Commercial Crew Partners Continue Progress on Milestones

WASHINGTON (NASA PR) — NASA’s Commercial Crew integrated Capability (CCiCap) partners are relentlessly moving forward in the joint quest to re-establish U.S. human access to space. All the industry teams have been hard at work meeting their planned CCiCap milestones and maturing their crew transportation systems.

Boeing completed a number of crucial developmental and programmatic milestones in preparation for its integrated systems Critical Design Review (CDR) planned for later this year. Milestone 13, the Launch Vehicle Adapter CDR, confirmed that the launch vehicle adapter, which connects the CST-100 spacecraft to the United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket, is suitable for production. The review also included wind tunnel tests verifying flight stability. The launch vehicle Emergency Detection System (EDS) Stand-Alone Testing, Milestone 14, was conducted to better characterize integrated system performance using actual EDS software. The EDS monitors critical launch vehicle parameters, detects critical anomalies and provides abort status to the spacecraft to initiate escape in the event of an emergency.

EDWARDS AFB, Calif. – An Erickson Air-Crane helicopter lifts Sierra Nevada Corporation’s Dream Chaser flight vehicle during a captive-carry flight test. The test was a rehearsal for future free flight tests. (Credit: NASA/Carla Thomas)

Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC) successfully completed milestone 10a, CDR Incremental Design Review #1. This review is the first in a series of reviews that will be conducted by the SNC team as it progresses toward its integrated system CDR. Additionally, SNC held the milestone 4a, Engineering Test Article (ETA) Flight Testing #1, review of aero-data and associated analysis obtained during the first free-flight of the ETA. Additional sensors installed on the vehicle for this flight provided the opportunity to better understand the aerodynamics and controllability of the Dream Chaser outer mold line configuration during the subsonic approach-and-landing phase through touchdown.

A Dragon spacecraft splashed down in Morro Bay during a parachute test in December 2013. (Credit: NASA)

SpaceX successfully conducted milestones 15a and 15b, Dragon Parachute Tests, to validate that its new parachute design is capable of conducting a pad abort test, currently planned for this summer. Testing included dropping a full-scale Dragon article into the Pacific Ocean from a helicopter off the coast of Morro Bay, Calif.In addition to continuing progress with CCiCap technical and programmatic milestones, all three industry partners have submitted the second set of Certification Products Contract deliverables. These deliverables include verification and validation plans and variances, alternate standards, and certification plans. The goal of this effort is to better ensure that industry’s crew transportation system designs are consistent with NASA’s safety and performance requirements.