NASA Industry Team to Feature Space Launch System and Orion at Oshkosh 2013 AirVenture

July 26, 2013
NASA's industry team that includes Lockheed Martin, Boeing, ATK and Aerojet Rocketdyne will discuss NASA's Space Launch System (SLS) and Orion spacecraft at the 2013 Oshkosh AirVenture in Wisconsin from July 29 to Aug. 4 at Innovation Pavillion #4 in the Innovation Center.

Arlington, Va., July 26, 2013 – NASA’s industry team that includes Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT), Boeing (NYSE: BA), ATK (NYSE: ATK)  and Aerojet Rocketdyne (NYSE: GY) will discuss NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) and Orion spacecraft at the 2013 Oshkosh AirVenture in Wisconsin from July 29 to Aug. 4. The team will be located at Innovation Pavillion #4 in the Innovation Center.

NASA’s SLS program in conjunction with NASA’s Orion spacecraft program, will support a variety of missions to new frontiers of national and international importance, delivering more capacity than any past, present or otherwise planned space exploration vehicle. This system will enable new pursuits that will propel America’s space exploration into the future, taking astronauts and science experiments further into space than ever before. The SLS/Orion system is designed to be flexible and evolvable for crew or cargo missions and will be safe, affordable and sustainable to advance America’s exploration of destinations throughout our solar system.

Boeing will also host a Human Space Exploration booth at the Pavilion, adjacent to the SLS team display, featuring NASA’s International Space Station, and their Commercial Crew Transportation System CST-100, in addition to SLS.

Events:

Tuesday, July 30

EAA is sponsoring a special space event on Tuesday evening at “Theatre in the Woods.” At 8:30 p.m. CDT.  The space-themed fireside chat will be moderated by famed journalist and media host David Hartman. The all-star astronaut line-up which spans the Apollo era to present day space exploration, includes Apollo astronaut Charlie Duke, Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield, and space shuttle astronauts Charlie Precourt and Chris Ferguson who will share their mission experiences with the Apollo, MIR, Space Shuttle and International Space Station.  

Thursday, Aug. 1

Former astronaut Kent Rominger and ATK executive will present during a space-themed event, from 12:30 p.m. to 2 p.m. CDT. Utah’s Clark Planetarium director, Seth Jarvis, will also attend, showcasing his spectacular Comets, Asteroids and Preventable Natural Disasters presentation.

Friday, Aug. 2

At 10:30 a.m. CDT, Dan Dumbacher, Deputy Associate Administrator for Exploration Systems Development at NASA – Headquarters, will be joined by SLS/Orion program executives who will hold a media panel to discuss the status of NASA’s upcoming human exploration missions into deep space, including Mars.

Lockheed Martin’s role in the SLS/Orion programs

Lockheed Martin is the prime contractor to NASA for the Orion spacecraft and is subcontracted to Boeing on the SLS Program. Together, SLS and Orion form a comprehensive system capable of taking America’s space exploration further into space than ever before. Orion is now in full production for its first test flight beyond low-Earth orbit, which is slated for September 2014. The flight test launch system will include an Orion crew module and launch abort system atop an SLS upper stage on a test booster. In 2017, the fully integrated SLS will launch an uncrewed Orion on a demonstration flight around the moon to test out the spacecraft and launch systems. The follow-on flight in 2021 will be a crewed mission.. The collaboration between the two programs makes safe, long-duration, deep-space exploration possible.

Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin is a global security and aerospace company that employs about 116,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration, and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products, and services.

Boeing’s role in the SLS/Orion programs

NASA selected Boeing to design, develop and produce the nation’s next -generation, human-rated rocket to transport people beyond Earth’s orbit. Boeing’s SLS program, managed out of Huntsville, Ala., is responsible for the cryogenic stages and avionics.

Partnering with NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala., Boeing is progressing on the avionics subsystem as well the design of two cryogenic stages concurrently to maximize affordability of SLS rocket development and operations. Toward that end, the team is employing innovative and cost-effective manufacturing methods at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans. Major production tool installation already is underway. Boeing has engaged 120 suppliers across 30 states to support production of the SLS.

Boeing is the world's leading aerospace company and the largest manufacturer of commercial jetliners and military aircraft. Additionally, Boeing designs and manufactures rotorcraft, electronic and defense systems, missiles, satellites, launch vehicles and advanced information and communication systems. As a major service provider to NASA, Boeing is not only building the core stages and avionics for the Space Launch System, but is the prime contractor for the International Space Station (ISS), and is building the next Commercial Crew Transportation Capability (CCtCap) to resupply the ISS. The company also provides numerous military and commercial airline support services. Boeing provides products and support services to customers in 150 countries and is one of the largest U.S. exporters in terms of sales.

ATK’s role in the SLS/Orion programs

ATK’s contribution to NASA’s Space Launch System is the five-segment solid rocket boosters that will be used for the first two flights of NASA’s SLS. Later this year, ATK will test its five-segment solid rocket motor, meeting a critical milestone for the program and validating the numerous affordability and process changes ATK has incorporated into its boosters. This test, QM-1, is the first of two tests to qualify the SLS booster for human-rated flight. Across the country, SLS teammates are working with NASA to build the first SLS rocket, supporting a strong aerospace industry. For the SLS boosters, ATK has 29 key suppliers across 16 states: Alabama, Arizona,  California, Connecticut, Indiana, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah and Wisconsin.

ATK also manufactures the launch abort motor, an integral part of Orion’s launch abort system, which is designed to safely propel the Orion spacecraft safely away from the launch vehicle in the event of an emergency on the launch pad or during the initial ascent of the SLS. For the launch abort motor, ATK is on contract to Lockheed Martin, who is the prime contractor to NASA building the Orion spacecraft. The industry team includes major subcontractors, such as ATK, and a nationwide network of minor subcontractors, small businesses and suppliers across the United States.

Media interested in learning more about ATK’s role in building the boosters and abort motor for NASA’s Space Launch System are encouraged to visit the company’s exhibit, attend the events throughout the week or contact on-site media representatives (listed below). ATK is an aerospace, defense, and commercial products company with operations in 21 states, Puerto Rico, and internationally. News and information can be found on the Internet at www.atk.com, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/atk, or on Twitter @ATK.

Aerojet Rocketdyne’s role in the SLS/Orion programs

NASA has selected Aerojet Rocketdyne to supply the RS-25 engines for the core stage propulsion and is ground testing Aerojet Rocketdyne's J-2X engine with manufacturing improvements and modified engine controllers for the RS-25, as well as evaluating it for potential use on an SLS upper stage. In addition, Aerojet Rocketdyne built the jettison motor for Orion ‘s launch abort system.

Aerojet Rocketdyne is a world-recognized aerospace and defense leader providing propulsion and energetics to the space, missile defense, strategic, tactical missile and armaments sectors for both domestic and international markets. Find out more about the new Aerojet Rocketdyne at www.rocket.com.

Other SLS Suppliers on-site at Oshkosh

Moog Inc.

Moog Inc. (NYSE: MOG.A and MOG.B) is supplying Thrust Vector Control (TVC) Systems to the NASA Space Launch System. The TVC System includes actuators and control avionics for the core stage rocket engines, the booster stage motors and the upper stage engines.  The heritage of these systems is built from the Saturn, Delta and Space Shuttle systems.

In addition, Moog is supporting the Orion crew capsule system, providing the rocket motor nozzle control system actuation system (actuators and control avionics) for the launch abort system.  Moog is also providing valves and controls for the propulsion system and environmental control systems, along with thruster valves for the attitude control system.

Moog Inc. is a worldwide designer, manufacturer, and integrator of precision control components and systems. Moog's high-performance systems control military and commercial aircraft, satellites and space vehicles, launch vehicles, missiles, industrial machinery, wind energy, marine applications and medical equipment. Find out more at www.moog.com.

Jacobs

JACOBS is the prime contractor for NASA’s Test and Operations Support Contract (TOSC) that provides the overall management and implementation of ground systems capabilities, flight hardware processing and launch operations at the Kennedy Space Center.

These tasks support the International Space Station (ISS), Ground Systems Development and Operations (GSDO), the Space Launch System (SLS), Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle (MPCV) and Launch Services programs.

As KSC transitions to a 21st-century launch facility with multiple users, both commercial and government, TOSC is a primary player in those advanced activities.  The infrastructure is designed to host many kinds of spacecraft and rockets sending people on America's future voyages into space.

L-3 Cincinnati Electronics

L-3 Cincinnati Electronics (CE) is engaged in the development, manufacture and test of Space Launch System (SLS) new avionics. L-3 CE is working closely with ATK and Boeing supporting avionics development on the solid rocket boosters and core stage. L-3 CE provides flight critical avionics for U.S. heavy lift launch vehicles and spacecraft communications supporting the International Space Station and Mars missions.