CEV Project: Any further information released at all?

[john_316]

Well has anyone seen anything new on the CEV project? I am beginning to believe that nothing is happening?<br /><br />Any ideas on the type of craft for the LEO insertion or the avionics being used from any of the designers. Are they going to use a computer like those of the Apollo era or like the real time OS pc types used by the rovers on Mars?<br /><br />Any forsight here engineers?<br /><br />

 

[arobie]

There was a contract awarded to Tranformational Space Corporation for concepts and designs for the CEV and other technologies. For more information look on this thread.

 

[arobie]

Is that any different than what I had said?

 

[arobie]

Oh ok, I see. Thank you.

 

[radarredux]

> <i><font color="yellow">Well has anyone seen anything new on the CEV project?</font>/i><br /><br />$27 million in contracts to 11 groups have been awarded to develop initial concepts. You can think of these as money to develop a more detailed proposal. The contracts are for 6 months and may be extended another 6 months (along with additional money).<br /><br />The contracts were awarded in one of two groups: (1) a broad architectural approach to space exploration and (2) a broad architectural approach along with more specific details on the CEV.<br /><br />Here is a link to a SpaceRef story:<br />http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewpr.html?pid=14924<br /><br />Here is the NASA press release:<br />http://www1.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2004/aug/HQ_c04s_vision_studies.html<br /><br />The contracts are for six months, with an option to extend them for six more months. The prices below only represent a single 6 month cycle, and each is rounded up.<br /><br /><font color="yellow"><b>Just preliminary concepts for human lunar exploration</b></font><br /><br /><ul type="square"><li> Raytheon, Tucson, Ariz. -- $1 million<li> SAIC, Houston -- $1 million<li> SpaceHAB Corp., Webster, Texas -- $1 million<br /></li></li></li></ul><br /><br /><font color="yellow"><b>Combination CEV and preliminary concepts for human lunar exploration</b></font><br /><br /><ul type="square"><li> Andrews Space Inc., Seattle -- $3 million<li> Draper Labs, Cambridge, Mass. -- $3 million<li> Lockheed Martin Corp., Denver -- $3 million<li> Northrop Grumman Corp., El Segundo, Calif. -- $3 million<li> Orbital Sciences Corp., Dulles, Va. -- $3 million<li> Schafer, Chelmsford, Mass. -- $3 million<li> The Boeing Co., Huntington Beach, Calif. -- $3 million<li> t-Space, Menlo Park, Calif. -- $3 million<br /></li></li></li></li></li></li></li></li></ul></i>

 

[flynn]

So looking at the timelines, we can probably expect to see some news coming out of these companys around end of the year as they bid for the second 6 monthly contracts. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <font color="#800080">"All God does is watch us and kill us when we get boring. We must never, ever be boring" - <strong>Chuck Palahniuk</strong>.</font> </div>

 

[radarredux]

> <i><font color="yellow">we can probably expect to see some news coming out of these companys around end of the year as they bid for the second 6 monthly contracts.</font>/i><br /><br />That would be my guess; although, I have not seen any of the actual contracts.<br /><br />I am hoping that as the reports are delivered NASA will place them online for the public to view.</i>

 

[shuttle_rtf]

I've made a prelim inquiry to Lockheed Martin and they seem pretty open to the idea of talking about it. That could be for various reasons, with a lot of those being there's nothing new to say, but hey worth asking and see what quote fun can be sought.

 

[mattblack]

You can't just slap together a spacecraft design like you could a plastic model kit. Unfortunately, its going to take a lot of time and money to get these things into space. I don't want to see a lot of budget strangulation happen to this project the way it happened to the Shuttle.<br /><br />Whatever brand is chosen, be it Boeing-Grumman or LockMart, let us hope that it's the best design.<br /><br />I wonder too if the design chosen might be political as well as engineering: For instance, I favour the Boeing CEV concepts;<br /><br />http://www.boeing.com/defense-space/space/ses/buildingblocks.html<br /><br />http://www.projectconstellation.us/articles/concept-gallery/sec_stage_album.php?albid=NQ==<br /><br />But I prefer the Atlas V over the Delta 4 Heavy. This way, both could get a good slice of the pie. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p>One Percent of Federal Funding For Space: America <strong><em><u>CAN</u></em></strong> Afford it!!  LEO is a <strong><em>Prison</em></strong> -- It's time for a <em><strong>JAILBREAK</strong></em>!!</p> </div>