Commercial Crew Development
Encyclopedia
Commercial Crew Development (CCDev) is a multiphase space technology
development program, funded by the U.S. government, and administered by NASA
. The program is intended to stimulate development of privately operated crew
vehicles to low Earth orbit
. It is run by the Commercial Crew and Cargo Program Office (C3PO) at NASA. Charles Bolden, the NASA Administrator has stated that at least two providers are intended to be chosen to deliver crew to the ISS.
In the first phase of the program, NASA provided a total of $50 million during 2010 to five American companies, intended to foster research and development into human spaceflight concepts and technologies in the private sector.
A second set of Commercial Crew Development proposals were solicited by NASA in October 2010 for technology development project durations of up to 14 months. As detailed below, on April 18, 2011, NASA announced that they would award up to nearly $270 million to four companies if they meet all their CCDev 2 objectives.
Contract funding for the CCDev program is quite different from traditional space industry
contractor funding used on the Space Shuttle, Apollo, Gemini, and Mercury programs. Contracts are explicitly designed to fund only specific subsystem technology development objectives that NASA wants for NASA purposes; all other system technology development is funded by the commercial contractor. Contracts are issued for fixed-price, pay-for-performance milestones. "NASA's contribution is fixed."
. Funding was provided as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009
. A total of $50 million for 2010 was awarded to five American companies, intended to foster research and development into human spaceflight concepts and technologies in the private sector. The amount was originally intended to be $150 million, most of which was diverted to the Constellation program by Senator Richard Shelby
(R-AL). All 53 delivery milestones for the five companies were scheduled to be completed by the end of 2010.
At initial stages of evaluation, because of errors in submittal procedure, insufficient detail or not sufficient alignment with CCDev1 goals, were dismissed the following proposals: Expanding Universe, Ad Astra Rocket Company, AlphaSpaces, Dii Aerospace Laboratories, Global Outpost, IE Group, Universal Space Lines, Universal Transport Systems, ARES, SpaceED - U.C. Davis, Vivace, Blue Smoke, Exploration Partners, S.T.A.R. Systems, Thomas Lee Elifritz, KT Engineering, Stone Aerospace, Orbital Technologies.
The remaining proposals, other than the five winners are:
On April 18, 2011, NASA awarded nearly $270 million to four companies for developing U.S. vehicles that could fly astronauts after the shuttle.
In August 2011, NASA provided status on the progress milestones of each of the four companies developing crew vehicle technologies under CCDev 2. There are nine to eleven specific milestones, spread over second quarter 2011 through second quarter 2012, that each company must meet in order to receive their "performance based" funding for CCDev 2.
After the CCDev3 draft Request for Proposals (RFP) was issued, NASA decided not to do a third round of Space Act Agreements. Consequently, CCDev3 became the Commercial Crew Program, consisting of a series of competitively awarded contracts. NASA plans to release the final RFP for the Commercial Crew Program by the end of 2011, and hopes commercial crew systems will be available for the transportation of astronauts to and from the ISS – as well as the provision of rescue services – by the middle of the decade.
Space technology
Space technology is technology that is related to entering, and retrieving objects or life forms from space."Every day" technologies such as weather forecasting, remote sensing, GPS systems, satellite television, and some long distance communications systems critically rely on space infrastructure...
development program, funded by the U.S. government, and administered by NASA
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
. The program is intended to stimulate development of privately operated crew
Human spaceflight
Human spaceflight is spaceflight with humans on the spacecraft. When a spacecraft is manned, it can be piloted directly, as opposed to machine or robotic space probes and remotely-controlled satellites....
vehicles to low Earth orbit
Low Earth orbit
A low Earth orbit is generally defined as an orbit within the locus extending from the Earth’s surface up to an altitude of 2,000 km...
. It is run by the Commercial Crew and Cargo Program Office (C3PO) at NASA. Charles Bolden, the NASA Administrator has stated that at least two providers are intended to be chosen to deliver crew to the ISS.
In the first phase of the program, NASA provided a total of $50 million during 2010 to five American companies, intended to foster research and development into human spaceflight concepts and technologies in the private sector.
A second set of Commercial Crew Development proposals were solicited by NASA in October 2010 for technology development project durations of up to 14 months. As detailed below, on April 18, 2011, NASA announced that they would award up to nearly $270 million to four companies if they meet all their CCDev 2 objectives.
Requirements
Requirements for the Commercial Crew vehicles include:- Deliver and return four crew members and their equipment
- Provide assured crew return in the event of an emergency
- Serve as a 24-hour safe haven in the event of an emergency
- Have an on-orbit endurance of 210 days
Program overview
NASA provided the following description of the Commercial Crew Development program in December 2008.The objectives of the Commercial Crew & Cargo Program are to implement U.S. Space Exploration policyPresident's Commission on Implementation of United States Space Exploration PolicyThe President's Commission on Implementation of United States Space Exploration Policy was a Presidential Commission formed by United States President George W. Bush on January 27, 2004, through the Executive Order 13326. Its final report was submitted on June 4, 2004.-Commissioners:There were nine...
with investments to stimulate the commercial space industry; facilitate U.S. private industry demonstration or cargo and crew space transportation capabilities with the goal of achieving safe, reliable, cost effective access to low-Earth orbit; and create a market environment in which commercial space transportation services are available to Government and private sector customers.
The Commercial Crew & Cargo Program is applying Recovery Act funds to stimulate efforts within the private sector to develop and demonstrate human spaceflight capabilities. NASA plans to use funds appropriated for "Exploration" under the American Recovery & Reinvestment Act of 2009American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, abbreviated ARRA and commonly referred to as the Stimulus or The Recovery Act, is an economic stimulus package enacted by the 111th United States Congress in February 2009 and signed into law on February 17, 2009, by President Barack Obama.To...
(ARRA) through its C3PO to support efforts within the private sector to develop system concepts and capabilities that could ultimately lead to the availability of commercial human spaceflight services. These efforts are intended to foster entrepreneurial activity leading to job growth in engineering, analysis, design, and research and to promote economic recovery as capabilities for new markets are created.
ARRA provided $400 million for space exploration related activities. Of this amount, $50 million is to be used for the development of commercial crew space transportation concepts and enabling capabilities. This effort is known as CCDev. The purpose of this activity is to provide funding to assist viable commercial entities in the development of system concepts, key technologies, and capabilities that could ultimately be used in commercial crew human space transportation systems. This development work must show, within the timeframe of the agreement, significant progress on long lead capabilities, technologies and commercial crew risk mitigation tasks in order to accelerate the development of their commercial crew space transportation concept.
Contract funding for the CCDev program is quite different from traditional space industry
Space industry
Space industry refers to economic activities related to manufacturing components that go into Earth's orbit or beyond, delivering them to those regions, and related services. Owing to the prominence of the satellite-related activities, some sources use the term satellite industry interchangeably...
contractor funding used on the Space Shuttle, Apollo, Gemini, and Mercury programs. Contracts are explicitly designed to fund only specific subsystem technology development objectives that NASA wants for NASA purposes; all other system technology development is funded by the commercial contractor. Contracts are issued for fixed-price, pay-for-performance milestones. "NASA's contribution is fixed."
CCDev 1
Under CCDev , NASA has entered into funded Space Act Agreements with several companies working on technologies and systems for human spaceflightHuman spaceflight
Human spaceflight is spaceflight with humans on the spacecraft. When a spacecraft is manned, it can be piloted directly, as opposed to machine or robotic space probes and remotely-controlled satellites....
. Funding was provided as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, abbreviated ARRA and commonly referred to as the Stimulus or The Recovery Act, is an economic stimulus package enacted by the 111th United States Congress in February 2009 and signed into law on February 17, 2009, by President Barack Obama.To...
. A total of $50 million for 2010 was awarded to five American companies, intended to foster research and development into human spaceflight concepts and technologies in the private sector. The amount was originally intended to be $150 million, most of which was diverted to the Constellation program by Senator Richard Shelby
Richard Shelby
Richard Craig Shelby is the senior U.S. Senator from Alabama. First elected to the Senate in 1986, he is the ranking member of the United States Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs and was its chairman from 2003 to 2007....
(R-AL). All 53 delivery milestones for the five companies were scheduled to be completed by the end of 2010.
Proposals selected
NASA awarded development funds to five companies under CCDev 1:- Blue OriginBlue OriginBlue Origin is a privately funded aerospace company set up by Amazon.com founder Jeff Bezos. The company was awarded $3.7 million in funding in 2009 by NASA via a Space Act Agreement under the Commercial Crew Development program for development of concepts and technologies to support future human...
- $3.7M for an innovative 'pusher' Launch Abort SystemLaunch escape systemA Launch Escape System is a top-mounted rocket connected to the crew module of a crewed spacecraft and used to quickly separate the crew module from the rest of the rocket in case of emergency. Since the escape rockets are above the crew module, an LES typically uses separate nozzles which are...
(LAS) and composite pressure vesselPressure vesselA pressure vessel is a closed container designed to hold gases or liquids at a pressure substantially different from the ambient pressure.The pressure differential is dangerous and many fatal accidents have occurred in the history of their development and operation. Consequently, their design,...
s , with the end of the second ground test, Blue Origin has completed all work envisioned under the contract for the pusher escape system. They have also "completed work on the other aspect of its award, risk reduction work on a composite pressure vessel" for their vehicle.
- BoeingBoeingThe Boeing Company is an American multinational aerospace and defense corporation, founded in 1916 by William E. Boeing in Seattle, Washington. Boeing has expanded over the years, merging with McDonnell Douglas in 1997. Boeing Corporate headquarters has been in Chicago, Illinois since 2001...
- $18M for development of the CST-100 capsule , Boeing has completed 94 percent of its project milestones, and anticipates full completion in March.
- Paragon Space Development CorporationParagon Space Development CorporationParagon Space Development Corporation is a company in Tucson, Arizona. It was founded by Jane Poynter and Taber MacCallum. They have supplied hardware to more than 70 spaceflight missions, including ones to the International Space Station and Mir...
- $1.4M for a plug-and-play environmental control and life support systemLife support systemIn human spaceflight, a life support system is a group of devices that allow a human being to survive in space.US government space agency NASA,and private spaceflight companies...
(ECLSS) Air Revitalization System (ARS) Engineering Development Unit. With "the completion of testing in mid-December [2010] of its Commercial Crew Transport Air Revitalization System, a life support system intended for use on [multiple different] commercial crew vehicles," Paragon has completed all work under the contract.
- Sierra Nevada CorporationSierra Nevada CorporationSierra Nevada Corporation is an electronic systems provider and systems integrator specializing in microsatellites, energy, telemedicine, nanotechnology, and commercial orbital transportation services. The company contracts with the US military, NASA and private spaceflight companies. The company...
- $20M for development of the Dream Chaser, a reusable spaceplaneSpaceplaneA spaceplane is a vehicle that operates as an aircraft in Earth's atmosphere, as well as a spacecraft when it is in space. It combines features of an aircraft and a spacecraft, which can be thought of as an aircraft that can endure and maneuver in the vacuum of space or likewise a spacecraft that...
vehicle that can transport cargo and up to eight people to low-Earth orbit. Sierra Nevada completed its work under the contract in December 2010, with the structural testing of its engineering test articleTest articleA test article is a version of space craft or related vehicle or equipement, built as a platform to perform testing. Test articles are built to the same specifications to replicate conditions and behaviors of flight ready versions. Test article version are also built without the certification and...
, its fourth and final milestone.
- United Launch AllianceUnited Launch AllianceUnited Launch Alliance 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. U.S...
- $6.7M for an Emergency Detection SystemEmergency Detection SystemAn Emergency Detection System is a system that is used on manned rocket missions. It monitors critical launch vehicle and spacecraft systems and issues status, warning and abort commands to the crew during their mission to low Earth orbit. It can trigger the Launch Abort System which will take the...
(EDS) for human-ratingHuman-rating certificationHuman-rated or man-rated are terms used to describe the certification of a spacecraft, launch vehicleor airplaneas worthy of transporting humans. NASA and the U.S. GAO now uses "Human-rating" when describing requirements for these systems...
its EELVEELVEvolved Expendable Launch Vehicle is an expendable launch system program of the United States Air Force , intended to assure access to space for Department of Defense and other United States government payloads...
launch vehicles , ULA "is still finishing up work on its $6.7-million award... In December ULA carried out a demonstration of its Emergency Detection System ... The company said it received an extension from NASA until April 'to enable us to finish critical timing analyses tasks' for its fault coverage analysis work."
Proposals not selected
During the evaluation phase of CCDev1 proposals were received from the following participants:- Ad Astra Rocket CompanyAd Astra Rocket CompanyThe Ad Astra Rocket Company is a rocket propulsion company dedicated to the development of advanced plasma rocket propulsion technology. Located in Webster, Texas, several miles from NASA's Johnson Space Center, the company was incorporated on January 14, 2005. The President and CEO of Ad Astra...
- AlphaSpaces
- Andrews SpaceAndrews SpaceAndrews Space is a small aerospace company based in Seattle, Washington, founded in 1999 to develop space systems. Andrews provides aerospace services for commercial, civil, and military clients.-Current projects:...
- ARESAresAres is the Greek god of war. He is one of the Twelve Olympians, and the son of Zeus and Hera. In Greek literature, he often represents the physical or violent aspect of war, in contrast to the armored Athena, whose functions as a goddess of intelligence include military strategy and...
- Alliant TechsystemsAlliant TechsystemsAlliant Techsystems Inc., most commonly known by its ticker symbol, ', is one of the largest aerospace and defense companies in the United States with more than 18,000 employees in 22 states, Puerto Rico and internationally, and 2010 revenues in excess of an estimated...
- Ball AerospaceBall AerospaceBall Aerospace & Technologies Corp. is a manufacturer of spacecraft, components, and instruments for national defense, civil space and commercial space applications. The company is a wholly owned subsidiary of Ball Corp...
- Bigelow AerospaceBigelow AerospaceBigelow Aerospace is a North Las Vegas, Nevada space technology startup company that is pioneering work on expandable space station modules. Bigelow Aerospace was founded by Robert Bigelow in 1998...
- Blue OriginBlue OriginBlue Origin is a privately funded aerospace company set up by Amazon.com founder Jeff Bezos. The company was awarded $3.7 million in funding in 2009 by NASA via a Space Act Agreement under the Commercial Crew Development program for development of concepts and technologies to support future human...
- Blue SmokeBlue SmokeBlue Smoke, also known as Nora Roberts' Blue Smoke, is a 2007 made-for-tv movie directed by David Carson, which stars Alicia Witt, Matthew Settle, and Scott Bakula. The film is based on the Nora Roberts novel of the same name. And is part of the Nora Roberts 2007 movie collection, which also...
- BoeingBoeingThe Boeing Company is an American multinational aerospace and defense corporation, founded in 1916 by William E. Boeing in Seattle, Washington. Boeing has expanded over the years, merging with McDonnell Douglas in 1997. Boeing Corporate headquarters has been in Chicago, Illinois since 2001...
- Dii Aerospace Laboratories
- Exploration Partners
- Firestar Engineering
- Global Outpost
- HMX, Inc.
- IE Group
- KT Engineering
- Oceaneering Space Systems
- Odyssey Space ResearchOdyssey Space ResearchOdyssey Space Research, LLC is a small business based in Houston, Texas near NASA Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center providing engineering research and analysis services...
- Orbital Outfitters
- Orbital Sciences CorporationOrbital Sciences CorporationOrbital Sciences Corporation is an American company which specializes in the manufacturing and launch of satellites. Its Launch Systems Group is heavily involved with missile defense launch systems...
- Orbital Technologies
- Paragon Space Development
- PlanetspacePlanetSpacePlanetSpace is a privately funded Chicago-based rocket and space travel project founded by Geoff Sheerin, CEO of the Canadian Arrow corporation and Dr...
- S.T.A.R. Systems
- Sierra Nevada CorporationSierra Nevada CorporationSierra Nevada Corporation is an electronic systems provider and systems integrator specializing in microsatellites, energy, telemedicine, nanotechnology, and commercial orbital transportation services. The company contracts with the US military, NASA and private spaceflight companies. The company...
- SpaceED - UC DavisUC Davis College of EngineeringThe UC Davis College of Engineering is one of nine colleges on the campus of the University of California, Davis. One of the largest engineering programs in the U.S., the UC Davis College of Engineering has the most ABET-accredited undergraduate engineering majors in the University of California...
- SpaceXSpaceXSpace Exploration Technologies Corporation, or more popularly and informally known as SpaceX, is an American space transport company that operates out of Hawthorne, California...
- Stone Aerospace
- Expanding Universe
- Thomas Lee Elifritz
- United Launch AllianceUnited Launch AllianceUnited Launch Alliance 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. U.S...
- Universal Space Lines
- Universal Transport Systems
- VivaceVivaceVivace is Italian for "lively" and "vivid". It is pronounced in the International Phonetic Alphabet.Vivace is used as an Italian musical term indicating a movement that is in a lively mood ....
- XCOR AerospaceXCOR AerospaceXCOR Aerospace is an American private rocket engine and spaceflight development company based at the Mojave Spaceport in Mojave, California. XCOR was formed by former members of the Rotary Rocket rocket engine development team in September, 1999...
At initial stages of evaluation, because of errors in submittal procedure, insufficient detail or not sufficient alignment with CCDev1 goals, were dismissed the following proposals: Expanding Universe, Ad Astra Rocket Company, AlphaSpaces, Dii Aerospace Laboratories, Global Outpost, IE Group, Universal Space Lines, Universal Transport Systems, ARES, SpaceED - U.C. Davis, Vivace, Blue Smoke, Exploration Partners, S.T.A.R. Systems, Thomas Lee Elifritz, KT Engineering, Stone Aerospace, Orbital Technologies.
The remaining proposals, other than the five winners are:
- Alliant TechsystemsAlliant TechsystemsAlliant Techsystems Inc., most commonly known by its ticker symbol, ', is one of the largest aerospace and defense companies in the United States with more than 18,000 employees in 22 states, Puerto Rico and internationally, and 2010 revenues in excess of an estimated...
- Andrews SpaceAndrews SpaceAndrews Space is a small aerospace company based in Seattle, Washington, founded in 1999 to develop space systems. Andrews provides aerospace services for commercial, civil, and military clients.-Current projects:...
- Ball AerospaceBall AerospaceBall Aerospace & Technologies Corp. is a manufacturer of spacecraft, components, and instruments for national defense, civil space and commercial space applications. The company is a wholly owned subsidiary of Ball Corp...
- Bigelow AerospaceBigelow AerospaceBigelow Aerospace is a North Las Vegas, Nevada space technology startup company that is pioneering work on expandable space station modules. Bigelow Aerospace was founded by Robert Bigelow in 1998...
- Firestar Engineering
- HMX, Inc.
- Oceaneering Space Systems
- Odyssey Space ResearchOdyssey Space ResearchOdyssey Space Research, LLC is a small business based in Houston, Texas near NASA Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center providing engineering research and analysis services...
- Orbital Outfitters
- Orbital Sciences CorporationOrbital Sciences CorporationOrbital Sciences Corporation is an American company which specializes in the manufacturing and launch of satellites. Its Launch Systems Group is heavily involved with missile defense launch systems...
- PlanetspacePlanetSpacePlanetSpace is a privately funded Chicago-based rocket and space travel project founded by Geoff Sheerin, CEO of the Canadian Arrow corporation and Dr...
- SpaceXSpaceXSpace Exploration Technologies Corporation, or more popularly and informally known as SpaceX, is an American space transport company that operates out of Hawthorne, California...
- XCOR AerospaceXCOR AerospaceXCOR Aerospace is an American private rocket engine and spaceflight development company based at the Mojave Spaceport in Mojave, California. XCOR was formed by former members of the Rotary Rocket rocket engine development team in September, 1999...
CCDev 2
A second set of Commercial Crew Development proposals was sought by NASA in October 2010. These could be both new concepts and proposals that mature the design and development of system elements, such as launch vehicles and spacecraft. NASA originally planned to issue about $200 million of Space Act Agreements in March 2011.On April 18, 2011, NASA awarded nearly $270 million to four companies for developing U.S. vehicles that could fly astronauts after the shuttle.
In August 2011, NASA provided status on the progress milestones of each of the four companies developing crew vehicle technologies under CCDev 2. There are nine to eleven specific milestones, spread over second quarter 2011 through second quarter 2012, that each company must meet in order to receive their "performance based" funding for CCDev 2.
Proposals selected
Winners of funding in the second round of the Commercial Crew Development program, or CCDev, were as follows:- Blue OriginBlue OriginBlue Origin is a privately funded aerospace company set up by Amazon.com founder Jeff Bezos. The company was awarded $3.7 million in funding in 2009 by NASA via a Space Act Agreement under the Commercial Crew Development program for development of concepts and technologies to support future human...
, Kent, Washington: $22 million- Blue Origin proposed advancing technologies in support of a biconic nose cone designNose cone designGiven the problem of the aerodynamic design of the nose cone section of any vehicle or body meant to travel through a compressible fluid medium , an important problem is the determination of the nose cone geometrical shape for optimum performance...
orbital vehicle, including launch abort systems and restartable hydrolox (liquid hydrogenLiquid hydrogenLiquid hydrogen is the liquid state of the element hydrogen. Hydrogen is found naturally in the molecular H2 form.To exist as a liquid, H2 must be pressurized above and cooled below hydrogen's Critical point. However, for hydrogen to be in a full liquid state without boiling off, it needs to be...
/ liquid oxygenLiquid oxygenLiquid oxygen — abbreviated LOx, LOX or Lox in the aerospace, submarine and gas industries — is one of the physical forms of elemental oxygen.-Physical properties:...
) engines. Not to be confused with the Blue Origin New ShepardBlue Origin New ShepardThe Blue Origin New Shepard reusable launch vehicle is a vertical-takeoff, vertical-landing , suborbital manned rocket that is being developed by Blue Origin, a company owned by Amazon.com founder and businessman Jeff Bezos, as a commercial system for suborbital space tourism.The New Shepard makes...
VTVLVTVLVertical takeoff, vertical landing is a form of takeoff and landing using rockets . Multiple VTVL craft have flown. , at least five VTVL rocket vehicles are currently under development at four different aerospace companies...
spacecraft.
- Blue Origin proposed advancing technologies in support of a biconic nose cone design
- Sierra Nevada CorporationSierra Nevada CorporationSierra Nevada Corporation is an electronic systems provider and systems integrator specializing in microsatellites, energy, telemedicine, nanotechnology, and commercial orbital transportation services. The company contracts with the US military, NASA and private spaceflight companies. The company...
, Louisville, Colorado: $80 million- Sierra Nevada Corporation proposed for extensions of its Dream Chaser spaceplaneSpaceplaneA spaceplane is a vehicle that operates as an aircraft in Earth's atmosphere, as well as a spacecraft when it is in space. It combines features of an aircraft and a spacecraft, which can be thought of as an aircraft that can endure and maneuver in the vacuum of space or likewise a spacecraft that...
technology. Like the Orbital Sciences proposal, the Dream Chaser was also a lifting bodyLifting bodyA lifting body is a fixed-wing aircraft configuration in which the body itself produces lift. In contrast to a flying wing, which is a wing with minimal or no conventional fuselage, a lifting body can be thought of as a fuselage with little or no conventional wing...
design. Sierra Nevada will utilize Virgin GalacticVirgin GalacticVirgin Galactic is a company within Richard Branson's Virgin Group which plans to provide sub-orbital spaceflights to the paying public, along with suborbital space science missions and orbital launches of small satellites...
to market Dream Chaser commercial services and will use Virgin’s WhiteKnightTwo carrier aircraft as a platform for drop trials of the Dream Chaser atmospheric test vehicle in 2012.
- Sierra Nevada Corporation proposed for extensions of its Dream Chaser spaceplane
- Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX), Hawthorne, California: $75 million
- SpaceX proposed to develop an "integrated launch abort systemLaunch escape systemA Launch Escape System is a top-mounted rocket connected to the crew module of a crewed spacecraft and used to quickly separate the crew module from the rest of the rocket in case of emergency. Since the escape rockets are above the crew module, an LES typically uses separate nozzles which are...
design" for the DragonDragon (spacecraft)The Dragon is a reusable spacecraft developed by SpaceX, a private space transportation company based in Hawthorne, California. During its unmanned maiden flight in December 2010, it became the first commercially-built and -operated spacecraft to ever be successfully recovered from orbit.The Dragon...
spacecraft, with reputed advantages over the more traditional tractor tower approaches used on all prior manned space capsules.
- SpaceX proposed to develop an "integrated launch abort system
- The Boeing CompanyBoeingThe Boeing Company is an American multinational aerospace and defense corporation, founded in 1916 by William E. Boeing in Seattle, Washington. Boeing has expanded over the years, merging with McDonnell Douglas in 1997. Boeing Corporate headquarters has been in Chicago, Illinois since 2001...
, Houston, Texas: $92.3 million- Boeing proposed additional development for the 7-person CST-100 spacecraft, beyond the objectives for the $18 million received from NASA in CCDev 1. The capsule will have both personnel and cargo configurations, and is explicitly designed to be launched by multiple different rockets, and be reusable up to 10 times.
Proposals selected without NASA funding
- United Launch AllianceUnited Launch AllianceUnited Launch Alliance 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. U.S...
made a proposal for funding to extend development work on humanHuman-rating certificationHuman-rated or man-rated are terms used to describe the certification of a spacecraft, launch vehicleor airplaneas worthy of transporting humans. NASA and the U.S. GAO now uses "Human-rating" when describing requirements for these systems...
-rating the Atlas VAtlas VAtlas V is an active expendable launch system in the Atlas rocket family. Atlas V was formerly operated by Lockheed Martin, and is now operated by the Lockheed Martin-Boeing joint venture United Launch Alliance...
rocket. Although not selected for funding, NASA entered into an unfunded Space Act AgreementSpace Act AgreementSpace Act Agreement is a type of legal agreement specified in the National Aeronautics and Space Act that established NASA. Agreements of this type have been reached under the Commercial Orbital Transportation Services and Commercial Crew Development programs are examples of Space Act agreements...
with ULA in July 2011 to share information towards human rating the Atlas V, which is the proposed launch rocket for the Blue Origin, Boeing and Sierra Nevada Corporation proposals.
- ATKATKATK may refer to:*America's Test Kitchen, a cooking show on PBS*Alliant Techsystems, a mid-level United States aerospace and defense contractor*Accessibility Toolkit, a GNOME software development toolkit*ATK motorcycles, an off-road motorcycle manufacturer...
and Astrium proposed development of the LibertyLiberty (rocket)Liberty is a 2011 launch vehicle concept proposed to NASA by Alliant Techsystems and Astrium under phase 2 of the NASA Commercial Crew Development program intended to stimulate development of privately operated crew vehicles to low Earth orbit....
rocket derived from Ares IAres IAres I was the crew launch vehicle that was being developed by NASA as part of the Constellation Program. The name "Ares" refers to the Greek deity Ares, who is identified with the Roman god Mars...
and Ariane 5Ariane 5Ariane 5 is, as a part of Ariane rocket family, an expendable launch system used to deliver payloads into geostationary transfer orbit or low Earth orbit . Ariane 5 rockets are manufactured under the authority of the European Space Agency and the Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales...
. On September 13, 2011, it was reported that NASA intended to form at agreement with ATK to further develop the Liberty rocket as a heavy launch vehicle capable of launching humans into space. å Although no funding is to be provided by NASA with this agreement, the agency will share expertise and technology.
- Excalibur AlmazExcalibur AlmazExcalibur Almaz is a private spaceflight company which plans to provide orbital space tourism, and provide test beds for experiments in a microgravity environment., Excalibur hoped to begin flights by 2012 with revenue flights starting as early as 2013....
Inc., a Houston-based firm, is developing a crewed system incorporating updated and modernized Soviet-era space hardware designs, intended for tourism flights to orbit. On October 26, 2011, NASA announced it had entered into an unfunded Space Act AgreementSpace Act AgreementSpace Act Agreement is a type of legal agreement specified in the National Aeronautics and Space Act that established NASA. Agreements of this type have been reached under the Commercial Orbital Transportation Services and Commercial Crew Development programs are examples of Space Act agreements...
with EAI, establishing a framework to enable collaboration in furthering the development EAI's spacecraft concept for low Earth orbit crew transportation. EAI's concept for commercial crew to the International Space StationInternational Space StationThe International Space Station is a habitable, artificial satellite in low Earth orbit. The ISS follows the Salyut, Almaz, Cosmos, Skylab, and Mir space stations, as the 11th space station launched, not including the Genesis I and II prototypes...
is to use the company's planned three-person space vehicle with an intermediate stage and fly the integrated vehicle on a commercially available launch vehicle.
Proposals not selected
Proposals that were not awarded funds in the second round of the Commercial Crew Development program, or CCDev, were as follows:- Orbital Sciences proposed the PrometheusPrometheus (spacecraft)Prometheus was a proposed manned vertical-takeoff, horizontal-landing spaceplane concept put forward by Orbital Sciences Corporation in late 2010 as part of the second phase of NASA's Commercial Crew Development program.-Design:...
lifting-bodyLifting bodyA lifting body is a fixed-wing aircraft configuration in which the body itself produces lift. In contrast to a flying wing, which is a wing with minimal or no conventional fuselage, a lifting body can be thought of as a fuselage with little or no conventional wing...
spaceplaneSpaceplaneA spaceplane is a vehicle that operates as an aircraft in Earth's atmosphere, as well as a spacecraft when it is in space. It combines features of an aircraft and a spacecraft, which can be thought of as an aircraft that can endure and maneuver in the vacuum of space or likewise a spacecraft that...
vehicle, about one-quarter the size of the Space ShuttleSpace ShuttleThe Space Shuttle was a manned orbital rocket and spacecraft system operated by NASA on 135 missions from 1981 to 2011. The system combined rocket launch, orbital spacecraft, and re-entry spaceplane with modular add-ons...
. The Vertical Takeoff, Horizontal Landing (VTHL) vehicle would be launched on a human-rated Atlas VAtlas VAtlas V is an active expendable launch system in the Atlas rocket family. Atlas V was formerly operated by Lockheed Martin, and is now operated by the Lockheed Martin-Boeing joint venture United Launch Alliance...
rocket but would land on a runway. The initial design would carry a crew of 4, but it could carry up to 6, or a combination of crew and cargo. In addition to Orbital Sciences, the consortium includes Northrop GrummanNorthrop GrummanNorthrop Grumman Corporation is an American global aerospace and defense technology company formed by the 1994 purchase of Grumman by Northrop. The company was the fourth-largest defense contractor in the world as of 2010, and the largest builder of naval vessels. Northrop Grumman employs over...
, which will build the spaceplane, and the United Launch AllianceUnited Launch AllianceUnited Launch Alliance 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. U.S...
, which will provide the rockets. Virgin GalacticVirgin GalacticVirgin Galactic is a company within Richard Branson's Virgin Group which plans to provide sub-orbital spaceflights to the paying public, along with suborbital space science missions and orbital launches of small satellites...
also confirmed that they would be teaming with Orbital on the Orbital CCDev 2 project. Failing to be selected for a CCDev phase 2 award by NASA, Orbital announced in April 2011 that they will likely wind down their efforts to develop a commercial crew vehicle.
- Paragon Space Development CorporationParagon Space Development CorporationParagon Space Development Corporation is a company in Tucson, Arizona. It was founded by Jane Poynter and Taber MacCallum. They have supplied hardware to more than 70 spaceflight missions, including ones to the International Space Station and Mir...
proposed additional development of the Commercial Crew Transport-Air Revitalization System (CCT-ARS) program in 2011, to permit the building-out of the other parts of the Environmental Control and Life Support System to provide the complete solution for their commercial crew transport customers.
- t/SpaceT/Spacet/Space is an American aerospace company which was participating in NASA's Commercial Orbital Transportation Services program for delivering cargo and crew to the International Space Station. The company's CEO is Charles Duelfer who ran the search for weapons of mass destruction in Iraq and the...
proposed an eight-person crew or cargoUnmanned resupply spacecraftUnmanned resupply spacecraft are a special kind of robotic spacecraft that operate autonomously without a human crew, designed to support space station operation...
recoverable reusable transfer vechicle that could launch on a variety of launch vehicles, including the Atlas VAtlas VAtlas V is an active expendable launch system in the Atlas rocket family. Atlas V was formerly operated by Lockheed Martin, and is now operated by the Lockheed Martin-Boeing joint venture United Launch Alliance...
, Falcon 9Falcon 9Falcon 9 is a rocket-powered spaceflight launch system designed and manufactured by SpaceX. Both stages of its two-stage-to-orbit vehicle use liquid oxygen and rocket-grade kerosene propellants...
and Taurus IITaurus IITaurus II is an expendable launch system being developed by Orbital Sciences Corporation. It is a two stage vehicle designed to launch payloads weighing up to into low-Earth orbit...
.
- United Space AllianceUnited Space AllianceUnited Space Alliance is a spaceflight operations company. USA is a joint venture which was established in August 1995 as a Limited Liability Company , equally owned by Boeing and Lockheed Martin. The company is headquartered in Houston, Texas and, employed approximately 8,800 people in Texas,...
proposed under a plan called Commercial Space Transportation Service, or CSTS, to fly commercially the two remaining Space Shuttle vehicles, EndeavourSpace Shuttle EndeavourSpace Shuttle Endeavour is one of the retired orbiters of the Space Shuttle program of NASA, the space agency of the United States. Endeavour was the fifth and final spaceworthy NASA space shuttle to be built, constructed as a replacement for Challenger...
and AtlantisSpace Shuttle AtlantisThe Space Shuttle Atlantis is a retired Space Shuttle orbiter in the Space Shuttle fleet belonging to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration , the spaceflight and space exploration agency of the United States...
, twice a year from 2013 to 2017.
CCDev 3
A third round was planned for the end of 2011 with NASA to award grants in 2012. For CCDev 3, NASA wanted proposals to include not only the intended spacecraft but also the intended launch vehicle.After the CCDev3 draft Request for Proposals (RFP) was issued, NASA decided not to do a third round of Space Act Agreements. Consequently, CCDev3 became the Commercial Crew Program, consisting of a series of competitively awarded contracts. NASA plans to release the final RFP for the Commercial Crew Program by the end of 2011, and hopes commercial crew systems will be available for the transportation of astronauts to and from the ISS – as well as the provision of rescue services – by the middle of the decade.
See also
- Commercial Orbital Transportation ServicesCommercial Orbital Transportation ServicesCommercial Orbital Transportation Services is a NASA program to coordinate the delivery of crew and cargo to the International Space Station by private companies. The program was announced on January 18, 2006...
(COTS) - Private spaceflightPrivate spaceflightPrivate spaceflight is flight above Earth altitude conducted by and paid for by an entity other than a government. In the early decades of the Space Age, the government space agencies of the Soviet Union and United States pioneered space technology augmented by collaboration with affiliated design...