posted 09-14-2006 04:35 PM               

The EDL contains a full scale mockup of the Orion spacecraft, which is being used for volumetric, displays and controls studies.

It also contains an Avionics Development Lab, which is a joint test bed developed by Lockheed Martin and Honeywell Defense and Space and is being used for the early integration and testing of the Orion avionics hardware.

NASA and Lockheed Martin hosted reporters today at the EDL to view the mockup and avionics lab. Media were invited to 'board' the mockup and 'fly' Orion on an approach and docking to the International Space Station.

Orion Project Manager Skip Hatfield and Astronaut Lee Morin, who is working on Orion's avionics design, were present during the tour.

Full-Scale (5m) Orion Mockup

Astronaut Lee Morin explains Orion's avionics and window layout design.

Command and pilot station.

Flat screen displays. (Orion will feature very few switch and gauge panels.)

posted 09-14-2006 04:38 PM               

Avionics Development Lab

posted 09-15-2006 08:24 AM               

quote:

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Originally posted by mensax:
In the first photo... what are the items on the wall that the people in the background are looking at?

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posted 09-15-2006 08:39 AM               

quote:

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Originally posted by mensax:
In the first photo... what are the items on the wall that the people in the background are looking at?

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quote:

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What is the dimension on that window in the CM? It looks more the size of the Shuttle's than Apollo's.

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The Orion mockup's windows were positioned such that during rendezvous and docking, undocking and reentry (among other flight phases), the commander and pilot can see forward in the direction they are traveling (so your view out in its current orientation is 'up' towards the ceiling).

Other "side" windows are in the tradespace.

posted 12-12-2007 11:57 PM               

Lockheed Martin Team Opens New Space Exploration Development Laboratory For Orion And Constellation

Lockheed Martin announced today the opening of its new space Exploration Development Laboratory in a ceremony dedicating the facility to support the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) Project Orion and Constellation Program. Orion isAmerica's next-generation human spaceflight vehicle that will transport up to six astronauts to and from the International Space Station and up to four to the moon and destinations beyond, beginning in 2015 after the space shuttle is retired.

The new 10,000 sq. ft. Exploration Development Laboratory is a state-of-the-art test facility funded by Lockheed Martin and its teammates United Space Alliance and Honeywell as part of an integrated EDL network that includes facilities in Denver, CO, Glendale, AZ and Arlington, VA. The EDL network is designed to reduce cost and schedule risk by providing an early opportunity to perform systems level avionics and software testing for Orion in a realistic environment in the development phase of the program.

"The Exploration Development Lab provides a tremendous benefit to NASA and the Lockheed Martin team as we begin a very robust test program for Orion," said Cleon Lacefield, vice president and program manager of Project Orion for Lockheed Martin Space Systems. "We are very excited to have the EDL ready and operational for Orion and Constellation so early in the development phase of the program. Testing in this new facility has already begun and we successfully completed the first Pad Abort 1 avionics systems test for Orion last week."

The EDL in Houston is located adjacent to NASA Johnson Space Center, enabling the Lockheed Martin team to work closely with NASA's Project Orion and Constellation Program early in the development and testing phase to gain clarity on requirements. This location allows the team to take full advantage of the breadth of human space flight experience in Houston, including early involvement and collaboration with astronaut flight crew members and flight controllers.

Initial testing of critical systems will be done in the EDL, including the Guidance, Navigation, and Control (GN&C), Automated Rendezvous and Docking (AR&D), crew interfaces, and software development processes. Avionics system testing will be performed to reduce risk prior to abort flight testing at White Sands Missile Range and NASA Kennedy Space Center. EDL testing also will include system integration tests and mission tests that employ the team's "test like you fly" philosophy. The Lockheed Martin team also is working closely with NASA on a Human Engineering mockup that will be used to perform fact finding activities, such as reach zone, panel displays, internal lighting assessment, seat mockup and development, docking hatch development, crew stowage, hand controller development, and other human interface devices.

Following EDL testing, the next phase of tests will be done at NASA's CEV Avionics Integration Laboratory (CAIL). Verification of requirements in the EDL ensures that certification in the CAIL will be successful, greatly reducing software development risk.

posted 12-13-2007 12:18 AM               

CEV Cockpit Operators Station Mockup (COSM) (under construction)

The primary purpose of the COSM facility is to provide an opportunity to reduce risks associated with development of detailed requirements for the Crew Exploration Vehicle and avionics subsystems.

A replica of the CEV operators station console will be installed in the Space Cockpit Operations Development Tool system frame. The cockpit operators workstation will provide functional crew input and output devices including LCD displays with edge keys, switch panels and keyboards, hand controllers, and cursor control devices. The SCODT frame will also include a replica of a section of the CEV forward structure from the operator's seats up to the forward bulkhead including the two forward windows. The forward windows will contain Image Generation System displays to provide an out the window view of simulation mode visuals to the system operators.

Pad Abort 1 - Crew Module Mockup

The Pad Abort 1 (PA-1) Crew Module (CM) mockup will provide development and testing capabilities for the integration and evaluation of the PA-1 crew module avionics system interfaced with external simulations and emulations of complete subsystems prior to installation in the PA-1 Flight Test Article crew module. Examples of avionics that will be tested using the crew module mockup include data acquisition units, remote interface units, power distribution units, vehicle management computers and other flight critical components.