LCANS NCAR Mesa Lab, Boulder, Colorado Provider of Near Space Solutions Bridging The Gap To Space Lightweight Science Payloads on High Altitude Long Duration Balloons and Airships

LCANS NCAR Mesa Lab, Boulder, Colorado SOME INITIAL OBSERVATIONS Everything is Relative: Gap to Space Lightweight (‘PongSAT’, 6 lbs, 80 lbs, 2000 lbs) Science High Altitude (60-70kft, 100kft, 130kft, 170kft) Long Duration (2 days, 60 days, 100 days, several months, 744 days) Balloons and Airships (weather balloons, polyethylene zero-pressure, polyethylene superpressure, zylon, re-usable multi-layer envelopes) Bridging The Gap To Space - Lightweight Science Payloads on High Altitude Long Duration Balloons and Airships

LCANS NCAR Mesa Lab, Boulder, Colorado SOME INITIAL OBSERVATIONS Everything is Relative…. Including: Costs ($2,500, $100k,$3M, $25M, $200M+) Performance (“let’s see what happens”, 95% success rate) Schedule (few months, few years, “sometime during my career”) Bridging The Gap To Space - Lightweight Science Payloads on High Altitude Long Duration Balloons and Airships

LCANS NCAR Mesa Lab, Boulder, Colorado FOCUS OF PRESENTATION NSC’s Part of High Altitude Ballooning: Background Experience Markets/Customers Core Capabilities Applicable Technology/Systems

LCANS NCAR Mesa Lab, Boulder, Colorado Company History: President’s First Involvement in High Altitude Ballooning (mentored by many of the modern ballooning pioneers) Key Employees working for Raven Industries (Balloon Engineer/Scientific Balloon & Parachute Program Mgr, Materials Engineer/ Film Extrusion Facility Mgr, Engineering Tech/Balloon Designer) President went to work for American Blimp on development of new A-130/ Founded GSSL (Oregon Corporation) GSSL/NSC BACKGROUND

LCANS NCAR Mesa Lab, Boulder, Colorado Company History: Operations moved to Tillamook (Began Manufacturing & Flight Operations) Started doing business as NSC NSC has performed more than 150 High Altitude Balloon Flight Tests to Date including launches from more than 10 different launch sites GSSL/NSC BACKGROUND

LCANS NCAR Mesa Lab, Boulder, Colorado Government NASA - Planetary Technology (Venus, Mars, & Titan) NOAA/NCAR - Atmospheric Research (Hurricanes) DOD - Tactical Balloon Systems & Return Vehicles Other Agencies - Custom Balloon Platforms/Systems Commercial Space Prototyping/Testing Flight Test/Operations Space Inflatables Laboratories & Universities LLNL, PNNL, Sandia MIT-LL, JHU-APL UNY StoneyBrook University of Washington Cal Tech MARKETS/CUSTOMERS

LCANS NCAR Mesa Lab, Boulder, Colorado Core Capabilities Testing Analysis Design Prototyping Fabrication Flight Ops Training FAA Coordination Mission Analysis Mission Planning Flight Safety Reviews Payload Integration GSSL/NSC BACKGROUND

LCANS NCAR Mesa Lab, Boulder, Colorado NSC EXPERIENCE Traditional Launch Traditional Small Balloon Systems: Polyethylene Zero-pressure Polyester & High Performance Composite Super- pressure Payloads of 100 g to 500 lbs Durations of a few hours to 20+ days Turn-key flight operations including balloon fabrication/procurement, gondola/payload development, C3 & video systems, all necessary flight train and recovery system components, ground stations, tracking aircraft, licenses/clearances, FAA coordination, integration and launch infrastructure, and experienced flight ops personnel.

LCANS NCAR Mesa Lab, Boulder, Colorado NSC EXPERIENCE Traditional Launch Tactical Balloon System: Patent Pending Inflation, Launch & Recovery System Small Tow Balloon & Packed Main 2-3 Person Launch in 30+ kt winds Allows Launches from Ships, Parking Lots, & Small Clearings Tactical Launch

LCANS NCAR Mesa Lab, Boulder, Colorado NSC EXPERIENCE Tactical Balloon System: Have demonstrated 30 lbs payload with semi-autonomous PRV/Shuttle Have successfully laid out, inflated and launched in 20+knots (including 5 hr operational hold) 100 lb payloads practical with small scale increase (96” wingspan vs. current 60”) 250 lb payloads practical with packed parachute recovery system (no return vehicle) Tactical Launch

LCANS NCAR Mesa Lab, Boulder, Colorado Payload Return Vehicle Milestones: NASA ARC/NRL - 1 st HA Deployment (Glider) NASA ARC/NRL - 1 st HA Deployment (Powered) NASA LaRC/AFS - 1 st HA Deployment (Folded) NASA LaRC/AFS - ARIES Down-Selected for Mars Scout NASA JPL/BOEING - Mars Guided Parachutes USAF Topper II Tactical Balloon/Return Vehicle NASA LaRC/AFS - Considered for Mars Scout USAF TOPPER III Selected for Army AAEF Spiral E Demo (Now AEWE) 2009 – Army SMDC Battle Lab – High Altitude Shuttle System (HASS) COMPANY HISTORY NSC EXPERIENCE > 40 High Altitude Deployment Tests >100,000 ft > 30 Successful High Altitude Flights of PRV/Shuttle (including glider and powered versions)

LCANS NCAR Mesa Lab, Boulder, Colorado WWII Blimp Hangar: Dimensions: 1,072 ft Long 296 ft Wide 192 ft High TILLAMOOK LAUNCH SITE WWII K-Ships: 252 ft Long, 60 ft in Diameter

LCANS NCAR Mesa Lab, Boulder, Colorado WWII Blimp Hangar: Door Dimensions: 120 ft High 220 ft Wide TILLAMOOK LAUNCH SITE

LCANS NCAR Mesa Lab, Boulder, Colorado Low-Use Public Airport on Oregon Coast Pacific Ocean to West Coast Range to East 2 hr drive from PDX Runway 13/31: 5,001 ft x 100 ft Good Condition GPS Instrument Approach Runway 1/19: 2,910 ft x 75 ft Good Condition TILLAMOOK AIRPORT HANGAR OLD BLIMP MOORING AREA

LCANS NCAR Mesa Lab, Boulder, Colorado SPECIAL USE AIRSPACE W-570 W-570 Details: 24 NM Due West of Tillamook Airport (14 NM Offshore) Surface to 50,000 ft NSC Member of Western Air Defense User’s Group Has Same Scheduling Priority as Other DoD Users 120 NM W NM TILLAMOOK AIRPORT

LCANS NCAR Mesa Lab, Boulder, Colorado MADRAS LAUNCH SITE Details: 117 Miles SE of Portland Low-Use Public Airport Remote Area (Central Oregon – “looks like New Mexico”) In Rain Shadow of Cascades HANGAR COMMAND TRAILER LAUNCH AREA

LCANS NCAR Mesa Lab, Boulder, Colorado HAWAII LAUNCH SITE Details: Big Island of Hawaii 47 Miles S of Kona Moderate Climate Remote Area Flights Over Open Ocean Typically can launch 5 out of 7 days BIG ISLAND LAUNCH SITE LAUNCH FACILITIES

LCANS NCAR Mesa Lab, Boulder, Colorado NSC SUPPORT Can Provide Highly Skilled, Lighter-Than-Air Personnel for: Custom Fabrication Assembly Inflation Testing Flight Ops Facilities: Tillamook Balloon Facility Madras Launch Site Hawaii Launch Site Equipment: Mobile 30 ft Telemetry Trailer with LOS and OTH Capabilities Inflation and Launch Equipment Tracking Aircraft to Provide Deconfliction During Launch & Recovery Ops Specialized Ground, Test & Inspection Support Equipment Strong Working Relationship with FAA: Coordinate with Local ATC & Regional Offices

LCANS NCAR Mesa Lab, Boulder, Colorado CONCLUSIONS “Relative” to NSC: Gap to Space Lightweight Payloads < 200 lbs Science High Altitude 65 to 120 kft. Long Duration Few weeks to a few month Balloons and Airships Small zero-pressure and super-pressure, currently no airships* *except for Titan

LCANS NCAR Mesa Lab, Boulder, Colorado POC: Tim Lachenmeier Phone: (503) Fax: (503) Web Site: Provider of Near Space Solutions Questions?