NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS) 20120000077: NASA, Building Tomorrow's Future

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by  NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

NASA. BUILDING TOMORROW'S FUTURE
EdwardJ. Mango
NationalAeronauticsandSpaceAdministration, MailCode: FA, KennedySpaceCenter, FL 32899, USA,
Email: [email protected]
We, asNASA, continue to Dare MightyThings. Here we all time, circles the globe sixteen times every day - all in
are in October. In my country, the United States of keepingwithJFK'schallengeto dothe otherthings."
America, we celebrate the anniversary of Christopher
The International Space Station (ISS) is a ship which
Columbus's arrival in the Americas, which occurred on
provides an outstanding platform 'for performing
October 12, 1492. Hisstory, although happeningover500
spaceborne scientific, engineering, and Earth studies.
years ago, is still very valid today. It is a part of the Numerous nations utilize this unique cooperative
American spirit; part of the international human spirit. partnership by sending scientists, engineers, astronauts,
Columbus is famous for discovering the new world we and cosmonauts to the ISS to spend time aboard the
now call America, but he probably neverenvisioned what station inorderto further scientificresearch, truly an asset
fortheentireplanet.
great discoveries would be revealed many generations
later. But in order for Columbus to begin his great
The United States is embarking on a new ship building
adventure, he needed a business plan. Ho~ would he go
activity for low Earth orbit access to the ISS via a new
about obtaining the funds and support necessary to build, plan, the Commercial Crew Program. The Commercial'
supply, and man the ships required for his travels? He Crew Program is all about a partnership with the best
hada lotofobstaclesanddistractions. aerospace ship builders in the U.S., with assistance from
'other nations, to design and construct space vehicles to
Heneededastrong, internaldriveto achieve hisplans and transport people into orbit and around our planet. This
recruit a willing crew ofexplorers also ready to risk their partnership is focused on safe flight access in sending
astronauts into space, but also for other types of space
all forthe unknownjourney ahead. AsColumbus setsail,
adventures. Thegoalofthe Commercial Crew Program is
he said "By prevailing over all obstacles and distractions,
to ensure a more efficient way to open markets and
one may unfailingly arrive at· his chosen goal or
explore new areas of business. NASA is providing the
destination." Columbus may nothave known he wasona majorityofthe funding and design assistance, havingover
journey for all human exploration. Recently, Charlie 50 years of knowledge and experience in human
Bolden, the NASA Administrator, said, "Human spaceflight and flight safety. The companies involved in
the CommercialCrewventure will retain ownershipofthe
exploration is and has always been about making life
designs and vehicles. NASA and our international
betterforhumansonEarth."
partners will use these new ships to travel to the ISS and
other low Earth orbit destinations. In my mind, just like
Today, NASA and the U.S. human spaceflight program
Columbus, in order to explore, you have to leave where
hold manyofthe same attributes as did Columbus and his
you are and go someplace else. The Commercial Crew
contemporaries - a willing, can-do spirit. We are on the Program affords the opportunity to leave the planet with
threshold of exciting new times in space exploration. the ISS the destination to explore. Charlie Bolden said
Like Columbus, we need a business plan to take us into back in July, "We will use the space station as a test bed
the future. We need to design the best ships and utilize andsteppingstone for the challengingjourneyahead. We
are changing the way we do business, fostering a
the best designers, with their past knowledge and
commercial industry that will safely service low Earth
experience, to build those ships. We need funding and
orbitso wecanfocus ourenergyandresources on sending
supportfrom governments to achieve these goalsofspace
astronautstO'anasteroidandeyentuallyto Mars."
exploration intotheunknown.
Another great explorer from history is Ferdinand
NASAdoes havethatbusinessplan, and itis anambitious Magellan. He, like Columbus, wanted to go on a great
plan for human spaceflight and exploration. Today, we adventure, this time trying to reach the Spice Islands by
have a magnificent spaceflight laboratory, built over sailingwestthrough theNew World. His expeditiontook
many years by the United States and other nations. Last him farther than Columbus and he is credited with sailing
month, the last man to step offthe moon, Gene Cernan, from the Atlantic Ocean into the Pacific Ocean, and the
told the U.S. Congress, "Today the International Space firstto crossthe Pacific. To dothis, his ships hadto have
Station, the assembly of which may well go down in more capabilitythanthose ofColumbus. Neil Armstrong
history as man's greatest engineering accomplishment of once said before taking on his great adventure, "I think
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I
we're going to the moon because it's in the nature ofthe with the boosters eventually being completed in order to
human being to face challenges. It's by the nature ofhis use the best, most efficient capabilities that rocket
deep inner soul... we're required to do these thingsjust as propulsionofferstoday.
salmonswim upstream."
This combination ofthe MPCV and the SLS will enable
And like Magellan, NASA and the United States are NASA to lead the way for space exploration beyond our
today taking on the challenge to build new ships capable surroundings. We will be enabled to explore asteroids,
of exploring new places in space that we once only take longer trips to the moon, and trips to Mars. The
dreamed of. Several weeks ago, NASA laid out a new possibilitiesareendless.
strategy for space exploration, the Multi-Purpose Crew
Vehicle (MPCV) and the Space Launch System. The JFK inspiredacan-do spiritwhen he said, "Wechoose ...
systems now have the support ofthe U.S. Congress, and to do the other things, not because they are easy, but
the funding details are being worked out. These new . because they are hard, because that goal will serve to
vehicles will take us far beyond low Earth orbit, far organize and measure the best of our energies and
beyond our home planet. This is huge for NASA, but as skills..."
Neil Armstrong said after his mission, it is small for
humankind. He said while on his great adventure to the Just like the two explorers Columbus and Magellan who
moon, "Itsuddenlystruckme thatthattinypea, prettyand undertook the hardjob ofpaving the way for exploration
blue, was the Earth. Iput up my thumb and shut one eye, intothe unknown, todayNASA is buildingthe great ships
and my thumb blotted out the planet Earth. [didn't feel for our future, because we also choose to undertake just
likeagiant. [feltvery, verysmall." suchachallenge;wetootoday havethatcan-dospirit!
NASA's MPCV efforts will transport explorers just like
Neil and Gene from the U.S., as well as many of our
world partners. Currently MPCV is going through a
design and build process, and like Magellan's ships, the
MPCV has to be durably constructed to support life
functions for itsexplorer'sjourney. The first flight testof
the MPCV is scheduledtotakeplacearoundthemiddleof
the decade, with manned flights a few years later. NASA
isonthe forefront offuture spaceexploration indesigning
andbuildingthisspaceship.
As with Columbus and Magellan, their ships needed
strong hulls and a setofsails to harness the full energy of
the windfor top performance onthe seas. ForNASA and
exploration beyond low Earth orbit, our ship's sails are
called the Space Launch System (SLS). The hardest part
of any journey off our planet is getting off the surface,
throughthe atmosphere, and awayfrom thepullofmother
Earth. SLS is being designed to accomplishjustthat. At
first, the system will be able to carry up to 70 metric tons,
but the design will mature and grow, eventually having
the capacity to carry up to 130 metric tons. 130 metric
tons will make this the largest ship to ever leave the
planet, and the largest vehicle to allow mankind to
explore space. Technology and systems from the last 30
yearsofspace shuttle program offerus abase from which
to start and grow, a core stage that uses LH2/L02 and
engines derived from the shuttles. Also employedwill be
an upper stage using technology from the Apollo
program, which has been improved upon over the last
seven years. Lastly, we will use solid rocket propulsion,