With the ongoing and essential work of small businesses around the country, a new spacecraft is being built for missions to carry humans to new and exciting deep space destinations.
Orion, the new crew vehicle, is not only designed to send humans to one destination but to multiple destinations. The spacecraft will expand human presence far into space and return them safely to the Earth. Already having achieved a successful test flight in 2014, Orion is on its way to launching next year atop NASA’s new rocket, Space Launch System (SLS).
When small businesses support NASA’s Orion program, NASA isn’t the only one who benefits.
A small disadvantaged and woman-owned small business, Mathematical Research, Inc. has been supporting Orion since 2006. With 107 employees, the business began their support of Orion through test and verification support. Due to their performance, MRI Technologies won task orders in engineering and program management as well as electrical, electronic and electromechanical parts.
As a direct result of their support of Orion, MRI has evolved and grown in areas of engineering, program management and critical software development.
MRI supports the program in many ways.
The business tests, validates and verifies complex hardware and software systems and subsystems. For both flight and test components, MRI provides engineering analysis. They provide structural systems, stress analysis and models. MRI also creates engineering drawings and parts lists.
Another area of support that MRI provides to Orion is through Configuration Data Management (CDM). For the management and integration of NASA change requests, the business supports the Engineering Change Manager through their DCM expertise.
MRI also supports Orion for technical reviews. For the Orion Process Implementation and the CMMI Level 3 Certification efforts, MRI supports the Chief Engineer. The small business additionally develops EGSE Command and Status and EGSE Telemetry software CSCIs.
A small business in Michigan provides complex tooling used for Orion. Models & Tools, Inc. creates tooling that is used during friction stir-welding to manufacture the Orion crew module.
The small business has 169 employees and has supported Orion since 2008. After having moved to a different location in 2009 and adding large 5-axis machining capabilities, the business can support larger tools. Tooling from the small business is essential to the program, and will be used to finish the last part of the welding phase.
Launching next year, Orion will travel farther from Earth than any human-rated spacecraft has traveled since Apollo. During its first integrated mission with SLS, the capsule will be unmanned. Flights that follow will be taking humans deep into space soon enough! Orion is equipped with the capabilities to ensure safety for humans while enabling the future of deep space human missions.
Learn more about Orion: https://www.nasa.gov/exploration/systems/orion/index.html