posted 04-30-2020 04:22 PM               

Dynetics to develop NASA’s Artemis Human Lunar Landing System

Dynetics, a wholly owned subsidiary of Leidos, has been awarded a contract under NASA's Artemis program to design a Human Landing System (HLS) and compete to build a system to take the first woman and next man to the lunar surface by 2024.

Dynetics is one of three prime contractors selected.

The Dynetics approach enables near-term reusability and sustainability and provides a robust, commercially supported lander capability, while boasting flight-proven technologies for habitat, power, thermal and other subsystems. The system's crew module is designed to accommodate two crew members for nominal missions from lunar orbit to the lunar surface and back, including surface habitation for about a week. Alternatively, it can ferry up to four suited crew members to or from the lunar surface.

"There's really no more exciting mission than delivering humans to other planetary bodies," said Kim Doering, Dynetics vice president of Space Systems. "However, it's also among the most challenging endeavors, particularly given the goal of landing on the moon in 2024. We believe Dynetics has the recipe for success."

"As a new member of the Leidos family, Dynetics continues to lead the industry with talented innovators eager to solve today's complex problems," said Leidos Chairman and CEO Roger Krone. "NASA's HLS is truly innovative and one that will revolutionize space travel. We are fully committed to this endeavor and proud to join the team returning Americans to the moon."

The Dynetics HLS can be fully integrated and launched on the Space Launch System (SLS) Block 1B vehicle. For commercial launches, it can be flown aboard United Launch Alliance's Vulcan Centaur rocket.

With Dynetics as the prime contractor and system integrator, the team is composed of a broad and diverse set of small and mid-size businesses, as well as NASA field centers with industry-recognized technical expertise and programmatic experience. The Dynetics-led team is located in 17 U.S. states and one international country. Major components and subsystems will be built, tested and integrated at a Dynetics facility in northern Alabama.

In addition, Dynetics is also delivering critical hardware to NASA's Space Launch System (SLS) Core Stage, Exploration Upper Stage, Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle, and the International Space Station (ISS).

The experienced team of partners and subcontractors include:

• Thales Alenia Space Italy
  
• Draper Laboratory
  
• Sierra Nevada Corporation
  
• Oceaneering International
  
• Paragon Space Development Corporation
  
• United Launch Alliance
  
• Dynamic Concepts Inc.
  
• Maxar Technologies
  
• Creare LLC
  
• Craig Technologies Inc.
  
• L3Harris Technologies Inc.
  
• ILC Dover
  
• Sierra Lobo Inc.
  
• JBS Solutions
  
• All Points LLC
  
• Cepeda Systems & Software Analysis Inc.
  
• Victory Solutions Inc
  
• Astrobotic Technology
  
• ATA Engineering Inc.
  
• Ecliptic Enterprises Corporation
  
• Bionetics Corporation
  
• APT Research Inc.
  
• Space Exploration Engineering
  
• Osare Space Consulting Group
  
• Tuskegee University

posted 04-30-2020 06:21 PM               

SNC to Lead Crew Module Development for Critical Piece of NASA's Artemis Program

Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC), the global aerospace and national security leader owned by Eren and Faith Ozmen, has been selected as a subcontractor to Dynetics, a wholly owned subsidiary of Leidos, to provide key crew module technology for NASA's Human Landing System (HLS) program. This program is a critical piece of the agency's Artemis program for lunar exploration.

SNC is leading development of the crew module for HLS, which will ferry astronauts and cargo to and from the moon's surface. The program is designed to provide new science and material resources and leverage the moon as a proving ground for future Mars missions.

"SNC has supported more than 450 missions to space including to every planet in the solar system, and we're very excited now to support NASA and Dynetics on the Artemis mission to the moon," said Eren Ozmen, owner and President of SNC.

SNC is responsible for the systems integration, human rating and safety and mission assurance of the crew module, leveraging expertise developed through its NASA Commercial Resupply Services 2 (CRS-2) and NextSTEP-2/Gateway programs. At its production facilities in Louisville, Colorado, and as it did for its successful LIFE Gateway (Large Inflatable Fabric Environment) ground prototype, SNC will develop a ground HLS test article for crew evaluation and testing. SNC's world-class mission control center in Louisville enable the company to provide on-orbit operations for the module, as it will for its Dream Chaser spaceplane when it launches under NASA's Commercial Resupply Services 2 (CRS-2) contract.

"We are proud to contribute SNC's human spaceflight expertise for this important mission," said former NASA astronaut Janet Kavandi, senior vice president of programs for SNC's Space Systems business area. "The combined systems engineering and integration capabilities of Dynetics and SNC, create a strong team capable of meeting the stringent development and test requirements of a human landing system, with the agility and flexibility that a rapid development program like this requires."

With decades of space experience and hundreds of missions under its belt, including to Mars, SNC supports solutions from low-Earth orbit to the moon as a prime contractor. SNC will build on the experience gained from its lunar Gateway programs and the Astro Garden system for in-space plant growth and environmental monitoring and control systems.

NASA's goal is to land astronauts on the moon by 2024 and establish sustainable missions by 2028.

posted 05-04-2020 08:49 AM               

Astrobotic to Develop New Commercial Payload Service for NASA's Human Landing System

Astrobotic proudly announces that it is has been selected to develop and lead a new commercial payload service onboard the Dynetics Human Landing System (HLS). Dynetics, a wholly owned subsidiary of Leidos, was recently announced as one of three awardees by NASA to develop a new commercial lunar lander for NASA's Artemis Program. The design and development of HLS for Artemis will land the first woman and the next man on the Moon by 2024. With this new approach, the human lander will not only carry astronaut crews but also commercial payload shipments.

"As the leading lunar payload delivery provider, we are thrilled to begin setting up this new sales offering onboard the Dynetics human lander," said Astrobotic CEO, John Thornton. "With payload expertise from our Peregrine and Griffin lunar lander programs, Astrobotic is now poised to extend our payload services to include the Dynetics human lander. This is another important step in commercial lunar development."

Astrobotic's multi-year experience in lunar payload integration across 16 payload deals to date will now be leveraged to bring payloads onboard the Dynetics' human lander from companies, governments, universities, and non-profits. Astrobotic will become the front door service for organizations around the world to send their payloads to the Moon on this new lander. Astrobotic will assist payload customers in successfully integrating with the human lander in preparation for launch and subsequent operation on the Moon.

"Dynetics is excited to lead this expert team of subcontractors that will return Americans to the lunar surface," said Kim Doering, Vice President of Space Systems at Dynetics. "This team has a proven history of technical excellence, and their contributions will greatly benefit the future of space exploration."

posted 01-07-2021 08:58 AM               

Dynetics achieves critical NASA milestone and delivers key data on lunar lander program

Dynetics, a wholly owned subsidiary of Leidos, has submitted its proposal for Option A of the Human Landing System (HLS) for NASA's Artemis Program. The Dynetics team has also completed the HLS Continuation Review, a critical milestone during the 10-month base period, which NASA will use to assess progress on HLS hardware development and program plans.

Above: The company and its subcontractors complete a major step in the Human Landing System (HLS) competition while continuing to perform significant hardware and software development activities.

At the Continuation Review, Dynetics provided details to NASA on its early design efforts, mission plans, and its hardware and software build as well as test activities that demonstrate tangible, robust advancement towards NASA's mission objectives.

Dynetics is currently performing tests of its main engines simultaneously at its propulsion test site and at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC), both in Huntsville, Ala. This collaboration uses Dynetics' and NASA's expertise in oxygen/methane propulsion at their facilities. These tests provide data on the performance and stability of the engines to improve final designs before qualification.

Dynetics has conducted tests of its smaller reaction control system (RCS) engines at its own facilities, gradually progressing through more challenging and flight-like test conditions.

Dynetics continues to utilize a low-fidelity hardware test article and has recently added a low-fidelity software test article (or "simulator"), provided by Draper Laboratory. The new simulator component enables early human-in-the-loop (HITL) testing of the Dynetics HLS guidance, navigation, and control software.

"Our team is making great progress on our system design and analysis, hardware development, and testing. The incredible volume of technical data and outstanding products delivered to date speak to the power of the swift, yet rigorous, engineering approach with which the team has executed," said Kim Doering, vice president of space systems at Dynetics. "We believe this body of work lays a solid foundation for our crew-centric, sustainable solution to become NASA's choice for safe human transportation to and from the lunar surface."

Industry experts provide key design elements

Dynetics leads a global team of industry-recognized experts with human spaceflight and hardware/software experience directly applicable to the HLS. All members have made significant contributions to the team's progress to date.

• Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC) led the completion of a medium-fidelity hardware test article, which is located at NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC) in Houston, Texas. Like its low-fidelity siblings, this test article will be used by NASA astronauts and operators to improve the Dynetics crew module design. Among many other early demonstrations, SNC has created a virtual reality simulator to evaluate how future crews would view the lunar surface and landing site on approach.

• Houston-based Oceaneering has provided design and development of crew system intra-vehicular and extra-vehicular activities (IVA/EVA) and crew training plans. Oceaneering recently supported successful completion of the preliminary design reviews for crew operations and crew systems held in October and December, respectively. The company has also completed dust mitigation technology demonstrations, using its Debris Vacuum Assembly (DeVA) hardware. Additional dust mitigation technology demonstrations are ongoing at NASA's Kennedy Space Center (KSC).

• Paragon Space Development Corporation has reached the Environmental Control Life Support System (ECLSS) preliminary design review within seven months of program kickoff. Key ECLSS component tests were conducted at NASA's Glenn Research Center (GRC). The maturity of Paragon's ECLSS technologies will lead to a faster transition from the critical design review and flight hardware delivery.

• Maxar Technologies completed preliminary designs for many of the Dynetics Human Landing System's major subsystems, including its power, avionics and communications and active thermal control subsystems. These preliminary designs and plans will be reviewed by the Dynetics and NASA teams during Subsystem Preliminary Design Reviews in early January 2021.

The Dynetics lander team has also performed detailed analyses on a wide range of mission-specific phenomena, such as the interaction of main engine exhaust plumes with the lunar regolith and computational fluid dynamics (CFD), analysis of cabin airflow to improve the design, and placement of the air revitalization system.

The team will continue with the subsystem- and system-level design reviews and critical technology demonstrations as it awaits NASA's Option A selection decision in early 2021.

posted 02-04-2021 06:54 PM               

SNC Delivers Prototype Lunar Crew Module to Dynetics

Crew Module for Artemis Could Put First Woman, Next Man on Moon

Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC) delivered a prototype crew module for Dynetics' Human Landing System (DHLS), to NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC). Dynetics is a wholly owned subsidiary of Leidos. SNC is responsible for providing key technologies and system integration of the crew module as part of the Dynetics-led HLS team.

If the Dynetics-led team is selected to continue development of their human landing system for NASA's Artemis program, the SNC crew module could transport the first woman and next man to the lunar surface.

"Given SNC's track record of travelling to or near every planet in the solar system, including our 14th trip to Mars, and supporting more than 450 missions to space, we are proud to apply that experience to this historic mission," said SNC CEO Fatih Ozmen. "The Artemis mission is bringing back human exploration to the lunar surface, and SNC's role on the exceptionally strong Dynetics-led team is centered on ensuring the safety of the humans who participate."

HLS is at the center of the NASA's Artemis lunar exploration program designed to yield new science and material resources and leverage the moon as a proving ground for future Mars missions. Within the Dynetics team's HLS architecture, the Descent/Ascent Element (DAE) ferries astronauts and cargo to and from the lunar surface; the crew module is the portion of the DAE that houses the astronauts. The crew module provides what the crew needs to live and work safely to, on, and from the Moon.

The prototype crew module has been a joint effort between SNC, Dynetics, and LSINC Corporation, the company that manufactured the prototype structure. SNC engineers and technicians outfitted the module to match the flight design by installing lighting, cameras, and structural compartment elements that define the living and working areas. The company also installed flight-like mockups of all major systems that would be present for a crewed lunar landing, performing integration and checkout testing to ensure successful interaction for all functional systems that have been selected to be active in the prototype.

"This is a really exciting milestone in the program for us," said Janet Kavandi, Ph.D., Executive Vice President of SNC's Space Systems and former NASA astronaut. "The prototype provides another platform for evaluating the crew module for DHLS to better understand how astronauts will function in the space we are providing. It also gives the astronauts an opportunity to provide feedback on the design."

This prototype is the second in a series of full-scale hardware "mockups" that the Dynetics team is developing under the HLS contract. The first mockup —the "Low-Fidelity Mockup"—was delivered to Huntsville, Alabama in August and resides at the Dynetics facility in Huntsville, Alabama. This latest version is called the "Medium-Fidelity Mockup," which reflects that its crew module contains greater functionality and is more representative of the expected flight vehicle design than its predecessor. Other hardware mockups and software simulators are being developed under HLS throughout the contract to provide engineers and astronauts various means to learn about and refine the system design.

Upon arrival at JSC, the crew module prototype was installed in NASA's Space Vehicle Mockup Facility, which houses many of NASA's other training mockups such as International Space Station modules and the Dream Chaser® spaceplane cargo mockup. Over the next few months, the Dynetics-led team will perform detailed Human-in-the-Loop testing to evaluate the prototype and provide input on design optimization.