- Former astronaut, Bruce McCandless, explains docking of Orion with the International Space Station during opening ceremonies of the Lockheed Martin Space Operations Simulation Center. Credit: Barbara David
- James Bray, Director for Orion Crew and Service Module, points out details of Orion spacecraft at Lockheed Martin’s Vertical Test Facility. Credit: Barbara David
LITTLETON, Colorado – A new, state-of-the-art facility to help reduce risk for future space exploration missions is open for business.
The Lockheed Martin’s Space Operations Simulation Center – or SOSC for short — was showcased here March 21. SOSC is a 41,000 square-foot-facility capable of simulating on-orbit docking maneuvers with full-size Orion spacecraft and International Space Station mockups.
The SOSC represents part of Lockheed Martin’s multi-million dollar investment in testing and validating future human spaceflight programs to ensure safe, affordable and sustainable space exploration.
Political dignitaries, astronauts, media and other guests took part in opening ceremonies, receiving updates on the Orion Project and NASA’s Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle.
The Orion crew exploration vehicle is on schedule to conduct its first orbital flight test as early as 2013 and provide initial operational flights by 2016 as required by the NASA Authorization Act of 2010.
John Karas, vice president and general manager for Lockheed Martin’s Human Space Flight programs, underscored the firm’s work on the Orion spacecraft.
“Orion was designed from inception to fly multiple, deep-space missions,” Karas explained. “The spacecraft is an incredibly robust, technically advanced vehicle capable of safely transporting humans to asteroids, Lagrange Points and other deep space destinations that will put us on an affordable and sustainable path to Mars.”
Upcoming sensor test
The new SOSC currently supports integrated testing of Orion’s Relative Navigation System, which includes STORRM – a Sensor Test for Orion RelNav Risk Mitigation.
That navigation and docking system is to be tested on the upcoming STS-134 shuttle mission to the International Space Station.
STORRM is one of the major subsystem tests that will be completed before Orion’s first orbital flight test in 2013. That spacecraft shakeout involves flying high-altitude orbits, followed by a high-energy reentry that simulates the environments of a deep space mission.
During the SOSC open house, the versatility of the facility to help simulate missions to Mars as well as a trek to an asteroid was highlighted.
Advanced planners at the aerospace firm have blueprinted what are tagged as “Stepping Stones” – a progression of beyond Earth missions that include Plymouth Rock, an asteroid mission; L-2 Farside, a mission to the Lagrangian Point over the farside of the moon; and Red Rocks, a mission to the moons of Mars that would complement robotic missions on the Martian surface.
By Leonard David