The Commercialization of

Space Transportation
April 2007
K-1 Reusable Space Transportation Vehicle

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 NASA Near Term ISS Dilemma

 International Space Station (“ISS”)

– Approximately $100 billion investment to date by NASA alone
– U.S. Government obligation to 16-partner countries to operate and provide cargo and crew transportation to and from ISS through 2015
– NASA currently uses the Space Shuttle to meet this obligation at a cost of approximately $1 billion per flight
– Space Shuttle to be retired in 2010 – irrevocable decision
– No other NASA capability to meet its commitment through 2015
 Only near-term alternatives are Russian launch vehicles and foreign ATVs (European vehicle) and HTVs (Japanese vehicle)
– U.S. law prohibits use of Russian vehicles after 2011

– ATV and HTV extremely expensive

– None of these alternatives have the ability to return cargo to earth

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 The Opportunity

Decision to
Retire Space Extend life of
Shuttle in 2010 ISS the ISS
OPPORTUNITY
1978 2004 2022
1 Space
st
2010 2015
Shuttle Space Shuttle Alternative NASA
Flight Retires Solution
RpK Key Advantages

Lower recurring costs and greater

COTS Program reliability than any other current ELV
competitor

Rapid launch and re-launch

capability due to reusable design

Positioned to be first-to-market with

ISS re-supply capability

Return downmass transportation

Civil and
Science and capabilities unlike competitors
Additional Revenue Military
Payload Technology
Opportunities Commercial NASA support
Launch Research
Satellite
Delivery Led by an experienced management
team and supported by its original
world-class team of strategic
partners

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NASA COTS Program
 Two grant recipients, RpK and SpaceX, out of 20 competitors
NASA COTS Program Overview
 RpK strengths identified by NASA include:
– Strong management team
– Design and technical maturity of the K-1
– Multiple market approach of the Company’s business plan
 Space Act Agreement signed August 18, 2006 provides $207 million to RpK through 2009
– RpK retains nearly all intellectual property and commercial rights to technology (commercial program in which NASA does not end up owning the launch vehicle)
– NASA provides important resources and technical expertise to the K-1 Program
– NASA will be the Company’s largest customer
– COTS Program is critically important to NASA and its goals
 RpK has successfully completed all NASA milestones to date and has received $32.1 million in milestone payments
 Latest Milestone: System Requirements Review
 Met ahead of schedule and under budget

 Successful completion of the NASA COTS Program will position RpK to win a commercial contract for ISS re-supply – a $1 billion annual opportunity

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 K-1 Reusable Space Transportation Vehicle

 Designed by Dr. George Mueller, designer of the Apollo and the Space
Shuttle, to leverage existing technologies

 Upmass capability: launch cargo and satellite payloads into space

 Downmass capability: return cargo from both inside and outside Space
Station to earth

 Fully reusable: designed for 100 flight life – 9-day turnaround

 Low-cost provider: starting at $30 million per launch, the K-1 costs
significantly less expensive than any existing launch vehicle

To date, more than $650 million has been invested in design and development of the K-1 vehicle, which is 75% complete

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 RpK Market Opportunities
Unique Fully Reusable Design Will Enable RpK to Successfully Penetrate Multiple Markets

Rocketplane Kistler

ISS Re-Supply
Approx. $1 - 2 Billion Annual

(NASA COTS)
Market Opportunity

Science &
Civil and Military Commercial Satellite
Technology
Payload Launch Delivery
Research

First affordable, reusable rocket addressing these markets

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 K-1 Reusable Space Transportation Vehicle

Key Design Characteristics

Cargo / Payload Module
 Length: 5.9 m  Proven technologies adapted from other successful
aerospace programs and applications reduce both
development cost and technology risk
2nd Stage – Orbital Vehicle (“OV”)  Use existing flight qualified components (e.g., main
 Length: 18.6 m engines)
 Diameter: 4.3 m  Designed with high factors of safety, including:
 Weight: 131,800 kg
– Triple-string, fault tolerant avionics system ensure
reliable performance flight after flight
– Integrated Vehicle Health Management (“IVHM”)
systems automate and expedite checkout of the
vehicle before and after each flight
 Designed for reliability, each K-1 has an expected
life of 100 flights – nine day turnaround
1st Stage – Launch Assist Platform  High launch rate and rapid turnaround significantly
(“LAP”) reduce the price of access to space
 Length: 18.3 m
 Diameter: 6.7 m Key Performance Metrics
 Weight: 250,500 kg
 Approx. 5,700 kg delivered to LEO
 Approx. 1,570 kg delivered to GTO
 Approx. 2,775 kg of cargo upmass and downmass
for ISS missions

The K-1 design is based on mature, proven technologies

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 K-1: Systems Engineering
RpK’s K-1 Essential Systems Engineering Tasks Are Complete

Overview
 Systems engineering for reusable launch vehicles is
dramatically greater than that of ELVs
 Both design and verification for the K-1 completed
– Aerodynamics
– Load, dynamics, vibroacoustics
– Thermal
– Mass properties
– Timeline
 Trajectory design reference missions completed
 Vehicle schematics wiring and plumbing completed
 Interface requirements specification completed
 Cargo module currently undergoing Preliminary
Design Review

K-1 systems engineering is substantially complete

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LAP RP Tank
• 100% RP Design Completed
• 30% Fabrication Complete
LOX Retention Tank
• 100% Design Complete
• 75% Fabrication Complete
AJ-26 Engines
• 37 Engines at Aerojet
• Verification Engine in Test
K-1: Development Responsibilities and Status
Vehicle Exterior Structure
• 21 of 23 Major Panels Complete
Parachutes
• Engineering 90% Complete
• Mains – Complete
• Drogue – Complete
• Stabilization – 95% Complete
• Mortar – Complete
• Drop Tests - Complete
LAP LOX Tank
• 100% Complete
Avionics Hardware
• Vehicle Computer – Delivered
• GPS /INS units – Delivered
• TDRSS Receiver – Off the Shelf
• FAA Transponder Delivered
• SMU – In Manufacturing
• PDU, MEC – In Test
Avionics Software
Airbags • GN&C Complete
• OV Fabrication 50% Complete • Hardware in the Loop (HWIL) With Flight
• LAP Fabrication 50% Complete Hardware / Software Testing
• ¼ Scale Drop Tests Complete
• Airbag Inflation Tests Complete
The K-1 vehicle hardware is 75% complete
Thermal Protection System
• Overall Design Complete
OV LOX Tank • Detailed Design – 30%
• 100% Complete • Arc Jet Testing Planned
• Production at Restart
OV RP Tank
• 100% Design Complete
• 35% Fabrication
Payload Module
• 100% Structural Design
Complete
• 25% Fabrication Complete
OMS Engine
• 40 Igniter Tests Complete
• 29 Injector Tests Complete
AJ-26 Engines
• 9 Engines at Aerojet
Final Assembly
• Commenced 5/98
• 1st Stage LOX Tank Launch Site
Delivered 6/98 • First Site in Australia
• Contract Executed for Site Design and
Construction
• Launch Site Design 100% complete
• Environmental Approval Received
• Launch Operation Contract Signed
• Native Title Agreement Signed
• Site Ground Breaking
• Export License Approved
• Second Site Planned in U.S.
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 K-1: Launch Operations

Inclination 99º 84º

(Azimuth) (-14º) (5º)
60º Launch Sites Overview
(33º)
45º
(55º)
 RpK plans to have two operational launch sites

 First site in Spaceport Woomera, Australia

– Located in Woomera Test Range (“WTR”) in the
South Australian outback
Spaceport
Woomera – Launch azimuth covers all addressable market /
customer requirements from one site
Latitude: 31º South – Contract executed for site design and construction
Longitude: 137º East
Elevation: 541 ft – Launch site design nearly 100% complete
– Environmental approval received
– Operations agreement signed
– Native title agreement signed
– Technical assistance agreement signed

K-1 launch site provides launch direction that meets customer requirements from one site

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 K-1: ISS Mission Profile Overview

OV Return
Phasing Burn

ISS Altitude

OV De-Orbit Burn Mated with ISS/Separation Phasing Altitude to Ldg.

Phasing Altitude to ISS

Coast Phase

LAP Flyback OV MECO Altitude

OV MECO
OV Re-Entry Stage Separation

LAP & OV Deploy

Parachutes and Parachute Deployment Altitude
Land at Launch
Site using Airbags K-1 Vehicle Liftoff

SPACEPORT WOOMERA: Woomera, S. Aust. 31o S Lat

Typical Event Sequence

Day 1 Days 1-5 @ ISS Day 6
Event Time Event Time Event Time
LAP Ignition 0:00:00 Crew Unloads Cargo Days 1-3 OV Separation from ISS 0:00:00
Stage Separation 0:02:20 Crew Loads Days 4-5 OV Phases to Landing 0:45:00
OV Ignition 0:02:27 Completed OV De-Orbit Burn 1:30:00
OV MECO 0:06:19 Experiments OV Re-entry 2:15:00
OV Mated with ISS 13:40:00 OV Landing 2:30:00

Assumes 5 day stay at ISS Time in Hrs:Min:Sec

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Looking To The Future

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K-1 Path to the Moon

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