Commercial Crew & Cargo Program
NASA Crew & Cargo Program
SpaceX
Orbital Sciences Cargo
Resupply
Commercial Crew
Program
TBD
Select
Image
1
Reference Information
Commercial Crew & Cargo Program - Page 1 of 2
 NASA’s Commercial Crew and Cargo Program Office (C3PO) has established
a two-phased approach to implement its International Space Station (ISS) logistics strategy
after the Shuttle was retired providing an opportunity for commercial space transportation
services.
C3PO is working with industry to develop and demonstrate crew transportation capabilities
once significant progress is demonstrated in cargo transportation.
 Commercial Cargo Program
- Phase 1 - Development and Demonstration
Phase 1 is called the Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) Demonstrations
project. Under COTS, NASA helps industry develop and demonstrate its own crew cargo
space transportation capabilities. Industry leads and directs its own efforts with NASA
providing technical and financial assistance.
-- NASA is investing approximately $800M from 2006 thru 2012 toward cargo space
transportation flight demonstrations which are planned for completion in 2012. NASA
payments are made only upon completion of progress milestones by its industry partners.
- Phase 2 - ISS Commercial Resupply Services (CRS)
The government conducted a competitive procurement for cargo services to support the ISS.
-- On December 23, 2008, NASA entered into contracts with Orbital Sciences Corporation
(Orbital) and Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) to utilize their COTS cargo vehicles
Cygnus and Dragon, respectively, for cargo delivery to the ISS.
Commercial Crew & Cargo Program - Page 2 of 2
 Commercial Crew Program
- Commercial Crew Development (CCDev)
In 2009, NASA began commercial crew initiatives to stimulate the private sector to develop
and demonstrate human spaceflight capabilities that could ultimately lead to the availability of
commercial human spaceflight services for both commercial and government customers.
-- Two phases of the CCDev program (CCDev 1 and 2) were awarded to American
commercial firms for the purpose of fostering research and development.
- Commercial Crew Integrated Capability (formerly CCDev 3)
In February 2012, NASA began a new initiative, the Commercial Crew integrated Capability
(CCiCap), to facilitate industry’s development of an integrated crew transportation system
(CTS). This activity is expected to result in maturation of commercial CTS.
-- NASA solicited proposals from U.S. space industry participants to mature the design and
development of an integrated CTS which includes spacecraft, launch vehicle, ground and
mission systems.
--- The final Request for Proposal was released on February 7, 2012 and the proposals were
due on March 23, 2012.
-- The selected CCiCap participants will receive funded Space Act Agreements awarded in
July or August 2012 lasting until May 2014.
--- The contenders include: Alliant Techsystems (ATK), Blue Origin, Boeing, Sierra Nevada
and SpaceX.
Commercial Crew & Cargo Program
Commercial Crew Program Schedule (as of February 7, 2012)
Credit: NASA
Dragon Spacecraft Cargo Configuration
Nose Cap
Spacecraft
Unpressurized
Cargo
Forward
Hatch
ISS Common
Berthing Mechanism
Pressurized
Cargo
Credit: SpaceX
Trunk
Solar Array
(Stowed)
The Dragon spacecraft cargo configuration is comprised of 3 main elements:
1) Nose Cap - protects the vessel and the ISS common berthing mechanism during ascent
and jettisoned after stage separation;
2) Spacecraft - houses the pressurized cargo as well as the service section containing
avionics, the RCS system, parachutes, and other support subsystems;
3) Trunk - provides for the stowage of unpressurized cargo and will support Dragon’s solar
arrays and thermal radiators. The thermal radiators are not shown.
Dragon Spacecraft
The Spacecraft Engineering Model (left) is shown at the
SpaceX, Hawthorne, CA facility. The model is a
manufacturing pathfinder, made just as the production
flight units. This model and others were used for
splashdown and structural testing.
The capsule is 20 ft in length with a maximum diameter
of 12.1 ft. The side hatch opening has a height of 26 in
and the base is 29 in. The Nosecone is located on top
of the capsule and jettisoned after launch. The ablative
thermal protection system is not shown.
Credit: SpaceX
The Qualification Unit as seen at Hawthorne, CA After
using it for ground tests, SpaceX launched it into low Earth
orbit on the maiden flight of the Falcon 9 rocket on June 4,
2010.
SpaceX used the launch to evaluate the aerodynamic
conditions on the spacecraft and performance of the
rocket. The spacecraft orbited the Earth over 300 times
before decaying from orbit and reentering the atmosphere
on June 29, 2010.
Credit: SpaceX
Demo Flight 1 Launch
Payload
Fairing &
Dragon
Second
Stage
First
Stage
Credit: SpaceX
SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket and unmanned
Dragon spacecraft is shown lifting off from
Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air
Force Station, FL on December 8, 2010.
After releasing the Dragon capsule, the Falcon
9 deployed a cache of small CubeSat
secondary payloads then fired its engine a
second time to reach an orbit with a peak
altitude of about 6,800 miles.
The Dragon spacecraft achieved a nearly
perfect 186 mile circular orbit for its trial run.
Dragon flew two orbits executing a preprogrammed series of maneuvers and systems
checks that would be needed for an ISS
rendezvous and docking.
Over Australia, the spacecraft fired four of its
18 thrusters for 6 minutes to de-orbit and reentered the atmosphere. Drogue chutes, and
then three main parachutes, released on time,
slowed Dragon to a 26 ft per second landing in
the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Baja, CA 3
hours and 19 minutes after launch.
Demo Flight 2 Launch
On May 22, 2012, the Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from
Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force
Station, FL successfully launching the unmanned
Dragon into orbit on a test flight to deliver supplies
to the ISS. The 1,150 lbs of supplies included food,
crew provisions, student-developed experiments,
and computer equipment.
Falcon 9 also carried small canisters filled with
cremated remains that included Mercury astronaut
Gordon Cooper, who died in 2004, and actor
James Doohan, who portrayed chief engineer
Montgomery "Scotty" Scott on the original Star Trek
television series. James Doohan died in 2005.
After separation from the rocket, Dragon released
the aerodynamic shields over its solar panels
before deploying the arrays to generate electricity.
The approach to the ISS was slow and methodical.
Several planned and unplanned pauses were made
to make sure Dragon's abort system was operating,
its LIDAR laser ranging sensors were working, and
its thermal cameras were seeing their target
properly.
Credit: SpaceX
Demo Flight 2 Capture and Berth to the ISS
Credit: NASA
On May 25, 2012, the Dragon cargo
spacecraft was captured by the ISS’ 58 ft
Canadarm2 robotic arm. The robotic arm
(left) is shown maneuvering Dragon into a
position where it could be berthed to the ISS
Harmony module.
The Dragon cargo spacecraft (right) was joined
using the active Common Berthing Mechanism
(CBM) on the Harmony module in a similar fashion
to the Japanese H-II Transfer Vehicle. The Dragon
passive CBM was captured and drawn into the
desired position by 4 Harmony capture latches and
secured by 16 Harmony bolts.
Credit: NASA
Demo Flight 2 ISS Operations and Return
On May 26, 2012, Dragon’s hatch was opened.
An ISS Expedition 31 crew member
photographed the interior (left). The hatch is at
the top and the supplies that have not been
unloaded are shown supported inside the
spacecraft. After the supplies were unloaded,
the equipment to be returned to Earth was
loaded.
Credit: NASA
After the hatch was closed, the robotic arm
grappled Dragon, maneuvered the spacecraft a
safe distance from the ISS and released it. The
cargo ship was then de-orbited and returned safely
to Earth landing 560 miles west of Baja California,
Mexico (right) completing a feat never before
achieved by private industry. A fleet of recovery
vessels, staffed with SpaceX engineers and divers,
retrieved the capsule from the sea. SpaceX plans
to reuse Dragon on future ISS cargo missions.
Credit: Michael Altenhofen/SpaceX
SpaceX Partial CRS Launch Manifest
Credit: SpaceX
Program
Launch
Date or
Target
Vehicle
Launch
Site
Duration
Flight Objective or Summary
NASA COTS Demo Flight 1
Dec. 8,
2010
Falcon 9/
Dragon
Cape
Canaveral
3.3 hours
The Dragon spacecraft completed two
186 mile Earth circular orbits executing a
series of maneuvers and systems
checkouts that will be needed for an ISS
rendezvous and docking. It was then deorbited and landed in the Pacific Ocean
off of the coast of Baja California, Mexico
where the capsule was recovered. (1)
NASA COTS Demo Flight 2
May 22,
2012
Falcon 9/
Dragon
Cape
Canaveral
10 days
Full cargo mission profile including mate
to the ISS, resupply and cargo return.
NASA Resupply
to ISS - Flight 1
Sept.
2012
(2)(3)
Falcon 9/
Dragon
Cape
Canaveral
Not
Available
Full cargo mission profile.
NASA Resupply
to ISS - Flight 2
2012 (3)
Falcon 9/
Dragon
Cape
Canaveral
Not
Available
Full cargo mission profile.
Notes:
(1) Shear Magic by Irene Klotz, Aviation Week & Space Technology, December 13, 2010,
page 22
(2) Formal reviews in June 2012 should clear the way for the first operational cargo mission in
September 2012 (SpaceFlight Now.com, May 31, 2012).
(3) Year for hardware arrival at launch site.
Dragon Spacecraft Crew Configuration
Trunk
Unpressurized
Cargo
Spacecraft
Forward
Hatch
Solar Array
(Stowed)
Crew
(7 Maximum)
Credit: SpaceX
ISS Common
Berthing
Mechanism
The Dragon spacecraft crew configuration is similar to the cargo configuration except the
spacecraft houses the crew and not the pressurized cargo. The nose cap and thermal
radiators are not shown.
Cygnus Spacecraft
Pressurized
Cargo Module
Service
Module
Credit: Orbital
Under a three-year COTS cooperative agreement with NASA, Orbital Sciences is developing
a new space transportation system to demonstrate the capability to deliver supplies to the
ISS. The COTS program involves the full-scale flight demonstration of a commercial cargo
delivery system employing the new Antares medium-class launch vehicle, the Cygnus
spacecraft including a module to carry pressurized cargo. The spacecraft is not required to
return to the Earth. The first COTS demonstration mission is expected no sooner than
October or November 2012.
Cygnus Spacecraft Approaches/Berths to the ISS
The unmanned Cygnus cargo spacecraft approaches
the ISS (left) where the Canadarm2 robotic arm
prepares to grapple the vehicle. The robotic arm will
then maneuver Cygnus into a position where it can be
joined using the active Common Berthing Mechanism
(CBM) on the Harmony module in a similar fashion to
the Japanese H-II Transfer Vehicle. The Cygnus
passive CBM is captured and drawn into the desired
position by 4 Harmony capture latches and secured by
16 Harmony bolts.
Credit: Orbital
The Cygnus cargo spacecraft is shown berthed to the
Harmony module where cargo can be unloaded. The
spacecraft can then be loaded with waste. After the Cygnus
spacecraft is loaded, the robotic arm grapples the vehicle,
maneuvers the spacecraft a safe distance from the ISS and
releases it. The spacecraft will then de-orbit and burn-up
when it enters Earth’s atmosphere.
Credit: Orbital
Antares Launch Vehicle
Payload
Fairing
Second
Stage
First
Stage
Credit: Orbital
Antares is a two-stage expendable launch vehicle
with a 12.8 ft diameter payload fairing designed to
provide access to space for medium-class
payloads weighing up to 13,492 lbs. It will be
designed to launch payloads into a variety of low
inclination low-Earth orbits, and sun-synchronous,
geo-transfer and interplanetary orbits. An object in
a sun-synchronous orbit ascends or descends
over any given point of the Earth's surface at the
same local mean solar time.
The Antares development is funded by Orbital and
the COTS program. The first test flight of the
Antares launch vehicle from the Wallops Flight
Facility, VA is expected to occur in August 2012.
Enhanced Cygnus Spacecraft
Credit: Orbital
Beginning with the fourth Cygnus mission, an enhanced spacecraft will continue providing
logistics services to the ISS. The enhanced Cygnus incorporates a larger pressurized cargo
module than the spacecraft used in the first three Cygnus missions. The enhanced vehicle
can carry an additional 1,600 lbs of crew supplies, spares and scientific experiments to the
ISS. The spacecraft will also use a pair of 11 ft diameter lightweight ATK Ultraflex solar
arrays. The arrays will provide the same power as those used in the first three missions but
with significantly reduced mass.
Antares and Cygnus Schedule
Credit: Orbital
Antares
Antares & Cygnus Development and Flight Milestones in 2011-2012 (as of October 2011)
Antares
Test
Flight
** Vehicle 2 will be flown on Antares Test Flight
Legend:
 COTS - Commercial Orbital Transportation
Services
 CRS - Commercial Resupply Services
 PCM - Pressurized Cargo Module
 Q1 - Fiscal Year Quarter 1
Above is an overview of the most current projections for the integration, testing and
operations of the Antares and Cygnus spacecraft for the COTS and CRS programs.
The time line is intended to offer general insight and is subject to change.
Commercial Crew Development (CCDev)
In February 2010, NASA selected five commercial firms
to develop crew transportation concepts and technology
demonstrations for human spaceflight using Recovery
Act Funds. Under CCDev 1, NASA announced $50
million in stimulus-package funding. Winning contractors
used the money to support commercial crew launch
vehicles and other hardware that NASA hopes will be
available as early as 2016 to ferry crews to the ISS.
Sierra Nevada Corporation of Louisville, CO was
awarded $20 million in CCDev 1 stimulus funding. The
“Dream Chaser” (left) entry is based on NASA’s old HLCredit: Sierra Nevada Corporation
20 lifting body.
The Boeing Company’s Houston based Space Exploration
Division is working with Bigelow Aerospace to design a capsule
(right) capable of flying on “multiple launch vehicles.” Boeing
received $18 million to advance the CCDev 1 work. The three
other firms selected were: Blue Origin ($3.7 M) from Kent, WA;
Paragon Space Development Corporation ($1.44M) from Tucson,
AZ; and United Launch Alliance ($6.7M) from Centennial, CO.
On April 18, 2011, NASA awarded about $270 million for CCDev 2
to the four commercial companies to continue development of
spacecraft capable of safely flying astronauts into orbit and to the
International Space Station.
Credit: Boeing
Commercial Crew Development - SNC
Dream Chaser Test Vehicle
February 2010 - The partially completed Dream
Chaser atmospheric test vehicle is shown while
NASA Deputy Administrator Lori Garver speaks at
the University of Colorado, Boulder.
The atmospheric flight test vehicle will first be used
as the static test article. The atmospheric flight test
vehicle will be used in 2012 for drop tests.
Credit: NASA
The Dream Chaser is planned to carry a crew of seven to
and from low Earth orbit. The spacecraft is being developed
by SpaceDev, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sierra Nevada
Corporation (SNC).
The vehicle would launch vertically on an Atlas V and return
from space by gliding and landing at almost any aircraft
runway in the world.
The 19,800 lbs spacecraft will have a length of 29.5 ft with a
wing span of 22.9 ft.
Credit: NASA
Commercial Crew Development - SNC
Flight Test Vehicle Completes Captive-Carry Test
Credit: Sierra Nevada
Corporation
Replace with
Dream Chaser
model drop
available?
On May 29, 2012, the flight test vehicle was lifted by a helicopter near the Rocky Mountain
Metropolitan Airport in Jefferson County, CO during a captive-carry test. The test marks the
completion of another milestone for the Dream Chaser Space System as part of the CCDev 2
agreement with NASA's Commercial Crew Program.
The helicopter lifted the full-scale orbital crew vehicle to verify proper aerodynamic flight
performance. Future plans call for the flight vehicle to be released to evaluate the design's
handling during the landing phase of a mission. Just like the space shuttle before it, Dream
Chaser will go through extensive testing to prove its wings will work.
Commercial Crew Development - Boeing
CST-100 Spacecraft
Boeing has matured the design of its CST-100 spacecraft (left)
under the CCDev 1 Space Act Agreement with NASA. The
CST-100 will be bigger than Apollo and be able to launch on a
variety of different rockets, including Atlas, Delta and Falcon. It
will use a simple systems architecture and existing, proven
components. The "100" in CST-100 refers to the 100
kilometers (62.1 miles) from the ground to low Earth orbit.
Replace with Latest Image
Credit: Boeing
The service module uses batteries instead of solar arrays for
power, so the nominal flight profile calls for docking at the
International Space Station (ISS) on the day of launch. it is
designed to remain at the station for as long as seven months
in a lifeboat role.
The CST-100 can carry a crew of seven and is
designed to support the ISS and the Bigelow
Aerospace Orbital Space Complex (right). Bigelow
Aerospace anticipates construction of their first
space station will begin in early 2014, and the
station will be available by 2015 for client use.
Bigelow Aerospace astronauts will arrive in a
commercial crew capsule to set up the first module
(Sundancer-One) and bring supplies.
Credit: Boeing
Commercial Crew Development - Blue Origin
Delta Clipper-Experimental
The first lift-off (left) and
landing (right) of the Delta
Clipper-Experimental (DC-X)
on August 18, 1993 are
shown.
The DC-X was never
designed to achieve orbital
altitudes or velocity, but to
demonstrate the concept of
vertical take-off and landing.
The Blue Origin New
Shepard vehicle is based on
the DC-X design.
Credit: NASA
Credit: NASA
The New Shepard system is a rocket-propelled vehicle designed to routinely fly multiple
astronauts into suborbital space at competitive prices. In addition to providing the public with
opportunities to experience spaceflight, it will provide researchers the capability to fly
experiments into space and a microgravity environment.
The New Shepard vehicle is named after the first American astronaut in space, Alan Shepard.
Commercial Crew Integrated Capability - ATK
Crew
Module
Second
Stage
First
Stage
The Commercial Crew integrated Capability (CCiCap) initiative is the
former third round of the Commercial Crew Development program
and was originally called CCDev 3. Alliant Techsystems Inc. (ATK)
joins the four CCDev 2 commercial firms as contenders for the
CCiCap awards valued at $300-500 million.
ATK was required to meet milestones under a CCDev 2 unfunded
Space Act Agreement that enabled NASA and ATK teams to
exchange technical information related to the Liberty launch vehicle
(left) during the Preliminary Design Review phase. ATK is responsible
for the composite crew module, Maximum Launch Abort System
(MLAS), shuttle-derived solid first stage, system integration and
ground and mission operations, while Astrium provides the cryogenic
second stage powered by the Vulcain 2 engine and Lockheed Martin
provides subsystems and other support.
Credit: NASA
Credit: ATK
The Liberty crew module design will be based on the full-scale
composite capsule (right) delivered to NASA for structural tests in
2009. The spacecraft leverages design work performed at NASA
Langley Research Center, VA on the crew module and MLAS, in
which ATK was a contractor.
Credit: ATK
Reference Information - Page 1 of 4
 History:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commercial_Orbital_Transportation_Services
http://www.spaceflightnow.com/news/n1004/08nasabudget/
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8489097.stm
http://www.spaceflightnow.com/news/n1004/13obama/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NASA_Authorization_Act_of_2010
 NASA Crew & Cargo Program:
http://www.nasa.gov/offices/c3po/about/c3po.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commercial_Orbital_Transportation_Services
http://www.spacex.com/dragon.php
http://spaceflightnow.com/antares/120420update/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commercial_Crew_Development
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3e/Commercial_Crew_schedule.png
http://www.nasa.gov/images/content/193874main_COTS_overview.jpg
 SpaceX:
http://www.spacex.com/photo_gallery.php
http://www.spacex.com/dragon.php
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SpaceX
http://www.spacex.com/dragon.php
http://www.spacex.com/downloads/dragonlab-datasheet.pdf
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dragon_(spacecraft)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dragon_Spacecraft_Qualification_Unit
Shear Magic by Irene Klotz, Aviation Week & Space Technology, December 13, 2010, page 22 - first
launch/return of SpaceX Dragon and future plans.
http://spaceflightnow.com/falcon9/002/101209reaction/
Reference Information - Page 2 of 4
 SpaceX (Continued):
http://www.spacex.com/
http://www.spacex.com/falcon9.php
http://spacexlaunch.zenfolio.com/
http://spaceflightnow.com/falcon9/003/120525arrival/
http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/images/station/crew-31/hires/iss031e070804.jpg
http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/images/station/crew-31/hires/iss031e077562.jpg
http://spaceflightnow.com/falcon9/003/rendezvous/
http://spacecraft.ssl.umd.edu/design_lib/ICES01-2435.ISS_CBM.pdf
http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/images/station/crew-31/html/iss031e077780.html
http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/images/station/crew-31/html/jsc2012e057802.html
http://spaceflightnow.com/falcon9/003/120531splashdown/
http://www.spacex.com/launch_manifest.php
 Orbital Sciences Cargo Resupply:
http://www.orbital.com/images/High/artist_Cygnus_high.jpg
http://www.orbital.com/HumanSpaceExplorationSystems/
http://www.orbital.com/images/High/Cygnus_ISS_Hi.jpg
http://spacecraft.ssl.umd.edu/design_lib/ICES01-2435.ISS_CBM.pdf
http://www.orbital.com/NewsInfo/Publications/Cygnus_fact.pdf
http://www.thalesaleniaspace-issmodules.com/cygnus
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cygnus_(spacecraft)
http://www.thalesaleniaspace-issmodules.com/cygnus
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/6/63/TaurusII_Wallops.jpg
http://www.orbital.com/SpaceLaunch/Antares/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antares_(rocket)
http://www.orbital.com/CargoResupplyServices/
Reference Information - Page 3 of 4
 Commercial Crew Program:
http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2010/feb/HQ_C10-004_Commercia_Crew_Dev.html
http://www.nasa.gov/offices/c3po/partners/sierranevada/index.html
http://www.nasa.gov/offices/c3po/partners/boeing/index.html
Jump Start by Frank Morring, Jr; Aviation Week and Space Technology; February 8, 2010; Volume 172,
Number 6, page 23 - companies awarded NASA stimulus funding to continue development of crew
transportation systems.
http://www.nasa.gov/offices/c3po/home/ccdev2award.html
http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewsr.html?pid=33744
http://boeing.mediaroom.com/index.php?s=43&item=1054
http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewsr.html?pid=33780
http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewsr.rss.spacewire.html?pid=33746
http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewsr.html?pid=33779
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Launch_Alliance
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3f/Sierra_Nevada_Dream_Chaser_spacecraft_2.jpg
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bf/Sierra_Nevada_Dream_Chaser_spacecraft.jpg
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dream_Chaser_(spacecraft)
http://www.nasa.gov/images/content/654173main_snc_captivecarry.jpg
http://www.nasa.gov/exploration/commercial/crew/snc_captivecarry.html
http://boeing.mediaroom.com/index.php?s=13&item=1208
http://boeing.mediaroom.com/index.php?s=13&item=1206
The New Space Race by Frank Morring, Jr; Aviation Week and Space Technology; April 25/May 2, 2011;
Volume 173, Number 15, pages 24 to 26 - a second round of CCDev funding was awarded to companies to
develop possible crew transportation systems to succeed the space shuttle.
http://www.bigelowaerospace.com/orbital-complex-construction.php
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/88/Delta_Clipper_DC-X_first_flight.jpg
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/70/DC-XA_first_landing.jpg
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McDonnell_Douglas_DC-X
Reference Information - Page 4 of 4
 Commercial Crew Program (Continued):
End
http://www.nasa.gov/offices/c3po/partners/blueorigin/index.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Origin_New_Shepard
http://www.nasa.gov/images/content/617389main_atk_artistconcept.jpg
http://www.nasa.gov/exploration/commercial/crew/atk_milestone.html
Liberty Crew Module photograph provided by ATK.
Aiming High by Guy Norris; Aviation Week and Space Technology; May 14, 2012; Volume 174, Number
17, page 24 to 25 - description of Alliant Techsystems Liberty launch system and team.
http://atk.mediaroom.com/index.php?s=25280&item=128260
History of Commercial Orbital Transportation Services - Page 1 of 2
 NASA explored a program for International Space Station (ISS) services in the mid 1990s
titled “Alternate Access.” While NASA funded Alternate Access no further than preliminary
studies, this program convinced numerous entrepreneurs that the ISS could emerge as a
significant market opportunity.
 After years of keeping orbital transport for human spaceflight in-house, NASA concluded that
firms in a free market could develop and operate such a system more efficiently and affordably
than a government bureaucracy.
 In November 2005, Michael D. Griffin, the NASA Administrator, believed that when the engine
of competition is engaged, these services would be provided in a more cost-effective fashion
than if the government would do it. He also believed that, with the advent of the ISS, there will
exist for the first time a strong, identifiable market for “routine” transportation service to and from
low Earth orbit, and this will be only the first step in what will be a huge opportunity for truly
commercial space enterprise.
 Furthermore, if such services were unavailable by the end of 2010, NASA would be forced to
purchase Orbital Transportation Services on foreign spacecraft such as the Russian Federal
Space Agency's Soyuz and Progress spacecraft, the European Space Agency's Automated
Transfer Vehicle, or the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's H-II Transfer Vehicle since
NASA's own Crew Exploration Vehicle may not be ready until 2014.
 NASA asserts that once Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) is operational, it
will no longer procure Russian cargo delivery services.
 NASA anticipates that COTS services to the ISS will be necessary through at least 2015.
NASA projects at most a half-dozen COTS flights a year that would transport 10 tons annually.
History of Commercial Orbital Transportation Services - Page 2 of 2
 In the wake of the 2003 Columbia disaster, President George W. Bush decided to complete
the ISS and retire the shuttle by 2010. At the same time, he directed NASA to begin
development of new launch vehicles, capsules and landers to carry astronauts back to the
moon by the early 2020s. NASA then developed the Constellation program to implement those
directives, spending some $9 billion over the past five years.
 Orion was Constellation’s spacecraft to transport astronauts to/from low Earth orbit as well as
send them to the moon and back.
 In 2009, President Barack Obama set up a panel of outside experts to review NASA's plans
and how much they might ultimately cost. The panel concluded that NASA could not afford to
implement Constellation, or any other reasonable exploration program, without an additional $3
billion or so per year, primarily to make up for earlier budget reductions.
 The panel favored a shift to commercial launch services to carry astronauts to and from low
Earth orbit while NASA focused on the development of a new heavy-lift rocket system that
would enable eventual flights to the moon, nearby asteroids, or even the moons of Mars.
 In February 2010, President Barack Obama proposed the cancellation of the Constellation
program due to it being too costly, “over budget, behind schedule, and lacking in innovation.” He
also endorsed using commercial crew transportation to/from low Earth orbit.
 In April 2010, President Obama announced that he supported the development of a scaleddown version of Constellation's Orion crew capsule for use as an ISS emergency escape
vehicle and possible technology test bed.
 The NASA Authorization Act of 2010 authorized NASA appropriations for fiscal years 2011 2013 including a long-term goal for human spaceflight to expand a permanent human presence
beyond low Earth orbit. Orion was selected as the primary crew vehicle.
Dragon Spacecraft - Page 1 of 2
 Space Exploration Technologies Corporation (SpaceX) is an American space transport
company founded by PayPal co-founder Elon Musk in June 2002. It has developed the Falcon 1
and Falcon 9, both of which are partially reusable launch vehicles. SpaceX is also developing
the Dragon series of spacecraft orbited by Falcon 9 launchers. SpaceX designs, tests and
fabricates the majority of their components in-house, including the Merlin, Kestrel, and Draco
rocket engines. SpaceX is based in Hawthorne, CA.
 In December 2008, NASA announced the selection of the SpaceX Falcon 9 launch vehicle
and Dragon spacecraft to resupply the ISS after the Space Shuttle retires. The $1.6 billion
contract represents a minimum of 12 flights with an option to order additional missions for a
cumulative total contract value of up to $3.1 billion.
 Dragon is a free-flying, reusable spacecraft developed by SpaceX. Initiated internally by
SpaceX in 2005, the Dragon spacecraft consists of a pressurized capsule and unpressurized
trunk used for Earth to low Earth orbit transport of pressurized cargo, unpressurized cargo,
and/or crew members.
 To ensure a rapid transition from cargo to crew capability, the cargo and crew configurations of
Dragon are almost identical with the exception of the crew escape system, the life support
system and onboard controls that allow the crew to take over control from the flight computer
when needed. This focus on commonality minimizes the design effort and simplifies the human
rating process allowing systems critical to Dragon crew safety and ISS safety to be fully tested
on unmanned demonstration flights.
 For cargo launches, the inside of the spacecraft is outfitted with a modular cargo rack system
designed to accommodate pressurized cargo in standard sizes and form factors. For crewed
launches, the interior will be outfitted with crew couches, controls with manual override
capability and upgraded life-support.
Dragon Spacecraft - Page 2 of 2
 Characteristics/capabilities include:
- Overall length is 20 ft and maximum diameter is 12.1 ft
- Fully autonomous rendezvous with manual override capability in crewed configuration
- 13,228 lbs payload up-mass to LEO; 6,614 lbs payload down-mass to Earth
- Payload Volume: 245 cubic ft pressurized, 490 cubic ft unpressurized
- Supports up to 7 passengers in crew configuration
- Two-fault tolerant avionics system with extensive heritage
- Reaction control system with 18 MMH/NTO (monomethylhydrazine/nitrogen tetroxide)
thrusters designed and built in-house; these thrusters are used for both attitude control and
orbital maneuvering
- 2844 lbs of propellant supports a safe mission profile from sub-orbital insertion to ISS
rendezvous to re-entry
- Integral common berthing mechanism (CBM), with LIDS or APAS support, if required
- Designed for water landing under parachute for ocean recovery
- Lifting re-entry for landing precision and low-gravity
- Ablative, high-performance heat shield and sidewall thermal protection
Falcon 9 Launch Vehicle - Page 1 of 2
 Falcon 9 - SpaceX is developing a family of launch vehicles that will provide light, medium
and heavy lift capabilities to launch spacecraft into any altitude and inclination, from low Earth to
geosynchronous to planetary missions. Falcon 1 was the first privately developed liquid fuel
rocket to achieve Earth orbit. It is a small, partially reusable rocket capable of placing 1480 lbs
into low earth orbit. It also functioned as a test bed for developing concepts and components for
the larger Falcon 9. Like Falcon 1, Falcon 9 is a two stage, liquid oxygen and rocket grade
kerosene (RP-1) powered launch vehicle. It is in the Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle
(EELV) class with a 17 ft diameter payload fairing. It delivers medium sized payloads into lowEarth, geosynchronous, or transfer orbits.
 First Stage - The Falcon 9 tank walls and domes are made from aluminum lithium alloy.
SpaceX uses an all friction stir-welded tank. Like Falcon 1, the interstage, which connects the
upper and lower stage for Falcon 9, is a carbon fiber aluminum core composite structure. The
separation system is a larger version of the pneumatic pushers used on Falcon 1.
- Nine SpaceX Merlin engines power the Falcon 9 first stage with 125,000 lbs sea level thrust
per engine for a total thrust on liftoff of just over 1.1 million lbs. After engine start, Falcon is held
down until all vehicle systems are verified to be functioning normally before release for liftoff.
 Second Stage - The second stage tank of Falcon 9 is a shorter version of the first stage tank
and uses most of the same tooling, material and manufacturing techniques. This results in
significant cost savings in vehicle production.
- A single Merlin engine powers the Falcon 9 upper stage with an expansion ratio of 117:1 and a
nominal burn time of 345 seconds. For added reliability of restart, the engine has dual
redundant pyrophoric igniters.
Falcon 9 Launch Vehicle - Page 2 of 2
 SpaceX Merlin Engine - The main engine, called Merlin, was developed internally at SpaceX,
but draws upon a long heritage of space proven engines. The pintle style injector at the heart of
Merlin was first used in the Apollo Moon program for the lunar module landing engine.
- Propellant is fed via a single shaft, dual impeller turbo-pump operating on a gas generator
cycle. The turbo-pump also provides the high pressure kerosene for the hydraulic actuators
which then recycles into the low pressure inlet. This eliminates the need for a separate hydraulic
power system and means that thrust vector control failure by running out of hydraulic fluid is not
possible. A third use of the turbo-pump is to provide roll control by actuating the turbine exhaust
nozzle (on the second stage engine).
 Characteristics/capabilities include:
- Length: 180 ft, Width: 12 ft
- Mass (to low Earth orbit, 17.1 ft fairing): 735,000 lbs
- Mass (to geosynchronous transfer orbit, 17.1 ft fairing): 733,800 lbs
- Thrust (vacuum): 1,110,000 lbs
Cygnus Advanced Maneuvering Spacecraft - Page 1 of 2
 Orbital Sciences Corporation (Orbital), founded in 1982, specializes in satellite launch and
manufacture. Products include: space launch vehicles, missile defense systems, satellites and
related systems, advanced space systems, and space technical services. Its headquarters is
located in Loudoun County, VA.
 Orbital is developing the new Antares launch vehicle and Cygnus spacecraft initially for the
COTS development and demonstration program. Orbital will also use Cygnus to perform the
ISS resupply flights under the Commercial Resupply Service contract. In December 23, 2008,
NASA authorized the contract for eight missions between 2011 and 2015 carrying approximately
44,092 lbs of cargo to the ISS as well as disposal of ISS waste.
 Cygnus is a 10.1 ft in diameter spacecraft with two basic components: the Pressurized
Cargo Module (PCM) and the Service Module (SM).
 The PCM is designed to transport the cargo that includes equipment, spare parts, scientific
experiments and other items to the ISS.
- It is based on the ISS Multi-Purpose Logistics Module and built by Thales Alenia Space Italia.
 The SM is manufactured by Orbital and based on their STAR spacecraft bus as well as
components from the development of the Dawn spacecraft.
- Propulsion will be provided by thrusters using the hypergolic propellants hydrazine and
nitrogen tetroxide.
- The two solar arrays will be capable of producing up to 4 KW of electrical power.
 Cygnus does not provide return capability but can be loaded with obsolete equipment and
trash for destructive reentry similar to the Russian Progress vehicles.
- A formally planned variant of Cygnus would have replaced the PCM with an unpressurized
cargo module based on NASA's ExPRESS Logistics Carrier and could have been used to
transport unpressurized cargo such as ISS Orbital Replacement Units.
Cygnus Advanced Maneuvering Spacecraft - Page 2 of 2
 Information/characteristics/capabilities include:
- Service Module
-- Design, integration and test performed by Orbital
-- Heritage: STAR Bus, GEOStar, LEOStar
-- Power Generation: 2 solar arrays
-- Power Output: 3.5 KW (sun-pointed)
-- Propellant: Dual-mode N2H4/MON-3 or N2H4
- Pressurized Cargo Module
-- Design, integration and test performed by Thales Alenia Space Italia (sub-contractor)
-- Heritage: ISS Multi-Purpose Logistics Module
-- Total Cargo Mass: 4,400 lbs (standard); 6,000 lbs (enhanced)
-- Pressurized Volume: 667 cubic ft/925 cubic ft
-- Berthing at ISS: Node 2 Common Berthing Mechanism
Antares Launch Vehicle
 Antares - The Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport, part of the Wallops Flight Facility, VA, is the
initial launch site for Antares, known during development as Taurus II. Launch pad 0A, the
former launch pad for the Conestoga rocket has being modified to handle Antares.
- The launch vehicle is also compatible with the Western Range at Vandenberg Air Force Base,
Eastern Range at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station and Kodiak Launch Complex.
 First Stage - Uses RP-1 (kerosene) and liquid oxygen (LOX) as propellants, powering two
NK-33-derived engines (supplied by Aerojet as AJ-26 engines).
- In March 2010, Orbital Sciences and Aerojet successfully completed test firings of the NK-33
engines.
- Since Orbital Sciences has little experience with large liquid stages and LOX propellant, some
of the first stage was contracted to Yuzhnoye SDO, designers of the Zenit series.
- The core tank assembly is provided by Yuzhnoye and includes: propellant tanks,
pressurization tanks, valves, sensors, feed lines, tubing, wiring and other associated hardware.
 Second Stage - Comprised of the ATK Castor 30 solid stage with electromechanical thrust
vector control.
- It has been developed by ATK as a derivative of the Castor 120. On December 10, 2009, ATK
test fired their Castor 30 motor for use as the Antares second stage.
 Characteristics/capabilities include:
- Payload capacity to low Earth orbit: 11,000 lbs
- 12.8 diameter payload fairing, and first and second stages
- Height: 133 ft
- Mass: 530,000 lbs
Commercial Crew Development - Page 1 of 5
 CCDev 1
 NASA awarded $50 million through funded agreements to further the commercial sector’s
capability to support transport of crew to and from low Earth orbit. President Obama asked
NASA to partner with the aerospace industry in a fundamentally new way, making commercially
provided services the primary mode of astronaut transportation to the ISS.
- Through an open competition for funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of
2009, NASA awarded Space Act Agreements to the five firms. The Space Act Agreements were
designed to foster entrepreneurial activity leading to high-technology job growth in engineering,
analysis, design and research, and to promote economic growth.
-- All Space Act Agreements were designed to partially fund the development of system
concepts, key technologies, and capabilities that could ultimately be used in commercial crew
human space transportation systems.
-- The selected teams also proposed matching funds from other sources that would leverage
the taxpayer investment.
 The five companies and how they were expected to spend the CCDEV 1 investment are:
1.) The Sierra Nevada Corporation’s investment ($20M) supports the development of a
human-rated spacecraft vehicle that is fully reusable, pressurized, and capable of transporting
humans to low Earth orbit and return to Earth along a 1.5g glide path and land horizontally.
“Dream Chaser” had already undergone 6 years of design maturity using the Company's
internal research and development funding and previous NASA funding.
- SNC has a 45 year tradition of developing and providing high technology electronics, avionics,
and communications systems.
Commercial Crew Development - Page 2 of 5
 CCDev 1 (Continued)
2.) The Boeing Company’s investment ($18M) accelerated their Commercial Crew Vehicle
design through Systems Design Review milestone as well as conducting technology and
manufacturing demonstrations. This design was previously proposed for the COTS through the
Systems Requirements Review level.
- As part of the Boeing CCDev team, Las Vegas-based Bigelow Aerospace provided
requirements for crew transportation to support its planned Orbital Space Complex (orbital
habitats), as well as additional investment and expertise in testing and validating the
technologies necessary to construct and deploy the complex.
3.) Blue Origin’s investment ($3.7M) supported selected risk mitigation activities related to the
development of: 1) a "pusher" launch escape system, which increases flight safety and lowers
operating costs; and 2) a composite crew test module, which lowers capsule weight and
improves damage tolerance.
- Blue Origin is a privately-funded aerospace company organized by Amazon.com founder Jeff
Bezos. Initially focused on sub-orbital spaceflight, the company has built and flown a test-bed of
its New Shepard spacecraft design at their Culberson County, TX facility. Blue Origin is
developing a sub-orbital space vehicle that will take off and land vertically and carry three or
more astronauts to the edge of space. The spacecraft is based on technology that was used for
the McDonnell Douglas DC-X and derivative DC-XA.
Commercial Crew Development - Page 3 of 5
 CCDev 1 (Continued)
4.) Paragon Space Development’s investment ($1.44) is developing an "Air Revitalization
System," a long lead component of the life support subsystem which is integral to the
development of a human-rated life support thermal control system.
- Paragon Space Development Corporation was founded in 1993 by a team of engineers and
Biosphere 2 crewmembers, Taber MacCallum and Jane Poynter. A full-service aerospace
engineering and technology development firm, Paragon is a major supplier of the Environmental
Control and Life Support System, and subsystem design for the aerospace industry.
5.) United Launch Alliance’s investment ($6.7M) supported on-going human-rating studies
and analyses to develop and demonstrate a Launch Vehicle Emergency Detection System that
responds in real time to dynamically evolving conditions and provides reliable indication of an
impending catastrophic condition.
- United Launch Alliance (ULA) is a joint venture of Lockheed Martin and Boeing. ULA was
formed in December 2006 by combining the teams at these companies which provide
spacecraft launch services to the government of the United States. Launch customers include
both the Department of Defense and NASA, as well as other organizations. ULA products
include the following launch vehicles: Atlas V, Delta II, and Delta IV.
Commercial Crew Development - Page 4 of 5
 CCDev 2
 The goal of the NASA CCDev Program is to have a human-capable certified spacecraft flying
by the middle of the decade.
- The selection was based on how far the awards would move the companies toward their goals
and the business plans of each project.
- The space shuttle fleet will be retired the summer of 2011 and NASA is counting on a new
commercially developed spacecraft to take over the work of carrying astronauts into low Earth
orbit.
-- The agency also is hoping to save on development and operational costs by partnering with
the commercial industry.
- As the four companies continue their development plans under the agreement guidelines, the
next step for NASA is to refine the strategy for the next round of development.
 For the second round of agreements, the four proposals selected were:
- 1.) Blue Origin ($22M): It plans to use its funds to accelerate work toward a full-up end-to-end
system, including advancing the design of the space vehicle completing key system trade
studies, designing the thermal protection system, defining the capsule’s biconic shape, and
generating baseline definition architecture and system requirements.
- 2.) Sierra Nevada Corporation ($80M): The company plans to use the funding to reach
preliminary design review for the orbital vehicle and atmospheric drop tests of the engineering
test article that has undergone structural testing. The power for Dream Chaser is provided by
the same hybrid propulsion technology used on the Scaled Composites SpaceShipOne and
SpaceShipTwo suborbital spaceplanes, with a runway landing under the control of a pilot or
autopilot.
Commercial Crew Development - Page 5 of 5
 CCDev 2 (Continued)
- 3.) Space Exploration Technologies ($75M): SpaceX plans to use the award to speed
development of its side-mounted pusher-type launch abort system including static testing. It is
also preparing the initial Dragon design for crew accommodation and evaluation by NASA
astronauts.
- 4.) The Boeing Company ($92.3M): Boeing has built a CST-100 capsule pressure test article.
Machined from two pieces of aluminum for strength, the article is a pathfinder for a second
version that will be built of lighter-weight 7075 aluminum alloy under the CCDev 2 funding. The
award will also include:
-- Evaluation of a lighter-weight engine for its pusher-type launch abort system.
-- Parachute and airbag-inflation systems for water landing tests.
-- Full-scale tests of the pyrotechnics that will separate the CST-100 capsule from the service
module prior to re-entry.
Commercial Crew Development - Blue Origin
 The New Shepard vehicle will consist of a pressurized Crew Capsule (CC) carrying
experiments and astronauts atop the Propulsion Module (PM). Flights will take place from Blue
Origin’s own launch site which is already operating in West Texas.
- The PM will take-off vertically and accelerate for approximately two and a half minutes before
shutting off its rocket engines and coasting into space.
- The vehicle will carry rocket motors enabling the CC to escape from the PM in the event of a
serious anomaly during launch.
-- The CC would then land softly under a parachute at the launch site.
- In space, the CC will separate from the PM and the two will re-enter the atmosphere and land
separately for re-use.
-- The PM will re-enter vertically re-starting its engines for a powered landing while the CC
would land using a parachute.
--- Astronauts and experiments will experience no more than 6 g acceleration into their seats
and a 1.5 g lateral acceleration during a typical flight.
---- High-quality microgravity environments (<10-3 g) will be achieved for durations of 3 or more
minutes depending on the mission’s trajectory.
- A sub-scale demonstration vehicle made its first flight on November 13, 2006.
 If a DC-X type craft had been developed that operated in Earth's gravity, even with a minimum
4-6 crew capacity, variants of it might be used for both Mars and moon missions.
--- The variant's basic operation would have to be reversed; from taking off and then landing, to
landing first then taking off.
--- If this could be accomplished on Earth, the weaker gravity found at both Mars and the Moon
would make for dramatically greater payload capabilities.