Paper Session I-B - Space-Based Communications

Current space lift launches on the Eastern and Western Range require extensive ground-based, real-time tracking, communications, and command/control systems. These systems are expensive to maintain and operate and cover only limited geographical areas. Future spaceports will require new technologies to provide greater launch and landing opportunities, support simultaneous missions, and offer enhanced decision support models and simulation capabilities. These ranges must also have lower costs and reduced complexity, while continuing to provide unsurpassed safety to the public, flight crew, personnel, vehicles, and facilities. Commercial and government space-based assets for tracking and communications offer many attractive possibilities to help achieve these goals. Figure 1 demonstrates the primary existing Eastern and Western Range instrumentation sites and a possible future space-based configuration