UltraLong Duration Ballooning ULDB Progress report on the

Ultra-Long Duration Ballooning (ULDB) Progress report on the study by Code 600/730 Robin Mauk Otto Bruegman 6/10/98 1

Ultra-Long Duration Ballooning Objectives of ULDB Technology Study • Enable more ambitious science – Science would be funded by inclusion of ULDB in Explorer AOs. Long Duration Balloon (LDB) is an available option for UNEX proposals. • Demonstrate that ULDB can support NASA’s science themes. • Identify existing and developing technology which would support these missions. • Integrate ULDB technology goals in existing NASA technology programs. • Identify university, industrial and other government agencies as partners in technology development. 6/10/98 2

Ultra-Long Duration Ballooning Planned Approach • Identify Science Concepts • Identify Technology Needs • Technology Roadmap – Attempts to predict technology needs in the near and long term • Technology Workshop – Provide feedback to roadmap – Forge technology partnerships • AAS & other meeting presentations – Communicate the ULDB goal to support ambitious science 6/10/98 3

Ultra-Long Duration Ballooning Process • Survey to 1996 Balloon Technology Workshop attendees as well as others with keen interest in scientific ballooning. – letter + matrix of missions/technologies developed from the ‘ 96 workshop • Ambitious science missions were identified from the survey responses. 6/10/98 4

Ultra-Long Duration Ballooning Survey Letter Dear Potential ULDB (Ultra-Long Duration Balloon ) PI, We, the ULDB study team, are in the process of identifying technologies which will enhance the scientific payoff of the ULDB program. A goal of this study is to determine a technology implementation plan, or road-map, which defines the schedule of technology infusion into the program for the next 5 to 15 years. The guiding principle of this study is to enable more ambitious scientific missions and to broaden the scientific constituency utilizing the ULDB program. In short, our purpose is to provide more and better opportunities for scientific inquiry. Our study team has put together a short list of technology topics related to various science missions. The list of potential missions are in tabular form as an attachment to this e-mail. (If you can not read it I will try to resend it in a form you can or FAX it to you. My phone number is 301 -286 -5841) Since we would like to make this list as inclusive as possible, we would like you to give us your input. Could you take the time to answer the following questions. 1. Which of the concept missions in your disciplines would be enabled by the Ultra-Long Duration Balloon Program? What technological enhancements (either those we've identified or ones you suggest) would make this possible? 2. Would technological enhancements to the ULDB program enable you to propose a UNEX mission? What are these enhancements? If you think any of your colleagues would provide us with valuable inputs, please encourage her/him to send me a reply. Please send your responses via e-mail to me at: Robin. Mauk@gsfc. nasa. gov. Regards, Robin Mauk 6/10/98 5

Ultra-Long Duration Ballooning Survey Matrix 6/10/98 6

Ultra-Long Duration Ballooning Survey Matrix (Continued) 6/10/98 7

Ultra-Long Duration Ballooning Scientists Providing Concepts/Feedback* • • Bill Craig David Rust Hugh S. Hudson Derck Massa Giovanni G. Fazio Richard Rothschild Gail Bingham • • John Mather Josh Grindley Jun Nishimura Holland Ford Ron Allen Chris Burrows Rich White * As of 5 June 98 6/10/98 8

Ultra-Long Duration Ballooning ULDB ft 20 M ft 3 balloon • New program for 90, 000 to 130, 000 ft space science working altitude • Enable small investigations as well as major science missions Mission duration • Identify technology to around 100 days enhance mission for next 5 - 15 years. 2000 lb science payload 6/10/98 700 600 500 400 300 200 100 0 9

Ultra-Long Duration Ballooning Advantages of The ULDB • Increase efficiency with more science per dollar • Cost comparison – MIDEX rocket launch mission: $140 Million cap • ~$50 M rocket + ~$40 M spacecraft + ~$5 M ops + ~$45 M science – MIDEX ULDB • ~$2 M (balloon+gondola+operations) + ~$138 M science • OR ~ 3 $45 M science missions for the cost of one rocket mission • Enable new science – Advance technology • Risk factor is lower with the possibility of recovery – Can use cutting edge technology – Can provide proof of concept for new technology 6/10/98 10

Ultra-Long Duration Ballooning Capabilities • Enable facility type missions – Fly large telescope for approximately 100 days – Recover, refit, and re-fly • Science – – – – Based on atmospheric transmission Gamma Rays >90, 000 ft Hard X-rays >110, 000 ft ~ 1 - 20 Å Soft X-rays >140, 000 ft ~ 20 - 200 Å Far UV >150, 000 ft ~ 200 - 1200 Å * Near UV >110, 000 ft ~ 1200 - 3000 Å ** IR >90, 000 ft * 150 k ft. is half transmittence point for 200 Å ** 110 k ft. is half transmittence point for 1200 Å 6/10/98 11

Ultra-Long Duration Ballooning Capabilities (continued) • Power and Thermal - same as a spacecraft. • Communication - same as a spacecraft. • Payloads – Greater than 2000 lb. science – Large structures fully deployed at launch • Efficiency – Mid-latitude flights: 100 days with 12 hour cycles – Polar flights: 100 days full sun or full night – For comparison: • LEO S/C: 33% efficiency (2, 900 on target hours per 1 year mission) • 100 day Polar ULDB flight: 100% efficiency (2, 400 on target hours) 6/10/98 12

Ultra-Long Duration Ballooning Example Mission Concepts • A focusing telescope for energies above 20 ke. V. Energy range is 20 - 90 ke. V. It needs >125, 000 feet for 100 days. • 3 m or greater IR/optical telescope – Antarctic night flights – Radiatively cooled primary mirror & diffraction limited optics • Large volume (20 liters Ge) gamma-ray spectrometer • A 1. 5 M or larger telescope to resolve the fundamental magnetic field structures on the sun. – 4 and 16 Mbytes/exposure, i. e. , 50 - 100 Mbps, need TDRS SA capability • Interferometer/planet finder – 1 milliarcsecond (mas) imaging 6/10/98 13

Ultra-Long Duration Ballooning Roadmap Organization • Technology Roadmap Topics Based on Requirements – Draft out for comments – First release scheduled for 9/98 • For each technology area we will discuss – – – – – 6/10/98 Critical Requirements Enabled science Technologies under consideration What is needed Technical goals Today’s state-of-the-art (SOTA) Technology Readiness Levels Cross cutting applications Technology Partners 14

Ultra-Long Duration Ballooning Technology Topics Based on Requirements • Balloon • Trajectory Control • Power – Generation – Storage – Management & Distribution • Communications – Data collection – Data return – Command & control • • Pointing Termination systems Robust launch system Field of view Operations Autonomy Lightning strike hardened Static discharge • Thermal 6/10/98 15

Ultra-Long Duration Ballooning • The following five slides are the communications section taken from the roadmap to show each requirements driven technology topic will be addressed in the roadmap. 6/10/98 16

Ultra-Long Duration Ballooning Communications • Critical Requirements – Terra-bytes of data to the scientists over a 100 day mission – Return data often enough to ensure mission success if payload is lost – Command control requirements will very according to science: • Range from autonomous operations to near real time command control • Near constant knowledge of balloon craft position required for safety • Enabled Science – – • Solar studies Interferometers Downward looking imagers All Polar flights - in data and in command control Technologies under consideration – Polar TDRS coverage and LEO polar communications satellites – TDRS demand access capability – New commercial communications systems being put in place in the next five years – Data storage and drop 6/10/98 DRAFT 17

Ultra-Long Duration Ballooning Data Return What is needed • • • Return of on board (Terabits) data Large deployable antennas Phased array antennas Portable high rate ground station High power transmitters Today’s State of the Art • • Burst data return – – • Via RF link Via media drop Quasi-real time operations with ultra-high rates by year 2003 Technology Readiness Levels (TRL) At the Poles – – • Technology Goals Low-cost TDRS transponder TDRS 3. 6 hours/day 150 kbps MA Mid and low latitudes – 1 TDRS and other geosynchronous communications satellite services 3 4 5 Ultra-high rate RT by 2003 1 -3 Concept 6/10/98 2 DRAFT 6 50 kbps MA at S. Pole 7 8 9 TRLs 150 kbps MA 300 Mbps SA at S. Pole 4 -6 Development 7 -9 Flight 18

Ultra-Long Duration Ballooning Data Storage What is needed Technology Goals • • • On board (Terabytes) Interface for data return (Terabytes) • • Today’s State of the Art • • On-board storage of 1 Terabyte available in 1999 on a “ 3480 -size” cartridge, also will be available on a 14” platter in 2002; 5 -10 Terabytes by 2005 Storage systems that can operate in near vacuum Cost effectiveness Technology Readiness Levels (TRL) For more details, please see Appendix D Storage Capacities range from a few gigabytes to several hundred. Some examples are: – – – 6/10/98 1 TB LOTS Worm Technology 1 DLT 7000 - 35 GB, Super. DLT tapes 100 -500 GB, Optical disk drives can hold up to 1 Terabyte but are currently cost prohibitive. Hard disks can hold 18 GB each and can be 1 -3 Concept stacked; currently not cost effective. DRAFT 2 3 4 1 TB on a 14” platter 5 6 7 8 9 TRLs 100 GB Super. DLT 4 -6 Development 7 -9 Flight 19

Ultra-Long Duration Ballooning Command & Control What is needed Technology Goals • • System to remotely control balloon craft – – • • For safety For trajectory control • Capability for flight planning and command load generation from planning inputs Capability to provide minimal/emergency instrument monitor and control or full control of science program according to PI needs. Today’s State of the Art • • Provide a system that is responsive to support safe balloon craft, instrument and operation Automated operations to minimize operator direct involvement and key personnel during off shift periods Provide capability to manage a range of instruments Provide an interface for PIs who require direct control of instruments Technology Readiness Levels (TRL) Global low rate LOS & low rate com. forward & return links but not world wide Several companies provide COTS systems with control center operations At least one system integrates instrument ground control and onboard but is not least expensive 1 2 3 4 Trajectory control by 2005 1 -3 Concept 6/10/98 DRAFT 5 6 7 8 9 TRLs Instrument control from PI home institution 4 -6 Development 7 -9 Flight 20

Ultra-Long Duration Ballooning Communications Cross Cutting Applications: Application of commercial services: Low to medium altitude space missions. Magnetic disk recorder pressurization: Space missions. Technology Partners: GSFC Le. RC Commercial tape manufacturers such as Quantum, IBM, Sony, Tecmar Technologies, etc. 6/10/98 DRAFT 21

Ultra-Long Duration Ballooning Status • Support is picking up (in addition to Codes 600 & 800) – – Key scientists are providing concepts NASA Lewis on battery technology JPL on cross cutting planetary balloon requirements NASA GSFC • STAAC (Code 700) • AETD (Code 500) – Commercial companies providing technology input • Working with the Earth Sciences Directorate, Code 900, to identify needs and gain endorsement. 6/10/98 22

Ultra-Long Duration Ballooning Backup Slides Some Key Technologies • Data Storage – Terabyte data storage • Communication – Polar TDRS capability • 150 kbps MA • 300 Mbps SA • Power – Power generation and power management systems for mid-latitude and arctic nights. 6/10/98 23