space Access -  Walter Hammond, Greg Allison and R. Steve McKamey

  • Affordable and reliable space access will be examined by Greg Allison for applications associated with space commerce. This session will review key technologies being developed and realistic timelines for their maturation to flight-qualified space vehicles.  Additional needs for early space commerce in Earth orbit will be discussed.
  • R. Steve McKamey will present the infrastructure for a space economy, including the economics for the exploration and exploitation of space, transportation logistics, and life sustenance in space.
  • Walter Hammond will discuss spinoffs from programs being developed for NASA exploration in low Earth orbit, the Moon, and Mars that have potential dual utilization opportunities for commerce and science.
  • In closing, a panel will hold a Q&A session with the audience

10:00AM – 10:15AM Break

10:15AM – 11:45AM Session

  • Building Elements of a Space Faring Society: a mini workshop - Rick Eckelkamp, chairman
  • Lowering the Cost of Construction in Earth Orbit by Judicious Use of Humans and Robots – Rick Eckelkamp
  • New Models To Reduce the Costs of Orbital Mission Planning and Operations - Tom Diegelman
  • What to Do in Earth Orbit To Help Exploration While Benefiting Earth – Ken Cox

11:45AM – 1:00PM – Lunch

1:00PM – l:30PM  Presentation – Initial Space Commerce Roundtable

  • Experiences and Future Activities – Paul Eckert

1:30PM – 2:45PM Session – Space Biotech – Hindsight, Foresight and Insight – Options for a New Enterprise in Space– Lynn Harper

  • Biotech can serve as an anchor tenant for exploring a new entrepreneurial paradigm for space. This paradigm depends on successfully developing three legs of a triangle: the biotech community as paying customers, a new customer centric focus to orbital laboratories, and the emerging entrepreneurial space industries to provide needed services at prices the customers are willing to pay.>
  • Forty years of investment in the space biosciences has paid for itself many times over in life saving advances and commercially lucrative products whose current market value is more than $2B per year. Because of the advances in the Human Genome Project, the promise of new life saving and wealth generating products from space research is even greater. Recent ground based and space flight data provide important evidence of the potential value of future space biotech research, with additional confirmation provided by terrestrial analogs of space flight that are increasingly used for pharmaceutical development on Earth.
  • Forty years of investment in the space biosciences has paid for itself many times over in life saving advances and commercially lucrative products whose current market value is more than $2B per year. Because of the advances in the Human Genome Project, the promise of new life saving and wealth generating products from space research is even greater. Recent ground based and space flight data provide important evidence of the potential value of future space biotech research, with additional confirmation provided by terrestrial analogs of space flight that are increasingly used for pharmaceutical development on Earth.

2:45PM – 3:00PM Break

3:00PM – 4:00PM Session – Space Portals as an access to the Universe - Michael Wiskerchen and Dan Rasky

  • Space Portal Opportunities
    • Expand the “COTS” paradigm
    • Provide gateways to “Entrepreneral Space”
  • Partnership Models for Education
  • Education Associate Programs
  • Workforce Development Strategies

4:00PM – 4:30PM Presentation – ISU at 20 – Steve Brody

4:30PM – 5:00PM Presentation – Prometheus Zero – A LASER Beam Power System for Lunar Surface Mission

  • Bruce McCandless II

5:00PM - Ajourn

Thursday May 24th , 2007
InterContinental Hotel – Colonnade A/B

8:00AM – 10:45AM Session – Welcome – Mark Hopkins 

  • The Challenge - White water management – Ken Cox
  • Gary Barnhard - Architecting the future
    • Thinking outside of the box
  • Ken Cox – Topics to consider for panel discussion
    • Affordable/reliable transportation systems between Earth and Space
    • Strategies for Debris in Space/Compare with Interstate highway approach
    • Utilize and blend present, derived and new launch/space capabilities
  • Challenge to the Morning  Panel – Select affordable and reliable transportation areas for an in depth discussion with emphasis on identifying a viable first cut forward action plan.
  • For the panel's consideration, a list of potential questions have been developed
    • “What is really needed?”
    • “Who needs it?”
    • “What actions need to be taken in what order?”
    • “How can collaboration models be developed between public and private sector elements for mutual benefit?”
    • “What government regulatory functions need to be developed or modified?”
    • As background for the panel's consideration, a suggested list of actions are included to provoke discussion
    • Utilize Airline type “Operational Efficiency Models” as a standard for developing future Spaceline “Operational Efficiency Models”
    • Examine a broader spectrum of  “Launch and Return” options such as amphibious, air, runway, parachute, underwater and horizontal launch   
    • Develop a spectrum of reusability and technology upgrade options involving past, present and future program elements
    • Establish Multi-Client approaches for Research and Technology
    • Identify strategies for an explicit series of initiatives to develop and stimulate the demand side of space commerce

10:45AM – 11:00AM Break

11:00AM – 11:45AM - Astrosociology – Sherry Bell, Jim Pass and Ron Kohl

  • "Astrosociology is the scientific study of space issues from a social science perspective.  It focuses on astrosocial phenomena; which refers to human behavior related to space.  The areas of interest and inquiry include: psychological, social, and cultural issues.  This perspective has been absent throughout most of the space age; however, since 2003, it has been growing at an impressive rate. A primary strength of astrosociology is its broad purview. The objective is to apply the human factor to the analysis of a great variety of space issues.  Many subspecialties are expected to form under the umbrella of astrosociology"

11:45AM – 1:30PM Lunch

1:30PM – 5:00PM Session - Thought Leadership – Hylan Lyon and Ken Cox

1:30PM – 2:30PM

  • Stepping Stones to a Sustained Human Presence in Space (Copies of
  • this paper to be distributed at the morning session) - Dr. Hylan Lyon
  • Abstract of Stepping Stones
  • The levels of expenditure for future sustained presence of humans in space will potentially exceed anything achieved by the combined public and private sectors in the past. In particular, space exploration and military operations in space can and should leave some “stepping stones”. These stepping stones will reduce the barriers to eventually creating a sustained human presence in space. This will reduce the gap to be overcome for the benefit of the terrestrial inhabitants and for the survival of the species. Several aspects of the process of achieving these stepping stones will be introduced. The goal is to start a process that will span nearly a half a century.

2:30PM – 4:00PM

  • The pros and cons of achieving broad societal support for a sustained human presence in space will be discussed.  A panel composed of Hylan Lyon, and three distinguished Thought Leaders will explore options and opportunities including mobility considerations

4:00PM – 4:15PM Break

4:15PM – 5:00PM

  • Panel Discussion – What commitment to action should the Aerospace Technology Working Group in collaboration with the National Space Society and other Space/Earth organizations declare in order to initiate an effective thought leadership movement across the span of Earth, space and human life? Several Suggestions
    • #1 Understand past organizational models such as “The Club of Rome” for  their successes and failures and for overall effectiveness.
    • #2 Develop the following major theme as part of next year's meeting in DC - “Stepping Stones To A Sustained Human Presence Beyond Earth”
  • A panel composed of Ken Cox and three recognized Space Leaders will discuss organizational collaboration methods for effective action.  Hopefully,  the phrase “Entrepreneural Space” will be commonly practiced in the near future.

5:00PM - Ajourn