Commercial Space Transportation Research and Development Program

1. Federal Aviation Administration Commercial Space Transportation Research and Development Program COMSTAC RLV Working Group Chuck Larsen October 29, 2008

2. FAA Commercial Space Transportation R&D Program • Background • What Is the FAA/AST R&D Program? • How Has It Been Working? • What Difference Does It make? • Future Developments of AST’s R&D Program and Policy Implications • How Do I Get Onboard?

3. Background • Authority • 49 U. S. C. Subtitle IX, Chapter 701 – Commercial Space Activities • Need for an FAA/AST R&D Program • Plans and Activities to Fill the Need

4. What Is the FAA/AST R&D Program? • Charter • Consistent with AST leadership in regulatory activity, developing a safe, efficient U. S. Commercial Space Transportation industry. • Institutionalizes AST R&D Advisory Board, and AST R&D Senior Steering Committee (SSC) to manage the process. • Annually, the Advisory Board identifies, evaluates and recommends a prioritized list of R&D Projects to the SSC for its consideration and portfolio selection.

5. What Is the FAA/AST R&D Program? • AST Research and Development Plan • Establishes a process to receive, evaluate and prioritize candidate research projects to meet FAA/AST increased safety & greater capacity goals. • Provide management time frames for decisions that correspond with the FAA budget process.

6. What Is the FAA/AST R&D Program? • AST R&D Plan Overview • Establishes Purpose, Scope and Objectives • Defines Research in the AST Mission Context • Aligns R&D Planning with Budget Process • Establishes a Requirements Process • Defines Research Project Schedule • Allows for Unbudgeted Research Requirements • Provides for periodic review of R&D progress and a way to recommend and approve changes, as needed

7. How Has It Been Working? • The AST R&D Plan Has Provided 3 – 5 Research Projects Per Year That Have Supported The FAA Flight Plan Goals of: • Increased Safety • Greater Capacity

8. How Has It Been Working? • AST R&D Activities FY 2008 • AST R&D Advisory Board - Met monthly to implement its responsibilities • Held meetings to review changes to FY08 Projects and recommended approval to AST R&D SSC • Met weekly to review R&D Projects for FY09 • AST R&D Senior Steering Committee (SSC) • Met quarterly to review progress on FY08 R&D Projects • Met 1/08, 6/08, 9/08 to review recommended FY09 R&D Projects - Selected 5 AST R&D Projects for FY09

9. What Difference Does It Make? • AST R&D FY08 Projects • Informed Consent for the Personal Space Flight Industry • Low Cost, Field Portable, High Altitude Wind Profiler • Temporal Winds Database Feasibility Study • AST R&D FY09 Projects • Lessons Learned in Handling and Use of Non-Traditional Monopropellants/Oxidizers • Application of GPS to Space Transportation Technologies • RLV Operations: Airspace, Airport, and Spaceport Considerations • Point to Point Sub-Orbital Missions • Critical Infrastructure Needs of Spaceports

10. Future Developments of AST’s R&D Program and Policy Implications • Involvement with Other Government Agency R&D Programs • Further Development of Human Space Flight Regulations • Increasing the Importance and Utility of the Commercial Space Transportation Industry

11. How Do I Get Onboard? • Contact AST Through our R&D Website: • http://www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/ast/about/research_development/ • Participate on one of the FAA’s Commercial Space Transportation Advisory Committee Working Groups • Reusable Launch Vehicle Working Group • Space Transportation Operations Working Group • AST Call for FY10 R&D Projects Sent to COMSTAC 9/08 • Prioritized List of Candidate Research Projects Due to AST by January 15, 2009