GEORGIA SPACE UPDATE
NDIA-GEORGIA CHAPTER SPACE COMMITTEE
STRENGTH THROUGH INDUSTRY AND TECHNOLOGY
JULY 2015
SPACEPORT GEORGIA
BREAKING NEWS
On June 3, 2015, The Board of County Commissioners
unanimously approved an option agreement to purchase 4,011
acres, more or less. The subject property was the former
location where the world's most powerful rocket motor was test
fired in the 1960's. The county will be commencing soon the
next milestone of the project where by the Federal Aviation
Administration prepares an Environmental Impact Statement
(EIS) to address the potential environmental impacts of
constructing and operating a commercial launch site in Camden
County, Georgia. "This exciting announcement advances the
project forward and aligns with the county's vision of developing
a world-class spaceport," stated Steve Howard, County
Administrator.
HELP BRING SPACE TO GEORGIA
JOIN THE NDIA-GEORGIA SPACE COMMITTEE
The Space Committee of the Georgia chapter of the National
Defense Industrial Association is committed to bringing NDIA
resources to assist space companies in Georgia and to advance
Georgia as a space destination. With the effort to develop
Spaceport Georgia interest in space is rapidly expanding around
the state. The NDIA-Georgia chapter is dedicated to helping all
space resources in the state to grow and to assist in any way
possible to bring new industry to Georgia. Few states have the
assets Georgia has to offer companies in the space industry,
from workforce to logistics support and proximity to space
launch facilities. Consider joining our effort.
GEORGIA YOUR SPACE DESTINATION
Georgia is business friendly, has world-class transportation
connections, outstanding quality of life, coastal operations, year
around launch windows, the nation’s 5th largest concentration of
logistics companies, university research facilities, a right to work
state with a low cost of living…Thinking Space…Think Georgia!
GA Tech Solar Sail Space Mission Success
Georgia Tech Professor, Dr. David Spencer, was the Mission
Manager for LightSail-A, and is the Project Manager for
LightSail-B. The project paves the way for travel by light. By
harnessing the momentum of the Sun’s photons, a solar sail can
impart a tiny but continuous thrust to the host spacecraft. Over
time, this thrust results in an acceleration that can allow the
spacecraft to reach the outer solar system or even interstellar
space. Enter LightSail-A. This tiny 11-pound spacecraft funded
by The Planetary Society and launched on May 20, has deployed
a 344 square foot solar sail in low-Earth orbit and just returned
an image as proof that the deployment worked as designed.
LightSail-A re-entered the Earth’s atmosphere on June 15,
ending the mission.
Georgia Tech was responsible for mission design, spacecraft
tracking, and mission operations in support of the LightSail-A
mission. In 2016, a follow-on LightSail-B mission is planned to
demonstrate active control of the solar sail. The Georgia Tech
Prox-1 spacecraft will deploy LightSail-B into orbit, then provide
on-orbit inspection as LightSail-B deploys its solar sail.
YOUNG ASTRONAUTS DAY HELD AT
THE MUSEUM OF AVIATION
Warner Robins, GA – The Annual Georgia Young Astronauts’
Day at the Museum of Aviation was held on Saturday, May 9,
2015. More than 300 1st through 8th grade students attended
the event which featured a day full of hands-on science and
technology workshops including robotics, model building and
many other fun STEM activities.
Fifteen different workshops were held around the Museum
taught by Museum staff members and volunteer class leaders
from Middle Georgia, Robins AFB and the Houston County
School system.
Young Astronauts Day was sponsored by Raytheon, the Air Force
Association, Dixie Crow Chapter of the Association of Old Crows,
The Space Grant Consortium, and the National Defense
Industrial Association-Georgia Space Committee.
NOMINATIONS ARE BEING ACCEPTED - NDIA-GA General James Oglethorpe Space Award - The award is given to a
citizen of Georgia who has made an outstanding contribution to the overall success of space activities in the state. Nominations are
solicited from the NDIA-GA Space Committee and the NDIA-GA Board of Directors makes the final selection. In addition, certificates
will be awarded to high school students who have been involved with spaceflight-related projects that train them to become more
proficient with cutting-edge technologies and equipment and college students who have made significant contributions to projects
related to space exploration and research. Contact the space committee with any recommendations for awardees. The deadline for
submission is December 1. See www.ndia-ga.org/awards
GA Lays Groundwork To Be
Prime Space Industry Hot Spot
Representative Jason Spencer, 180th
House District, Georgia House of
Representatives
Ever since Explorer I lifted off from Cape Canaveral at 10:58 PM on
January 31, 1958, launching objects into space has been the almost
sole purview of Florida and California. Georgia has not been a major
player in the space industry.
We’re an aerospace power with most giants of the industry located
here, being a world leader in aerospace exports and having a leading
aerospace workforce, but those efforts have focused on the aero part
of the aerospace industry…not space.
Several years ago, NASA began to push the low earth orbit (LEO)
aspect of its mission toward commercial companies. Small emerging
space companies, many of which had been in existence, began to
grow, develop and flourish. The commercial space industry became
of age. That opened a window for other states to become part of this
high tech, exciting business.
The Georgia Department of Economic Development saw an
opportunity. A space working group was created to study the
industry and the potential for Georgia. The results of that study were
positive and showed the potential, so the department began to reach
out to companies in the commercial space arena by attending
conferences and meeting with companies across the space spectrum.
They touted our location, our proximity to launch facilities, our
logistics capabilities, our workforce and our low cost of doing
business…all of the things that make Georgia such an attractive
aerospace location.
Initially, the pace of this effort was slow, but the department slowly
overcame the inertia of not being a target for space ventures and
companies began to take notice. They began looking at Georgia as a
possible space destination. The interest was increasing, but
companies needed a site specific to their needs. They needed a place
that could take advantage of those special things that Georgia has to
offer, but that could also serve as a port to launch vehicles into the
vastness of outer space.
Just at this time, a property in Camden County became available. It
was a property that appeared to have everything necessary for a
spaceport, and the Camden County leadership said, “why not here?”
As space companies heard about the property and visited it, they all
agreed it was potentially the finest location in the country for a
commercial spaceport. It is located on the coast, so launching
immediately over the Atlantic Ocean provides a nearly unrestricted
launch range for the launch of a spacecraft to a wide range of orbits.
It has ample room for companies to do testing, research and
development, or manufacturing on the property or in close
proximity. It is also remote and very secure. The site actually has a
space history, as Thiokol used it in the early days of the space
program to build and test solid fuel rocket engines. The idea for a
spaceport in Georgia was born.
Steve Howard, the Camden County Administrator and the– (cont.
above)
(cont. from below)
Camden County Commission have worked diligently on this
project (see page one), and recently finalized the process to
purchase the property where the spaceport launch sites would be
located. An old Chinese proverb says a journey of a thousand
miles begins with a single step. This single step initiates the
journey toward full development of Spaceport Camden, and that
effort now starts in earnest.
The economic possibilities for Camden County, southeast
Georgia, and the entire state are limitless. This industry has hightech, high-paying jobs, which are exactly what we hope to attract.
Governor Deal actually stated his goal of attracting this type of job
in the early days of his administration. It opens countless doors,
and also shows the vision of our state as they accept this challenge.
General Oglethorpe and his group founded Georgia because they
saw an opportunity. This effort to create a commercial spaceport
in Georgia is this generation’s special opportunity.
There will be hurdles to overcome, but if all goes well,
Spaceport Camden will become a reality. Southeast Georgia will
be transformed, and Georgia will round-out its aerospace resume,
while becoming the nation’s newest space destination.
Representative Jason Spencer represents the citizens
of District 180, which includes Camden, Charlton, and
Ware counties. He was elected into the House of
Representatives in 2010, and currently serves as the
Secretary of the Special Rules Committee. He also
serves on the Game Fish & Parks, Human Relations &
Aging, Science and Technology, and Juvenile Justice
Committees.
Space News from Columbus State
University and the Coca Cola Space
Science Center
Zach Edwards, a former student at Columbus State University is
working on a special program at LSU. They have applied for
Hubble Space Telescope time and got their proposal accepted.
The project is called "Startlingly Fast Evolution of the Stingray
Nebula," The Stingray Nebula provides the unique opportunity to
watch the ionization of a planetary nebula, a helium shell flash,
and the evolution of the central star.
Despite its fast evolution, the Stingray has not been imaged for 15
years. The observation will address three science goals: First,
measure the differential expansion of the shell from 1992 to
present. Second, detect brightening from the fast wind of the
1980s ionization event impacting the inside of the planetary
nebula shell. Third, define the motion of the central star through
the HR diagram to provide quantitative measures for comparison
to theory.
This is a big deal for anyone, but particularly for Columbus State
University and the Coca Cola Space Science Center to have a CSU
alum involved in such a special research project. Hats off to CSU
and Zach
Chuck Hunsaker – President, NDIA-Georgia Chapter – 706-464-1142 – pacific6@bellsouth.net
Bob Scaringe – Space Committee Chairman, NDIA-Georgia Chapter Space Committee - AVG Communications - 770-594-3369 - raz1215@msn.com
UPCOMING EVENTS
July 16
Future Space - Washington, DC
July 27-29
51st AIAA Joint Propulsion Conference - Orlando
August 31-2 September
SPACE 2015 - Pasadena
September 14-16
Air Force Association Air and Space – National
Harbor, MD
October 7-8
SPCS-Las Cruces, NM
October 28-29
Wernher von Braun Symposium-Huntsville, AL
Generation Orbit Gains GOLauncher 2
Commitments, Plans GOLauncher 3
Generation Orbit has 11 Letters of Intent (LOI) from prospective
customers for its SmallSat air launch system GOLauncher 2. Currently
under development, the two-stage rocket system is designed to carry
roughly 40 kilograms to Low Earth Orbit (LEO) for a price tag of about
$2.5 million.
“We have continued to sign potential customers up to GOLauncher 2
flights through letters of intent,” John Olds, CEO of Generation Orbit,
told Via Satellite. “We have now 11 letters of intent from 11 different
prospective customers for GOLauncher 2. Many of them are domestic
U.S. satellite companies, but not all of them. We also have a good mix of
international clients who have shown an interest in flying their small
payloads with us.”
The GOLauncher 2 uses a Gulfstream business jet to carry the rocket up
into the atmosphere, involving a steep flight path angle at the point of
release where the rocket does the rest of the work to reach LEO. Olds
also noted that all tentative customers are commercial entities.
Generation Orbit is working on a series of vehicles, with GOLauncher 1,
the precursor to GOLauncher 2, supported by a U.S. Air Force Phase 1
Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) award. The company is on
the verge of starting a new phase of that project, which aims to create an
air launched single stage rocket for suborbital microgravity,
astrophysics and hypersonic research. The Air Force is interested in
using the GOLauncher 1 to conduct hypersonic tests passing Mach 5 or
6 in the atmosphere. Generation Orbit plans to start manufacturing and
ground testing its Engineering Development Unit (EDU) for
GOLauncher 1 later this year, with the initial work focusing on avionics,
controls and the propellant system.
Olds said progress on GOLauncher 1 feeds into GOLauncher 2. The
company expects to evolve the avionics and flight control systems from
the suborbital variant to the orbital variant, and is in discussions
regarding both vehicles with the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration
(FAA). Olds described the GOLauncher 1 as a risk reduction activity for
the GOLauncher 2, which will employ the same single-stage liquid
oxygen-kerosene propulsion system the company intends to use for the
second stage of GOLauncher 2. Ventions is providing the main
propulsion system for GOLauncher 1, and Tyvak is supplying
Commercial Off The Shelf (COTS) avionics. (continued above)
Last year Generation Orbit flew its Flight Experiment Test bed (GO FET),
passed the Systems Requirements Review (SRR) of GOLauncher 2, and
made headway toward another GO FET flight this summer with a paying
customer. Though the company has made considerable progress with its
launch systems, it does not have a date for GOLauncher 2’s debut launch.
“GOLauncher 1 is currently targeting a first flight in late 2017. There is
currently no firm date for the first launch of GOLauncher 2. Our orbital
launch services continue to be paced by the availability of private
investment dollars,” said Olds.
Generation Orbit is currently in a fundraising mode, and Olds said the
company is engaged in active discussions to gain the necessary private
capital on which GOLauncher 2 hinges. Focused primarily on CubeSats,
the GOLauncher 2 competes with Spaceflight Services Inc. and
NanoRacks’ low cost secondary services. Olds expressed confidence that
the CubeSat sector, which has reached a fever pitch in recent years, will
yield ample demand for launch services.
“CubeSats from the 3U to 6U class are the fastest growing by numbers in
the entire satellite industry … we are predicting a launch demand of
perhaps 400 or 500 CubeSats a year within the next few years. There is a
huge and growing market for CubeSats worldwide. If we can capture a
small percentage of that market for fast and dedicated launch — which we
believe is a relatively conservative goal — it’s enough to support 20 or 30
launches. At $2.5 million a launch, that’s still enough revenue to support
a profitable small business and also return money to investors,” he said.
Part of Generation Orbit’s strategy to keep costs down is pursuing
emerging and non-traditional horizontal spaceports instead of traditional
launch sites where the company would have to vie for attention against
larger vertical rockets. The company has a Memorandum of
Understanding (MOU) with Cecil Spaceport in Jacksonville, Fla., and is
currently evaluating other options to increase the number of available
launch sites.
“We have a strong interest in flying out of one of the new horizontallaunch spaceports emerging in the United Kingdom. There is interest
from Puerto Rico and Hawaii too,” said Olds, adding that the company
expects to sign at least one more MOU by the end of this year.
“The number of budding spaceport projects around the U.S. and globally
will facilitate launch arrangements, but how many and how rapidly these
will reach a level capable of supporting regular commercial launches very
much remains to be seen,” Carolyn Belle, analyst at NSR, told Via
Satellite. “In any case, specificity requirements between the launch
vehicle and its launch site are more lenient for air launch sites compared
to vertical ground launch sites.”
NSR pegged the fastest growing class of small satellites in terms of launch
volume at 3U, with an average mass of around 5-kg. Belle added that
growth is expected across the spectrum to 100-kg and beyond, with
sizeable LEO constellation plans typically between 125 and 250-kg that
could represent a significant launch demand.
Generation Orbit also has plans for a larger vehicle known as
GOLauncher 3. Olds said GOLauncher 3 would start in the 100 to 150-kg
payload range with a growth option to get larger. He also said this rocket
would likely require a larger airplane, and that the company is in
discussions with providers who could serve as carriers. “Our intent in
making it larger is to maintain the architecture we have for air-launch
with all of the advantages it has, but grow it a little bit larger to get a
dollars per kilogram price point down to be competitive with secondary
launches. Reusability is an option we are evaluating as well,” he said.