Operationally
Responsive
Space
Office
Demonstrates
Rapid
Payload
Build,
Integration,
and
Test
on
Recent
Launch
The
Operationally
Responsive
Space
(ORS)
Office
participated
in
the
successful
launch
of
the
UP
Aerospace
SpaceLoft
XL
rocket
from
Spaceport
America
carrying
a
payload
built
in
less
than
one
week.
The
launch
took
place
on
May
4 at
approximately
6:45
a.m.
MDT.
“I
applaud
the
launch
and
payload
teams
and
am
pleased
that
the
ORS
payload
provided
yet
another
demonstration
of
our
enablers
of
rapid
spacecraft
build,
integration,
test
and
launch”
“I
applaud
the
launch
and
payload
teams
and
am
pleased
that
the
ORS
payload
provided
yet
another
demonstration
of
our
enablers
of
rapid
spacecraft
build,
integration,
test
and
launch,”
said
Dr.
Peter
Wegner,
Director,
ORS
Office.
“This
launch
proved
to
be a
very
cost
effective
way
to
demonstrate
key
ORS
enabling
models
of
rapid
development
and
build
of a
payload,
integration
and
test
of
the
payload,
and
identification
and
assurance
of
payload
technical
readiness.
We
continue
to
address
the
military’s
need
for
responsive,
affordable
and
flexible
space
systems
by
using
off
the
shelf
components
to
support
a
variety
of
future
missions,”
added
Wegner.
The
payload
was
built
by
Schafer
Corporation
in
less
than
one
week
and
was
designed
to
record
data
to
characterize
the
flight
of
the
rocket
from
launch
to a
weightless
environment
in
space,
reentry,
and
touchdown.
The
data
measured
acceleration,
temperature
and
pressure
to
quantify
the
environment
that
future
payloads
will
experience,
and
to
help
pave
the
way
to
building
a
low
cost
reliable
automated
flight
safety
system
(AFSS)
that
will
reduce
the
cost
of
future
launches.
The
SpaceLoft
XL
launch
provided
ORS
the
opportunity
to
test
the
performance
of
an
integrated
student
or
commercially
built
system
in a
microgravity
environment.
Two
small
onboard
sensor/data
loggers
recorded
the
rocket
flight
in
three
axes,
at
100
samples/sec,
and
operated
flawlessly.
The
rocket
exceeded
performance
expectations
in
microgravity
and
characterized
the
flight
of
the
rocket
from
launch
to
weightless
environment
in
space,
reentry
and
touchdown;
a
significant
step
for
smaller
scale
access
to
space.
The
ORS
Office’s
goal
is
to
have
components
in
the
hands
of
student-led
projects
that
can
fly
on
another
UP
Aerospace
rocket
within
the
year.
The
successful
launch
of
the
SpaceLoft
XL
rocket
enables
the
ORS
team
to
design
future
flights
based
on
known
data
points,
and
to
use
components
that
will
withstand
launch
acceleration
and
reentry
stresses.
The
Operationally
Responsive
Space
Office
is
working
with
the
broader
space
enterprise
to
provide
assured
space
power
focused
on
the
timely
satisfaction
of
Joint
Force
Commanders’
needs.
The
overarching
objective
of
the
Office
is
to
address
emerging,
persistent,
and/or
unanticipated
needs
through
timely
augmentation,
reconstitution,
and
exploitation
of
space
force
enhancement,
space
control,
and
space
support
capabilities.
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