Increasing Payloads On-Orbit By Improving Utilization of the Rideshare Process

摘要

While budgets flatline and decline, the Department of Defense (DoD) is considering more payloads in space due to increased reliance on space assets, pursuit of operationally-responsive deployment models, and possible disaggregation and distribution of major space systems. However, our Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicles (EELVs), which place most major National Security Space (NSS) assets in orbit, have historically launched with untapped mass margins. Failing to utilize this capacity, which may soon increase due to advances in launch vehicle technology, represents lost value to DoD. Rideshare, or the sharing of a launch by several spacecraft, seeks to close this gap while maximizing utilization for multiple players at lower cost. Despite the development and demonstration of several EELV Rideshare concepts, many opportunities go unused due to non-technical issues. To better employ our space forces in a timely and cost-effective manner, DoD is moving to address and solve these issues while working towards an end state where launches with multiple payloads are the rule and not the exception.