Boeing Concludes Commercial Crew Space Act Agreement for CST-100/Atlas V

CciCap Render 2

Boeing has successfully completed the final milestone of its Commercial Crew Integrated Capability (CCiCap) Space Act Agreement with NASA. The work and testing completed under the agreement resulted in significant maturation of Boeing’s crew transportation system, including the CST-100 spacecraft and Atlas V rocket.

NASA in July approved the Critical Design Review Board milestone for Boeing’s crew transportation system, confirming the detailed designs and plans for test and evaluation form a satisfactory basis to proceed with full-scale fabrication, assembly, integration and testing. It is the culmination of four years of development work by Boeing beginning when the company partnered with NASA during the first round of agreements to develop commercial crew transportation systems. To get to this point, extensive spacecraft subsystem, systems, and integrated vehicle design work has been performed, along with extensive component and wind tunnel testing.
Read more details here.

Space Station Research Includes Cancer Studies

ISScancer-ShareableAs people and nations around the world mark Breast Cancer Awareness month, Commercial Crew Program looks forward to missions that will allow more groundbreaking research to be performed on the International Space Station. The unique platform offers scientists significant research into life sciences, including biological studies. The work of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program to develop the next generation of American crewed spacecraft will double the research capability of the space station.

Although the work is being done off the Earth, it’s very much for those on the Earth. Throughout the life of the space station, many experiments have focused on how cancer cells behave in microgravity, and researchers are using the feedback from microgravity cell growth to identify the patterns and other mechanisms the cells use to multiply. The goal of the research is to lead to medicines on Earth that inhibit cancer from forming or spreading in people. Read more details about the research and its potential to benefit humanity here, including biological science focused on deciphering some of the fundamental questions about cancer. Research on the station covers a wide swath of scientific arenas, including disease study.

Spacewalkers Prep Station for Commercial Crew Craft

ISSspacewalkviewToday’s spacewalk by International Space Station astronauts Reid Wiseman and Barry “Butch” Wilmore, both from NASA, includes some of the first steps in the process of outfitting the station for the arrival of Commercial Crew Program partner spacecraft later this decade. Each spacewalker is wearing a helmetcam and you can watch the spacewalk live on NASA TV which is streaming here.

Using spacesuits dedicated to the demanding tasks of spacewalking, the astronauts are repositioning a camera and television equipment on the outside of the station. When completed, the reconfiguration of  of station systems and modules will make room for new docking adapters that will allow the new generation of American spacecraft to connect to the station and deliver crew members for the orbiting laboratory. The new spacecraft are integral in NASA’s plans to double the amount of research performed on the station.

**UPDATE: The spacewalk was completed on time Wednesday afternoon.

NASA Exercises Authority to Proceed with Commercial Crew Contracts

On Sept. 16, NASA announced U.S. astronauts once again will travel to and from the International Space Station (ISS) from the United States on American spacecraft under groundbreaking contracts. The agency unveiled its selection of Boeing and SpaceX to transport U.S. crews to and from the space station using their CST-100 and Crew Dragon spacecraft, respectively, with a goal of ending the nation’s sole reliance on Russia in 2017.

On Sept. 26, Sierra Nevada Corporation filed a protest of the commercial crew contracts with the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO). Pursuant to the GAO protest, NASA instructed Boeing and SpaceX to suspend performance of the contracts.

On Oct. 9, under statutory authority available to it, NASA has decided to proceed with the Commercial Crew Transportation Capability (CCtCap) contracts awarded to The Boeing Company and Space Exploration Technologies Corp. notwithstanding the bid protest filed at the U.S. Government Accountability Office by Sierra Nevada Corporation. The agency recognizes that failure to provide the CCtCap transportation service as soon as possible poses risks to the International Space Station (ISS) crew, jeopardizes continued operation of the ISS, would delay meeting critical crew size requirements, and may result in the U.S. failing to perform the commitments it made in its international agreements. These considerations compelled NASA to use its statutory authority to avoid significant adverse consequences where contract performance remained suspended. NASA has determined that it best serves the United States to continue performance of the CCtCap contracts that will enable safe and reliable travel to and from the ISS from the United States on American spacecraft and end the nation’s sole reliance on Russia for such transportation.

Specialized Team Offers Software Insight for Spacecraft

 

CCP-IVVsoftware-graphicThe new approach NASA is taking to get its crews to low-Earth orbit with commercial partnerships requires the space agency to closely examine the plans companies have for their own space transportation systems to ensure they are as safe and reliable as can be.

 Reviewing software, for example, has become increasingly important in aerospace as technology has become more complex, and computers are required to take on more and more of the operation of systems. Simply put, computer programs can detect the need to make adjustments then execute those adjustments in a fraction of the time it would take a person to even turn his or her head to read an instrument. Software also can handle the mundane, everyday aspects of a spacecraft to free up astronauts and crew for unique tasks. Read more at http://go.nasa.gov/1t04QbX.

 

Just Released: New Commercial Crew Transportation Collectible Cards

CardCollageOne week ago, NASA announced its selection of Boeing and SpaceX to transport our astronauts to and from the International Space Station from the United States. Now we have quick reference collectible cards with highlights of Boeing’s CST-100, SpaceX’s Crew Dragon and NASA’s Commercial Crew Program that you can print and share with your friends.

Our goal is to complete certification of the crew transportation systems in 2017 — including a test flight to the station with one NASA astronaut aboard — to meet NASA’s vital crew rotation and lifeboat services needs. By flying four astronauts to the orbiting laboratory at a time, the CST-100 and Crew Dragon enable NASA to increase the number of crew members on the station, doubling the amount of scientific research that can be performed on the one-of-a-kind facility as it orbits about 250 miles above Earth.

To download and print the cards, click on each of these links: Boeing CST-100, SpaceX Crew Dragon, Commercial Crew Program. For best results, use card stock and select auto-rotate and center and the two-sided option in your printer settings. If the two-sided option isn’t available, print page 1 and reload the paper before printing page 2.

NASA and Partners Keep Up Pace to Complete Milestones

ccp-lueders-announcementThis week’s announcement to finalize development and certification efforts, as well as begin operation of new American crew transportation systems has not slowed the ongoing work with NASA and aerospace industry partners. Blue Origin, Boeing, Sierra Nevada Corporation and SpaceX continue to make great strides under their Space Act Agreements with NASA’s Commercial Crew Program (CCP). NASA is absolutely committed to these agreements and will continue working with our partners to complete them.

Kathy Lueders, NASA’s CCP manager, reiterated the agency’s commitment during the media teleconference Tuesday. “As a program, we gain a lot of benefit from us continuing to work with different solutions and keeping our fingers on the pulse of industry out there,” said Lueders. “It continues to provide us with innovative and new ways for us to be able to do business together.”

CASIS Research Highlights Station Potential

Logo for the CASIS research mission
Logo for the CASIS research mission

A pair of experiments headed to the International Space Station on the next cargo mission will focus on aspects of bone density medication and offer a company a chance to test some manufacturing principles for its golf clubs. The scientific payloads are sponsored by CASIS, short for Center for the Advancement of Science in Space. CASIS is an organization that manages the U.S. National Laboratory on the International Space Station and is responsible for brokering and facilitating research on the station with clear Earth applications and benefits. NASA’s Commercial Crew Program will allow research to increase on the orbiting laboratory by increasing the capability to add another station crew member by way of America’s next human transportation systems. CASIS produced this video detailing the research projects. You can also read more about the work here.