Constellation Challenges - test and flight schedules under pressure

[Chris Bergin]

Here we go on scrapping Ares I....From the Orlando Sentinel report.

"I've never heard of any conversations of that kind (on alternate to Ares I)." Cooke.

"Ares I is doing great." Hanley. "TO fine, as nothing will be added to Orion".

[Chris Bergin]

Tuned Mass Absorbers (reported on previous here) is a good TO mitigation technique...believe he mentioned the Aft Skirt thrusters too, which they don't like too much.

Active system too.

[Chris Bergin]

Ares I team is doing well enough on performance that they are comfortable about absorbing mass impacts from TO.

Sounds like Parasorber/TMA is big favorite now?

[jacqmans]

RELEASE: 08-205

NASA TO REALIGN CONSTELLATION PROGRAM MILESTONES

WASHINGTON -- In a news conference Monday, NASA managers discussed how
the agency will be adjusting the budget, schedule and technical
performance milestones for its Constellation Program to ensure the
first crewed flight of the Ares I rocket and Orion crew capsule in
March 2015.

The Constellation Program is developing the spacecraft and systems,
including the Ares I and Ares V rockets, the Orion crew exploration
vehicle, and the Altair lunar lander, that will take astronauts to
the International Space Station after the retirement of the space
shuttle, and eventually return humans to the moon.

"Since the program's inception, NASA has been working an aggressive
plan to achieve flight capability before our March 2015 target," said
Rick Gilbrech, associate administrator for the Exploration Systems
Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington. "We are still
confident the Constellation Program will make its first flight to the
International Space Station on or before that date. Our new path
forward better aligns our project schedules with our existing funds
to ensure we can address the unplanned challenges that always arise
when developing a complex flight system."

NASA will retire the space shuttles in 2010 and had established a goal
of achieving flight capability for the Constellation Program before
2015 to narrow the gap in America's human spaceflight capability. As
such, NASA aligned Constellation contracts and internal milestones
against a date much earlier than March 2015 to incentivize an earlier
flight capability.

As part of an annual budget process that evaluates the program's
budget, schedule and technical performance milestones, NASA will be
working with its contractors to discuss how program plans and
internal milestones should be adjusted -- a process that will take
several months and require contract modifications and associated
milestone realignments. Such adjustments are not unusual for a
complex development program as work matures and schedules and
resources are aligned.

For more information about the Constellation Program, visit:



http://www.nasa.gov/constellation

[Tim S]

Here we go on scrapping Ares I....From the Orlando Sentinel report.

"I've never heard of any conversations of that kind (on alternate to Ares I)." Cooke.

"Ares I is doing great." Hanley. "TO fine, as nothing will be added to Orion".

And that kills that rumor.

[Chris Bergin]

Even with unlimited money, 2013 is no longer achievable, it appears (paraphrasing).

[paulbacon]

Just to clear something up, ive heard March and Sept 2014 for the first manned Orion flight. Which one are they working towards now?

[Namechange User]

Here we go on scrapping Ares I....From the Orlando Sentinel report.

"I've never heard of any conversations of that kind (on alternate to Ares I)." Cooke.

"Ares I is doing great." Hanley. "TO fine, as nothing will be added to Orion".

And that kills that rumor.

Sure, because they would certainly tell us the truth right now.  Right? 

[Stowbridge]

Where's Keith Cowing on this telecon?

[Chris Bergin]

 "Need to sharpen their pencils on the Sept. 2014 IOC date."

[kraisee]

Just to clear something up, ive heard March and Sept 2014 for the first manned Orion flight. Which one are they working towards now?

Paul,
There are two dates being talked about:

1) Initial Operational Capability (IOC) which is the internal program target date at a 65% confidence level
2) The Commitment Date - the "must do by" date in context of a 'commitment' to the lawmakers paying the bill


IOC has slipped 12 months from September 2013 to September 2014.

Commitment Date has also slipped 12 months from March 2014 to March 2015.

Ross.

[Chris Bergin]

Where's Keith Cowing on this telecon?

On now.

Pressing them on the parachute test failure, which they've not released photos etc on.

"We've not seen photographs ourselves."

Asks if Griffin was in error when he said additional money would help accelerate Orion.

"Depends on where we're at with the contract actions in realigning with the schedule, which is an elaborate process..."

Cooke argues that there's no inconsistancy between what CxP are saying and Griffin on reducing the gap.

[marsavian]

Just to clear something up, ive heard March and Sept 2014 for the first manned Orion flight. Which one are they working towards now?

Paul,
There are two dates being talked about:

1) Initial Operational Capability (IOC) which is the internal program target date at a 65% confidence level
2) The Commitment Date - the "must do by" date in context of a 'commitment' to the lawmakers paying the bill


IOC has slipped 12 months from September 2013 to September 2014.

Commitment Date has also slipped 12 months from March 2014 to March 2015.

Ross.

No, the 65% confidence level is for March 2015. For September 2014 they gave a very qualified ~50% figure.

[paulbacon]

Just to clear something up, ive heard March and Sept 2014 for the first manned Orion flight. Which one are they working towards now?

Paul,
There are two dates being talked about:

1) Initial Operational Capability (IOC) which is the internal program target date at a 65% confidence level
2) The Commitment Date - the "must do by" date in context of a 'commitment' to the lawmakers paying the bill


IOC has slipped 12 months from September 2013 to September 2014.

Commitment Date has also slipped 12 months from March 2014 to March 2015.

Ross.

Thanks for that. All these different months/years getting me a little confused

[Chris Bergin]

Well that was all more interesting than some of the previous pressers.

Lots of Ares I is doing great.
Some fighting talk on what appears to be their knowledge that some people aren't happy with the process.
Apparent moving away from the aft thrusters on TO mitigation, with mass absorbers (active) looking favorite.
A complete dismissal of alternative options being looked at on a specific question about the Orlando Sentinel report.

[Chris Bergin]

Actually, we're using the first of two stories (related threads) I wrote on this, so I think the second one stands:

http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/content/?cid=5458

[Antares]

Here we go on scrapping Ares I....From the Orlando Sentinel report.

"I've never heard of any conversations of that kind (on alternate to Ares I)." Cooke.

"Ares I is doing great." Hanley. "TO fine, as nothing will be added to Orion".

And that kills that rumor.

That is some tasty kool-aid!

[marsavian]

Well that was all more interesting than some of the previous pressers.

Lots of Ares I is doing great.
Some fighting talk on what appears to be their knowledge that some people aren't happy with the process.
Apparent moving away from the aft thrusters on TO mitigation, with mass absorbers (active) looking favorite.
A complete dismissal of alternative options being looked at on a specific question about the Orlando Sentinel report.

Active TMA is better than active thrusters but worse than passive TMA which is the ideal solution. If it fails to respond and react accordingly in use the astronauts are toast.

[TRS717]

Well that was all more interesting than some of the previous pressers.

I've been watching NASA press conferences since the late 60's, and aside from a few immediately following accidents or incidents, I can recall few when newsies were quite so pointed or aggressive in their questioning.

It was all the more unusual in that it was meant to cover just budget and scheduling issues. But it seems clear to me that unease and and dissatisfaction with Ares I has now spilled out into the area of "general knowledge."

Finally, it was also almost as painful as it was gratifying to hear bureaucrats pressed to explain themselves in plain language. Kudos to the reporters. (Now I think I need to go wash my hands with bleach for typing those words ;-)

[renclod]

Jeff Hanley talked about an elegant solution for the T.O. issue, active system, electro-magnetically actuated mass absorbers mounted on the outside or inside !?

The first stage has enough margin to mitigate the mass penalty on its side, so no impact for the rest of the stack.

Actuators and mass absorbers are derived from hardware that has flown with Shuttle payloads