Session
Technical Session X: Launch Update
Abstract
This paper examines the feasibility of piggybacking NASA, university, and industry payloads on commercial geosynchronous satellites. In 1998, NASA’s RSDO Office awarded Geo Quick Ride (GQR) study contracts to spacecraft manufacturers to examine the issues concerning the flying of secondary payloads. The study results were very promising. Commercial communications satellites have frequent flights and significant unused resources that could be used to fly secondary payloads. However, manifesting secondary payloads on a commercial revenue generating satellite is a complex problem to solve. The solution requires multiple simultaneous approaches in order to be successful. There are business, economic, technical, schedule, and organizational issues to be resolved. This paper examines the Geo Quick Ride (GQR) concept, discusses the development issues, and we conclude that the GQR project, as conceptualized, addresses all of these issues and is a feasible means of providing low-cost, frequent access to space.
Presentation Slides
The Geo Quick Ride (GQR) Program – Providing Inexpensive and Frequent Access to Space
This paper examines the feasibility of piggybacking NASA, university, and industry payloads on commercial geosynchronous satellites. In 1998, NASA’s RSDO Office awarded Geo Quick Ride (GQR) study contracts to spacecraft manufacturers to examine the issues concerning the flying of secondary payloads. The study results were very promising. Commercial communications satellites have frequent flights and significant unused resources that could be used to fly secondary payloads. However, manifesting secondary payloads on a commercial revenue generating satellite is a complex problem to solve. The solution requires multiple simultaneous approaches in order to be successful. There are business, economic, technical, schedule, and organizational issues to be resolved. This paper examines the Geo Quick Ride (GQR) concept, discusses the development issues, and we conclude that the GQR project, as conceptualized, addresses all of these issues and is a feasible means of providing low-cost, frequent access to space.
