New Ways Forward to Coordinate the
Regulation of the Protozone or Sub Space?
Manfred Lachs Conference
Montreal, Canada
March 16, 2015
Main Points to Cover

 There are a host of ways now under development for commercial spaceplane
flights and thus “too early” to standardize/regulate.
 In addition to “space tourism” there a many new competing applications for
subspace or the Protozone and involves different speeds, altitudes.
 These “apps” include “space adventure flights”, hypersonic transport, dark
sky stations, robotic freighters and high altitude platforms
 There are a number of technical challenges, global institutional organizations
that need to be involved and a host of issues beyond just Air Traffic Control:
ICAO, ITU, WHO, UNEP, WMO, UN COPUOS and UNODA and national
entities: FAA/NASA/EPA just in US, EASA and range of European agencies.
THE GREAT RISK HERE IS STOVE PIPING. MULTI-DISPLINARY ISSUE
 Technical Challenges involve: (i) Positioning/Navigation/Timing Satellites &
Software plus advanced radar; (ii) Communications and freq. for Air Traffic
Control and vital data; (iii) Stratosphere pollution; and (iv) other challenges
that will come with tests and start up activities. AGAIN STOVE PIPING ISSUE
Main Points to Cover

 Experience shows that many can contribute: private foundations
(Secure World Foundation), professional organizations (IAASS),
university research (FAA Centers of Excellence),
companies/commercial entities (Commercial Spaceflight Federation),
etc. All can provide part of solution. 3 case studies: Guggenheim
Foundation and air safety; Formula 1 Raising and FIA Institute in car
racing; and Shipping Classification Societies show that private entities
can provide new safety standards and industry regulatory solutions.
 The problems are complex and we need to draw on expertise
everywhere. Model laws; National regulatory bodies such as FAA and
EASA, industry, federations and professional organizations,
transparency and confidence building measures, and international
agencies can help coordinate and share information globally. Don’t
forget insurance/risk management firms. This is NOT zero sum game.
Diversity of Technical Design Demonstrated in Commercial Space
Transportation Concepts to Date
Launch Concept
Organizations
(Some of Which Are Now Defunct or Merged)
JP Aerospace and several telecommunications organizations
Lighter than Air AscenderIon Engine lift from Dark Sky
Station and High Altitude
Platform Systems (HAPS)
Vertical Takeoff / Vertical
Armadillo Aerospace, Blue Origin, JAXA, Masten Aerospace,
landing (VTVL)
Lockheed Martin/EADS

Vertical Takeoff / Horizontal
Landing (VTHL) at Spaceport
Aera Space Tours, Air Boss, Bristol Space Planes, C & Space,
Energia, Lorrey Aerospace, Phoenix & Pre-X by EADS, Space Dev,
Space Transportation Corp, Space X, Sub Orbital Corp,
Myasishchev Corp. Design Bureau, t/Space, Vela Technologies,
Wickman Space and Propulsion
Horizontal Takeoff /
Horizontal Landing(HTHL)
Andrews, Scaled Composites, The Spaceship Corporation, Virgin
Galactic, XCOR, Project Enterprise by TALIS Institute, DLR, Swiss
Propulsion Lab
Tow Launch and Horizontal
Landing
Kelly Space Technology
Vertical Launch to LEO from
Space Port
Alliant, Inter Orbital Systems Technology, Rocketplane/Kistler,
Space HAB, UP Aerospace
Launch to LEO from Jet Plane Triton, Stratolauncher, Launcher One (by Virgin Galactic)
or Carrier Vehicle Drop
Relative Market Size

Emerging Protozone Services and their Estimated Market
ESTIMATES FOR 2035
Supersonic/Hypersonic Flights into the Extreme Stratosphere
$10-100 Bil/yr
Commercial launches to low earth orbit
$10 Bil/yr Upward
Space Tourism/ Space Adventures
$ 2 Bil/yr Upward
High Altitude Platform Systems-Commercial UAVs
$ 1-2Bil/yr Upward
Private Space Stations/Habitats
$1-2 Bil/yr Upward
Proto-Space Transport—Robotic Freighters
$1 Bil/yr Upward
Dark Sky Station/Ion engine lift to orbit
$1 Bil/yr Upward
Issues to Address in New Aerospace Systems
Issue or
Facility
Involved
Airports
servicing
HTHL
spaceplanes
Regulatory/Legal Technical
Int’l
Need
Research
Agency
Need
Certification and Advanced radar ICAO
periodic
and new GPS –
recertification
Glonass
Software
Spaceports
supporting
HTHL, VTHL,
VTVL systems
Certification and
periodic
recertification.
Range Safety
Control
Advanced
radar and
new GPS –
Glonass
Software
ICAO
Launch Sites
supporting
conventional and
commercial
rockets
Rocket Launch
from Balloon or
Parachute
Certification and
periodic
recertification.
Range Safety
Control
Range Safety
Control and High
Altitude Range
Control
Advanced
radar and new
GPS –Glonass
Software
ICAO

Advanced radar ICAO
and new GPS –
Glonass
Software
Additional
Concerns
Comment
Coordination of
regular
aviation and
space flights
Air & Space
Traffic
Management
& Control
Safety of
surrounding
area.
Liability
insurance
Safety of
surrounding
area.
Liability
insurance
Space Traffic
Safety of
Management & surrounding
Control
area. Liability
insurance
Air & Space
Traffic
Management &
Control
Safety of
surrounding
area. Liability
insurance
Issues to Address in New Aerospace Systems
Issue or
Facility
Involved
Rocket
Launch from
carrier
aircraft
Regulatory/ Legal
Need
Technical Research
Need
Int’l
Agencies
Additional Comment
Concerns
Range Safety Control
and High Altitude
Range Control
Advanced radar and
new GPS –Glonass
Software
ICAO
Space
Traffic
Management &
Control
Safety of
surrounding
area. Liability
insurance
Rocket
Launch from
ocean
Range Safety Control
and High Altitude
Range Control
Advanced radar and
new GPS –Glonass
Software
ICAO,
UNODA
Space
Traffic
Management &
Control
Safety of
surrounding
area. Liability
insurance.
Ion Engine
Craft
launched
from Dark
Sky Station
Range Safety Control
and High Altitude
Range Control
Stratospheric
collisions avoidance
systems, Radiation
shielding,. Warning
Beacons,
ICAO
Space
Traffic
Management &
Control
Liability
insurance
Dark Sky
Station and
Lighter than
Air Craft and
HAPS
New types of
certification &
recertification plus
ATC into Stratosphere.
Collision avoidance.
Warning Beacons,
Advanced radar and
new GPS –Glonass
Software. New
frequency allot.
ITU and
perhaps
WMO and
UNEP
Space
Traffic
Management &
Control
Liability
insurance

Issues to Address in New Aerospace Systems
Issue or Facility
Involved
Regulatory/ Legal Technical Research Need
Need
Super Sonic &
Hypersonic
Transport
Air Traffic
Control into
Stratosphere
Sonic Beam mitigation
standards, Emission
standards, Thermal
Protection Systems
WMO, UNEP Space
ITU, UNODA Traffic
Management &
Control
Liability
provisions, flight
path coordination,
solar CMEs
Radiation
Exposure
levels/Health
Standards
Radiation
Protection
Standards, Flight
Path Approvals
Ozone hole and Ozone layer World Health Genetic
investigations
Org., WMO,
mutation
UNDP
Liability
provisions, flight
path coordination,
solar CMEs
Stratospheric emission
studies. Improved
propellants
WMO. UNDP Climate
Change,
Stratospheric
pollution
Incentives for
improved
propellants.
UN
COPUOS,
IADC, SDA.
ITU
Fund for debris
mitigation. Fines
for violations
Rocket Pollutant Standards for
Emissions (N0x,
rocket emissions
Cox, Water Vapor
Orbital Debris
(Controlled
/uncontrolled
reentry)

Air Traffic
Black boxes for all
Control and Space spacecraft. Warning beacons
Traffic
Management
Int’l
Agencies
Additional
Concerns
Greater risk
of Kessler
Syndrome
Comment
Issues to Address in New Aerospace Systems
Issue or Facility
Involved
Super Sonic &
Hypersonic
Transport
Radiation
Exposure
levels/Health
Standards
Rocket Pollutant
Emissions (N0x,
COx, Water Vapor
Orbital Debris
(Controlled and
uncontrolled
reentry)
Regulatory/
Legal
Need
Air Traffic
Control into
Stratosphere
Radiation
Protection
Standards, Flight
Path Approvals
Standards for
rocket emissions
Technical
Research Need
Int’l Agencies
Additional
Concerns

Sonic Beam
mitigation
standards,
Emission
standards,
Thermal
Protection Sys.
Ozone hole and
Ozone layer
investigations
Stratospheric
emission studies.
Improved
propellants
Air Traffic
Black boxes for
Control and Space all spacecraft.
Traffic
Warning beacons
Management &
Control
Comment
WMO, UNEP and Space Traffic
ITU
Manage-ment &
Control
Liability
provisions, flight
path coordination,
solar flares/CMEs
World Health
Organization,
WMO, UNDP
Genetic mutation
WMO. UNDP
Climate Change,
Stratospheric
pollution
Liability
provisions, flight
path coordination,
solar flares/CMEs
Incentives for
improved
propellants.
UN COPUOS,
IADC, SDA
Heightened risk
of Kessler
Syndrome
Fund for debris
mitigation. Fines
for violations
Issues to Address in New Aerospace Systems
Issue or Facility
Involved
Regulatory/ Legal
Need
Technical Research
Need
Int’l
Agencies
Additional
Concerns
Comment
Electric Vehicles
Emission Standards and
Incentives
Zero polluting
aircraft
WMO. UNDP
Transition
planning
Air Traffic Control and
Space Traffic Management &
Control. RF interference
Improved avionics,
Emergency override
safety systems
ITU
RF Interference from Air &
Space Traffic Control & Mgt
Improved Radio
systems to avoid
interference
ITU
Incentives
for low
emission
aircraft
Warning
beacons,
collision
avoidance
systems
Improveallo
ca-tions
process
UAVs & HAPS
and robotic
freighters
Radio Frequency
Interference &
allocations

Improved
network
management
tools
Coordination
processes/
enforcement
powers
3 Case Studies

 The Guggeheim Foundation and Air Safety 19241950s
 The Formula 1 Racing System. Formation of FIA
Institute: Car Racing Safety and Automobile Safety
 The Shipping Industry Classification Societies.
Recognized in federal regulations and essential to
obtaining insurance coverage.
 Moral of story: National legislation or international
coordination is not essential to develop key safety
practices or standards.
Conclusions

There are a wide range of new systems that need to be
considered in terms of air & space traffic management
and control. These include commercial orbital launches,
private space habitats/platforms, dark sky stations,
High Altitude Platform Systems (HAPS), Proto-space or
sub-space transport, carrier vehicle or jet drop launches,
balloon-based rocket launches, towed launched systems,
vertical and horizontal launch and landing systems,
commercial sub-orbital flights, and hypersonic
transportation systems. In the future we may also
possibly need to deal with space elevators/funiculars,
ion engine-plasma thruster spiral deployment to Geo.
This is a set of issues much larger that just “space
tourism”. Protozone regulation is most urgent area.
Next Steps

 Recognize that there are many regulatory issues and agencies
involved. These include:
- Air and space traffic safety
- Health standards involving radiation & pollution
- Environmental safety standards
- National defense concerns
- Frequency coordination and standards
 Assign one UN Agency primary responsibility for coordinating
regulatory actions (i.e. ICAO??), especially for the ‘Protozone’ and its
safety. Should also create a coordinative process to cover all areas of
air and space safety, health standards, environmental pollution,
frequency assignments and standards, and even national defense
concerns.