NASA wants to accelerate ISAM activities with COSMIC.
COLORADO SPRINGS–NASA has selected Aerospace Corp. to run the Consortium for Space Mobility and ISAM Capabilities.
ISAM–which stands for in-space servicing, assembly and manufacturing–is a fast-growing part of the space industry. NASA sees a need to coordinate work across government, industry, research and academic entities, said Trudy Kortes, director of technology demonstrations for the agency’s Space Technology Mission Directorate. Kortes spoke at the Space Symposium here on April 19.
“There is so much ISAM activity,” Kortes said. “But it is not the routine part of space architectures and mission life cycles. That is the goal here is to make a routine.”
The Consortium for Space Mobility and ISAM Capabilities (Cosmic) has five focus areas: research and technology, demonstration infrastructure, missions and ecosystems, policy and regulation, and workforce development. The consortium is charged with convening entities working on parts of ISAM to find ways to collaborate on those focus areas.
“What we are intending is to have regular meetings in which we bring this community together,” said Greg Richardson, executive director of Cosmic for Aerospace Corp., noting participants would share information and discuss important issues for ISAM.
Cosmic does not aim to develop standards–such as a universal valve for in-space refueling–but will defer to work being done by the U.S. Defense Department’s Consortium for Execution of Rendezvous and Servicing Operations, he added.
A Cosmic kickoff meeting is planned for fall 2023.
