LaunchPad
A one-stop-shop platform for business, networking and infrastructure needs in the Lower Earth Orbit (LEO) - a prototype designed for NASA in an integrated studio at Parsons School of Design.
PROJECT NAME
LaunchPad
TYPE OF WORK
Student project at Parsons School of Design
SKILLS & PROCESSES
Design Strategy
Design Research & Mapping
Prototype Development
DURATION
15 weeks
TEAM
Anamika Gopi, Nikita Deshpande, Natia Gogotidze
Challenge
With the International Space Station (ISS) recently announcing its plan to deorbit by 2030, NASA is looking to replace its presence in the lower earth orbit (LEO). With more private and public entities entering the LEO, how can NASA play a leading role in this developing economy while simultaneously benefiting from partnerships with these entities?
Solution
In this Integrated Studio at Parsons, my classmates and I explored this question, conducted research, identified intervention points, and finally developed prototypes and strategies to support and build a robust Lower Earth Orbit Economy with NASA at the forefront. This project, LaunchPad, was one such prototype. LaunchPad is a digital platform, one-stop-shop informative tool, and networking platform for businesses looking to establish themselves in the space economy and build successful logistics and supply chains.
Brief
The commercial Space age is already here and rapidly expanding. More and more companies are entering the space market and private industries are starting to flourish. Over the 21 years of continuous human presence in the Space, NASA has been one of the core players in the Low-Earth orbit along with other international government organizations, however, trends now are changing and the International Space Station (ISS), which NASA is using as a platform for scientific research and technology demonstration is now shifting towards commercial use, enabling private astronaut missions and research.
Low-Earth orbit (LEO) economy is the future getaway into deep space exploration and better innovations on Earth and Space. It will also help the planet create sustainable supply chains and support the development of various economies on Earth.
NASA has announced its plan to de-orbit ISS from LEO in 2031; NASA’s goal is to be one of many customers in a robust commercial marketplace in LEO, where cargo and crew transportation, as well as the destinations, are available as services to the agency. This will allow NASA to buy the services it needs from commercial companies for microgravity research and technology demonstrations while the agency explores the Moon and Mars. Hence, we have asked ourselves the question: What is the new LEO economy, and what is NASA’s role within it?
Design Process
1.1 Assessing NASA’s Current Goals & Agenda
1.2 Identifying Gaps & Opportunities
2.1 Designing an Ideal Economy in the Lower-Earth Orbit
Some questions we asked were:
Can a singular economy meet the needs of the diverse interacting players and entities in LEO?
Do we want to replicate in LEO what is happening down on Earth?
How can these economies represent features and values that can collectively generate new ways in which actors in LEO can interact?
Identifying our new economies values as:
Self sufficiency, open cooperativism, collective agreements, resource productivity, borderlessness, market competition, growth.
3.1 Prototype for Business Growth in the Lower-Earth Orbit
Prototype Screens & Mockup
This prototype shows the interactions of a user, NextMed - a persona created based on a pharmaceutical company looking to establish themselves in LEO.
NextMed navigated news in the pharmaceutical and healthcare industry in space, followed by developing their commerce profile. The user then continues to search for service providers in lab equipment rental and is connected with options.