Page 9 - Aerotech News and Review 12-4-15

Space & Technology News

NASA orders SpaceX crew mission to space station

1$6$WRRNDVLJQL¿FDQWVWHS1RY advanced through several develop- SpaceX photograph
20 toward expanding research op- ment and certification phases. The
portunities aboard the International company recently performed a critical /DXQFK3DG$DW1$6$¶V.HQQHG\6SDFH&HQWHULQ)ORULGDXQGHUJRHVPRGL¿FDWLRQVE\6SDFH;WRDGDSWLWWRWKHQHHGV
Space Station with its first mission design review, which demonstrated RIWKHFRPSDQ\¶V)DOFRQDQG)DOFRQ+HDY\URFNHWVZKLFKDUHVODWHGWROLIWRIIIURPWKHKLVWRULFSDGLQWKHQHDUIXWXUH
order from Hawthorne, Calif., based- the transportation system has reached A horizontal integration facility has been constructed near the perimeter of the pad where rockets will be processed for
company SpaceX to launch astronauts DVXI¿FLHQWOHYHORIGHVLJQPDWXULW\WR launch prior of rolling out to the top of the pad structure for liftoff. SpaceX anticipates using the launch pad for its Crew
from U.S. soil. work toward fabrication, assembly, in- Dragon spacecraft for missions to the International Space Station in partnership with NASA’s Commercial Crew Program.
tegration and test activities.
This is the second in a series of four certification process before NASA boat during that time. gram manages the CCtCap contracts
guaranteed orders NASA will make “The authority to proceed with ZLOOJLYHWKH¿QDODSSURYDOIRUÀLJKW “Commercial crew launches are and is working with each company
under the Commercial Crew Transpor- 'UDJRQ¶V¿UVWRSHUDWLRQDOFUHZPLV- Each contract includes a minimum of to ensure commercial transportation
tation Capability contracts. The Boe- VLRQLVDVLJQL¿FDQWPLOHVWRQHLQWKH two and a maximum potential of six really important for helping us meet V\VWHPGHVLJQVDQGSRVWFHUWL¿FDWLRQ
ing Company of Houston received its Commercial Crew Program and a missions. the demand for research on the space missions will meet the agency’s safety
¿UVWFUHZPLVVLRQRUGHULQ0D\ great source of pride for the entire station because it allows us to increase requirements. Activities that follow
SpaceX team,” said Gwynne Shotwell, A standard commercial crew mis- the crew to seven,” said Julie Robin- the award of missions include a se-
“It’s really exciting to see SpaceX SUHVLGHQWDQGFKLHIRSHUDWLQJRI¿FHRI sion to the station will carry up to son, International Space Station chief ries of mission-related reviews and
DQG%RHLQJZLWKKDUGZDUHLQÀRZIRU SpaceX. “When Crew Dragon takes four NASA or NASA-sponsored scientist. “Over the long term, it also approvals leading to launch. The pro-
WKHLU¿UVWFUHZURWDWLRQPLVVLRQV´VDLG NASA astronauts to the space station crew members and about 220 pounds VHWVWKHIRXQGDWLRQIRUVFLHQWL¿FDF- gram also will be involved in all op-
Kathy Lueders, manager of NASA’s in 2017, they will be riding in one of of pressurized cargo. The spacecraft cess to future commercial research erational phases of missions to ensure
Commercial Crew Program. “It is the safest, most reliable spacecraft will remain at the station for up to 210 platforms in low- Earth orbit.” crew safety.
important to have at least two healthy HYHUÀRZQ:H¶UHKRQRUHGWREHGH- days, available as an emergency life-
and robust capabilities from U.S. veloping this capability for NASA and NASA’s Commercial Crew Pro-
companies to deliver crew and critical our country.”
VFLHQWL¿FH[SHULPHQWVIURP$PHULFDQ
soil to the space station throughout its Commercial crew launches will
lifespan.” reduce the cost, per seat, of trans-
porting NASA astronauts to the
Determination of which company space station compared to what the
ZLOOÀ\LWVPLVVLRQWRWKHVWDWLRQ¿UVW agency must pay the Russian Federal
will be made at a later time. The con- Space Agency for the same service.
tracts call for orders to take place prior If, however, NASA does not receive
WRFHUWL¿FDWLRQWRVXSSRUWWKHOHDGWLPH the full requested funding for CCt-
necessary for missions in late 2017, &DSFRQWUDFWVLQ¿VFDO\HDUDQG
provided the contractors meet readi- beyond, the agency will be forced to
ness conditions. delay future milestones for both U.S.
companies and continue its sole reli-
Commercial crew missions to the ance on Russia to transport American
space station, on the Boeing CST-100 astronauts to the space station.
Starliner and SpaceX Crew Dragon
spacecraft, will restore America’s hu- Orders under the CCtCap contracts
PDQVSDFHÀLJKWFDSDELOLWLHVDQGLQ- are made two to three years prior to
crease the amount of time dedicated to actual mission dates in order to pro-
VFLHQWL¿FUHVHDUFKDERDUGWKHRUELWLQJ vide time for each company to manu-
laboratory. facture and assemble the launch ve-
hicle and spacecraft. Each company
SpaceX’s crew transportation also must successfully complete a
system, including the Crew Dragon
spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket, has

Atlas V booster lands at Vandenberg Air Force Base

CZ"$3PCFSU+7PMJP Various personnel were on hand to carefully complish if they launched from Cape Canaveral.” timelines,” Zarybnisky said. “Delays in a single
Vandenberg AFB, Calif. orchestrate and coordinate the successful arrival With the booster’s successful arrival, day-to- operation can have large ripple effects across the
and unique transportation of the rocket booster. process. By ensuring a smooth delivery, we can
One of the world’s largest cargo aircraft re- day launch operations remain intact — ensuring prevent schedule compression that induces addi-
cently delivered an Atlas V booster to Vanden- “An operation of this magnitude requires ex- mission success at Vandenberg. tional risk into launch vehicle processing.”
berg Air Force Base, Calif. tensive training, coordination and teamwork,”
said Lt. Col. Eric Zarybnisky, the 4th SLS com- “Launch vehicle processing has very tight
The Antonov AN-124 made its way from a mander. “Members across Team Vandenberg,
production facility in Decatur, Ala., to deliver along with United Launch Alliance and other Air Force photograph by SrA. Shane Phipps
the booster Nov. 20. mission partners, helped make it all happen.”
An Antonov AH-124-100 delivers rocket equipment upon its arrival at Vandenberg Air Force Base,
“The Antonov flew from Zurich, Switzer- Despite arriving via flight to Vandenberg, &DOLI6HSW$VLPLODUDLUFUDIW²WKH$QWRQRY$1RQHRIWKHODUJHVWFDUJRDLUFUDIWLQ
land, to Mansfield, Ohio, and then to Hunts- the booster’s original transportation method in- the world, made its way from a production facility in Huntsville, Ala., to deliver an Atlas V booster
ville, Ala.,” said 1st Lt. Hammad Ghazali, the volved another option. here Nov. 20, 2015.
4th Space Launch Squadron mission manager.
“From there, the Atlas booster was loaded onto “The Atlas booster was originally built in
WKHDLUFUDIWDQGÀRZQGLUHFWO\WR9DQGHQEHUJ´ Denver, Colo., before production moved to De-
FDWXU$OD´*KD]DOLVDLG³*HWWLQJWKH¿UVWVWDJH
Due to the large size of rocket components, from Denver to Vandenberg wasn’t feasible via
transportation can pose unique challenges. The WUXFNVRWKHERRVWHUZDVGHVLJQHGWREHÀRZQ
vehicles with the transportation muscle to ac- to the launch location. Flying the booster to the
complish this task include the Antonov; the Del- launch location minimizes the transport time and
ta Mariner, a large cargo vessel used to transport avoids hazards that the booster structure would
rocket components by sea; and air ride tractor be exposed to over land.”
trailers, which are made to handle large, fragile
shipments. Consisting of a multitude of features, the Atlas
booster is a pivotal piece of the space mission.
The Delta IV rocket is delivered by the Delta
Mariner due to its massive size inhibiting other “The Atlas V booster provides space lift for
forms of travel. critical spacecraft, including defense satellites,
1$6$VFLHQWL¿FPLVVLRQVDQGFRPPHUFLDOVDW-
“The Atlas V and Delta IV boosters can be ellites,” Zarybnisky said. “The boosters carry the
transported via the Delta Mariner,” Ghazali bulk of the fuel required to produce the thrust nec-
said. “This large ship is capable of carrying up essary to launch these satellites into the desired
to three boosters from the production site in Ala- orbits. The orbits we launch to, from Vandenberg,
bama to either Cape Canaveral Air Force Station are unique and provide our launch customers the
or Vandenberg.” ability to perform missions they could not ac-

December 4, 2015 Aerotech News and Review

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