Business Opportunities at ATDC
The
ATDC will be capable of supporting the following customer base:
The ATDC Project is developing multimedia aids (brochures, this integrated web site, collaborative engineering simulation, marketing tools) to ensure that the capabilities of the ATDC are well understood throughout the United States. In addition, ATDC personnel will be proactive in establishing and maintaining dialogue with the KSC/CCAFS Operational Organizations. For a description of the projected customer base per ATDC phase, click here. For business contact information, click here.
CAPE CANAVERAL SPACEPORT OPERATIONAL ORGANIZATIONSThe KSC/CCAFS operational organizations (the Shuttle Processing, Payload Processing and Expendable Launch Vehicle Processing organizations) can utilize ATDC Infrastructure to qualify new hardware components and technologies without introducing operational risk to these programs. As an example of this usage, the first phase of the ATDC, developing an LO2 Area, will support the Shuttle Program in qualifying a new LOX Pump. For qualification, this pump is required to flow liquid oxygen at its rated capacity. The only location currently suited to perform this qualification is an operational launch site (such as the LC-39 pads), but there is a risk that a test failure/malfunction could damage operational infrastructure and impact launch operations. The ATDC removes this risk. In addition, the ATDC is available to support the Shuttle, ELV, and Payloads organizations, thus improving the efficiency of existing KSC/CCAFS operational procedures by allowing “What if” scenario testing. An operating or test procedure can be rewritten and validated against actual launch site equipment at no operational risk to the program. NEW VEHICLE DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATIONSThe ATDC Infrastructure will also be made available to support initial demonstration, testing and qualification of new vehicle development. This includes both reusable launch vehicles (RLVs) and expendable launch vehicles (ELVs). NASA recently awarded an initiative to develop a “Second Generation” RLV that is envisioned to reduce cost and increase safety by an order of magnitude of the first-generation RLV (the Space Shuttle). The 2nd Generation RLV contractors are evaluating the densified cryogenic capabilities of the ATDC. Multiple 2nd Generation RLV contractors are currently planning to use the ATDC to support some of their proof of concept activities. The flexibility of the ATDC is well suited for supporting the 2nd Generation RLV Program. For ELV development, the ATDC could be used as a “proving ground” for related ELV technologies. By using the ATDC, ELV launch service providers could reduce their operational risk. SPACEPORT DEVELOPMENT AGENCIESVarious states have chartered Spaceport Development Agencies to study, develop, and deploy Spaceports. Some of these agencies are starting “from scratch” and most of these agencies are working with limited budgets. The ATDC can be utilized as a national resource to coordinate research, development, and testing to support these Spaceport Development Agencies. In accordance with the Executive Order, “The Future Management and Use of the U.S. Space Launch Bases and Ranges,” a nationwide Advanced Range Technology Working Group (ARTWG) was formed. The ARTWG includes both SE&T Directorate personnel and representatives from Spaceport Development Agencies. The ARTWG sessions will synergize range technology research and development. Some of this research may likely be conducted at the ATDC, and the ATDC will remain tuned into the ARTWG Proceedings. In a similar manner, a nationwide Advanced Spaceport Technology Working Group (ASTWG) has been formed. The ASTWG includes both ATDC Project personnel and representatives from Spaceport Development Agencies. The ASTWG sessions will synergize development initiatives at the ATDC and maximize the benefits of its Spaceport Technology research. Examples of potential ATDC activities that could be conducted in partnership with Spaceport Development Agencies include spaceport planning and conceptualization, operational processing, payload processing, environmental impacts, workforce development, and technology experiments. NASA-KSC SPACEPORT ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY DIRECTORATEATDC Infrastructure will be available “in-house” to field test SE&T projects with commercial or operational potential. The NASA SE&T Directorate contains a number of laboratories and testbed areas that are smaller in scale in comparison to the ATDC. For promising SE&T projects, small-scale laboratory qualification testing may not always be sufficient to fully qualify a Spaceport Technology; in these cases, the full-scale “elements” of a launch site would be required. The ATDC Project will include funds to support the full-scale deployment of promising Spaceport Engineering and Technology projects, as determined by organization priorities. OTHER NASA, DOD AND GOVERNMENT AGENCIESOther NASA Centers, the Department of Defense, and other Government Agencies (e.g., the Federal Aviation Administration) will also stand to benefit from activities conducted at the ATDC. The ATDC can be utilized as a national resource; Spaceport Technology research can be coordinated in partnership to a maximum benefit for costing and information sharing. As with the Spaceport Development Agencies, the ASTWG and the ARTWG will synergize activities at the ATDC with these agencies and maximize the benefits of Spaceport Technology research. New vehicles and systems in development could utilize the ATDC for a large portion of ground-based qualification activities. Hazardous operations, such as processing with radioactive thermal generators, could be simulated without requiring the use or handling of hazardous commodities. RELATED INDUSTRY VENDORSATDC Infrastructure will also be made available to industry for qualifying cutting-edge commercial technology for use in a Spaceport Environment. In this instance, the ATDC could be viewed as a Spaceport version of “Underwriters Laboratories” wherein a controlled qualification test could be performed by a neutral party, the NASA SE&T Directorate. New systems in development could utilize the ATDC for research and qualification activities. Small companies could use the ATDC in order to reap the benefit of its large ground-based infrastructure without having to expend significant capital investment for that infrastructure. COMMERCIAL LAUNCH INDUSTRIESCommercial launch vendors can also utilize ATDC Infrastructure to qualify new hardware components and technologies to minimize the risk to these programs. It is envisioned that most of the commercial launch vendors will not have a significant development budget to afford the development of a separate prototype ground Spaceport systems and procedures. By using the ATDC, these vendors can concentrate their efforts on the design and installation of “production” systems. The ATDC Infrastructure can also be made available to support initial demonstration, testing and qualification of new vehicle development. The flexibility of the ATDC is also well suited for supporting the commercial launch business as a proving ground for new designs. ACADEMIC RESEARCHATDC Infrastructure will be made available to academia for research of related Spaceport Technologies. In this instance, the ATDC could be viewed as a large-scale research laboratory. Joint research agreements would be developed between NASA and the academic institution(s) to outline the research being conducted, its duration, and what ATDC facilities would be utilized. PROJECTED CUSTOMER BASE PER ATDC PHASEA summary listing of the ATDC potential customer
base in relation to the phased implementation of the ATDC is shown in
the Table below. For more information about ATDC Project Phasing, click here.
To discuss business opportunities at the ATDC, please contact the ATDC Project Manager:
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Questions? Comments? We'd love to hear from you!
ATDC Project Manager: Dave Taylor
ATDC Facility Manager: Mike Dunkel
Pump Test Project Manager: Wayne Prince
ATDC Web Development: ATDC Web Team
Page Last Revised:
March 30, 2006