NASA Begins Development of Space Launch System Flight Software

May 31, 2012

Trent J. Perrotto
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-0321
trent.j.perrotto@nasa.gov

Jennifer Stanfield
Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Ala.
256-544-0034
jennifer.stanfield@nasa.gov

RELEASE: 12-181

NASA BEGINS DEVELOPMENT OF SPACE LAUNCH SYSTEM FLIGHT SOFTWARE

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. -- NASA engineers working on the new Space Launch
System (SLS) can now begin developing the advanced, heavy-lift launch
vehicle's flight software using newly delivered software test bed
computers from Boeing.

The SLS will launch NASA's Orion spacecraft and provide an entirely
new capability for human exploration beyond Earth's orbit. Designed
to be flexible for crew or cargo missions, SLS and Orion will be
safe, affordable, sustainable and continue America's journey of
discovery from the unique vantage point of space.

"We are moving out very quickly on SLS," said Todd May, Space Launch
System Program manager at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in
Huntsville, Ala. "SLS will be the most powerful launch vehicle ever
built, and it requires the most capable flight software in the
history of human spaceflight. Having this avionics hardware in place
early will allow the NASA SLS team and Boeing to accelerate the
flight software development."

The Boeing test bed computers make it possible for NASA to begin
fine-tuning the launch vehicle's software. The flight software then
will be installed in the Software Integration Test Facility at
Marshall and tested with other electrical hardware and software. In
this facility, the SLS team can run a variety of simulations to
evaluate how the vehicle will perform in space.

The final SLS flight computer that will run the flight software will
have the highest processing capability available in a flight avionics
computer. It is being developed by upgrading existing systems used in
Global Positioning System and communication satellites.

The first test flight of the SLS is scheduled for 2017, for which the
launch vehicle will be configured for a 70-metric ton lift capacity.
An evolved, two-stage launch vehicle configuration will provide a
lift capability of 130 metric tons to enable missions beyond Earth's
orbit and support deep space exploration.

The SLS software test bed computers were developed by The Boeing
Company and delivered to Marshall ahead of schedule. Availability of
this test bed platform early in the engineering development phase
allows more time for NASA programmers to develop the most capable
flight software in the history of spaceflight.

For more information about SLS and images of the software test bed
facility and team, visit:

www.nasa.gov/sls

For more information about Orion, visit:

www.nasa.gov/orion


-end-



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