Commercial Suborbital Research Programv1

NASA’s Commercial Suborbital Research Program

Overview Yvonne Cagle, M.D. IPT Project Manager Col. USAF, Ret. (Flight Surgeon) NASA Ames Research Center

17 July 2009

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NASA’s Commercial Suborbital Research Program

4 Minutes of Microgravity

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NASA’s Commercial of Suborbital Research Program 4 Minutes Microgravity

A is for Airway

4 Minutes to Save a Life in Microgravity ■ The human body has 4 minutes of useful brain function in a deoxygenated state

Airway Pack - Example of Medical Challenges in Microgravity: Contact Surfaces ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆

Fluid Management

Power ports and batteries QuickTimeª and a ◆ Tubings decompressor Airway instruments ◆ Seals and gaskets are needed to see this picture. Timers ◆ Water-sealed plastic casings Tape and velcro ◆ Connectors Writing instruments and boards Hardware attachment points Data capture and downlinks Software and monitors ◆ Fluids and gels Sensors and contact points ◆ Ventilation bag and balloons Trash containment ◆ Portable ventilator Restraints, tethers

◆ Light bulbs ◆ Stethoscopes ◆ Inflated Masks

and suction devices ◆ Syringes and sharps safety 3

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4 Minutes of Microgravity

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Testing

Emergency Procedures

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1-G

0-G

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Technology Development

Science

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NASA’s Commercial Suborbital Research Program

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NASA’s Commercial Suborbital Research Program Workshops

Human Suborbital Provider-Investigator Workshop Dec. 15, 2008

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Human Suborbital Provider-Investigator Workshop May 3, 2009 7

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Sensing Climaterics Vertical Atmospheric Sampling Gene Expression Fluids Physiology Emergency Procedures Countermeasures Cardiovascular Deconditioning Workforce Development

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Resistive Exercise Devices Inner Ear Neural Signal Dust Particle Agglomeration Metal Alloy Phase Separation Glovebox Investigations Combustion IR and NIR Optics Technology Testing STEM Education Cell Cultures

NASA’s Commercial Suborbital Research Program

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NASA’s Commercial Suborbital Research Program Why Suborbital? Sounding Rockets

Commercial Suborbital

Parabolic Flights

Cost

$0.5M - $1.2M

$200K

$8K

Time in Microgravity (Continuous)

20 minutes

4 minutes

23 seconds

Quality of Microgravity

High

High

Comparatively Low

Launch Frequency

Once every 6 months

Maximum gLoading

20 g

2 Ð4 g

2 Ð4 g

Human Tended Science

No

Yes

Yes

Multiple flights per Multiple flights per day possible day possible

Comparing commercial suborbital research platforms with two other microgravity research platforms

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NASA’s Commercial Suborbital Research Program

Benefits ■ Through a user-focused program, NASA-sponsored researchers, engineers, technologists and educators would be able to conduct hands-on activities in near-space for the first time. ■ This new environment provides several technical benefits to NASA ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆

Reducing the risk for use of new technologies in future missions Exploring novel environments to make new discoveries Access to 3-4 minutes of microgravity for discovery and testing Routine recovery of payload Frequent flights

■ Provides new options for career development and public engagement ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆

Inspiring new careers in aerospace, Training the workforce of the future, Providing a competitive edge for the new commercial space industry Creating greater excitement in the space program

■ Provides a competitive edge for U.S. commercial space industry

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