Updates Orion (MPCV) Updates and Discussion

[Orbinaut Pete]

Harris Corporation's OS/COMET Product to be Used for NASA's Orion Crew Exploration Vehicle Project.

Harris Corporation, an international communications and information technology company, announced today that Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company (LMSSC) will use its OS/COMET telemetry, tracking, and command software for the Orion Program's Telemetry System to serve the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) new Orion crew exploration vehicle. The OS/COMET product will be a vital part of LMSSC Integrated Electrical Ground Support Equipment located at multiple labs in Denver and Houston, and test facilities in Ohio and Florida.

"Lockheed Martin's use of OS/COMET for the Orion Telemetry System is based on OS/COMET's flexibility and adaptability to meet the stringent telemetry requirements for the Orion vehicle," said Stephen Cross, senior staff engineer, Orion Program, LMSSC. "The use of Harris' OS/COMET commercial, off-the-shelf (COTS) product aligns with NASA's direction of using COTS products on their programs."

"Harris is pleased that the OS/COMET product is used by Lockheed Martin to support the Orion crew exploration vehicle," said Wayne Lucernoni, vice president, Intel and Civil Programs, Harris IT Services. "Harris' reliability stems from over two decades of success with telemetry, tracking and command (TT&C) deployments in support of both commercial and defense spacecraft."

OS/COMET delivers superior TT&C capabilities for military, intelligence, and commercial satellite constellations. It provides an extensible and flexible software ground control system that supports the development of more efficient operational solutions for existing or proposed space systems. NASA's Kennedy Space Center previously selected the OS/COMET product for the Launch Control System.

The Orion crew exploration vehicle is managed at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. The Orion crew exploration vehicle program will provide a state-of-the-art human space flight system capable of safely transferring astronauts to and from the International Space Station, the Moon, Mars and other destinations beyond low earth orbit.

Harris IT Services is a leading provider of end-to-end solutions in mission-critical IT transformation, managed solutions, and information assurance. With over 3,000 professionals performing to the highest industry standards at locations worldwide, Harris IT Services offers demonstrated past performance, proven technical expertise, and innovative solutions in supporting large-scale IT programs that encompass the full technology lifecycle. The organization's distributed workforce, present in all 50 states, and extensive experience in performance-based contracting and managed IT services, combine to deliver exceptional results to our defense, intelligence, homeland security, civil, and commercial customers.

About Harris Corporation.
Harris is an international communications and information technology company serving government and commercial markets in more than 150 countries. Headquartered in Melbourne, Florida, the company has approximately $5 billion of annual revenue and more than 16,000 employees — including nearly 7,000 engineers and scientists. Harris is dedicated to developing best-in-class assured communications products, systems, and services. Additional information about Harris Corporation is available at www.harris.com.

 

[Shadow Addict]

Aviation Week: "Orion Testing Continues At Michoud".

Wow, I didn't even realize Orion was still gonna happen. I live about ten miles from Michoud, and it's good to know something is going on in that big building over there. :thumbup:

 

[orb]

NASASpaceFlight: Constellation Program Proceeds with Orion Capsule EVA Testing:

With the fate of the Constellation Program at this juncture of time all but a certainty, Program officials are, nonetheless, pressing ahead with testing of the Orion crew capsule design. Specifically, current testing on Orion’s design is geared toward EVA egress/ingress procedures and mechanics for the four person capsule that was supposed to serve as a replacement, later this decade, for the retiring Shuttle fleet.

Throughout the month of September 2010 – the final month of funding for the Constellation Program under President Obama’s vision for the future of space operations in the United States – NASA has undertaken a series of EVA egress/ingress tests on a full-scale mockup of the Orion crew module in the large Neutral Buoyancy Lab (NBL) at the Johnson Space Center.
...

 

[orbitingpluto]

Is it possible to bring Constellation to a screeching halt? There was a law passed forcing development to continue, but is there some way to end Orion's death spiral so the money could go else where, or is this a service-payed-for-service-rendered-no-matter-if-you-changed-your-mind type thing that its stuck in.

Also, is there any word on the morale of the people working on this? I feel sorry for them, what with the history of the project so far being what it was. I kinda felt glad about Constellation getting the axe until I thought about what is might be like to be them, what with the political squabbles and hearing the endless pro/cons of Constellation and having the matter directly affect you as it is your job to push the thing out the door.

 

[Orbinaut Pete]

NASASpaceFlight: Constellation Program Proceeds with Orion Capsule EVA Testing:

One of the guys who made this EVA (Dr. Sam Strauss) is on Twitter as @NASAastrodoc. He's posted some fantastic hi-res photos of the EVA on his Twitter account! :thumbup:

 

[Orbinaut Pete]

Orion Spacecraft on the Path to Future Flight.

Production Operations Now Under Way at Kennedy Space Center.

Preparations for Orion’s first mission in 2013 are well under way as a Lockheed Martin-led crew begins lean assembly pathfinding operations for the spacecraft. The crew is conducting simulated manufacturing and assembly operations with a full-scale Orion mockup to verify the tools, processes and spacecraft integration procedures work as expected.

As the nation’s next generation spacecraft for human spaceflight, the Orion crew exploration vehicle is designed to support missions to the International Space Station and far beyond into deep space. The Orion spacecraft will be fully assembled and integrated on site in the Operations & Checkout (O&C) Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida, a capability that provides significant time and cost savings.

“The unique benefit of this complete on-site operation is that we will build the spacecraft and then move it directly onto the launch vehicle at KSC, which saves the government transportation costs associated with tests and checkout prior to launch,” said Lockheed Martin Orion Deputy Program Manager for production operations Richard Harris. “This capability also facilitates the KSC workforce transition efforts by providing new job opportunities for those employees completing their shuttle program assignments.”

Dubbed the “the spacecraft factory of the future”, the O&C, underwent a two-year renovation effort led by Lockheed Martin with support from Space Florida and NASA. The collaborative effort created a state-of-the-art complex designed with the flexibility to support NASA’s next generation spacecraft fleet.

Orion Spacecraft on the Path to Future Flight - 2

Technical innovations incorporated into the O&C include 90,000 square feet of air-bearing floor space, paperless work stations, a portable clean room system, and specialized lifting/lowering and support tools that were designed by United Space Alliance (USA). Specially designed air-bearing pallets will enable a small crew to effortlessly maneuver spacecraft hardware across the factory floor. The building renovation also incorporated modern energy efficient HVAC and electrical systems which will further enhance cost savings for the life cycle of the facility.

With the help of an advanced crane that can position the spacecraft within millimeters of its target, the crew module, heat shield and service module will be integrated in tooling stations located on the O&C’s factory floor. These tooling stations are portable and will be moved to various Orion facilities around the country to provide low-cost and affordable vehicle processing on the Orion project.

The industry team supporting O&C tooling station operations include Lockheed Martin, USA and EMF, Inc. a small business based in Merritt Island, Fla., that built the tooling station and support pallets.

According to EMF Vice President Jeff Flick, the Orion program has been a “bright spot” in the space industry. “As a small business owner that supports NASA and the Department of Defense, I believe it is critical for our country to retain the unique skill mix of expertise that supports key national programs such as human space flight and defense initiatives.”

Lockheed Martin is the prime contractor to NASA for the Orion Project and leads the industry team that includes major subcontractors as well as a network of minor subcontractors and small businesses working at 88 facilities in 28 states. In addition, the program contracts with more than 500 small businesses across the United States through its expansive supply chain network.

 

[Orbinaut Pete]

Aerojet Successfully Conducts Third Jettison Motor Nozzle Risk Reduction Test for NASA's Orion Crew Exploration Vehicle.

Aerojet, a GenCorp company, announced today that it successfully conducted a static firing of the third nozzle risk reduction motor in support of the Orion jettison motor, a critical component of the launch abort system (LAS) for NASA’s Orion crew exploration vehicle. This successful test firing validates several nozzle design changes implemented to enhance the safety and reliability of the jettison motor.

Today’s test was conducted under contract to Lockheed Martin and represents a collaborative effort between design teams at Aerojet, Lockheed and NASA. The third nozzle risk reduction test successfully met all test plan objectives, providing data to validate analytical models and demonstrate the increased robustness of the new nozzle design modifications. “Congratulations to the entire Orion launch abort team,” said Aerojet Vice President of Space and Launch Systems, Julie Van Kleeck. “Today’s test demonstrates increased margin in an already proven system.”

Orion’s jettison motor reliability was proven during the successful fully-integrated launch abort system flight test, Pad Abort 1, conducted at the U.S. Army’s White Sands Missile Range on May 6, 2010.

Orion’s LAS is designed to pull the crew module away from the rocket to safety in the event of an emergency on the pad and during the initial ascent phase. Aerojet designed and manufactured the jettison motor, which is required on every mission to jettison the LAS away from the crew module for both nominal and abort scenarios.

Lockheed Martin is the prime contractor to NASA for the Orion spacecraft, which is being developed as the nation’s next generation spacecraft for future human exploration throughout the solar system. Aerojet is part of the nationwide Orion industry team led by Lockheed Martin, which includes five major subcontractors and an expansive network of minor subcontractors and small businesses working at 88 facilities in 28 states across the country. The Orion team is preparing for the spacecraft’s first orbital flight test as early as 2013.

Aerojet is a world-recognized aerospace and defense leader principally serving the missile and space propulsion, defense and armaments markets. GenCorp is a leading technology-based manufacturer of aerospace and defense products and systems with a real estate segment that includes activities related to the entitlement, sale, and leasing of the company’s excess real estate assets. Additional information about Aerojet and GenCorp can be obtained by visiting the companies’ Web sites at www.Aerojet.com and www.GenCorp.com.

 

[Orbinaut Pete]

NASASpaceFlight: Constellation Program Proceeds with Orion Capsule EVA Testing:

I found more great hi-res photos of this at the NASA Orion Image Gallery. :thumbup:

Hi-res version.

Hi-res version.

Hi-res version.

Hi-res version.

 

[orb]

Florida Today: John Kelly: Orion's future still up in the air (Some version of canceled spacecraft likely to emerge as Lockheed goes on):

In the past four weeks, there's been a lot of buzz about progress being made on the space capsule once envisioned to replace the retiring space shuttles and someday carry astronauts beyond Earth's orbit.

Lockheed Martin, the designer and builder of the spaceship, is now working in the newly renovated Operations & Checkout Facility at Kennedy Space Center, which the state and federal government spent at least $50 million to transform into what's being dubbed the "spacecraft factory of the future."

The Lockheed Martin team is practicing new "lean manufacturing" methods in the modernized facility using a full-sized model of the spacecraft. The company's goal is to assemble the first Orion capsule in the facility as early as 2012 for a first flight as early as 2013.
...

 

[Orbinaut Pete]

SPACE.com: "NASA's New Space Capsule Could Be Ready for Test Flights in 2013".

 

[Orbinaut Pete]

Aerojet's Successful Main Engine Injector Tests Provide Milestone for NASAs Orion Crew Exploration Vehicle, Testing confirms combustion stability and provides initial performance data.

Aerojet, a GenCorp company, under contract to Lockheed Martin, successfully completed development injector testing for the 7500-pound thrust Orion main engine (OME) for NASA’s Orion crew exploration vehicle. The OME is a pressure-fed, regeneratively cooled, storable bi-propellant engine that is a technically advanced, increased performance version of Aerojet’s flight-proven 6000-pound thrust space shuttle Orbital Maneuvering System Engine (OMS-E).

The test series verified the engine’s combustion stability and additionally provided chamber wall heat flux and injector performance data to anchor mathematical models. All testing was performed in heavy-weight combustion chambers specifically designed for these tasks. This early demonstration of the engine’s combustion stability at expected Orion operating conditions was conducted to retire risk to the Orion vehicle.

“The successful qualification combustion stability testing of the OME injector was the result of a structured approach used to design, analyze, build and test the first development injector,” said Aerojet’s Orion Program Manager, Cheryl Rehm. “The team’s meticulous attention to detail resulted in a product that met and exceeded our expectations.”

The OME injector combines the reliability and combustion stability of the OMS-E injector with current Aerojet best practices in design and manufacturing to reduce process variability affecting injector performance and cost for the Orion program. The OME injector is a diffusion-bonded platelet device with the same injector element type, face pattern layout, and element quantity as the OMS-E, but with improvements in the injector body design and platelets to provide more uniform flow to the injector elements.

The current Aerojet platelet manufacturing capability results in significantly less dimensional variability than was possible for the OMS-E, enabling improved uniformity of propellants injected into the combustion chamber. The improvements in injection uniformity are also expected to result in improved nominal and minimum vacuum specific impulse for the OME.

The OME will provide thrust for events requiring large velocity changes such as Earth orbital insertion, translunar/trans Earth injection, Earth de-orbit, and emergency thrust for high-altitude abort scenarios. Orion’s engine complement also includes 16 25-pound thrust engines and eight 100-pound-thrust bipropellant engines for the Orion service module. Additionally, Aerojet supplies 12 160-pound-thrust monopropellant thrusters for the Orion crew module. Aerojet is providing all of the engines for the Orion spacecraft which is comprised of a crew module for crew and cargo transport, and a service module for propulsion, electrical power and fluids storage. Risk reduction testing of critical subsystems has been ongoing throughout Orion’s development phase to maximize mission success and crew safety.

Lockheed Martin is the prime contractor to NASA for the Orion spacecraft, which is being developed as the nation’s next generation spacecraft for future human exploration throughout our solar system. Aerojet is part of the nationwide Orion industry team led by Lockheed Martin, which includes five major subcontractors and an expansive network of minor subcontractors and small businesses working at 88 facilities in 28 states across the country.

Aerojet is a world-recognized aerospace and defense leader principally serving the missile and space propulsion, defense and armaments markets. GenCorp is a leading technology-based manufacturer of aerospace and defense products and systems with a real estate segment that includes activities related to the entitlement, sale, and leasing of the company’s excess real estate assets. Additional information about Aerojet and GenCorp can be obtained by visiting the companies’ Web sites at www.Aerojet.com and www.GenCorp.com.

 

[Orbinaut Pete]

Space News: "Lockheed, Lawmakers Urge NASA To Fund Orion Development at 2010 Level".

 

[Orbinaut Pete]

SpaceRef: "Orion Launch Abort System Stops in Philadelphia During Cross Country Trek".

 

[Orbinaut Pete]

Space News: "Lockheed Reserves Delta 4 for 2013 Orion Flight".

 

[orb]

NASASpaceFlight: Orion returning to the forefront with test flight and manned debut evaluations:

The Orion vehicle’s return to life is starting to pick up the pace, with planning for an unmanned test flight as early as 2013, along with discussions into the schedule for the manned debut of the vehicle. Key questions revolve around joint government and contractor responsibility for the test flight, while the manned debut may occur in 2016, or 2018/19, depending on the availability of the Space Launch System (SLS).

{...}

 

[GoForPDI]

Plenty of photos of the finished Orion Ground Test Article on their facebook page. Can't wait to see it with the TPS and Heatshield on!

http://www.facebook.com/ORIONCREWEXPLORATIONVEHICLE

 

[Phillips]

Isn't Constellation canceled now?

 

[N_Molson]

It is, but still partially funded :shrug:

And the Orion capsule is only an element of it

The wonders of administration...

 

[Star Voyager]

Constellation and Ares was cancelled. Orion is still in production.

 

[Orbinaut Pete]

Constellation and Ares was cancelled. Orion is still in production.

Actually, Ares is still in production, too.

NASA are directed to spend $500 million on it under the CR bill that lasts until March.

That's almost two thirds the cost of STS-135 wasted on a rocket that will never even be built, much less reach space.