Secondary Payload Support

NASA’s two previous human spaceflight programs, Apollo and the Space Transportation System (STS or Space Shuttle) established a long, successful history of delivering secondary payloads to space, thereby maximizing the nation’s investment in human spaceflight. The contributions of these two programs have proven that the use of common carrier’s and shared payload support services across multiple payloads are value added benefits to human spaceflight.

 

About UPP...

NASA’s two previous human spaceflight programs, Apollo and the Space Transportation System (STS or Space Shuttle) established a long, successful history of delivering secondary payloads to space, thereby maximizing the nation’s investment in human spaceflight. They proved the value of a common carrier and payload support organization to share technology and expertise across payloads.

The Constellation Program is the newest human space flight initiative, created to replace the Space Shuttle and to position NASA for future space exploration. Several of the program’s architectural elements offer opportunities to further the tradition of providing access to space via secondary payloads. The UPC Payloads Project (UPP) leverages these opportunities to fill a gap in service offerings that address low cost access to space for scientific missions, technology demonstrations, student experiments, and cargo transportation.

The Orion Crew Exploration Vehicle is the first element of the Constellation Architecture. Orion’s Service Module (SM) can accommodate payloads up to the size of a Small Explorer (SMEX) Class mission, with the capability to insert spacecraft into low earth orbit, transport payloads or cargo to the ISS, and carry fixed experiments. The UPP provides Orion with a “trunk” to carry at least 1,322 lbs. (600 kg) and 160.0 ft³ (4.5 m³) of unpressurized cargo (UPC) and its Carrier.

The UPP leverages the management approach and established GSFC-JSC partnership which were fundamental to the successful Space Shuttle secondary payload programs. GSFC-provided UPP services guide and support Principal Investigators (PIs) to ensure safety and streamline integration, enabling the JSC Orion project to focus on its primary mission: human spaceflight. In addition to building the recurring hardware for each mission, the UPP provides the infrastructure needed to manage and integrate the payloads. The use of a common carrier provides reuse in technology as well as expertise across missions to reduce cost and maximize the value of this service.

For more information, check out this fact sheet.

 

UPP's Preliminary Missions Include:

 

Preliminary User Capabilities:

The Orion UPC Carrier can deploy an Ejectable Satellite...

 

 

...or carry an Extractable payload or cargo to the International Space Station (ISS)...

 

...or carry Fixed Payloads docked to ISS for up to 6 months.