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Is it Cheaper to launch Triana from a Space Shuttle? Is it even Legal to launch Triana from a Space Shuttle? copyright 22 April 1999 by Keith Cowing, Editor, NASA Watch kcowing@reston.com According to NASA's official Triana home page, Triana is scheduled to be launched aboard a Space Shuttle in December 2000. Other NASA manifests show this to be flight STS-107. By some curious coincidence, this is also the mission slated to be flown by an all female crew. On 13 March 1998, NASA issued a press release that described Triana as:
"... a 330-pound satellite linked to Earth through three simple, low cost ground stations equally spaced around the globe to provide continuous downlink capability. One new image would be downlinked every few minutes. The satellite would be developed and launched within two years of a competitive selection process. College students would participate in the design and development of the spacecraft, and student teams would operate the ground stations. The total mission cost, including launch and operations, would not exceed $50 million."In July 1998, GSFC Center Director Al Diaz reportedly told NASA HQ what Triana would take 3 years to do and would cost $50 Million. Dan did not like this answer stating that he wanted it to happen in 2 years for $30 million. On 27 October 1998, NASA announced that:
"Triana is a $75 million mission to be launched by December 2000 from the Space Shuttle cargo bay. Triana will be the latest in the Earth Probe series of missions in NASA's Earth Science enterprise, which seeks to understand the total Earth system and the effects of natural and human-induced changes on the global environment."According to Section III. Civil Space Transportation Guidelines contained within the 5 August 1994 White House Fact Sheet - Statement on National Space Transportation Policy
"(a) The Space Shuttle will be used only for missions that require human presence or other unique Shuttle capabilities, or where use of the Shuttle is determined to be important for national security, foreign policy or other compelling purposes."According to United States Code, Title 42, Chapter 26, Section Sec. 2465a. "Space Shuttle use policy":
According to Section 201 of Public Law 105-303, 105th Congress, "Commercial Space Act of 1998":
"(a) In General.--Except as otherwise provided in this section, the Federal Government shall acquire space transportation services from United States commercial providers whenever such services are required in the course of its activities. To the maximum extent practicable, the Federal Government shall plan missions to accommodate the space transportation services capabilities of United States commercial providers. According to the Payload Integration Plan for Triana, Space Shuttle Program Office, April 1999, working draft (364K Acrobat format), page 1:
"1.0 INTRODUCTIONWhat is so unique about Triana that it requires " the unique capabilities of the Space Shuttle"? According to NASA's own PIP for Triana, it is a "primary payload", by definition. Did NASA look into determining whether "cost effective space transportation services that meet specific mission requirements [could] not be reasonably available from United States commercial providers when required"? How did NASA determine that " it is more cost effective to transport a payload in conjunction with a test or demonstration of a space transportation vehicle owned by the Federal Government"? In his 25 February 1998 prepared statement, Arnauld E. Nicogossian, OLMSA AA, told the Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics:
"...NASA has identified a second mission of opportunity, designated STS-107, for multidisciplinary and internationally sponsored research in 2000. The mission would fly for 13 - 16 days in the May 2000 time-frame, using a SpaceHab science double module to increase the pressurized volume for research. The double SpaceHab module has been developed especially for research purposes. The approach employed for STS-95 will serve as a template for the management and operations of this flight. The mission will be multidisciplinary and will focus on those research areas that cannot be accommodated on early ISS flights. For example, STS-107 could augment the combustion science and fluid physics investigations begun on MSL-1 utilizing existing hardware such as the Microgravity Glovebox. We are considering peer-reviewed and commercially- sponsored research in biotechnology, materials science, biology and biomedicine. We will continue to seek partnership with NIH, NSF and other organizations in accomplishing this research. The ISS partners have all indicated their interest in potentially participating in an additional research mission during the early ISS assembly sequence. "STS-107 was supposed to have had a double Spacehab module configuration for a research flight. Is this possible with Triana and its kick motor? Will one of the modules be dropped? Will the payload's weight be constrained so as to cram Triana aboard? Is there any mention of Triana's presence on this mission or of the fact that adjustments might have to be made to Dr. Nicogossian's plans so as to accommodate Triana? According to the mass properties page on the Triana website, the fly away mass (satellite and kick stage) is 6,501 pounds. Using the usual STS weight to orbit cost of $10,000/pound that Dan Goldin likes to quote that's $65 million. BUT there is orbiter support hardware needed too - the weight can vary (according to which configuration used) from 10,451 lbs to 12,151 lbs i.e. a cost of $104 million to $121 million to loft the satellite aboard the Shuttle. Cramming Triana aboard a Shuttle flight effectively allows NASA to bury the real launch costs in an already manifested Shuttle flight thus allowing more money to build and operate the satellite. Given Triana's development/launch/ops cost creep from "less than $50 million" to "$75 million" between March and October 1998, and the weight creep from "333 lbs" to "675 lbs dry/968 lbs wet" Dan can use all the money he can get. If you use the Shuttle cost per pound numbers Dan always cites as he lobbies for the X-33, Triana costs more than $100 million to launch aboard a Space Shuttle Orbiter. As such, you have to ask whether the "as advertised" cost for Triana of $75 million is an honest one. Simple math shows the cost to be closer to $175 million. According to the Seattle Times, Boeing sells Delta IIIs for $85 million each. Boeing specs show that a Delta III can put 8,400 pounds into geosynchronous transfer orbit. I am sure there are other commercial options available at a cost less than the true cost of launching on a Shuttle. Perhaps NASA should have been a more careful shopper. Given the legal restrictions on what payloads can fly on a Space Shuttle, they should have gotten a lawyer too.
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