Boeing CST-100 Updates

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Boris_Badenov

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Boeing Is Cutting Metal

[snip]

4.5 meter, seven crew, pusher abort system flying in 2015. simplicity for safety/reliability. Space Act Agreement, fixed price, need low development risk, high TRL. Business case challenging. Need development funding/ISS market. Also need other markets. Keith: already started program under CCDev, just did IDR a couple days ago. Complete SDR in October. Pressure-vessel testing at Bigelow’s facilities. Doing drop tests, started a week ago, working on life support. Using rendezvous system from Orbital Express. Not viewgraph engineering.

[snip]
 
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Boris_Badenov

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Boeing Plans Commercial Space Taxis by 2015
The House authorization bill would reduce to $164 million the amount for commercial space projects, including only $50 million for work related to the development of space taxis. The bill also would provide for $100 million in loan guarantees.

Boeing officials said the company already has achieved 22 of 36 development milestones laid out by NASA this year. Preparations are underway for a ground test of the spacecraft's launch abort system. Engineers are demonstrating the fabrication of the heat shield. Flight software is being developed, and landing drop tests are being conducted. The capsule's pressure vessel also will be tested this year along with guidance, navigation and life support systems.

Pending congressional approval, NASA plans to issue a request for proposals for commercial crew transportation to the International Space Station late this year or early next year.
 
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EarthlingX

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SDC : Boeing Moves Forward With Commercial Space Capsule
By Denise Chow
SPACE.com Staff Writer
posted: 27 August 2010
01:41 pm ET



With the impending retirement of NASA's space shuttle fleet, aerospace juggernaut Boeing is hard at work developing a new capsule-based spaceship that could be ready for its first commercial spaceflight by 2015.

Boeing's new Crew Space Transportation-100 spacecraft is designed to fly astronauts to and from the International Space Station (ISS), as well as future private space stations.

Keith Reiley, Boeing's commercial crew development program manager, will be presenting updates on the Commercial Crew Transportation System at the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautic Space 2010 Conference and Exposition next week in Anaheim, Calif.

The spacecraft is being designed for compatibility with a variety of rockets, including United Launch Alliance's Atlas and Delta boosters and SpaceX's Falcon rockets. This will give Boeing the flexibility to select an appropriate rocket later in the development process.

The spacecraft will also be equipped with a unique pusher abort system in case the crew encounters an emergency during launch.


NASA work on pusher abort system :
NASA - Max Launch Abort System (MLAS)

http://sites.wff.nasa.gov/code840/mission_mlas.html
MLAS_concept.jpg

test :
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g2Z35JqnV7I[/youtube]


Wiki : Max Launch Abort System
 
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EarthlingX

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I find this very related :

http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewpr.html?pid=31508
NASTAR Center and Special Aerospace Services Commence Research Study on Emergency Detection and Human Response of Atlas V Profile

PRESS Release
Date Released: Saturday, August 28, 2010
Source: NASTAR Center

The NASTAR(R) Center, the premier commercial space training and research center in the world, has completed the initial phase of a research effort focused on commercial human spaceflight and systems development related to emergency detection and response using an Atlas V flight profile, under a contract with Special Aerospace Service (SAS) on August 16, 2010.

SAS used the capabilities of NASTAR Center's unique Space Training Simulator (STS-400) to accurately simulate the ascent G accelerations of an Atlas V rocket in Atlas 402 configuration. Nominal scenarios were performed with three subjects in order to understand crew reaction times. Subjects are medically monitored and tested at NASTAR Center. One subject, Jeff Ashby, is a former NASA Space Shuttle commander.
 
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docm

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ILC Dover has delivered 6 landing bags for tests....

Link....

ILC Dover delivers six airbags to The Boeing Company for upcoming landing tests

Airbags will provide protection to the commercial crew capsule during land-landings and soften the impact for the occupants on the parachute decent to earth.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

PRLog (Press Release) – Sep 08, 2010 – Frederica, Delaware: ILC Dover LP delivered six airbag systems to The Boeing Company for upcoming landing tests of its commercial crew capsule. These airbags will provide protection of the capsule during land-landings and soften the impact for the occupants on the parachute decent to earth. Drop tests are planned for early October at Bigelow Aerospace facilities in North Las Vegas, Nevada. The testing is partially funded by the NASA Commercial Crew Development (CCDev) program.

ILC has a long history of designing and building impact attenuating airbags having built the landing airbags for the Mars Pathfinder, Spirit, and Opportunity rovers. ILC is a leader in developing many other high end inflatable products and has been building NASA EVA spacesuits for the shuttle and ISS for the past 30 years. The airbags used for the CCDev tests were first developed by ILC for the Orion Capsule and were successfully tested at NASA Langley Research Center in 2008.
ILC Dover delivers six airbags to The Boeing Company for upcoming landing tests
Airbags will provide protection to the commercial crew capsule during land-landings and soften the impact for the occupants on the parachute decent to earth.
>

10917423-dab4-south-view.jpg
 
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EarthlingX

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boeing.mediaroom.com : Boeing and Space Adventures to Offer Commercial Spaceflight Opportunities
HOUSTON, Sept. 15, 2010

-- The Boeing Company [NYSE: BA] and Space Adventures, Ltd. have established a memorandum of agreement regarding the marketing of anticipated transportation services to destinations in low Earth orbit (LEO) on Boeing commercial crew spacecraft.

Under this agreement, Space Adventures will market passenger seats on commercial flights aboard the Boeing Crew Space Transportation-100 (CST-100) spacecraft to LEO. Potential customers for excess seating capacity include private individuals, companies, non-governmental organizations, and U.S. federal agencies other than NASA. Boeing plans to use the CST-100 to provide crew transportation to the International Space Station (ISS) and future commercial LEO platforms.

Boeing and Space Adventures have not yet set a price per seat for spaceflight participants, but will do so when full-scale development is under way. Boeing continues to advance its design for the CST-100 spacecraft under NASA’s Commercial Crew Development Space Act Agreement. The spacecraft, which can carry seven people, will be able to fly on multiple launch vehicles and is expected to be operational by 2015.
 
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EarthlingX

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www.flightglobal.com : Boeing well-positioned for final frontier
20/09/10

By Gayle Putrich

Although uncertainty continues to cloud the long-term future for US space programmes and policy, two recent announcements have made it clear that Boeing is well-positioned whatever comes next.

Over the course of two days, Boeing was awarded a five-year, $1.24 billion NASA contract extension for sustainment of the US portion of the International Space Station and announced a partnership with Virginia-based Space Adventures to ferry non-government passengers to the ISS.
...
The exclusive deal with Space Adventures would make commercially available empty seats on the seven-passenger capsule Boeing is developing to take crew members to ISS after the Space Shuttle programme shuts in 2011. NASA typically sends four new crew members to the ISS at a time, which would leave three seats per CST-100 flight for Space Adventures to sell off for an as-yet undisclosed price, the companies say.
...
Although neither company will speak specifically about price, Anderson, co-founder and chairman of Space Adventures, says his company's seats aboard the Boeing spacecraft will be "competitive" with Roscosmos Soyuz tickets, which Anderson says Space Adventures will continue to work with as opportunities arise. A series of four test flights is expected until 2014 with the first flight in 2015, depending on federal funding streams.
...
 
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EarthlingX

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www.thespacereview.com : Space tourism and space policy
by Jeff Foust

Monday, September 20, 2010

While the definition of what is a “NewSpace” company can be difficult to nail down, few would argue that any definition would include Boeing. The aerospace giant, if anything, seems more like the antithesis of the prototypical scrappy NewSpace startup. With revenues of over $15 billion and net income of almost $800 million in just the last quarter, its financial resources dwarf even the most well-heeled startup. While space accounts for only a small portion of those financials, Boeing is a key player in many major military and civil space programs, in particular the shuttle, ISS, and Constellation.

Yet, when it comes to the nascent field of commercial human spaceflight, Boeing looks very much like a NewSpace company. The company is working on a concept for an orbital crew capsule called the CST-100, supported by a NASA award and in partnership with Bigelow Aerospace, a company with plans for a series of orbital habitats. Last week Boeing announced an agreement with another NewSpace company, Space Adventures, to market seats on CST-100 missions. While these initiatives demonstrate Boeing’s interest in this emerging market, they may be just as important for shoring up support for one key element of NASA’s planned new direction in human spaceflight.
...
 
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EarthlingX

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CST-100 mission animation by Boeing :

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mn_gXEK5XmQ[/youtube]
theworacle | July 19, 2010

Boeing video animation of the CST-100 crew transportation vehicle being designed with Bigelow Aerospace under NASA's Commercial Crew Development (CCDev) program. The seven-crew CST-100 is bigger than the Apollo capsule, but smaller than NASA's Orion, and is designed to be launched by a range of rockets incoluding Atlas IV, Delta V and Falcon 9.Video shows the capsule operating with Bigelow's planned inflatable-module Orbital Space Complex.
 
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holmec

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Boeing seems to be pursuing this "new" market aggressively. But is it too aggressive?
 
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pathfinder_01

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holmec":w1rk0oqh said:
Boeing seems to be pursuing this "new" market aggressively. But is it too aggressive?

No, Boeing is a large enough company and this is a small enough project that they can do it without loosing thier shirts.

This is why NASA purchasing the capacity is so important. If it flops you stil have ISS flights for NASA. You have an idea of what is needed and can develop and price things accordingly. It is like knowing that at least 6 people wish to travel back and forth somewhere and are willing to pay you for the service. You set your price to make a profit at six and buy a van that can carry 7-10 so that if more show you make more money.

Without the knowlledge as to number of passengers or trips you would have more risk. Do you buy an large expensive bus that holds 30 only to find that never more than 6 travel or do you buy a small fuel efficient car that can only carry three(leaving 3 behind and costing more because of needing two trips). Also in either scenario your pricing would be off. In the case of the bus your pricing could be too low and your expenses too high to make a profit. In the case of the car, you might again set the price so high that the six people can’t afford it.
 
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Boris_Badenov

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Artist Concepts of Boeing CST-100 Aboard Commercial Launch Vehicles
Boeing released artist's renderings of its Crew Space Transportation (CST)-100 spacecraft during a media briefing with Bigelow Aerospace today at the Farnborough Airshow. Boeing is maturing the design of its CST-100 spacecraft under an $18 million Commercial Crew Development (CCDev) Space Act Agreement with NASA. The CST-100 can carry a crew of seven and is designed to support the International Space Station and the Bigelow Aerospace Orbital Space Complex (as shown in image MTF10-0006-01). The CST-100 will be bigger than Apollo but smaller than Orion, and be able to launch on a variety of different rockets, including Atlas, Delta and Falcon. It will use a simple systems architecture and existing, proven components. The "100" in CST-100 refers to the 100 kilometers from the ground to low Earth orbit.
CST-100 on a Falcon 9.
ooFalcon9.jpg
 
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Boris_Badenov

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CST-100 on a Delta 402 ??? :shock: Maybe they mean Atlas V 402 ;)
ooAtlas402.jpg
 
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Boris_Badenov

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Boeing, partner plan to carry travelers to space station with new spaceship
The Boeing aerospace company announced an agreement with Space Adventures Ltd. of Vienna, Va., to establish a space taxi system that will launch its passengers into low Earth orbit.

Boeing has been developing a capsule and has years of experience building rockets, while Space Adventures has organized seven trips to the space station aboard the Russian spacecraft Soyuz. The obstacles remain high, but the two companies say they think they can begin their service by the end of 2015.

The agreement "creates another opportunity to jump-start the human migration to space," said Brewster Shaw, Boeing's vice president and general manager of space exploration. The goal of his division, he said, is to create a "Boeing commercial aircraft of human space commerce."
 
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vulture4

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When Boeing, as a major partner in Constellation, starts marketing a competitor to Orion, then it's time to seriously think about canceling Orion. However even the CST-100 is a massive step backward from Shuttle. I do wonder how the crew gets onboard... Cherry picker?
 
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Boris_Badenov

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vulture4":lhtzavwq said:
When Boeing, as a major partner in Constellation, starts marketing a competitor to Orion, then it's time to seriously think about canceling Orion.

The Orion's main role is BEO. The CST-100's (DAMN!!! this puppy needs a real name!!!) only role is LEO. The competition is there but it's awfully slim.

vulture4":lhtzavwq said:
However even the CST-100 is a massive step backward from Shuttle. I do wonder how the crew gets onboard... Cherry picker?

The pix we've seen are only artists representations & marketing tools. They aren't supposed to be wholly accurate. You can rest assured though, whatever they use for ingress & egress will be suitable for a 75 year old billionaire to enter & exit the ship. :D
 
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pathfinder_01

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vulture4":1fzvmahe said:
When Boeing, as a major partner in Constellation, starts marketing a competitor to Orion, then it's time to seriously think about canceling Orion. However even the CST-100 is a massive step backward from Shuttle. I do wonder how the crew gets onboard... Cherry picker?

The CST100 is reusable up to 10 times(the capsule part). It lands on land and has an endurance of 48 hours. It can hold a crew of 7 and is meant for LEO only. It is storable at a space station 7 months. Is launchable by Falcon 9, Atlas, and Delta.

Orion lands by sea, only 45% reusable(at best) holds 6 max but a BEO crew would be 4. Costs more per unit than any commercail spacecraft save Dream Chaser, but can support a crew for 21 days. It has BEO capablity but can't go to the moon becuase it currently lacks the ability to get itself both in and out of Orbit. (It could return from the moon if something else breaked it into Orbit). Orion would be launchable by Delta IV heavy or SLS. It could in theory be launched by Atlas V heavy(if they ever build this model of Atlas). Orion is storable for 6 months at a space station and can wait independant of a space station up to 6 months for it's crew to return.
 
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