Updates Boeing's CST-100 Starliner

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Spaceflight Now: Boeing anticipates CST-100 orbital flight tests in 2016:

Boeing expects to finish the design of its CST-100 capsule by early 2014, but officials say the commercial crew taxi may not be ready for orbital flights until 2016, assuming the company receives the anticipated funding from NASA in an award due by August.

Last summer, Boeing's CST-100 schedule called for test flights of the reusable capsule in 2015.

According to John Mulholland, vice president and general manager of Boeing commercial programs, the schedule for CST-100 orbital flight tests and the craft's entry into service will depend on how much money Boeing receives in the CCiCap award and the subsequent certification phase.

Mulholland said in an April 6 interview the CST-100 program should reach its critical design review by early 2014. The review is a major milestone at the close of the project's design phase.

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Aviation Week: Boeing's seven-seater spacecraft on display

 

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Boeing: Boeing, NASA Sign Agreement on Mission Support for CST-100 :

HOUSTON (Boeing PR) – Boeing has signed an agreement with NASA’s Mission Operations Directorate (MOD) at Johnson Space Center to collaborate on mission planning, training and flight operations for the company’s Commercial Space Transportation (CST)-100 spacecraft.

Under the new arrangement, which Boeing negotiated under its current Phase 2 NASA Space Act Agreement for Commercial Crew Development, Boeing will begin discussions with the MOD on integrating launch operations and the company’s own mission control facility at Kennedy Space Center, Fla., with training and real-time operations at Johnson Space Center in Houston.

"Adding MOD to our team leverages NASA's experience in crewed space operations to ensure mission success for our CST-100 spacecraft," said Chris Ferguson, director of Crew and Mission Operations for the Boeing Commercial Crew Program. "As we continue to mature our spacecraft design, MOD technical support will ensure the CST-100 is built with the operators in mind."

Later this year, Boeing intends to enter into a larger agreement with the MOD to provide end-to-end flight operations from the command and control facility in the Mission Control Center at Johnson Space Center, the site where NASA managed the Apollo missions and all 135 flights of the space shuttle.

"Colocating initial CST-100 flight operations with the International Space Station flight control facility in the Mission Control Center will facilitate a seamless transition to regularly scheduled CST-100 operations with the space station," Ferguson said. "Working with MOD on Boeing's mission operations also will help NASA retain key proficiencies for future human spaceflight operations."

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Parabolic Arc: Boeing Signs Agreement with JSC for Mission Planning, Training and Flight Ops

 

[orb]

SPACE.com:

• Boeing's Private Space Taxi to Take Flight by 2016
  
  
• Boeing's Private Space Capsule: CST-100 (Infographic)

 

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Parabolic Arc: Space Florida Given Leadership Award for Boeing Use of KSC Facility:

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FL (Space Florida PR) – Today, Space Florida was awarded the Economic Development Leadership Award from CoreNet Global, the world’s leading association for corporate real estate and workplace professionals, service providers and economic developers. The award submission by Space Florida detailed the utilization of Kennedy Space Center (KSC) facilities by The Boeing Company for manufacture and test of its Crew Space Transportation (CST-100) spacecraft.

The Economic Development Leadership Award recognizes leadership, best practices and innovations in economic development representing national, state, regional and local interests. Space Florida entered the subcategory of “Major Deals and Projects,” which includes recruitment of major companies like The Boeing Company, resulting in new capital investments and/or jobs, expansion of existing companies and demonstrated creativity in structuring win-win transactions/deals.

The entry for this award was made possible by the agreement Boeing made with Space Florida to use Kennedy Space Center’s Orbiter Processing Facility Bay 3 (OPF-3) to manufacture, assemble, and test the company’s CST-100 spacecraft, which ultimately will provide NASA with reliable, safe, and affordable transportation to the International Space Station and other destinations in Low Earth Orbit, and create up to 550 local jobs. Space Florida, along with Enterprise Florida and the EDC of Florida’s Space Coast, assisted in bringing a commercial division of Boeing to Kennedy Space Center through aggressive business incentives, a skilled local workforce, and the unique facilities existing at KSC.

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Boeing: Boeing Completes Full Landing Test of Crew Space Transportation Spacecraft

NASA: Boeing Tests Parachute System for CST-100 Spacecraft

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Click on images to enlarge​

| | Image above: Boeing's CST-100 crew capsule floats to a landing above the Delmar Dry Lake Bed near Alamo, Nev, on May 2.

Image credit: Boeing​

| Image above: The main parachutes deploy for Boeing's CST-100 crew capsule during a parachute drop test on May 2.

Image credit: Boeing​

| Image above: A helicopter drops Boeing's CST-100 crew capsule from about 10,000 feet during the company's second parachute drop test for commercial crew development activities.

Image credit: Boeing​

Florida Today: Boeing announces successful completion of capsule drop test:

The Boeing Co.'s commercial crew capsule this week successfully completed a second drop test, the company announced.

On Wednesday, a helicopter dropped a test article of the CST-100 capsule from 14,000 feet and it parachuted to a soft landing on six airbags in desert near Alamo, Nev.

"This second parachute drop test validates Boeing's innovative system architecture and deployment plan," said John Mulholland, vice president and program manager, Boeing Commercial Programs. "Boeing's completion of this milestone reaffirms our commitment to provide safe, reliable and affordable crewed access to space."

Two drogue chutes and a main chutes deployed during the test, which was assisted by Boeing partner Bigelow Aerospace.

"We're thrilled to see the robust progress that is being made via the Commercial Crew program," said Robert Bigelow, founder and president of the Nevada-based company that hopes to launch private space stations.

Boeing says it has completed 40 milestones under NASA's commercial crew development program. NASA has awarded the company up to $130.9 million over the program's first two phases.

Boeing said additional tests planned this year include another landing air bag test series, a forward heat shield jettison test and an orbital maneuvering/attitude control engine hot fire test.

Boeing last fall announced plans to assemble the CST-100 in a former shuttle hangar at Kennedy Space Center, if it wins future contracts from NASA.

Parabolic Arc: Boeing Completes CST-100 Drop Test

NASASpaceflight: Boeing’s CST-100 conducts a successful full landing system test

Spaceflight Now: Boeing's capsule landing system tested in Nevada

 

[jmb5b]

Spaceflight is going right now more than ever before. But there is no manned space "exploration". My understanding of exploration is to go to places where nobody has been before. And that's something which did not happen for 40 years. Flying to LEO is no space exploration anymore. It was in the 1960's. The ISS is useful for science. The shuttle also was (Hubble for example). But none of it is something I consider space exploration. And as long as Orion/Dragon/CST remain stuck in earth orbit, I see no exploration either.

FADEC, what you say is true, but may not tell the whole story. Part of the reason that we are still stuck where we are is that with Apollo the US built an amazing (though also amazingly expensive) single purpose device. Hopefully this time we are now building a space infrastructure that will allow us to explore outward in a more sustained manner than we did 40 years ago.

 

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Parabolic Arc: Boeing Completes PDR on CST-100 Software

 

[Ark]

I don't really see why NASA needs to give Boeing one more dime for this, Dragon is already flying and will be able to perform everything CST promises and more.

 

[NovaSilisko]

I don't really see why NASA needs to give Boeing one more dime for this, Dragon is already flying and will be able to perform everything CST promises and more.

It's competition, plain and simple. Think about it, if CST gets up and running, and starts to exceed or becomes cheaper than Dragon, SpaceX will be motivated to improve it/bring costs down, leading Boeing to improve CST... The more competition, the better.

 

[garyw]

classic example - a space tourist to the ISS costs $35Million. NASA are being billed $55million. It's economics. If you put yourself in the position of not having any choice then they can charge you what they like.

In this case competition is good.

 

[N_Molson]

Also, redundancy. If one program suffers a major setback, then you can still rely on the other, and avoid "gaps".

 

[garyw]

True - ESA has what, one or two more ATV's to send to the ISS before that programme is cancelled?

HTV has a similar amount.

How many progress vehicles did Russia promise?

 

[Lord Wasteland]

If you think about it, with more competition growing in the space sector, prices will have to go down, as it gets cheaper to lob objects into orbit. As well, this is somewhat similar to some alternate-histories I have read about the Apollo Application Program continuing and getting reusable Command Modules. Honestly, we need to get more people invigorated, so there will be a space race between private space companies to get to the moon.

 

[Capt_hensley]

How many progress vehicles did Russia promise?

Good question! I'll see what I can dig up.

 

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NASA News Release: RELEASE : 12-214 - Thruster Tests Complete for NASA Partner Boeing's Crew Capsule:

CANOGA PARK, Calif. -- Pratt and Whitney Rocketdyne has successfully completed a series of tests on a thruster destined for Boeing's Commercial Space Transportation spacecraft, designated CST-100.

Boeing is one of several companies working to develop crew transportation capabilities under the Commercial Crew Development Round 2 agreement with NASA's Commercial Crew Program. The goal of the program is to help spur innovation and development of safe, reliable and cost-effective spacecraft and launch vehicles capable of transporting astronauts to low Earth orbit and the International Space Station.

Twenty-four thrusters will be part of the spacecraft's orbital maneuvering and attitude control system (OMAC), giving the CST-100 the ability to maneuver in space and during re-entry. The thrusters also will allow the spacecraft to separate from its launch vehicle if an abort becomes necessary during launch or ascent.

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Parabolic Arc: Thruster Tests Completed for Boeing’s CST-100 Vehicle

NASA: Thruster Tests Completed for Boeing's CST-100

Click on image to enlarge​

Image above: Pratt and Whitney Rocketdyne tests a thruster at NASA's White Sands Space Harbor in Las Cruces, N.M., June 18-21 for Boeing's CST-100 spacecraft.

Image credit: Pratt and Whitney Rocketdyne​

 

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NASA:
Boeing Tests CST-100 Parachute Protector

Aug. 28, 2012

The Boeing Company recently completed a jettison test of its forward heat shield, which will protect the parachutes of the company's CST-100 spacecraft during future missions to and from low Earth orbit. The forward heat shield jettison will start the parachute deployment sequence and provide a safe landing for the capsule and its crew members. The test was part of Boeing's work supporting its funded Space Act Agreement (SAA) with NASA's Commercial Crew Program (CCP) during Commercial Crew Development Round 2 (CCDev2).

Click on image to enlarge​

Image above: The Boeing Company performs a jettison test of its forward heat shield, which will protect the parachutes of the company's CST-100 spacecraft during trips to and from low Earth orbit.

Image credit: Boeing​

"Without the parachutes, the crew wouldn’t survive landing. We need to slow them down to a safe landing velocity," said Mike Burghardt, director of Spacecraft Development for Boeing's CST-100. "It is key to be able to get that forward heat shield released at the right time so we can deploy the parachutes."

Testing of the composite-based forward heat shield took place at Bigelow Aerospace's headquarters outside of Las Vegas on June 5, 7 and 11. Surrounded by dry mountain air, Burghardt and his team set up a series of high-speed and high-definition cameras to capture the shield's deployment, a sequence that begins with four piston-like thrusters firing at an altitude of between 20,000 and 30,000 feet. Once the thrusters fire, they are designed to push the shield out of the way of the spacecraft, allowing the drogue parachute to deploy to stabilize the descending crew module followed by the three main parachutes.

During the test, accelerometers and strain gauges measured the shocks and loads that were transmitted during the deployment sequence. The team also tested the ability to jettison the forward heat shield if one of the thrusters were to fail. The thrusters connect to the forward heat shield using breakaway joints, which are designed to fail if one of the thrusters did not fire during re-entry.

"The joint is designed so it won't break when exposed to nominal loads. However, if we did have a thruster failure case, the joint would break to allow the heat shield to be jettisoned from the spacecraft," Burghardt said.

The shield is an adaptation of what Boeing used for its Apollo moon capsules and is similar to the design NASA's Orion spacecraft will use for human exploration missions to deep space.

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Parabolic Arc: Boeing Tests CST-100 Parachute Protector

 

[Admiral_Ritt]

Does anyone know why Bigelow is not considering
the Spacex Dragon Capsule for LEO manned transport
to it's Planned Orbital Base.? And why the CST100 is his
leading potential manned delivery vehicle choice.

I sense a hostility there between Bigelow and Musk.

OR

Maybe Bigelow doesn't want to be a captive customer of Spacex
and wants delivery options. ?

 

[orb]

NASASpaceflight: OPF-3′s conversion into Boeing’s C3PF to begin on September 10

 

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Parabolic Arc: Boeing, NASA Establish CST-100 Baseline Configuration