Commercial Crew integrated Capability (CCiCap)

Rune · 2012-08-06 12:28:47

I am very surprised this isn't here already... too few people posting, or have you all really missed it?

NASA announces winners in commercial crew competition

After an intense competition, NASA announced contracts Friday totaling up to $900 million to be divvied up between three companies -- SpaceX, Boeing and Sierra Nevada -- to continue development of commercial manned spacecraft to ferry astronauts to and from the International Space Station.
...
SpaceX was awarded a $440 million contract to continue development of a manned version of the company's Dragon cargo ship, which completed its first test flight to the International Space Station in May.
...
Boeing won a contract valued at $460 million to develop its CST-100 capsule, The spacecraft will seat up to seven astronauts and fly atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket. The CST-100 will make a parachute descent to a ground landing. Barring technical problems or budget issues, the first manned test flight is expected in 2016.
...
Sierra Nevada of was awarded a $212.5 million control to continue developing the winged "Dreamchaser," a small spaceplane originally developed by NASA as a space station lifeboat. The Dreamchaser lifting body will seat seven and launch stop an Atlas 5. Like the now-retired space shuttle, it would land on a runway at the end of a mission.

So Boeing and SpaceX get the full awards, Sierra Nevada gets the half. Also interesting to note, SpaceX are the only ones that have two full-up tests (pad abort and Max Q abort) as part of the contracted milestones. It seems they are really further along than anybody else. They are also promising a first test crewed flight in 2015, but that's not in the contract, so they really haven't commited to that. To get the juicy details, you can check out the slides they used on the conference here: http://www.nasa.gov/pdf/672130main_CCiC … cement.pdf

Now let's discuss the hell out of it! Most interesting news in all summer ('cause MSL working as expected is not really news, it's confirmation).

Rune. How long before the first ticket is sold to a private citizen?

SpaceNut · 2012-08-06 16:17:05

Ya this topic got squashed by the crash... It relates to the change in direction towards providing COTS vehicles.....

clark · 2012-08-07 11:00:05

Spacex and bigelow is the really interesting connection. Most dont talk about that. They should.

louis · 2012-08-07 13:16:17

clark wrote:

Spacex and bigelow is the really interesting connection. Most dont talk about that. They should.

Sounds like a marriage made in heaven and humans on Mars within 10 years.

You know, one thing that struck me listening to the NASA scientists talk about the MSL was just how relaxed and unhurried they were, looking forward to robot sample missions years down the line and happy to conclude that their results from the MSL would be inconclusive. I think it does reflect this slow-paced science culture within NASA. Thanks be we have an outsider in a hurry - Musk and Space X. With NASA in the driving seat it could take till 2100 to get a man on Mars, but with Musk I think it can be done within 10 years.

SpaceNut · 2012-08-07 16:31:55

Sure but bigelow does not get you to orbit....that is what this topic is about

SpaceNut · 2014-01-25 22:15:58

Dream Chaser mini-shuttle given 2016 launch date

The maiden voyage, however, will be an unmanned, autonomous flight.
The re-usable "lifting body" will spend about a day in orbit before returning to a landing strip on the US West Coast.
If all goes well, SNC hopes to mount its first manned mission in 2017.

The 9m-long Dream Chaser is one of the three commercial human transportation systems currently being developed with the financial and technical support of Nasa.
The other two are more traditional capsule designs known as CST-100 and Dragon, from the Boeing and SpaceX companies respectively.

RobertDyck · 2014-05-30 16:36:54

Not sure where to post about Dragon, so I'll do it here.

Last night, SpaceX revealed Dragon version 2. This is the human version of Dragon.
http://www.space.com/26063-spacex-unvei … eship.html

It operates a little different than what I thought. I was sure they would continue to use parachutes to slow, only using rockets for final touch-down. But Elon Musk said the parachutes will be reserved for emergency backup only. They'll drop from ISS into Earth's atmosphere, manoeuvre directly to the launch site, then land using rocket propulsion alone. The vehicle has 4 landing struts, with shock absorbers. Amazing!

The current Dragon discards its nose cap in space, to reveal the CBM berthing hatch. Dragon V2 has an APAS docking hatch, so doesn't require CanadArm2. It will dock at the same hatch on ISS that Shuttle used. And I notice something donut shaped and soft looking around the base of the APAS hatch. I presume that's a soft shock absorber. The hatch used for Shuttle was large and complex, required to dock a 100 tonne Shuttle plus cargo. The hatch for Dragon V2 doesn't have the ring with shock absorbers, instead a solid tube. This makes it simpler. But it looks like that tube is connected to the body of Dragon V2 via a soft collar. If that's correct, it's very smart! Much simpler, and appropriate for an 8-12 tonne capsule. And the nose cap isn't discarded, it opens with a hinge. The nose cap is closed for atmospheric entry. This protects the hatch during thermal phase of re-entry, and means they don't need to replace the hatch before the next flight. Not using a parachute means they don't need to clean or re-pack the parachute. Just refill propellant tanks, and mount on a launch vehicle for another flight.

The trunk is discarded. But they made a change there too. Instead of solar panels that unfold, then track the Sun, this trunk has solar cells around the entire exterior. That means it doesn't have to track. But it also means only partial illumination. The new truck also has fins, and is discarded before re-entry. We knew it would be discarded. But why the fins?

Elon also pointed out new technology. The original Dragon was built primarily using state-of-the-art everything, but nothing really new. This one does. Elon pointed out the capsule propellant tanks are carbon over wrapped titanium. And SuperDraco thrusters are fabricated with a 3D printer. Rocket engines made with a 3D printer?! Cool!

Interior is very spacious. Rather than a fixed solid instrument bulkhead like Apollo, this one is very open. Controls are on a panel, held with an arm that can swing out of the way. With 4 large touch screens, and critical controls as physical controls in the centre. Complete with a joystick.

RobertDyck · 2014-08-10 19:31:34

SpaceX Sets Dates for Launch Escape Tests on Dragon Spaceship

[SpaceX] plans to conduct a pad abort test at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida, in November, followed by an in-flight abort test from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California in January, Garrett Reisman, SpaceX Dragon Rider program manager, said here Aug. 6 at the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics Space 2014 conference.

GW Johnson · 2014-08-10 21:04:21

Regarding post #7 above (5-30-2014): as I understand it, the fins on the trunk are for aerostability during ascent abort down in the atmosphere. Apparently it takes the trunk with it, and separates from it after getting clear of the booster rocket. I might be wrong, but that's what I heard.

As for not using a chute, it would be wise to swap out chutes between missions, even if unused. You just repack it and load it on the next mission. Same as what paratroopers do. Flying on a "stale" chute is asking for trouble.

GW

Last edited by GW Johnson (2014-08-10 21:05:15)

SpaceNut · 2015-02-21 18:45:55

Commercial Crew Program head: The next two years will be exciting time for CCP

SpaceX-Dragon-V2-Boeing-CST-100-International-Space-Station-ISS-NASA-image-posted-on-SpaceFlight-Insider.jpg-647x491.png

“What is critical is that this is the first time that commercial companies will be developing their own systems to be able to carry NASA crew members up to the International Space Station,” Lueders said. “So what we are doing is following along as out partners are developing their systems and making sure that their systems meet our requirements.”
“Once these systems have become certified what we will do is conducting the actual crew, what we call the post-certification missions. There’s a rotation of crew that goes up to the station about once every six months. So following certification these companies will be actually delivering our crew members up to the International Space Station and their vehicles will stay on orbit for six months to serve as a ‘life raft.’”
“During their certification phase, we don’t just do paper certification, we also ask them to do demonstration missions. So, both Boeing and our other provider, SpaceX are doing an uncrewed demo, where they are proving the design, traveling to the station. Then they are going to fly at least one of our crew members up to the International Space Station as part of their certification activity, so, that will all be happening over the next two-to-three years. So, we’re very excited about that,” Lueders concluded.

SpaceNut · 2017-02-19 10:53:12

While dreamchaser did not make it into the cargo first rounds it has continued on toward getting a first flight still to the ISS in what I think is the third round since both the Dragon and Starliner crewed are falling into delay.

Trump space advisors considering Hubble servicing mission

a public-private crewed mission aboard the Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC) Dream Chaser spacecraft to keep the aging Hubble Space Telescope (HST) operational. The proposed mission, which would not happen before 2019, would require support from the next NASA administrator. Dream Chaser was “designed from the beginning to be a multi-mission orbital transportation system” eventually targeting “servicing, repair and assembly of technology” in space.
However, before Dream Chaser can be sent to chase Hubble in its 335-mile (539-kilometer) orbit, it first has to fly into space. first cargo launch to the International Space Station scheduled for sometime in 2019.

Sierra-Nevada-Corporation-Dream-Chaser-departs-Hubble-Space-Telescope-after-reservice-mission.-Image-Credit-Nathan-Koga-SpaceFlight-Insider-1280x290.png

So is the question only of funding and is it worth it to prolong Hubbles capability....

SpaceNut · 2018-04-14 08:57:46

Had a hard time finding the topic by key word search but its time to givce it a poke.

SpaceX makes progress toward Commercial Crew debut

The crew dragons ability to generate its own power, 120 of the 240 solar arrays have been completed and are in the process of being installed onto the DM-1 vehicle.

SpaceX aims to conduct a crew test flight of Dragon, known as DM-2 slated for December 2018 but is likely to slip into early 2019. DM-1 and DM-2 flights for SpaceX serve as the company’s certification missions for the Commercial Crew Program, leading to the standard 6-month duration crew rotation flights to the International Space Station.

GW Johnson · 2018-04-14 09:32:29

Don't forget that this is a NASA-run program. NASA runs it to a schedule and objectives that suits NASA. I actually think that Spacex could have already flown Dragon 2 crewed by now, but wanted to get paid for doing it. That's NASA's $ they are using to develop and test the thing. NASA doesn't want foot-dragging Boeing and Lockheed embarrassed by Spacex. Simple as that.

GW

Mars_B4_Moon · 2022-04-10 03:29:56

First all-private mission docks with ISS

https://www.spacedaily.com/reports/Firs … s_999.html

The crew from the first all-private mission to the International Space Station docked with the orbital outpost Saturday morning, a historic moment marked by a ceremonial welcome from astronauts on board.

SpaceX's Crew Dragon Endeavor docked at the ISS at 8:29 a.m. EDT and astronauts entered the orbital outpost at 10:13 a.m.

The docking process was held up for about 45 minutes after a video routing problem on board the ISS. While astronauts aboard the Endeavor and SpaceX flight controllers on Earth could see Crew Dragon's centerline camera, those aboard the ISS weren't.

Upon entering the ISS, Ax-1 mission commander Michael López-Alegría gave each of the other three crew mates a pin from the Association of Space Explorers in a ceremony.

Ax-1 pilot and businessman Connor said "words don't describe" the experience of being in space.

"Thanks to SpaceX for a phenomenal ride."

The mission was a partnership between private space company Axiom Space and SpaceX, which provided the Falcon 9 rocket and Crew Dragon capsule to send the astronauts to the ISS.

The Ax-1 mission includes former astronaut López-Alegría as mission commander, Connor as pilot, and Eytan Stibbe and Mark Pathy as mission specialists. The latter three paid $55 million each to join the mission, but instead of visiting the ISS purely as tourists, they'll conduct 25 experiments while in low-earth orbit over the course of 10 days.

Pathy called the journey "amazing" during the televised ISS welcoming ceremony.

"It's been an amazing journey. I'm not just talking about the last 24 hours, I'm talking about everything that's got us here."

Axiom mission arrives at ISS

https://spacenews.com/axiom-mission-arrives-at-iss/

A SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft carrying four private astronauts arrived at the International Space Station April 9 for a scheduled eight-day stay.

The Crew Dragon spacecraft Endeavour docked with the station at 8:29 a.m. Eastern, about 21 hours after it reached orbit after its launch on a Falcon 9 from the Kennedy Space Center. The docking took place about 45 minutes behind schedule as the Dragon loitered 20 meters from the station while the ISS crew and ground controllers worked on an issue with video they needed to support the docking.

Hatches between the Dragon and station opened nearly two hours later, and the four members of Axiom Space’s Ax-1 mission entered the station: mission commander Michael López-Alegría, pilot Larry Connor and mission specialists Eytan Stibbe and Mark Pathy. López-Alegría, a former NASA astronaut, is an Axiom employee and Connor, Stibbe and Pathy are customers of Axiom, paying an estimated $55 million each.

Last edited by Mars_B4_Moon (2022-04-10 03:31:35)

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#1 2012-08-06 12:28:47

Commercial Crew integrated Capability (CCiCap)

#2 2012-08-06 16:17:05

Re: Commercial Crew integrated Capability (CCiCap)

#3 2012-08-07 11:00:05

Re: Commercial Crew integrated Capability (CCiCap)

#4 2012-08-07 13:16:17

Re: Commercial Crew integrated Capability (CCiCap)

#5 2012-08-07 16:31:55

Re: Commercial Crew integrated Capability (CCiCap)

#6 2014-01-25 22:15:58

Re: Commercial Crew integrated Capability (CCiCap)

#7 2014-05-30 16:36:54

Re: Commercial Crew integrated Capability (CCiCap)

#8 2014-08-10 19:31:34

Re: Commercial Crew integrated Capability (CCiCap)

#9 2014-08-10 21:04:21

Re: Commercial Crew integrated Capability (CCiCap)

#10 2015-02-21 18:45:55

Re: Commercial Crew integrated Capability (CCiCap)

#11 2017-02-19 10:53:12

Re: Commercial Crew integrated Capability (CCiCap)

#12 2018-04-14 08:57:46

Re: Commercial Crew integrated Capability (CCiCap)

#13 2018-04-14 09:32:29

Re: Commercial Crew integrated Capability (CCiCap)

#14 2022-04-10 03:29:56

Re: Commercial Crew integrated Capability (CCiCap)

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