Goddard 2015: Pamela Melroy, DARPA

On the Cusp: What’s NextDARPA Perspective on Space

Ms. Pamela A. Melroy, Deputy Director, Tactical Technology Office

Briefing prepared for 53rd Robert H. Goddard Memorial Symposium

March 12, 2015

Approved for Public Release (DISTAR 24265), Distribution Unlimited.

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA)was established in 1958 to prevent strategic surprisefrom negatively affecting U.S. national security and createstrategic surprise for U.S. adversaries by maintaining thetechnological superiority of the U.S. military.

To fulfill its mission, the Agency relies on diverseperformers to apply multi-disciplinary approaches to bothadvance knowledge through basic research and createinnovative technologies that address current practicalproblems through applied research.

As the DoD’s primary innovation engine, DARPAundertakes projects that are finite in duration but thatcreate lasting revolutionary change.

Mission

2Approved for Public Release (DISTAR 24265), Distribution Unlimited.

• Current launch has no surge capability and long call-up times

• 2+ years to get “into the queue”

• Maserati custom-built production line of a few vs.

Ford assembly line of thousands

• Fixed launch sites are vulnerable

Flexibility Has Not Been a Priority

© Reuters

© NOAA

3

© Maserati

© NASA


Space Domain Awareness (SDA) Today~16,000+ objects in 1014 km3 (240,000 oceans)

GEO

MEO

Can characterize †

Nu

mb

er

of

Ob

jects

LEO

Known objects in LEO orbit ≈ 12,020

Can’t detect & track Can detect & track †

Cancharacterize †Can’t detect & track Can detect & track †

Can characterize †Can’t detect & track Can detect & track †

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Size of Objects (RCS m2)

U.S. satellites

International satellites

U.S. debris

International debris

KEY

† Cannot detect, track and characterize every object simultaneously

Known objects in MEO orbit ≈ 1,890

SWISSCUBERCS: 0.041 m2

COSMOS 2080RCS: 1.0 m2

NAVSTAR 64RCS: 6.3 m2

ISSRCS: 227.8 m2

Vanguard 1RCS: 0.11 m2

Known objects in GEO orbit ≈ 1,840

*data as of 2015 Approved for Public Release (DISTAR 24265), Distribution Unlimited.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7f/Vanguard_1.jpg

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7f/Vanguard_1.jpg

Launch:

• Flexible, affordable access

• Affordable, routine and reliable access to space

• Aircraft-like space access to lower cost and increase capabilities

• Small satellite access to GEO

Satellite:

• Changing the paradigm of satellite operations

• New satellite architectures for speed and robustness

• GEO space robotics to repair and assemble very large satellites that could not be launched

Space Domain Awareness (SDA):

• Real-time space domain awareness

• Real-time detection and tracking versus catalog maintenance and days to weeks of forensics

DARPA Vision for Robust Space


Flexible, Affordable Access to Space


Artist’s concept

Airborne Launch Assist Space Access (ALASA)

ALASA aims to:

• Leverage performance, flexibility and re-usability of air launch, and streamlined design and manufacturing

• Reduce infrastructure costs by using runways vs. fixed sites, automating operations; avoiding unnecessary services

• Launch 100-pound payloads for under $1M per flight, including range costs

• Have the satellite on orbit 24 hours after the request

• Escape the constraints of fixed direction and location for space launch

• Exercise the concept frequently enough to make operations increasingly efficient and cost-effective

Goal: Provide more affordable, routine and reliable access to space for multiple missions

Todays capabilities: Vertical launch

Future capabilities: Horizontal launch


ALASA Design Emphasizes Features to Enable Lower Unit Cost

• Two-stage liquid-fueled launch vehicle would use high energy liquid monopropellant for simplified system design and handling

• “Tractor” configuration would allow enhanced performance

• Differential throttling and tangential canting would eliminate gimbals and attitude jets

• Launching from unmodified F-15E aircraft would leverage existing infrastructure for fast response and low cost

• Commercial-grade avionics, advanced composite structures, automated mission planning and flight termination systems would reduce costs

Artist’s concept

Artist’s concept

Artist’s concept

Artist’s concept


• ALASA had a successful Phase I, which resulted in three viable system designs and three enabling technologies that continued on into Phase II (engine test and critical design review)

• Payload depends on delivered engine performance with new monopropellant, which will be verified by testing beginning in February 2015

• DARPA has approved Phase III: 12 orbital test launched in 2015 and 2016; the smallsatcommunity is excited about having dedicated launch opportunities, and there has been no difficulty finding useful payloads

Summary

Artist’s ConceptArtist’s Concept


XS-1 aims to:

• Break cycle of escalating space system costs by:

• Enabling future space system architectures

• Leveraging interests & capabilities of commercial sector and space tourism

• Expand the reusable air-launched concept with a hypersonic vehicle capable of launching 3,000- to 5,000-lbs payloads for $5M with low-cost upper stage

• Mature and integrate technologies supporting launch and hypersonic vehicles

• Demonstrate mission assurance by flying 10 times in 10 days

Experimental Spaceplane (XS-1)

Goal: Lower launch costs and increase space capabilities with aircraft-like space access

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Artist’s Concept

Artist’s Concept

Artist’s Concept


XS-1

Booster

Engine 2 Merlins

GLOW (K lbs) 223.9

MECO (K lbs) 47.4

Usable LOX/RP (K lbs) 176.5

Isp (vac) 310

Stage PMF 0.84

Upper Stage

GLOW (lbs) 15.0

Isp (vac) 336

Stage PMF 0.9

Payload (K lbs) 3.0 0 100 200 300 400 500 600

Alt

itu

de

, K

ft

Downrange, nmi

2-Stage Vehicle (GLOW-223.9K lbs)

Booster (2-Merlins)

Propellant = 176.5K lbs

ISP (vac) = 310 sec

PMF = 0.84

Upper Stage (GLOW-15K lbs)

ISP (vac) = 336 sec

Staging:

Time = 169.9 sec

DR = 71.9 nmi

Altitude = 237,155 ft

Mach = 10.8

Payload = 3,025 lbm

100x100 nmi

28.5 deg Inclination

700

600

500

400

300

200

100

0

Notional X-Plane Upper Stage Trades

Expendable stage ~5% of stack weight

Mach 10 staging with small upper stage (shown)Alternative would be Mach 5 staging with larger upper stage

Artist’s Concept


XS-1 Summary

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Artist’s concept

XS-1 aims to create a new paradigm for more routine, responsive and affordable space operations

12

Artist’s concept

Artist’s conceptApproved for Public Release (DISTAR 24265), Distribution Unlimited.

XS-1 seeks to:

- Address growing launch costs in an era of declining budgets

- Lower operating costs to enable new, game-changing capabilities

- Leverage emerging suborbital launch technology & entrepreneurs

- Demonstrate technology for transition to government and commercial users

Payload Orbital Delivery (POD) System

• A standardized mechanism designed to safely carry and release in GEO a wide variety of payloads aboard commercial communications satellites

• Increase opportunities for small mass (~70-100 kg) to many orbits (including GEO):

• High-tempo launches

• POD payload is agnostic to launch vehicle, interfacing instead with the GEO host spacecraft

• Provide opportunities for rideshare and separation from a host:

• Adjustable, precise and reliable payload ejection

• Low POD tumble rates for safe release

• Low dynamic disturbance to host

• Increase responsiveness:

• Efficient integration, testing and qualification, and minimized need for re-verification, allowing for late integration to the hosting satellite

• Flexibility in payload geometry and CG location

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Artist’s concept


Changing the Paradigm of Satellite Operations


Satlets

eXperiment for Cellular Integration Technologies

(eXCITe)

Orbit: 450x72098 deg

Date: 1QFY16

Life: 2-8 weeks

Launch: 1 of 5 payloads on a SHERPA

Objectives:

1. Demonstrate aggregation ability to withstand launch environment, perform and maintain thermal control, communicate with the ground, reconstitute traditional spacecraft bus capability

2. Demonstrate aggregation ability to support a simple and a complex payload

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Artist’s concept

Artist’s concept

• A new low-cost, modular satellite architecture that can scale almost infinitely

• Satlets are small modules that incorporate multiple essential satellite functions and share data, power and thermal management capabilities

• Satlets physically aggregate in different combinations that would provide capabilities to accomplish diverse missions


• Provide unparalleled high-resolution images on request of spacecraft experiencing anomalies

• Inspections would be enabled by a RMMV with a sensor suite and dexterous arms with cameras

• Stand-off inspections (50m-1km)

• Close inspections (5m-50m)

• Docked inspections

Future Goal: GEO Robotic Servicing

• Cooperatively move spacecraft in orbit, recover spacecraft in off-nominal orbits and extend lifetimes through propellant conservation

• N/S station keeping recovery

• End-of-Life to GEO graveyard

• Repositioning within the GEO belt

• Assist spacecraft experiencing anomalies, helping to ensure that missions can be completed at maximum performance

• Free stuck appendages

• Supplement attitude control

• Perform docked inspections

Artist’s Concept

Artist’s Concept

Artist’s Concept


GEO servicing Could Build Confidence to Transform the Entire Space Architecture

SERVIC

ING

First robotic capability in GEO

Commercial providers expand

coverage

NEW

ARCH

ITECTU

RES

LEO-to-GEO space tug

• On-orbit replaceable units• Modular spacecraft

Large apertures, structures and bases

Automated, scheduled refueling

• Reduced redundancy

• Lightly fueled at launch

• Assembly experiments

Technology development and investment

Space robotics = national-level growth potential17Approved for Public Release (DISTAR 24265), Distribution Unlimited.

Real-Time Space Domain Awareness


OrbitOutlook

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• Space Situational Awareness (SSA) currently uses sophisticated and exquisite certified government sensors

• With this model, greater coverage can only come at a significant cost

Artist Concept

Government ground based sensors

Joint Space Operations Center

Government space based sensors

Space object

Goal: Leverage hundreds of available, low-cost assets to increase coverage and persistence of tracking space objects

Artist’s Concept


OrbitOutlook

Government ground based sensors

Commercial RFtracking

University optical tracking

Joint Space Operations Center

Data gathering and analysis

Internationalpartner data

Space object

Commercialoptical tracking

Artist’s Concept

Government space based sensors

OrbitOutlook aims to:

• Integrate space surveillance data from non-traditional DoD sources

• Commercial

• Academia

• International partners

• Establish processes to verify information assurance and data quality

• Develop characterization and Indications and Warning (I&W) techniques

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Goal: Leverage hundreds of available, low-cost assets to increase coverage and persistence of tracking space objects


Hallmark: Real-Time Space Domain Awareness

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Goals:

• Perform real-time information fusion, including course of action (COA) generation and execution support

• Ingest source-agnostic information

• Use automation algorithms as decision aids to meet specific timelines

• Develop 3D visualization containing intuitive commander operating picture

Provide U.S. senior leadership the tools needed for real-time understanding and evaluation of the space environment

Artist’s Concept


Creating the Future

Routine access to spaceGEO robotic servicing

Tactical space traffic control DARPA space programs could help enable breakthrough future technologies in many areas, including:

• Tactical space traffic control

• GEO robotic servicing

• Routine access to space

DARPA seeks to fuel and leverage commercial capabilities, and partner with other agencies to augment national and economic security

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Artist’s concept

Artist’s concept


Artist’s concept

www.darpa.mil
