InSite Frequently Asked Questions

What software do I need to run InSite?

InSite requires Windows 98 or later and Microsoft Access 2000 or later.

My space transportation concept is sketchy at this point. I probably don't have enough information to use InSite yet.

InSite is designed specifically for assessing high-level concepts very early in the design phase. For example, you only answer seven questions about the entire main propulsion system - type of fuel, type of oxidizer, etc. InSite produces "figures of merit" as the primary output, reflecting the conceptual-level nature of the input.

In addition, the tool can help you "flesh out" your early design by identifying all of the key operations-driven design features that you need to address before moving into formal preliminary design. InSite can also help you develop your initial concept of operations - the tool produces a processing flow for each element of your concept based on a standard template.

What types of cost projections does InSite produce?

InSite produces six types of cost projections: Facility acquisition, GSE acquisition, fixed labor, variable labor, fixed material and variable material. The acquisition costs represent the one-time acquisition of facilities and equipment. The variable costs represent the "marginal" costs associated with each flight, i.e., the costs that vary directly with flight rate. Fixed costs are recurring costs that are expected regardless of flight rate.

Each of these cost categories are produced for each vehicle element (booster, second stage, shroud, etc.) that is independently processed. Click here for an example.

What is the difference between cycle time and flight rate?

Cycle time, which is provided as a seventh output category in addition to the six cost outputs, is the time-effort required to prepare a flight element for flight. For reusable elements it includes activities like recovery and turnaround. For expendable elements it includes activities like receiving and assembly. InSite estimates process flow times for the first flow and routine flows. Click here for a small excerpt from an example process flow report output.

Flight rate is the number of flights a flight element can expect to achieve in one year, given its cycle time. Note that the flight rate of an enterprise varies with the total quantity of reusable elements in the fleet and the production rate of expendable elements.

How can I use InSite to identify cost drivers?

Once you have entered your vehicle concept into the wizard-like input screens, you can call up the figure of merit results in a special window. The figures of merit are produced on an exponential scale of 1 to 6, where 6 corresponds to approximately $100,000 per pound to orbit (which is about an order of magnitude worse than today's operations), and 1 corresponds to $1 per pound to orbit (which is five orders of magnitude improvement over today's operations). The figures of merit are presented on a color-coded matrix corresponding to cost category and launch site function, shown below.

The red cell in the example above ("5.50") shows that the variable material costs for "receipt and acceptance" are on the highest end of the scale. Clicking that cell calls up a sorted list of drivers such as the example shown below. This ranked series of drivers shows, for example, that the final assembly location, which was specified as the spaceport with some component assembly required, was the most significant driver of cost in this area (because launch site assembly will usually require certain materials for cleaning, purging, processing, and integration). Other contributors are listed in descending order of relative contribution. Colors indicate the relative level of cost for each response set (red is most expensive; green is least). In this example, the red third line shows that "Solid" is the most expense option to select for main engine type when it comes to variable materials cost. Details and examples of how to interpret this information are provided in the InSite User Manual.

How does InSite account for the potential performance and cost improvements of future technology?

This issue is perhaps the most challenging aspect of the model and one discussed at length during the independent assessment. The model is based on a "figure of merit" approach to address this issue specifically. Figures of merit are dimensionless values that represent relative values of particular metrics. This approach frees the analyst and models from producing absolute metric predictions (say, dollars or days) in favor of measures that indicate levels of improvement or setbacks relative to a certain baseline. With this approach, the figures of merit can be scaled to account for future technology improvements: the figures of merit are produced on an exponential scale of 1 to 6, where 6 corresponds to approximately $100,000 per pound to orbit (which is about an order of magnitude worse than today's operations), and 1 corresponds to $1 per pound to orbit (roughly airline-like goals, which is five orders of magnitude improvement over today's operations). The benefits of future technology drive these scores toward the lower end of the scale.

Future versions of InSite are planned that will allow the user to specify cost and cycle time benefits of new technology. Reconciling such a feature with the continued need for an industry standard assessment method is a key issue for the new users group.

InSite can convert the figures of merit to absolute values. The conversions are based on exponential extrapolation of today's costs (at a figure of merit score of 5). Analysis based on these absolute values, particularly those corresponding to the 1-3 range of figures of merit, should take the associated uncertainty into account.

What launch site functions does InSite cover?

InSite provides estimates for all costs associated with operating a space transportation system at the spaceport, including:

Launch
Turnaround
Unique Logistics
Landing/Recovery
Payload Processing
Depot Maintenance
Traffic/Flight Control (range and flight control)
Assembly/Integration
Support Infrastructure
Expendable Processing
Operations Management
Community Infrastructure
Shared Spaceport Functions

How do I know that the model produces reliable projections?

As with any cost model, the projections are only as reliable as the data and relationships encoded within the model. InSite is based on comprehensive relational database that correlates characteristics of space transportation systems to cost and processing time. Some characteristics have large impacts on certain types of cost: for example, integrated vehicle health management can substantially reduce turnaround time and per-flight labor costs, but has much less affect on facility acquisition costs. The database captures and quantifies these relationships based on actual historical data from expendable launch vehicles and the space shuttle elements (orbiter, ET, and SRB's). No other automated operations assessment tool provides this level of fidelity with actual performance data.

In addition, the underlying model and data was thoroughly reviewed and assessed by a team of engineers and analysts from across the aerospace industry. Independent representatives from the U.S. Air Force, NASA, universities, the FAA, and industry spent five weeks entering their own system concepts into the tool and analyzing the tool's resulting estimates, including comparisons to actual data for existing vehicles. The results indicated the model was one of the best, if not the best method for predicting operations costs of new launchers. Several of these organizations continue to use the tool today.

Does InSite project vehicle development costs?

No. InSite does not produce development or manufacturing cost estimates.

Does InSite project launch range costs?

Yes. One of the 12 launch site functions assessed by the model is "Space Traffic Control," which includes range costs.

What is the difference between Vision Spaceport and InSite?

Vision Spaceport was a joint research project conducted from 1998-2001 to explore the relationships between space transportation architectures and operations costs. The project produced a prototype software model called the "Strategic Planning Tool" that captured and automated these relationships for analysis by the research team. Two generations of the tool were produced. See www.VisionSpaceport.org for more information (this web site may be discontinued in 2003).

InSite is a commercial software product available from CCT. The initial version of InSite is only cosmetically different from the second generation Strategic Planning Tool. Based on dialogue anticipated in the user group, future versions of InSite will be produced to meet the needs of the evolving space transportation community.

Boeing and Lockheed Martin participate in the originating research for this tool. Do employees of these companies have to pay for InSite?

The original Vision Spaceport Strategic Planning Tool is available internally within Boeing and Lockheed Martin. Contact CCT for assistance in identifying the appropriate point of contact within these companies. InSite, which includes a warranty, technical support, published documentation, on-going product improvements and other features of commercially produced software, is also available to these companies at a special Vision Spaceport discount price for a limited time.

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