The Space Frontier Foundations Settlement Enabling Test, as applied to the Constellation program

Introduction: This document is intended to show how a data report should be compiled, when there is a formal request to apply the Settlement Enabling Test. Because this is not a formal data report, citations have not been provided for each and every piece of data. However, in a formal data report, full citation will be needed for each Data Report Comment. This Data report was compiled by James Pura and Aaron Oesterle.

Constellation Defined

Constellation consists of a two spacecraft system (Orion and Altiar), and a two rocket system (Ares I and Ares V). The destination of the Constellation program is the moon.

Ares V consists of a central core vehicle that has 2 Ares I first stage as boosters, 6 RS68 engines, and then an upper stage

Ares I consists of a 5-segment solid rocket derived from the Space Shuttle Solid Rocket Booster, with a new upperstage, which uses an engine derived from the Saturn V J-2 series.. Ares I has changed drastically from its original design, which was originally a 4-segment first stage and a modified SSME second stage. Ares is being tested in stages, with the Ares I-X, which has 4 full segements and 1 dummy segment, and only mass simulators, the Ares IY, which has a full up first stage and mass simulators for the remainder.

Altair is a Lunar Lander Spacecraft Orion is a capsule spacecraft, similar in appearance to the Apollo spacecraft

Question Answers 1. Societal Values (a) This proposal is consistent with the values of the Space Frontier Foundation believes are necessary for a free and open frontier in space. Data Report comments On a purely basic human rights issue, Constellation will not violate any issues. (b) This proposal maintains budget transparency, and therefore supports honest decision making. Data Report Comments NASA provides a current year ask for Constellation, as well as a 5 year projection http://www.nasa.gov/news/budget/. However, this number may differ from the Office of Management and Budget 5 year projection - http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/budget. The current year ask must be the same between both OMB and NASA (c) This proposal includes rigorous and independent oversight. Data Report Comments Congress has the ability (but is not required) to review any and all data from NASA, provided it does not cross presidential executive privilege, and has had XX congressional hearings to review this data. OMB reviews the strategic level decisions NASA is making to determine whether the budget, priorities, and schedule meet with the presidents budget, priorities, and schedule. OMB can overrule a NASA strategic level decision. OSTP also reviews the strategic level decisions of NASA, in terms of large scale priorities. OSTP has shown more deference to NASA decision.

(d) This proposal has a reasonable implementation plan, budget & schedule so that it is likely to be properly executed. Data Report Comments The Exploration Systems Architecture Study is the documental that lays out the formal plan for Constellation, and the justifications for the strategic decisions it makes. o This document has never been publically released in its entirety. NASAs current schedule for the first manned Ares I/Orion flight is 2014. o There is substantial skepticism in this launch data. The Augustine Report believed that NASA was unlikely to have a manned flight before 2016 The original expected budget was $28 Billion in 2006, and has since been raised to $40 Billion in 2009. http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2009-0506/news/Shuttle_1_orion-rocket-plan-for-nasa

2. Expanding Human Access to the Frontier (a) This proposal encourages or allows a greater number of non-governmentally funded people to fly or operate in space. Data Report Comments The Constellation program itself is intended as a set of purely NASA vehicles, used to transport only NASA astronauts. There is no mechanism provided for that allows private astronauts to easily obtain a ride on a Constellation flight (i.e. Space Adventures). The expected flight rate of Constellation has various substantially. The costs associated with Constellation are high enough as to be difficult for private entities to purchase rides on Constellation.

(b) This proposal encourages and supports a greater diversity of people who are able to fly or operate in space. Data Report Comments The diversity of the astronauts is determined by NASA. It is at present limited to NASA astronauts, and potentially International Partners.

(c) This proposal enables or encourages more people to increase the longevity of their stay in space. Data Report Comments The Orion can stay docked to station for 6 months (need source), before it needs to be replaced, but could only carry 4 people The longest lunar sortie mission using only the basic Constellation profile could stay is 30 days.

3. Ensuring the Sustainability of Space Settlement (a) This proposal encourages the use of resources that do not require launching mass from the surface of the Earth. (Example: Using Earths magnetic field for station keeping rather than propellant carried from Earth) Data Report Comments Constellation does not use any lunar ISRU for any of its current hardware pieces. Only the solar panels utilize ISRU technology at any point during the mission An entire Constellation sortie mission carries all of its survival gear on either Ares I or Ares V Altair/Orion is not designed to take advantage of lunar ISRU systems, should they come into existences.

(b) This proposal uses or makes available the resources of space in a smart, sustainable way. (Example of a failure: the Moon Treaty, which prevents the use of private property) Data Report Comments Constellation gathers/uses the following space-based resources o Solar Power for power generation o Lunar rocks for scientific research Solar Energy is entirely sustainable energy with current technology. The Apollo missions brought back a total of around 400 kg of moon rocks, and the moon has a mass of 7.3 *10^22 kg of material They have the potential to create more space debris, as the various parts are not recaptured, or positioned in a way to take advantage of them (basically, they are littering in space)

(c) This proposal enhances or encourages the re-use and recycling of terrestrial materials carried into space. (Example: re-cycling upper stages or external tanks for fuel depots or habitats) Data Report Comments Originally the Orion Capsule was entirely reusable. However, this eventually became only partially reusable, similar to Shuttle. The Orion Service module was not planned to be reused Altair - a new Altiar was planned for each mission Ares I - the first stage was intended for reuse, similar to how they reuse the Shuttle SRBs. The second stage is not reused Ares V - The Solid rockets were to be reused, similar to the Shuttle. The Core section is not reused, and neither is the Upper Stage

(d) This proposal maintains or increases the usability of the space environment. (Example: debris clouds created by an anti-satellite testing program drastically increases the need for micro-meteor shielding to the point that spacecraft become prohibitively expensive.) Data Report Comments Lunar material was to be gathered for scientific research Some of this research might have taken place on the Moon, but much of it would have taken place on Earth (source needed) Constellation architecture had the potential to add more space debris, in the form of used upper stages, the Orion Service module, and the Altiar hardware.

4. Creating a Pro-Settlement Policy/Legal/Regulatory Environment in Space (a) This proposal develops a regulatory environment that fosters settlement, utilization, and/or commercialization. (Example: property rights related to Moon, Mars, asteroids, etc. so that private enterprise can operate effectively, and make use extracted resources, etc) Data Report Comments NASA is not a regulatory agency, and cannot by definition regulate, and therefore this has no impact on the regulatory environment.

5. Creating value/profit from the space environment that supports/catalyzes settlement (a) This proposal encourages the creation of items (goods and services) of value that derive most of their value from space. (Example: communication satellites need the high altitude of space to be valuable. Without this, the satellite isnt worth anything.) Data Report Comments Constellation goals are to land people on the moon There is no mass-market consumer good that is developed and sold to the general public that is enabled as a result from Constellation

(b) This proposal encourages additional investment of time, money or talent into frontierenabling activities as defined in this document. Data Report All 4 pieces of hardware (Ares I, Ares V, Orion, Altiar), are being built by existing contractors and subcontractors They must meet NASAs design requirements, rather than performance requirements [in SFF lingo: NASA fails to buy the ride not the rocket]. Therefore, if anyone wants to utilize any of the pieces of Constellation, they are paying the same price as NASA does NASA representatives have said that they do not believe there is a commercial market for an all inclusive Heavy-Lift system (IE Ares V), and therefore dont believe its competing with anyone, nor do they believe that anyone will be interested in buying a non-NASA flight of Ares V. Therefore, theyre only going to design it and use it for their purposes only. Ares I lift is approximately equivalent to that of the Delta IV Heavy, and the Falcon Heavy, and therefore competes directly with them. These markets already have an excess of capacity at current price point--i.e., more rockets than payloads.

6. Developing Space Capabilities (a) This proposal identifies and prioritizes key strategic space capabilities (not technologies) which directly enable, enhance, or accelerate space settlement in a broad, inclusive manner. (Example: a review panel identifying what capabilities we would like to develop in 10 years e.g. National Research Council decadal surveys or the Review of Human Spaceflight Plans Committee) Data Report Constellation was built around designed systems, rather than defined capabilities It presupposes the ideal systems for returning to the moon as the Ares I, Ares V, Orion, and Altair, which is a predetermined set of technologies, and capabilities. Ares I - capability already exists with Delta IV Heavy & Falcon Heavy. No new capability. Ares V - capability used to exist with Saturn V, and US hasnt had this level of launch capability since 1970s. The need for such a capability today is unclear, due to the other capabilities of other launch providers. Orion Capsule - capability already exists with Dragon capsule. Orion does not develop any new strategic capability that we dont already have. Altair Lunar Lander - capability used to exist with Apollo, albeit Altair is a much larger lander than lunar excursion module (LEM) was.

(b) This proposal includes in its implementation plan a viable path for an idea to emerge as a commercial product or service that delivers a key strategic capability. (Examples: The same needed capabilities [or technologies] have existed on NASA/Department of Defense charts for decades. Many have been partially developed or proven on the ground repeatedly without achieving formal flight status and ultimately commercial availability.) Data Report Comments The ideas coming out of Constellation are centered on NASA-only needs. Therefore, commercial products or services that come out of Constellation will utilize NASA development, management, and cost structures. And there are no guarantees that they will emerge at all.

(c) This proposal makes full use of existing or planned commercial capabilities (i.e. goods and/or services) to achieve one or more strategic space capabilities. Data Report Comments The Constellation Systems are being developed and designed in house at NASA. Ares I has the same payload capacity as Delta IV, and Delta IV has less of a vibration impact on the payload Commercial options for going to ISS exist with the SpaceX Dragon and SNCs DreamChaser. Each vehicle can deliver 7 people to ISS Orion can only deliver 4-6 people to ISS SpaceXs Dragon can withstand lunar re-entry speeds Orion can also withstand lunar re-entry speeds There may be a difference in the how long the vehicles can operate independently of other spacecraft, but that is unknown.

(d) This proposal (if implemented) would sustainably achieve the desired strategic capability. (Example: While the International Space Station (ISS) was under construction, NASA decided to decommission ISS 5 years after completion. It is underutilized because of excessive paperwork requirements, the prioritization of development over utilization, and inadequate access.) Data Reports Comments The Augustine Committee budget analysis for Constellation determined NASA would need to have at least double its current budget (this is needed even during operations, and not just development). Other organizations (Congressional Budget Office) agreed with those findings. (e) The proposal creates no governmental hardware that harmfully competes with private sector approaches in meeting a desired strategic capability. (Examples: Ares original plan competed with commercial alternatives; some plans for ISS re use would place it in competition with commercial facilities.) Data Report Comments See section 6 (c) above

(f) The proposal creates government furnished hardware in a way that it can be adapted for commercial use once the strategic capability is achieved. (Examples: Can ISS be re-cycled, and turned over to a non-government entity? Can a proposed Lunar facility designed to train for Mars exploration be handed over to commercial use after NASA has finished with it?) Data Report Comments The Constellation hardware utilizes traditional NASA management structures and purchasing mechanisms The first stage of Ares I was a non-competed cost-plus contract The second stage of Ares was a competed cost-plus contract Orion was a competed cost-plus contract Altair hasnt reached the point of contract awarding.

7. Return on Investment (a) This proposal provides a good return on investment to taxpayers in terms of enabling space settlement. Data Report Comments The primary purpose is to deliver a few specific NASA astronauts to the moon. Most elected officials speak of the value as being either soft-power for international relations, some scientific value, or inspiration for the next generation