CommercialSpaceflightOpportunities for UK Education & Training

CommercialSpaceflightOpportunities for UK Education & Training

J. Duncan Law-GreenDept. of Physics & Astronomy, Univ. of Leicester

Commercial SpaceflightCommercial Spaceflight• Spurred by successful flight of SpaceShipOne in

2004

• More than a dozen companies working on manned & unmanned suborbital systems

• Four companies working with NASA on commercial manned orbital, launch by 2009-10

• Commercial space station by 2010 (Bigelow Aerospace)

Active Duty Astronauts by AgencyActive Duty Astronauts by Agency

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

ESA

Virgin Galactic

RSA

NASA

Virgin GalacticVirgin Galactic• Constructing fleet of

5 spaceplanes, 2carrier aircraft

• Co-founder of Spaceport America, $225M project for world’s first passenger spaceport.

• 100 test flights scheduled 2008/9.

• First commercial flight late 2009.

• May also launch from Sweden (Kiruna) and Scotland (Lossiemouth).

Commercial Spaceflight: Rapid Development cycles

Commercial Spaceflight: Rapid Development cycles

20 years 6 monthsHuygensHuygens PixelPixel

Commercial Spaceflight: Small engineering teamsCommercial Spaceflight:

Small engineering teams

Image © Armadillo Aerospace Inc.

Commercial Spaceflight: Competitive

Commercial Spaceflight: Competitive

Image © Rocket Racing League

HighJump: Suborbital payloads for schoolsHighJump: Suborbital payloads for schools

• Make use of new cheap, reusable suborbital launchers (e.g. Masten XA-1.0)

• Launch large numbers (hundreds) of small “CanSat” payloads built by school/college students.

• Thousands of young peoplegain experience designing& operating space systems

• Corporate sponsorship opportunitiesArtist’s impression: Masten XA-1.0

Teachers in SpaceTeachers in Space

• Recruit several UK science teachers to undergo abbreviated form of astronaut training

• Culminates in suborbital flight with commercial provider (e.g. Virgin Galactic)

• Launch providers may give educational flights free of charge

• Similar program already exists in US

ConclusionConclusion

• The Revolution is Coming!

• Commercial spaceflight will show that space development can be exciting, challenging, profitable and fun.