Enhancing United States Launch System Competitive Pricing:A-DECK provides a means by which U.S. launch companies including Lockheed Martin Commercial Launch Services, Boeing Launch Services, Space-X and Orbital Science Corporation Launch Services Group can provide commercial launch services for rideshare spacecraft customers. By manifesting multiple rideshare spacecraft and payloads onto a primary spacecraft mission the launch services provider can lower the cost to each user of the shared launch and/or benefit from increases in profit margin per launch. Thus the cumulative rideshare revenues can be used to reduce launch service bid(s) thereby increasing mission capture probability, increasing annual launch rate and optimizing use of launch facilities. Enabling Small Satellite Commercial Industries: Many new and experimental technologies cannot become commercial products due to their lack of space qualification. It now remains for the space community to create launch systems designed to meet the cost and schedule demands of these researchers and users of small satellites. A-DECK creates the ability for commercial component, systems, and bus/chassis manufacturers to gain low cost, reliable access to space.
International Partner Space Agency Education and Research:A-DECK will enable NASA launch services to support both domestic and international partner universities and researchers. Partnership with the National Institutes of Health (NIH):In September 2007 NASA signed an MOU with NIH for the "development of biomedical research approaches and clinical technologies for use on Earth and in space and research in Earth and space-based facilities that could improve human health on Earth and in space." Partnership with the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Research Service:In July 2008 NASA and USDA sign MOU memorandum enable plant related research that will improve our understanding of biological cellular mechanisms and may lead to creative new ways to improve American agriculture, protect the environment and contribute to better human health. Cross Agency United States Civilian Agencies:A-DECK will enable NASA to support National Science Foundation, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Agency, Veteran's Administration (biotech research), Department of Interior (earth observation), Environmental Protection Agency and other civilian agency science and technology experiments and small satellites.
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