Multiple Payload Ejector for Education, Science and Technology Payloads
Abstract
The education and small research payloads community no longer has a means of being regularly manifested onto Hitchhiker and Gas carriers on Space Shuttle flights. Therefore, many small payloads do not have a launch opportunity, or await flights as secondary payloads on ELV missions, as the ELV primary payload manifest, secondary payload volume and mass allows. This has resulted in a backlog of small payloads, and an inability for the small payloads community to achieve routine access to orbit. This paper overviews the NASA-Goddard Wallops Flight Facility effort, funded by SOMD’s KSC Launch Services Program, to leverage its competencies in small payloads, sounding rockets and range services to develop a low cost, multiple payload ejector (MPE) carrier for small orbital experiments and other users. The goal of the MPE is to provide a low-cost carrier intended primarily for educational flight research experiments. MPE can also be used by academia and industry for Science, Exploration and technology payloads. The MPE carrier will take advantage of a DARPA/ NASA SOMD agreement allowing NASA to fly MPE on a DARPA Falcon demo launch vehicle from Wallops Island, Virginia. The Falcon launch vehicle and MPE payload carrier are complimentary in their goals of providing low cost, responsive access to space. Therefore, MPE is planning on using Falcon to provide the small payloads community with a ride to orbit. MPE is being developed and readied for flight within 18 months by a design team of Swales and NASA engineers. Currently, MPE is preparing for Critical Design Review in Fall 2005, payloads are being manifested by NASA on the first mission, and the carrier will be ready for flight on the first Falcon demo vehicle of opportunity, as early as Summer 2006. It is the long term goal of the design team to develop an MPE that will succeed in paving the way for a sustained NASA program to support education, technology and Exploration payloads with regular flight opportunities.
Multiple Payload Ejector for Education, Science and Technology Payloads
The education and small research payloads community no longer has a means of being regularly manifested onto Hitchhiker and Gas carriers on Space Shuttle flights. Therefore, many small payloads do not have a launch opportunity, or await flights as secondary payloads on ELV missions, as the ELV primary payload manifest, secondary payload volume and mass allows. This has resulted in a backlog of small payloads, and an inability for the small payloads community to achieve routine access to orbit. This paper overviews the NASA-Goddard Wallops Flight Facility effort, funded by SOMD’s KSC Launch Services Program, to leverage its competencies in small payloads, sounding rockets and range services to develop a low cost, multiple payload ejector (MPE) carrier for small orbital experiments and other users. The goal of the MPE is to provide a low-cost carrier intended primarily for educational flight research experiments. MPE can also be used by academia and industry for Science, Exploration and technology payloads. The MPE carrier will take advantage of a DARPA/ NASA SOMD agreement allowing NASA to fly MPE on a DARPA Falcon demo launch vehicle from Wallops Island, Virginia. The Falcon launch vehicle and MPE payload carrier are complimentary in their goals of providing low cost, responsive access to space. Therefore, MPE is planning on using Falcon to provide the small payloads community with a ride to orbit. MPE is being developed and readied for flight within 18 months by a design team of Swales and NASA engineers. Currently, MPE is preparing for Critical Design Review in Fall 2005, payloads are being manifested by NASA on the first mission, and the carrier will be ready for flight on the first Falcon demo vehicle of opportunity, as early as Summer 2006. It is the long term goal of the design team to develop an MPE that will succeed in paving the way for a sustained NASA program to support education, technology and Exploration payloads with regular flight opportunities.
