Ensuring the Safety of Human Spaceflight Hearing Committee on Science and Technology House of Representatives
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ENSURING THE SAFETY OF HUMAN SPACEFLIGHT HEARING BEFORE THE SUBCOMMITTEE ON SPACE AND AERONAUTICS COMMITTEE ON SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES ONE HUNDRED ELEVENTH CONGRESS FIRST SESSION DECEMBER 2, 2009 Serial No. 111–66 Printed for the use of the Committee on Science and Technology ( Available via the World Wide Web: http://www.science.house.gov U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 53–689PDF WASHINGTON : 2010 For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office Internet: bookstore.gpo.gov Phone: toll free (866) 512–1800; DC area (202) 512–1800 Fax: (202) 512–2104 Mail: Stop IDCC, Washington, DC 20402–0001 COMMITTEE ON SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY HON. BART GORDON, Tennessee, Chair JERRY F. COSTELLO, Illinois RALPH M. HALL, Texas EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON, Texas F. JAMES SENSENBRENNER JR., LYNN C. WOOLSEY, California Wisconsin DAVID WU, Oregon LAMAR S. SMITH, Texas BRIAN BAIRD, Washington DANA ROHRABACHER, California BRAD MILLER, North Carolina ROSCOE G. BARTLETT, Maryland DANIEL LIPINSKI, Illinois VERNON J. EHLERS, Michigan GABRIELLE GIFFORDS, Arizona FRANK D. LUCAS, Oklahoma DONNA F. EDWARDS, Maryland JUDY BIGGERT, Illinois MARCIA L. FUDGE, Ohio W. TODD AKIN, Missouri BEN R. LUJA´ N, New Mexico RANDY NEUGEBAUER, Texas PAUL D. TONKO, New York BOB INGLIS, South Carolina PARKER GRIFFITH, Alabama MICHAEL T. MCCAUL, Texas JOHN GARAMENDI, California MARIO DIAZ-BALART, Florida STEVEN R. ROTHMAN, New Jersey BRIAN P. BILBRAY, California JIM MATHESON, Utah ADRIAN SMITH, Nebraska LINCOLN DAVIS, Tennessee PAUL C. BROUN, Georgia BEN CHANDLER, Kentucky PETE OLSON, Texas RUSS CARNAHAN, Missouri BARON P. HILL, Indiana HARRY E. MITCHELL, Arizona CHARLES A. WILSON, Ohio KATHLEEN DAHLKEMPER, Pennsylvania ALAN GRAYSON, Florida SUZANNE M. KOSMAS, Florida GARY C. PETERS, Michigan VACANCY SUBCOMMITTEE ON SPACE AND AERONAUTICS HON. GABRIELLE GIFFORDS, Arizona, Chair DAVID WU, Oregon PETE OLSON, Texas DONNA F. EDWARDS, Maryland F. JAMES SENSENBRENNER JR., MARCIA L. FUDGE, Ohio Wisconsin PARKER GRIFFITH, Alabama DANA ROHRABACHER, California STEVEN R. ROTHMAN, New Jersey FRANK D. LUCAS, Oklahoma BARON P. HILL, Indiana MICHAEL T. MCCAUL, Texas CHARLES A. WILSON, Ohio ALAN GRAYSON, Florida SUZANNE M. KOSMAS, Florida BART GORDON, Tennessee RALPH M. HALL, Texas RICHARD OBERMANN Subcommittee Staff Director PAM WHITNEY Democratic Professional Staff Member ALLEN LI Democratic Professional Staff Member KEN MONROE Republican Professional Staff Member ED FEDDEMAN Republican Professional Staff Member DEVIN BRYANT Research Assistant (II) C O N T E N T S December 2, 2009 Page Hearing Charter ...................................................................................................... 2 Opening Statements Statement by Representative Gabrielle Giffords, Chairwoman, Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics, Committee on Science and Technology, U.S. House of Representatives .................................................................................... 19 Written Statement ............................................................................................ 20 Statement by Representative Ralph M. Hall, Ranking Minority Member, Committee on Science and Technology, U.S. House of Representatives ......... 22 Written Statement ............................................................................................ 36 Statement by Representative Pete Olson, Ranking Minority Member, Sub- committee on Space and Aeronautics, Committee on Science and Tech- nology, U.S. House of Representatives ............................................................... 36 Written Statement ............................................................................................ 38 Witnesses: Mr. Bryan O’Connor, Chief of Safety and Mission Assurance, National Aero- nautics and Space Administration Oral Statement ................................................................................................. 39 Written Statement ............................................................................................ 41 Mr. Jeff Hanley, Program Manager, Constellation Program, Exploration Sys- tems Mission Directorate, National Aeronautics and Space Administration Oral Statement ................................................................................................. 45 Written Statement ............................................................................................ 47 Mr. John C. Marshall, Council Member, Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel, National Aeronautics and Space Administration Oral Statement ................................................................................................. 52 Written Statement ............................................................................................ 54 Mr. Bretton Alexander, President, Commercial Spaceflight Federation Oral Statement ................................................................................................. 57 Written Statement ............................................................................................ 58 Dr. Joseph Fragola, Vice President, Valador, Inc. Oral Statement ................................................................................................. 66 Written Statement ............................................................................................ 68 Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Thomas Stafford, United States Air Force Oral Statement ................................................................................................. 73 Written Statement ............................................................................................ 76 Discussion Safety of Launch Systems ................................................................................... 80 NASA—Commercial Industry: Sharing of Safety Standards ........................... 82 Potential Impact of Constellation Program on Commercial Sector ................. 83 Human Rating for Commercial Sector ............................................................... 84 Program Management and Scheduling Issues Between Congress, Adminis- tration, and NASA Over Time ......................................................................... 85 Implementation and Application of Safety Standards ...................................... 87 Constellation Program: Human and Certification Options Concerns .............. 89 ESAS Recommendations for Human Space Flight ............................................ 91 Availability and Economic Viability of Commercial Crew Transport .............. 92 Orbital Sciences and SpaceX ............................................................................... 94 (III) IV Page Timetable: Commercial Crew Transport ............................................................ 94 Ares Program: Safety and Future Impact .......................................................... 95 COTS vs. Constellation Program ........................................................................ 96 Risk Assessment: Commercial Vehicle ............................................................... 97 Ares, Delta, Atlas: Comparison ........................................................................... 97 Orion Space Craft ................................................................................................ 98 Commercial Crew Development Program .......................................................... 99 Training for Commercial Space Operatives ....................................................... 99 Soyuz Space Craft: Concerns Moving Forward ................................................. 101 Addressing the Gap in Human Spaceflight ....................................................... 103 Ares ....................................................................................................................... 103 Delta IV and Atlas ............................................................................................... 103 Appendix: Answers to Post-Hearing Questions Mr. Bryan O’Connor, Chief of Safety and Mission Assurance, National Aero- nautics and Space Administration ...................................................................... 108 Mr. Jeff Hanley, Program Manager, Constellation Program, Exploration Sys- tems Mission Directorate, National Aeronautics and Space Administration .. 116 Mr. John C. Marshall, Council Member, Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel, National Aeronautics and Space Administration .............................................. 122 Mr. Bretton Alexander, President, Commercial Spaceflight Federation ............ 126 Dr. Joseph Fragola, Vice President, Valador, Inc. ................................................ 130 Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Thomas Stafford, United States Air Force ................................... 136 ENSURING THE SAFETY OF HUMAN SPACEFLIGHT WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2009 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, SUBCOMMITTEE ON SPACE AND AERONAUTICS, COMMITTEE ON SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, Washington, DC. The Subcommittee met, pursuant to call, at 10:00 a.m., in Room 2318 of the Rayburn House Office Building, Hon. Gabrielle Giffords [Chairwoman of the Subcommittee] presiding. (1) 2 HEARING CHARTER COMMITTEE ON SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY SUBCOMMITTEE ON SPACE AND AERONAUTICS U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Ensuring the Safety of Human Space Flight DECEMBER 2, 2009 10 A.M.–NOON 2318 RAYBURN HOUSE OFFICE BUILDING I. Purpose On December 2, 2009 the Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics will hold a hearing focused on issues related to ensuring the safety of future human space flight in government