Schafer Corporation and Stanford University's Space Systems Development Laboratory (SSDL) were awarded a contract in August， 2000 by the NRO Office of Space Launch to investigate new, revolutionary approaches to facilitate low-cost space technology demonstrations. The Schafer Team is developing approaches that can restore the timelines and risk-acceptance environment necessary to stimulate innovation for space technology development programs. We are proactively matching a critical category of payload developers with space launch services: the new/innovative developers of space component technology that do not have the knowledge resources, or contacts necessary to successfully test their technologies in space. Restoration and expansion of the U.S. Space industry’s innovative foundations must include rapid access to space for testing of new ideas and must be closely coupled to hands-on university programs in space technologies that will train future generations of US space technologists. This paper addresses an innovative technology “pull” approach to achieving these objectives.
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