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ULA Completes CCDev Emergency Detection System Abort Demonstration
by
Chris Bergin
on 08 Feb, 2011 14:50
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ULA Completes CCDev Emergency Detection System Abort Demonstration
Details to be Presented at Upcoming Space Transportation Conference
Denver, Colo. (Feb. 8, 2011) – United Launch Alliance (ULA) completed the most significant portion of the final milestone for its Commercial Crew Development Emergency Detection System (EDS) project last month, demonstrating the EDS test bed in ULA’s Denver Launch Support Center using the high fidelity Systems Integration Laboratory (SIL).
During testing last year, several abort simulation runs were successfully generated that illustrate the EDS abort detection capability for a wide range of anomalous launch vehicle conditions, both slow and quick to evolve into a catastrophic event. As soon as EDS detected the anomalous condition, the launch vehicle issued a command to the spacecraft to separate and initiate the abort escape sequence. As part of the demonstration, launch vehicle and spacecraft were animated using a high fidelity simulation tool to provide a visualization of the abort sequence once it had been initiated. Various combinations of the launch vehicle and winged and capsule type spacecraft were used during the simulated abort sequence.
Approximately 50 representatives from the spacecraft and NASA community attended including NASA crew members and MOD support.
Other accomplishments achieved to-date for the CCDev EDS Development and Demonstration activities include:
successfully completed milestones 1, 2 and 3 on schedule, encompassing the kick off, requirements review and a conceptual design review for the EDS architecture and abort demonstration task;
completed reconfiguration of the SIL test bed with a prototype EDS flight processor ahead of schedule and with significantly less modifications than anticipated;
added enhanced capabilities to the SIL hardware configuration abort demo, allowing crew intervention using the abort inhibit and manual abort options;
developed and demonstrated crew display technology during an actual launch (AV-019) with NASA flight and ground controller crew members;
completed the development and testing of the fault detection algorithms that were selected to demonstrate the selected abort scenario cases ahead of schedule;
initiated SC interface requirements development with several SC contractor on CCDev and others interested in using Atlas as well; and
performed a significant amount of fault coverage assessment for both Atlas and Delta configurations.
ULA program management, engineering, test and mission support functions are headquartered in Denver, Colo. Manufacturing, assembly, and integration operations are located at Decatur, Ala., Harlingen, Texas, and San Diego, Calif. Launch operations are located at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla., and Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif.
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#1
by
Namechange User
on 08 Feb, 2011 14:53
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Cool. And in reality that should be about all that is needed. Of course we obviously need a spaceship.
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#2
by
TexasRED
on 08 Feb, 2011 15:23
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This is good, surprised not getting more attention.
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#3
by
Namechange User
on 08 Feb, 2011 15:27
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This is good, surprised not getting more attention.
True but when there is nobody to unfairly accuse and tear down just for the sake of it, no conclusions to jump to, etc this is what happens.
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#4
by
Robotbeat
on 08 Feb, 2011 15:38
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Cool. And in reality that should be about all that is needed. Of course we obviously need a spaceship. 
Very cool!
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#5
by
Ronsmytheiii
on 08 Feb, 2011 15:54
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So what else is there to do for the CCDev work, and EDS to get to flight ready condition?
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#6
by
Namechange User
on 08 Feb, 2011 15:56
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So what else is there to do for the CCDev work, and EDS to get to flight ready condition?
No idea. One thing I can imagine is appropriate ICDs etc to make sure the spacecraft can actually "understand and talk" to the EDS system.
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#7
by
robertross
on 08 Feb, 2011 16:40
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What can I say, ULA knows their stuff.
Good job guys & gals.
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#8
by
Alpha Control
on 08 Feb, 2011 16:49
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Great to see tangible progress on this.
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#9
by
EE Scott
on 08 Feb, 2011 17:05
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I'm waiting and wondering about next steps now...I don't see how this can be tested in-flight unless ULA would get a contract for CLV services.
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#10
by
ugordan
on 08 Feb, 2011 18:07
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It can be tested in flight in passive mode, tapped onto the vehicle sensors and chugging along, but not being able to "abort" any of the unmanned flights it would be flown on first.
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#11
by
Danny Dot
on 08 Feb, 2011 21:00
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Any details on what parameters were used to declare an abort?
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#12
by
ugordan
on 09 Feb, 2011 08:43
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#13
by
Robotbeat
on 09 Feb, 2011 14:25
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#14
by
TexasRED
on 09 Feb, 2011 14:38
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#15
by
yg1968
on 09 Feb, 2011 16:24
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#16
by
yg1968
on 16 Feb, 2011 16:08
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#17
by
Ronsmytheiii
on 16 Feb, 2011 16:24
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This screenshot and the SFN article confirm that ULA is baselining the Atlas 402 version, wonder how long/how much money that will take to get the Dual engine Centaur
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#18
by
yg1968
on 16 Feb, 2011 16:25
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#19
by
Robotbeat
on 16 Feb, 2011 16:35
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