Boeing Submits Proposal NASA Commercial Crew Development Program

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Boeing Submits Proposal NASA Commercial Crew Development Program By Eddy Metcalf

		December 19, 2010 - Boeing has submitted its proposal for the second round of NASA’s Commercial Crew Development (CCDev) program. Boeing plans to advance the design of its Crew Space Transportation (CST)-100 spacecraft and Commercial Crew Transportation System and continue to demonstrate key technologies. NASA’s Commercial Crew and Cargo Program is applying Recovery Act funds to stimulate efforts within the private sector to develop and demonstrate human spaceflight capabilities. These efforts are intended to foster entrepreneurial activity leading to job growth in engineering, analysis, design, and research, and to economic growth as capabilities for new markets are created.

By developing commercial crew service providers, NASA may be able to reduce the gap in U.S. human spaceflight capability. The Program intends to solicit proposals from all interested U.S. industry participants to mature the design and development of commercial crew spaceflight concepts and associated enabling technologies and capabilities. NASA plans to use its Space Act authority to invest up to $50 million dollars in multiple competitively awarded, funded agreements. This activity is referred to as Commercial Crew Development, or CCDev. An Announcement soliciting proposals for Space Act Agreements (SAAs) is currently planned to be released on or about August 10, 2009, with proposals due approximately 45 days later. "In the same way that Boeing helped launch commercial aviation more than 80 years ago, we are working to develop what could become a true commercial space transportation system: a commercial service to take people to the International Space Station and other Low Earth Orbit destinations," said Brewster Shaw, Boeing Space Exploration vice president and general manager. "We plan to further mature our design and continue the development process toward our first crewed flight in 2015." Boeing is proposing an approach that will significantly mature the CST-100 design through demonstrations of critical subsystems. The CST-100 spacecraft is designed to support NASA's primary objective of affordable access to Low Earth Orbit.

It will carry up to seven crew and passengers, is reusable up to 10 times, and is compatible with a variety of expendable launch vehicles. The spacecraft which is comprised of a Crew Module and a Service Module draws on Apollo-proven aerodynamic characteristics in a design that uses commercial, off-the-shelf, cost-effective technologies.

Boeing will build on its efforts performed under the first round of the CCDev program, which greatly reduced program risk. In October, Boeing completed a Systems Definition Review with NASA that defined the CST-100 spacecraft’s system characteristics and configuration and established a baseline design. Other major accomplishments of the first round include:

- Design, build and test of a pressurized structure of the crew module

- Creation of a mock-up of the spacecraft to ensure the crew can enter and exit the vehicle safely, reach control switches and easily see through windows

- Demonstration of manufacturability of the base heat shield structure and thermal protection system to protect the crew during re-entry into Earth’s atmosphere

- Development of an avionics systems integration facility to support rapid prototyping and full-scale development

- Development of a rendezvous sensor and associated guidance and navigation software that allows the vehicle to autonomously approach and dock with the International Space Station and the planned Bigelow Orbital Space Complex

- Demonstration of airbag land landing, water landing, post-water landing uprighting and life-support systems.

		"We look forward to continuing our joint efforts with NASA to ensure CCDev’s success,” said Shaw. “Enabling commercial-crew access to Low Earth Orbit allows NASA to focus on deep space exploration and thereby ensure a continued leadership role for the U.S. in human spaceflight for generations to come." Other News Stories Airlines Move To 2D Bar Coded Boarding Passes Pinnacle, Mesaba, Colgan Pilot Negotiators Reach Tentative Agreement European Aviation Market Profitability Improves But Continues To Lag Canadian Travelers Conflicted Over Airport Security Measures For Kids First Aerial Refueling F/A-18 Contact For EADS KC-45 Tanker Aircraft Passenger Airline Employment For October Down 0.4 Percent OIG To Review FAA Oversight Of Foreign Aircraft Repair Stations Kadir Sentenced To Life For Conspiring To Explode Fuel Tanks At JFK Airport OSHA Cites Mansfield Lahm Airport Tower For Unsafe Working Conditions Federal Advisory Committee Makes Recommendations On Future Of Aviation Fire-X Vertical Unmanned Aircraft Successfully Completes First Flight EADS Conducts First Flight Of Its Aerial Scout 72X Aircraft Naval Aviation Foundation Celebrates 100th Anniversary Qantas To Expand In Australia’s “Fly In Fly Out” Market Airbus Sees Demand For 26,000 Aircraft In The Next 20 Years Bombardier Showcases The CRJ1000 NextGen Regional Jet 9/11 First Responder Fighter Aircraft To Be Sent To Museum Beechcraft Delivers Centennial T-6B Texan II Aircraft To Navy Trauma Patients Transported By Air Ambulance More Likely To Survive Ryanair Calls For Taking Away Workers “Right To Strike” JetBlue Fined For Violating Disability Code Share Disclosure Rules Pratt & Whitney To Invest $1 Billion In R&D Over Five Years Report Out On FAA And 3RD Party Role In Developing RNAV Procedures Engineers Found Guilty Of Stealing Goodyear Trade Secrets IAM Charges Delta Air Lines With Election Interference Boeing Receives Military Contract For EMARSS Intelligence Aircraft FAA Establish Airspace Restriction Over Super Bowl XLV Boeing Delivers 3 More F-15K Slam Eagles To Republic Of Korea GE Rolls Royce Fighter Engine Team Tests Sixth New Engine Bell Helicopter Awarded $27M Contract From Yemen Government NASA Astronaut Alan Poindexter Returns To NPS As Dean