Dark Horse CCiCap/CCDev 3/FAR Entry?

[USFdon]

With the selection of the final 2 (?) CCiCap/CCDev 3/FAR proposals for funding coming up relatively soon, does anyone see a dark horse, late entry proposal? With congressional meddling, shrinking budgets, stretching timelines, etc... could one of the current candidates drop out like Rocketplane Kistler and a late comer swoop in a la OSC during COTS? Food for thought.

(My money would be on a late entry by OSC and their Prometheus, but that is just me). 

[Jim]

a late comer swoop in a la OSC during COTS? Food for thought.

OSC was not a late comer.  There was a second COTS competition to replace RPK and OSC won it.

[Jim]

could one of the current candidates drop out like Rocketplane Kistler

RPK didn't drop of the competition, it failed in living up to its contracted obligations.

[yg1968]

There is already 4 spacecrafts (from Boeing, SpaceX, SNC and Blue Origin) being funded under CCDev-2 plus a fifth one that has unfunded agreement (Excalibur Almaz). ATK and ULA also have unfunded SAAs for their launch vehicle (Liberty and the Atlas V respectively).

You can be certain that all of these companies have submited bids for CCiCap. There will also be bids from new entrants or previously unsuccesful companies but their chances probably aren't very good.

Incidentally, the next round will be called CCiCap (not CCdev-3) and will be SAAs (not FAR contracts).

[Lurker Steve]

The next round was also supposed to be an Integrated solution, so ULA and ATK would only be participating indirectly as a partner with one of the spacecraft vendors.

[yg1968]

Yes but in ATK's case, it's probably their own bid (they must have teamed with a spacecraft company) since you are only allowed one proposal per company where you are the main contractor. Flightglobal said that ATK, Boeing and SpaceX each submitted a bid.

http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/boeing-details-bid-to-win-nasa-shuttle-replacement-370213/

[oiorionsbelt]

(they must have teamed with a spacecraft company)

Any ideas who this might be? (someone with a really good LAS)

Excalibur Almaz?

[yg1968]

(they must have teamed with a spacecraft company)

Any ideas who this might be? (someone with a really good LAS)

Excalibur Almaz?

I would guess that ATK would team upwith either Boeing or SNC as a subcontractor. Both the CST-100 and Dream Chaser were being explored by Boeing, SNC and ATK.

[A_M_Swallow]

It sound like a common spacecraft/launch vehicle interface is needed.

If this continues NASA will have 5 spacecraft
  Blue Origin capsule, CST-100, Dragon, DreamChaser and Excalibur Almaz (plus Orion)
and 4 launch vehicles
  Atlas V, Blue Origin LV, Falcon 9 and Liberty (with Falcon Heavy and SLS coming).

The spacecraft manufactures will not want to pay to develop 4 interfaces but they may pay for 2 - the one being developed under CCiCap and a common one.  The launch vehicle manufactures can have 5 interfaces or 2.

A good interface can also be used when the payload is cargo.

[Jim]

the one being developed under CCiCap

There is no single interface being developed under CCiCap.  Boeing, SNC, Blue Origin have their own requirements with ULA, Spacex, ATK.  ULA may defining EDS interfaces that will be the same for all its payloads, but that doesn't mean ATK and Spacex will follow the same protocol

There are already standardized interfaces, see EELV spec.  There are standard payload adapters, umbilical connectors, etc.  But is more than just launch vehicle interfaces

The issue is the additional requirements that are different or not shared by each.  So there is no common denominator.  Some spacecraft require liquid cooling at the pad, some have different access clocking on the pad, some have special structural requirements, etc

Each competitor (spacecraft) is on its own wrt launch vehicle interfaces.  It depends on who they are partnering with.  The launch vehicles are just subcontractors.

[tnphysics]

If I were a spacecraft developer, I would want a spacecraft to be launchable by any LV with adequate payload. This could be meant by standard interface.

[go4mars]

Incidentally, the next round will be called CCiCap (not CCdev-3) and will be SAAs (not FAR contracts).

So the CCCP is competition against the dominant Russian system! 

[simonbp]

So the CCCP is competition against the dominant Russian system! 

Yep, NASA apparently named a program to replace a Soviet-era spacecraft after the Soviet Union. And yes, the first "C" in CCCP is Сою́з/Soyuz...