lcans 2009 - ncar mesa lab, boulder, colorado provider of near space solutions bridging the gap to...

LCANS 2009 - NCAR Mesa Lab, Boulder, Colorado

Provider of Near Space Solutions

Bridging The Gap To Space

Lightweight Science Payloads on High Altitude Long Duration Balloons and Airships


SOME INITIAL OBSERVATIONS

Everything is Relative:• Gap to Space

• Lightweight (‘PongSAT’, 6 lbs, 80 lbs, 2000 lbs)

• Science

• High Altitude (60-70kft, 100kft, 130kft, 170kft)

• Long Duration (2 days, 60 days, 100 days, several months, 744 days)

• Balloons and Airships (weather balloons, polyethylene zero-pressure, polyethylene superpressure, zylon, re-usable multi-layer envelopes)

Bridging The Gap To Space - Lightweight Science Payloads on High Altitude Long Duration Balloons and Airships


SOME INITIAL OBSERVATIONS

Everything is Relative…. Including:

• Costs ($2,500, $100k,$3M, $25M, $200M+)

• Performance (“let’s see what happens”, 95% success rate)

• Schedule (few months, few years, “sometime during my career”)

Bridging The Gap To Space - Lightweight Science Payloads on High Altitude Long Duration Balloons and Airships


FOCUS OF PRESENTATION

NSC’s Part of High Altitude Ballooning:

• Background

• Experience

• Markets/Customers

• Core Capabilities

• Applicable Technology/Systems


Company History:

• 1978 - President’s First Involvement in High Altitude Ballooning (mentored by many of the modern ballooning pioneers)

• 1989 - Key Employees working for Raven Industries (Balloon Engineer/Scientific Balloon & Parachute Program Mgr,

Materials Engineer/ Film Extrusion Facility Mgr, Engineering Tech/Balloon Designer)

• 1995 - President went to work for American Blimp on development of new A-130/150

• 1996 - Founded GSSL (Oregon Corporation)

GSSL/NSC BACKGROUND


Company History:

• 1997 - Operations moved to Tillamook (Began Manufacturing & Flight Operations)

• 2006 - Started doing business as NSC

• 2008 - NSC has performed more than 150 High Altitude Balloon Flight Tests to Date including launches from more than 10 different launch sites

GSSL/NSC BACKGROUND


• Government

• NASA - Planetary Technology (Venus, Mars, & Titan)• NOAA/NCAR - Atmospheric Research (Hurricanes)• DOD - Tactical Balloon Systems & Return Vehicles• Other Agencies - Custom Balloon Platforms/Systems

• Commercial Space

• Prototyping/Testing • Flight Test/Operations• Space Inflatables

• Laboratories & Universities

• LLNL, PNNL, Sandia• MIT-LL, JHU-APL• UNY StoneyBrook• University of Washington• Cal Tech

MARKETS/CUSTOMERS


Core Capabilities• Testing• Analysis • Design• Prototyping • Fabrication• Flight Ops• Training• FAA Coordination• Mission Analysis• Mission Planning• Flight Safety

Reviews• Payload Integration

GSSL/NSC BACKGROUND


NSC EXPERIENCE

Traditional Launch

Traditional Small Balloon Systems:

• Polyethylene Zero-pressure

• Polyester & High Performance Composite Super-pressure

• Payloads of 100 g to 500 lbs

• Durations of a few hours to 20+ days

• Turn-key flight operations including balloon fabrication/procurement, gondola/payload development, C3 & video systems, all necessary flight train and recovery system components, ground stations, tracking aircraft, licenses/clearances, FAA coordination, integration and launch infrastructure, and experienced flight ops personnel.


NSC EXPERIENCE

Traditional Launch

Tactical Balloon System:

• Patent Pending Inflation, Launch & Recovery System

• Small Tow Balloon & Packed Main

• 2-3 Person Launch in 30+ kt winds

• Allows Launches from Ships, Parking Lots, & Small Clearings

Tactical Launch


NSC EXPERIENCE

Tactical Balloon System:

• Have demonstrated 30 lbs payload with semi-autonomous PRV/Shuttle

• Have successfully laid out, inflated and launched in 20+knots (including 5 hr operational hold)

• 100 lb payloads practical with small scale increase (96” wingspan vs. current 60”)

• 250 lb payloads practical with packed parachute recovery system (no return vehicle)

Tactical Launch


Payload Return Vehicle Milestones:

• 2001 - NASA ARC/NRL - 1st HA Deployment (Glider)• 2002 - NASA ARC/NRL - 1st HA Deployment (Powered)• 2002 - NASA LaRC/AFS - 1st HA Deployment (Folded)• 2003 - NASA LaRC/AFS - ARIES Down-Selected for Mars Scout 07• 2004 - NASA JPL/BOEING - Mars Guided Parachutes• 2005 - USAF Topper II Tactical Balloon/Return Vehicle• 2006 - NASA LaRC/AFS - Considered for Mars Scout 11• 2007 - USAF TOPPER III• 2008 - Selected for Army AAEF Spiral E Demo (Now AEWE)• 2009 – Army SMDC Battle Lab – High Altitude Shuttle System (HASS)

COMPANY HISTORY

NSC EXPERIENCE

> 40 High Altitude Deployment Tests >100,000 ft> 30 Successful High Altitude Flights of PRV/Shuttle

(including glider and powered versions)


WWII Blimp Hangar:

• Dimensions:

• 1,072 ft Long

• 296 ft Wide

• 192 ft High

TILLAMOOK LAUNCH SITE

WWII K-Ships: 252 ft Long, 60 ft in Diameter


WWII Blimp Hangar:

• Door Dimensions:

• 120 ft High

• 220 ft Wide

TILLAMOOK LAUNCH SITE


• Low-Use Public Airport on Oregon Coast• Pacific Ocean to West• Coast Range to East• 2 hr drive from PDX

• Runway 13/31: • 5,001 ft x 100 ft• Good Condition• GPS Instrument Approach

• Runway 1/19:• 2,910 ft x 75 ft• Good Condition

TILLAMOOK AIRPORT

HANGAR

OLD BLIMP MOORING AREA


SPECIAL USE AIRSPACE W-570

• W-570 Details:

• 24 NM Due West of Tillamook Airport (14 NM Offshore)

• Surface to 50,000 ft

• NSC Member of Western Air Defense User’s Group

• Has Same Scheduling Priority as Other DoD Users

120 NMW-570

50 NM

TILLAMOOKAIRPORT


MADRAS LAUNCH SITE

• Details: • 117 Miles SE of Portland

• Low-Use Public Airport

• Remote Area (Central Oregon –

“looks like New Mexico”)

• In Rain Shadow of Cascades

HANGAR

COMMAND TRAILER

LAUNCHAREA


HAWAII LAUNCH SITE

• Details:

• Big Island of Hawaii

• 47 Miles S of Kona

• Moderate Climate

• Remote Area

• Flights Over Open Ocean

• Typically can launch 5 out of 7 days

BIGISLAND

LAUNCH SITE

LAUNCH FACILITIES


NSC SUPPORT

• Can Provide Highly Skilled, Lighter-Than-Air Personnel for: • Custom Fabrication• Assembly• Inflation• Testing• Flight Ops

• Facilities:• Tillamook Balloon Facility• Madras Launch Site• Hawaii Launch Site

• Equipment: • Mobile 30 ft Telemetry Trailer with LOS and OTH Capabilities• Inflation and Launch Equipment • Tracking Aircraft to Provide Deconfliction During Launch & Recovery Ops• Specialized Ground, Test & Inspection Support Equipment

• Strong Working Relationship with FAA:• Coordinate with Local ATC & Regional Offices


CONCLUSIONS

“Relative” to NSC:• Gap to Space

• Lightweight Payloads < 200 lbs

• Science

• High Altitude 65 to 120 kft.

• Long Duration Few weeks to a few month

• Balloons and Airships Small zero-pressure and super-pressure, currently no airships*

*except for Titan


POC: Tim Lachenmeier

Phone: (503) 842-1990

Fax: (503) 842-1923

Web Site: www.nsc.aero

Provider of Near Space Solutions

Questions?

lcans 2009 - ncar mesa lab, boulder, colorado provider of near space solutions bridging the gap to...

Documents

high altitude ballooning

lbs science high altitude

balloon fabricationprocurement

necessary flight train

daysturnkey flight operations

lbs payload

payloads practical

kftlong duration