PROJECTS

 

ACTIVE MISSIONS

Xtraordinary Innovative Space Partnerships, Inc. (XISP-Inc) "Active Missions" are "XISP-Inc Projects" that have progressed through the mission development process to a level where they are recognized by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration as a commercial Technology Development, Demonstration, and Deployment (TD3) mission proceeding under Space Act Agreement authority and/or one or more the other direct and/or indirect mechanisms for conducting research on and/or leveraging the resources of the International Space Station (ISS) and cooperating commercial participants. 

 Currently XISP-Inc has five active commerical missions under development intended for implementation in cooperation with the International Space Station (ISS):

 

 

 

 

  • Team Alpha CubeSat (ACS)

    • A cubesat TD3 platform bus for increasing system/subsystem technology readiness levels
    • Low cost, highly configuarable, readily deployable spacecraft bus for Earth Orbit, Cislunar, and deep space applications.   
    • NASA Cube Quest Challenge registered participant
    • Provides mission requirements for MOCA, authorized under NASA Centennial Challenge program
    • Presentations, Papers, and Brochures

 

  • Halfway To AnyWhere (HTA)

    • ISS as a transportation node for low cost, readily deployable Earth orbit, Cislunar, and deep space mission support.
    • Propulsion testbed, trajectory insertion bus, alternate minimum energy trajectories, and resonance orbits.
    • Provides mission requirements for MOCA, additional authority under negotiation
    • Presentations & Papers

 

INTRODUCTORY NARRATIVES

These narratives provide some insight in the potential applicability and value associated withe technologies  that XISP-Inc is bring to market.

  • Annex 1 Testing Delay Tolerant Networking technology with real world requirements

  • Annex 2 Pervasively Networked DTN Gateway for the International Space Station

  • Annex 3 Near Earth Emergency Preparedness and Response Network

  • Annex 4 Cislunar Pervasively Networked Communications

  • Annex 5 Space-to-space/surface power beaming

  • Annex 6 Advanced Vision and Task Area Recognition (AVaTAR)

  • Annex 7 Converged Electrophoresis and Lithography Locker (CELL)

  • Annex 8 Spacecraft Planning and Control Environment (SPaCE)

  • Annex 9 Practical Cost-effective Near Real Time State/Process Flow Modeling

  • Annex 10 High Value 3D Printing in the Space Environment

  • Annex 11 Propulsion Technology Development Testbed

 

The focus of Xtraordinary Innovative Space Partnerships, Inc. (XISP-Inc) is Technology Development, Demonstration, and Deployment (TD3) missions conducted on and/or leveraging the resources of the International Space Station (ISS).  One of the interesting challenges with respect to technology development missions for the ISS is the necessity, driven by the prevailing resource constraints, of fostering communities of interest that cross traditional discipline boundaries from the inception of the work.  It is through turning this competition for resources into an impetus for cooperation that one can best draw out the potential value the work and thus avoid the characterization of such efforts as "self-licking ice cream cones" or "discipline sand boxes" divorced from any applicability to real missions. Accordingly, XISP-Inc has so far identified eleven (11) tractable mission concepts that are intentionally designed to cross leverage some combination of intra- and inter-organizational research, development, and commercial interests that could serve as an entry point into the broader discussion.  Arguably, every current and potential researcher on ISS should be cognizant of who cares about their work and why -- ever mindful of the necessity of growing the community of interest.  What follows is the introductory narratives for the nascent missions.

Annex 1 - Testing Delay Tolerant Networking technologies with real world requirements

Internet banking has some of the most stringent requirements for performance, availability, and security to contend with. This technology development mission proposed for the International Space Station seeks to demonstrate that through the use of Delay/Disturbance Tolerant Networking (DTN) technology and thoughtful extensions of existing hypertext/web services even some of the most challenging internet applications can be successfully extended into Earth orbit and beyond. The development of this mission proposal is a prospective joint venture project with the NASA Federal Credit Union, Barnhard Associates, LLC (BALLC) and a number of other interested parties.

Annex 2 - Pervasively Networked DTN Gateway

Extending a pervasively networked environment around the Earth and into space requires an evolving ability to accommodate Delay/Disturbance Tolerant Networking. Achieving the Quality of Service requirements for such networks requires an exquisite balancing of the driving requirements of Performance, Availability, and Security.  The Xrosslink Internet Services Protocol (XISP) under development provides a framework for accomplishing the same in highly scalable (ranging from near-network component alignment to implementing an interplanetary Internet)  computationally practical manner.  It is postulated that a Pervasively Networked Delay Tolerant Network (DTN) Gateway system could be built for the International Space Station (ISS) using a combination of existing open source resources augmented by a framework for developing and implementing the necessary state/function models and hardware/software interface definitions (i.e., defined herein as the Xrosslink Internet Services Protocol (XISP)).  This proposal seeks to develop a viable framework for structuring the knowledge base necessary to implement the required Quality-of-Service based system state/function models and hardware/software interface definitions necessary to support and implement a pervasively networked DTN Gateway system for ISS.   The development, marketing, and infusion of the XISP protocol and this proposed technology development mission is a prospective joint venture project with Barnhard Associates, LLC (BALLC) and a number of other interested parties.

Annex 3 - Near Earth Emergency Preparedness Response Network

The International Space Station provides an unparalleled platform to serve as a focal point & operating relay node for the development of a new national/international emergency preparedness and response communication network.  Recent environmental emergencies/natural disasters have drawn out the need for assured first responder communications capabilities. In particular, ones that are not necessarily reliant on the availability of traditional ground infrastructure.  The technology to accomplish this mission can be extended to allow cooperative communications across multiple networks with inter-operating nodes in the event that an emergency requires it.  The proposed innovation is as follows: (1) Define and develop an interface kit (hardware, software, and interface specifications) which enables the International Space Station to serve as a visible focal point and cooperating/interoperating text/voice/video relay node in a new near Earth preparedness response communication network.  This effort leads to a Phase II technology development mission on ISS to demonstrate an interoperating near-Earth Emergency Preparedness Response Network.  Commercial space terrestrial applications include a wide range of implementation elements from simple handsets to hardware/software interfaces with existing networks. The development of this technology development mission and related application is a prospective joint venture project with Center for Emergency Preparedness Response (CEPR); Manpro International-US, LLC; Barnhard Associates, LLC (BALLC) and a number of other interested parties.

Annex 4 - Cislunar Pervasively Networked Communications

Creating a cislunar pervasively networked communications environment that supports interoperable communications links between the Earth, orbital communications assets, and deployed assets beyond Earth orbit including both the surface of the moon and other near Earth objects is a challenging technology development mission. The mission requires an evolving ability to accommodate Delay/Disturbance Tolerant Networking and other technologies to meet the Quality of Service requirements. Achieving the Quality of Service requirements for such networks requires an exquisite balancing of the driving requirements of performance, availability, and security as well as a practical means of developing and managing hardware, software, and organizational interfaces. This mission holds the promise of dramatically increasing inter-agency and inter-organization cooperation including government, commercial, academic, and non-profit concerns. The proposed innovations are as follows: (1) Define a viable exploration focused commercial cooperating/interoperating network communications architecture and required implementation elements. This leads to a technology development mission on ISS to demonstrate the integration and use of the interoperating Cis Lunar Space Network interface kits. The significance of the innovation is that commercial potential of both space and terrestrial applications that include a wide range of implementation elements from simple passive node enhancements to hardware/software interfaces with existing systems/networks, and new deployable point-of-presence/access points. This potential mission is a prospective joint venture project with Barnhard Associates, LLC (BALLC) and a number of other interested parties.

Annex 5 - Space-to-Space/Surface Power Beaming

The technical assertion has been made that space-to-space and space-to-Near Earth Object (NEO) surface power beaming technology (a.k.a. Space Based Solar Power (SBSP)) can be readily matured to support both mission enhancing and mission enabling applications. However, no clear engineering articulation exists that establishes the efficacy of the assertion at a level that supports actual application. The proposed innovation is to define and implement/prototype a parametric model for unbundled power systems for propulsion and/or sustained free-flyer/surface operations.  This leads to a technology development mission on ISS and subsequent flight opportunities that can make efficient and effective use of beamed energy for propulsion and/or sustained operations. Commercial space applications include mission enhancing and/or mission enabling expansion of operational mission time as well as out- bound orbital trajectory insertion propulsion. Successful demonstration of Space-to-space power beaming paves the way for application of the technology for propulsion and free-flyer/surface lunar/asteroid surface applications by reducing the cost, schedule, and technical risk. The development, marketing, and infusion of the SBSP technology for space-to-space and space-to-NEO applications is a prospective joint venture project with Barnhard Associates, LLC (BALLC) and a number of other interested parties.

Annex 6 - Advanced Vision And Task Area Recognition (AVATAR)

As tasking for robotic space systems becomes both more routine and complex, requirements for transitioning the locus of control between full teleoperation and full autonomous operation as well as gradations between will emerge by necessity due to the limitation of available crew time and task constraints. Support of such mutable transition capability requires both enhanced near-realtime state models of the robotic systems themselves and of the task areas/work environments. The development of such world models was identified early in the evolution of the Space Station Program as a key area of technology development that evolved to be defined area of technical cooperation with the Canadian Space Agency that has not been brought to fruition.  The opportunity exists to breathe new life into this partnership on commercial, academic, and government agency levels. Preliminary efforts to identify a potential basis for renewed cooperation have elicited significant interest.. The proposed innovation is to define and implement/prototype a viable robotics system state model and an environment world model to support shared control and autonomous operations of robotic systems. This research effort is intended to lead to a technology development mission on ISS to implement a flight qualified Advanced Vision and Task Area Recognition (AVaTAR) module and demonstrate enhanced dexterous robotic operations through the use of shared control/variable autonomy which it supports. Successful demonstration of the AVaTAR module opens up opportunities for commercial space terrestrial applications include enhanced robotic systems with greater efficiency, dexterity, availability, and range of tasking. The development of this mission is a prospective joint venture project with Barnhard Associates, LLC (BALLC) and a number of other interested parties.

Annex 7 - Converged Electrophoresis and Lithography Locker (CELL)

The proposed innovations are as follows: (1) Define and implement/prototype a modular Converged Electrophoresis and Lithography Locker (CELL) which supports dramatically increased throughput and optimization of crystal lithography for defined substances of interest as well as characterization of complex biological solutions. The success of the proposed work leads to a technology development mission on ISS and subsequent flight opportunities that can make efficient and effective use of enhanced processing throughput and processing optimization.  On-orbit payload operations will be provided with the ability to accommodate faster and more productive experiment cycles facilitating collaborative research between space and ground based scientists.

Annex 8 - Spacecraft Planning and Control Environment (SPaCE)

The proposed innovation is to define and implement/prototype a viable framework for shared/collaborative (system-to-system system-to-human), multi-level, fault-tolerant control systems to support the operation and maintenance of ISS telerobotic systems. Leads to a Phase II technology development mission on ISS to demonstrate enhanced orchestration of operations through the use of shared/collaborative, multi-level, fault tolerant control systems. Implementing a viable framework can lead to increased flexibility of use, overall performance, and productivity of robotic systems on ISS. In addition, it supports the enhanced orchestration of operations across multiple systems/elements through the use of shared/collaborative, multi-level, fault tolerant control systems. 

Annex 9 - Practical Cost-effective Near Real Time State/Process Flow Modeling

The proposed innovation is to define and implement/prototype a practical cost-effective architectural framework and tool set for near real time state/process flow modeling of flight systems/subsystems that can support the development of enhanced control/management systems for both ground and space operations. This effort will seek to increase the performance, availability, and security of the control/management systems implemented using the defined tool set. The defined tool set is envisioned to be an open source extensible set of components that draw from and build on the discipline specific tools and tool development environments that are currently extent.

Annex 10 - High Value 3D Printing in the Space Environment

The proposed innovation is to define and implement/prototype space optimizable 3D printing build files of high value multiple material objects that are limited life items and/or logistically limited items. Of particular interest are material combinations that exhibit highly directional heat transfer properties as well as other unique property combinations that may likely prove very useful in a space environment. The combination of micro-gravity, the absence of convection, and Intra-Vehicular Activity (IVA)/Extra- Vehicular Activity (EVA) environmental constraints all introduce additional variables in the evolving 3D printing processes. 

Annex 11 Propulsion Technology Development Testbed

The decision has now been made to extend the operational life of International Space Station (ISS) to at least 2024 with the potential for further extensions.  This will likely require some enhancement, repurposing, and/or replacement of multiple components.  In addition, to meeting this requirement there is a need to provide  for the repurposing of ISS elements in space as a transition opportunity to be taken advantage of rather than as a geopolitical and/or reentry problem.   Accordingly, as a consequence of the extension decision there is an emerging opportunity to increase the failure tolerance of the International Space Station (ISS) propulsion systems by providing an on-orbit testbed for the development and demonstration of ISS propulsion enhancements.

E-mail: info@xisp-inc.com