is tentatively scheduled for late 2017. The first crewed launch, using the Orion spacecraft, will occur sometime after the first successful unmanned test. Chilton said NASA found Boeing to be the clear choice to build Space Launch System because of the company’s com- petitive advantage in both supplier partnerships and meeting schedules. Boeing also has a highly skilled workforce, with decades of experience in every aspect of space exploration. In August, NASA awarded Boeing $460 million in the Commercial Crew Integrated Capability program to continue CST-100 spacecraft development through critical design review. CST-100, along with spacecraft being developed by two other companies in this program, are in competition to provide taxi service to and from the International Space Station, as well as other locations in low Earth orbit. For example, independent space complexes, such as the inflatable facility planned by Bigelow Aerospace, could host international researchers and even space tourists. In designing the CST-100 spacecraft, Boeing drew on proven concepts developed during the Apollo era. Its structure is modeled after the Apollo command module. Its intricate parachute system, used in returning safely to Earth, was also used in Apollo. The most important change is the use of inflatable air bags, which will allow the capsule to touch down on land, rather than water. John Mulholland, vice president and program manager of Commercial Programs for Boeing Space Exploration, leads PhOTO IlluSTRATION: Boeing’s CST-100 spacecraft prepares to dock with the International Space Station. BRANdON luONG/BOEING; SPACE Boeing’s Commercial Crew Development program. He noted STATION PhOTO: NASA; CST-100 GRAPhIC: BOEING (Insets, from top) At the Boeing that NASA’s efforts to develop low-cost, low-Earth-orbit trans- facility in Houston, engineers Olman Carvajal, left, and Peter Jang portation is freeing up resources for the federal government study results from wind tunnel testing of a model of the CST-100 to fund more ambitious space exploration projects. It’s also spacecraft; design engineers Luis Lebron (foreground, from left), part of a move to open space to private enterprise. Chad Ensor, John Cannon and Ryan Luke inspect a mocked-up enclosure that will house the lithium-ion batteries destined for the “One really exciting aspect of working in the Commercial International Space Station. BOB FERGuSON/BOEING Crew program is that we’re on the verge of opening up new business opportunities in space,” Mulholland said. “There’s a good mix of companies exploring different market segments in low Earth orbit and suborbital transportation. As this market matures, it could be very lucrative to Boeing and the aerospace industry as a whole.” Space station operations have transitioned in the absence of Boeing’s Commercial Crew program has been conducting the shuttle. For example, it is no longer possible to transport large a variety of tests that focus on various aspects of the space- oxygen and nitrogen tanks to the station. So Boeing engineers in craft’s systems. The first crewed test flight of the spacecraft, Huntsville, Ala., are developing a high-pressure Nitrogen Oxygen depending on funding, could occur as early as 2015. Recharge System, or NORS, which can deliver more of these “We are uniquely positioned to succeed in the commercial gases in smaller payloads. space arena,” said Mulholland, who previously led Boeing’s “When we had the shuttle flying, we had a pretty good way Space Shuttle program. “We know how to design and build to transfer these gases in large quantities,” Bryant said. “It’s a successful commercial products. We also have a legacy of little like having a semi-truck delivering your supplies every three designing and building spacecraft, from Mercury, Gemini and months, and replacing that with more frequent deliveries using Apollo to the space shuttle and International Space Station. smaller trucks. Fortunately, NORS will make those smaller That’s a winning combination.” n shipments both efficient and affordable.” william.j.seil@boeing.com Boeing is also preparing to replace the station’s nickel-hydrogen batteries with lithium-ion batteries, which will store more energy and take up less space. Improvements are also being made to the station’s communications system, video capabilities and interior lighting. – Bill Seil BOEING FRONTIERS / OCTOBER 2012 31
Frontiers October 2012 Issue
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