Orion crew's safety Marshall mandate

Engineers work on launch abort system for new craft

Friday, September 01, 2006

By SHELBY G. SPIRES

Times Aerospace Writer shelby.spires@htimes.com

Marshall Space Flight Center engineers will work on a key piece of safety equipment for the new Orion crew capsule - the launch abort system.

NASA said Thursday that the Orion capsule will be built by a team headed by Lockheed Martin Corp., with the majority of the work done at Johnson Space Center in Houston and final assembly completed at Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

To be launched atop NASA's new Ares I rocket, the Orion capsule is intended to carry up to six people to the International Space Station or take four astronauts to the moon. It could also support later launches to Mars, NASA said.

Marshall engineers are already working on the launch abort system, performing test and engineering work, spokeswoman Kim Newton said.

The launch abort system is a small, advanced rocket designed to whisk the Orion capsule and crew away from harm in case of an accident on the pad or during the first few minutes after launch.

"It's really four rocket motors and a fairly complex piece of equipment," said Skip Hatfield, NASA's Orion program manager.

Marshall engineers also will work out how the Orion capsule and its service module will fit on top of the Ares I rocket, and some advanced work is being performed on the rocket engine that will bring crews off the moon's surface, Newton said.

The space agency has spent $178 million over the past two years developing the Orion capsule. NASA estimates that it will spend almost $8 billion on the program by 2019. Lockheed beat a team made up of Northrop Grumman Corp. and Boeing Co. for the five-year, $3.9 billion Orion contract.

It wasn't immediately clear how many people at Marshall will be directly involved in the Orion work, Newton said. "It's mostly engineering, design and study work now," she said.

While the decision won't bring an army of aerospace jobs to Huntsville, said Mark McDaniel, a Huntsville lawyer and an aerospace adviser, "it does mean that NASA has moved along in the moon and exploration program.

"It's one more step in the long trip back to the moon," McDaniel said. "NASA has been planning this for years, and now it seems to be taking form. One of the jobs now is to make sure it keeps getting the money in Washington. "

Preliminary estimates in Congress have put the price tag on a return voyage to the moon at more than $100 billion.

NASA plans to send crews to the moon before 2020 and ultimately for stays of up to six months per mission, space agency managers say.

The Orion crew capsule is the latest piece of hardware unveiled by NASA. A year ago NASA officials said Marshall would be the lead developer of the Ares I crew rocket and the Ares V heavy-lift rocket - both new designs based on space shuttle hardware.

Some aerospace experts believe that NASA should have considered using rockets such as the Boeing Delta IV, built in Decatur, or the Lockheed Martin Atlas 5 instead of building new rockets.

"There's a belief at NASA that you need big things to get to the moon and Mars, and that may not be so," said Keith Cowing, a former NASA manager who runs the watchdog Web site NASAwatch.com. "It could be cheaper to launch multiple existing (rockets) like ones in the Delta or Atlas family and build a vehicle in space. There is certainly a lot of experience with constructing crewed vehicles in space today because of the space station."

Charles Lurio, an aerospace expert in Boston, said he believes that competition could keep down development and launch costs over time.

"What is the sense of running a single contract?" Lurio asked. "NASA has been doing that for years, and it has only shown that spaceflight is incredibly expensive. The expendable launch vehicles, like the Atlas and Delta or one developed by another company, should've been pursued.



Orion crew's safety Marshall mandate Engineers work on launch abort system for new craft Friday, September 01, 2006 By SHELBY G. SPIRES Times Aerospace Writer shelby.spires@htimes.com Marshall Space Flight Center engineers will work on a key piece of safety equipment for the new Orion crew capsule - the launch abort system. NASA said Thursday that the Orion capsule will be built by a team headed by Lockheed Martin Corp., with the majority of the work done at Johnson Space Center in Houston and final assembly completed at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. To be launched atop NASA's new Ares I rocket, the Orion capsule is intended to carry up to six people to the International Space Station or take four astronauts to the moon. It could also support later launches to Mars, NASA said. Marshall engineers are already working on the launch abort system, performing test and engineering work, spokeswoman Kim Newton said. The launch abort system is a small, advanced rocket designed to whisk the Orion capsule and crew away from harm in case of an accident on the pad or during the first few minutes after launch. "It's really four rocket motors and a fairly complex piece of equipment," said Skip Hatfield, NASA's Orion program manager. Marshall engineers also will work out how the Orion capsule and its service module will fit on top of the Ares I rocket, and some advanced work is being performed on the rocket engine that will bring crews off the moon's surface, Newton said. The space agency has spent $178 million over the past two years developing the Orion capsule. NASA estimates that it will spend almost $8 billion on the program by 2019. Lockheed beat a team made up of Northrop Grumman Corp. and Boeing Co. for the five-year, $3.9 billion Orion contract. It wasn't immediately clear how many people at Marshall will be directly involved in the Orion work, Newton said. "It's mostly engineering, design and study work now," she said. While the decision won't bring an army of aerospace jobs to Huntsville, said Mark McDaniel, a Huntsville lawyer and an aerospace adviser, "it does mean that NASA has moved along in the moon and exploration program. "It's one more step in the long trip back to the moon," McDaniel said. "NASA has been planning this for years, and now it seems to be taking form. One of the jobs now is to make sure it keeps getting the money in Washington. " Preliminary estimates in Congress have put the price tag on a return voyage to the moon at more than $100 billion. NASA plans to send crews to the moon before 2020 and ultimately for stays of up to six months per mission, space agency managers say. The Orion crew capsule is the latest piece of hardware unveiled by NASA. A year ago NASA officials said Marshall would be the lead developer of the Ares I crew rocket and the Ares V heavy-lift rocket - both new designs based on space shuttle hardware. Some aerospace experts believe that NASA should have considered using rockets such as the Boeing Delta IV, built in Decatur, or the Lockheed Martin Atlas 5 instead of building new rockets. "There's a belief at NASA that you need big things to get to the moon and Mars, and that may not be so," said Keith Cowing, a former NASA manager who runs the watchdog Web site NASAwatch.com. "It could be cheaper to launch multiple existing (rockets) like ones in the Delta or Atlas family and build a vehicle in space. There is certainly a lot of experience with constructing crewed vehicles in space today because of the space station." Charles Lurio, an aerospace expert in Boston, said he believes that competition could keep down development and launch costs over time. "What is the sense of running a single contract?" Lurio asked. "NASA has been doing that for years, and it has only shown that spaceflight is incredibly expensive. The expendable launch vehicles, like the Atlas and Delta or one developed by another company, should've been pursued. © 2006 The Huntsville Times © 2006 al.com All Rights Reserved.