LIVE: CCiCAP Commercial Crew Awards Announcements - August 3, 2012

[uko]

Ed Mango: There are no "full" and "half" awards.. money simply depended on negotiated milestones.

[Lurker Steve]

I don't understand what the purpose of this particular press conference was when all the meaty stuff will be talked about at the 10:45 telecon.

When do we see the Milestones

[yg1968]

All the tough questions are getting non responses "ask in the teleconference".

Any idea if we'll be able to listen to that on NASA audio?

Yes sir!


Audio of the 10:45 a.m. teleconference will be streamed live at:

http://www.nasa.gov/newsaudio

Can somebody record it?

[yg1968]

I don't understand what the purpose of this particular press conference was when all the meaty stuff will be talked about at the 10:45 telecon.

The purpose was to emphasize the fact that jobs will be created in Florida... 

[Chris Bergin]

SNC:

SIERRA NEVADA CORPORATION'S DREAM CHASER SPACE SYSTEM
AWARDED MAJOR NASA ORBITAL TRANSPORTATION DEVELOPMENT CONTRACT
 
SPARKS, Nev., – Aug., 3, 2012 – Eren Ozmen, President of Sierra
Nevada Corporation  (SNC),  is pleased to announce that  the
company's Dream Chaser
® Space System has been awarded $212.5
million  as part of NASA's Commercial Crew Integrated Capability
(CCiCap) Program.   The 21 month contract will begin in August of
2012. 
 
Mark Sirangelo, Corporate Vice President and head of SNC's Space
Systems  stated, “SNC, as the  owner and  prime contractor for the
Dream Chaser Space System,  on behalf of  all of our industry,
academic, and NASA Center teaming partners would like to thank NASA for showing the confidence in
us and for all its efforts to maintain the vital Commercial Crew Program as part of its plan for the future
of space transportation. We  are very pleased to have been awarded this amount of funding as part of
NASA's ongoing effort to create a commercial human transportation system to low Earth orbit. This
award will allow our Program to continue to make great strides in the development of the Dream Chaser
Space System. We want to express our appreciation to all of those that have provided great support in
our efforts, including everyone within our organization and  our terrific external team partners,  the
NASA personnel assigned to our efforts and throughout the NASA Centers and our federal, state, and
local government representatives.” 
 
SNC  has  integrated the efforts of its powerful team of leading aerospace companies, academic
institutions, and NASA Centers to significantly advance the development of the Dream Chaser orbital
crew vehicle  and the associated mission, ground, and crew systems, as well as launch vehicle
integration. To date,  the SNC  team has completed 19 milestones;  including a full system Preliminary
Design Review and first captive carry flight, in addition to a significant number of additional tasks. The
remaining milestone under the second round of NASA funding will be an Approach and Landing Test
scheduled for later this year, mirroring the first flight test of the  Space Shuttle Program.   The full
CCiCap Program will allow  SNC to complete development of the Dream Chaser Space System and
transport crews to space as early as 2016.
 
“We are pleased to be selected to continue development of the Dream Chaser Space System and proud
that NASA is showing confidence in the SNC team’s  ability to develop our  nation’s next human
spacecraft.  Our team will continue to work with NASA to ensure that the Dream Chaser  is a reliable
and safe spacecraft to carry NASA astronauts to the International Space Station," said Jim Voss, Vice
President of SNC's Space Exploration Systems and Dream Chaser Program Manager. “I believe we were
chosen to continue the Dream Chaser Program because we have a great design, a great team, and have
demonstrated, in cooperation with our NASA Partner, that we can develop a human spacecraft in a rapid
and cost effective manner.”

[Norm Hartnett]

Well that was a waste of time. I should have stayed in bed.

We should be seeing pressers from the award winners shortly and WSJ said that Boeing was planning a news conference after the anouncement.

Edit, I see Chris is on top of it. lol

[Rocket Science]

Replay...

[Norm Hartnett]

10:45 News teleconference participants are:
-- Associate Administrator for Human Exploration and Operations Directorate William Gerstenmaier
-- Director for Commercial Spaceflight Development Philip McAlister
-- Deputy Manager for Commercial Crew Program Brent Jett

[ugordan]

Boeing release:

http://boeing.mediaroom.com/index.php?s=43&item=2375

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Aug. 3, 2012 -- Boeing [NYSE: BA] has received notification that NASA will invest $460 million for further development of the Boeing Commercial Crew Transportation System in the third round of the Commercial Crew Program: Commercial Crew Integrated Capability (CCiCap). Boeing will complete development milestones to further mature the integrated system -- including the CST-100 spacecraft, launch services and ground systems -- to prepare for certification and operations.

"This award will enable us to build on the successes achieved in our Commercial Crew Development (CCDev) and CCDev-2 work for effective development through Critical Design Review, as we progress toward human rating and certification," said John Mulholland, vice president and program manager of Boeing Commercial Programs. "We look forward to providing a complete end-to-end transportation service to support NASA crew transportation to and from the International Space Station (ISS), and fostering a growing market for commercial transportation to other low Earth orbit destinations."

The CCiCap award addresses development milestones to be completed in a 21-month base period, with the potential for additional milestones in a subsequent options period. Under CCDev and CCDev-2, Boeing has successfully completed tests on engines, abort systems, propulsion, heat shield jettison, attitude control systems and landing to provide full data on functional elements of the spacecraft's design.

"Today's award demonstrates NASA's confidence in Boeing's approach to provide commercial crew transportation services for the ISS," said John Elbon, Boeing vice president and general manager of Space Exploration. "It is essential for the ISS and the nation that we have adequate funding to move at a rapid pace toward operations so the United States does not continue its dependence on a single system for human access to the ISS."

Boeing's safe, reliable Commercial Crew Transportation System draws on practices, expertise and resources from across the Boeing enterprise and five decades of experience in human spaceflight. It is supported by professional personnel and flight-demonstrated systems and technologies. Boeing is preparing for its initial test flight with a United Launch Alliance Atlas V launch vehicle as early as 2016.

Boeing's online press kit at www.boeing.com/bds/mediakit/2012/commercialcrew/ contains program backgrounders, biographies and a link to high-resolution photos.

Visit www.beyondearth.com for more information about the future of human space exploration.

A unit of The Boeing Company, Boeing Defense, Space & Security is one of the world's largest defense, space and security businesses specializing in innovative and capabilities-driven customer solutions, and the world's largest and most versatile manufacturer of military aircraft. Headquartered in St. Louis, Boeing Defense, Space & Security is a $32 billion business with 61,000 employees worldwide. Follow us on Twitter: @BoeingDefense.

# # #

Contact:

Susan Wells
Space Exploration
Office: 321-264-8580
Mobile: 321-446-4970
[email protected]

Paula Korn
Space Exploration
Mobile: 281-658-0337
[email protected]

[Rocket Science]

1 minute...

[Rocket Science]

Gerst speaking and explaining process... SAA's

August 8th for contract phase, certification...

[QuantumG]

Redacted SAAs will be available by close of business today.

[block51]

So it sounds like Blue Origin didn't even "bid" on CCiCAP. Did I hear that correctly?

[yg1968]

Gerst named the 7 companies that submitted a proposal. I didn't write them down. 

[ugordan]

Presentation: http://www.nasa.gov/pdf/672130main_CCiCap%20Announcement.pdf

[yg1968]

So it sounds like Blue Origin didn't even "bid" on CCiCAP. Did I hear that correctly?

I don't recall hearing Blue Origin either in the group of 7 companies that submitted a proposal.

[Rocket Science]

Best value of diverse launchers and spacecraft...

Hardware testing and analysis over the next 21 months...

DC will use SLF.

Dragon landing site unknown yet.

Mid 2015 crewed demo launch.

Pad abort and in flight abort test.

[Chris Bergin]

SpaceX:

NASA SELECTS SPACEX TO RETURN AMERICANS TO SPACE

 

(Hawthorne, CA) – Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) today won a $440 million contract with NASA to develop the successor to the Space Shuttle and transport American astronauts into space.

 

“This is a decisive milestone in human spaceflight and sets an exciting course for the next phase of American space exploration,” said SpaceX CEO and Chief Designer Elon Musk. “SpaceX, along with our partners at NASA, will continue to push the boundaries of space technology to develop the safest, most advanced crew vehicle ever flown.”

 

SpaceX expects to undertake its first manned flight by 2015 – a timetable that capitalizes on the proven success of the company’s Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft combination. While Dragon is initially being used to transport cargo to the International Space Station, both Dragon and Falcon 9 were designed from the beginning to carry crew.

 

Under the Commercial Crew Integrated Capability (CCiCap) initiative’s base period, SpaceX will make the final modifications necessary to prepare Dragon to safely transport astronauts into space. These include:

 

·         Seats for seven astronauts.

 

·         The most technically advanced launch escape system ever developed, with powered abort possibilities from launch pad to orbit. SpaceX will demonstrate that Dragon will be able to escape a launch-pad emergency by firing integrated SuperDraco engines to carry the spacecraft safely to the ocean. SpaceX will also conduct an in-flight abort test that allows Dragon to escape at the moment of maximum aerodynamic drag, again by firing the SuperDraco thrusters to carry the spacecraft a safe distance from the rocket.

 

·         A breakthrough propulsive landing system for gentle ground touchdowns on legs.

 

·         Refinements and rigorous testing of essential aspects of Dragon’s design, including life-support systems and an advanced cockpit design complete with modern human interfaces.

 

SpaceX will perform stringent safety and mission-assurance analyses to demonstrate that all these systems meet NASA requirements.

 

With a minimal number of stage separations, all-liquid rocket engines that can be throttled and turned off in an emergency, engine-out capability during ascent, and powered abort capability all the way to orbit, the Falcon 9-Dragon combination will be the safest spacecraft ever developed.

 

 

About SpaceX

SpaceX designs, manufactures and launches the world's most advanced rockets and spacecraft. With a diverse manifest of more than 40 launches to resupply the space station and deliver commercial and government satellites to orbit, SpaceX is the world's fastest growing launch services provider. In 2012, SpaceX made history when its Dragon spacecraft became the first commercial vehicle to successfully attach to the International Space Station—a feat previously achieved by only four governments. With the retirement of the Space Shuttle, the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft are carrying cargo, and one day will carry astronauts, to and from the space station for NASA. Founded in 2002 by Elon Musk, SpaceX is a private company owned by management and employees, with minority investments from Founders Fund, Draper Fisher Jurvetson, and Valor Equity Partners. The company has more than 1,800 employees in California, Texas, Florida and Washington, DC. For more information, visit www.spacex.com.

 

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VIDEO: 

 

PHOTOGRAPHY:  http://spacexlaunch.zenfolio.com/p70000514

[Chris Bergin]

SpaceX Dragon on upgraded F9: Mid CY 2015 crew test flight - not to the ISS - depending on optimum funding and test schedule.

[Rocket Science]

Boeing late 2016 crewed test flight.