Multi-University Entity Would Boost R&D, Promote Spaceport
Competitiveness
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
said it is gaining support for a multi-university Space
Transportation Research & Development Institute (STRDI) as
space industry leaders gather in Tallahassee for Florida Space Day
on Wednesday.
STRDI, an initiative begun last year by the University, would
bring together industry, academic, and government stakeholders to
gain federal and state support to build a national center for space
transportation research and development, similar to the
FAA-sponsored aviation R&D centers based at Embry-Riddle and
other universities.
As part of this effort, a bill supporting STRDI as a means to
diversify Florida's involvement in space-related research has been
introduced by Senator Evelyn Lynn (R-District 7) and Representative
Dorothy Hukill (R-Port Orange). The bill, which has attracted
co-sponsorship by 19 other legislators, will be considered during
the 2009 Legislative Session which begins this week in
Tallahassee.
"The Space Shuttle is scheduled to retire in 2010, and our
nation's share of the commercial launch industry has decreased over
the last decade," said Dr. Christina Frederick-Recascino,
Embry-Riddle's vice president for research. "We must find ways to
improve our launch industry's competitiveness and enable emerging
space transportation sectors like personal spaceflight."
Ongoing Embry-Riddle projects include a space policy
road-mapping initiative for the Cape Canaveral Spaceport, a
spaceport workforce advocacy initiative, and a personal spaceflight
human factors initiative. Among STRDI's focus areas are spaceflight
passenger and crew qualification and safety, space transportation
policy and regulation, spaceport licensing and safety, and
integration of spaceflight operations into the FAA's National
Airspace System. R&D in these areas will directly benefit
Florida-based spaceport operations in support of commercial,
military, and NASA programs.
Embry-Riddle has a long history of space-related research in
areas such as human factors, atmospheric sampling, astronomy,
propulsion, microgravity operations, payload development, and space
sciences.
In preparation for Space Day, statewide industry groups have
adopted a space advocacy agenda that includes STRDI. These groups
include the Associated Industries of Florida, Floridians for Better
Transportation, the Florida Engineering Society, the Association of
Community Developers, the Florida Space Day Committee, and the
Aerospace Career Development Council, among others.