This session will consider and discuss the role played by the International Space Station as an exploration testbed and in creating markets that extend beyond low Earth orbit (LEO). The ISS is a critical technical testbed for deep-space exploration system and subsystem development and as a testbed for the development of business in space that might be sustained in LEO or beyond, once the ISS is gone. Panelists will consider international partnerships; the development of specialized equipment or facilities; customer expectations; and the development of human-operated, human-tended, autonomous or passive platforms in LEO or in Cislunar space.
ISS and Beyond: Habs, Labs, and Platforms, from LEO to Deep Space
1. ISS and Beyond: Habs, Labs and
Platforms, From LEO to Deep Space
• MARYBETH EDEEN, MANAGER, ISS RESEARCH INTEGRATION
OFFICE, NASA (MODERATOR)
• SAM SCIMEMI, DIRECTOR OF
INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION, NASA
• MARK MULQUEEN, PROGRAM MANAGER, INTERNATIONAL
SPACE STATION, BOEING
• ROBERT BIGELOW, PRESIDENT, BIGELOW AEROSPACE
• MICHAEL SUFFREDINI, PRESIDENT,
COMMERCIAL SPACE DIVISION, SGT
SPEAKERS:
2. ISS and Beyond
Sam Scimemi
Director, International Space Station
NASA Headquarters
ISS Research and Development Conference
San Diego, CA
14 July 2016
5. Just some of the many colored facets of ISS
Platform for developing Mars driven life support,
crew health, performance and other habitation
systems
6. Just some of the many colored facets of ISS
Mechanism for evolving from “government directed” LEO
HSF activities to “commercial market driven supply and
demand”
7. Just some of the many colored facets of ISS
Partnership regime provides a solid and known basis
for international cooperation in LEO and beyond
8. Just some of the many colored facets of ISS
Development of a worldwide team executing on the edge of
knowledge that has built trust and understanding across nations
9. Just some of the many colored facets of ISS
Instrument of foreign and domestic
policy
11. How could these facets effect the future?
What happens is LEO after ISS?
12. How could these facets effect the future?
What happens is LEO after ISS?
Will private industry be able to sustain a commercial market in LEO at
ISS end-of-life?
13. How could these facets effect the future?
What happens is LEO after ISS?
Will private industry be able to sustain a commercial market in LEO at
ISS end-of-life?
Can the ISS International Partnership be applied to post-ISS LEO and
cislunar space?
14. How could these facets effect the future?
What happens is LEO after ISS?
Will private industry be able to sustain a commercial market in LEO at
ISS end-of-life?
Can the ISS International Partnership be applied to post-ISS LEO and
cislunar space?
Does NASA have research requirements in LEO post-ISS?
15. How could these facets effect the future?
What happens is LEO after ISS?
Will private industry be able to sustain a commercial market in LEO at
ISS end-of-life?
Can the ISS International Partnership be applied to post-ISS LEO and
cislunar space?
Does NASA have research requirements in LEO post-ISS?
What are the ISS International Partners intentions in LEO and beyond?
16. How could these facets effect the future?
What happens is LEO after ISS?
Will private industry be able to sustain a commercial market in LEO at
ISS end-of-life?
Can the ISS International Partnership be applied to post-ISS LEO and
cislunar space?
Does NASA have research requirements in LEO post-ISS?
What are the ISS International Partners intentions in LEO and beyond?
Will private and non-NASA government demand be sustained post-ISS?
17. How could these facets effect the future?
What happens is LEO after ISS?
Will private industry be able to sustain a commercial market in LEO at
ISS end-of-life?
Can the ISS International Partnership be applied to post-ISS LEO and
cislunar space?
Does NASA have research requirements in LEO post-ISS?
What are the ISS International Partners intentions in LEO and beyond?
Will private and non-NASA government demand be sustained post-ISS?
How can the ISS Program be evolved to effect the
outcomes of these questions?
25. “Path to a Commercial Space Station”
Mike Suffredini, President, Axiom Space
26. Axiom Space, LLC
• Axiom Space, LLC is a space commercialization startup
– Headquartered near Johnson Space Center
• Vision: To colonize Earth orbit as a means to sustained deep space
exploration. To build an affordable, state-of-the-art city in Earth
orbit by 2040 where any of us could live, visit, work and play.
• Axiom Space is a subsidiary of Stinger Ghaffarian Technologies (SGT)
– SGT is NASA’s second largest support services contractor
– It currently employs 2500+ employees and supports 7 NASA Centers
– The corporation earned approximately $600M in revenue last year
– SGT is the ISS operations contractor and the science/engineering
support contractor for many ISS research disciplines across multiple
NASA centers
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27. Path to Commercial Space Station
• Axiom’s long term vision includes a large sophisticated space
station assembled in Earth orbit as a means to permanently
living and working in space (2040 timeframe)
– This is a necessary step to truly explore space as pioneers
• An important step toward the large sophisticated station is an
evolvable commercial space station to follow the International
Space Station (ISS)
• The first step toward an evolvable commercial space station is a
commercial module that is launched and attached to ISS in late
2020 and later becomes part of the evolvable commercial space
station when ISS is retired
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31. Investors Need a Compelling Story
• Cannot build module or the rest of a commercial space
station without major investment
• Investors want to see:
– A compelling case
• Interesting idea
• BOE indicating significant return (profits, equity)
• Believable market assessment
– With risks mitigated
• Commitments from customers
• Endorsement from key stake holders
• Capable key individuals and viable team
• The Market assessment has to be compelling with
near term written customer commitments
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32. The Market is Key (of course)
• An independent market assessment indicates a
potentially credible market in the distant future.
• In the near term however the expected customer
base will not support a commercial space station
• Great strides have been made by NASA, CASIS and
commercial companies like Nanoracks, Space Tango,
Tech Shot and Bigelow
– Still the story from a major investor perspective is not
compelling enough to part with $100M’s
• We need to at least double or triple the number of
new ISS commercial users per year to have a chance
of a viable customer base by 2024
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33. The Question
• Today new commercial users cannot even get started
without ISS and the NASA subsidies
– The subsidies are mandatory to grow the base
• Potential platform providers cannot justify the
expense of building and operating their own
independent vehicles given the projected customer
base
– We need ISS and the NL to be successful
• But, commercial platform providers cannot get many
customers to use their platforms as long as ISS exists
• So, should ISS end in 2024, to get out of the way of
potential providers, but likely when the market is still
very soft or should ISS continue a little longer… ?
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34. Consider
• Perhaps we should consider a modest
increase in our time and talent investment
now to grow the commercial user base at a
pace that supports retiring ISS in 2024
• A commercial station would be realized
earlier, releasing $2B to $3B in US govt
resources alone
• NASA (and the IP’s) could redirect the savings
and get on with the human exploration of our
solar system
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