Engineering consulting firm SpaceWorks
Engineering, Inc. (SEI) has been selected by NASA’s Kennedy Space Center
(KSC) to help identify technologies and subsequent reusable launch
systems that are solely designed for operations. SEI will analyze and
establish the viability of various operable launch system designs that
have accumulated from past experience on the Space Shuttle.
This D4Ops or “Design for Ops” philosophy is part of the next generation
of analysis to develop more operable space launch systems. The current
fleet of United States Space Shuttles requires many months and thousands
of employees to get one shuttle orbiter readied from one launch to the
next landing (turnaround time). Future programs, in order to reduce
operations costs, are relying on substantial reductions of this time.
“The mission of D4Ops is to help the space designer focus on both
performance and operations. This project can help various groups, from
NASA’s Orbital Space Plane (OSP) and Next Generation Launch Technology
(NGLT) programs to the current X PRIZE contenders, to leap the gulf from
today’s space launch vehicle turnaround times of months to the
achievable dream of days,” stated Mr. A.C. Charania, project lead from
SpaceWorks Engineering, Inc. (SEI).
SEI will coordinate with NASA personnel who have accumulated experience
on the Space Shuttle to prioritize technologies and design processes for
the next generation of vehicles. This will involve use of databases
containing key experiences with Space Shuttle processing.
Using this historical knowledge the firm will be exploring and analyzing
an assortment of D4Ops ideas within the context of certain future space
launch system designs. SEI’s vast experience with space launch system
conceptual design and operational assessment will be utilized to develop
such pathfinder examples or designs. This includes assessments of near
and far terms visions of these technologies.
“We are pleased to be supporting NASA KSC on this important project,”
said Dr. John R. Olds, President and CEO of SpaceWorks Engineering, Inc.
(SEI). “It is critical for NASA to understand the lessons-learned from
the Space Shuttle program and then apply those lessons so that
next-generation launch systems will be easier to maintain and operate.
In many cases, design decisions have been made solely on the basis of
minimum weight. NASA and SEI’s approach will make sure that cost and
operations impacts also enter into the decision process.”
More information can be found at the SEI website: www.sei.aero.
