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
Jan 12, 2016
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
LCANS 2009 - NCAR Mesa Lab, Boulder, Colorado
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
LCANS 2009 - NCAR Mesa Lab, Boulder, Colorado
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
LCANS 2009 - NCAR Mesa Lab, Boulder, Colorado
FOCUS OF PRESENTATION
NSC’s Part of High Altitude Ballooning:
• Background
• Experience
• Markets/Customers
• Core Capabilities
• Applicable Technology/Systems
LCANS 2009 - NCAR Mesa Lab, Boulder, Colorado
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
LCANS 2009 - NCAR Mesa Lab, Boulder, Colorado
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
LCANS 2009 - NCAR Mesa Lab, Boulder, Colorado
• 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
LCANS 2009 - NCAR Mesa Lab, Boulder, Colorado
Core Capabilities• Testing• Analysis • Design• Prototyping • Fabrication• Flight Ops• Training• FAA Coordination• Mission Analysis• Mission Planning• Flight Safety
Reviews• Payload Integration
GSSL/NSC BACKGROUND
LCANS 2009 - NCAR Mesa Lab, Boulder, Colorado
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.
LCANS 2009 - NCAR Mesa Lab, Boulder, Colorado
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
LCANS 2009 - NCAR Mesa Lab, Boulder, Colorado
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
LCANS 2009 - NCAR Mesa Lab, Boulder, Colorado
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)
LCANS 2009 - NCAR Mesa Lab, Boulder, Colorado
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
LCANS 2009 - NCAR Mesa Lab, Boulder, Colorado
WWII Blimp Hangar:
• Door Dimensions:
• 120 ft High
• 220 ft Wide
TILLAMOOK LAUNCH SITE
LCANS 2009 - NCAR Mesa Lab, Boulder, Colorado
• 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
LCANS 2009 - NCAR Mesa Lab, Boulder, Colorado
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
LCANS 2009 - NCAR Mesa Lab, Boulder, Colorado
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
LCANS 2009 - NCAR Mesa Lab, Boulder, Colorado
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
LCANS 2009 - NCAR Mesa Lab, Boulder, Colorado
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
LCANS 2009 - NCAR Mesa Lab, Boulder, Colorado
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
LCANS 2009 - NCAR Mesa Lab, Boulder, Colorado
POC: Tim Lachenmeier
Phone: (503) 842-1990
Fax: (503) 842-1923
Web Site: www.nsc.aero
Provider of Near Space Solutions
Questions?