1. National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Commercial Space and
Why Are We Doing It?
November 7, 2012
Philip McAlister
NASA HQ, HEOMD

2. The Future State
• The vision of commercial human
spaceflight to Low Earth Orbit
(LEO) is a robust, vibrant, profit-
making commercial enterprise
with many providers and a wide
range of private and public users.
• NASA’s commercial spaceflight
initiatives are helping to make this
vision a reality.
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3. “Commercial” at NASA
Program Characteristic Early Space Age Commercial-Oriented
Approach Approach
Owner NASA Industry
Contract Fee-Type Cost Plus Fixed Price
Contract Management Prime Contractor Public-Private Partnership
Customer(s) NASA Government and Non-
Government
Funding for Capability NASA procures capability NASA provides investment
Demonstration via milestone payments
NASA’s Role in Capability NASA defines “what” and NASA only defines “what”
Development “how” (Industry defines “how”)
Requirements Definition NASA defines detailed NASA defines top-level
requirements capabilities needed
Cost Structure NASA incurs total cost NASA and Industry cost
share
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4. Commercial Crew Approach
Traditional NASA Development Non-Traditional Development
Goal: ISS Crew Mission Goal: Commercial Human Transport
Extensive Government Involvement Limited Government Involvement
No Cost Sharing Cost Sharing
Government Owns IP Commercial Partner Owns IP
Detailed Design Requirements Tailored Human-Rating Requirements
Unlimited Data and Lots of Deliverables Pay-for-Performance Milestones
Higher Costs Lower Costs
NASA had clearly chosen a non-traditional development approach for the
Commercial Crew Program.
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5. Unique Approach to a Unique Situation
• Over the years, NASA has used a variety of a different approaches to
overseeing and understanding the development of spacecraft. Each
approach was tailored to meet the specific needs of the program.
• Within the context of CCP, the following key ingredients are present
which enable the adoption of these key paradigm changes:
– No technology breakthroughs were required – we are not pushing the
technological state of the art by flying people to and from low Earth orbit
– Very real prospect of other customers beyond NASA – spaceflight
participants and sovereign clients are existing markets with substantial
growth potential
– Government foundational customer base – the International Space Station
represents a long term, repeatable market
– Strong industrial base – many U.S. companies have the capability to
develop safe and reliable crew transportation systems.
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6. Approach Summary
• The purpose of contrasting NASA’s traditional and non-traditional
approaches does not mean one is better than the other.
• Each approach is appropriate for the type of program required.
– For technically-ambitious, one-of-a-kind programs where NASA is the
only customer and production is limited to only one (or a few) of the
systems, then a traditional approach is more appropriate.
– For more commercial-like programs that feature the key ingredients
mentioned previously, the approach being followed by the CCP is more
appropriate.
• The combination of a unique contracting mechanism and an innovative
technical approach should enable the development of a safe, reliable,
and cost effective crew transportation system for use by a wide range
of public and private users.
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7. Commercial Cargo Status
• SpaceX
– After 72 months, 40 milestones, and a
$396M investment from NASA, SpaceX
developed and brought into operations:
• A new U.S. intermediate class
commercial launch vehicle (Falcon 9),
• A spacecraft (Dragon), and
• A launch pad (LC-40)
capable of safely transporting cargo to the
ISS and returning cargo to the Earth.
• Orbital Sciences Corporation
– Orbital Sciences has completed 24 of 29
milestones and received $266.5M out of
$288.
– The maiden test flight date of the Antares
is under review but could occur in October
2012. The Demonstration Mission will
potentially occur 3 months after the
maiden flight. 7

8. Commercial Crew Program Roadmap
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017
Commercial
CCDev
Crew
Development Partners: Blue Origin, Boeing, Paragon, Sierra Nevada, ULA (5)
Scope: Crew Transportation System Technologies and Concepts
Total Amount Awarded: $50M
Commercial
CCDev 2
Crew
Development Partners: Blue Origin, Boeing, Sierra Nevada, SpaceX (4)
Round 2 Scope: Elements of a Crew Transportation System
Total Amount Awarded: $315M
Commercial CCiCAP (Base Period) CCiCAP (Optional Period)
Crew
Integrated Partners: Boeing, Sierra Nevada, SpaceX (3) Partners: TBD
Scope: Integrated Crew Transportation Systems Scope: Final Development and Test(s)
Capability Total Amount Awarded: $1,112M
NASA Crew CPC (Phase 1) Certification (Phase 2)
Certification Partners: TBD Partners: TBD
Scope: Early Certification Products Scope: Full Certification
Total Amount Awarded: $40M (maximum)
Crew
Transportation
Services for
NASA-Sponsored
Personnel
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9. Sierra Nevada Corporation
• Descriptions & Features
– Dream Chaser spacecraft is a reusable, piloted, lifting body,
derived from NASA HL-20 concept
• Carries up to 7 crew members
• Utilizes non-toxic propellants
• Primary Launch Site: Cape Canaveral, Florida Artist rendition of Dream Chaser in low-
Earth orbit
• Primary Landing Site: Shuttle Landing Facility, Florida
• Abort scenario leverages primary propulsion system with an
ability to abort to a runway landing
– Atlas V vehicle launched from the Space Launch Complex 41
launch pad
• Base Period
– $212.5M total NASA funding for 9 milestones
– Significant progress toward completion of critical design
– Two major safety reviews and significant subsystem
technology maturation and hardware testing
Artist rendition of Dream
Chaser and Atlas V on
launch pad
Artist rendition of Dream Chaser landing
on a runway
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10. SpaceX
• Descriptions & Features
– Spacecraft uses a crewed version of the SpaceX Dragon
capsule
• Carries up to 7 Crew
• Primary Launch Site: Cape Canaveral, Florida
Artist rendition of Dragon attached to
• Primary Landing Site: “On land” landing, specific landing ISS
site in work
• Integrated, side-mounted launch abort system utilizing
SuperDraco engines
– Upgraded Falcon 9 vehicle launched from the Space Launch
Complex 40 launch pad
– Mid calendar year 2015 crewed test flight (dependent on
funding and technical progress)
• Base Period
– $440M total NASA funding for 14 milestones
– Culminates in an integrated critical design review Picture of Falcon 9 rocket on
launch pad in Florida
– Includes a pad abort test and an in-flight abort test
Artist rendition of Dragon re-entering
Earth’s atmosphere
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11. Boeing
• Descriptions & Features
– CST-100 spacecraft is a reusable capsule design utilizing
many proven flight components
• Carries up to 7 people
• Primary Launch Site: Cape Canaveral, Florida
• Primary Landing Site: “On Land” landing, specific landing Artist rendition of the CST-100
spacecraft
site in work
• “Pusher” launch abort system
– Atlas V launch vehicle using the dual engine Centaur upper
stage configuration and launched from the Space Launch
Complex 41 launch pad
– Late calendar year 2016 crewed test flight (dependent on
funding and technical progress)
• Base period
– $460M total NASA funding for 19 milestones
Artist rendition of CST-100 and
– Culminates in an integrated critical design review Atlas V on the launch pad
– Significant propulsion system, avionics, and wind
tunnel development and testing
Successful parachute drop
test accomplished during
CCDev2
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12. Accomplishments and Status
• CCDev1 successfully completed; the majority of CCDev2 milestones completed;
CCiCAP underway, ISS safety and performance requirements baselined.
• Industry is making significant progress on multiple crew transportation system designs.
• Budget status reflects steady progress.
900
$830M*
800
700
600
500
$406M
400
$312M
300
200
100 $50M
0
2009/2010 2011 2012 2013
* FY2013 President’s Budget Request
• Together with the capabilities to explore deep space provided by the Space Launch
System and the Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle, NASA has a robust, complementary U.S.
human space flight program.
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