Creation of office positions manufacturer to become lead integrator in exploration effort and convince sceptics
The first task of Boeing's new Space Exploration Systems (SES) office is to help NASA sell its new vision to sceptical lawmakers, says Chuck Allen, vice-president and general manager of the Washington DC-based organisation.
SES has been formed to work closely with NASA's new Office of Exploration Systems as it defines the programme over the next 18 months. "It is so undefined right now," says Allen. "People are very sceptical because there is not enough detail."
Part of Boeing's NASA Systems unit, SES will set priorities and direct development of systems and technologies to support the exploration initiative. "As NASA's direction firms, Boeing's direction will firm. We want to be involved in the process early."
Creation of SES positions Boeing to bid for the role of lead system integrator (LSI) for the exploration effort, if NASA decides to give that role to industry. "It is too complex a programme not to have an LSI," says Allen. But NASA will not decide whether to keep that role for itself or give it to industry for another 18 months, he says. Also yet to be decided is whether industry should form a national team for the exploration effort.
Allen previously managed Boeing's Orbital Space Plane office. This programme, to develop a crew transfer vehicle for the International Space Station, will be wound down by the end of May, with a request for proposals for the replacement Crew Exploration Vehicle expected by early next year. A first test flight is planned for 2008.
Allen believes the exploration vision is affordable provided NASA decides what it can afford to do in each increment of a spiral development effort, and does not proceed to the next step until it is sure the technology is mature and the costs understood. "We have to have a success every two years to ensure this programme is sustainable," he says.
Boeing has formed the Earth Science Applications office in Houston, Texas to develop an open-architecture system to collect all available Earth resource data and decision-aiding tools to allow users to predict climate and environment changes. A simulation of its network-centric application will be demonstrated later this year.
GRAHAM WARWICK / WASHINGTON DC
Source: Flight International
