XS-1_Proposers'_Day_Management_Sponable.pdf

Experimental Spaceplane (XS-1)

Mr. Jess Sponable, TTO Program Manager

XS-1 Programmatics & Management Strategy

6 November 2013

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• Milestones and Budget

• Transition Expectations

• Elaboration on Phase 1 Goals

• Identification of Anticipated Phase 1 Deliverables

• Management Expectations

Purpose

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XS-1 Anticipated Schedule, Major Milestones & Budget

FY13 FY14 FY15 FY16 FY17 FY18

Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4

Phase 1 Phase 3 Phase 2

Mid-phase Review

Preliminary Design Review

Test Readiness

Review

Orbital Flight

1st Stage Vehicle

Effort & Focus

• Trade Studies

• Operational Concept

• Preliminary Design

• Refine Final Design

• Integration

Assembly &Test

• Flight Test

• Plan to

Transition

• Fabrication

Critical Design Review

Contract Signed

Funding $M 3 or 4 contracts

$3 to 4M ea.

1 Prime contract Design to Cost Goal

Approx. $140M including flight test at range

Tailored & streamlined reviews expected

Phase 2/3 funding would be approved during Phase 1

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Transition Expectations

• DARPA XS-1 transition partner is YOU (industry)!

• Open to all – traditional defense primes and emerging entrepreneurial companies

• Seeking low cost intrapreneuring or entrepreneuring solutions!

• Akin to ELV – Gov’t funded development & continues to purchase recurring flights

• Industry leads transition planning

• Commercial, military and civil launch missions

• Hypersonic testbed missions

• Other military missions

• Follow-on capabilities

• Industry can bid other transaction or conventional contract

… But leverage of OT may be important to achieving transition expectations

• Gov’t expectation is technology (not system) would be transitioned back to industry and entrepreneurial sector

• Data rights would be negotiated accordingly…please make it easy on us

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Program Goals - Elaboration

Fly 10 times in 10 days

• No velocity requirement, must take off and land

• Fundamental objective is logical incremental envelope expansion

Fly XS-1 to Mach 10+ at least once

• Drives aero-thermal capability, enables test of future space access vehicles and hypersonic aircraft (No dynamic pressure or g requirement)

• Upper stage small if you stage at Mach 10, but OK to stage at lower Mach

• XS-1 itself must reach this speed, not just a subsequent stage

Launch demo payload to orbit

• No payload mass requirement, can use off the shelf hardware or stage

• Fundamental objective is to demonstrate potential for orbital flight

Design for recurring cost ≤ 1/10 Minotaur IV

(< $5M/flight for 3,000 – 5,000 lbs to LEO at 10+ flts/yr)

• This requirement sizes XS-1

• Govt expects rigorous tracking of scalability and traceability from/to XS-1

• Learning curve efficiencies of 10+ flts/yr can be used to achieve cost goal

Industry Can Recommend Changes to Requirements in Phase 1 Studies Distribution Statement A – Approved for Public Release, Distribution Unlimited. 5

The Experimental Spaceplane (XS-1) reusable vehicle capability will aim to provide approaches to an alternate cost effective means for space access.

Collectively the space portfolio is supporting responsiveness and cost reduction of launch through ground base systems.

Artist concept

DARPA Leadership Perspective Attack the cost equation

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Propulsion

• Three off the shelf engines Gov’t has considered

• Merlin 1D

• NK-33/AJ-26

• LOX/LH2 Engines

• Other engines also acceptable

• Engines that are partially developed or have developed components

• Cost / risk trade is up to proposer

• Gov’t has NO preference …

• But industry must make case for acceptable risk and cost

• Limited dollars

• Priority is demonstration of operable, high energy airframe

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Funding Options

1. Primary airframe system design bid

• Can propose for up to $3M

2. Potential optional funding for airframe system design

• Can propose for up to $1M extra if tasks can be shown to improve Phase II/III outcome

3. Potential funding for component risk reduction

• Can propose small funding – hundreds of thousands each <<$1M

• Awarded if needed only

• Focus is how to transition existing or relatively mature technology to XS-1

(vs. developing new technology)

• Main objective is transitioning propulsion options to industry

• Potential for airframe/other subsystem risk reduction as well

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Anticipated Phase I Schedule Program Meetings/Deliverables

Month 0 Contract Award / Kickoff.

Month 6 Mid-phase Conceptual Design and System Requirements

Review for system design task performers.

Month 6 Mid-phase Risk Reduction Review for risk reduction task performers.

Month 9 Technology Interchange Meeting, Deliver draft Technology

Maturation Plan, Phase II/III cost recommendations.

Month 12 Phase II Proposal for system design performers.

Month 12 Final Risk Reduction Review for task performers.

Month 12 PDR for system design performers.

Month 13 Phase I Final Report and Technology Maturation Plan.

Phase I Deliverables

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• Gov’t ranges and/or commercial spaceports are acceptable

• Minimizing range infrastructure and cost is important

• Don’t forget to leverage ALASA (not restricted to ALASA solutions)

• Automated Flight Termination System and

• Space-based rangeless range concepts

• Selection of launch site for proposal purposes is up to industry

• Gov’t launch site selection study to be initiated at start of Phase 1

• Industry and range inputs to be gathered

• Launch site options to be identified

• DARPA goal is to make decision on a launch site or limit launch site options midway through Phase 1

Launch site selection for planning

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Management Approach

I Agree to clearly defined program objectives in advance

II Single manager under one agency

III Small government and contractor program offices

IV Build competitive hardware, not paper

V Focus on key demonstrations, not everything

VI Streamlined documentation and reviews

VII Contractor integrates and tests prototype VIII Develop minimum realistic funding profiles IX Track cost/schedule in near real time X Mutual trust essential

Challenge to Industry:

Follow through to affordable flying hardware!

Efficient Management Essential DARPA Will Manage As “Fast Track” Program – Can Industry?

Streamline Your Processes!

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History Says Low Cost Programs Are Possible

Requires Right Fundamental Culture Within Organizations

• Takes real government and corporate commitment

• Needs empowered program managers/contracting officers

• Only small teams, of the best players, with minimum interference, will get the job done

DARPA is committed; Industry must be as well

Numerous past successes must be our guide

Words1000

Picture 1

Pictures 1000

Demo 1 X = Demonstrator is Worth 1,000,000 Words

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Pick The Right Program Manager & Right Team

• Should understand technology and system trades

• Tailored systems engineering process key to success

• Operative word is “tailored” to achieve min. cost demonstration

• Should implement program objectives as honest broker

• Program success should be more important than next promotion

• Requires ability to make decisions

• at the right time, and

• at the right level (push responsibility to lowest level)

• Program Manager should personally approve all costs in advance/real time AND share information with Gov’t counterpart

• Pick program manger for life of program

• Minimize personnel turnover

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Mutual Trust Is Essential

Government and contractor PMs should interactively share all Program

Information, Critical Decisions and Risks

Government Must Trust Contractor

• To do its job and test/fly hardware

• By not second guessing every contractor decision

Contractor Must Trust Government

• To provide stable programmatic direction

• Not to drive cost/schedule with unreasonable demands

Build Joint Program Team Philosophy and Esprit de Corps

• Think: team, team, team… anyone can, we do

Allows Empowered Government and Contractor Team to Push Ahead Decisively and Succeed or Fail Together

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