Commercial Space

This chapter assesses trends and developments in the commercial space sector, including the builders and users of space hardware such as rockets and satellite components, and space information technologies such as telecommunications, data relay, remote sensing, and imaging. It also examines the relationships between governments and the commercial space sector, including the government as partner and the government as regulator. Much work on civil and military programs is contracted out to the commercial sector, which today has the same capabilities as any other space actor

Commercial Space

This chapter assesses trends and developments in the commercial space sector, which includes manufacturers of space hardware such as rockets and satellite components, providers of space-based information such as telecommunications and remote sensing, and service operators for space launches. Also covered in this chapter are the developments related to the nascent space tourism industry, as well as the relationship between commercial operators and the public sector

Commercial Space

This chapter assesses space security indicators and developments in the commercial space sector, which includes manufacturers of space hardware such as rockets and satellite components, providers of space-based information such as telecommunications and remote sensing, and service operators for space launches. Also covered in this chapter are the developments related to the nascent space tourism industry, as well as the interactions between commercial operators and the public sector

Commercial Space

This chapter assesses trends and developments in the commercial space sector, which includes manufacturers of space hardware such as rockets and satellite components, providers of space-based information such as telecommunications and remote sensing, and service operators for space launches. Also covered in this chapter are the developments related to the nascent space tourism industry, as well as the relationship between commercial operators and the public sector

Taking the Response Cost Out of the Good Behavior Game

The classroom behaviors of remaining seated and seeking permission before speaking were shaped with the use of the original and a revision of the Good Behavior Game. After baseline rates were obtained, the class was divided into two teams. During each three min interval of the revised game, a point was awarded for the non-occurrence of the target behaviors

Enhancing suborbital science through better understanding of wind effects

This paper highlights the importance of understanding some key factors, such as winds effects, trajectory and vehicle parameters variations in order to streamline the space vehicle operations and enhance science in the upper mesosphere at about 85 km. Understanding these effects is crucial to refine current space operations and establish more robust procedures. These procedures will involve training new space operators to conduct and coordinate space operations in class E above FL600 airspace within the Air Traffic Organization (ATO). Space vehicles such as Space Ship Two can spend up to 6 minutes in class E airspace above FL600 after launch. Most of this time is dedicated for science data collection in microgravity and maximizing the science is a key priority. Typical suborbital trajectories cut through the noctilucent cloud layer in the mesosphere region from about 260,000 feet to 280,000 feet during the ascent and descent. This space activity falls within the D-layer of the ionosphere (50-90 km). In each of these segments, the space vehicle spends about 10 seconds in the region of interest, totaling about 20 seconds of total in-situ uninterrupted science in the mesosphere. This study illustrates some examples of suborbital trajectories that can enhance the scientific research performed in this region. The altitude of these trajectories can be targeted in order to provide continuous data collection that can last for about 100 seconds, and could be enhanced by current ground based technologies prior to launch. Suborbital flights usually operate under visual flight rules (VFR) and in Special Use Airspace (SUA) in the vicinity of a designated spaceport. For example, Blue Origin’s New Shepard has a vertical space transition corridor (STC) with about two miles between the launch and landing locations in West Texas Launch Site, that is, a very well defined corridor given that it is a vertical takeoff vertical landing (VTVL) space activity. However, Virgin Galactic SS2 or XCOR Lynx vehicles have similar flight profiles with STC that can vary up to 60-75 miles in range. These last two require more refined operations with air traffic control since these vehicles have an air launched takeoff and horizontal take off, and spend a good portion of their flights within the National Air Space (NAS), especially during descent. Typical suborbital flights go through the mesosphere in a few seconds, yet most of the science to be collected is in this region. Extending science operations in the upper mesosphere will imply having a slight different trajectory and therefore a different STC where the vehicle will spend more time in that particular layer of the atmosphere. Thus, we believe these science requirements should be coordinated with space operators and air traffic controllers to increase the success of the mission. Although there is no current technology yet that can track these space vehicles real-time from the ground, it is important to streamline such operations, to refine and establish more mature space vehicle operations. Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University has successfully flown some ADS-B equipment on balloons (140,000 feet) and aboard NASA’s WB57 aircraft (60,000 feet), and current collaborative efforts are being carried to test these technologies as prospective commercial tools to seamlessly track future high-speed vehicles. Given that suborbital flights can be mission dependent, we will have to ensure that these technologies enable tracking and telemetry of the space vehicle to ground space and traffic operators, since longer point-to-point suborbital flights may have ranges beyond the range of the FAA ground receiver network. Thus, additional network nodes and marine operations may be required to fulfill such space activities

Project ATLANTIS: Applied Technology Learning Activities for Non-Traditional Instruction on Space

As commercial and governmental space endeavors increase in number and complexity, the need for people educated in space policy and law will also grow. In order to create this well-educated group of space professionals, a sophisticated space policy and law curriculum is needed. As accessibility of technology increases and more students are becoming digital natives, the importance of non-traditional curriculums increases. This paper describes an educational experiment in which students in an independent study course created space policy and law educational videos based on topics within the curriculum of an existing undergraduate space law course. Two educational models can be derived from this experiment: the creation of the videos as a special project within a traditional classroom or independent study course, or administering the completed videos as part of a flipped-classroom model. This paper proposes measures of success for both educational models derived from the experiment as well. Beyond engaging students in a flexible, non-traditional curriculum, the benefit of creating the videos was threefold: the activity taught the students the material, developed the digital literacies of the student-creators, and created materials that could be used in a flipped-classroom or a traditional educational setting, or as capacity-building materials. Capacity-building materials are not limited to students at the college levels, but are available through organizations like the United Nations Office of Outer Space Affairs for any situation in which subject matter expertise is lacking. The course materials created in this experiment could be used to complement space law capacity-building materials, for the benefit of all, regardless of gender, generation, or geography. A further benefit to the educational materials made in this project is that they could be used for space law outreach