SpaceX Transitions to Third Commercial Crew Phase with NASA

Nov. 1, 2012

Trent Perrotto
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1100
trent.j.perrotto@nasa.gov

Candrea Thomas
Kennedy Space Center, Fla.
321-867-2468
candrea.k.thomas@nasa.gov

Katherine Nelson
SpaceX
310-363-6447
katherine.nelson@spacex.com

RELEASE: 12-378

SPACEX TRANSITIONS TO THIRD COMMERCIAL CREW PHASE WITH NASA

WASHINGTON -- Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) has completed
its first three performance milestones for NASA's Commercial Crew
Integrated Capability (CCiCap) initiative, which is intended to lead
to the availability of commercial human spaceflight services for
government and commercial customers.

During the company's first milestone, a technical baseline review,
NASA and SpaceX reviewed the Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket
for crew transportation to low-Earth orbit and discussed future plans
for ground operations for crewed flights. The second milestone
included a review of the company's plan to achieve the CCiCap
milestones established during SpaceX's $440 million Space Act
Agreement. SpaceX also presented the company's financial resources to
support its co-investment in CCiCap.

At the company's headquarters in Hawthorne, Calif., on Oct. 29, SpaceX
presented techniques it will use to design, build and test its
integrated system during the third milestone, called an integrated
systems requirements review. The company also provided NASA with the
initial plans it would use for managing ground operations, launch,
ascent, in-orbit operations, re-entry and landing should they begin
transporting crews.

"These initial milestones are just the beginning of a very exciting
endeavor with SpaceX." said Ed Mango, NASA's Commercial Crew Program
manager. "We expect to see significant progress from our three CCiCap
partners in a fairly short amount of time."

SpaceX also has completed its Space Act Agreement with NASA for the
Commercial Crew Development Round 2 (CCDev2) initiative, the
development phase that preceded CCiCap. During CCDev2, the company
designed, developed and tested components of a launch abort system. A
large hypergolic engine named SuperDraco would propel the Dragon
spacecraft away from its rocket to save the crew from a disastrous
event during launch or ascent. SpaceX also built a rocket engine test
stand for developing an abort system. Engineers from NASA and SpaceX
analyzed the trajectories, loads and dynamics the spacecraft would
experience as it separates from a failing rocket.

"Our NASA team brought years of experience to the table and shared
with SpaceX what components, systems, techniques and processes have
worked for the agency's human space transportation systems in the
past and why they've worked," said Jon Cowart, NASA's SpaceX partner
manager during CCDev2. "This sharing of experience benefitted both
NASA and the company, and is creating a more dependable system at an
accelerated pace."

SpaceX is one of three U.S. companies NASA is working with during
CCiCap to set the stage for a crewed orbital demonstration mission
around the middle of the decade. SpaceX already is executing a
contract with NASA for 12 cargo resupply missions to the
International Space Station.

"The Dragon spacecraft has successfully delivered cargo to the space
station twice this year, and SpaceX is well under way toward
upgrading Dragon to transport astronauts as well," said SpaceX
President Gwynne Shotwell.

Future development and certification initiatives eventually will lead
to the availability of human spaceflight services for NASA to send
its astronauts to the International Space Station, where critical
research is taking place daily.

For more information about NASA's Commercial Crew Program, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew


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