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  • NASA awards Commercial Crew funding

    Here we go. What they're getting awards for - (spacecraft images bottom)

    Boeing: CST-100 crew capsule

    SpaceX: Dragon capsule launch escape/landing system

    Sierra Nevada: Dream Chaser spaceplane

    Blue Origin: New Shapard capsule


    RELEASE: 11-102

    NASA AWARDS NEXT SET OF COMMERCIAL CREW DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENTS


    WASHINGTON -- NASA has awarded four Space Act Agreements in the second
    round of the agency's Commercial Crew Development (CCDev2) effort.
    Each company will receive between $22 million and $92.3 million to
    advance commercial crew space transportation system concepts and
    mature the design and development of elements of their systems, such
    as launch vehicles and spacecraft.

    The selectees for CCDev2 awards are:

    -- Blue Origin, Kent, Wash., $22 million

    -- Sierra Nevada Corporation, Louisville, Colo., $80 million

    -- Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX), Hawthorne, Calif., $75
    million

    -- The Boeing Company, Houston, $92.3 million

    "We're committed to safely transporting U.S. astronauts on
    American-made spacecraft and ending the outsourcing of this work to
    foreign governments," NASA Administrator Charles Bolden said. "These
    agreements are significant milestones in NASA's plans to take
    advantage of American ingenuity to get to low-Earth orbit, so we can
    concentrate our resources on deep space exploration."

    The goal of CCDev2 is to accelerate the availability of U.S.
    commercial crew transportation capabilities and reduce the gap in
    American human spaceflight capability. Through this activity, NASA
    also may be able to spur economic growth as potential new space
    markets are created.

    Once developed, crew transportation capabilities could become
    available to commercial and government customers.

    "The next American-flagged vehicle to carry our astronauts into space
    is going to be a U.S. commercial provider," said Ed Mango, NASA's
    Commercial Crew Program manager. "The partnerships NASA is forming
    with industry will support the development of multiple American
    systems capable of providing future access to low-Earth orbit."

    These awards are a continuation of NASA's CCDev initiatives, which
    began in 2009 to stimulate efforts within U.S. industry to develop
    and demonstrate human spaceflight capabilities. For more information
    about NASA's Commercial Crew Program, visit:
    Boeing CST-100 (partnered with Bigelow Aerospace)


    SpaceX Dragon (already flying)


    Sierra Nevada Dream Chaser (partnered with Northrop Grumman & Virgin Galactic)


    Blue Origin New Shepard (a somewhat black project)
    Last edited by Dr Mordrid; 18 April 2011, 15:21.
    Dr. Mordrid
    ----------------------------
    An elephant is a mouse built to government specifications.

    I carry a gun because I can't throw a rock 1,250 fps

  • #2
    Details -

    Sierra Nevada:
    system requirements review
    canted airfoil fin selection
    cockpit based flight simulator
    vehicle avionics integration laboratory
    system defniition review
    flight control integration laboratory
    ETA structure delivery
    separation system test
    preliminary design review for Dream Chaser
    optional milestones: materials testing captive carry and ETA landing gear drop tests, ETA captive carry flight test, wind tunnel testing, dream chaser handling qualities evaluation, main RCS test, two hybrid rocket motor test firing, thrust vector control test, ETA captive carry flight test readiness review, ETA free flight test

    Blue Origin:
    * Space Vehicle Design: space vehicle system requirements review
    * Pusher escape Risk Reduction: pusher escape ground firing, pusher escape pad escape test (optional milestones: pusher escape max-Q sled test calibration run, pusher escape mas-Q sled test egress run)
    * RBS (reusable booster system) engine risk reduction: engine thrust chamber assembly test at Stennis (optional: engine pump cold gas drive test, engine pump hot gas drive test) [as an aside, apparently the RBF is a 100klbf restartable hydrolox engine)

    Boeing:
    launch abort engine fabrication & hot fire test demonstration
    landing air bag drop demonstration #1
    phase I wind tunnel tests
    interim design review - 4
    parachute drop tests demonstration
    SM propellant tank development test
    LV EDS/ASIF interface simulation test
    Preliminary design review

    SpaceX:
    launch abort system propulsion conceptual design review
    design status review 1 (for Falcon 9/Dragon crew transportation system)
    LAS propulsion components PDR
    crew accommodation concept prototype and in situ trial (internally-funded by SpaceX, NASA astronauts invited to try crew accomodations and give feedback)
    DSR 2
    crew accommodation concept delta-prototype and in-situ trial 2
    LAS propulsion component test articles complete
    LAS propulsion component initial test cycle
    concept baseline review
    Dr. Mordrid
    ----------------------------
    An elephant is a mouse built to government specifications.

    I carry a gun because I can't throw a rock 1,250 fps

    Comment


    • #3
      Excerpts from the SpaceX Dragon data - looks like it flies in 2014. The 8 companies they're working with were redacted, so let the speculation begin





      Dr. Mordrid
      ----------------------------
      An elephant is a mouse built to government specifications.

      I carry a gun because I can't throw a rock 1,250 fps

      Comment


      • #4
        Boeing CST-100 timeline - they fly in 2015, a year after Dragon but they started later.

        Dr. Mordrid
        ----------------------------
        An elephant is a mouse built to government specifications.

        I carry a gun because I can't throw a rock 1,250 fps

        Comment


        • #5
          Sierra Nevada hasn't provided a timeline graphic for Dream Chaser's timeline, but drop tests of the full size test bird, analogous to the Shuttle Enterprise, will perform drop-test flights in 2012 - likely using the Virgin Galactic White Knight Two serving as its mothership. A launch is possible atop an Atlas V in 2014.

          Blue Origin is, as usual, cryptic other than the test flight will be on an Atlas V and later flights on their own reusable booster.
          Dr. Mordrid
          ----------------------------
          An elephant is a mouse built to government specifications.

          I carry a gun because I can't throw a rock 1,250 fps

          Comment

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