Dec 5 2014
Boeing has completed its first milestone in certifying its human space transportation system for launching NASA crew to the International Space Station (ISS).
This is part of the Commercial Crew Transportation Capability (CCtCap) contract and NASA has approved this completion.
Commercial Crew Transportation. The Mission is in Sight. Image Credit: NASA
Many more objectives are yet to be achieved in completing the certification for Boeing’s human space transportation system but this is a significant step towards finishing the project. The Certification Baseline Review and flight tests are part of the certification program.
This Certification Baseline Review establishes the basic design for the United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket, the systems required for the mission and ground operations, and the CST-100 Crew Space Transportation spacecraft.
The U.S. had been relying on Russia for sending crew to the ISS, and this project is going to end that dependence. NASA had announced that SpaceX and Boeing had been awarded the contract for transporting U.S. crews to the space station earlier this year. Their Crew Dragon and CST-100 spacecraft were respectively selected.
A crewed flight is part of this certification, where one or more NASA astronauts will fly aboard the human space transportation systems for validating the performance, the launch of the integrated rocket and spacecraft system, and its maneuverability and ability to dock to the space station. After NASA certifies these systems after the test program, at least two to six crewed missions are to be conducted to the ISS.
Boeing has provided a roadmap that includes the baseline design and insight plans. During the Certification Baseline Review, Boeing had also provided details for connecting the CST-100 with the space station, as well as, the training plans for the astronauts.
The work done now is crucial to each of the future steps in the path to certification, including a flight test to the International Space Station. This first milestone establishes an expected operating rhythm for NASA and Boeing to meet our certification goal.
Kathy Lueders
Manager of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program
NASA has allowed private companies to take care of the space launches so that it could focus on gaining more experience and also developing the Orion capsule and the Space Launch System.