**Description**
The US Air Force (USAF) and the US Space Force (USSF) have started programs to emphasize the use of rocket power to transport cargo anywhere in the world. The focus is on leveraging commercial rocket capabilities through leasing without having to design a cargo rocket. Instead, supplies of varying natures would be loaded and launched inside the rocket vehicle and provided at any destination, regardless of distance or geographic conditions. As a result, supplies can make it around the world in a fraction of the time it would take with current methods.
We at the University of Central Florida (UCF) have started to develop plans on one of the stated capabilities, the ability of global transport, with a focus on transporting cargo. Our funded efforts have targeted humanitarian aid and disaster relief as effective uses, sending supplies on a tactical timeline to support the recovery of these areas. In these situations, time is crucial, and traditional methods of cargo transportation are only sometimes fast enough to impact the situation. In addition, we have begun to develop system engineering components for ground processing. These developments will include providing functional and system requirements for the lifting equipment specially designed for the cargo pod.
This paper discusses these initial steps and provides insights for the future of these studies with the different commercial space transportation systems available.

**Author(s) - ranked in descending order of contribution / as it should appear when published**
Marwen Elkamel
Gabriel Perez
Angel Cheverez
Solimar Maldonado
Jamie Bouwens 
Luis Rabelo



Preliminary Studies in the Logistics and Ground Processing for a Rocket-Based Relief Cargo

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