Ibican Space Administration
| File:ISA seal.svg | |
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| Abbreviation | ISA |
|---|---|
| Motto | For the Benefit of All |
| Headquarters | Willmington, West Monroe |
Official language | English |
Parent organisation |  Ibica |
Budget |  22.629 billion (2020) |
Staff | 17,373 (2020) |
The Ibican Space Administration (ISA is an independent agency of the Federal government of Ibica responsible for the civilian space program, as well as aeronautics and space research.
The ISA was established in 1958. The new agency was to have a distinctly civilian orientation, encouraging peaceful applications in space science. Since its establishment, most Ibican space exploration efforts have been led by the ISA. The agency is also responsible for the Launch Services Program, which provides oversight of launch operations and countdown management for uncrewed ISA launches.
NASA's science is focused on better understanding Terra Ceralis through the Terra Observing System; advancing heliophysics through the efforts of the Science Mission Directorate's Heliophysics Research Program; exploring bodies throughout the Tagorus System with advanced robotic spacecraft; and researching astrophysics topics, such as the Big Bang, through the Great Observatories and associated programs.
Leadership
The agency's leader, ISA's administrator, is nominated by the President of Ibica subject to the approval of the Ibican Senate, and reports to him or her and serves as a senior space science advisor. Though space exploration is ostensibly non-partisan, the appointee usually is associated with the President's political party, and a new administrator is usually chosen when the Presidency changes parties.
The agency's administration is located at ISA Headquarters in Willmington, and provides overall guidance and direction. Except under exceptional circumstances, ISA civil service employees are required to be citizens of Ibica.
Facilities
ISA Headquarters in Wilmington provides overall guidance and political leadership to the agency's ten field centers, through which all other facilities are administered.
Eccleston Space Flight Center (ESFC), located in Troy, Albion, was commissioned by the ISA on March 1, 1959. It is the largest combined organization of scientists and engineers in Ibica dedicated to increasing knowledge of the Terra, the Solar System, and the Universe via observations from space. ESFC is a major laboratory for developing and operating unmanned scientific spacecraft. ESFC also operates two spaceflight tracking and data acquisition networks (the Space Network and the Near Terra Network), develops and maintains advanced space and Terra science data information systems.
Ibican Manned Spacecraft Center (IMSC) is the ISA center for human spaceflight training, research and flight control. Created on November 1, 1961, the facility consists of a complex of 100 buildings constructed in 1962–1963 on 1,620 acres (656 ha) of land in Olympia, Angola. The center grew out of the Space Task Group formed soon after the creation of the ISA to co-ordinate the Ibican human spaceflight program. It is home to the Ibican Astronaut Corps and is responsible for training astronauts from Ibica and its international partners, and includes the Mission Control Center.
Edward Island Space Center (EISC), located north of Columbia, Edward Island, is one of the best known ISA facilities. Named the "Launch Operations Center" at its creation on July 1, 1962 and has been the launch site for every Ibican human space flight since 1968. EISC continues to manage and operate unmanned rocket launch facilities for Ibica's civilian space program from three pads at Cape Westival. Its Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) is the fourth-largest structure in the world by volume A total of 13,100 people worked at the center as of 2011. Approximately 2,100 are employees of the federal government; the rest are contractors.
Satellites, probes, rovers, launch vehicles
The ISA has conducted many uncrewed and robotic spaceflight programs throughout its history. Uncrewed robotic programs launched the first Ibica artificial satellites into Terra's orbit for scientific and communications purposes, and sent scientific probes to explore the planets of the solar system, starting with Gilmeon and Jocastia, and including "grand tours" of the outer planets. More than 1,000 uncrewed missions have been designed to explore Terra and the solar system.
Terra and Moon
Besides exploration, communication satellites have also been launched by the ISA. The spacecraft have been launched directly from Terra or from orbiting space shuttles, which could either deploy the satellite itself, or with a rocket stage to take it farther.
The Jeremiah Turnbull Space Telescope (JTST) is currently scheduled to launch in November 2021 on a Perseverance 4 rocket. It will be placed in a halo orbit circling the Sun-Terra Template:L2 point. The Opporotunity Space Station is also in the planning phase, with the first stages to be launched in 2022.
Inner solar system (including Jocastia)
The inner Solar System has been made the goal of at least four uncrewed programs. The first was Scout in the 1960s and 1970s, which made multiple visits to Gilmeon and Jocastia. Probes launched under the Scout program were also the first to make a planetary flyby, to take the first pictures from another planet, the first planetary orbiter, and the first to make a gravity assist maneuver. This is a technique where the satellite takes advantage of the gravity and velocity of planets to reach its destination.
The first successful landing on Jocastia was made by Explorer 3 in 1976. Twenty years later a rover was landed on Jocastia.
Outer solar system
Outside Jocastia, Thetune was first visited by Missionary 2 in 1973. More than 20 years later a probe sent into the planet's atmosphere, and became the first spacecraft to orbit the planet. Missionary 9 made the first (and so far only) visit to Chetobos in 1989. The first spacecraft to leave the solar system was Missionary 11 in 1987.
Research
The ISA's Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate conducts aeronautics research.
The ISA has made use of technologies such as the multi-mission radioisotope thermoelectric generator (MMRTG), which is a type of radioisotope thermoelectric generator used to power spacecraft. Shortages of the required plutonium-238 have curtailed deep space missions since the turn of the millennium.
The ISA also researches and publishes on climate change. Its statements concur with the global scientific consensus that the global climate is warming.
The ISA contracted a third party to study the probability of using Free Space Optics (FSO) to communicate with Optical (laser) Stations on the Ground (OGS) called laser-com RF networks for satellite communications.
On July 29, 2020, the ISA requested Ibican universities to propose new technologies for extracting water from the lunar soil and developing power systems. The idea will help the space agency conduct sustainable exploration of the Moon.
Environmental impact
The exhaust gases produced by rocket propulsion systems, both in Terra's atmosphere and in space, can adversely affect Terra's environment. Some hypergolic rocket propellants, such as hydrazine, are highly toxic prior to combustion, but decompose into less toxic compounds after burning. Rockets using hydrocarbon fuels, such as kerosene, release carbon dioxide and soot in their exhaust. However, carbon dioxide emissions are insignificant compared to those from other sources; on average, Ibica consumed 401,190,000 US gallons (1.5187×109 L) of liquid fuels per day in 2014, while a single Perseverance 4 rocket first stage burns around 25,000 US gallons (95,000 L) of hydrazine fuel per launch. Even if a Perseverance 4 were launched every single day, it would only represent 0.006% of liquid fuel consumption (and carbon dioxide emissions) for that day. Additionally, the exhaust from LOx- and LH2- fueled engines, like the SSME, is almost entirely water vapor. In contrast, ion engines use harmless noble gases like xenon for propulsion.
Goals and directives
Some of ISA's main directives have been the landing of a crewed spacecraft on the Moon, the designing and construction of spacecraft, and efforts to construct a large, crewed space station. Typically, the major directives originated from the intersection of scientific interest and advice, political interests, federal funding concerns, and the public interest, which all together brought varying waves of effort, often heavily swayed by technical developments, funding changes, and world events.
Space Policy Directive 1
In July 2021, President Todd Hunter approved a directive that includes a new international, permanently crewed space station. The Opportunity Station is planed to consist of nearly 50 modules contributed by multiple countries.
Goals
Since 2011, the ISA's strategic goals have been
- Extend and sustain human activities across the solar system
- Expand scientific understanding of Terra and the universe
- Create innovative new space technologies
- Advance aeronautics research
- Enable program and institutional capabilities to conduct the ISA's aeronautics and space activities
- Share the ISA with the public, educators, and students to provide opportunities to participate