DENVER, May 30, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- In an unprecedented
on-orbit maneuver, Commander Mark
Kelly completed the first ever Orion Multi-Purpose Crew
Vehicle (MPCV)-like approach to the International Space Station at
3:24 a.m. CDT today as part of the
Sensor Test for Orion Relative Navigation Risk Mitigation (STORRM).
The orbital rendezvous verified the successful operation of the
MPCV's next generation docking sensor, which NASA has identified as
a critical technology needed for future space exploration
missions.
The NASA, Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) and Ball Aerospace (NYSE:
BLL) team worked closely with STS-134 Mission Specialist
Andrew Feustel to successfully
complete the on-orbit test of this system which will make
rendezvous and docking maneuvers safer for future spacecraft. The
flight test represented the first and only opportunity for
in-flight collaboration of NASA's three human spaceflight programs
-- space shuttle, International Space Station and Orion
MPCV.
"This flight test demonstrated the exceptional capability of the
Vision Navigation Sensor (VNS) and the Docking Camera, two key
components of the Orion relative navigation system," said
Catherine Boone, Ph.D., the Lockheed
Martin electro-optics engineer who was working in NASA's Mission
Control Center during the re-rendezvous event. "We were able to
collect about 600 gigabytes of data that will verify the design
meets the high performance standards required for Orion MPCV and
other future spacecraft. Follow-on testing at our Space Operations
Simulation Center in Denver will
also provide an opportunity to look at how we may be able to expand
on that performance to make the system as powerful and accurate as
possible for the dynamic environments of deep-space exploration
missions."
Jeanette Domber, Ph.D., senior
payloads system engineer and Ball's lead for STORRM, explained that
unlike other navigation sensor flight experiments, which simply
collected data during normal shuttle operations, the STORRM flight
test leveraged America's human spaceflight assets in a true
"test-like-you-fly" scenario. "This test exercised the Orion
relative navigation sensors exactly as they will be flown on future
human space exploration vehicles," said Domber. "This mission
provided NASA a one-of-a-kind opportunity to prove out the
performance of this technology in a real spaceflight
environment."
STORRM demonstrates a robust relative navigation design that
provides the required docking accuracy and range capability
necessary to meet crew safety, mass, volume and power requirements
for a wide variety of future NASA missions, including those into
deep space. The STORRM hardware components consist of a high
definition docking camera, the advanced laser-based VNS, an
avionics assembly to provide power and record data, a
space-certified laptop computer, and reflective docking targets
that were installed on the space station during STS-131.
During the mission, STORRM's VNS performed better than expected
by providing continuous measurements from as far away as
three-and-a-half miles to within six feet of the space station --
three times the range capability of the current relative navigation
sensor. The next generation sensor technology also provided
exceptional three-dimensional images of the docking target.
As its nickname indicates, STORRM was a whirlwind project. When
given the opportunity to fly and test the system on one of the last
shuttle missions, the Orion STORRM team kicked into high-gear to
rapidly design, build and test all the components to be ready in
half the usual time required for such a system to be manifested for
the shuttle flight's payload.
"The Lockheed Martin, Ball and NASA STORRM team worked
efficiently and seamlessly to accomplish this important risk
mitigation test," said Larry Price,
Lockheed Martin deputy program manager for the Orion MPCV program.
"It was an immense undertaking and everyone gave it their all to
design a system necessary for future exploration spacecraft to
conduct safe approach and docking maneuvers to other
spacecraft."
STORRM is an innovative technology development effort led by
NASA's Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle Project Office at NASA Johnson
Space Center in partnership with NASA Langley Research Center,
Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company, and Ball Aerospace &
Technologies Corporation. This technology has earth-bound
applications for terrain mapping, robotics, military operations and
transportation, including collision avoidance systems for
vehicles.
Lockheed Martin leads the Orion MPCV industry team which
includes major subcontractors as well as a nationwide network of
minor subcontractors and small businesses. In addition, Lockheed
Martin contracts with hundreds of small and disadvantaged business
suppliers across the United States
through an expansive supply chain network.
Headquartered in Bethesda, Md.,
Lockheed Martin is a global security company that employs about
126,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the
research, design, development, manufacture, integration and
sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services.
The Corporation's 2010 sales from continuing operations were
$45.8 billion.
www.lockheedmartin.com/orion
Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp. supports critical
missions of important national agencies such as the Department of
Defense, NASA, NOAA and other U.S. government and commercial
entities. The company develops and manufactures spacecraft,
advanced instruments and sensors, components, data exploitation
systems and RF solutions for strategic, tactical and scientific
applications. For more information visit www.ballaerospace.com.
Ball Corporation is a supplier of high quality packaging for
beverage, food and household products customers, and of aerospace
and other technologies and services, primarily for the U.S.
government. Ball Corporation and its subsidiaries employ more than
14,500 people worldwide and reported 2010 sales of more than
$7.6 billion. For the latest Ball
news and for other company information, please visit
http://www.ball.com.
Linda Singleton 832-526-8089 or
281-283-4219 or linda.singleton@lmco.com
Joan Underwood: 303-971-7398
mobile: 303-594-7073 or joan.b.underwood@lmco.com
Space Shuttle fly around video animation:
http://vimeo.com/19590525
STORRM Project Video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jcVF_acdB5A
STORRM Photos on Flickr:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/nasampcv/
Follow STORRM on Twitter at: @NASAMPCV or on Facebook or
Flickr
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Roz Brown
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Linda Singleton
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Ball Aerospace
Technologies
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Lockheed Martin
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303-533-6059
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832-526-8089
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rbrown@ball.com
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linda.singleton@lmco.com
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SOURCE Lockheed Martin