The SpaceLiner Passenger Unit AK Master Thesis

SL PU - DLR SpaceLiner Passenger Unit

17 May 2015

FLYING AROUND THE WORLD IN 80min.

ABOARD THE DLR SPACELINER Design of a passenger Unit for commercial suborbital point to point spaceflights aboard the SpaceLiner

SL PU - DLR SpaceLiner Passenger Unit

1 | Concept of the SpaceLiner passenger Unit | AK

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SL PU - DLR SpaceLiner Passenger Unit

EIDESSTATTLICHE ERKLÄRUNG Diese Diplomarbeit ist Teil meines Studiums der Architektur an der Technischen Universität Wien und stellt den ordentlichen Abschluss dieses Studiums dar.

Ich erkläre hiermit an Eides statt, dass ich die vorliegende Arbeit selbstständig und ohne Benutzung Anderer als der angegebenen Hilfsmittel angefertigt habe. Die aus fremden Quellen direkt oder indirekt übernommenen Gedanken sind als solche kenntlich gemacht. Die Arbeit wurde bisher in gleicher oder ähnlicher Form keiner anderen Prüfungsbehörde vorgelegt und auch noch nicht veröffentlicht.

Ausgeführt zum Zwecke der Erlangung des akademischen Grades eines Diplom-Ingenieurs unter der Leitung von Univ. Ass. Dipl.-Ing. Dr.-Ing. Sandra Häuplik-Meusburger.

Eingereicht an der Technischen Universität Wien - Fakultät für Architektur und Raumplanung, am Institut für Architektur und Entwerfen - Abteilung Hochbau 2 | Konstruktion und Entwerfen e253/5.

Unter der Leitung von Univ.Ass. Dipl.-Ing. Dr.-Ing. Sandra Häuplik-Meusburger Ao.Univ.Prof. Dipl.-Ing. Dr.techn. Helmut Schramm O.Univ.Prof. Dipl.-Ing. William Alsop Verfasst von Amine Khouni, Matrikelnummer 0325545

Wien, am 18. Mai 2015 Stolzenthalergasse 20 /15 - 1080 Wien Amine Khouni

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SL PU - DLR SpaceLiner Passenger Unit

AKNOWLEGMENTS My thanks go to Dr.-Ing. DI. Sandra Haeuplik-Meusburger for the lasting academic support. Your restless work as an architect for space exploration will continue to animate students to choose this fascinating path. During the research phase, you stood aside with helpful suggestions and throughout the years you brought exceptional professional opportunities to my reach. Thank you Sandra!

Thank you beloved Kathi for the admiration and faith you put in my dreams every morning, for this unconditional love we share. You are the closest to my heart.

Thank you parents for the gift of being. To my sister and brothers, Aladin for your positivity and many shared laughs, Aziz for your encouragements and Mohammed for your determination and focus. You are all equally inspiring and enriching to me.

Thanks to my dear friends for the successful distraction during my studies and my university colleagues for the intellectual stimulation and interest in my thesis topic.

Thank you to all unmentioned but always remembered for your support in times of struggle, and for this joyful life you contribute to.

Vienna, January 18th 2015 Amine Khouni

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SL PU - DLR SpaceLiner Passenger Unit

PREFACE Ever since I was a little boy I have been fascinated by the limitless and still unexplored space surrounding the planet Earth. I imagined traveling in spaceships to explore distant galaxies. But becoming an astronaut was out of reach, A congenital sight deficiency would not allow me to become an astronaut. Instead I learned to wear the architect’s glasses and study in depth everything related to human activities. From confined spaces as in cells, rooms, buildings and cities to outposts as on the poles, lunar bases and outer-space.

Space tourism is en vogue and Space agencies will soon rely on private companies to shuttle astronauts to orbital space stations, to the moon and soon to Mars. Hypersonic thrust technologies have come within reach to facilitate the development of suborbital flights. Connecting high transit points of the five continents in less than 90 min flight-time is the goal set by DLR for which the SpaceLiner is conceived. This is exciting since it will transform the way we travel and work in networks in the future.

As an architect I’m interested in what has to be considered when designing the interior habitat. How can a passenger seat fulfill the safety and technical requirements and satisfy with its comfort, entertainment and take individual needs into account? Will the layout of a commercial DLR SpaceLiner look like an aircraft interior? Or will it have to submit radical changes as much as to the traveling experience itself. For which passenger is it within reach? How will it transform and shape our future social interactions during travel time?

After designing a living and research base for the extreme conditions of the lunar surface, I find it exciting to tackle the interior of this transportation mean of the future. To study the process from check in to check out, from exit to reentry.

Welcome aboard!

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SL PU - DLR SpaceLiner Passenger Unit

ABSTRACT Space tourism is en vogue again. Hypersonic flights have come within reach to facilitate the development of commercial point to point suborbital flights. Connecting high density poles on the continents in less than 90 min flight-time is the goal set for the SpaceLiner which is under investigation since 2005 by DLR the German Aerospace Agency.

No stewards, no windows, hypersonic speed, up to 10G loads at launch and microgravity at the edge of space. These are the conditions in which the task is to setup the interior layout, design the passenger seating Unit and analyze the process from check in to check out to fulfill the extreme inflight requirements, passenger safety and comfort and transcend air travel as known today. A long and tedious astronaut’s training is not required to take a seat on board and take off.

The goal is to present the evolution of commercial hypersonic suborbital point to point spaceflights, spaceplanes under development and to design an ergonomic passenger Unit as a futuristic yet feasible adaptation of airborne seatings.

After studying the benchmark in the commercial suborbital tourism industry, analyzing the safety requirements and focusing on the passenger as fortunate early adopter, designs suggestions for confined spaces with high density of technology, and use of new composite materials can be expected for designing and manufacturing of the Unit which will welcome, secure and entertain the passenger during flights on the SpaceLiner.

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SL PU - DLR SpaceLiner Passenger Unit

I.

CONTEXT 1. INTRODUCTION A. COSMIC RENAISSANCE - WHY IS SPACE POPULAR AGAIN? ......................................................................13 B. THE MILESTONES OF MANNED AVIATION & HISTORIY OF SPACE TOURISM .........................................14

2. DEFINITIONS A. TERMS, UNITS AND ABBREVIATION ..................................................................................................................19

3. SPACEFLIGHT TYPOLOGY A. B. C. D.

POINT TO POINT SPACEFLIGHTS - ROUTES AROUND THE GLOBE ..........................................................26 CURRENT SPACEPORTS DEDICATED TO COMMERCIAL SPACEFLIGHTS ...............................................30 AIRSPACE & TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT FOR SPACEPLANES ........................................................................38 INTERNATIONAL COMMERCIAL SPACE INDUSTRY REGULATION .............................................................41

4. SUBORBITAL SPACEPLANES A. HISTORICAL AND CURRENT CONCEPTS OF SPACE-PLANES ....................................................................45 B. LESSONS LEARNED ..............................................................................................................................................47 C. ACTIVE SPACEPLANES FOR HUMAN TRANSPORTATION ...........................................................................48

5. THE PROMISING ENTERPRISE A. B. C. D. E. F. G. H.

GENERAL REMARKS .............................................................................................................................................51 THE DLR SPACELINER .........................................................................................................................................52 MARKET ANALYSIS OF SUBORBITAL SPACEFLIGHTS ..................................................................................54 OPERATIONAL CHALLENGES ............................................................................................................................57 TECHNICAL CHALLENGES ..................................................................................................................................58 INFLIGHT PASSENGER COMFORT.....................................................................................................................61 FLIGHT CONVENIENCES .....................................................................................................................................63 IN FLIGHT ENTERTAINMENT ..............................................................................................................................64

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II. DESIGN PARAMETRES 1. PASSENGER TYPOLOGY A. B. C. D.

LIMITING CONDITIONS ........................................................................................................................................71 THE TOURIST VS. THE BUSINESS PASSENGER .............................................................................................73 PHYSICAL AND MEDICAL REQUIREMENTS .....................................................................................................75 MEET THE FUTURE SPACEFLIGHT PASSENGER ...........................................................................................77

2. PASSENGER ACTIONS A. B. C. D. E. F. G.

CHECK IN ................................................................................................................................................................80 VERTICAL LAUNCH ...............................................................................................................................................82 BOOST + ASCENT .................................................................................................................................................82 Ø GRAVITY + CRUISE FLIGHT .............................................................................................................................83 REENTRY + PULL OUT .........................................................................................................................................84 APPROACH + LANDING .......................................................................................................................................85 CHECK OUT............................................................................................................................................................86

3. PASSENGER SAFETY A. B. C. D. E. F.

PREPARATORY & INFLIGHT SAFETY .................................................................................................................88 THE ADEQUATE SPACESUIT ...............................................................................................................................93 THE SPACELINER GARMENT ..............................................................................................................................96 AIRLINE PASSENGER SEATS ...............................................................................................................................98 SPACECRAFT PASSENGER SEATS .................................................................................................................100 THE PASSENGERS UNIT DESIGN PARAMETERS..........................................................................................102

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III. DESIGN PROPOASAL 1. THE SPACELINER PASSENGER UNIT A. B. C. D. E. F.

GENERAL REMARKS ...........................................................................................................................................107 OVERVIEW & DIMENSIONS ...............................................................................................................................108 UNIT STRUCTURE & LAYERS .............................................................................................................................112 THE UNIT BACKBONE .........................................................................................................................................116 THE GRAVITY CONNECTOR ...............................................................................................................................118 THE PRESURIZED AIRBAG .................................................................................................................................124

2. INTRODUCING THE BASELINE CAPSULE A. THE PASSENGER CABIN ....................................................................................................................................127 B. THE ESCAPE VEHICLE ........................................................................................................................................127 C. EMERGENCY CONFIGURATION .......................................................................................................................128

3. ACCESSING THE CAPSULE A. ENTRANCE & EXIT OPTIONS ............................................................................................................................129 B. STOWAGE OPTIONS ...........................................................................................................................................130

4. SEATING LAYOUT CONFIGURATION A. B. C. D. E. F. G.

AIRLINE BENCHMARK ........................................................................................................................................132 BENCHMARK CONFIGURATION .......................................................................................................................135 HERINGBONE CONFIGURATION ......................................................................................................................139 MOBILITY CONFIGURATION ..............................................................................................................................143 CLUSTER CONFIGURATION ..............................................................................................................................147 COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS ..................................................................................................................................150 CONCLUSION .......................................................................................................................................................150

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SL PU - DLR SpaceLiner Passenger Unit

IV. HORIZON 1. FUTURE STEPS A. FURTHER ACTIONS AND STUDY RECOMENDATIONS ................................................................................154 B. CONCLUSION .......................................................................................................................................................155

V. CREDITS & REFERENCES 1. IMAGE A. ILLUSTRATIONS & INFOGRAPHICS CREDITS ...............................................................................................156

2. TEXT A. INTERNET SOURCES ...........................................................................................................................................161 B. LITERATURE REFERENCES ................................................................................................................................161 C. THESIS REFERENCES .........................................................................................................................................162

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SL PU - DLR SpaceLiner Passenger Unit

1 | The Cosmos seen by Hubble

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SL PU - DLR SpaceLiner Passenger Unit

I.

I. CONTEXT 1. INTRODUCTION

CONTEXT

1. INTRODUCTION A. COSMIC RENAISSANCE - WHY IS SPACE POPULAR AGAIN? The way we view space now is much different from the way we saw it a decade or even 30 years ago.

In the early and late 20th century space was this far off and mysterious place which only a few people could experience or interact with. It was more a novelty that sparked curiosity and imagination, a wild place which was yet to be conquered. Much like the great polar or mountain climbing expeditions of the 18th and 19th century.

Furthermore due to ventures like Virgin Galactic and XCor a lot of us actually have this somewhat remote possibility that we could actually visit space in our lifetime. The current interest in space reaches a wider class of people than the original extravaganza of the early 20th century and this is why I believe that the real space age begins now, in the dawn of the 21st century.

Many excellent books have been written in the last years about space tourism. After all of the different conquests of Humanity, there is no doubt that this one, rather in close reach, is the one probably most alive in the imagination and aspiration of the general public.

This desire to explore was also exaggerated by the space race, which was more a showcase of who could build the best rocket than a genuine desire to develop space faring technology.

The public interest in space started to dwindle right after the first moon landings because much of the novelty and mystery of space was gone. There was no life on the hidden side of the moon nor on mars, no aliens flying around. Only void was found dark, cold and silent void. For many, outer space became this dead thing that was just outside our reach. The only way of exploring it was through these expensive robots sent to far off places.

Flights of first space tourist such as Dennis Tito have indeed shown to the public that at least it is technically feasible to realize such dream. The high cost is no doubt a major obstacle, but it has to be strongly emphasized that also the first air-tickets were far out of reach for the general public.

The following Milestones showcase why the interest in Spaceplanes for Spaceflights is not a temporary trend but ended an evolutionary step and the will for developing the necessary infrastructure a logical step to make that evolution possible. 

Today the revival of interest in space exploration comes with a practical dimension to it. It makes the rise of private spaceflight providers possible.

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I. CONTEXT 1. INTRODUCTION

B. THE MILESTONES OF MANNED AVIATION & HISTORIY OF SPACE TOURISM 1900 - 1950 : The beginning of Air travel In 1903, the Wright Brothers invent the first Airplane, a revolution takes place. From the Zeppelin to the DLR SpaceLiner, let’s review the key episodes of manned aviation fueling the imagination for Space tourism.

1910 - First rigid airships - The Zeppelin Named after Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin who pioneered the development of rigid airships in the 20th century, Zeppelin’s idea was expressed in 1874 and developed during the following twenty years.1 They were patented in Germany in 1895 and in the US in 1899.2 Zeppelins were first flown commercially in 1910 by the Deutsche Luftschiffahrts AG, the world's first airline in service. ‑

‑

2 | Zeppelin | theoldmotor.com

1919 - First nonstop transatlantic flight British aviators Alcock and Brown made the first non-stop transatlantic flight in June 1919. They flew a modified World War I Vickers Vimy bomber from St. John's, Newfoundland, to Clifden, Connemara in Ireland. The Secretary of State for Air, Winston Churchill, presented them with the Daily Mail prize for the first crossing of the Atlantic Ocean in less than 72 consecutive hours.

3 | Wickers Vimy | wikipedia.org

1929 - First Space Hotels concepts Since the first dreams of space activities onwards, public access to space has been in the mind of space pioneers. An example is Konstantin Tsiolkovski space habitat, a 3000 meter long cylindrical habitat in space with a diameter of 3 meter and providing place for 300 families. The visionary scientist even calculated the artificial gravity via rotation and ‘gardens’ in the middle serving a closed loop life support system. 3

1944 - First hypersonic object The V-2 Rocket, first used in World War II by the Germans was the first manufactured object to achieve Mach 2 on hypersonic flights. In February 1949, its upper stage crossed the Kármán line and reached a top velocity of 8,288 k/h more than five times the speed of sound.

5 | V2 Rocket

4 | Tsiolkovski space hotel

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I. CONTEXT 1. INTRODUCTION

6 | The De Havilland DH 106 Comet 1

1950 - 1970 : The Space Age 1952 - First transatlantic commercial jet airliner The De Havilland DH 106 Comet was the first commercial jet airliner. Developed and manufactured by de Havilland in the United Kingdom. The Comet 1 prototype first flew on 27 July 1949. It featured an aerodynamically clean design with four engines buried in the wings and large square windows. For the era, it offered a relatively quiet, comfortable cabin for up to 60 passengers. It showed signs of being a commercial success at its 1952 debut.4 In the same year Wernher von Braun proposed his own vision of a space hotel to promote tourism. Early space projects were focusing on very large scale Space Hotels, like this circular space habitat. There was very little discussion on suborbital spaceflight.

8 | Satellite Sputnik

7 | Von Braun Space hotel

1957 - First artificial satellite Sputnik 1 was the first artificial Earth satellite. A polished metal sphere of half a meter diameter, with four external radio antennas to broadcast radio pulses. The Soviet Union launched it on 4th October 1957. The launch ushered in new political, military, technological, and scientific developments. The success triggered the race to the Moon during the Cold War.

1961 - First manned hypersonic rocket / spaceflight On 12 April 1961, Russian Major Yuri Gagarin onboard of the Vostok 1, became the first human to travel at hypersonic speed and the first man to fly in space.

In May 1961, Alan Shepard became the first American and second person to achieve hypersonic flight during re-entry procedure at a speed above Mach 5 over the Atlantic Ocean.

9 | Yuri Gagarin

1961 - First hypersonic airplane In June, Air Force Major Robert White flew the experimental rocket research airplane Boeing X-15 at speeds over Mach 5.

1963 - First suborbital spaceplane The Boeing X-15 was the pioneer of hypersonic flights setting a speed record of Mach 6.7 and a record altitude of 107,8 km above Earth5. 

10 | The X15 hypersonic rocketplane

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I. CONTEXT 1. INTRODUCTION

1970 - 1990 : Exploring the limits 1972 - Last manned mission to the Moon Since Apollo 17, manned aerospace exploration plateaued at the height of MIR and later ISS. No humans walked on the lunar surface ever since. The public and governmental interest moved to suborbital spaceflights

11 | The first men on the Moon

1976 - Concorde enters service for AirFrance and British Airways.

The AĂŠrospatiale & BAC aircraft is the first turbojet-powered supersonic airliner of its kind. It remained in service for 27 years. It is one of only two supersonic transports to have entered commercial service; the other was the Russian Tupolev Tu-144.

12 | The Concorde breaking the sound wave

1989 - Shimizu Corporation proposes Space Hotel The space tourism design, which is most often found in literature, is the concept of the Shimizu Corporation. It is a circular design In the outer ring, 64 guest rooms were foreseen of 7 m in length and 4 m diameter.

The corporation was targeting to put the hotel in operation around 2020. Taking into account a forecasted mass of 7,500 tonnes, this put a high challenge on available upload capacities and made also the target date rather optimistic. The present launch capacity and launch prizes make such projects unfeasible at this point in time.6

13 | Space hotel concept by Shimizu

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I. CONTEXT 1. INTRODUCTION

1090 - 2015 : The next leap 2004 - First private suborbital Spaceplane & licensed Spaceline.

The first privately built and privately funded suborbital spaceplane was Scaled Composites SpaceShipOne for Virgin Galactic, which first flew above the Kรกrmรกn line in 2004.

14 | SpaceShipOne

2005 - DLR starts developing the SpaceLiner 2007 - DLR first presentation of the SpaceLiner concept 2025 - First prototype of the SpaceLiner completed 2035 - The SpaceLiner first test-flight completed successfully

15 | The DLR SpaceLiner

2050 - The SpaceLiner enters service The first commercial hypersonic point to point suborbital SpaceLiner in history carries the first lucky passengers from London to Shanghai in less than 90 min flight time. Several records will be broken, A new travel experience is born and put to service to the public.

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Trajectory to the Moon Suborbit

B

A

Orbit 1 | Differentiation of spaceflights

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I. CONTEXT 2. DEFINITION

2. DEFINITIONS A. TERMS, UNITS AND ABBREVIATION Suborbital spaceflight over an intercontinental distance require a vehicle with enough boost that is only a little lower than the velocity required to reach low earth orbit.7 to reach orbit altitude rockets are used, their size relation to the payload is almost 1/10, which explains the small passenger cabin compared to the overall size of many Spaceplanes. On top of the challenging launch procedure spaceflights will have to surmount problems of heating during atmosphere re-entry.

Point-to-Point sub-orbital spaceflight, or P2P/SOS is the category of spaceflight in which a spaceplane uses a sub-orbital flight for passenger transportation. This can provide a two-hour trip from London to Sydney, which is a great improvement over what is currently over a twenty-hour flight. Today, no company offers this type of spaceflight for transportation. However, Virgin Galactic has plans for a spaceplane called SpaceShipThree, which would offer this service in the future.8 The DLR SpaceLiner concept will be dedicated solely to this type of person transportation. 

Suborbital Space Tourism in a specially designed and developed vehicle will bring passengers to a height where they can for a few minutes experience microgravity and then come back to the same location from which they started their journey. As a general rule (originated by the X-Prize competition), such vehicles will fly at a height just over 100 Km above the Earth, offering 4 to 6 minutes of microgravity before smoothly returning, most of them as a glider.

Orbital Space Tourism as noted in the historical overview chapter, this was in fact the first dream of visionary developers, starting from Tsiolkovski all the way to von Braun. In a second phase, existing vehicles, such as the Russian Soyuz spacecraft, were used to bring tourists to stations in Low Earth Orbit like the MIR station and the International Space Station (ISS).

One of the flights used for this purpose were the so-called taxi-flights, whereby a Russian crew brought up a new Soyuz capsule and returned with the old one, which had been attached to the ISS. Some groups are still trying to develop such orbital space stations on their own, among which the Bigelow group is certainly the most well know as a result of their inflatable Genesis concept. !19

SL PU - DLR SpaceLiner Passenger Unit

I. CONTEXT 2. DEFINITION

700 Exosphere

The Kármán line

+70

This line represents the boundary between the Earth's atmosphere and outer space.9 It is more an area than a line and lies within the greater thermosphere at an altitude of 100 km above sea level. This definition is accepted by the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale FAI.

ISS

160 Low Earth Orbit

The line is named after Theodore von Kármán (1881–1963), a Hungarian-American engineer and physicist.10 He was the first to calculate that around this altitude, the atmosphere becomes too thin to support aeronautical flight. A vehicle at this altitude has to travel faster than orbital velocity to derive sufficient aerodynamic lift to support itself.11

Aurora

It is commonly accepted that the Kármán line draws the start to space. Crossing this edge of space makes one eligible to the title of Astronaut.

SpaceLiner

100 Kármán Line 73 Thermosphere

-90

Meteors

50

±0

Weather balloon

10 Stratosphere

Airbus A380

-50

Troposphere

±0

Mount Everest

Altitude km

+20 °C

+20

Temperature °C

2 | Section of Earth’s atmosphere

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I. CONTEXT 2. DEFINITION

3 | The Kรกrmรกn Line seen from the ISS

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I. CONTEXT 2. DEFINITION

Mach number & hypersonic speed In Aerodynamics, the speed of sound refers to the distance/time Unit a sound wave travels in dry air at 20°C. it is expressed in c for celerity and is equal to 343,2 m/s or 1.236 km/h.12  

Subsonic Mach <0,8 <980 km/h

The speed of an object divided by the speed of sound is called the Mach number. When physical objects move at speeds greater than Mach 1, their speed is called supersonic.

Hypersonic speed commonly refers to speeds of Mach 5 or higher13 or 6.125 km/h. The top speed of the Airbus A380 being 1.020 km/h.

Transonic Mach 1 980 - 1.470 km/h

= The DLR SpaceLiner will reach speeds of Mach 6.

Shock wave

Hypersonic Mach 5 - 10 6.150 - 12.300 km/h

4 | The shock wave blast

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I. CONTEXT 2. DEFINITION

Vestibular system Body dysfunction Disorientation

Cardiovascular system Performance decrement Drop in blood circulation volume

G-Force & Microgravity effects The human body is surprisingly resilient in many situations, but rapid acceleration is not one of them. Applied acceleration relative to gravity is quantified in G, a nomenclature most commonly used in aviation.

G-Force (G as gravitational) is a measurement of the type of acceleration that indirectly causes weight.14 1 G is the equivalent to the pressure applied to the human body by the gravitational constant 9.80665 m/s2 at sea level. G-forces higher than this cannot be produced by gravity alone; there has to be a mechanical force in effect as well.

When moving, G's are classified as either positive or negative. Positive G's (+Gx) push the passenger back into the seat or cause all the blood to rush to the feet, negative G's (-Gx) pull into the harness and puts your stomach into your throat as the blood rushes to your head. ! Under normal conditions, the body must maintain 22 millimeters of mercury blood pressure to get blood from the heart to the brain. Each additional +G that a passenger experiences multiplies that requirement: The body has to muster double that at 2G, triple that at 3G, and so on until around 5 G's, at which point most persons will pass out due to oxygen starvation because most of the blood stays in their feet. This condition is known as G-LOC (G-induced loss of consciousness).

Musculoskeletal system Atrophy of some muscle groups Dysfunction of coordinate system Loss of bone tissue calcium

= Wearing flight suits packed with air bladders that force blood out of the lower body extremities helps avoiding G-LOC conditions.15

Vascular system Headrush Dehydration

5 | G loads infuence on human body systems

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I. CONTEXT 3. SPACEFLIGHT TYPOLOGY

3. SPACEFLIGHT TYPOLOGY A flight is typically planned to follow a direct route wherever possible to minimize flight length. For long-haul flights, the most direct route follows a great circle16 along the diameter of the earth. For example, aircraft traveling westward between continents in the northern hemisphere often follow paths extending northward near or into the arctic region. When shown on a conventional projection of a world map, the resulting route looks curved and appears longer than it really is. The great-circle distance between airports may therefore give a better indication of the shortest flight length.

In aviation, the flight length is defined as the time airborne during a flight. This definition is independent of absolute distance covered, although the categorization as short, medium, or long-haul can be affected by whether the flight is domestic or international.17

Short-haul fights

Long-haul flights

Short-haul flight have a flight duration under 1,5 hour to complete. This roughly correlates to an absolute distance of no more than 800 km.

Ultra long-haul flights cover distances of at least 12.100 km without any intermediate stops. The longest flight-route in distance is from Dallas, USA to Sydney, Australia.18 Ground-distance of 13.804 km. The record for shortest flight time for the DFW>SYD flight is held by the Australian airline Qantas since September 29th 2014 on the Airbus A380. This non-stop flight lasted 15 hours 30 minutes from Dallas to Sydney. but only 14 hours 50 minutes to fly back. â&#x20AC;&#x2018;

By this definition, all domestic flights (departure and arrival airport are located in the same country) within relatively small countries like most of european countries are short-haul flights.

Airline routes between San Francisco and Tokyo following the most direct great circle westward, and following a longer-distance jet stream route when heading eastward.

However, a flight route must also take into account weather conditions, air currents, and fuel economy. A long-haul flight in an easterly direction often takes a longer more southerly route than the great circle in order to take advantage of the jet stream, a high-altitude wind that can allow an aircraft to cover a longer absolute distance using less fuel than on a more direct route.

1 | The great circle path

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I. CONTEXT 3. SPACEFLIGHT TYPOLOGY

A. POINT TO POINT SPACEFLIGHTS - ROUTES AROUND THE GLOBE A spaceflight on the DLR SpaceLiner will travel ultra long-haul flight distances and take less time than some short-haul domestic flights. As much as in the beginnings of commercial civil aviation It will challenge humans and the perception of travel-time over very long distances as much as the relation between space travelled and time spent.

is a mature market. Since the termination of Concorde operation, intercontinental travel is restricted to lowspeed, subsonic, multi-hour flights.

Ultra long-haul distances like the flight route Europe >< Australia could be flown in less than 90 minutes. Travel times between other interesting intercontinental destinations are even shorter.

= The results correspond to a reduction in the actual time needed for traveling between at least 75% and 80% compared to conventional subsonic airliner operation: About 23 hours for non-stop service and typically about 30 hours for single stop Europe– Australia flights. 19

Preliminary destinations of the expected travel time for a SpaceLiner passenger shows approximately 5–6 hours for ultra-long haul distances.

Ultra long distance travel from one major business center to another agglomeration of the planet

Examples of ultra long-haul flights by flight duration with the Airbus A380 and the DLR SpaceLiner Departure city Region

Destination city Region

Air distance km

Flight time Airplane

Flight time SpaceLiner

Sydney Australia

Paris Europe

16.800

22h 40min

90min

Dubai Dubai

Denver USA

12.500

14h 30min

60min

Seoul South Korea

Washington USA

11.200

13h 00min

50min

California USA

Seoul South Korea

9.100

12h 20min

50min

London Europe

California USA

8.800

11h 10min

50min

Seoul South Korea

Paris Europe

9.000

10h 40min

50min

Dubai Dubai

London Europe

5.300

7h 40min

30min

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I. CONTEXT 3. SPACEFLIGHT TYPOLOGY

2 | Potential P2P trajectories and involved regions

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I. CONTEXT 3. SPACEFLIGHT TYPOLOGY

3 | The view over the Thermosphere

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I. CONTEXT 3. SPACEFLIGHT TYPOLOGY

The perception of time while traveling Ricardo Scofidio argues in an architecture review that today space and time are tangled more than ever before. By changing the means of transportation we change the perception of time therefore the perception of distance, altitude and flight-time. A distant goal on Earth is no longer defined by the parameter time, the measurement reference for a long journey. It is defined by an unprecedented level of high tech, substitutes inside a virtual emulated surrounding.

Suborbital flights at hypersonic speed will let generations of passenger just wonder at those incredible forces applied to the lying body during take off and weightlessness at the edge of space. Seeing the curvature of the planet and all those glowing stars,

« I’m still struggling with the idea of what space is. At the moment I can’t think of space in terms of feet and inches. At one time the Earth was flat with heaven above and hell below, and if you went too far you fell off the edge. Then with the industrial revolution, space became about the transportation of goods from one place to another. […] My personal understanding of space is no longer feet, inches, or meters, but time. I don’t say a place is 500 meters away, it’s five minutes away by foot – or if it’s in Los Angeles, it’s five hours away by plane » .20

Making use of once time during a journey, as we understand it in 2015 may become obsolete in a future where personal transportation is pushed to the limits of the untrained human body and nothing else other than relaxing and enjoying is left to do to avoid loosing consciousness.

Time will seem an irrational measurement, when it takes less time to reach a metropole on the other side of the planet than to drive home after work in a congested city.

Space, time, extreme long distances and very short timespans might be reconfigured and our understanding of their interrelation could be felt anew.

Time passing seems to be disconnected from space traveled, or at least the use of it during air travel.

Since the speed is hardly perceived as passenger during flight, buildings on the surface far away look tiny, humans disappear and cars seem to move very slowly, waves on the sea look like in a frozen state.

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4 | Spaceport America, New Mexico

5 | Spaceport Sweden, Kiruna

B. CURRENT SPACEPORTS DEDICATED TO COMMERCIAL SPACEFLIGHTS The challenges faced by airports around the world are becoming ever more complex. With a greater volume of people traveling by air each year, there is a constant pressure to increase capacity and efficiency at the same time new aircrafts are coming on stream presenting new operational and planing issues.

With regard to spaceports for commercial private human access to space, specifically for suborbital space tourism and later for Point to Point , currently only one has so far demonstrated its operational capability, and that is Mojave Spaceport in the USA. All of the others summarized below are either conceptual, or are still in process of construction in order to become operational, although Spaceport America in New Mexico, USA is very close to completion for first flights.

Mojave Spaceport in California, USA 35.0° N.

Spaceport Sweden – Kiruna, 68.0° N

This desert facility was used in 2004 for the spaceflights of SpaceShipOne, and is currently being used for development testing of SpaceShipTwo and the XCOR Lynx spacecraft.

Kiruna Spaceport is anticipating growing spaceflight demand starting in 2018.

Located 200 km above the Arctic circle, the existing ESA sounding rocket facility in Kiruna already offers a portfolio of adventures ranging from iron mining tours deep in the ground to northern lights nocturne flights. It is expecting a significant growth in demand of space tourism and is presenting plans to extend the facilities to attract more visitors by offering spaceflights.

Spaceport America – New Mexico, USA, 32.8° N 2011 - First spaceport for commercial spaceflights located in the desert basin of New Mexico int the US, 32 km southeast of Truth or Consequences.

Spaceport America was officially declared open on October 18, 2011. It is the first Spaceport of its kind.

This remote facility has been designed and built as an inland spaceport specifically for the anchor tenant Virgin Galactic operations. Almost complete.

Virgin Galactic is considering this outpost as a possible site for European operations.

Spaceport Malacca - Malacca, Malaysia, 2.26°N

Organized into an efficient and rational plan, the Spaceport has been designed to relate to the dimensions of the spacecraft. There is also a careful balance between accessibility and privacy. The astronauts’ areas and visitor spaces are fully integrated with the rest of the building to convey the thrill of space travel. The more sensitive zones - such as the control room - are visible, but have limited access. 21

2012 the site in Malaysia houses Malacca Space Center and Malacca Airport. The space center comprises a university slated to have a zero gravity laboratory, a space theme park, a space-resort hotel, a space camp, a museum, and a space themed shopping mall. A spaceflight terminal will be added to the Malacca Airport.22 ‑

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7 | Spaceport Middle East,

6 | Spaceport Caribbean, Curacao

Spaceport Caribbean - Curacao, 12.1° N In early 2015, the Lynx rocket plane is expected to be flying suborbital space tourism flights and scientific research missions from a new spaceport on the Dutch Island Curaçao in the southern Caribbean sea.23 This sustainable space port facilitates a hotel, airport and visitors center. Travelers can prepare themselves for the journey out of space whereas visitors can support them. 24 Middle & Far East Spaceports - UAE, 24.0° N The program called for a mixed-use development comprising of a conference center, exhibition center, hotels and retail spaces. 25 It is considered by Virgin Galactic as possible sites for operations include facilities in Singapore at 1° N and in Japan at latitudes between 30 -37° N.

8 | Spaceport Europe

Spaceport Europe - UK, conceptual First European Spaceport for commercial flights. The UK government announced plans in early 2014 to select a site and build a commercial spaceport, and have it in operation by 2018.26 « Scotland, with six of the eight proposed spaceport sites, mainly on old RAF bases, believes it is the frontrunner because vertical rockets or experimental space planes taking off from Kinloss or Lossiemouth, over the Moray Firth, or from Stornoway or Prestwick would be able to fly due north over the ocean from large airfields with good infrastructure in remote locations. »

9 | Spaceport Ellington, US

the government's consultation. He adds: « Issues of noise, air quality and impact on the local area are likely to be of significant public interest. » 27 Spaceport Ellington - Houston, USA, 41.9° N

However, some opponents to the project argue that space tourists paying so much will not want to have to wait for days at a remote Scottish airport for the clouds to disperse or the rain to stop. "Being able to see the Earth from space is a key attraction of a space flight experience, so if cloud cover restricts that, the experience may not live up to expectations," says

The site will provide accommodation for reusable launch vehicles, facilities to build upgraded space vehicles, training facilities for astronauts, and the ability to launch micro-satellites. planed for 2024. 28 !31

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Spaceports requirements Spaceports are primarily rocket launch sites. Sputnik 1, the first satellite to orbit Earth was launched from Baikonur in Kazakhstan, the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first spaceport for human launches. The first Rocket to cross the line to Space, the German V2 was launched from PeenemĂźnde in Germany, making it the very first spaceport by strict definition.

Most spaceports today are suited for launching carriers vertically but not all of them qualify for the horizontal landing procedure of the DLR SpaceLiner. The location of Spaceports for Commercial Point to Point Spaceflights should be in reach of cities to facilitate transit.

Some progress has been made in the provision of ground infrastructures for private human access to space, although much of it, at least outside of the USA, remains in the conceptual stage. To some degree, there need not be much difference between a spaceport and an airport, but the differences that do exist are significant. It is worth describing the main functions of a spaceport, and perhaps underlining the differences with regard to both a standard airport and also to a traditional launch site.

Comparison with Airports

Comparison with Launch Sites

Spaceports will unlikely handle as much traffic as a traditional airport. Spacecraft will not be taking off and landing every few minutes. While a typical airport runway may be able to handle some kinds of space tourism vehicle, in some cases spaceports will also need to be able to handle vertical launches and landings.

There are about 35 operational traditional launch sites globally, and they are generally all government or even military facilities. A spaceport designed specifically for commercial private human access to space will need to be much more inviting to the general public, in order to generate revenues from terrestrial tourism.

= Customs facilities will not be needed at spaceports, at least initially, and probably a less intrusive baggage security system at Check In and Check out could be employed. Unlike airports, a spaceport will need to allocate space to significantly more general public than the relatively few space travelers and tourists who will be flying from the location. This was also the case in the early years of airline travel.

Visitors will need to be encouraged, not discouraged. Most of the traditional launch sites have been located to enable orbital launches to take place, they are therefore often located at a coastline. For suborbital private human access to space, the trajectory is generally straight up above the spaceport with a return to the same spaceport, this can take place from an inland spaceport.

! Refueling at a spaceport will need to take place more remotely than currently takes place at an airport, because of the nature of the fuel and oxidizers used.

! After re-entry, at an altitude of ~10 km Spaceplanes landing horizontal must be considered as Airplanes and follow the same procedures to cross the flight corridor to reach the destination Spaceport. This represents a great challenge for control towers around the world.

= For Point to Point suborbital space transportation it may be necessary to reconsider the location of the spaceport because of safety requirements below the flight corridor. !32

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Spaceports Selection Criteria There are a number of technical and business factors, listed below, to be considered in deciding whether a potential site is suitable for a commercial spaceport for suborbital space tourism, and at this early stage of the growth of the industry it is not entirely certain how much weight should be given to each of them. Tax incentives and liability limitation regimes are provided by some states as additional factors.

Accessibility vs. Remoteness

Meteorological Constraints

There is an inherent conflict in determining the location of a commercial spaceport between, on the one hand, having a location near to large population centers which source of terrestrial tourism revenues and, on the other hand, needing to be remote enough to satisfy the regulatory safety requirements which are concerned about low populations under the flight corridors at various azimuths.

For a Business meeting at the other end of the Planet or for a space tourist to pay $200,000 to go into space and look at the view from above the atmosphere, only to find that the entire Earth within 1000 km in each direction is covered in clouds might be a matter for some concern. Perhaps even more important from the point of view of the commercial viability of the spaceport is the need to choose a location where on most days in the year flying is possible.

= A solution may be to have a remote site but with efficient access methods such as shuttles or high speed trains. They would include training facilities, visitors centers and accommodations to bring visitors to the spaceport or transfer the meetings closer to the spaceport.

! Frequent heavy winds, rain, thunder and lightning are meteorological constraints to a successful commercial spaceport venture. Locating a spaceport in regions with these meteorological conditions would alter the venture deeply.

Altitude and Geographic / Scenic Values

Safety onsite

It is helpful to site a spaceport at a high elevation, even though this does not influence the thrust fuel consumption to reach the Kรกrmรกn line, it can help to obtain a clear view. From a competitive perspective it is important to ensure that from apogee the private space travelers have an interesting view in all directions.

There is another conflict between the wish to encourage the public to enjoy all aspects of the active spaceport, whilst having to recognize the need to keep them safe. The spaceport design should ideally reach a compromise whereby the public can see almost everything that is happening, whilst being kept in a safe area. 29

= Coastlines and islands are particularly good in this regard.

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Main Facilities of a Commercial Spaceport = Each spaceport will have a different combination of features that will be the means whereby the spaceport management can differentiate their venue in a competitive environment. However, most spaceports will require a combination of the facilities and functions listed below.

Runway

Weather forecast services.

Launch and landing of spacecraft. This is obviously the main purpose of the spaceport, so it will be essential for the public visitors to have good viewing arrangements for these phases of the flights, probably including large flat screen television screens and viewing platforms behind the control room.

This will be needed as with aircrews at a normal airport, with the additional needs to be able to include high altitude wind data and space weather information.

TeleCommunications This will be important between the spacecraft pilots and the ground, but possibly also between the space tourists and their families back at the spaceport.

It will be very important to have a good public address system to keep the public day- visitors aware of the spaceport activities. In addition there will be the normal communications of a civilian airport involving traffic movements, security, emergency and other required services.

Maintenance facilities For this industry to be commercially viable, it is essential that the spacecraft are truly reusable and engineers will need to be able to refurbish the engine and turn the craft around within an hour or so.

Payload processing facilities.

An area will be required in cases where the suborbital space flights are being used by academic researchers who have special equipment for conducting zero-g experiments.

Training facilities These may include simulators for use of the potential space tourists, which might also be used by the general public as revenue generators for the spaceport operators.

Medical facilities These will include the ability to conduct health screening for space tourist candidates, but also emergency facilities. A keep fit gym may be part of this area.

Emergency response teams This will be similar to the teams available at regular airports, excepting that they will require additional training to handle the fuel and oxidizers used by the spacecraft operators.

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Payoad facility

Hangar Observation & Operation center Weather station

Administration Tracking station

Visitors center Viewing Deck

Fuel storage and engine maintenance stands.

Mission Control

Depending on the design of the spacecraft using the spaceport as their base, a spaceport will need to have facilities for handling all or some of the following: solid propellants, liquid propellants, hybrid propellants, cryogenic propellants and oxidizers.

~ 4 km Control Center

Hangars Terminal

This will be required for the spacecraft and mother planes.

Gateway to space Check in / out Booster integration

Water storage facility Vertical Launch pad Fuel Depot Preparation building Maintenance Fuel Depot

Landing runway

10 | Siteplan Spaceport main facilities

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Most of the traditional launch sites have been located to enable orbital launches to take place, they are often located at a coastline. For suborbital private human access to space, the trajectory is generally straight up above the spaceport with a return to the same spaceport, and so this can take place from an inland spaceport.

! If it ever becomes economically viable to provide point-to-point suborbital space transportation from one spaceport to another, then it may be necessary to reconsider the location of the spaceport because of safety requirements below the flight corridor.

List of spaceports which have successfully launched a rocket into space. Most of them qualify for commercial point to point spaceflight if a landing field is added or prolonged to at least 3.000m for all current systems landing horizontally.

Asia • • • •

America

Xichang Satellite Launch Center, China Wenchang Satellite Launch Center, China Jiluquan Satellite Launch Center, China Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, China

• Midland International Air and Spaceport • Mojave Air and Spaceport • Mid-Atlantic regional Spaceport

Construction of the fourth and the largest spaceport in China in the country's southern city of Wenchang located in the island province of Hainanhas been completed in 2014 and is ready for launching satellites and in future spacecrafts for sub orbital spaceflights. Opportunities allow the spaceport to conduct 10 to 12 launches a year. The starting date of the spaceport operation was not disclosed yet.

Middle East The Ras Al Khaymah spaceport will be located in the Emirate of Ras Al Khaymah in the United Arab Emirates. It is a joint venture between Prodea and Space Adventures, and will be used to launch suborbital tourist flights in the Space Adventures Explorer spaceplane

Three other spaceports exist in China the Xichang, Taiyuan and Jiuquan launching facilities.

According to plans of the China National Space Administration (CNSA), a permanent Chinese space station and crewed expeditions to the Moon and Mars are expected by 2020.

The development of a Space-line for commercial hypersonic air travel was not confirmed but seams to be an interest of the Space community in Asia30

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KIRUNA, SE SNOWDONIA, UK BAYKONUR, KZ WENCHANG, CN

WALLOPS ISLAND, USA ELLINGTON, USA

NEW MEXICO, USA MOJAVE, USA

TAIYUAN, CN

OKLAHOMA, USA

BROWNSVILLE, USA

XICHANG, CN

MIDLAND, USA CURAÇAO, CW

RAS EL KHAIMAH, UAE SATISH DHAWAN, IN MALACCA, MY

WOOMERA, AU

11 | Active launch sites and spaceports

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12 | Houston area airspace map

C. AIRSPACE & TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT FOR SPACEPLANES As the commercial space launch industry continues to grow, plans for new spaceports from which to base launch and reentry operations continue to take shape. Many of these operations are planned to take place from spaceports located well inland of the coastal sites that have traditionally supported such activities will not be located within special use airspace that is routinely cleared of air traffic, creating potential conflicts and impacts in an airspace system that is itself continuing to grow.

future Space and Air Traffic Management System (SATMS). This space and air traffic framework calls for the assured separation of spacecraft and aircraft.32 While the definition of “assured separation” may evolve over time as spacecraft begin to demonstrate higher levels of reliability, its current manifestation requires significant lateral spacing and absolute vertical spacing between aircraft and spacecraft to contain these risks. = In other words, spacecraft will operate in and above sterilized airspace as they transition through the NAS on their way to and from space.

Processes for designing space vehicle flight corridors that maximize the utility of a spaceport while minimizing the impact on existing air traffic are under development in order to provide safe and efficient access to Space-lines

While spacecraft proposing operations from areas near or within existing special use airspace may be able to take advantage of the extent of that airspace to protect aircraft and minimize impacts, other locations will have to rely on the use of temporary airspace closures to prevent aircraft from entering potentially hazarded airspace. The airspace would be strategically sized to maximize safety and the closure would be dynamically issued and withdrawn to minimize impacts.

The Federal Aviation Administration’s Office of Commercial Space Transportation is exploring one such process, examining existing air traffic patterns relative to spaceplanes requirements to identify potential air space for Space-lines operations. Legislations and tools capable of performing this and other space and air traffic management functions in the near future are under development.

= For example, the trajectory of a suborbital space flight originating and ending at the same Spaceport could be entirely contained within a corridor of airspace that would be sufficiently large to contain the entire trajectory of the vehicle and any debris from a potential failure during the flight. The vertical extent of this space transition corridor would span all altitudes, while the lateral sizing would be determined using specific characteristics of the space vehicle and the way in which it is to be operated, combined with predicted weather conditions.

As is the case with any space launch or reentry vehicle, there is a potential for the vehicles utilizing this spaceport to fail in flight in such a way that generates falling debris. In addition to the obvious risks such failures may pose to people on the ground, there could be considerable risk posed to aircraft flying below the failing spacecraft. Aircraft vulnerability standards have been developed based on research that has indicated that a fragment of steel weighing less than one pound and falling at terminal velocity can puncture the cabin or wing of a cruising aircraft, inflicting potentially catastrophic damage31

Although advisories and planning documents would be issued further in advance, the designated airspace would be established shortly before the launch and withdrawn once it had landed safely. During the flight, air traffic controllers would monitor its progress against actual weather and air traffic conditions,

To protect aircraft from the hazards associated with such accidents occurring in the future, the FAA has developed a concept of operations for a !38

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13 | Instrument aided flight corridor management

standing at the ready to respond to any accident by quickly identifying the extent of the affected airspace and maintaining its closure until the area is free of hazardous debris.

As vehicle technology progresses and experience is gained, there may be opportunities for spacecraft to begin to share airspace with aircraft. For example, hybrid vehicles, having characteristics of both aircraft and spacecraft, may be able to operate in a mode similar to aircraft while in the NAS and as a spacecraft while above it.

Depending on the circumstances, there may be opportunities for these vehicles to be controlled like any other air traffic when operating in their aircraft mode. In this sense, a launch vehicle could be routed along existing air traffic routes in the presence of other air traffic to or from a designated corridor that would be free of air traffic prior to or following the undertaking of its launch and reentry operations. 33 = This might allow for spaceport operations to take place from a larger number of existing airports, especially those located in heavier air traffic regions and surrounded by denser populations.

A potential Space-line operator should consider locating its spaceport within or near specialuse assigned airspace, such as military operations areas, restricted airspace, and air traffic control assigned airspace. While these areas offer the benefit of being routinely cleared of air traffic to support special operations, their use may require coordination with multiple entities, presenting a potential for scheduling conflicts. ! The locations of military training routes should be considered as well.34

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14 | Countries with space launch capability

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D. INTERNATIONAL COMMERCIAL SPACE INDUSTRY REGULATION In 2015, only a limited selection of countries possess the ability to launch something into orbit around the Earth. To date there are 9 countries that have orbital launch capability: Russia, the United States, France, Japan, China, India, Israel, Iran and North Korea. These nine countries have the ability to build and launch an orbit capable vehicle. Great Britain developed launch capacity in the 1970’s but did not join

the European consortium Arianespace, therefore losing this ability.

A few other countries have inherited technology allowing them to make orbital flights. These include Ukraine and South Korea, and nine other European countries who have access through the combined effort of ESA and Ariane Space.35

In Total 20 Countries are actively exploring space. From the building of rockets, designing experiments to going on board and even providing and training the astronauts who go into space. In Alphabetical order, highlighted if currently (2015) preparing for commercial P2P Spaceflights: Australia Austria Belgium Canada China Czech Republic Danemark Finland

Japan Luxembourg Netherlands North Korea Norway Poland Portugal Romania

France Germany Greece Russia India Iran Israel Italy

South Korea Spain Sweden Switzerland Ukraine United Kingdom United States

The International Commercial Space Industry displays an incredible regulatory challenge from almost every perspective. The diversity of technical and safety approaches in the different regions of the world make this task very difficult to predict the evolution and therefore the need for regulations. Three main barriers are being considered to underline the complexity for the regulation process to even start.

1. Technical approach

clearly made no sense to have in Europe a structured regulatory process aimed toward safety certification related to winged vehicles but not to have a parallel approach to rocket based launches. Currently there is a more common approach, both in Europe and the US, of using experimental case-by-case licensing of all types of commercial launches whether the vehicles are winged or involve rocket systems. Clearly the great diversity of technical and operation approach remains a problem for effective and consistent regulation around the world. 36

Currently various types of approaches for developing future Spaceflights exist but are radically different in many points. Effective regulation may be difficult until there is more coherence in the various systems. What is now seen as a chaotic development environment reminds of the very first days of aviation.

Initially the European and U.S. approaches were quite different as to how to proceed to develop regulatory approaches for commercial Spaceflights. It !41

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2. Safety concerns

= The Tauri Group market study of the suborbital Space Tourism industry suggest that the true major market may be commercial supersonic and hypersonic transportation-of which space tourism might be considered on the long term only a minor subset. It seems that the prime objective for international discussions with regard of commercial space flight must be the long-term regulation of commercial supersonic and hypersonic flights. It also needs to be considered that this will involve not only the upper altitudes but also the area between commercial air space and outer space, referred to as â&#x20AC;&#x153;Protospaceâ&#x20AC;?. 38

At this point of time, the approaches associated with commercial suborbital flights for space tourism suborbital parabolic flights are dramatically different from those associated with development of commercial systems seeking to deliver cargo and humans to low earth orbit or for the combination of both serving commercial P2P Spaceflights.

3. Technology and R&D cost

This regulatory process will not only involve safety, technical and the regulatorion domain usually associated with the International Civil Aviation Organization, but also focus on the increasingly complex air and Spaceflight interface in terms of safety, collision avoidance, environmental pollution concerns and even space debris and sustainability of space issues. in accordance with the World Meteorological Organization as well as the UN Space and Environmental Program. 39

There is no certainty that this industry will prove economically viable even if appropriate longerterm safety and environmental regulations are developed. In fact in the US. nearly $3 billion were invested in the various aspects of the suborbital space tourism business, but the total amount of revenues and reservation fees reaches only about $600 million. This largely includes the flights to the International Space Station booked by Space Adventures, bookings by Virgin Galactic and contracts with XCOR. ! This is far of being adequate but resembles much the early years of similar great enterprises in the transportation industry such as railway and aviation.

4. Space Traffic Management The development of commercial space transportation systems by US manufactures also suggests that the issue of Space Traffic Management.

In particular should be addressed by the regulators who will first need to consider which national, regional and international bodies will address this subject and play a foreground role. 37

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= It is time for detailed and even urgent international consultation on a number of key issues related to commercial space transportation systems.

These issues, among others include: 1.

Future safety standards and processes that might be used beyond the interim system of case-by-case experimental licensing of commercial spaceplane flights.

2. Consideration of possible international standards and certification for subsystems for commercial space planes.

3. Standards and technical certification procedures for new forms of supersonic and hypersonic transportation now under development.

4. Environmental impact and certification of sustainability for space related issues.

5. International inspection and certification procedures for spaceport safety standards and inspections.

6. Coordination of international approaches related to space traffic management and control.

7.

Coordination of licensing procedures to support private human spaceflight enterprises.

= Focused International discussions and evolving levels of understanding and agreement such as those done by the UN Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space will move things forward in the near term. In the longer term international agreements and assignment of functions to international agencies with regulatory authority and enforcement powers will be needed.

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1 | The Skylon concept suborbital spaceplane

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I. CONTEXT 4. SUBORBITAL SPACEPLANES

4. SUBORBITAL SPACEPLANES A. HISTORICAL AND CURRENT CONCEPTS OF SPACE-PLANES Advanced Launcher System for Europe independent from the Space Shuttle.

The first stage would use air-breathing rocket engines (which had not yet been developed) to reach speeds of Mach 6 and an altitude of 30 km, at which the upper stage would separate and use rocket engines to reach orbit. The piloted versions of the upper-stage have been designed to carry up to 44 passengers. The second stage had dimensions of 31 m × 12 m and would have been capable of carrying two astronauts 41 In 1994 it was concluded that development would have been very costly, while the design would reduce costs only 10 to 30% below that of the Ariane 5 expendable vehicle. Accordingly the project was cancelled.42

2 | TWA Spaceplane| Tsien Hsue-Shen

1949 - Tsiens’s propasal for TWA Tsien Hsue-shen, a Chinese protege of the Theodor von Karman, was the leading theoretician in rocket and high-speed flight theory in the United States in the first half of the twentieth century. In 1949 he proposed the design of a intercontinental rocket transport, later commissioned by the commercial airline TWA. A 5.000 km single stage winged rocket derived from V-2 aerodynamics. This spaceplane would carry ten passengers from New York to Los Angeles in 45 minutes. 40 It would take off vertically, with the rocket burning out after 60 seconds at 14,740 k/h at 160 km altitude. After a coast to 500 km, it would re-enter the atmosphere and enter a long glide at 43 km altitude to land at a speed of 240 k/h. Tsiens fundamental theoretical work on this concept lead to him being called the Father of the Dyna-soar, a late 1950s delta winged spaceplane: the ancestor of the Space Shuttle.

3 | The Space Shuttle as passenger carrier

1979 - Recycling of the Space Shuttle by NASA At the end of the Space Age, several Space Shuttles were retired, an interesting yet less known project was to transform the Shuttle cargo bay to carry 74 passengers without windows and with very limited possibilities to move, The estimated ticket prize in the late 70’s was 3.4 Million dollar per seat. This option never evolved outside the drawing board. 43

1961 - Sänger II by Junkers, the European option This design for a 2-stage horizontal launch and landing vehicle produced initially by the german company Junkers and the designer Eugen Sänger to ensure an 45

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4 | The Skylon concept

I. CONTEXT 4. SUBORBITAL SPACEPLANES

5 | The Ascender concept

6 | The Rocketplane concept

development costs. And though new air-breathing rocket engines might be more efficient, they're not

1989 - Skylon by Reaction Engines Ltd

needed initially. And going high with the first stage makes separation easy as it's in thin air, so hypersonic loads are kept small.

SKYLON developed, is an pilot-free fully reusable aircraft-like vehicle capable of transporting 12 tonnes of cargo into space. The vehicle will be flown remotely, but will also be certified to carry passengers.

It is intended as a replacement for expensive expendable launchers in the commercial market.

The vehicle design is for a hydrogen-fuelled aircraft that would take off from a conventional runway, and accelerate to Mach 5.4 at 26 kilometers altitude using the atmosphere's oxygen before switching the engines to use the internal liquid oxygen supply to take it into orbit.44 The relatively light vehicle would then reenter the atmosphere and land on a runway, being protected from the conditions of reentry by a ceramic composite skin. When on the ground it would undergo inspection and necessary maintenance. If the design goal is achieved, it should be ready to fly again within two days.

The Spacecab is a scaled-down version of the Spacebus designed to carry 6 passengers. It's attractive as a first step to launch services since it uses only existing technology, and could start passenger operations much earlier than a vehicle requiring new engines to be developed. The company envisions the start of operation in 2021. 45 2005 - Rocketplane XP by Rocketplane Kistler The Rocketplane XP was a suborbital spaceplane design that was under development circa 2005 by Rocketplane Kistler. The vehicle was to be powered by two jet engines and a rocket engine, intended to enable it to reach suborbital space. The XP would have operated from existing spaceports in a manner consistent with established commercial aviation practices.

Commercial flights were projected to begin in 2009. Rocketplane Global declared bankruptcy in midJune 2010 and the project was canceled

1991 - The Ascender by Bristol Spaceplane The Ascender is a sub-orbital spaceplane carrying two crew and two passengers intended to provide proof-of-concept for the development of the Spacecab and Spacebus spaceplane, and should be capable of reaching the Kármán Line.

The British company Bristol Spaceplanes is responsible for the design of both the Ascender and the Spacebus and the Spacecab duo as a follow up development.

The Spacebus is a two-stage passengercarrying horizontal takeoff and landing spaceplane using for its first stage jet engines for take-off, followed by rocket engines to climb to high altitude for separation, after which the upper stage uses rocket engines to reach orbit. Using existing jet and rocket engines is very attractive in reducing initial

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I. CONTEXT 4. SUBORBITAL SPACEPLANES

B. LESSONS LEARNED NASA retired its iconic Space Shuttle fleet in 2011. In the US, legislations allowing national spaceports to expand their activities and commercial space-lines to offer spaceflights have triggered a new race to fill out the missing link between Earth and Space-Stations.

The development of the Space tourism industry is a key component to enable technological research and improvements which will serve the DLR SpaceLiner as soon as it is entering the prototype phase.

The successful flights of SpaceShipOne in 2004, ultimately leading to winning the X-Prize, set a precedent for a privately funded vehicle capable to go to space. Despite its proven capabilities, SpaceShipOne had never been intended to become a commercially operated vehicle; yet its design has served as a blueprint for subsequent concepts intended for routine operations. The most advanced so far is the SpaceShipTwo, likely to go commercial in 2015. 47

Spaceplanes will be even required to correct the mistakes of their users: the majority of fatal accidents can be traced back to human error.

Designers therefore aim to improve the interaction of man and machine at every level, from the programming of the navigation components to the ergonomics in the onboard systems, future spaceplanes could carry equipment or passengers without the need of crewmembers. This is a challenge for engineers to come up with integrated solutions such as morphing and adaptive seats, automated procedures and reliable pilot replacement.

But there are also other companies pursuing such projects, enabling diversity in design and layout, which makes it very different from commercial aviation today.

A new generation of private spaceships is on the horizon, with their sights set on both orbital and suborbital space. The following list is a summary of the most promising crew-carrying commercial craft in development today. Focus is set on the manufacturerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s origin, passenger capacity and cost per person carried.

But for P2P spaceflights in the suborbital regime, there is the need to employ newly developed vehicles. Other than in orbital space tourism, where commercial offers so far have been relying on the proven Soyuz spacecraft from the Russian space program. There is no equivalent today for suborbital use. The last government-sponsored, crewed vehicles that flew to suborbital space in the past were the Mercury-Redstone rocket (last flown in 1961) and the X-15 experimental rocket plane (last flown in 1968), both from the US. 46 47

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I. CONTEXT 4. SUBORBITAL SPACEPLANES

7 | SpaceShipTwo during ascent flight after release from WhiteKnightTwo

8 | The Dream Chaser concept

C. ACTIVE SPACEPLANES FOR HUMAN TRANSPORTATION SpaceShipTwo

Dream Chaser

Manufactured by Scaled Composites for Virgin Galactic. The six-passenger spacecraft is Virgin Galactic's main asset in the suborbital spaceflight field.

It is designed to ferry tourists primary, later researchers and their experiments. above the Karman line. First it will be carried to an altitude of about 15 km by its mothership WhiteKnightTwo. At that point, the spacecraft's rocket will kick on, boosting SpaceShipTwo up to the Kármán Line at 100 km above Earth's surface.

Manufactured by SpaceDev for Benson Space Company. Sierra Nevada's Dream Chaser is a small space plane designed to carry seven passengers to and from low-Earth orbit. The spacecraft, is based on a NASA concept vehicle from the 1980s the DinoSaur. It should be ready to begin operations by 2017 according to company officials.

No price mentioned since no tourist or commercial flight is planned. It is conceived as an astronaut’s taxi.

Virgin Galactic has already collected deposits from more than 500 customers, the total price for a seat onboard is $200,000. Commercial operations are scheduled for 2018.

Vehicle

Region

Manufacturer

Provider

System

Fuel

SpaceShipTwo

US

Scaled Composite

Virgin Galactic

TSTO - HTOL

Thermoplastic polyamide

Dream Chaser

US

Sierra Nevada Corporation

NASA

TSTO - VTHL

N02 + Neoprene

Lynx Mark III

US

XCOR Aerospace

RocketShip Tours

SSTO - HTHL

LOX + Isopropyl alcohol

Astrium

EU

EADS

-

SSTO - HTOL

LOX + Kerosene

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I. CONTEXT 4. SUBORBITAL SPACEPLANES

9 | The Lynx Mark III

10 | The EADS Astrium concept

Lynx Mark III

EADS Astrium

Announced in 2008 and manufactured by XCOR for RocketShip Tours. XCOR Aerospace's Lynx is a two-person suborbital space plane designed to take off and land on a conventional airport runway. In addition to flights with paying passengers, the rocketpowered vehicle is being designed to carry scientific experiments on brief research flights.

The company plans to charge $95,000 per seat when the space plane is up and running.

The Airbus Space and Defence SpacePlane, also called EADS Astrium TBN is a suborbital spaceplane concept for carrying four passengers or space tourists, they will experience three minutes or more of weightlessness during the 90 minute trip. The project is the first space tourism entry by a major aerospace contractor. It is a rocket plane with a large wingspan, straight rearwards wing and a pair of canards. A full-size mockup was officially unveiled in 2007. The dimensions and looks are somewhat similar to those of a business jet.

The Astrium space jet will take off and land conventionally from a standard airport using its jet engines. At about 12 km altitude, a rocket engine takes over to boost the vehicle's altitude to approximately 100 km. After atmospheric re-entry, the jet engines are again restarted for landing.

In March 2009 EADS Astrium confirmed that the program had been placed on hold indefinitely 48

Purpose Tourism

Cost / seat

Spaceplane LxWxHm

$200.000 18.3 x 8.2 x 5.5

Cabin Ă&#x2DC;xLm 2,7 x 3,7

Crew Passenger

Flight duration

Altitude

Start

2

6

210 min

110 km

> 2018

Cargo to LEO

-

9.0 x 7.0 x ~ 4.0

2

7

-

160 km

> 2017

Tourism + Scientific experiments in 0g

$95.000

-

1

1

-

107 km

> 2016

Tourism

$200.000

-

1

4

90 min

100 km

-

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SL PU - DLR SpaceLiner Passenger Unit

1 | The SpaceLiner in ascent flight

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I. CONTEXT 5. THE DLR SPACELINER

5. THE PROMISING ENTERPRISE A. GENERAL REMARKS Over 100 years of design evolution have matured into the modern jet airliner. Differences between products of the remaining manufacturers Airbus and Boeing equal only nuances and most passengers do not choose their ticket according to the aircraft but according to the air fare and on-board service or corporate travel regulations . 49 â&#x20AC;&#x2018;

On the contrary, suborbital personal, and as a further evolution, P2P spaceflight are just emerging fields. There is no track record, neither experience nor comparable design evolution. Due to this lack of precedents, except the aforementioned SpaceShipOne or the long-defunct X-15, manufacturers of future commercial vehicles seem to enjoy a high degree of freedom when designing future rocket ships and spaceplanes.

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I. CONTEXT 5. THE DLR SPACELINER 58 m

SPACELINER

18 m SPACELINER SPACELINER

SPACELINER BOOSTER

12 m

73 m

Wing 2 | The DLR SpaceLiner - Sideview | source file adapted by AK

WINGSPAN 34 m

BOOSTER Reusable

SPEED Hypersonic

RANGE 20.000 km

B. THE DLR SPACELINER Since 2005 the Space Launcher System Analysis section of the German Aerospace Center or DLR-SART, is investigating this suborbital spaceflight concept50 making fast intercontinental winged passenger transport possible by 2050.

It is a reusable vehicle lifting-off vertically with a booster, flying at hypersonic speed, gliding over the Kármán Line, reentering the atmosphere and landing horizontally like a common airplane.

Thus connecting two points on the Earth’s surface in 60 to 90 minutes. A 6 times record for transcontinental flights. since the Concorde

DLR-SART is actively involved in the definition and in preliminary design studies of advanced supersonic and hypersonic transport. An important goal is the critical assessment of the suitability of such vehicles and their propulsion technology as first stages in future space transportation systems.

The booster is a large unmanned tank structure providing thrust and propellant cross-feed to the orbiter up to staging.

DLR researchers suggest that suborbital tourism launch systems could be applied to the intercontinental transport market. The liquid oxygen/ liquid hydrogen-propelled concept vehicle could operate a daily return service to Australia and have a reusable life of 150 trips, with new engines every 25 flights..52

In the 90’s a large supersonic carrier plane has been investigated under the project name DSL as a potential first stage. This research is now on hold.51 The DLR SpaceLiner shall be the next leap for hypersonic civil aviation since the Concorde.

The development of the DLR SpaceLiner concept is funded by DLR's internal resources, as well as in the context of the EU-FP7 funded projects such as Fast 20XX and CHATT. In addition to DLR, several partners from the European aerospace sector are involved.

The ‘‘first generation’’ design of 2005 has been used for more detailed studies, especially in the fields of trajectory simulations, aero-thermodynamics, and for defining the requirements for the active cooling system. One of the most important results is a first engineering estimation on the amount of cooling fluid required during skip and glide reentry phase the ambitious goal of a passenger rocket is to considerably enhance reliability and reusability of the engines beyond the current state of the art.

The DLR SpaceLiner is the most advanced concept for a sub-orbital spaceplane, designed specifically for a sub-orbital spaceflight. It will fly 50 passengers and 2 crew members (a second study for 100 passengers is also under investigation).

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SpaceLiner

I. CONTEXT 5. THE DLR SPACELINER Biconic Capsule

LOx Tank

LH² Tank

Thermo Protective Shield

3 | The DLR SpaceLiner - Section | source file adapted by AK

CREW 2 Pilots

CAPACITY 50 Pax + Luggage = 6.4Tons

FUEL LOx + LH²

An optimum configuration of minimum total size and mass has been iterated based on preliminary subsystem sizing and trajectory analyses of the ambitious Australia–Europe reference design mission.

The booster is a large unmanned tank structure providing thrust and propellant cross-feed to the orbiter up to staging. Its total propellant loading including residuals reaches 760Mg, 105% of the space shuttle external tank.

WEIGHT 377.6 T

The commissioning of a first operational system of the DLR SpaceLiner should be possible around 2050 according to DLR reports = Nevertheless, in the end the design of a commercial vehicle must serve the ultimate cause of any commercial enterprise, that is: a profitable business. Therefore, designing a craft for suborbital personal spaceflight must meet a number of high-level design criteria. Without having to go down to actual design requirements, those criteria will help to compare the current vehicles under development.

The orbiter, designed to transport 50 passengers with their luggage, accommodates propellant in the aft section which is designed as an aeroshell-like concept. Aerodynamic considerations and severe thermal conditions in the atmospheric skipping phase exclude any integral tank structure.

1.

! The Australia–Europe mission is one of the technically most challenging distances with significant passenger volume. However, several northern hemisphere flights like trans-Pacific or trans-Atlantic are less challenging but offer a larger market potential.

Thus, the flight from Europe to the west coast of North America, with a minimum flight distance around 9000 km, has been investigated for its suitability with the SpaceLiner2 configuration As has been found an elongated orbiter derivative could transport 100 passengers about 9000 km in 1 h.

Technical • Maturity • Vehicle Configuration • Safety and Reliability • Propellants and Emissions

2. Operational • Maintainability and Turnaround • Durability and Lifetime • Crew Training • Productivity 3. Passenger • Mission Duration • Maximum Acceleration • Cabin Accommodation 53

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A. MARKET ANALYSIS OF SUBORBITAL SPACEFLIGHTS It is known in marketing that demand is very hard to measure when it comes to new products or services.

This is mainly due to the lack of statistical data or absence of market historical antecedents and references.

To analyze the demand for Hypersonic P2P Suborbital Spaceflights, one cannot add up the different demands. Demand for hypersonic flights, the former Concorde market + Demand for spaceflight, which is oriented to space-tourists with a very different set of requirements and expectations + Demand for transcontinental super long haul Business flights.53 It is therefore important to define the market-size and clientele in a realistic way. In this case only will the offer from Space-Lines thrive, the future competition lower the price and propose alternatives in terms of passenger experience or efficiency and the commercial P2P suborbital spaceflight market flourish.

In 1994, Patrick Collins conducted a study on the « Commercial Implications of Market Research on Space Tourism » to investigate the potential demand for orbital space tourism. 54Around 3.000 questionnaires were filled out by Japan living candidates from all age groups indicating how many months of salary they would be willing to spend on a suborbital space trip. The study was repeated in Germany, UK and USA and several other countries.55 The results indicated that nearly 10% of the respondents were willing to pay a year’s salary for such a trip. This research was heavily criticized since neither the physical aptitude nor the financial capacity was seriously considered when choosing the target population. The desire to go to space was measured therefore no real commitment from the participants was relevant, This market analysis, first of its kind at the time showed the interest of the general public for individual space exploration and use for leisure and later for work purposes.

In 2002 Derek Webber conducted a study « Space Tourism Market Study » for Fultron Corporation, a consulting firm for the Aerospace Industry. 57 His approach was logical and the goals more tangible. The considered sample included only High-Net-Worth-Individuals who regularly spent 1.5% of their free capital on one single trip. Based upon a $100.000 ticket price, only persons with a net wealth of more than $7 million were considered. 450 persons within this group were then asked about their interest in Spaceflights (short suborbital flights as well as orbital touristic flights). The results showed that 86% of the persons were physically fit enough to undergo a training and enjoy the flight and 26% were interested in such adventure.

In October 2005 a comparative study for high speed intercontinental passenger transport was undertaken by the SpaceLiner concept research team at DLR headquarters in Bremen. The main points of the market analysis are summarized and extended in the following chapter.

In 2001 tourism expert Geoffrey Crouch’s used the income of people worldwide and assumed that only 0.56% of them are interested in a space trip. The main selection criteria being statistics on physical fitness and the interest for adventure tourism. The results of this study 56 showed a market potential of over 40,000 people willing and able to pay a $100,000 ticket price.

« With the SpaceLiner, DLR has proposed a visionary concept for hypersonic passenger transport over extremely long distances.58 Connecting large business centers located on different continents could offer a considerable market potential for high speed passenger transport, especially because of the gap left 54

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• More than 30% of them live in Asia.

• Asia has a higher acceptance, dedicated use and push effect on Hi-Tech at every societal infrastructure level.

• The Space industry is being rediscovered by a new generation considering it as a demystified and natural step in the evolution of personal transportation not far from levitating trains and electric cars

in the civil supersonic passenger transport sector by the decommissioning of the Concorde, in October 2003. 59 Of course the very high-speed travel option of the SpaceLiner seems most attractive for ultra-long haul distances, where the total travel time could be reduced by up to 80% when compared to today’s common long distance flights60.

According to the Tauri Group in its 2012 annual report the market for P2P suborbital spaceflight has to be considered in a wider variety of potential markets including:

« With the unique combination of business travel and space tourism, the SpaceLiner has the potential to enable sustainable low-cost transportation to orbit by drastically increasing the number of launches per year and thus decreasing the manufacturing and operating costs of the launcher systems ».61

• • • • • • • •

Despite the delay of operational activities and an updated ticket price of $200.000, the Futon revised study of 2008 foresaw the same result, indicating that 117 of the 450 potential participants are willing and able to go to space. The difference was therefore made between early birds or amateur space pioneers and customers of the third year when prices will considerably drop to around $20.000 due to a lack of pioneers and emergence of competition.

Commercial Human Spaceflight Basic and Applied Research Aerospace and Technology Test and Demonstration Media and Public Relations Education Satellite Deployment Remote Sensing Point-to-Point Transportation

The P2P transport in this report refers to a progressive character of the global spaceflight market.

It is to expect that many of the technologies tested and validated during the operational phases of suborbital flights (flying tourists and experiments to space) will benefit the development of future P2P vehicles such as the SpaceLiner. a next generation spacecraft with cutting edge booster, reentry and thermal protection technologies, just to mention a few aspects.

Estimates from this analysis are indicating a potential market of some 13.000 passengers yearly.

EADS confirms these numbers based on their own studies that also estimate the market at steady state conditions at 15,000 passengers yearly.

= Benefiting from the positive result of the global market performance and passenger experience, the SpaceLiner could become a very welcomed add-on to the spaceflight industry and should benefit from lower ticket pricing comparable with current commercial airline business tickets at around € 5.000

In 2014 Forbes listed some facts which need to be added to correct and adjust the presented market analysis: • There is a considerable shift of wealth towards Asia.

• More than 10 million people worldwide have more that $1 million free capital, beyond real estate,…

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Business vs. Economy airline ticket price On commercial flights the airline ticket price range depends dramatically on the following variables listed in order of importance: • • • •

How is the high price of 3.000 - 6.000€ of Business tickets justified and is it worth it?

Business and First class tickets are expensive because of supply and demand, and because often they are tax deductible as business expenses to large corporate or governmental entities for whom €12.000 for travel expenses is a rounding error.

Fuel prices Flight distance Competition on trajectory Seat supply vs. demand

The commercial airline ticket price is typically split in half. The lower portion known as “leisure” ticket prices and the upper portion are the “business” tickets.

Business travelers typically are far less price conscious and more prone to buy expensive, last- minute tickets than leisure travelers. Leisure travelers are the ones who are ultra-price conscious and more flexible on travel dates and destinations. Theses two variables already exclude the « tourist » a the type of traveller

Having said that, "is it worth it?" is a tough question. I would not be able to afford to spend the many thousands of euros first class tickets cost on most international routes. But for the entities (companies and people and government agencies) who are paying, they have obviously made a calculation that it is worth it to them. Many of them also have negotiated fares with one or more favored airlines, and pay significantly less for those tickets than you or I would.

Many passengers fly Business class because someone else is paying for it: the entertainment league, actors, athletes, and VIP’s who are traveling in order to do their work for a sponsor or employer who will often have contracts specifying that they travel business class. In addition, many companies pay for business class travel on international routes for employees above a certain hierarchy level.

The SpaceLiner passenger is in my opinion, considering the various market evaluations a future version of the current business passenger Who can afford it?

Frequent flyers, business travelers, rich and adventurous

There are also so-called frequent flyers using miles credits to upgrade from business class on international trips.

When rating the airlines according to highest comfort level during long haul flights passengers indicate that flying Business class presents the adequate seat layout, extras like lie-flat bed with a built-in desk and in-flight entertainment, very good privacy, and overall a more tranquil travel experience despite a very high price compared to the rest of the passengers ticket price.

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D. OPERATIONAL CHALLENGES The extent to which special infrastructure is needed depends on the final design and technical specifications of the SpaceLiner . It will require special hangars, maintenance tools, facilities; longer runways, and adapters for existing airport infrastructure, training facilities, safety equipment and more. ! In the best case the SpaceLiner operations will function like common commercial airliner and can smoothly be integrated into an existing fleet of commercial air transports.Ideally, it can even be parked in the same hangars and uses the same runways for landing as all the other aircraft. Before launch It will need a special crane and derricks and, hoisting rigs , or other specialized handling equipment 62 Maintainability and Turnaround Low maintenance requirements is a design feature that insures short time intervals between two Spaceflights of one and the same vehicle and helps to minimize hardware cost for spares.

Longer intervals for scheduled maintenance shall be preferred. Vehicle concepts that are designed in accord with this objective deserve a high rating 63 Durability and Lifetime The higher the expected life of key components, the better is the vehicleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s cost performance. That certainly helps the economic wellbeing of a future space tourism business. Key components with a high impact on the life-cycle cost are the vehicle structure (fuselage, tanks, wings, landing gear...), the engines and the electronics.64 In several earlier studies, the engines were identified as the single most important cost driver.

Consequently, the sensitivity analysis of financial performance against the (expected) engine lifetime and recurring engine costs has become good business practice in the writing of business plans for space tourism 65 57

SL PU - DLR SpaceLiner Passenger Unit

Spaceports

I. CONTEXT 5. THE DLR SPACELINER

Reusable Launch systems

Air Traffic Managment

8 | Technical challenges

E. TECHNICAL CHALLENGES Despite all of its historical-cultural, sociological and economic aspects, Aviation is first and foremost a technical challenge. The centuries old system of trial and error, used by Icarus trough to the Wright brothers and their pioneers colleagues, has long been superseded by scientific investigation and precise calculation. As a result the maiden voyage of a new model is no longer the event it once was, as the makers know well beforehand that the aircraft can fly. Nevertheless, all systems have to be thoroughly tested and improved upon.

Spaceports

significant increase in cost effectiveness compared to the space transportation systems of the early 2000s. A major challenge lies in improving the security and reliability of space components such as rocket engines, heat shields… so that they will become suitable for the daily operation of a passenger transport.

For current airports to qualify for Spaceflight operations and make horizontal landing for the SpaceLiner or similar spacecrafts possible an extensive portfolio of adjustments and add-ons as listed below need to be set in place and achieved:

The two-stage, vertical-takeoff configuration concept consists of a large unmanned booster and a manned stage designed for 50 passengers and 2 crew members. The fully reusable vehicle is accelerated by a total of eleven liquid rocket engines, 9 for the booster, 2 for the passenger stage, which are to be operated using cryogenic liquid oxygen (LOX) and hydrogen (LH2) After engine cut-off, the orbiter stage is to enter a high-speed gliding flight phase and be capable of traveling long intercontinental distances within a very short time. Altitudes of 80 kilometers and Mach numbers beyond 20 are projected, depending on the mission.

• A larger range of safety areas.

• Long main runways with even longer pre and post runway runoff areas.

• Unlimited altitude to space flight corridors for suborbital spaceflights.

• Horizontal supersonic flight corridors.

• Logistics support • The ability to "make noise" 24 / 7 (typical of military fighter aircraft and rocket engine based flights that would exceed normal airport standards) • Governmental flight approval for long periods of time.

Flight times of the DLR SpaceLiner from Australia to Europe should take just 90 minutes or no more than 60 minutes on the Europe-US east-coast route.

Given the competitive commercial nature of the point to point suborbital spaceflight industry served by the SpaceLiner, 24/7 access is essential to a test range and its supporting runway and airport infrastructure.66

Air Traffic management Reusable launch systems

Most of the flight trajectory of the SpaceLiner will be at a much higher altitude than for the airbreathing vehicles considerably reducing the noise impact on ground. Nevertheless, the launch has to most likely be performed off-shore because usually no remote, unpopulated areas are found close to the

A key aspect of the concept of the DLR SpaceLiner is its full reusability and vehicle massproduction which closely resembles that of the aviation industry. Consequently, it is expected to deliver a 58

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CO2

Greenhouse effect

Environmental impact

Noise disturbance

producing over 150 dB at take-off.68 The Airbus A380 reaches 94 dB. To reduce noise pollution to close cities the DLR SpaceLiner will land at Spaceports distant from cities between 20-50 km away.

business centers of the world. Consequently decoupling of the launch and landing site will create some logistical challenges. 67 Airspace is being managed more holistically across the regions and there is a strong focus from regulators and the general public on environmental performances. Reducing fuel burn and carbon emissions is a key priority

Environmental performances Fuel costs are usually of minor importance as in space travel carriers. The most important is that the fuel is eco-friendly produced, for example, by solar hydrogen-oxygen economy.

CO2 reduction A rocket powered concept like the SpaceLiner is very attractive. Because its flight durations would be two to three times lower than of air-breathing systems with a high CO2 footprint . A substantial advantage in travel times and hence improved business case can be expected.

! The first generation of the SpaceLiner is designed for 150 reuses , which seems achievable in the foreseeable future of aerospace technology.

Whereas further developments and upgrades will focus on a more frequent reusability in order to significantly reduce the operational and maintenance cost as well.69 Ultimately those considerations will have an impact on the spacecraft’s environmental performances

The negative environmental impact of the LOX-LH2 propelled SpaceLiner seems to be much less critical than for air-breathing concepts. In fact the engines do not pollute the atmosphere with nitrogen oxides because they do not use the air. However, the greenhouse gas effect of the unavoidable water vapor at high altitudes is to be evaluated in future analyses with suitable climate models.

Environmental considerations Rockets as a class are not inherently grossly polluting. However, some rockets use toxic propellants, and most vehicles use propellants that are not carbon neutral. Many solid rockets have chlorine in the form of perchlorate or other chemicals, and this can cause temporary local holes in the ozone layer. Re-entering spacecraft generate nitrates which also can temporarily impact the ozone layer. Most rockets are made of metals that can have an environmental impact during their construction.

Environmental Noise reduction Current supersonic aircraft designs provide passengers and cargo with reduced flight times, but at the cost of the noise produced by sonic booms. Due to adverse public perception of the noise associated with sonic booms, civil regulations currently prohibit overland supersonic flights over continental states. As a result, successful business and commercial air- and spacecraft development has generally been limited to subsonic designs.

In addition to the atmospheric effects there are effects on the near-Earth space environment.

There is the possibility that orbit could become inaccessible for generations due to exponentially increasing space debris caused by spalling of satellites and vehicles also known as Kessler syndrome70. Many launched vehicles today are therefore designed to be re-entered after use.71 ‑

! The DLR SpaceLiner is currently conceived to take off with the Ariane rocket launch system 59

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F. INFLIGHT PASSENGER COMFORT Comfort has been a complicated topic since it is very subjective. People have so many different ideas and opinions of what makes them comfortable. Some parameters such as the seat pitch and number of other passengers inside the total volume of the cabin are more tangible and have a clear effect on the passenger comfort.

Cabin Volume Similarly, Vink and Brauer (2011) found that legroom and having a good seat were highly correlated with comfort as was cleanliness. Studies75 have also shown that comfort of seating is closely related to the appearance of the seat.

The amount of usable cabin volume per passenger as well as the number of seats is a very important factor for the subjective comfort level of passengers. 72 A large cabin volume reduces the danger of passengers getting claustrophobic. Numerous windows which should be as large as possible and face in many different directions guarantee that passengers get what they seek the most (according to market research): an uninhibited view of our home planet against the blackness of space 73

= The SpaceLiner could host around 50 passengers or more depending on the chosen configuration with a volume per passenger ranging from ~1,7 to ~2,5 m3

= To extend the interior volume of the SpaceLiner and to compensate on the lack of windows for safety reasons, the interior surface or a portion of it such as the sides could be used for projections of the scenery on the outside and reduce the feeling of being stuck inside a hermetic tube with no relationship to the outside.

Personal leg-space The amount of personal space available to each passenger influences their general comfort feeling. Reports show that invasion of personal space by unknown others when social interaction is not desired, increases psychological stress. People often feel stuck on a plane: there is usually no option to move seats, and they are less likely to be able to easily leave their seats during the flight.76

Seat layout Within the field of transport some researchers have investigated aircraft seats, examining factors such as legroom, seat width, shape, seat pitch, adjustment, firmness, stability, and the fabrics used.74 Richards, Jacobson and Kuhlthau (1978) found that passengers ranked seat comfort as the most important in determining their experience of comfort, followed by noise and ambient temperature.

= Some of the proposed seating layout configurations take the personal space very seriously and offer solutions to avoid contact with fellow passengers. The cluster configuration on the opposite puts an emphasis on groups and provides spaces for collective and communication during the spaceflight.

The authors reported that people who found their seats insufficiently wide or with unsatisfactory legroom, found their flights more uncomfortable.

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Requirements for Unit « relax » mode

Selection leisure activities of crew members

• Communications with friends or family • Entertainment material: books, audio and video entertainment • Adjustable lighting • Window scenery • Ventilation and temperature control • Restraints for 0g

• • • • • •

Unit options

Requirements for Unit « sleep » mode • • • • • • •

Communicating with friends and relatives on Earth Space observation via onboard windows Looking out the window at Earth and space Listening to music Watching movies Writing

• • • • • • • • •

Minimal noise Privacy Dimmed lighting Bedding Legs and arms restraints Ventilation and temperature control Minimal vibration

62

adaptable shell seats glare free interior lighting designed to reduce the effects of jet-lag Visual contact to other passengers window scenery soundwall odor neutrality aroma therapy, vitamins and anti oxydant air soft / hard polyethylene and composite materials and textiles

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I. CONTEXT 5. THE DLR SPACELINER

G. FLIGHT CONVENIENCES Privacy

could be used more wisely, to relax and enjoy this unique flight. The Unit should offer communication channels and wireless connectivity for gadgets of the next decennia, as know today on commercial flights in business but also in economy class.

Privacy is probably the most valued convenience on a commercial flight, not hearing any ongoing conversations of other passengers and more importantly, the benefit of privacy ensures that the passenger can carry on the own personal or business conversation - without needing to worry that the details of the conversation will be overheard by other passengers.

Crew attention and service The SpaceLiner is conceived to operate without crew. Even if this option is unlikely to find popularity the further design proposals are based on this particularity. No stewards during flights also means there is no possibility for care taking

For business discussions in particular, privacy comes with security and peace of mind. A cabin and passenger seat providingg noise and acoustic insulation can be invaluable, especially when discussing confidential or insider details.

Food & drinks = The cabin noise insulation of the SpaceLiner will be a challenging task for engineers since it will fly at hypersonic speed and reenter the atmosphere, two very loud flight phases. Ensuring privacy during the flight might not be possible, the focus should be set on minimizing vibrations, noise canceling close to the ears through a helmet or cap and direct communication over microphone and earplugs, systems known from cockpits of aircrafts or helicopters.

On long haul flights, passengers can expect up to two full in flight meals. Breakfast, lunch and dinner accompanied with water and hot drinks. A range of snacks and beverages is also available most of the time ! But the absence of a crew makes food serving or drinks serving as standard convenience known in todays flights not possible. It cannot be the pilot’s role nor any other passenger for obvious safety reasons. ! The main reason yet being the weightlessness flight phase during which objects with not restrains pose a high risk for passengers. Neither food nor cutlery should fly around, covering ventilation openings or blocking the Backbone’s mechanism.

Connectivity Today’s modern aircrafts make it possible for business travelers to work during the flight and never leave the office behind. In-flight satellite phones are not very common but Wifi is now standard on most flights.

= This explains why the passenger Unit will need to help the passenger in a case of emergency, provide a compartment for a quick medical kit, special containers with valves for water and other liquids should also be considered into the design

= A trip on the SpaceLiner is probably to short to start a new office task or even finish a presentation, the vibrations, the noise and the effect of weightlessness as well as the view over the Earth surface might be more interesting if not a welcomed distraction to enjoy than office tasks to finish. The time 63

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H. IN FLIGHT ENTERTAINMENT The viewing options must be considered, the absence of real windows on the fuselage must be justified, an alternative in form of screenings or augmented reality in a helmet or projection should be considered.

Not taking this seriously will alter the experience and comfort of passengers during the flight and the memory of it after the flight, leading to a possible long term non acceptance of this transportation method.

Human perception of height and speed is amplified by the senses and the higher the degree of clarity of the signal, the less obstruction there is and the higher the comfort.It is possible to send to the body a set of information to distract and feel less stressed and therefore more comfortable. The main senses available during a flight are sight and hearing.

A similar situation to an office environment or a passive leisure activity like watching TV at home on the sofa. It is the reason why IFE systems (In-flight entertainment) rely mainly on screens in commercial airlines.

“I think there will certainly be a demand for ‘super-luxe’ travel. I think flying luxury in the future could be like a cruise.* […] Maybe you fly from New York to Los Angeles and that’s a holiday experience in itself. The next leap for luxury travel could * […] be about tailoring the experience to the passenger. We don’t know what technology will be available in ten years from now, but aircraft being bought right now have to be able to accommodate them.“ Connection with information is key. All the way from information on the ground, to the information that flight attendants can recall to the information that the passenger get in their hands. It needs to be seamless. From the car they drove to the airport to the check-in at the airport. It should carry on to the flight.

The next step in touchscreen on the back of the front seat would be projection on common surfaces or in a private helmet.

For therapeutical purposes, in a hypnotic sense, images from outside or chosen escape themes like the beach, tropical woods or snowy mountains can help the passenger to keep calm and experience the flight as a positive journey experience.

Technology in 2015 is still disconnected when it comes to Flight transportation.78

Timothy Miller, Senior Design Strategist at Teague77 says about the current flight experience and the evolution inspired by commercial touristic spaceflights:

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9 | Aircraft interior mapping

Superseding the window = Passengers will be able to dim or turn down the screens if they dislike the speed or brightness of the view by turning on the « private mode ».

The DLR SpaceLiner passenger cabin is planed as a closed capsule inside the plane’s fuselage, ready to unlock and separate from the booster, similar to a fighter jet pilot seat in case of an emergency.

= An upgrade of the current flight experience is to record the flight route, creating an imagery collection similar to « google’s street view » on earth.

The « space view ». Collecting and recording images, flight trajectories can also help avoid incidents in future spaceflights.

From an engineering perspective adding openings or windows on the fuselage of any pressurized vessel causes significant challenges in designing and constructing the body. Openings are also likely to increase the weight of the spacecraft and hence operating costs and can weaken the structural support at very high speed. Since removing windows from the spacecraft can also reduce drag, vibrations and therefore cabin noise, it is very realistic to see the SpaceLiner take off with no windows except of the pilots front view protective glazing. ? How will passengers be able to look out?

One of the most exciting experience when taking the DLR SpaceLiner is to fly very high above the clouds and see unobstructed sunrises and the clearest star nights possible, or see the curvature of the earth? The experience of being in an aircraft without windows could be an unusual one, it will be like being in a tunnel with no natural light. The orientation for escape in case of emergency will have to be clear = One option is to use the previous surfacedisplays technique and to map the cloud landscape outside the aircraft on the inside surface of the cabin. = Micro-cameras on the fuselage will record the surrounding view, the footage will be displayed on the inside wall surface and on the passenger Unit screen.

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10 | The wall becomes window

Mapping geotainment One of the most popular sections of the IFE system today is the moving map. Compared with the two-dimensional maps that are found on the IFE systems of many airlines today, the FlightPath3D system offers the option to deviate from the flight path to look at specific 3D landmarks and zoom into ever greater detail similar to functionality of Apple Maps or Google Earth.

or use free roaming mode to investigate the world they are flying over. = The geotainment app would be available on all the high-definition Unit gesture driven screens.

Passengers can also use their own device as video handheld – either as a remote control of the main screen, or as second screen to use the application in broadcast mode, sharing the content with friends on the ground.

This location-triggered content displays geographical and historical information relevant to the location of an aircraft on, or around, its flight path.

Boris Veksler, CEO of Betria Interactive – which has developed the FlightPath3D geotainment app says:

The online geotainment databases are already including many locations across the world, in almost all widely used languages accessible over several internet services and specialized companies.

“Travel is exploration. Delivering informative destination ‘geotainment’ services gives the passenger a form of discovery in anticipation of their arrival. It is a natural and engaging extension of the moving map.”

= The SpaceLiner « City Destination Guide » would initially cover informations on how to get to the nearest city, transportation possibilities but also invite the passenger to stay and explore the region.

The deployment of geotainment-based flight maps is still in it's early stages. Since 2014 passengers of the Delta Airline on flights over North America can use their own device to view the ground below via maps enriched with interesting information on various points of interest near the route. Passengers do have to be connected to the onboard Wi-Fi network though.

It could expand over time to cover many more destination cities with detailed, street level city maps and rich, multi-media point-of-interest information over the landscape, resources and any other thinkable layer of information. Calculating routes, and miles traveled, the personal carbon footprint… Keeping a flying journal could be the future of personal information sharing platforms, one of many uses of this seamlessly embedded technology.

Air France and KLM have also become early adopters of the geotainment trend. The airlines have selected FlightPath3D to deliver their next generation moving map and geotainment service. 79 = Passengers of the SpaceLiner will be able to follow the flight path as their trip progresses and learn more about points-of-interest during their journey via projected or holographic displays text and images.

They can also choose from several interactive 3D views

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11 | the future of in-flight geotainment

Sensing the transition The “Sense of Transitions” IFE / geotainment concept by Students at the TU Delft shows an audiovisual projection onto the backrest of the front seat row. The projection shows panoramic shots, climatic information, historical events, or the culture of the people inhabiting the environment of the area overflown. Interactive pop-up menus guide the passenger through available options, to review visited sites, share the content, zoom on landmarks, explain infographics or deepen the search by comparison. A flexible OLED touch-screen display can also be integrated to add depth to the experience.

= The option of a projected overhead screen is more suited since the image will follow head orientation and stay focussed in front of the passenger eyes excluding the possibility of motion sickness

This concept is on an aircraft anytime soon as it will no doubt be too costly to implement for the airline sector’s liking, but we welcome this category to provide a platform for the next generation of industry thought leaders who will shape tomorrow’s passenger experience.

The particularity of this IFE is its independent system. By simplifying the network and without being intrusive ensuring the access on demand to audio and video during the entire flight as well as the possibility of sharing the content with other passengers and friends on the ground. This way, the failure of one IFE’s system won’t affect the other seats. = These technologies are being used on commercial airlines, it is very realistic that the technology developed for the SpaceLiner will keep up with this trend.

Even though the use of a gesture driven screen with a shaky arm due to flight vibrations at speeds around Mach 5 is neither easy, comfortable nor recommended for safety reasons, some elements will have a positive influence on the overall experience and could be profitable to many passengers.

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12 | Adaptive entertainment content

Virtual Reality for Spaceflights « it has been a real challenge but very interesting to see what you can do in terms of changing people's environments to increase their comfort. »

? Can Virtual Reality be used on hypersonic flights to improve in-flight comfort by illusions?

The VR Hyperspace project has been exploring this idea. Dr Mirabelle D'Cruz and her team at the University of Nottingham. This maturing projection technology, mapping and virtual reality in head-mounted displays.

One approach has involved using headmounted displays. They block the whole world out and only allow the perception of a preselected virtual environment. It is great because it shows people’s reaction in that « extended space », their comfortable space.

« I've always been absolutely fascinated by the fact that you could enter into this computer world and be anywhere you want to be. Industry very much uses virtual reality where you couldn't have people in the real environment, so you can understand why the space industry used virtual reality, because obviously you cannot send loads of people up in space. So much of the research is being about creating accuracy in a virtual environment »

« We’ve been using head-mounted displays to look at how you would embody yourself in that space, how you would feel like if you were in a specific place. If you believed that you were that avatar in that virtual environment, would it make you feel more comfortable? » The second approach is putting surfacedisplays around the passenger. They looked at how to extend that space when all the seats are invisible or mapping the plane « away » and measure if people are comfortable or fear the loss of direct contact and feel lost in space

Can we use the narrow environment to make the space bigger? So in an aircraft when you're in a really confined space, can we use this technology to extend that space? This is where the research has been for the last three years.

There will always be problems when using technology to respond to a human feeling like comfort. The biggest problem that virtual-reality encounters is when dealing with « stereo vision ». Having two different images shown to the left and right eye in order to make the stereo happen and a feeling of space can cause nausea.

Some people experience this when looking at 3-D movies. When you get the glasses, you're trying to work out and make the stereo happen. Some people with the head-mounted display with the stereo and with motion can actually experience sickness. This is a real issue because obviously we wouldn't want people wearing head mounted displays to feel sick or wearing them for too long time and getting eye strains.

« Creating positive illusion, creating environments to enable passengers to see themselves in a more comfortable position then they are in their cabin space which is much more comfortable and that's what allows them to interact with other people, people they want to interact with.

You can imagine that on the plane you might be with other people you don’t know or don’t want to know or don’t want to be sharing this experience with.

You may want to interact with people from home, so they can be brought into your shared space, maybe you want to read your children a bedtime story while on the plane you can still physically but actually virtually be in the same place. » 68

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13 | The concept of virtual reality headsets

Some people say they want to be in the mountains, others at the sea, in a big space or crowded place to feel safe. Some people, especially those afraid of flying also like to be in a confined, cosy space they know, to be back in their home that is calming to them.

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not right to have this assumption that everyone wants to be in this big open space over the clouds.

14 | inside the Samsung + Oculus virtual reality headset

= The SpaceLiner IFE system should automatically resume and launch emergency protocol for the passenger to understand the situation and help avoid panicking.

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Body-centered Vertical reference

24° 90° Body-centered horizontal reference

1g Sight -line

Øg

10°

Sig

htlin

e

15°

122°

39°

128° 1,48 - 1,94 m Neutral Body Posture in Øg

12°

200°

133°

111°

0,65 - 0,90 m

0,38 - 0,66 m

1 | Body-centered horizontal reference

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II. DESIGN PARAMETERS 1. PASSENGER TYPOLOGY

II. DESIGN PARAMETRES 1. PASSENGER TYPOLOGY A. LIMITING CONDITIONS In the word space tourism, « tourism » is related to the experience of such a flight. An individual and collective memory is created, belonging to a select few, being certified the title of astronauts are just a few of the side effects of the experience. The word « space » on the other hand reminds of the technical challenges, the high risks and safety measures that need to be followed. The challenge for designers is to keep these simple yet very effective, seamless yet reassuring at any time. intuitive to use and self explaining since no crew is present during the flight.

The word « space » also emphases on the extreme, adventurous, highly efficient type of a flight inside the SpaceLiner.

SpaceLiner, manning more and more customer would book a flight ticket if the experience meets their expectations of an adventure flight.

The importance of the « adventure » component lays in the risk appraisal aspect. It certainly cannot be ignored and should be a theme guiding the design process of the SpaceLiner interior subsystems such as the Unit and the Unit arrangement. The risk factor of such an adventure-like commercial flight experience is equally present in other adventure tourism disciplines such as extreme hiking, extreme sailing, of free-fall jumping. In fact when asked about the perceived risks, space tourism was not considered as one of the most risky disciplines. Three questions were asked:

Design criteria often tend to be dominated by the component « space » to make sure the passengers and the Spacecraft are safe. But ignoring the passenger satisfaction has very often led to commercial failures. In the last decade the aviation sector has become increasingly aware of the necessity of elevating the comfort level for passengers, the space travel industry recognizes the need to meet these expectations and hold on to the image of a futuristic industry at the edge of material and software technology.

1. What is your motivation to book a spaceflight?

2. Which are the constraints, making you hesitate?

3. How would you compare a spaceflight to other activities in terms of risk?

32% of the target group answered Pioneering as the strongest motivation, followed by the accomplishment of a Lifelong Dream in 18% of the cases, the wish to sea the Earth from space for 16% and space enthusiasm for 8% of the asked group.

Under the impulse from some very customer oriented companies such as Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic, we note increased emphasis in the object esthetics and overall experience of a spaceflight during the design phase of commercial oriented spacecraft.

The level of risk-avoiding measures, the high economic stakes and professionally of the field plays a most reassuring role. This is a key advantage of this industry.

The emphasis on the passenger requirements has often led to business success of commercial airlines. The same rule could be applied to the 71

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acceleration experience tangible without affecting the health and comfort level of passengers.

Potential passengers, when asked about what is making them hesitate before booking a space flight answered: the fact of being strapped in their seat during the flight, not experiencing weightlessness or the long lasting training of one week before the flight would be a nuisance to their choice.

• Experiencing zero gravity in a safe way should be made possible without leaving the passenger Unit.

The limits of the personal activity radius should be clearly marked during this phase by an adapted interior design. Enough space to allow legs and arms to float freely should be allocated to each passenger.

The Space-suit plays an important role in this phase, monitoring systems should keep transmitting data to the Unit, magnetic hold must be activated to restraint the passenger in case of emergency or panic, yet allowing a high level of mobility.

When comparing the risk related to spaceflights the target group mentioned skydiving, mountain climbing, piloting or skying as risk similar. 80 The size of public space travel market will depend, in part, upon the attractive features that designers of spaceflight experiences incorporate into their spacecraft and related activities.

• The onboard safety must be guaranteed without the help of a crew, the passenger Unit must contain a medical kit for each passenger, magnetic strappings holding the passenger in his suit to the Unit to compensate vibrations.

? What do passengers require and how should the SpaceLiner meet these essentials? Several market surveys have been undertaken and several opinions presented. 81 In general, the expectations of future space passengers include:

• Wearing the Space-helmet to minimizing potential injuries during reentry phase and receive visual content such safety measures, warning messages and body data monitoring.

• Experiencing astronaut training • Experiencing accelerations • Experiencing weightlessness and being able to float freely in zero gravity, • Viewing Space and the Earth, • Communicating from Space, • Having astronaut-like documentation and memorabilia.

• Communication and documentation on board by cameras and sensors on the passenger Unit, Spacecap and fuselage, to capture unique flight moments as souvenirs and also feed the follow-up medical folder for each passenger to facilitate the check-in procedure of future flights and continuous training schedule.

= Passenger expectations leads to a number of technical design requirements for the capsule Unit layout, the Unit and its functionalities as well as operational requirements having an impact on the pre and post flight phase duration .

• The propulsion system of the SpaceLiner and therefor the admissible G-loads during vertical take off, separation from Booster as well as during reentry and pull off phase must be chosen to make the 72

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B. THE TOURIST VS. THE BUSINESS PASSENGER The analysis is based on the extensive research on airplane passengers conducted by the team of VR Hyperspace from the university of Nottingham in the UK.82 It is possible to a certain extend to select fragments of the analysis to extrapolate on who the DLR SpaceLiner passenger will be and how he/she will experience the flight.

The DLR SpaceLiner when compared to current and future commercial airplanes, even though much faster, will have to make use of the newest onboard technology and be outfitted in the most efficient, high tech yet comfortable way to suit the wishes of the passenger. The interior will also have to allow a possible productivity during the short flight. The ability to continue working undisturbed can be as valuablee as a relaxing flight.

Who needs to fly these route on a regular basis?

Towards the second half of the 21st century when the hype of space-tourism will fade out and become an extreme leisure activity like skying or base jumping, we can expect Commercial P2P Spaceflight to be considered as a pragmatic solution to the shipment of goods or very fast transportation of people. When it answers the question: « How do I get from A to Be the quickest possible » because time is valuable to whom needs to make value of time

Since the beginnings of civil aviation, flying has appealed to people’s sense of adventure. in the 1920’s and 1930s, travel by air became synonymous with the lifestyle of the rich and famous. The airline companies attempted to offer their edit passengers the same standard of services the they were accustomed to on the ground. in the well equipped cabins those traveling by air could enjoy drinks and cigarettes while they enjoyed a unique view from the windows of the plane.

X

↗

X

X

↗

↗

↗

X

↗

Bulky Luggage

Business Trip

Pregnancy

Expedition

Rich

Army

Super Star

Physically unfit

Frequent Flyer

2 | Passenger typology

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C

II. DESIGN PARAMETERS 1. PASSENGER TYPOLOGY

A - Total height

G - Sitting height

A’ - Acromial height

H - Eye height

B - Trochanteric height

i - Shoulder-elbow length

C - Bideltoid breadth D

D - Chest breadth

J - Buttock-knee length

E - Hip breadth

K - Popliteal height L - Knee height, sitting

F - Knee height

E

A

i

H

A’

J

L

B

K

F

3 | Commonly provided Anthropometric Dimensions

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II. DESIGN PARAMETERS 1. PASSENGER TYPOLOGY

C. PHYSICAL AND MEDICAL REQUIREMENTS Medical considerations for passengers of the SpaceLiner are particularly important. The selection of passengers should follow the strictness of the traditional astronaut-selection. This « select-in » approach will need adjustments and shift to a « selectout » philosophy to allow a broader range of potential passengers. 83 Narrowing the selection and avoiding extremes is necessary because the implications are relevant to the design of the passenger Unit and the general safety requirements onboard.

Emphasizing on safety aspects such as escape under different emergency conditions should happen before the flight during check-in and repeatedly presented to the passenger in the informative head mounted screen.

Moreover this period may be used for medical examinations and observation as well as the necessary familiarization with the SpaceLiner interior (responding to the requirement of candidates to be well informed passengers) NASA’s « Human Integration Design Handbook » (HIDH), NASA/SP-2010-3407, provides useful design factors and guidance for the crew health, habitability, environment, and human interaction of all NASA human space flight programs and projects.

• The pre-medical check must follow select-out criteria, resulting in a limited range of potential SpaceLiner passengers, age, height, weight and physical ability being the most basic criteria, • The medical kit and very few variations onboard must be applicable to all passengers, • The space Overall must be possibly worn by a great amount of candidates, • The continuous monitoring of the passenger health during the flight should be considered • The relatively short flight will reduce the need for extensive medical aid on board, but for injuries and emergency situations, a small medical kit should remain available by the co-pilot, trained to handle medical emergencies.

= I will use this manual to select parameters to be considered when choosing operations for passenger's interactions, their technical specifications and when developing designs of the passenger Unit overall design and the capsule seating configurations.

Age effects The age of a person often affects anthropometry in individuals through changes in stature, weight, and mass distribution. Increases in stature and weight occur until maturity is reached, and then decreases in stature occur in elderly adults.

Fluctuations in weight and mass distribution occur as well, with age playing an important role in these changes.

! In the case of a pre-flight training, the technical aspects of the training are not the only consideration. The Connector on each passenger Unit and their respective use must be designed in a way that reminds of the daily use of digital tools and gadgets commanded by voice and touch gestures, intuitive and simple to use in each flight phase.

SpaceLiner passengers will also need to be fully informed. The educational dimensions of the experience will therefore be important as well. A clear and substantial introduction is key to ensure safety during flight.

Gender effects The body size and strength of males and females follow a bivariate normal distribution and thus cannot be represented as a single population curve.

However, some general observations may be made.

The repetition of a positive experience will create a comfort feeling associated with spaceflights.

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Female measurements are typically smaller than male measurements, and female weight is typically less than male weight. The major exception to this generalization is hip breadth. The average female hip breadth, both sitting and standing, exceeds the average male hip breadth.84

in design are the suit’s impact on dimensions such as sitting height and thigh clearance. This information is not available in standard anthropometric databases, so it is often necessary to derive values for the effects of clothing on anthropometry.

The SpaceLiner passenger must be able to meet additional requirements related to the physical condition and body structure:

! These generalizations should not be used for design purposes where the safety and comfort of each individual is the prime concern. Because the distribution of data is separate, it is necessary to derive male and female data separately and not use any generalized relationships to represent a population of both males and females. In other words, any given male is not necessarily larger than any given female, because the two normal curves do overlap.

• Un-/ Dress the space Overall without assistance • Enter / exit the passenger Unit • Unlock the Connector Taking into account the 85 largest: 95%ile American male “Sven”: 190.1 cm and the smallest: 5%ile Japanese female “Keiko”: 78.3 cm The SpaceLiner passenger, to be able to wear the suit and seat in appropriate posture in the Unit should be:

Clothing Effects Safety concerns require passengers to wear a flight suit. The previous NASA design of such equipment consists of an undergarment to maintain and control temperature, a single-piece coverall, an oxygen mask or a helmet with a visor, and a parachute backpack.

• min height: 1.50 m | max height: 2.05 m • min weight: 55 kg | max weight: 130 kg • min age: 23y | max age: 68y

The effects of clothing can be very important, especially for differences between shirtsleeve and suited operations. Clothing will affect size, sometimes very significantly. Different suits will affect anthropometry differently. For instance, a lighter launch/re-entry suit might be much less bulky than a hard-upper-torso planetary suit. In addition to affecting size, clothing can affect the postures that subjects select, which in turn has an impact on hardware design. = Based on the minimal physical and medical requirements and expectations of passengers during long haul transcontinental flights, some design recommendations can be listed for the interior of the DLR SpaceLiner. Considerations that must be included 76

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4 | Body morphology

D. MEET THE FUTURE SPACEFLIGHT PASSENGER ? In this not so distant future ho will choose this transportation method?

According to the Tauri report the potential Point to point spaceflight passenger 86 would be: Average age Gender Fitness Vacations Employment

53 years 72% Male / 28% Female 46% have above fitness average or better 48% spend a month or more vacation annually 41% work full time / 23% retired

Eventually the current trend of healthy living, fitness and sports of the 25-45 years old population category in the northern hemisphere as well as the body health monitoring trend facilitated by miniaturized electronics and interconnected devices could eventually change the passenger characteristics listed above.

The average age could easily drop to 40 years if P2P Spaceflights become available for adventurer passenger to start an ambitious journey right at the national spaceport.

In several market analysis documents, the business passenger seems to be the current target group, because the pricing for P2P spaceflights is still to high for an individual or couple of tourists.

At this point it is important to say that who ever the passenger will be, safety during flight must be guaranteed despite the absence of a crew. The passenger should fit in an elastic suit comparable with a Neoprene suit for divers composed of an overall and a helmet.

5 | Maximum envelope

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3g

Kรกrmรกn Line

100 km

Booster separation

73 km

>30.740 km/h

Vertical Take off Horizontal landing Booster recovery

A

B

C

D

Check in

Launch

Ascent

Apogee

E

F

Re-entry + Pullout

1 | SpaceLiner flight phases from check in to check out

78

G Glide + Approach

Check out

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II. DESIGN PARAMETERS 2. PASSENGER ACTIONS

2. PASSENGER ACTIONS With system innovations such as online registrations, luggage automatic scans and smartphone integrated ID cards and boarding passes arriving faster than expected, passengers about to board the DLR SpaceLiner should find life even easier than in future airports. From self-check-ins to portered baggage drops to quicker and more efficient body scans, the industry has advanced more in the past five years than in the 20 that preceded.

There has been a noticeable recent trend from airlines improving and reworking their travel experience starting on the ground, This trend should inspire the early stage set up for commercial Spaceports. The following chapter describes the steps a SpaceLiner passenger would go through from check in to check out and the requirements to the Space Overall and passenger Unit.

Ideally the passenger arrives by shuttle us, train or by shared car services to the local International Spaceport. In some cases a flight from the closest city has to be taken into consideration. Spaceports will be located remote from cities but still close to infrastructureâ&#x20AC;Š

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A. CHECK IN 1. Passenger ID

attached on the Space Overall. Pills can can also be stored in the personal pouch.

The Passenger is identified. Cameras with face recognition systems are already reality in many situations of daily life. At Spaceports the passengers are already « announced » and need to accept those measures for their own safety. RFID chips in clothing, smartphones, laptops, watches or passports will make this step quick and non intrusive with less waiting in line. At this stage, personal luggage volume and content is checked on a preliminary basis without giving it up yet.

After this health protocol check / first scan, the system updates the data and the Passenger is granted permission to enter the next secured level of the Spaceport 3. Spaceflight Overall At this stage, Passengers get their Spaceflight Overall. It is called the Overall because it is intended to be worn on top of any clothing. Of course a passenger should not appear in a tuxedo or evening dress but rather a comfortable personal clothing. It is important for hygiene and safety issues that the personal clothing reach the extremities of arms and legs and do not cover the neck. It consists of a one size fits all piece of mesh with added shell-like rubber elements on the elbows, shoulders, sides of legs, buttocks and knees

For Passengers not familiar with any of these systems, tools, gadgets or carrying nothing but the vital necessary, some document need to certify the identity and need to be checked and cross checked by ground welcome-crew.

2. Passenger medical history The personal health history is checked beforehand thanks to a continuos monitoring established long before by civil societies. New flyers are checked quickly by a system then by a medical personnel who at this stage has an authority to deny the flight if hypertension is detected, flu or acute discomfort, if fear of flying is detected or inadequate behavior such as under influence of drugs, alcohol or other substances. This is a common exclusion criteria at international airports around the globe. Safety measures in Spaceports have to meet the minimum criteria already existing in Airports.

These rubber parts have a surface magnet that connects to the Unit as well as induction surfaces on the back and buttock to transmit electricity, health monitoring data, communication through sensors and stimulus when needed.

The Overall is intended to smoothen the contact to the passenger Unit, lessen the effect of vibrations on the body and keep track of the passenger at any time since no flight crew is present on board.

The monitoring is continuously monitored by ground control on the departure and destination Spaceport to ensure passenger safety.

If the passenger needs to take medication during the flight, exceptions must be allowed without excluding the passenger from the flight, fluids such as water will be available for each passenger through the Gravity Connector, An additional pouch of 200ml will be available to be filled by the specialist team and

When the passenger is dressed up (one physical condition for Spaceflights is the ability to dress and undress by themselves) personal belongings are stored inside their luggage and made ready for drop off.

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4. Luggage drop off

The physical data monitoring program is launched, The Unit is communicating comfort related data, heart rates, skin humidity from the Space Overall sensors.

Luggage drop off is done differently in Spaceports. The size and volume has already been checked at the entrance, to ensure it fits inside the individual space aboard the SpaceLiner. At this second stage the weight of the passenger wearing the Space Overall, carrying the Space Helmet and personal luggage is checked. The passenger selects individual items to attach to the Spacesuit. The allowed items could be glasses, notepadsâ&#x20AC;Ś Nothing dangerous when flying around This may be an appropriate moment to ask, what does one pack for space travel? The luggage is then collected and stored in the luggage compartment inside the SpaceLiner by a dedicated team. Freed from luggage, the Passenger can continue to the helmet station.

5. The Space Cap The padded protective hat is a flexible one size fits all helmet. It is connected to the suit to ensure the data collection by the embedded sensors on the inside skin. A green light on the front and back of the head signals optimal functioning.

6. The Gravity Connector The passenger can step into the dedicated Unit. The Gravity Connector is unlocked, rotated upwards to facilitate seating, The leg part is deployed, the Passenger is first standing inside the complying shell. The Unit is equipped with seating sensors, measuring weight and checking constantly that the passenger is seating in the phase appropriate position.

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B. VERTICAL LAUNCH

C. BOOST + ASCENT

Once the passenger is seated, the leg part folds up into seating position, the Gravity Connector is shifted down and digitally locked. As of this moment for safety reasons the passenger is not permitted to leave the Unit until the SpaceLiner commander unlocks it digitally after landing. In case of emergency and malfunctioning systems, the Connector can be manually unlocked and with a handgrip shifted up to release the passenger.

To make sure the passenger stays conscious despite the high acceleration the Unit switches to laydown mode, this allows the legs and arms to keep on feeding the physiological data monitoring and adjust the angle according to heart rates and optimal fluid distribution inside the passenger body. Every Unit is programmed for its passenger but they function as a swarm and avoid collision of each other.

The Unit is rotated downwards, the passenger is oriented to an ascension angle of 85째 during which the SpaceLiner is pulled to vertical position and attached to the booster The passenger is fed with the selected informations on the heads up display. The communication protocol is tested before the launch sequence is started.

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D. Ø GRAVITY + CRUISE FLIGHT Interaction & communication

In less than 10 minutes the SpaceLiner reaches the Kármán line and the passenger can feel the effect of weightlessness, the most expected moment but not an attraction in itself as in space tourism flights.

The individual IFE interface would show information added to the projected spectacle on the capsule interior skin, floor, wall or ceiling depending on the chosen Unit holding system.

Safety The passenger can choose to rotate the Unit to neighboring passenger thus creating a cluster formation, rotate 180° rearward and interact with passenger behind, share geotainment screens or have a face to face conversation. The head’s up display also allows communication with passengers out of sight at another end of the Capsule. Another feature would allow communication with friends or family on earth, sharing the experience.

The Gravity connector is holding the passenger inside the Unit but will loosen its firmness to allow movement inside and the sensation of weightlessness. In case the passenger is asleep (very unlikely) the activated magnets on the leg and shoulder pads will restrain to avoid flotation. Since no helping crew is present the passengers are expected to stay seated and locked for the entire flight, walking around is unfortunately not permitted. The liquid compartment is sealed to prevent release or uncontrolled damage.

Ventilators are activated to guarantee proper air circulation. Monitored data can be switched off to allow privacy.

The implementation of online streams on social platforms to share this unique point of view is also a possibility, view of natural events with no effect on the flight such as cloud formations, tornados, sunrises over the Kármán line and the deep black of the universe on the other side.

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E. REENTRY + PULL OUT The spaceflight is in its second half. The SpaceLiner will now reenter the Earth atmosphere at hypersonic speed. It’s the most critical flight phase, the spacecraft skin temperature will reach up to 2200°C on the wings edges, the capsule will endure high levels of vibrations. 87

The Unit will retract into descent position, tighten the passenger into a comfortable position. This means the passenger will face the floor of the capsule, the personal display will show safety measures, added to the mapped surface vents will provide cooling air before the SpaceLiner reaches speeds up to Mach 5.

Safety

Communication with the exterior will be interrupted during this phase, no group or cluster formation of the Units can be chosen, all the units will face the front to make sure the g loads will affect the body in a frontal direction. The angle of the Unit will adapt to the flight behavior of the SpaceLiner and

The Backbone’s function is to compensate this effect and stabilize the Unit at a constant hight at nominal position.

The passenger is expected to hold on to the connector if the magnets are not activated and restraining automatically arms, legs and the helmet.

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â&#x20AC;Š

F. APPROACH + LANDING The last flight phase is initiated after leaving the glowing atmosphere the SpaceLiner is on a glide flight to approach the destination spaceport. This maneuver is a challenger for the pilot team since the Spacecraft is entering commercial aviation airspace and needs to switch on the communication system to be guided in one of the flight corridors. Especially if the flight route is above land, the SpaceLiner will use a corridor high above the airspace.

This phase is similar to the end of a flight aboard an airplane, the IFE system is turned on to enjoy a close view above the surface, geo-tainment is useful and most interesting now since the passenger may see or recognize the points on the surface being described.

The Unit can be rotated again towards the neighbors. The last configuration before reentry could also be saved and resumed as soon as flight conditions allow it. In a sense it would help, after a most shaky flight phase to look at fellow passengers in the eyes and get a sense of relieve.

As on airplanes approach and landing will be announced by the pilots or through the IFE system, the Unit will resume the cluster configuration and rotate towards flight direction, The IFE system can stay on until touch down.

Landing will be softer than on airplanes since the Backbone will again compensate vibrations due to the rolling of the tires. The flight experience could be tremendously improved thanks to this robotic arm.

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G. CHECK OUT The SpaceLiner is on the ground, being taxied to the bridge at the destination Spaceport. As soon as the pilot switches the lights to green, the passenger may unlock the Connector and leave the Unit.

glasses or pads have been forgotten and walking out through the ladder to exit the SpaceLiner and enter the Spaceport are the last actions of passenger.

The Passengers are now directed to the safe haven. Here they find a welcoming helping hand to get out of the Space hat and choose to store it or to keep it, or return it if rented and no return spaceflight is scheduled. In exchange the personal belongings such as clothes are being restored for the passenger to undress.

The magnets are switched off and repulse the passenger, the liquid compartment is locked to avoid spilling. The IFE system is turned off, the screen is stored inside the Connector.

No passengers rushing out or standing on way to early is expected since the no hand luggage has to be collected. Checking that no personal items such as

The Passenger then moves to private rooms where the Space overall can be undressed. One could imagine that future clothes resembling the flight overall might become the trend, the evolution of wearables inside casual gear might even make this undressing step obsolete.

During this time the passenger can expect the luggage to arrive, no need to wait in front of the rolling carpet. The luggage RFID chip and the passenger overall could communicate locations, this makes the scary airport audio messages about luggages left alone obsolete.

The personal data monitored data is being handed to the passenger, the personal data storage could be an optional service which one would apply personally for after checking with persons concerned.

Depending on the destination spaceport a second ID check would be necessary since Point to point spaceflights are per se transcontinental flights.

The passenger is now in the exit area of the spaceport, several options are provided to reach the next city or airport terminal to continue the journey. It is realistic to assume that Point to point spaceflights will only bring the passenger close to their destination but not necessarily to the city itself, or even country of destination.â&#x20AC;Š 86

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3. PASSENGER SAFETY A. PREPARATORY & INFLIGHT SAFETY This section deals with possible sources of problems and known effects of spaceflights on the untrained human body encountered during short spaceflights in the past and reports from long haul passengers of commercial flights. The syntheses of the analysis should help optimize the design of the SpaceLiner passenger Unit.

Crew qualifications

requires the help and/or support from a crew member (one of two pilots) or another capable passenger.

Everyone is buckled, therefore it is recommended to avoid this situation by all means. In further sections, some of the possible counter-actions are listed to make sure that the subjective feeling of insecurity won’t take over at during the flight

Crew members must complete training on how to carry out their role on board or on the ground so that the vehicle will not harm the public; train for abort scenarios and emergency operations.

Passenger training

Restraints Each member of a flight must demonstrate an ability to withstand the stresses of space flight, which may include high acceleration or deceleration, microgravity, and vibration, in sufficient condition.

Prospective passengers of Virgin Galactic Spaceflights have to go through three days of training and pass a physical exam before their flight.

The locking and unlocking of the seat-belts is a key topic when it comes to inflight passenger security. If it is done manually as in common airplanes the crew check before take off and landing will have to be replaced by an automatic system. This option is unlikely to be chosen, it is not possible neither safe to delay the longest phase of the flight, the gliding landing phase of the spaceplane because passengers are still floating in weightlessness or are hurt from falling or colliding with each other.

As of January 2008, about 80 people had started training, which includes spinning in a centrifuge at 3 to 4 Gs. Further training will involve zero-gravity flights aboard WK2 to get acquainted with the weightlessness experience. 88

Vibrations Emergency scenario It is safe to assume that the effects of vibration on the body and mind are similar on the ground, in a car, bus or plane. The source might be a different one, the discomfort is experienced in a similar way. Studies on vibration found that « flying style » has an impact on airplane passenger comfort; it is likely that the pilot’s ability to take-off, climb, descend and land smoothly could affect comfort, indeed many people experience discomfort during these phases of flight. Passengers do not see their pilot, nor the effects

The concept study foresees the DLR SpaceLiner passenger cabin to function as an autonomous rescue capsule which can be separated from the booster in case of an emergency, this will allow the passengers to return safely to Earth.

If more than one listed item fails to function, insecurity of an untrained passenger might result in panic; a state of discomfort or unconsciousness that 88

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1 | Hands free throat microphone from Sanwa

of the surroundings and adjust expectations of their ride accordingly, To be able to observe and understand the airborne traffic situation also helps feeling more secure even after a shaky maneuver. In a plane, not understanding, not seeing, neither apprehending the forces shaking the fuselage can lead to extended discomfort, long duration of vibration may also lead to panic attacks.

passengers, as well as affect crew performance. The effect of acceleration depends on three parameters: • Type linear / rotational • Duration sustained ≥ 0,5 s or transient < 0,5 s • Direction with respect to the crew member head, chest, or shoulders Spaceflights can create significant changes in the cardiovascular system. These changes begin on the launch pad and continue during the hypersonic phase but are usually of most concern during entry and pullout, when passengers are reintroduced to gravity and acceleration.

Inflight communication A secure flow of information from groundcontrol or cockpit to the passengers as a group and to each individual to ensure calm and safety must be ensured at all times of the spaceflight. General information onscreen, audio comments from a responsible authority can help passengers to feel safe in an agitated part of the spaceflight.

The 0g environment causes cardiovascular deconditioning, because the heart does not need to pump blood against gravity. In addition, a headward fluid shift occurs in 0g, which the body perceives as an increase in fluid pressure and mitigates by eliminating fluid from the vasculature. This results in an overall decrease in blood plasma volume in 0g.

Free flotation Since floating during weightlessness is not desired for security reasons It is more likely that seatbelts will be buckled before launch by the ground crew and stay locked for the hole duration of the flight to be unbuckled by ground crew at the destination spaceport. In case of an emergency or during a rescue operation the seat-belt will be centrally digitally unlocked, opened or cut. It is a real issue when seat belts do not let go, it creates panic and tremendous stress. Manually unbuckling means a mechanical system which is sensible to shocks and unreachability.

Although the body’s adaptation is appropriate for the 0g environment, it is maladapted for reexposure to gravity and acceleration. During entry in upright seated position, the body’s fluid is pulled downward toward the legs, but with reduced blood volume and diminished cardiovascular capacity, hypotension can occur, which is the primary cause for gravity-induced loss of consciousness (G-LOC) which is often preceded by visual symptoms progressing from tunnel vision to grey-out before complete blackout, and is accompanied by deficits in motor and cognitive function. If not mitigated, these problems can create a dangerous situation during flight, reducing the ability of the crew to perform piloting tasks. 89

= A combination of digital and manual unbuckling should be chosen.

While it has not been an issue for space flight to this point, the potential for G-LOC should still be considered. The passenger Unit should adapt to theses changing situations and rotate in the lateral axis to reduce the duration and cancel the directional effect of acceleration on the passenger body. Acceleration loads

Maximum acceleration The acceleration experienced during a space flight have the potential to cause illness and injury to 89

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for the passengers on these Spaceflights are designed to remain below those of the Space Shuttle astronauts with a maximum of 2.5 g being experienced during the propelled section of the flight.90

Noise Despite great advances in aviation, when the engines are whirring, the wind is whizzing and the air conditioning is pumping, cabin noise inside the SpaceLiner is more likely to be a pain than a source of inspiration for passengers. How can technology help make the experience more enjoyable?

= Today, it is more or less a general consensus in aerospace medicine that average, untrained humans should not be subjected to accelerations that are significantly higher than 5g

The noise during a typical plane journey can vary significantly. Take-off and landing are the loudest moments, when noise levels inside the cabin can reach 105 decibels (dB). At cruising altitudes, noise drops to around 85 dB. Long exposure to 85 dB can cause temporary hearing problems. Many people notice tinnitus following a long transcontinental flight, an early symptom of noise damage. If noise goes higher than 90 dB for eight or more hours per day, it may lead to permanent hearing loss91. A flight on the SpaceLiner is far under that time threshold and needs the same attention in the design phase.

Motion Sickness Sitting down means that sudden movements by the plane will affect less the passenger. As a result, less confusing messages will be sent to the brain, because the body will not notice as much motion Aviation medicals involve a number of health checks designed to ensure a pilot is fit and well and can carry out their job safely. Tests include ones for eyesight, hearing and screenings for illnesses such as diabetes, heart disease and asthma. Pilots who do fall ill are assessed and monitored by Aviation Medical Examiners who then help them return to work as soon as it's safe to do so.

Spacecraft manufacturers and engineers know the issue, and plan to reduce the noise drastically inside the passenger’s cabin. For example, the Innovative Technology Applications Company in Missouri is using arrays of microphones on the landing stipe to identify and help eliminate sources of noise on the skin of the fuselage at take off and landing of commercial aircrafts.92 The expertise gained can be used in the SpaceLiner « Updates & Retrofits » phase to achieve a more quite horizontal landing.

Airsickness Eating a light meal before going on a flight helps against airsickness in general. Crackers, a piece of fruit, olives, or sucking on a lemon for example. anything that won't affect the stomach as much.

Engines are also a major source of noise during vertical launch. Using chevrons (scalloped edges) on the engine exhaust nozzle to help muffle engine noise at the source will be of great help Trying to quieten the air conditioning is also a challenge.By designing the contours of the cabin so that it doesn’t interfere with the air flow, allowing it to circulate freely there need to force the air into the cabin so hard, the velocity is lower and there’s less noise

Medicines before take off and landing to prevent travel sickness work by preventing the confusing signals about the body equilibrium being sent to the brain. Ginger pills are also known to significantly reduce motion sickness and nausea. Chew on fresh mint gum will help forget the feeling of sickness and help concentrate on the taste and chewing. Chewing gum also helps to release pressure on ears and the head.

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Other solutions are straightforward such as adding vibration-absorbing materials and to the cabin walls to damp the noise. Thick Insulation materials absorb the airborne sound energy, and sound barriers redirect it away from the cabin. With more glass on the windows, sound-absorbent materials perforated ceiling panels and redesigned air conditioning systems. Such customization can bring the decibel level down below 50 db, much quieter than on passenger planes. The added weight for passenger comfort increases fuel consumption and might be an issue.

reducing or eliminating noise. This is what the automotive industry went through about 20 years ago – it began to look at not only the noise level but also the noise spectrum.

One of the main sources of noise is wind. So during the design phase of the SpaceLiner, computational tools model the aerodynamics of the spaceplane to highlight areas of high airflow that are likely to increase cabin noise. The sounds made by prototype aircraft is then recorded to inform redesigns.

Mis-mapping occurs when motion is not translated accurately. It is the next source of discomfort when using virtual reality. When the head moves but the image is not or when walking straight but the environment projected is turning around is when most of the people get sick. This should be corrected and extensively tested before put to usage on the DLR SpaceLiner.95

= Compact insulation technology might help designing spacecrafts that « sound » better that may not necessarily be quieter.

Mis-mapping

Some of the listed techniques were used for the design of the double-decker Airbus A380. The company has worked hand-in-hand with engine manufacturers on low-noise designs, acoustic treatment and low engine noise technologies, resulting in a remarkably quiet aircraft, which delivers unprecedented certified noise levels standard, and satisfies the noise requirements of international airports.93 It led to be awarded in 2011 as the quietest jet airliner on the market by the UK Noise Abatement Society.94

Health Monitoring In past NASA missions, the physical condition of astronauts was monitored in real-time, either on board or from Earth ground-control. The collected data then had to be analyzed and interpreted.

In-flight sensors for SpaceLiner passenger healthcare monitoring should be near-real time, minimally invasive, highly sensitive, and easily repairable or replaceable. The system used should also set to have a gravity-independent functionality, compact size, low power consumption, minimal human interaction, and efficient temperature control.

= All these measures allow engineers to reshape the design of the fuselage and will hopefully result in a clam and sound neutral interior for the SpaceLiner flight passenger. Noises which cannot be avoided will be « over-sounded » by the Space connector sound interface

There has been research done to design an automated system for onboard use to monitor the crew's physiological signals. Using Ultra-wideband (UWB) wireless bio-detectors, placed on or underneath the astronauts' suits, eliminating the need for sensorto-skin contact to collect data about respiration and heart rate. This is more comfortable for the astronauts

On the other hand, all this could lead the SpaceLiner to becoming too quiet for passengers.

Some may argue that “white noise” is better than the amplified sound of people chatting or awing at the effect of microgravity for the first time. Engineers may start to focus on the quality of sound instead of just 91

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because they do not have to wear a specific garment or connect to another recording device for a long time to have their vital signs monitored.

the seat. A seat which would allow rotation, different relaxation modes, mimicking microgravity, monitor the passenger during the spaceflight in a seamless and safe way and ideally free the inner surface of the passenger cabin for additional entertainment features

Measuring respiration, heart rate, and metabolic rates that would include such feedback as pH and oxygen levels in the blood, the system would transfer the data to an onboard â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;smartâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; integrated circuit for analysis and further action. A smart circuit can automatically perform and control monitoring using a cognitive system that acts like a healthcare expert. If it detects an abnormality, the system will run a diagnostic procedure and suggest preliminary medical treatments to be administered by a fellow crew member.

= To ensure safety during the spaceflight and in emergency cases, an Oxygen enriched breathing air mixture with output valve should be placed in reach to the passenger face. The passenger Unit or the Connector could be equipped with a side pouch containing the mask or a tube to connect to the helmet. The seating layout configurations take the placement of the pouch into consideration.

= This list of possible problem sources has to be extensively researched and adapted. For a preliminary design process the majority of the listed points have to be taken into consideration. It becomes clear that there is a need for every passenger to wear a Space-suit, a Space-helmet and be firmly connected to

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3 | Virgin Galactic body-suit

4 | The XCor pressure-suit

5 | Dava Newman’s bio-suit

B. THE ADEQUATE SPACESUIT Remarks on spacesuit and helmet A space suit is a garment worn to keep a human alive in the harsh environment of outer space, vacuum and temperature extremes. The bulky, gas-pressurized outfits give astronauts a bubble of protection, but their significant mass and the pressure itself severely limit mobility. Space suits are also worn inside spacecraft as a safety precaution in case of loss of cabin pressure.

The history of space travel has shown that wearing a space suit simplifies life support for astronauts and enhances safety in case of emergency.

Yet, if given the choice, most passengers will undoubtedly prefer to fly inside an environmentally controlled cabin that provides a casual dressing environment instead of being required to wear a somewhat clumsy pressure suit that restricts body movements and will inhibit the experience of freely floating in microgravity. Mainly, it is a trade-off between safety and comfort (and finally, cost), as to which solution for a life support system is best. 96

Professor Newman anticipates the BioSuit to be ready by the time humans are ready to launch an expedition to Mars, possibly in about 10 years. Current skin-spacesuits could not handle the challenges of such an exploratory mission. 97 = For the passenger traveling aboard the SpaceLiner, the suit would be tailored long before the initial flight. An online order system fed with the physiological data such as body height, weight and other measurements would optimize the development and updates for each passenger. = A body scan as known today for security purposes could enhance the body data and help create a more personal garment with body contours high fidelity. Personal needs such as prothesis and other handicap issues could be compensated by the suit

A professor of aeronautics and astronautics and engineering systems at MIT, Dava Newman is working on a sleek, advanced suit designed to allow superior mobility when humans eventually start to fly to space and back. She developed a spandex and nylon BioSuit arguing that traditional bulky spacesuits « do not afford the mobility and locomotion capability that astronauts [as much as space tourists and travelers] need for partial gravity exploration missions [or a one hour experience on the SpaceLiner]. We really must design for greater mobility and enhanced human and robotic capability, »

= The manufactured and thoroughly tested suit would be available at the selected spaceport. The suit does not necessarily need to be purchased, it could be reproduced since the data would be stored and shared by all spaceports the passenger already used. = Subsequently attested shops for spaceflight gear could also offer more affordable and customized suits and helmets with respect to standards and systems compatibility.

Newman, her colleague Jeff Hoffman, her students and a US design firm, Trotti and Associates, have been working on the Biosuit project for about seven years. Their prototypes are not yet ready for space travel, but demonstrate what they're trying to achieve--a lightweight, skintight suit that will allow astronauts to become truly mobile lunar and Mars explorers.

= The passenger could have a fit-in session with trained personal explaining the steps to dress and undress if necessary, and explain how to connect the overall and the helmet to the passenger Unit by induction 93

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The XCor Lynx spacesuit - IS3 The IS³ is a suit developed by Orbital Outfitters. It is an emergency pressure suit for suborbital flights. Known in the field as a “get me down” or “Launch Entry Suit”, its function is to provide protection in the event of a loss of pressure inside the Lynx Mark III spaceplane.

Safety • • • •

Since spaceflights on the Lynx are proposed to scientists rather than tourists the IS3 design has a focus on safety and useability of the hands for adjustments on experiments racks onboard.

It offers very few extras for a memorable user experience such as recordings or visual content.

! The helmet provides a limited visibility radius since it is connected to the suit and does not rotate according to the head. Yet remarkable features including an Integrated audio system with noise cancellation for onboard communications put th

Life support functions for ≥ 30 min Available as full pressure single gas O2 or dual gas suit Independent 15 min backup pressurization Integrated into a parachute harness

Comfort The suit provides flexibility while maintaining cost effective one fits all sizing and is qualified as comfortable for the wearer taking the flight type into consideration.

The suit is also equipped with an integrated cooling technology and the company promotes its intuitive operability. The helmet comprises an integrated audio system with noise cancellation for communication on board and with mission control. The Suit torso is equipped with integrated sensors to record real-time biometric information. 98 = This suit provides a high level of comfort even though it is a rigid shell. The focus is set on safety in case of depressurization. The communication features are interesting for the SpaceLiner garment.

6 | The XCor Lynx spacesuit - IS3

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7 | The Virgin Galactic spacesuit flexibility

8 | The Virgin Galactic spacesuit timer feature

The Virgin Galactic Spacesuit The design requirements for the development of the Virgin Galactic spacesuit are quite opposite to the previous example. This suit is intended to promote this journey as a unique lifetime experience, focus is seat on comfort and the use of smooth materials. One can easily imagine floating inside this superhero outfit.

The following list shows the holistic but basic approach to the suit design, without being superficial.

Safety

The first example is a 2007 design proposal by Philippe Starck, the French designer who is consulting as art director for Richard Branson’s development of Virgin Galactic spacecraft, who said that one of his original proposals was for future space explorers to travel naked! 99 In fact one could argue that bulky clothes would be an unnecessary encumbrance to the dream of space travel.

• The comfort level in 1g on earth and 0g must be high inside the skin suit.

• The opening and closing of the suit must be possible by the passenger himself, the zip should be on a reachable location and side of the body

• A helmet with a locking neck piece is provided in standard helmet sizes • Knees and elbows are be protected additionally with cushion pads Comfort

Materials • The materials used must be flexible (Nylon or Spandex) meaning no hard shells except of the helmet.

• The movement of all body parts must be possible and not compromised • The materials used must be lightweight to make sure no extra weight is transported and the space tourist is not handicapped when walking inside the spaceport.

• The suit should be affordable (in this case the tourist can keep the suit as a souvenir and use it the next time a flight is programmed. The exact term is: « fairly inexpensive ». The cost for the design, production and distribution of the space suit and helmet is included in the 200.000$ boarding ticket price.

In 2011 the London based design studio of Seymour Powell proposed what would become the definition of a space tourist, explorer and later point to point traveler evident expectation of a space suit. Again the skin tight idea is explored with embedded electronics on the gloves showing a timer and signal buttons.

Gloves and boots let one think the suit is a closed envelope around the body. A helmet is also part of the safety precautions. We can expect to see a heads-up display with geotainment, communication channels and recording cameras on the forehead.

There is a emphasis on comfort and unprecedented user experience without any neglecting of the safety components,

= This list of requirements is tangible, Some requirements will be used as a benchmark and serve as reference in terms of materials used and extra functionality such as the timer piece and heads up display information for the SpaceLiner Overall

The following is a list of requirements met by the Virgin Galactic skin suit.

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C. THE SPACELINER GARMENT The goal is to design a suit for the SpaceLiner passenger. The design takes into account the safety and comfort requirements set by the previously studied examples and is inspired by innovations in the field of wearables, a niche of the clothing industry focussed on creating the clothes of the future by combining intelligent materials and digital resources such as sensors . The vision of the SpaceLiner Overall is extended to what could be achieved in thirty years from now in the concerned technological, material and connectivity fields.

The Space Overall is composed of adaptive or morphing materials capable of giving in under weight and tension but regain nominal strength after use, The Overall is composed of a one piece neoprene mesh

The Space Cap Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s essential function is to avoid bumps on the Unitâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s surface and protect the passenger head with rest pads on the back and side. It is equipped with magnets which can be activated to hold the head firmly while sleeping or during shaky flight phases. = The Space Cap is connected to the Space Overall by induction, to transmit data from sensors on the skull providing a continuous scan of the passenger vestibular system, analyzing stress situations.

During the flight, it counters disorientation by adjusting the position and sharpness of the geotainment information, according to the insecurity, discomfort or engagement level of the passenger and in accordance with the Unit seating angle and flight phase.

Body dysfunctions can be measured and saved for pharmacological and special training recommendations after landing.

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The Chest Mesh

The data would be transferred to the Unit display, stored for further analysis, a smart circuit can automatically perform monitoring using a cognitive system that acts like a healthcare expert. If it detects an abnormality, the system will run a diagnostic procedure and trigger the Backbone to rotate to help the passenger avoid loss of consciousness or suggest preliminary medical treatments to be administered once landed and checked-out.

It has a built-in monitoring system which makes continuous monitoring of the wearer possible. it measures respiration, heart and metabolic rates that would include feedback such as pH and oxygen levels in the blood, For early signs of dehydration, disorientation, effects of gravity on the body such as a drop in blood circulation.

Single use vs. adaptive During the design phase of the Virgin Galactic space suit studies have taken into account the opinion of potential passengers. When asked most people preferred a fitted suit, the chance to purchase it and the possibility to leave it for service purposes at the destination Spaceport.

A single use version of the spacesuit with a low price for a purchasing option with a common fibers and cheap material choice was regarded as ineffective, the general impression was negative and the future passenger stated, ÂŤÂ I would keep it as a souvenir, but probably not for a long time.

Service A program for cleaning, stowage and re-use in the local spaceport should be available as well as adjustments, software and sensors updates or retrofits of the Overall size.

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12 | Airline seat row with shoulder belt patent drawing

D. AIRLINE PASSENGER SEATS To define the design parameters to be considered when designing the SpaceLiner passenger Unit I will sum up the technical and comfort related parameters considered for commercial airline passenger seats and the Commander and Specialist seat on the Space Shuttle. At last I will look at the Virgin Galactic Space Ship Two space tourist seat The airline passenger seat On the oldest of planes, seats were armchairs which stood loosely in the cabin, but moving furniture on aircrafts is a safety hazard, Today airline seats are usually arranged in rows running across the airplane's fuselage and are fastened to the floor. However, airlines usually want the flexibility to move seats around or remove them, so the seats are attached to rails underneath the floor which run along the aircraft fuselage. 100

• Seat pitch is the space between two identical points on seats on two consecutive rows.

• Seat width is the lateral distance from armrest to armrest.

The seat pitch on low cost carriers is typically around 70 cm. For standard carriers economy class, seats pitch ranges from 76 to 81 cm. More seat pitch means more legroom if the seat thickness is reduced.

Business class seats in Boeing 767-200s have a seat pitch of 160 cm, Flatbed seats in the Airbus A330 have a seat pitch of 240 cm allowing the sats to lay flat for sleeping.

Safety The most effective safety measure during taxiing, take-off and landing, passengers are expected to respect is to remain seated with the seatbelt fastened. A glowing sign in front will inform the passengers if turbulences are expected. The crew members play an important role, they need to check before take off and landing that each passenger is restrained properly.

Seat width on Economy class is typically around 45 cm, the minimum distance of a corridor to walk trough with a service tray or roll the hand luggage. = Reducing the thickness by using compact but soft materials is key to design the SpaceLiner passenger Unit. Depending on the seat layout configuration laying flat during the flight is not always possible, falling asleep during a hypersonic flight with high g-loads is less probable. focus will be set on a higher comfort defusing vibrations. Materials such as foam and gel could help adapt to various body shapes.

! The check conducted by the board crew will not be possible on the SpaceLiner since there will be no crew other than the pilots which argues in favor of a mechanical system and a torso restraint method instead of belts

= A Spaceflight on the SpaceLiner will differ in many points as much as the established check-in procedures. Hand luggage will not be carried by the passenger but will be stored by a crew before the fligh.

Since there will be no food nor drinks served during the

Size The terms used to evaluate airline passenger seat are pitch and width.

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flight nor service offered by the crew using the corridor, the seat width will only be defined by the rotation radius of the passenger Unit to allow seat-in, optimal position during vertical launch, reentry and if the seat layout configuration permits it the rotation to neighbor and cluster formation. The minimum width to offer privacy

! The passenger Unit inclination angle is an important role of the Backbone since up to six different configuration will be needed to help the passenger resist high g-loads on the body, high speeds and avoid loss of consciousness. Therefore a system to make it incline automatically in accordance to the flight angle would be very useful. In the most dangerous case position angle and brackets must « capture » and tighten the passenger to ensure grip during free-fall of capsule

Amenities Trays for eating and reading, either in the seatback to fold down to a small table or inside the armrest.

Most airline seats also feature a pocket which may contain an in-flight magazine and safety instructions.

Entertainment Some airlines put a lot of effort to reach high passenger satisfaction. The economy seats may be equipped with power ports or USB sockets to recharge phones and connect electronic devices to be used on the screen as well as audio ports for headphones when.

Some airlines also place TV-screens in the back of each seat as part of the IFE In-flight Entertainment system (IFE ) on long-haul aircraft. Surveys show that the higher the level of IFE available the more overall satisfaction is registered by the passenger.

= The SpaceLiner passenger will have no access to the front row seat-back, pockets for personal items should be reduced to the minimum and placed on the spacesuit instead of the seat. the Gravity Connector could be equipped with clips and brackets on the outside to avoid injuries with floating body parts.

Weightlessness makes the lecture of magazines or tablets questionable, all these floating objects represent a danger when they drop down on the floor, break or injure passengers as soon as gravity is restored

! IFE should play a considerable role for the SpaceLiner passenger, the absence of windows on the fuselage could be very disturbing. The spectacle of the view on the Earth seen from the Kármán line should be considered and integrated in the flight experience.

Comfort To increase passenger comfort airlines choose to equip their seats with amenities such as a reclining mechanism, manually adjustable headrests and lumbar support or foldable feet rest on the front seat. Some seats are even equipped with a built in massage function.

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9 | EADS Astrium Interior view

10 | EADS Astrium passenger seat

E. SPACECRAFT PASSENGER SEATS The EADS Astrium Seat Aboard the concept spaceplane of EADS Astrium, the four passengers seat in front of many windows to contemplate the spectacle. The seat pairs are facing a lateral bridge for walking in and taking a seat. Once seated the passenger will face each other sidewise.

Safety A helmet is provided to secure the head but sensible parts such as the face and the hands are not cushioned. ! Many gaps, corners and overlooking parts as well as sharp edges on the seat shell make this concept relatively dangerous in free floating environment for inexperienced tourists when compared to the smooth design of the Spaceship two interior.â&#x20AC;Š

Seat anchorage A gyroscopic system and a two point anchorage mechanism allows the seat to balance during the flight phases. During ascension and reentry passengers will face the flight direction to minimize the effects of acceleration. When the engines are turned off at the highest altitude, the seats rotate to offer more space for the passengers to float around in weightlessness.

Materials & comfort The seat are made compact, there is no manual adjustment of the seating angle or width. The passenger dimensions are dictated by the seat proportions.

The materials used seem to be a polycarbonate chosen for its lightness and rigidity. It could also be a fiberglass composite. It is a thin skin with sharp edges which could be hurting if collisions cannot be avoided. Vibrations can hardly be compensated or avoided since the seat is connected at two extremities and is firmly connected to the cabin and fuselage.

The inside of the seat is cushioned, with a relatively thin layer of some foam. Armrests are provided

11 | EADS Astrium passenger seat in ascent flight phase

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12 | SpaceShipTwo interior view

13 | SpaceShipTwo passenger seat reclining

The Space Ship Two seat Future passengers aboard Virgin Galactic Space Ships will take place in on of six seats of the hermetic pressurized passenger cabin. The seats are arranged on the sides in rows of two separated by a corridor for simple access.

Comfort Soft cushions are integrated on some edges of the seats and on the element framing the seats. The design is continuous and ergonomic, no sharp edges are There are no handles or extra restraints visible in the drawings, promotional videos or shown mock ups.

There is an apparent focus on

The seats are made of a polymer hard shell, a of uniform sizing, and no moving parts such as arm or head rest. They are anchored to the floor inside a continuous seat holding element.

Entertainment Anchorage mechanism

The entertainment on this spaceflight is reduced to a minimum of informations displayed on the helmet display, it includes the altitude and a timer to inform the passenger of the remaining time in weightlessness. Nothing should distract from the main attraction which is the view over the Earth through the windows.

Apparently a hydraulic system will incline and reclining according to the flight phase. Two states are programmed, first the launch and reentry, the second state is during weightlessness.

During horizontal launch the passenger is seating upright, in a forward oriented position.

Restrained with a manual activated hip belt. The hydraulic system is extended. This system could eventually compensate vibrations and increase comfort. The position and angle of the seat will not vary until the apogee altitude is reached.

At this point the seats is reclined backwards and the passenger lays almost flat. When the belt turns green the passenger can release the restraining belt and float around for a couple of minutes. The belts will hang loose if not sucked by a mechanism alongside the seat.

14 | SpaceShipTwo capsule side view blueprint

= The design of the Space Ship Two interior is inspiring in many ways, the mechanical parts are hidden visually and from any collision course. The SpaceLiner passenger will not behave in the same manner, no flying around is permitted during the flight therefore no cushions on the outer shell of the Unit is necessary, the smooth ergonomic shape is not a trend or design scheme but definitely a prerequisite for a long duration flight exposed to vibrations. The Backbone will play an important role in compensating them and making the flight as comfortable as possible.â&#x20AC;Š

Dangerous gaps under the seats are closed and an undulated landscape from the floor to the windows helps avoiding injuries such as extremities squeezed in some gaps.After the free floating phase the passenger reaches a seat and fastens the seatbelt.

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F. THE PASSENGERS UNIT DESIGN PARAMETERS Many interrelated requirements have been analyzed in the previous sections, they need to be summarize and priorities for the design process. Seat Components play an important role in both safety and cost, as well as a personâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s comfort during the flight, The most recurring and important parameter in this venture will always be safety.

When the mechanical and technical parameters are set the material requirements can be analyzed.

According to the allowed maximum weight, flexibility, resistance to flammability, stiffness and firmness of the component, a preliminary choice can be made to be tested afterwards. Focus will be set on materials offern a high degree of comfort for the passenger yet extremely light and flexible.

Safety ? What is the baseline function of the passenger Unit depending on the flight phase it will require to adopt different shapes or angles. How will it influence the overall design? The passenger Unit will have three baseline roles: 1.

= To fulfill these roles three distinct elements with particular functions such as rotation, heavy lifting and sensing the passenger and adapting to the morphology will compose the SpaceLiner passenger Unit:

Help the passengerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s body to adapt to high G loads during take-off and reentry by inclining and positioning of the passenger in flight direction and load direction when the two diverge

1.

Maximum angles of rotation and inclination in the X and Y axis to avoid collision with neighboring passengers. A dedicated element of the Unit should take care of it: The Backbone.

2. Restraints during the entire flight over the upper part of the body to hold the passenger in place during all phases of the flight: the Gravity Connector will be folded down on the passenger and will restrain like a belt and will serve as holding front bar.

2. Allow movement of legs and arms in weightlessness but restrain the body of the passenger without tightening to firmly and.

3. Secure and shield the passenger in case of emergency free fall by

3. The Unit should enclose the entire body of the passenger including the feet and head and serve as a cocoon in case of emergency or abort.

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Lightweight materials Passenger seats can be reduced in weight by implementing seat cushions manufactured from advanced materials.

The following list is intended to define in generic terms the materials to be used to manufacture the passenger Unit. Focus is set on durability, cost effectiveness and robustness.

The hard materials to be used for the passenger Unit must have a high deformation coefficient, not only to hold the occupant in place safely and comfortably, but also to be able to absorb all the energy from constant and long-lasting acceleration.

Plastics • Polypropylene (PP) + coating to obtain the strict flammability specifications • Expanded polystyrene (EPS) • Nylon (PA); + fiberglass and elastomers • Polycarbonate (PC) • Polyoxymethylene (POM)

! Materials used for structural and loadbearing applications shall be tested against stress in environments exposed to high vibrations.

! Material properties shall be compatible with the thermal environment to which they are exposed. In the case of the SpaceLiner, the interior of the capsule should have a room temperature of 18 - 21°C.

The "apparent flimsiness » of some materials becomes useful energy absorption, and the passenger inside the Unit will suffers the fewest possible injuries.

These requirements are applicable to most space related seats on spaceplanes since the first tests in the sixties.

Metals

The combination of hard shell made of carbon fiber on the exterior and soft cushions or morphing gel for seating and leaning surfaces inside the Unit is crucial to resist real dynamic conditions and turbulences.

• • • •

The role of the Backbone is to absorb and compensate on those forces during launch and reentry phase, therefore the more the structure can be deformed, the less shaking to the passenger.

High strength steel alloys Aluminium alloys Titanium Magnesium

Metals will be used to a greater extent for the structural concept. The electrical transmission and material strength will allow the connection of the sensors and magnets and serve as a nerve system of the Unit.

The materials with the highest specific strengths are typically fibers such as carbon fiber, glass fiber and various polymers, and these are frequently used to make composite materials (e.g. carbon fiberepoxy). These materials are widely used in aerospace and other applications where weight savings are worth the higher material cost. 101

The same is true of aluminum. Alloyed metals are also used for the joint systems; screws, nuts, bolts, rivets, etc.

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Titan Aluminium mesh

Steel alloy

Backbone & Structure

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Morphing gel

Magnetized zip

Sensors mesh Sculptured foam

Unit

Fabric

Airbag

Sensors mesh

Carbon fiber

Connector

15 | Unit material layers decomposition

Fibers, fabrics and foams

Comfort

Fabrics covering Polyester, Foams, Cellulose are the basic materials used for manufacturing seats. In all cases materials must strictly comply with the EU standards applied to all consumables, which require that they are free of hazardous materials that may harm both the passenger and the environment.

One of the Unit’s comfort feature is the rotation on its Y axis to allow eye contact with fellow passengers and facilitate direct communication The Unit morphing gel should adapt to the passenger’s weight and morphology. The general dimensions (based on body dimensions in chapter II.2) of the passenger Unit should offer enough space for changing passenger morphologies over time and world region.

Graphite composite fire-hard foams constitute the latest development in fire-resisting polyurethane foam systems, including special flame-resistant substances. Fire resistance applies to the entire foam, not only the outer surface. These flame-resistant cushions help protect passengers in the case of a cabin fire or other problem. The cushions are produced either by the injection of foam into molds or by cutting foam blocks into the appropriate shapes. Either way, the cushions serve as a key safety barrier in emergency situations.

Passenger safety is a serious topic. The different phases of the flight require that the passenger lies horizontally during launch, less constraint during the short weightlessness phase and oriented to the « ground » during reentry. The connector has several other functions, it is the passenger personal IFE system, it holds the O2 tank and a valve close to the face in case of emergency. A water container is also implemented on the side. Holding grips are available on the lower part. It can be unlocked manually in the case of an emergency.

! Outgassing tests shall be carried out on all textiles and foam used inside the capsule. ! The materials flammability resistance shall be evaluated for the most hazardous environment envisaged for their use.

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1 | The SpaceLiner passenger Unit frontview

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III. DESIGN PROPOASAL 1. THE SPACELINER PASSENGER UNIT A. GENERAL REMARKS The following design proposal of a passenger Unit is a conceptual approach for a complying shell carrying a morphing responsive gel for the SpaceLiner passenger comfort throughout the entire spaceflight.

Most of the processes needed to manufacture the SpaceLiner Unit exist today and are combined with features expected to become an ordinary part of the future point to point suborbital spaceflight experience.

The idea is to simulate what it actually means to fly, the feeling of it, to celebrate the magic of it down to the passenger seat. Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s so much to flight, spacecrafts are amazing pieces of engineering, the passenger Unit should embody that genuine level of engineering and technology.

The Backbone, the Shell and the Connector need to keep a soft and welcoming appearance yet function in a reassuring and safe way.

The Unit will help create a most comfortable travel condition during high acceleration, enriching spaceflight data and unique interaction possibilities approaching your destination. Take a Unit and enjoy!

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B. OVERVIEW & DIMENSIONS General Dimensions in cm Back: 61 ±15 in length, 65 ±10 in width Bottom: 48 ±15 in length, 53 ±15 in width Arm rests: 40 ±10 in length 56 ±15 in apart Base: 40 ±1 to bottom using single/double Backbone approach

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Specifications Cushion pads: 7 on back and 8 on bottom 4 on shoulder and knees Restraints: Magnets on shoulders and knees pads Stowage: 50 of usable space underfront of chair Helmet securing mechanism: magnet Gyroscope featured Backbone

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6 | The SpaceLiner passenger Unit attached to the Backbone in ground anchorage configuration top view

â&#x20AC;Š

7 | The SpaceLiner passenger Unit front view

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8 | Back view of the Unit Spine with the deployed pressurized airbag

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â&#x20AC;Š

9 | Back view of the Unit with the Backbone floor anchorage system

10 | Back view of the Unit with the deployed airbag and highlighted Spine

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C. UNIT STRUCTURE & LAYERS The SpaceLiner passenger Unit is attached to the cabin and kept in constant position according to other Units by a robotic arm, the Backbone.

Safety The Unit structural frame is built from lightweight metal composite, Titanium is used for structures heavy to lift, steel and aluminum are used for joints.

A secondary structure layer covers the back of the Unit like a net covering the armrests on the sides, the leg piece at the bottom end to the top of the headrest. It is adapting to the passenger weight and shoulder width by extension and retraction of endtubes, The structural frame is filled with a thin foam layer containing the sensors mesh. It will also hold in shape the morphing gel contained

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13 | Structure skeleton underneath the morphing gel

14 | Fabric mesh woven over the structure skeleton

15 | Fabric mesh filled with the morphing gel enveloping the skeleton

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16 | Node Backbone, Spine, Connector

18 | Back view with the Backbone Spine

17 | Section view showing the Backbone in ceiling attachment configuration

19 | Morphing gel feet restraint laying on complying shell

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D. THE UNIT BACKBONE The passenger Unit inclination and rotation angle is regulated by the Backbone. It is programmed for six different configuration which will help the passenger resist the high g-loads on the body and high speeds to avoid loss of consciousness. it inclines automatically in accordance to the flight angle. In dangerous situations position angle and brackets will « capture » and tighten the passenger to ensure grip during free-fall of capsule and recovery The Backbone connects the SpaceLiner capsule with the passenger. It is holding the unit on a a gyroscopic sphere. It is sensing the gravity center as well as the inclination according to the flight phase. It transmits and process data on the connector screen.

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â&#x20AC;Š

25 | Backbone system in floor anchorage configuration

26 | Backbone system in ceiling anchorage configuration

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28 | Amusement park safety belt with metal hand grip rail

29 | Amusement park safety belt allowing arms and legs movement

E. THE GRAVITY CONNECTOR â&#x20AC;Š The passenger seat restraint is the Connector.

It ensures that at any time the passenger is kept inside the Unit.

Short before launch phase, the passenger will step into the Unit, the Connector is unlocked, rotated upwards to facilitate seat in. It automatically rotates down while the Unit is shifted upwards and rotated.

The unit is equipped with seating sensors, measuring pressure and checking that the passenger is seating in the phase appropriate position. The passenger will be informed when the side magnets will be activated to hold back arms and legs in place.

In case of emergency and malfunctioning systems, the Connector can be manually unlocked and with a handgrip shifted up to release the passenger.

Complying shell & soft gel The Connector reminds of the belt system in some attraction of amusement parks. The lower part is the belt. It is cushioned on all inner sides to avoid injuries in case of collision with the head or arms during high g-loads or unexpected turbulences. Grips are provided on the upper and low part.

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31 | Amusement park safety belt with lateral attachment

32 | Amusement park safety belt with axial neck attachment

The personal IFE system The upper part of the Connector is commanded by voice and intuitive hand swiping gestures. A clear and simple user-interface will guide the passenger through each flight phase and keep him fully informed. A clear and substantial introduction before the launch is key to ensure safety during flight and proper use of the system. It is equipped with a set of holographic screens displaying informations. The passenger can switch between three sets of information packages or setup a personal dashboard

1.

The Safety screen shows remaining O2 level indicator a countdown until the next flight phase and pilot informations or emergency notices,

2. The Comfort display informs on the remaining fluid level inside the compartment. From this screen the Unit inclination, interaction or relax mode can be chosen, adjusting manually angle deviation or the color spectrum of the reading light as well as using the switch

3. The Entertainment screen, when switched on will allow inflight communication over several channels. A direct link can also be setup to Earth over the Mission control base. With directional speakers in addition to the earplugs, the passenger can dive into a chosen virtual world of relaxing landscapes or busy streets or get informed with local Geotainment informations.

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35 | Gravity belt & Connector top view

36 | Headrest, Gravity belt & Connector front view

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37 | Gravity belt in locked position & Connector side view

38 | Fabric mesh woven over the structure skeleton

39 | Fabric mesh filled with the morphing gel enveloping the skeleton

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40 | Gravity Connector reclining before launch

41 | Gravity Connector locked during flight

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42 | Connector Display arrangement

43 | Gravity Connector locked in use by passenger

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44 | Pressurized Airbag top view

F. THE PRESURIZED AIRBAG Even if the passenger Capsule is pressurized and no helmet is needed to embark, the possibility of cabin pressure drop is given. To make sure passengers stay conscious a last resort is provided.

seat side and by magnetism the zip closes the two halves and a pressure of 1 bar is injected inside. It can about one minute to close the airbag manually Pressurization becomes necessary at altitudes above 3.800 m to 4,300 m above sea level to protect crew and passengers from the risk of a number of physiological problems caused by the low outside air pressure above that altitude. It also serves to generally increase passenger comfort.

Cabin pressurization is the process in which conditioned air is pumped into the cabin of an aircraft or spacecraft, in order to create a safe and comfortable environment for passengers and crew flying at high altitudes.

As in airplanes where masks come out of the ceiling, a thin protective membrane is ejected from the

45 | Pressurized Airbag front view

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46 | Pressurized airbag deployment axis backview

47 | Pressurized airbag deployed

48 | Pressurized airbag deployed section

49 | Pressurized airbag deployed for firmness test on the ground

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SP AC E

LIN

1 | The SpaceLiner & the winged stage escape capsule

ER

20 - 30°C Alluminium 90°C

Fibre

180°C

Steel

1600°C

Degradded Charged S

2200°C

ER

LIN

CE PA

Gas

2 | The Thermal proection shield components

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2. INTRODUCING THE BASELINE CAPSULE B. THE ESCAPE VEHICLE

A. THE PASSENGER CABIN The baseline capsule is a hybrid capsule fulfilling two main functions. It is the cabin environment for the passengers and pilots during the spaceflight and the rescue capsule or escape vehicle in case of a lift-off abort, flight abort or any other emergency case.

? How could the baseline capsule, securing the passengers be released from the rest of the SpaceLiner in case of a mission abort and fall back to earth?

Two concepts are under investigation, yet in the early phase of research but very distinct in the approach. The chosen escape configuration should not impact the interior layout but will allow a different placement of airlocks on the fuselage and provide more stowage volume since the capsule would adopt another shape than the nominally proposed cone.

The preliminary requirements102 for the baseline capsule as passenger cabin are: • Boarding and de-boarding procedures on the ground in horizontal mode • Enough space for 50 passengers and 2 pilots

In case of emergency the baseline capsule must be meet the following requirements: 103

• Adequate and comfortable environment for the target group of passengers

• Autonomous ejection and flight back (or down fall) to Earth's surface during any phase of the spaceflight

• Seating only possibility (no standing or walking during spaceflight) • Quick and reliable integration / connection to the Orbiter Module

• Allow a quick and unaided passenger evacuation • Landing capability on land, see, ice…

• Minimizing injuries and loss of conscience or life of passengers and pilots • Maximum acceleration of 12g for maximum 2 sec during separation from Orbiter Module

Baseline capsule

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0.8

0.8

1.2

0.8

3.1 1.8

4.1 5.3

3 | Baseline capsule - structure dimensions

C. EMERGENCY CONFIGURATION The baseline capsule is an integrated part in the front section of the Orbiter Module, followed by tanks containing liquid oxygen (LOX) followed by liquid hydrogen (LH2) serving escape motors to push the capsule as far as possible from the Orbiter Module in case of disfunction.

+ The advantage of the baseline capsule is hence if a separation is needed due to Thermal protective shielding (TPS) failure on the lower side of the orbiter, the baseline capsule has an additional TPS which will continue to protect the capsule.

Furthermore, the integration and the separation process of the baseline capsule as sole Escape module are significantly more complex. Due to the project requirements, the integration process shall be less than 10 minutes and the separation process must be less than 2.5 s. For both configurations this results in short but high g forces up to 10g on the passenger body.â&#x20AC;¨

Escape capsule

1.

In case of an emergency the capsule would be rotated upwards and jettisoned. Rockets ignite and distance the capsule from the malfunctioning and therefore highly explosive orbiter into a safe distance , then follows a free fall with parachutes to the Earth's surface.

In conclusion, the final decision which capsule system will be used, requires more analysis and data.

Both concepts need to be further studied to come to a final conclusion. + Since this option allows a bigger volume for the interior, distinct airlocks for exits on the shell and a safer solution for the passengers during the separation from the Orbiter Module and a simplified seating adjustment for the return phase after an emergency

Winged stage

= The following interior layout study and the passenger Unit design will be based on the alternative rescue concept using a winged upper stage as benchmark.

2. The alternative rescue concept is that the escape vehicle makes up the entire front section of the orbiter. This capsule concept has the same requirements as the baseline capsule.

The major geometrical difference to the baseline capsule is the wing section. [â&#x20AC;Ś]The advantage of having a wing is that lift is provided increasing the cross range of the capsule, allowing it to glide in a flat orientation to its destination, rather then free falling to the ground.

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Passenger Area

Pilot Cabin

Stowage

Life Support System

Parachute

Subsystems

4 | Baseline capsule section - function diagram

3. ACCESSING THE CAPSULE A. ENTRANCE & EXIT OPTIONS Lateral doors vs. vertical airlocks For flight passengers the usual way to enter an aircraft is by walking straight in. This means the doors (in the case of a spacecraft they are called airlocks) would be placed on the sidewalls of the fuselage.

The system used on comparable spacecrafts such as the NASA Space Shuttle behaving in a similar way in exit and reentry flight phases uses a dorsal airlock situated on the upper side of the spacecraft. = The baseline capsule and the passenger cabin should be accessed from the top, the passenger will climb down with a ladder to access the capsule floor and take a seat onto the dedicated passenger Unit.

For safety reasons redundancy of entrance and exit airlocks should be applied to avoid being trapped behind a single exit option. At least two exists, one in the nose and a second in the tail section of the fuselage will help evacuate quickly all passengers in case of emergency.

= The Airlock would be closed and sealed from the outside by the ground crew as soon as boarding is completed. When deboarding, the sequence will be inverted. In case of emergency the second back airlock should be manually opened by one of the pilot or a passenger as in commercial airliners, safety instructions will be provided before launch to the passengers concerning the opening mechanism. The unlocking of the airlock must be easy to use and intuitive.

Several options on how to enter the SpaceLiner capsule are under examination at the DLR center and according to project engineers, the rear of the capsule is not suited for placing an airlock since this area is packed with structural elements, LOX and LH2 tanks and additional ignition to push the capsule from the rest of the Orbiter Module in case of emergency. ! Placing the airlocks on the lateral skin of the fuselage could be a non viable option since the sides of the SpaceLiner are exposed to high temperature during the reentry phase. The thermal protection shield on the opening mechanism as well as joints could be damaged by the heat resulting in hazardous gazes infiltrating the capsule, deadly for the passengers closest to the airlocks.

= As a additional safety measure, two exits can be added on the sides at half length of the cabin for the SpaceLiner configuration carrying 100 passengers. This will lead to some changes in the seating layout, a reduction in units carried and the design of the passenger Unit itself. â&#x20AC;Š

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B. STOWAGE OPTIONS Stowage of personal luggage will be done by a crew and not by the passenger himself. For safety reasons, the luggage will be stored in sealed compartments before the flight while the passenger is getting ready for the flight, dressing up the suit and finishing the medical check. The luggage will be handed back after landing.

The luggage will be transported into the cabin through the airlock and stowed in place, stowage would not exceed 1 m3 / passenger in volume. â&#x20AC;Š

Therefore no distinction is made between bulky and hand luggage. The maximum size and weight of the luggage will be checked before the flight and reduced if necessary. The luggage size should not exceed the dimensions of the airlock in total width. to facilitate the stowing and reduce chances of delay due to passenger packing according to the regulations, a dedicated luggage recipient could be provided to the passengers, a sort of rack with a certain volume as in The zoning of stowage compartment should be easy to access by the ground team. The compartments would be located right under the capsule floor. The passenger Units would be lifted in an upright position to facilitate the stowing then released to nominal position just before seat-in phase.

1mÂł of luggage per passenger

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4. SEATING LAYOUT CONFIGURATION A. AIRLINE BENCHMARK Aircraft body width

the advantage of being able to leave the seat without having to clamber over the other passengers, and having an aisle they can stretch their legs into.

Airline cabins are classified as narrow-body if there is a single aisle with seats on either side of a corridor to reach each row or wide-body if there are two aisles with a block of seats between them in addition to the seats on the side of two corridors.

6 | Airbus A340 cabin section 2+4+2 seat abreast

7 | Boeing cabin section 3+4+3 seat abreast

The number of seats abreast is affected by the aircraft width. Narrow body aircraft such as the Airbus A320 family and Boeing 737 aircraft have six abreast seating in a 3+3 layout. Asymmetrical layouts also exist, with 1+2 or 2+3 seat layout.

If a seat block has three or more seats, there will also be middle seats which are unpopular because the passenger is sandwiched between two other passengers without advantages of either window or aisle seats.

On wide body-aircraft the center block of seats between the aisles can have as many as 5 seats.

Very wide planes such as the Boeing 747 or the Airbus A380 have ten seats abreast, typically in a 3+4+3 layout, although this layout is also sometimes used as a high density layout on aircraft normally seating nine abreast.

Rearward seats While there are some exceptions, most commercial aircraft seats are forward facing.

Rearward-facing seats are also common on business jets, to provide a "conference" type layout. It has been argued that rearward-facing seats are safer because in the event of a crash, the sudden deceleration will propel the passenger into a rearward-facing seat instead of out of it, meaning the force is distributed over the entire seat back, instead of the straps of the

Preferred seats Window seats are preferred by passengers who want to have a view, or a wall which they can lean against. Passengers in seats adjacent to the aisle have 132

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seat belt. The argument against such seats has been based on passenger comfort, safety and cost.

fly forward in the cabin, quite possibly into the passengers in rearward-facing seats. On the cost aspect, rearward-facing seats need additional strengthening which adds extra weight and therefore higher operating costs. 104

On the safety aspect, the argument has been that during a plane crash, debris, such as luggage, will

= Inside the SpaceLiner passenger capsule, enough space should be allocated to the corridor to facilitate passenger boarding, access to the units far from the airlock and the seat-in phase. The Unit should be movable to this position if a seating layout varying in pitch and width is chosen. The following proposed configurations take this into account. the corridor area will not be used used during the rest of the flight since no crew will be walking back and forth and passengers are restrained in their units. The free surface will be used as Geo-tainment mapping surface. = Enough space should be available for the Unit rotating function, to make sure collisions are avoided during the flight or eventual turbulences. The Backbone arms should be configured as a network or swarm and transmit each other’s angle and degree of extension as well as its particular position in X and Y to avoid over-crossing, collision or sight blocking.

.

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8 | Seven Units in lateral configuration

â&#x20AC;Š

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B. BENCHMARK CONFIGURATION This interior seat layout is similar to common aircraft benchmark arrangement. It is using a known configuration helps to lessen the requirements on the technical infrastructure for safety and the IFE system, maintenance program. Resulting in fewer crew trainings and introduction to new passengers.

Safety

Privacy

The future SpaceLiner passengers have seen this configuration before and will be accustomed to the safety measures and emergency procedures in case of a mission abort resulting in a free fall of the capsule or gliding down to the nearest rescue point.

For this configuration, the passenger comfort level is high when the privacy level is high. In this case it is hard to create a private bubble since the units are very close to each other. As in airplanes, the neighbor passenger is seated very closely, even if the Unit provides an enclosing shell, the information on the screen should not be too sensible or confidential.

The units will use the free space of the corridor and use the free area to distance from each other during turbulences and vibrations. The passenger will remain seated inside the Unit until the Connector is lifted.

Entertainment From the passenger point of view, this configuration offers a very stripped off flight experience. Indeed the space to rotate the Unit is not given, therefore no other constellation is possible than looking onto the next passenger back. Since the side walls will be mainly used for holding the Backbone system and the floor is always covered by the seats, no surface mapping is possible other than on the Unit front screen similar to commercial airlines long haul flights.

Two dorsal exits are provided, in the front behind the cockpit and another in the rear section of the capsule. redundancy will ensure that at least one of the exists can be used by the passengers or helping crew.

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13 | Hanging Units lateral configuration

â&#x20AC;Š

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C. HERINGBONE CONFIGURATION This configuration is similar to the Business class seating configuration of some commercial airlines where seats are placed in half distances to each other. It is characterized by a more spacious feeling, taking full advantage of the maximum height of the capsule to reach a high seat pitch on the side seats with more legroom Safety Since more space is available in the back of the Unit, the Backbone can be used to compensate the g-loads on the passenger by inclining and reclining fully according to the flight phase.

Privacy This configuration offers two types of seatings, the middle seats are preferred by aisle passengers who can travel in pairs, communicate directly and keep eye contact during the entire spaceflight.

The Units hanging on the sidewalls can rotate up to 180째 and face the passenger on the other end of the section or the passenger in the back.

Entertainment Large parts of the sidewalls can be used for geotainment mapping for the side Units. The ceiling can be used in its totality as mapping surface.

The view is unobstructed towards the projected area and Unit rotation options are possible for all passengers in almost 180째.

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â&#x20AC;Š

18 | Inclined Units cluster configuration

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D. MOBILITY CONFIGURATION This egg shaped passenger cabin maximizes the height of the capsule to accommodate fifteen more passengers than the required number.

The subsystems are located behind the sidewalls to narrow the cabin and bring the facing passengers closer during the cruise flight phase.

Safety This configuration is the attempt to create a feeling of security inside the SpaceLiner for newbies or groups of travelers. By enabling the eye contact between the passengers during the cruise flight phase.

Interaction This configuration could be a secondary state of a simplified airplane configuration with 2+2 abreast seats. With an automatic rotation the Units would face the corridor and the opposite passengers behind a projection curtain in the middle of the capsule, providing informations on the flight, the destination and the outside scenery.

Focus is set on passengers collective experience, group communication and interaction between flight attendants onboard and remote passenger on the ground.

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E.

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23 | Standing Units cluster configuration

â&#x20AC;Š

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E. CLUSTER CONFIGURATION The Cluster mode depicts a redefinition of the business class environment. If the cabin environment can stimulate the interaction and mimic a working-space, than the passenger will have an incentive to use it. This could change the relationship to travel and blurry the boundaries between activities and the precise context they find place in.

This configuration offers a high level of flexibility in terms of the units arrangement. It explores the most valuable thing during travel which is the sharing of the experience.

Safety In case of emergency all units incline in flight direction and thus provide the same safety to the passenger than the previous other configurations. The units are anchored at the bottom as well as the ceiling with an inverted Backbone depending on its position inside the section

In future versions, offering to an even broader passenger target group including children, The SpaceLiner could transport families and groups

The bubble could enclose up to four units to provide a Interaction This configuration focusses on creating communication platforms and productivity features to enable teams of passengers to continue their task or preparations of business meetings where they left it at work.

A bubble enclosing pairs or groups of six passenger inside a noise shelter and projection skin, opaque from outside create a perfect environment for conversations, brainstorming or discussion of sensitive topics

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F. COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS The proposed maps of seating configurations are summarized in the following table. The parameters for an effective comparison should help to choose from the different typologies in accordance with the experience to be offered to passengers.

Capsule

Exit

Configuration

Total passenger

Dimensions LxWxHm

Volume m3

Position

Distance m

Unit fixation

Airline Benchmark

55

10.5 x 4.3 x 2.2

99.3

front + back

5

floor

Alternate Position

55

10.5 x 4.3 x 2.8

126,4

front + back

5

floor + sidewall

Sidewall Use

64

12.5 x 4.3 x 3.8

156,8

back roof

12

sidewall

Magnetic Cluster

51

10.5 x 4.5 x 2.2

103.9

central roof

4/8

floor + roof

G. CONCLUSION The Airline benchmark configuration uses the least expensive solution for the Backbone system since its functionality is reduced. A simplified, single angle arm with pneumatic mobility from lie flat to redressed position as seen on the Virgin Galactic Space Ship Two mock-up could replace the robotic arm needed for extension and turning function.

The Alternate configuration is similar in numbers to the Airline benchmark configuration although there is more volume per passenger thanks to the positioning on the side walls which offers a high differentiation in the seating options and experience.

This configuration allows a reduced radius of action and turning of the Unit to connect with other passengers.

This is compensated by the rows configuration where two, three or four passengers could seat together.

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Unit

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IFE

Validation

Abreast

Pitch m

Width m

Volume m3

Screen Area

Safety

Comfort

Space

IFE

3+2 3+3

≥ 0.9

0.6

~ 1.7

side screens

+++

+

+

+

1+2+1 1+3+1

≥ 0.7

0.5

~ 2.3

Unit back

++

+

++

+

1+1 2+2

≤ 2.2

0.6

~ 2.5

floor

+

++

+++

+++

2+2 2+2+2

-

-

~ 2.0

inside privacy bubble

++

+++

++

+++

The third configuration is subject to much criticism. The sideward seating position is absolutely not recommended during flights, the Backbone turning mechanism could end up malfunctioning due to the very high stress and loads it is subjected to. The possibility to look at fellow passengers is not seen as an alternative to the usual frontward orientation. Yet this option offers a bigger volume per passenger a Unit pitch over two meters and optimal surface mapping

area on the floor to project the scene recorded underneath the fuselage

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VI. HORIZON 1. FUTURE STEPS

IV. HORIZON 1. FUTURE STEPS One important goal of this work is to present an overview of currently known general challenges related to future commercial suborbital Point to Point Spaceflights.

By arrowing the target group, a market demand, including for potential payload for research purposes has been presented to complete the big picture of this emerging business field

The historical context was summarized to show the rapid evolution of this industry and related ones such as computer aided vehicle design and application of new composite super light materials, augmented reality and surface mapping technologies, encouraging to think about the future of this enterprise in an optimistic way.

These steps help propose a design for the capsule configuration and the passenger Unit based on todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s knowledge of materials, user experience and space activities with a futuristic approach to anticipate new technologies, habits and future expectations of the selected target group.

But there is still much to accomplish to bring these concepts to reality and implement them in a viable market. The legal side, as this new enterprise seeks to identify the appropriate legal framework in which to operate is still undefined, breaking down the speed to innovate and incentives for research and development from various fields to make the dream of P2P space travel become reality.

Still some main technical challenges have to be overcome such as Thermo-protective-shielding systems, cooling systems and the reusability of the booster stage. Some elements such as the vehicle design, erection of international spaceports, administrative clearance on an intra-state level have been addressed and should be subject to further political discussions.

The following recommendations are derived from this exploration of the topic of space tourism with focus on commercial suborbital P2P travel and are now presented as equally important at this stage. First, some general recommendations are made, followed by recommendations for which specific actions can be identified and listed.â&#x20AC;Š

Assessing peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s general motivation and detailing the requested physical ability, and minimum medical requirements have also been studied and represent the main part of the design parameters to be considered.

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A. FURTHER ACTIONS AND STUDY RECOMENDATIONS 1. Create diversion from delay of expected start of operation

opinion trough media to ensure quick recovery for the industry, its image and credibility.

Current space adventures providers such as Virgin Galactic have recently suffered from a crash delaying the commercial start of their business. Even though the next pioneers space tourists already payed for their ticket, such events do create a loss of credibility for the entire space sector and delays in operation starts. The SpaceLiner fleet could have an introduction to the Space tourism and travel landscape similar to the A380 in the aviation landscape with a media coverage allowing no mistakes during its career .

Free and public, open-air gathering, concerts and shows on the sites of existing Spaceports could make the public opinion shift to a more positive one until the Time To Market estimation is finally tangible and realistic for the general public to hold on to.

3. Collection of feedback from future passengers The current design of the interior, check in/out procedures and of the overall experience inside Spaceports is oriented to a customer base willing and able to pay a high price for P2P flights. This clientele will flight with a set of high expectations even-though many flight situations and their appraisal by the untrained passenger have never been tested.

It is necessary to find out more about them by offering flight simulations and conditioning parks. This is crucial to ensure a positive adaptation of the service offered, an adequate adaptation of Spaceports, Spaceplane interior equipment and flight memorabilia as well as digital memories for the connected and interactive world. When this infrastructure is setup, future potential passengers can also provide a valuable feedback, schools can help educating, informing and shaping the responsibility feeling and create the wish from early age to travel this way, collect hopes and visions completely freed of any necessity.

2. Universal response strategy in the event of deathly mischance Each Space line, similar to airlines, will have its own communication strategy according to its philosophy, image and sense of commitment. But the coverage of events of failure such as crashes, loss of passengers or crew-members, incidents on the ground or inside restricted or military airspaces need to be dealt by a large board of providers. For the loss of Spaceships and crews such as the Space Shuttle Challenger in 1986 or Columbia in 2003 which had deep impact on peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s opinion on spaceflight safety, National Space Agencies held this role but a different coordination mechanism will be necessary when the providers become privately owned companies.

Commercial airlines still have a considerable recovery program to roll out after every crash.

A universal response to the market and to the authorities is key for the effect on regulatory frameworks, insurance questions for families and relatives of injured or lost passengers, for the public

4. Strong emphasis on related markets As mentioned in the overview on the market analysis for P2P transportation, the Tauri report suggests to embed this specific niche into a wider range of markets. The space tourism being the current market under development, followed by the offer of short microgravity scientific experiments and payload transportation to LEO. To increase acceptability more markets such as education, the film and advertisement industry, the digital consumer market and the cargo shipment industry should be approached. Yet requiring different strategies and distribution channels, the long run positive influence on the rise of the Commercial Suborbital P2P Spaceflights market could be ensured.â&#x20AC;Š 154

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6. Expand scientific experiments related vehicles

5. Create synergies between the traditional sector and new space entrepreneurs

Develop the demand for scientific related suborbital flights, The DLR SpaceLiner offers an excellent environment a larger capsule, over fifty times the volume compared to the current fleet of spaceflight vehicles, with a flight duration of 60 to 90 min it should encourage frequent and fast repetition of the experimentation in microgravity as soon as entering service by initiating a study to determine what class of experiments could be successfully executed using suborbital vehicles in full coordination with the designers, the space agencies, and interested industry partners.

It is clear that technically there is possibility for synergies. The traditional space sector, via the exploration and human flight programs, has considerable experience with spaceflight, safety requirements and escape and emergency landing systems having higher demands than suborbital ones.

New Space entrepreneurs are therefor aware and prone to respect environmental issues along side with commercial interests. From this perspective they experiment with greener propellants that may be of interest to National Space Agencies. An exchange of technologies and experience will no doubt be beneficial for both communities.

Allowing Space Agencies to propose technologies to New Space Entrepreneurs and vice versa, could reduce the risk of duplication of effort and development.

7. Test and verification at ESTEC 8. Updates, Retrofits & Sustainability Check

B. CONCLUSION It seems clear that many topics still need thorough research, extensive tests, modifications and adaptations.

I am optimistic that this will stay the focus and work of excellence driven institution like the International Academy of Astronautics where Encouraging international scientific cooperation through symposia and meetings in the area of space sciences, technology & system development, operations and utilization, with regards on space policy, law & economy, society, culture & education will help and keep up the work leading to the further and continuous exploration of Space and the development of the DLR SpaceLiner in my lifetime.

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V. CREDITS & REFERENCES 1. IMAGE

V. CREDITS & REFERENCES 1. IMAGE A. ILLUSTRATIONS & INFOGRAPHICS CREDITS Reference number | Title, description | Source| Author | Credit | Retrieval date 0 - COVER 1.

SpaceLiner passenger Unit concept | AK

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The Cosmos seen by Hubble | http://motherboard.vice.com - Documentary « When will humans live on Mars » | Accessed 2015. 01. 16 Zeppelin | http://theoldmotor.com/?p=10051 | Retrieved 2015. 01. 16 Vickers Vimy, british bomber in WWI 1918 | http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Vickers_Vimy.jpg#filelinks | UK Government | Accessed 2015. 05. 16 Tsiolkovski space hotel concept | settlement.arc.nasa.gov V2 Rocket | nzetc.victoria.ac.nz The Comet 1 W v. Braun space hotel concept Sputnik 1 Satellite Yuri Gagarin | http://forum-history.ru/showthread.php?p=114251 Boeing X-15 | http://www.airfields-freeman.com/CA/Airfields_CA_Mojave.htm | Retrieved 2014. 11. 06 Apollo 17 on lunar soil | http://www.space.com/12669-45-apollo-moon-landing-photos-nasa.html Concorde at supersonic speed | http://alexanderkline.com/2013/06/12/supersonic-commerce/ Shimizu space hotel | http://www.shimz.co.jp/english/theme/dream/spacehotel.html SpaceShipOne | Courtesy of Virgin Galactic The DLR SpaceLiner | Courtesy of DLR SART

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Point to point suborbital flight | drawing by AK | http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sub-orbital_spaceflight Altitude diagram | adapted by AK | http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/kármán_line | Retrieved 2015. 02. 06 The Kármán line | http://scied.ucar.edu/shortcontent/earths-atmosphere | Retrieved 2015. 05. 06 Mach speed diagram | AK Effects of g-loads on the human body | adapted by AK The great circle | adapted by AK Comparison flight distance and duration Point to Point suborbital routes | adapted by AK | The Moon over the Kármán line |

I - CONTEXT 1.

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1 - HISTORY

3 - SPACEFLIGHTS, SPACEPORTS & REGULATIONS

The great circle | AK Potential P2P trajectories and involved regions The view over the Thermosphere | NASA Earth Observatory | http://eol.jsc.nasa.gov/scripts/sseop/photo.pl?mission=ISS013&roll=E&frame=54329 Spaceport America, New Mexico | http://www.fosterandpartners.com/projects/spaceport-america | Retrieved 2015. 05. 06

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Spaceport Sweden, Kiruna | http://www.spaceportsweden.com | Retrieved 2015. 05. 06 Spaceport Caribbean | © 2007-2010 caribbeanspaceport.com Spaceport Ras Al Khaimah | http://snohetta.com/project/90-ras-al-khaimah-gateway | Retrieved 2015. 04. 16 Spaceport Europe | UK Department for Business Innovation and Skills.

Spaceport Ellington, USA | http://www.trost.si/en/projects/1/houston-spaceport | Retrieved 2015. 04. 16 Spaceport facilities | AK Map of active Launch Sites and Spaceports worldwide | AK Houston area airspace digital map | NATS Screenshot Angels of the Sky | NATS promotion film « Angels of the Sky » Countries with space launch capability | adapted by AK | http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3ASpace-launch-capability-countries-with-esa.png

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Sänger 2 spaceplane concept | http://www.astronautix.com/lvs/saegerii.htm | Retrieved 2015. 04. 16 Tsien Hsue-Shen commercial spaceplane concept | http://www.astronautix.com/craft/tsie1949.htm | Retrieved 2015. 04. 16 Space Shuttle version | https://www.aiaa.org/uploadedfiles/about-aiaa/history_and_heritage/final_space_shuttle_launches/shuttlevariationsfinalaiaa.pdf Skylon, Reaction Engines LTD spaceplane concept | Courtesy of Reaction Engines LTD | http://www.reactionengines.co.uk/image_library.html The Ascender, Bristol Spaceplanes concept | http://bristolspaceplanes.com/media/animation | Courtesy of Bristol Spaceplanes Rocketplane XP spaceplane concept | Courtesy of Reaction Engines LTD | http://www.rocketplane.com/downloads.html | Retrieved 2015. 04. 16 SpaceShipTwo during ascent flight after release from WhiteKnightTwo | Virgin Galactic ® Dream Chaser | Sierra Nevada | http://www.sncspace.com/mediakit/index.php?category=Images Lynx Mark III | XCor | http://www.xcor.com/gallery/main.php/v/lynx/renderings/11-07-21_lynx-new-ascent_700x.jpg.html EADS Astrium Spaceplane | Marc Newson | http://www.marc-newson.com/ProjectImages.aspx?GroupSelected=0&ProjectName=Spaceplane

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5 - THE DLR SPACELINER ENDEAVOR

The DLR SpaceLiner concept view | http://www.dlr.de/dlr/desktopdefault.aspx/tabid-10255/365_read-2531/#/gallery/4629 | Retrieved 2015. 02 26 The DLR SpaceLiner sideview | adapted by AK The DLR SpaceLiner section | adapted by AK Plot of Futron forecast studies | Space Tourism Market Study | S. Suzette Beard Janice Starzyk © Futron Corporation Plot of digressive ticket price due to pioneering effect | Space Tourism Market Study | S. Suzette Beard Janice Starzyk © Futron Corporation Worldwide number of launches annually | Space Tourism Market Study | S. Suzette Beard Janice Starzyk © Futron Corporation Price comparison economy, business class & SL | Space Tourism Market Study | S. Suzette Beard Janice Starzyk © Futron Corporation Technical challenges icons | AK Aircraft Interior Mapping, CPI | http://www.uk-cpi.com/windowless-fuselage/#.VVt9-mD8vvy The wall becomes window, CPI | http://www.uk-cpi.com/windowless-fuselage/#.VVt9-mD8vvy The future of inFlight geotainment , CPI | http://www.uk-cpi.com/windowless-fuselage/#.VVt9-mD8vvy Adaptive geotainment | FlightPath 3D | http://www.flightpath3d.com The concept of virtual reality headsets | gettyimages.com Inside the Samsung + Oculus VR headset | http://the-games-veda.blogspot.co.at/2015/02/samsung-gear-vr-innovator-edition | Retrieved 2015. 05. 06

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II - DESIGN PARAMETERS 1.

2.

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2 - PASSENGER ACTIONS

SpaceLiner flight phases from check in to check out | AK Check-in steps for P2P Spaceflights | AK Flight variables influencing the Unit design | AK Unit requirement for Seat-in phase | AK Launch phase variables | AK Unit requirement for launch sequence | AK Unit requirement for ascent flight phase | AK Cruise phase variables | AK Unit requirement in microgravity | AK Unit requirement for cruise flight phase | AK Reentry phase variables | AK Unit requirement for reentry | AK Unit requirement during pull out | AK Glide phase variables | AK Unit requirement for approach flight phase | AK Landing phase variables | AK Unit requirement for landing | AK Check out steps | AK

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1 - PASSENGER TYPOLOGY

Neutral body posture in 0g | adapted by AK | NASA Design Handbook Tourist vs Business passenger | AK Anthropometric dimensions | adapted by AK | NASA Design Handbook Human body typology | AK

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3 - PASSENGER AND CREW SAFETY

Hands free throat microphone | http://www.slashgear.com/sanwa-throat-microphone-makes-you-loud-and-clear-2338585 | Retrieved 2015. 05. 06 Felix Baumgartner Space jump pressure suit | http://www.redbullstratos.com/gallery/images/suit/1 | © Red Bull GmbH The Virgin Galactic Spacesuit in action during weightlessness | | Courtesy of Virgin Galactic The XCor IS3 spacesuit | http://orbitaloutfitters.com/what-we-do/#a1 | Retrieved 2015. 04. 13 Professor Newman in the Bio-suit developed at MIT The XCor IS3 spacesuit | http://orbitaloutfitters.com/what-we-do/#a1 | Retrieved 2015. 04. 22 The Virgin Galactic spacesuit | Courtesy of Virgin Galactic The Virgin Galactic spacesuit feature | Courtesy of Virgin Galactic The SpaceLiner passenger Cap concept and implemented features | AK The SpaceLiner passenger Overall, Frontview | AK The SpaceLiner passenger Overall, Backview | AK Airline seat row with shoulder belt patent drawing | http://www.google.com/patents/EP1398270B1?cl=en | Retrieved 2015. 03. 2 EADS Astrium interior view | Marc Newson | http://www.marc-newson.com/ProjectImages.aspx?GroupSelected=0&ProjectName=Spaceplane EADS Astrium passenger seat | Marc Newson | http://www.marc-newson.com/ProjectImages.aspx?GroupSelected=0&ProjectName=Spaceplane EADS Astrium passenger seat in ascent flight position | Courtesy of Marc Newson SpaceshipTwo interior view SpaceshipTwo passenger seat reclining SpaceshipTwo sideview blueprint | adapted by AK | http://staging.virgingalactic.com/overview/spaceships | Retrieved 2015. 05. 06 Unit material Layer decomposition

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V. CREDITS & REFERENCES 1. IMAGE

1 - THE SPACELINER PASSENGER UNIT

The passenger Unit frontview | Rendering| AK The passenger Unit front view | Drawing | AK The passenger Unit back view | Drawing | AK The passenger Unit top view | Drawing | AK The passenger Unit side view | Drawing | AK The SpaceLiner passenger Unit attached to the Backbone in ground anchorage configuration top view | Rendering| AK The SpaceLiner passenger Unit front view | Rendering| AK Back view of the Unit Spine with the deployed pressurized airbag | Rendering| AK Back view of the Unit with the Backbone floor anchorage system | Rendering| AK Back view of the Unit with the deployed airbag and highlighted Spine | Rendering | AK Section of the structural elements | Drawing | AK Explosion of the structural elements | Drawing | AK Structure skeleton underneath the morphing gel | Rendering | AK Fabric mesh woven over the structure skeleton | Rendering | AK Fabric mesh filled with the morphing gel enveloping the skeleton | Rendering | AK Node Backbone, Spine, Connector | Rendering | AK Section view showing the Backbone in ceiling attachment configuration | Rendering | AK Back view with the Backbone Spine | Rendering | AK Morphing gel feet restraint laying on complying shell | Rendering | AK Unit anchorage rail trail embedded in cabin ceiling | Drawing | AK Unit anchorage rail trail embedded in cabin floor | Drawing | AK Front view dual arm ceiling anchorage | Drawing | AK Front view single arm floor anchorage | Drawing | AK Side view single arm floor anchorage| Drawing | AK Backbone system in floor anchorage configuration | Rendering | AK Backbone system in ceiling anchorage configuration | Rendering | AK Side view dual arm floor anchorage| Drawing | AK Amusement park safety belt with metal hand grip rail | AK @ Wiener Prater Amusement park safety belt allowing arms and legs movement | http:// gettyimage.com/amusementparkyoungsters Connector locking procedure | Drawing | AK Amusement park safety belt with lateral attachment | AK @ Wiener Prater Amusement park safety belt with axial neck attachment | http:// gettyimage.com/amusementpark Connector interface and side features | Drawing | AK Connector interface front view | Drawing | AK Gravity belt & Connector top view | Rendering | AK Headrest, Gravity belt & Connector front view | Rendering | AK Gravity belt in locked position & Connector side view | Rendering | AK Fabric mesh woven over the structure skeleton | Rendering | AK Fabric mesh filled with the morphing gel enveloping the skeleton | Rendering | AK Gravity Connector reclining before launch | Rendering | AK Gravity Connector locked during flight | Rendering | AK Connector Display arrangement | Rendering | AK Gravity Connector locked in use by passenger | Rendering | AK Pressurized Airbag top view | Rendering | AK Pressurized Airbag front view | Rendering | AK Pressurized airbag deployment axis backview | Rendering | AK Pressurized airbag deployed | Rendering | AK Pressurized airbag deployed section | Rendering | AK Pressurized airbag deployed for firmness test on the ground | Rendering | AK

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III - DESIGN 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

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7.

8.

9.

10.

11.

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V. CREDITS & REFERENCES 1. IMAGE

2 - THE BASELINE CAPSULE

The SpaceLiner & the winged stage escape capsule | adapted by AK | Passenger Capsule for the SpaceLiner by DLR The Thermal protection shield components | adapted by AK | Passenger Capsule for the SpaceLiner by DLR Baseline capsule - structure dimensions | adapted by AK | Passenger Capsule for the SpaceLiner by DLR Baseline capsule section - function diagram | adapted by AK | Passenger Capsule for the SpaceLiner by DLR Airbus A340 cabin section 2+4+2 seat abreast | googleimage/airbus-section Boeing cabin section 3+4+3 seat abreast | googleimage/boeing-section Passenger luggage volume per passenger | Drawing | AK Seven Units in lateral configuration | Rendering | AK Section Nose | Drawing | AK Section Tail | Drawing | AK Layout configuration plan | Drawing | AK Layout configuration section | Drawing | AK Hanging Units configuration | Rendering | AK Section Nose | Drawing | AK Section Tail | Drawing | AK Layout configuration plan | Drawing | AK Layout configuration section | Drawing | AK Inclined Units cluster configuration | Rendering | AK Section Nose | Drawing | AK Section Tail | Drawing | AK Layout configuration plan | Drawing | AK Layout configuration section | Drawing | AK Standing Units cluster configuration | Rendering | AK Section Nose | Drawing | AK Section Tail | Drawing | AK Layout configuration plan | Drawing | AK Layout configuration section | Drawing | AK

28.

29.

III - DESIGN 1.

2.

3.

4.

3 - THE CABIN SEAT PLAN LAYOUT

Airline benchmark configuration | AK Maximum seats configuration | AK Mobility configuration | AK Cluster configuration | AK

IV - HORIZON 1.

The Milky way | adapted by AK

Copyright notice for illustrations and renderings.

All rights reserved by the copyright holder and no reproduction rights are granted.

For all enquiries relating to reproduction rights please contact Amine Khouni. akhouni@me.comâ&#x20AC;Š

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V. CREDITS & REFERENCES 2. TEXT

2. TEXT A. INTERNET SOURCES Abbreviation used in thesis | Full name | internet page shortened CSF DLR ESA FAA FAI NASA NATS OSIDA SART

Commercial Spaceflight Federation Deutsche Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt European Space Agency Federal Aviation Administration Fédération Aéronautique Internationale The National Aeronautics and Space Administration National Air Traffic Services Oklahoma Space Industry Development Authority Abteilung Systemanalyse Raumtransport - DLR Raumfahrtsysteme Virgin Galactic Scaled Composites Airbus Group IDS Hamburg Architecture & Vision Futron Corporation The Tauri Group Bristol Spaceplanes The Space Medicine Association

commercialspaceflight.org dlr.de esa.int faa.gov fai.org nasa.gov nats.aero airspaceportok.com virgingalactic.com scaled.com airbusgroup.com ids-hamburg.com architectureandvision.com futron.com space.taurigroup.com bristolspaceplanes.com spacemedicineassociation.org

B. LITERATURE REFERENCES Reference number | Author | Publisher | Date | Page « Space Tourism Market Study 2002 » | S. Suzette Beard, J. Starzyk, Futron Corporation | 2002 « The Tauri Group Annual Report 2013 » | The Tauri Group | 2013 « The Journal Of Travel Research » | 2001 Volume 40, p 213 « Private Human Access To Space Volume 1: Suborbital Flights » A. Bukley, W. Peeters | IAA | 2014 « Your Spaceflight Manual: How You Could Be A Tourist In Space Within Twenty Years » D. Ashford « Space Exploration: All That Matters » D. Ashford, Hodder « Promising roadmap alternatives for the SpaceLiner » M. Sippel | Acta Astronautica | 2010 « Suborbital Industry at the Edge of Space » | Seedhouse | Springer | 2014 « Human Integration Design Handbook (HIDH) » | NASA | 2010 « The launch of a new era in space travel » EADS Astrium | ESA | 2007 « Shuttle variations that Never Happened » C F. Ehrlich, Jr., J. A. Martin | The Boeing Company « Air Traffic Considerations For Future Spaceports » D. P. Murray, R. E. Ellis | 2007 « Progress of SpaceLiner Rocket-Powered High-Speed Concept » M.Sippel, T. Schwanekamp, O. Trivailo | 2013 « Canadian Aerospace Flight Test Area and Runway Needs for Spacecraft Development » | B. Feeney « Space product assurance - Determination of offgassing products from materials » | ECSS | 2008 « International Space Cooperation: Economy As Main Driver » | W. Peeters | ISU | 2001 « Commercial Implications Of Market Research On Space Tourism » P. Collins, Y Iwasaki, H Kanayama, & M Ohnuki « The Future of Human Spaceflight » Space, Policy, and Society Research Group | MIT | 2008 « Safety Approval Guide for Applicants » | FAA | 2009 161

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V. CREDITS & REFERENCES 2. TEXT

C. THESIS REFERENCES Reference number | Author | Publisher | Date | Page 1

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3

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6

Matsumoto,S. Feasibility of Space Tourism. Proc. of the 17th Symposium on Space Technology and Science. Tokyo, 1990 pp. 2301-2308.

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This definition is accepted and recognized by the international standard setting and record-keeping body for aeronautics and astronautics, the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale or FAI. 9

10

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11

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19

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20

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Seibold R.W., J.A. Vedda, J.P. Penn, S.E. Barr, J.F. Kephart, G. W. Law, G. G. Richardson, Aerospace Corporation, Joseph N. Pelton, H.R. Hertzfeld, and J. M. Logsdon, George Washington University and Jeff A. Hoffman, M.E. Leybovich, M.I.T., Analysis of Human Space flight Safety-Report to Congress: Independent Study Mandated by the Commercial Space Launch Amendments Act of 2004 (Public Law 108-492), 11 November 2008.

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March, Rayon. "EADS Astrium puts its "space jet" on hold indefinitley - Hyperbola". Flightglobal.com. | Retrieved 2015.03.2 7

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