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“ASCENDERS” �Next Generation Space Flight Gaming Platform�NASA & Industry Supported ISS Gaming and Research and Development Addition� ��ASTE 527�Edward Proulx �30 Nov 2021

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Context / Humans and Gaming Markets

Human Space Flight is expensive but fascinating to many people. In the near term most people will not be able to afford the cost of a Low Earth Orbit space experience that costs on order of $200K. This leaves a lot of money on the table for those who can afford less.
Gaming Market - The global gaming market is projected to grow from $229.16B in 2021 to $545.98B in 2028 [1]
Current Global Gamers – 3.0 Billion People. [8] / ~40% of the worlds population.
Space Tourism Market - space tourism market is forecast to reach $1.3B by 2025 [6]
NASA FY21 Budget is $23.3B [4]
In Space Flight Gaming Market - TBD??? (Capture 1% of $229B = $2.29B)

Participation in Human Space flight is an idea that has captured the hearts and minds of many would be astronauts since the beginning of the space race in the 1950s but the day dream of everyday people getting to participate in actual space flight will continue to remain just that… a fantasy -- even as the cost of flying into low earth orbit approaches $200,000 this dream will remain out of reach for all but the wealthiest of consumers. This leaves an incredible amount of money on the table that might otherwise be captured. One potential market that could be coupled with space flight experiences is the global gaming market. By the global gaming market I mean PC games, play station, Nintendo you name it. This market is estimated to be currently around $230B and is expected to grow to $550B over the next several years. Compromising 3 Billion people and almost 40% of the total population of the earth in comparison to the projected Space Tourism market the global gaming market is in an entirely different category. This makes sense when we think about the access costs to these experiences. It costs a few hundred to a few thousand dollars for a high end computer or console that can be played for years in comparison with $200,000 for a 10 minute suborbital flight. Capturing only 1% of the current gaming market could result in and industry that is 50% larger than the sub orbital flight market. This begs the question how much is the Space Flight Gaming market going to be worth and how do we go about creating this industry?

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Context / NASA

NASA Mission: Lead an innovative and sustainable program of exploration with commercial and international partners to enable human expansion across the solar system and bring new knowledge and opportunities back to Earth. Support growth of the nation's economy in space and aeronautics, increase understanding of the universe and our place in it, work with industry to improve America's aerospace technologies and advance American leadership. [5]
NASA goal to inspire the next generation of space professionals.
NASA has a limited budget that it must employ judiciously to support all of its organizational exploration objectives. To do this NASA must find creative ways to enable development of exploration supporting technologies as it has already done with its support of the commercial human spaceflight industry.

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Context / NASA Robotics Research �

“Crew time will always be limited and some work will not be feasible for astronauts to do manually. Robots can perform tasks that are tedious, highly repetitive or long-duration. Robots can perform work that is beyond human capability, such as operating in dangerous environments and performing tasks that require great force. Robots can perform work ahead of humans, such as scouting, that help prepare for future manned activity and missions.” [9]
“A central challenge is to understand how human and robot activities can be coordinated to maximize crew safety, mission success, and scientific return.” [9]
In 2013 and 2014 NASA conducted experiments in support of its Human Exploration Telerobotics project, these included Robonaut 2; Smart Synchronized Position Hold, Engage and Reorient Experimental Satellites (Smart SPHERES); and Surface Telerobotics.
The primary goal of the Telerobotics project was to understand how human and robot activities can be coordinated to improve crew safety, science and mission success while also reducing cost, risk and consumables like fuel and oxygen during future exploration missions.
Since 2010 NASA has been executing its Cube Sat Launch Initiative [10]

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ASCENDERS Public / Private Partnership Objectives �

Connect the masses to Human Space Flight
Inspire a New Generation of Space Flight Professionals
Create A New Space Flight Experience Market / Next Generation Gaming Platform ; Make sure this new Industry is American led!
Create and Strengthen new Partnerships with NASA and Commercial Industry
Develop Remotely Operated Vehicle capabilities at low cost/low risk
Support NASA and CHASE Space Flight Exploration Objectives

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We do it through ASCENDERs..

ASCENDERs is a novel gaming platform that provides a real space based experience where consumers will are able to see, hear and manipulate a personal spaceflight experience. To accomplish this NASA would authorize commercial industry to develop an ASCENDER support module that would be connected to the ISS. This module would be used to operate and maintain a fleet of small (1kg) gaming satellites called ASCENDERs. These small satellites would be used as personal spacecraft for paying gamers who would participate in a variety of activities.

For example they might participate in races, explore 3d MAZES, compete in laser tag shoot outs, or even just sit and watch a view of the earth as it goes by. The ASCENDERS would utilize commercial off the shelf flight simulator controls and VR headsets modified to operate remotely with spacecraft thrusters and spacecraft sensors and potentially in later editions full motion simulators to replicate the accelerations and decelerations felt by a personal gaming satellite. Operating on a subscription model consumers would purchase time on an ASCENDER and have the opportunity to enjoy their own personalized in space flight experience. Once the venture was profitable NASA would turn around and begin charging companies for utilizing its infrastructure to support these gaming activities. To carry out the development of this novel gaming platform it is likely that improvements would need to be made to the bandwidth capabilities of the ISS. A portion of these communications improvements would be allocated to NASA to supplement its own exploration communications architecture.

In addition, NASA would also be allowed to direct a potion of the ASCENDERS flight time for its own internal tele robotics research objectives or simply observe as gamers develop techniques for best operating their own vehicle in space. In effect NASAs partnership with a commercial company would allow development of this technology at reduced cost to both NASA and industry , development that would be furthering its own space flight research objectives.

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Assumptions / Constraints

Executable by modifying existing technology – Small Cube SATS, VR Goggles, Flight Simulator hardware etc.
People who cannot afford sub orbital flights will spend money on cheaper space flight experiences including space gaming.
Small satellites can be operated in a sustainable way that is profitable
The gaming aspect of this proposal would not interfere with NASA activities
NASA continues to have a desire to invest in Telerobotics research that supports its exploration objectives
Bandwidth capability upgrades are feasible

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Rationale / Merits

Creates a new ”personalized” cheap space flight experience for a tremendous gaming market
Develops a micro industry on the ISS (Gaming Module) that has multiple uses
Capitalizing on this industry would directly support NASA Space Flight Objectives – i.e. rental payments for infrastructure usage and upgrades to ISS bandwidth capacity
Cheaper venture for both industry and NASA than if they did this independently
Develops Tactics Techniques and Procedures for Small Satellite ROV Operation and Maintenance which supports NASA exploration objectives
Continues Development of Small Satellite and ROV Technology

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Rationale / Merits Continued

Engages a new generation of future explorers with Space and NASA
Provide the potential for a Next generation Space Camp
Supports driving overall spaceflight access costs down by developing another commercially viable market
Could serve as a spring board for further deep space remote work technology development i.e. remote support to the Moon or Mars

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Risks / Concerns

Would this interfere with current NASA operations?
What is the business case for ASCENDERS?
Can the numbers be made to work?

Ex: How much propellant on a small sat do you need?
Ex: Could the technology be adapted cheaply enough to make this function?
Ex: What would it cost to update the communications infrastructure to support this type of real time command and control?
Etc..

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References

[1] https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/gaming-market-105730
[2] https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/industry-reports/space-launch-services-market-101931
[3] https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/files/2013-07-24-HET-fact-sheet-FINAL-1.pdf
[4] https://www.nasa.gov/about/index.html
[5] https://www.nasa.gov/careers/our-mission-and-values
[6] https://www.industryarc.com/Report/19394/space-tourism-market.html
[7] https://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/5457152/sub-orbital-space-tourism-market-focus-on

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References Continued

[8]- https://newzoo.com/insights/trend-reports/newzoo-global-games-market-report-2021-free-version/
[9]- https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/tdm/telerobotics/index.html HET Fact Sheet download.
[10] -https://www.nasa.gov/directorates/heo/home/CubeSats_initiative

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