The NASA Launch Services Program (LSP) is responsible for procurement of launch services for NASA uncrewed missions and oversight of launch integration and launch preparation activity, providing added quality and mission assurance to meet program objectives.[1] LSP operates under the NASA Space Operations Mission Directorate (SOMD).[2]
Since 1990, NASA has purchased expendable launch vehicle launch services directly from commercial providers, whenever possible, for its scientific and applications missions. Expendable launch vehicles can accommodate all types of orbit inclinations and altitudes and are ideal vehicles for launching Earth-orbit and interplanetary missions. The Launch Services Program was established at Kennedy Space Center for NASA's acquisition and program management of expendable launch vehicle missions. A NASA/contractor team is in place to meet the mission of the Launch Services Program, which exists to provide leadership, expertise and cost-effective services in the commercial arena to satisfy Agency wide space transportation requirements and maximize the opportunity for mission success.[3]
The launch history of NASA's Launch Services Program (LSP) since the program formed in 1998 at Kennedy Space Center. The launch of NASA robotic missions occurred from a number of launch sites on a variety of rockets. After the list of launches are descriptions of select historic LSP missions.[4][5]
Operations
NASA Launch Services II
The LSP acquires space launch services using the NASA Launch Services (NLS) II Contract.[6] Once a year, launch services contractors can be added to or offloaded from contract.[7] The following contractors are attached to the NLS II Contract.
Venture-Class Acquisition of Dedicated and Rideshare missions
NASA awarded contracts to launch services contractors to support Venture-Class Acquisition of Dedicated and Rideshare (VADR) missions in January 2022 and again in August 2024.[11][12][13] The current contractors selected are:[14]
The LSP works with U.S. Government spacecraft program offices to define launch requirements for their programs and then engage with launch services contractors to deliver a compatible solution. LSP has relationships with various agencies and organizations:
For launches from CCSFS, guardians, Space Force civilians and contractors from throughout Space Launch Delta 45 provided vital support, including weather forecasts, launch and range operations, security, safety, medical and public affairs. The wing also provided its vast network of radar, telemetry, and communications instrumentation to facilitate a safe launch on the Eastern Range.[18][19][20][21] Among work done by the Space Force is Mission Flight Control, which ensures public safety during launch.[22][23][24][25]
Operating locations
The LSP management, business office, and engineering teams support from the Operations and Checkout Building at Kennedy Space Center.[26] The Launch Services Program operates Hangar AE on the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. It is LSP's Launch Communications Center.[27] For Florida launches, many of the primary LSP engineers on console are in Hangar AE. For launches from California and other launch sites, many of support LSP engineers are on console there. Launch services contractors and spacecraft engineers will often operate out of the Hangar also. It gathers telemetry for rocket launches beyond those worked by LSP.
Mission risk posture and launch services selection
NASA has specific policies governing launch services.[28] NASA uses a certification system for rockets launched by its contractors, and for validation purposes it requires the certification process to be "instrumented to provide design verification and flight performance data", with post-flight operations, anomaly resolution process, and a flight margin verification process, with 80% predicted design reliability at 95% confidence.[29]
1 successful flight of a common launch vehicle configuration, or:
3 consecutive successful flights of a common launch vehicle configuration from an evolved vehicle family developed by an LSC with a previously certified launch vehicle for Risk Category 2 or 3
Cat 3 (Low Risk)
Significant flight history
A, B, C, D
14 consecutive successful flights (95% demonstrated reliability at 50% confidence) of a common launch vehicle configuration, or:
6 successful flights (minimum 3 consecutive) of a common launch vehicle configuration from an evolved vehicle family developed by an LSC with a previously certified launch vehicle for Risk Category 3, or:
3 consecutive successful flights of a common launch vehicle configuration from an evolved vehicle family developed by an LSC with a previously certified launch vehicle for Risk Category 3
Additional advisory services
In addition to providing end-to-end launch services, LSP also offers Advisory Services.[31] This "is a consulting service to government and commercial organizations, providing mission management, overall systems engineering and/or specific discipline expertise; e.g. mission assurance, flight design, systems safety, etc., as requested." By example, the LSP Flight Design team provides general information regarding the launch vehicle performance available via existing NASA contracts.[32] This non-traditional service allows LSP to "expand its customer base and assist these customers in maximizing their mission success by using NASA LSP's unique expertise." The four general categories of advisory services are:
SMART (Supplemental Mission Advisory and Risk Team)
The total cost for NASA to launch the mission includes the launch service, spacecraft processing, payload integration, tracking, data and telemetry, mission unique launch site ground support, and other launch support requirements. All costs listed are approximate. Some spacecraft were awarded as a group, which is why their cost is listed as 1 of a number of spacecraft. Unless the reference specifies otherwise, the value is at award (i.e. when the launch service contract is signed) and does not account for additional costs due to delays and other factors or any cost savings that may have occurred later.
The Launch Services Program team also performs research relating to launching uncrewed NASA spacecraft.[70] Research and technical analysis topics include:
Flight Design analysts work on the intended course, or trajectory, of the rocket.[71][72]
Telemetry engineers get tracking stations to cover all the mandatory portions of flight.[71][73][74] Analysts from many disciplines review this data post-flight.
The SPHERES-Slosh investigation uses small robotic satellites on the International Space Station to examine how liquids move around inside containers in microgravity. A water bottle's contents slosh around differently in space than on Earth, but the physics of liquid motion in microgravity are not well understood, which affects computer simulations of liquid rocket fuel behavior. LSP leads a team that includes Florida Institute of Technology[88][89][90] and Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The research is sponsored by the Game Changing Development (GCD) program (within NASA Technology Demonstration Office (TDO)'s Space Technology Mission Directorate).[91][92][93][94][95][96]
The experiment is a water tank with cameras and sensors that will be mounted between two SPHERES satellites inside the ISS. During testing, the SPHERES will move to purposely agitate the water and cause the fluid inside to slosh around, like it might in a rocket or spacecraft tank during flight. The data collected will be one of a kind. Three initial tests are expected to happen with the first couple months of launch.
"The current inability to accurately predict fuel and oxidizer behavior can result in unnecessary caution, requiring extra propellant to be added along with additional helium for tank pressurization. A better understanding of fluid slosh could not only decrease this uncertainty, but increase efficiency, reduce costs and allow additional payloads to be launched."[97] Understanding from this experiment could help improve design/operations of rocket tanks and control systems.
NASA's Brandon Marsell, co-principal investigator on the Slosh Project: "Modern computer models try to predict how liquid moves inside a propellant tank. Now that rockets are bigger and are going farther, we need more precise data. Most of the models we have were validated under 1 g conditions on Earth. None have been validated in the surface tension-dominated microgravity environment of space." (via Langley Research Center article[98])
Slosh is the first project on the ISS to use 3D printed materials for its experiment. NASA's Jacob Roth, project manager on the Slosh Project, on the first science session: "The results from our first checkout run are proving interesting. While not too unexpected, the bubble/liquid interaction behavior appears to be exhibiting a slightly different interaction than current models predict." The team will be altering the tests for the second session based on the preliminary results.[99]
The 2008-2010 slosh related tests on SPHERES were performed with a single SPHERES spacecraft and, in some cases, the addition of a battery pack Velcroed on to the SPHERES spacecraft. These tests were to better understand the physical properties of the SPHERES spacecraft, notably the mass properties, prior adding any tanks to the system.[100] Some of the tests also attempted to excite and then sense slosh within the SPHERES CO2 tank. Florida Tech designed the slosh experiments for Test Sessions 18/20/24/25.
The Cryogenic Orbital Testbed (CRYOTE) is a collaboration between NASA and commercial companies to develop an orbital testbed that will demonstrate cryogenic fluid management technologies in space environments. "The testbed provides an in-space environment in which the fluid transfer, handling, and storage of liquid hydrogen (LH2) and/or liquid oxygen (LO2) can be demonstrated."[115][116][117]
NASA's Launch Services Program Educational Outreach provides awareness to students, teachers and the public about NASA's exciting spacecraft missions and how the world benefits from them. Distance learning via video conference connects students to LSP experts[119]
The office also coordinates activities and educational booths at events for NASA and the public.[120][121][122][123] The outreach is performed by both members of the LSP Educational Outreach Office and LSP experts throughout the program.
The LSP Educational Outreach Office created the Rocket Science 101 Game. Students can pick a NASA mission, select the right rocket, and build a rocket to send the spacecraft into orbit. There are three different levels for varying ages and it is available for the computer and Apple/Android devices.[124]
CubeSat Launch Initiative and Educational Launch of Nanosatellites
NASA and the Launch Services Program are partnering with several universities to launch small research satellites. These small satellites are called CubeSats. The CubeSat Launch Initiative (CSLI) provides opportunities for small satellite payloads to fly on rockets planned for upcoming launches. As of February 2015, CSLI has selected 119 spacecraft since 2010.[125]
The Educational Launch of Nanosatellites (ELaNa)[126] program is a part of CSLI. ELaNa manifests the CubeSats selected by CSLI onto upcoming rocket launches. CubeSats were first included on the launch of LSP missions in 2011. ELaNa missions are not manifested exclusively on LSP missions; they have been a part of NRO/military launches and ELaNa V will be on an International Space Station resupply launch. ELaNa mission numbers are based on the order they are manifested; due to the nature of launching, the actual launch order differs from the mission numbers.
In 2014, as a part of the White House Maker Initiative, CSLI announced its intention to launch 50 small satellites from 50 states within five years. As of July 2014, there were 21 "rookie states" that had not previously been selected by the CSLI[127]
In October 2015, NASA's LSP, with funding partnered by Earth Science Division of NASA's Science Mission Directorate, "awarded multiple Venture Class Launch Services (VCLS) contracts to provide small satellites (SmallSats) -- also called CubeSats, microsats or nanosatellites -- access to low-Earth orbit." Three companies received $4–7 million firm fixed-price contracts. The intention of the VCLS contracts is to provide alternatives to the current rideshare-type approach for launch of small satellites.[128]
Community Involvement
STEM teams are sponsored and mentored by NASA's Launch Services Program.
The satellite, named StangSat after the school's Mustang mascot, will collect data on the amount of shock and vibration experienced by payloads while in orbit.,[133]
On June 15, 2013, the team launched an engineering unit of StangSat on the Prospector-18 rocket;[134] the suborbital flight took off from the Friends of Amateur Rocketry site in California's Mojave Desert.[135] The other satellites on board were Rocket University Broad Initiatives CubeSat, or RUBICS-1 (KSC); PhoneSat (ARC); and CP-9 (CalPoly). Though the parachute deployed early, resulting in a hard landing, all four satellites were able to collect usable data.[136]
NASA's Launch Services Program maintains social media accounts on Facebook[138] and Twitter.[139] NASA Kennedy Space Center social media accounts frequently post news involving LSP activities.[140][141][142][143][144][145][146]NASA has compiled a page will all its flagship social media accounts across many different platforms.[147] The spacecraft section of this page has accounts for many of the spacecraft launched by NASA LSP.[148]
NASA Public Affairs posts pictures and videos of NASA LSP spacecraft and rockets as they go through processing and launch.[149][150] A launch blog is also stood up for each launch campaign and is always updated on launch day by Kennedy Space Center Public Affairs.[151]
Since NASA Socials were started in 2009, NASA LSP has participated in many for the launch of its missions: Juno, GRAIL, NPP, MSL, KSC 50th/MSL Landing, RBSP, MAVEN and more.[152] NASA Socials allow social media followers to receive VIP access to NASA facilities and speakers. The participants post about their experiences with NASA, performing outreach to their networks. NASA LSP has provided speakers for these events, along with tour guides and other support. NASA Socials were formerly known as Tweetups.[153]
NASA has created many apps, some of which feature NASA LSP and its spacecraft.[154][155] One popular app is Spacecraft 3D, which features several spacecraft launched by LSP. Developed by JPL, the app allows uses to take 3D tours of many JPL spacecraft using a printed piece of paper and their phone or tablet. Users can rotate and zoom in on the spacecraft, along with deploying movable parts of the spacecraft such as solar arrays, masts, and booms. By deploying and retracting these parts, a user can get a sense of how the spacecraft goes from the launch configuration on top of the rocket to operation configuration when it's collecting scientific data.[156][157]
↑ Wilde, Paul; Gowan, John; Silvestri, Ryan; Stahl, Benjamin; Rosati, Paul (October 17, 2011). Achieving the Proper Balance Between Crew & Public Safety(PDF). International Association for the Advancement of Space Safety Conference. Vol.5. Versailles, France: FAA, NASA & USAF. Archived from the original(PDF) on July 2, 2017. Retrieved March 4, 2018.
↑ "Hangar AE"(PDF). Kennedy Space Center Fact Sheets. NASA. June 2014. FS-2014-06-175-KSC. Archived(PDF) from the original on November 25, 2023. Retrieved February 3, 2016.
↑ Chintalapati, Sunil; Charles A. Holicker; Richard E. Schulman; Brian D. Wise; Gabriel D. Lapilli; Hector M. Gutierrez; Daniel R. Kirk (July 2013). "Update on SPHERES Slosh for Acquisition of Liquid Slosh Data aboard the ISS". American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. 49th AIAA/ASME/SAE/ASEE Joint Propulsion Conference. doi:10.2514/6.2013-3903. ISBN978-1-62410-222-6.
↑ Stefula, Denise M. (2014). "Fluid Slosh Results Begin Pouring In"(PDF). Space Technology Game Changing Development Highlights (Jan/Feb 2014). NASA. pp.2–4. Archived from the original(PDF) on 14 March 2014. Retrieved 14 March 2014.
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