Innovating Public Private Partnerships and Dual-Use Technology
- Paper number
IAC-07-E5.I.01
- Author
Mr. Thomas Taylor, United States
- Coauthor
Mr. Walter Kistler, Lunar Transportation Systems, United States
- Coauthor
Mr. Bob Citron, United States
- Year
2007
- Abstract
Future commercial In-Space operations include logistics support of propellant bases in free space and cargo flow to exploration bases beyond Earth. Dual-use In-Space operation capabilities are important to commercial logistics companies and may help NASA to enhance the assembly, servicing and maintenance activities developed for servicing the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) and International Space Station (ISS). Entrepreneurs see these NASA In-Space capabilities as valuable for the support future commercial systems in free space including propellant depots, rescue and lifetime extension. Entrepreneurs combine dual-use assembly, servicing and maintenance capabilities with commercial transportation. Commercial organizations are prepared to cooperate in dual-use and other innovative methods in technology transfer processes that start early rather than later in the development process including identifying benefits for both sides in public private partnerships. The paper explores and describes how both advanced NASA Future In-Space Operations (FISO) and emerging commercial In-Space transportation technologies can be identified and investigated at the source for possible cooperation in their development locations like L-1 or a series of propellant supply bases used to place in operation a sustainable commercial Lunar Transportation System and logistics trade route to the lunar surface and beyond for future space exploration. Today’s commercial “enablers,” visualize a resource value beyond Earth, but the multiple lunar trade routes will eventually require bases in LEO, L-1, lunar orbit and on the moon’s surface to logistically support and recover this value including technological road maps to recovery those resources. How do we build a sustainable lunar economy 50 times further than Prudhoe Bay with propellant supply depots and the In-Space transportation required? One commercial strategy is to stimulate early commercial “enablers” to find the dual-use technologies to recover the moon’s profitable resources, so private money will enter the development cycle and provide the same financial drivers working in Earth based trade routes. Affordable commercial transportation to/from the moon’s surface is a key enabler for the sustained commercial development of the moon’s resources thru a series of commercial resource recovery bases. Remote bases like Prudhoe used four separate logistics transportation systems for safety and economy, but none operated all the time. Lunar trade routes must be an evolving, affordable, two directional, sustainable with at least one early transportation alternative financed privately to remain in operation after NASA moves on to explore the universe.
- Abstract document
- Manuscript document
IAC-07-E5.I.01.pdf (🔒 authorized access only).
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