1. External Payload Platform Services
A New Fast Track and Low Cost Access to the Outside of
the International Space Station
Dr. C. Steimle1, K. Kuehnel2
1Airbus DS GmbH, Bremen, Germany
2Airbus Defense and Space, Space Systems Inc., Houston, Texas
31st Annual Meeting of the ASGSR, November 12, 2015
my_ISS

2. Why go outside ISS? Use ISS like a satellite platform!
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Controlled environment
Commanding of payload from your desk
Microgravity
Radiation environment of low Earth orbit
Vacuum environment
Thermal environment
View on Earth
View to the stars

3. External Payload Platform on ISS
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External Payload Platform

4. EPP System
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Standard payload provisions
Voltage
28 Vdc ± 2 V or
120 Vdc as option
Power per payload 30 W at 28 Vdc
Maximum current 2 A
USB 2.0 bus
5 Vdc / 500 mA,
non-switchable
Total payload data rate up to 8 Mbit/s
WiFi interface
Grapple
fixture
for robotic
arm
operations
Experiment
packages baseplate
Avionics
External Platform
– Flight Unit
• EP provides all functions of the
conventional spacecraft bus
• Ideal platform for small size hosted
payloads
• No further subsystems necessary
• Improved anomaly resolution by human in
the loop

5. 10 cm
EPP Payload Configurations
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Standard
Colony
Configuration
1 2 3 4 5
6 7 8 9
Unique Payload
Configuration
60 cm

6. EPP Payload Communication
• Direct communication with payload
– Constant Health&Safety / ancillary parameters received
every second
– Command and data transfer available via 1553 and SSH
• Constand payload data caching and typical planned
ISS data downlink
– Data storage in NanoRacks’ EXPRESS rack (SSD / frame
unit) in JEM-PM
– Data downlinked based on payload needs
• Complete ground segment provided by ISS
– Communication front end MSFC
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PC with P/L
control SW
NASA
Marshall
Space Flight
Center
EPP
NanoRacks
EXPRESS Rack
MRDL
LRDL
Payload with
executing SW
Internet
USB
USOS
JEM-PM
JEM-EF
Ethernet
SPACE SEGMENT
GROUND
SEGMENT
Ground
Station
Commanding
MRDLDownlink
H&SStream

7. EPP Concept of Operations
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Transfer outside
Installation
Payload mission
Launch Payload Return
4+ months1 year
Integration / Safety

8. EPP Use Cases
ISS-based Remote Sensing
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ISS attitude-related parameters
Nominal attitude
Z Nadir
(Only 6 hours per year
in other z-orientation)
Operational
attitude
Roll, Yaw ±15 deg
Pitch +10 to -20 deg
Attitude accuracy ±3.5 deg per axis
Attitude
estimation
0.5 deg per axis
(3 sigma)
Attitude stability
0.01 deg/s per axis
(3 sigma)

9. EPP Use Cases
ISS-based Remote Sensing
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Latitude = +51.65°
Latitude = -51.65°
Earth visibility
ISS passes over 85% of the surface and
95% of the world’s populated
landmass every 1 to 3 days.
ISS orbit-related parameters
Orbital inclination 51.65 deg
Perigee / apogee altitude 413 km / 417 km
Orbital period 92.89 minutes
Beta angle variation -75 to +75 deg
Orbit position error 6 m
Semi-major axis error 20 m
Revisit frequency
1 – 3 days depending
on latitude
ISS Nadir range

10. Platform Use Cases
ISS-based Remote Sensing
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Flight
Nadir

11. EPP Use Cases
ISS-based Remote Sensing
+Z
+Y
+X
1 2 3 4 5
0.01 0.1 1 10 100 1000
10-1
10-2
10-3
10-4
10-5
10-6
10-7
10-8
Frequency, Hz
RMSacceleration,g
Jitter vibrations
on JEM-EF
0 20 80 10040 60
10-5
10-4
10-3
10-2
Z axis
0 20 80 10040 60
10-5
10-4
10-3
10-2
0 20 80 10040 60
10-5
10-4
10-3
10-2
Y axis
X axis
P1 P2 P3 P4 P5
Rotation[arcsec]Rotation[arcsec]Rotation[arcsec]
Frequency [Hz]
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Response in optically
relevant axes low

12. EPP Use Cases
ISS-based In-orbit Testing & Demonstration
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Technology Demonstration
TRL 1 Basic principle
TRL 2 Technology concept
TRL 3 Experimental proof of concept
TRL 4 Technology validated in lab
TRL 5 Technology validated in relevant environment
TRL 6 Technology demonstrated in relevant environment
TRL 7 System prototype demo in operational environment
TRL 8 System complete and qualified
TRL 9 System in operational environment
 Accelerated improvement of available
technologies, system concepts and abilities
 Reduction of the time to market of space-
related products
 Cost-optimization of mission scenarios
 Fast demonstrations of mission scenarios

13. EPP Status
• EPP launched with HTV-5 in August 2015 and is
available to be used
• First payload mission preparations have started,
first outside mission fully booked by active
payloads
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14. EPP Status
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Customer Payload Mission scope
Yosemite Space GumstixTM
 Principal investigator Kathleen Morse, Ph.D.
 Space-based radiation studies to investigate the feasibility of the Gumstix
Computer On Module (COM) technology for use in non-critical
computationally intensive space applications
Florida Institute of
Technology
Development and Deployment of
Charge Injection Device (CID) Sensors
for Space-Based Extreme Contrast
Ratio Imaging
 Principal investigator Daniel Batcheldor, Ph.D.
 Space-based test of an innovative and novel Charge Injection Device (CID)
imager technology in the space environment
A-76 Technologies
Characterization of A-76 Corrosion
Inhibitors in the Space Environment
 Characterize effectiveness of A-76 corrosion inhibitors and lubricants for
metals in the space environment
Honeywell and
Morehead State
University, Space
Sciences Center
TRL7 Validation of Dependable
Multiprocessor (DM) Technology
 Principal investigators John Sampson, Ph.D., Benjamin Malphrus, Ph.D.
 Benchmark performance and radiation-induced computational errors of DM
Technology while conducting computationally intensive processing in the
space environment
Arquimea
Ingeniería, S.L.U.
(Spain)
REsettable Hold-Down and Release
ACTuator (REACT)
 EU Horizon 2020 funded project with multiple European project partners
(Arquimea Ingeniería, S.L.U., EADS CASA Espacio, Surrey Satellite Technology
Ltd., AVS, Universidad del Pais Vasco, ESR Technology Ltd., Spacetech GmbH)
 In-orbit test of SMA-based actuators

15. Extension of service to larger payloads
Bartolomeo external payload hosting facility on European
Columbus module

16. NREP Extension
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• 2 large payloads
• 1 large and 6
medium payloads
• 12 medium
payloads (not
shown)
• 1 large payload
(w/o expansion
tower)
• 6 medium payloads
(w/o expansion
tower)

17. Bartolomeo Payload Hosting Facility
• Great view from outside Columbus (Zenith,
Nadir, Limb)
• Power, data link available
• Suitable mechanical interfaces available
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18. Bartolomeo Payload Hosting Facility
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JEM-EF compatible
payloads
FRAM Standard
payloads
JEM-AL compatible
payloads
MUSES platform ISS Zenith
European Columbus
module

19. Bartolomeo Payload Hosting Facility
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1605
640
830
JEM-AL
compatible
FRAM
Standard
ø460
ø250
upto1245
JEM-EF
compatible 18
56
MUSES
compatible

20. Bartolomeo Payload Hosting Facility
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Item JEM-AL compatible JEM-EF compatible FRAM-based MUSES compatible
Concept of operations
• Pressurized launch in soft
stowage
• Transfer through JEM-AL
• Robotic installation
• Unpressurized upload
• Robotic installation
• Unpressurized upload
• Robotic installation
• Pressurized upload
• Transfer through JEM-AL
• Robotic installation
Maximum dimensions 640 x 830 x 1000 mm 816 x 1037 x 1856 mm 864 x 1168 x 1245 mm ø 250 x 920 mm
ø 460 x 920 mm
Mass up to 100 kg up to 500 kg (TBC) up to 500 kg up to 100 kg
Power up to 200 W @ 120 V
up to 100 W @ 28 V
up to 200 W @ 120 V
up to 100 W @ 28 V
up to 1000 W up to 224 W @ 28 Vdc
Data link to avionics up to 100 Mbit/s up to 100 Mbit/s up to 100 Mbit/s up to 100 Mbit/s
Cooling capability up to 1.5 kW in total for all payloads
Robotic interface SPDM micro fixture SPDM micro fixture SPDM micro fixture SPDM micro fixture
Payload to platform interface MDA wedge adapter MDA wedge adapter FRAM MUSES standard interfaces

21. Bartolomeo Mission End-to-end Service
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Payload transfer
to outside
Payload robotic
installation
Payload mission
Payload launch
1 – 10 years1 – 1.5 years
Payload data
processing

22. Thank you for your attention!
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Contact
Dr. Per Christian Steimle
Project Manager External Payloads Program
ISS Commercial Applications
Airbus Defence and Space, Bremen, Germany
Email: per-christian.steimle@airbus.com
Mobile: +49 151 277 677 74
Ron E. Dunklee
President and CEO
Airbus DS, Space Systems, Inc., Houston, Texas
Email: rdunklee@airbusdshouston.com
Mobile: +1 (281) 414-3617