Fwd: Boeing Completes PDR Milestone for CST-100

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From: "Gary Johnson" <gjohnson144@comcast.net>
Date: April 6, 2013 11:03:53 AM GMT-06:00
To: "Gary Johnson" <gjohnson144@comcast.net>
Subject: FW: Boeing Completes PDR Milestone for CST-100

 

 

Trent J. Perrotto
Headquarters, Washington                              
202-358-0321
trent.j.perrotto@nasa.gov
 
Candrea Thomas
Kennedy Space Center, Fla.
321-867-2468
candrea.k.thomas@nasa.gov
 
Patricia Soloveichik
The Boeing Company Space Exploration
256-476-6046
patricia.a.soloveichik@boeing.com

April 5, 2013

 

RELEASE : 13-098 

 

NASA Commercial Crew Partner Boeing Completes Launch Vehicle Adapter Review 

 

HOUSTON -- The Boeing Company of Houston, a NASA Commercial Crew Program (CCP) partner, has successfully completed a preliminary design review (PDR) of the component that would connect the company's new crew capsule to its rocket.

The review is one of six performance milestones Boeing has completed for NASA's Commercial Crew Integrated Capability (CCiCap) initiative, which is intended to make available commercial human spaceflight services for government and commercial customers. The company is on track to complete all 19 of its milestones during CCiCap.

Boeing is one of three U.S. companies NASA is working with during CCiCap to set the stage for a crewed orbital demonstration mission around the middle of the decade. Future development and certification initiatives eventually will lead to the availability of human spaceflight services for NASA to send its astronauts to the International Space Station.

The component that was reviewed is called the Launch Vehicle Adapter. The critical structure is being designed by United Launch Alliance (ULA) to join Boeing's Crew Space Transportation-100 (CST-100) spacecraft to ULA's Atlas V rocket, just above the rocket's second stage.

"Solid systems engineering integration is critical to the design of a safe system," said Ed Mango, NASA's CCP manager. "Boeing and all of NASA's partner companies are working to build in proper systems integration into their designs. This review with Boeing and their partner ULA was a good review of the current state of these important design interfaces."

In recent weeks, teams from NASA, Boeing and ULA met at ULA's headquarters in Denver, Colo., to assess requirements and capabilities to safely launch people into low-Earth orbit from U.S. soil once again. The PDR was a culmination of early development and preliminary analysis to demonstrate the design is ready to proceed with detailed engineering.

"The PDR was an outstanding integrated effort by the Boeing, ULA and NASA teams," said John Mulholland, vice president and program manager of Boeing Commercial Programs. "The ULA design leverages the heritage hardware of the Atlas V to integrate with the CST-100, setting the baseline for us to proceed to wind tunnel testing and the Launch Segment-level PDR in June."

In addition to the Launch Vehicle Adapter PDR, Boeing recently completed two additional CCiCap milestones, including the Engineering Release (ER) 2.0 software release and the Landing and Recovery Ground Systems and Ground Communications design review.

The ER 2.0 software release was completed Jan. 25 in Boeing's Avionics and Software Integration Facility Lab in Houston. This test laid the foundation for the software structure to control and fly the spacecraft, as well as communicate with pilots and ground systems.

The landing and recovery ground systems and ground communications design review Jan. 16 to 18 in Titusville, Fla., established the baseline plan for equipment and infrastructure needed for CST-100 spacecraft ground communications and landing and recovery operations.

For more information about NASA's Commercial Crew Program and its aerospace industry partners, visit: 

http://www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew 

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Boeing Completes Preliminary Design Review for Connection Between CST-100 Spacecraft and Rocket

3rd on-schedule Commercial Crew milestone of 2013 HOUSTON, April 5, 2013 – The structure that will join the Boeing [NYSE: BA] Crew Space Transportation (CST)-100 spacecraft to an Atlas V rocket has successfully completed a preliminary design review, another step toward the return of humans to space on a U.S. vehicle. This is the third milestone under the company's Commercial Crew Integrated Capability (CCiCap) agreement with NASA that Boeing achieved on schedule. The structure, known as the Launch Vehicle Adapter, is being designed by United Launch Alliance (ULA), which also makes the Atlas V. Completion of this milestone means detailed engineering of the adapter can begin as progress toward the first two CST-100 test flights, as early as 2016, continues.  "This review was an outstanding integrated effort by the Boeing, ULA and NASA teams," said John Mulholland, vice president and program manager of Boeing Commercial Crew Programs. "It sets the baseline for us to proceed to wind tunnel testing and the launch segment review in June." Boeing completed two additional CCiCap milestones earlier this year: the Engineering Release 2.0 software release, which lays the groundwork for spacecraft control and communications, and the Landing & Recovery Ground Systems and Ground Communications design review, which establishes a plan for the equipment and infrastructure needed for ground communications and landing and recovery operations. Boeing's Commercial Crew Program includes the design, manufacture, test and evaluation, and demonstration of an integrated Commercial Crew Transportation System – comprised of the CST-100 spacecraft, launch vehicle, and ground and mission operations – for NASA's Commercial Crew Development program. The Boeing system will provide crewed flights to the International Space Station and also support the Bigelow Aerospace orbital space complex. The program is based on Boeing's experience and innovation evolved from more than 50 years of human spaceflight and nearly 100 years of commercial aviation. A unit of The Boeing Company, Boeing Defense, Space & Security is one of the world's largest defense, space and security businesses specializing in innovative and capabilities-driven customer solutions, and the world's largest and most versatile manufacturer of military aircraft. Headquartered in St. Louis, Boeing Defense, Space & Security is a $33 billion business with 59,000 employees worldwide. Follow us on Twitter: @BoeingDefense. # # # Contact: Patricia Soloveichik Space Exploration Mobile: 256-476-6046 patricia.a.soloveichik@boeing.com

 

Copyright © 1995 - Boeing. All Rights Reserved.

 

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AmericaSpace

For a nation that explores
April 6th, 2013

Boeing Completes PDR Milestone for CST-100 Commercial Spacecraft

By Jason Rhian

 

Boeing has accomplished a key milestone toward having their CST-100 spacecraft deliver astronauts to orbit. Photo Credit: Jason Rhian / AmericaSpace

According to a NASA news release, Boeing has completed the Preliminary Design Review (PDR) that will allow the company's Crew Space Transportation, or "CST-100," space capsule to be mated with the top of the launch vehicle that will send it to orbit. The component in question is known as the Launch Vehicle Adapter. It is made by the same company that has been tapped to launch the CST-100—United Launch Alliance (ULA). ULA's venerable Atlas V rocket is the launch vehicle that has been selected to launch the CST-100. The CST-100 is a large part of NASA's plans to send astronauts to low-Earth-orbit on commercially-built spacecraft.

The producers of the adapter is United Launch Alliance, the same organization that produces the launch vehicle that will send the CST-100 to orbit—United Launch Alliance. Image Credit: Boeing

Boeing is one of three companies selected to compete in NASA's Commercial Crew integrated Capability, or CCiCap, program. This effort is designed to provide lower-cost access to orbit. The other two companies that are competing in this initiative are Hawthorne, Calif.-based Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) and Sparks, Nev.-based Sierra Nevada Corporation. According to NASA, CCiCap is designed to provide crewed commercial services to both private and government customers.

In the past few weeks, representatives at NASA, ULA, and Boeing met at ULA's headquarters, located in Denver, Colo., to review if the adapter was ready to move forward.

There are some 19 different milestones that Boeing must complete under CCiCap. Currently, Boeing remains on course to complete these milestones in the time required. According to NASA, Boeing has recently completed two other milestones—the Engineering Release (ER) 2.0 software release and the Landing and Recovery Ground Systems and Ground Communications design review.

"Solid systems engineering integration is critical to the design of a safe system," said Ed Mango, NASA's CCP manager. "Boeing and all of NASA's partner companies are working to build in proper systems integration into their designs. This review with Boeing and their partner, ULA, was a good review of the current state of these important design interfaces."

Currently, NASA lacks the capability to launch astronauts on their own. The space agency has to rely on its international partner, Russia, for access to the International Space Station. NASA hopes that one or more of the CCiCap competitors will be able to return this ability. Boeing has stated that the CST-100 can be operational by 2015.

"The PDR was an outstanding integrated effort by the Boeing, ULA, and NASA teams," said John Mulholland, vice president and program manager of Boeing Commercial Programs. "The ULA design leverages the heritage hardware of the Atlas V to integrate with the CST-100, setting the baseline for us to proceed to wind tunnel testing and the Launch Segment-level PDR in June."

 

 

Copyright © 2013 AmericaSpace - All Rights Reserved

 

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