February 19, 2004
This log no longer maintained.
November 19, 2003
Added:
1996 Report on Rocket Engine Life Analysis (59 pages, .pdf format, 15MB). Only hardcopies of this report were previously available.
The report describes methods to extend rocket engine life, increasing safety in flight as well as reducing operational costs, such as by reducing failures. Additionally, the data supports a means to avoid having to remove engines from flight to flight for future reusable systems (as done currently on Shuttle).
October 22, 2003
Added:
Two recent developments in software tools for space transportation systems operations analysis have now concluded work for 2003. These tools have been significantly upgraded and improved for ease of use, capability, validity, and overall usefullness in supporting decision making for improved space transportation flight and ground systems. These are GEM-FLO 2.0 and Shuttle Ops 1.0 - Simulation Tools for Space Transportation Operations Analysis, including processing time and operating costs.
October 7, 2003
Added:
RCA Database Info: Shuttle Operations Root Cause Analysis Database - A Fundamental Study addressing 2 questions: "Why does it cost so much to operate the Shuttle system? Why Does it Take So Long to Process the Shuttle?"
September 29, 2003
Added:
D4Ops Project Info: Learn more (.pdf file) about the Root Cause Analysis "D4Ops" project.
February 25, 2003
Added:
December 6, 2002
Added: Bi-Frost and Maglev Launch Assist Concepts - A Spaceport Visioning Concept Study
Updated: A Summary of Kennedy Space Center Space Transportation Operations Analysis Tools.
April 3, 2002
Added:
Shuttle Lessons Learned and Documented -
NASA/TP—1998–208530, Reusable Rocket Engine Operability Modeling and Analysis, R.L. Christenson and D.R. Komar Marshall Space Flight Center, Marshall Space Flight Center, Alabama.
LEAVING KSC SITE to RESTRICTED: Space Shuttle Orbiter Thermal Protection System Processing Assessment Final Report, May 1995, Prepared by: Michael P. Gordon, TPS Orbiter Engineering, Materials & Processes, Rockwell Florida Operations D/830.
Operations Analysis
November 21, 2001: Added:
Operations Cost and Flight Rate Estimation, Space Transportation: (November 21, 2001) The Architectural Assessment Tool - enhanced (AATe) is now available upon request to (1) participants in the Vision Spaceport Partnership Joint Sponsored Research Agreement (Lockheed-Martin, Boeing NA and Command and Control Technologies Corp.) and (2) to persons or organizations supporting government contracts. This is an MS Excel based / visual basic conceptual design and assessment tool for operations cost and flight rate estimation for conceptual space transportation systems.
To obtain further information on this tool contact:
Edgar Zapata, NASA Kennedy Space Center, Spaceport Technology Development Office, 32899, Mail-code: YA-C, Phone: (321) 867-6234, Fax: (321) 867-2050
Dr. Kurt H. Debus: Launching a Vision, C. McCleskey, NASA John F. Kennedy Space Center and D. Christensen, Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company, International Astronautical Federation (IAF-01), Toulouse, France, October 2001. (.pdf file, ~3MB)
June 1, 2001: Updated "FACGSE - SOFTWARE SPREADSHEET - to Version 5.0 - For estimating the costs of Spaceport Facilities and Ground Support Equipment (GSE) using Shuttle like Cost Estimating Realationships."
June 1, 2001: Added "FACGSE - SOFTWARE SPREADSHEET - For estimating the costs of Spaceport Facilities and Ground Support Equipment (GSE) using Shuttle like Cost Estimating Realationships."
May 3, 2001: Added "Vision Spaceport Partnership Year 2001 Report: This report summarizes the R&D activity of the Vision Spaceport Partnership from 1998 through 2000 and coincides with the first release of the Strategic Planning Tool. In addition to providing top-level findings, the NASA Technical Manager provides a long range, “quick-look” vision of ground infrastructure and operations for future space travel."
February 22, 2001: Added A Review of Space Shuttle Data, Replaced Items - LRU's - Line Repaceable Units - Per Flight on Each Orbiter During Turnaround, Orbiter Processing Facility
January 8th, 2001: Added FINAL REPORT to the NASA Space Solar Power Exploratory Research and Technology (SERT) Program - "Spaceport Concept and Technology Roadmapping" Investment Steps to Routine, Low Cost Spaceport Systems, Prepared by the Vision Spaceport Partnership, November 2000. (Word .doc format, 1.8 MB). For further information on this report contact Edgar Zapata, NASA Kennedy Space Center, Spaceport Technology Development Office at edgar.zapata-1@ksc.nasa.gov or 321-867-6234
December 14th, 2000: Added Simulation Based Operational Analysis of Future Space Transportation Systems, Dr. Ruiz-Torres, A. & Zapata, E., Winter Simulation Conference, Orlando Fl., Dec. 2000.
December 5th, 2000: Added Operations Cost and Flight Rate Estimation: The Architectural Assessment Tool - enhanced (AATe) is now available upon request to participants in the Vision Spaceport Joint Sponsored research Agreement. This is an excel based / visual basic conceptual design estimator for operations cost and flight rate of conceptual space transportation systems. The more extensive Vision Spaceport Strategic Modeling tool is undergoing Independent Assessment and will be available for use soon.
August 16, 2000: Added Graph: Global and Domestic Trends in Spacelift - Tons per Year to Orbit - In Continued Decline
May 15, 2000: Added National Spaceport Testbed, Brown, K., & McCleskey, C.M., 37th Space Congress, Canaveral Council of Technical Societies, Cape Canaveral, Florida, May 2000
March 15, 2000: Added Map and Links to Pads at Cape Canaveral Spaceport, and Updated KSC Quicklook (as of March 3).
February 16, 2000:
Added links to various recently released spaceport or space transportation systems reports:
November 1999 (.pdf file) - ELV Broad Area Review (at the AF Library) including graphic of previous launch forecasts (failing to materialize) and actual throughput, and a graphic of approximately ~ 9 in 10 Titan 4 reliability over the years.
January 2000 (.pdf file) - Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Office of Commercial Space Transportation (AST) 1999 Year in Review Report. Notably "A Total of 78 Orbital Launches were conducted worldwide in 1999 for commercial , civil and military purposes." This rate closely continues the decline in worldwide launches as charted for the last 10 years.
January 2000 (.pdf file) - Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Office of Commercial Space Transportation (AST) "2000 Reusable Launch Vehicle Programs and Concepts - With a Special Section on Spaceports".
February 8, 2000 (.pdf file) - "Report of the Interagency Working Group on the Future Management and Use of the U.S. Space Launch Bases and Ranges" (OMB, DoD, DoC, DoT, USAF, FAA, NASA, NRO). Also includes graphical no growth launch forecasts, Western and eastern ranges, this coming decade.
January 15, 2000:
Latest KSC Quicklook added as of January 14th.
Added PDF Format versions of "A Guide for the Design of Highly Reusable Space Transportation" and "Space Transportation Systems Operability Quick Reference".
October 27, 1999: Added papers published, International Astronautical Federation (IAF) congress 1999:
September 11, 1999: Added "Read the latest on Vision Spaceport as reported in this months NASA Tech Briefs, business forum"
June 28, 1999: Added "AATe Summary Description"
June 26, 1999: Added "Launches by Month, Last 10 Years, Since the End of the Cold War, A Graphical View" and a link to "Technology 2009 Conference and Spaceport Track" at the Vision Spaceport Site"
June 24, 1999: Added "In-Space Propulsion Paper, Presented at the 35th AIAA/ASME/SAE/ASEE Joint Propulsion Conference and Exhibit, Los Angeles, CA. June 1999"
June 19, 1999: Added "Vision Spaceport - Project Description"
June 17, 1999: Added "Shuttle Resource Analysis - Data Analysis Shows Shuttle Labor Intensiveness by System".
January 31st, 1999: Added "Graphics / Trendlines: Chart: Global Energy, The Emerging Global Energy Marketplace & Chart: Global Power, Stabilizing C02 Levels in the Atmosphere" to Space Solar Power section.
January 6, 1999: Added KSC - Facilities and Vehicle Elements, Operations "Quick-Look", (55kb pdf file, requires Adobe Acrobat Reader)
(To be updated frequently).
January 4, 1999: Added Final Report to HRST section, AN OPERATIONAL ASSESSMENT OF CONCEPTS AND TECHNOLOGIES FOR HIGHLY REUSABLE SPACE TRANSPORTATION, Executive Summary (130Kb) and Full Report (1MB), by the Highly Reusable Space Transportation Study, Integration Task Force, Operations (PDF Format, Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader).
December 14, 1998: Added Architectural Assessment Tool - enhanced (AATe), Draft Paper, for Ver. 8.3+, "Space Transportation Operations Cost Modeling and the Architectural Assessment Tool - Enhanced", December 12, 1998.
December 12, 1998: Added announcement, Future-X Selection, December 8, 1998, NASA SELECTS FUTURE-X FLIGHT DEMONSTRATOR AND EXPERIMENTS.
October 22nd, 1998: Added White Paper - Number of Engines - Design Criteria Relation to Reliability and Other Factors and Spreadsheet
October 12th, 1998:
Added the paper "Designing for Annual Spacelift Performance", McCleskey, C. & Zapata, E., International Astronautical Federation (IAF-98), Melbourne, Australia, September 1998
and a link to the Space Operations and Support Technical Committee
September 20th, 1998:
Added the Vision Spaceport project.
Updated the Architectural Assessment Tool to version 1.2, easing report printing.
August 23rd, 1998: Added Space Solar Power ETO Task, Defining systems that can meet the economic challenges of future space enterprises.
August 7th, 1998:
Added "SHUTTLE AVIONICS - Design Constraints & Considerations - A Guide Book Compiled by C.M. McCleskey/NASA Kennedy Space Center for the Strategic Avionics Technology Working Group (SATWG) April 25, 1995. [Note - This would have been updated for the last few years but, unfortunately, not much has changed]
Added "Space Transportation Systems Operability Quick Reference, August 7, 1998"
July 7th, 1998: Added to public access The Launch Operability Index tool / software for download from the NASA Virtual Research Center.
June 1st, 1998: Added American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Space Operations & Support Technical Committee - Report on the 4th Annual Workshop on Reducing the Cost of Space Operations, Track 4, Space Transportation - Achieving Affordable Operations, held May 13 and 14, 1998.
April 28th, 1998: Added Architectural Assessment Tool - SOFTWARE, VER 1.0.
April 27th, 1998: Added A Catalog of Spaceport Architectural Elements, A Tool for Assisting Developers of Future Space Transportation Systems, Preliminary Modeling Definition Document, October 1997.
January 23rd, 1998: Updated "A Guide for the Design of Highly Reusable Space Transportation" from the November '96 version to the improved and updated August '97 version.
December 8th, 1997: Added "Defining the Parameters for Affordable Space Transportation" to the main page and the links Space Future, and Kankoh Maru Flight Manual to "Relevant Links."
October 29th, 1997: Added "Using the Space Shuttle Columbia to Begin Bringing the Moon to America"
October 1st, 1997: Added links to:
Dynamica Research
to "Relevant Links."
Sepember 1st, 1997: Added links to:
to "Relevant Links."
August 18th, 1997: Updated and expanded the "Relevant Links".
June 16th, 1997: Added:
to "Relevant Links."
June 9th, 1997: Added Highly Reusable Space Transportation Architectural Assessment Form (120K w/pixes) to the Home Page. Added the Hyper-X press releases, Hyper-X Press 1 and Hyper-X Press 2 to Relevant Links.
May 22nd, 1997: Hyperlinks added to Hyper-X, Space Transportation Programs, and Launch Technology: Current and Advanced at "NASA Watch" in the Relevant Links.
March 10th, 1997: Hyperlinked the reference to "The Role of Criteria in Design and Management of Space Systems" [since turned into a secure site] in the References section of the Guide for the Design of Highly Reusable Space Transportation.
March 3rd, 1997: New INTRODUCTION.
February 19th, 1997: Added A Quality Function Deployment Method Applied to Highly Reusable Space Transportation, January 30, 1997 (52K w/pix) and updated Relevant Links.
December 9th, 1996: Updated all links on the Relevant Links and the Airbreather Propulsion pages.
November 21st, 1996: Added A Guide for the Design of Highly Reusable Space Transportation.
October 7th, 1996: Updated the Introduction and added X-34 and Bantam press info.
July 15th, 1996: Added the Advanced Reusable Propulsion Technologies / Airbreather Announcement.
July 3rd, 1996: Added the X-33 winner.
May 18th, 1996: Added the Process Engineering Statement of Capabilities.
May 13th, 1996: Updated the Home Page, Introduction and the Relevant links.
January 9th, 1996
(1) Updated the Introduction.
January 5th, 1996
(1) Added The Top 10 - A KSC Perspective on Next Generation Space Transportation.
September 19th, 1995
(1) Hyperlinked to Ed Dean at Langley Research Center in Relevant Links.
August 30th, 1995
(1) Added The Vision Versus the Reality - More About "Design for Support".
(2) Updated Relevant Links.
August 8th, 1995
(1) Added Highly Reusable Space Transportation, An Advanced Concepts Study.
(2) Updated Reusable Launch Vehicle Certification - Draft 1.1.
July 7th, 1995
(1) Added "Off the Beaten Path" [since deleted] to Relevant Links.
June 19th, 1995
(1) Added Reusable Launch Vehicle Certification - Draft 1.0.
May 8th, 1995
(1) Added an Introduction - RLV Introduction.
(2) Hyperlinked Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) relevant links to the Relevant Links.
(3) Replaced A Top-Level Comparison of the RLV Tripropellant Concept (MSFC VTHL Version) Versus STS Costs with a fully numbered (cost/$) version.
(4) Added Shuttle Spares Consumption, RLV and Certification.
Apr.10th, 1995
(1) Added The Launch Operability Index.
Mar.17th, 1995
(1) Added What is Design for Support ?
Mar.7th, 1995
(1) Added Space Shuttle to Reusable Launch Vehicle - A White Paper.
Feb.15th, 1995
(1) Added Operationally Efficient Propulsion System Study (OEPSS).
Feb.10th, 1995
(1) Added Integrated Modular Engine / Propulsion.
Jan.30th, 1995
(1) Clarified the purpose of the Operability Guidelines that lead into the MSFC Cooperative Agreement Notices.
Jan 24th, 1995
(1) Hyperlinked various links to the "Relevant Links".
Jan. 23rd, 1995
(1) Hyperlinked to the new MSFC RLV Homepage in the "Relevant Links".
Jan.13th, 1995
(1) Added A Top-Level Comparison of the RLV Tripropellant Concept (MSFC VTHL Version) Versus STS Costs.
(2) Added this "Update" page to the Homepage.
Online Dec. 6th, 1994.
Return to KSC Next Gen Site
Edgar Zapata, NASA Kennedy Space Center
Systems Engineering Office