GENERAL AVIATION 34 CLIMATE CHANGE 26 COMMERCIAL CREW 12 Keeping the joy of fl ying Why scientists trust temp records Sizing up the differences VIRTUAL TRAVEL Why immersive techs could now be part of air travel forever PAGE 18 JULY/AUGUST 2020 | A publication of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics | aerospaceamerica.aiaa.org ANALYSIS COMMERCIAL SPACEFLIGHT Shopping for a spaceship 12 | JULY/AUGUST 2020 | aerospaceamerica.aiaa.org Now that SpaceX has proven it can launch NASA astronauts to the International Space Station, Boeing is preparing for its turn, likely early next year. When astronauts climb inside Star- liner, space enthusiasts and casual viewers alike will notice some differences that could help future passengers decide which capsule they’d rather book for a trip to space. BY CAT HOFACKER | [email protected] or those accustomed to space shuttle erected. NASA’s goal has been to spark creation of a launches and those of the Apollo era, the competitive human launch market, and that can’t fi rst SpaceX crewed mission was simulta- happen unless Boeing establishes its CST-100 Starliner neously familiar and totally new. capsules as a viable competitor to the Crew Dragons. NASA astronauts Bob Behnken and To do that, Boeing must try again to dock an FDoug Hurley walked out of Kennedy Space Center uncrewed Starliner to the station, after the first in Florida on the way to the launch pad on May 30 demonstration attempt in December, called OFT for through the same doorway as the Apollo and space orbital fl ight test, was aborted in orbit. A software shuttle crews before them, but did so donned in coding error caused the Mission Elapsed Time clock sleek white and black suits instead of the puffy white to start too early, which threw out of sync the planned suits of Apollo or the neon orange ascent suits of orbital insertion burn needed to put Starliner on the the shuttle era. They were the latest in a long line of path to intersect with the space station. Boeing had astronauts to traverse to Launch Complex 39A, but no choice but to order the capsule home without the fi rst to make the 14-kilometer trek in a zippy Tesla doing the burn. NASA and Boeing have said only Model X. And when they stepped into the SpaceX that the second uncrewed fl ight will be later this Crew Dragon capsule, they were greeted by three year, which likely pushes the fi rst Starliner crewed glossy touch screens, a sharp contrast to the array fl ight to 2021. of buttons and switches on the shuttle fl ight deck. “This really does illustrate the advantage of These technology choices exemplify the begin- having two partners,” Phil McAlister, NASA’s di- ning of what NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine rector of commercial spacefl ight, told the Human called a “new era in human spacefl ight.” Design Exploration and Operations Committee of NASA’s decisions were entirely up to SpaceX, as long as they Advisory Council in May. “Knowing there is another met NASA’s requirements for crew safety. SpaceX owns partner there to take up the slack allows for both the Crew Dragon that’s docked at station and due to companies to focus on crew safety.” carry Behnken and Hurley home in August; it built Both designs must prove their safety, so analysts the Falcon 9 that boosted them; and it leases Pad 39A and former astronauts suspect that other factors, from NASA. Over the course of NASA’s $8.2 billion such as the capsule interior and spacesuit designs, Commercial Crew development program ($3.14 will be powerful determinants for the kinds of billion of which went to SpaceX), NASA astronauts customers who are likely to choose each of the An artist’s rendering were invited to sit in a mockup of Crew Dragon and competing capsules. of the SpaceX Crew give feedback, but neither they nor NASA had veto “People will sign up with SpaceX who are more Dragon and Boeing Starliner fl ying toward authority. SpaceX did have to convince NASA that on the ‘showy’ side of things because that’s more the International all safety risks were acceptable from the pad to the of a headliner,” predicts Laura Forczyk, founder of Space Station. station. This was accomplished through extensive space consulting fi rm Astralytical in Georgia. “Boe- NASA testing of the capsule, including parachutes; the ing has the more traditional [customer set], other addition of launch abort engines that could whisk government agencies who want to fl y astronauts.” the astronauts away from a fi zzling or exploding Boeing declined to discuss this or other issues, launch vehicle provided further assurance, as did a citing the need to focus on preparations for the sec- 2019 uncrewed fl ight in which Dragon autonomously ond uncrewed fl ight, dubbed OFT-2. A spokesman fl ew and docked with the International Space Station. directed me to previous comments by Jim Chilton, Soon, if all goes as planned, NASA, the space head of Boeing’s Space and Launch division. agencies of other governments and someday private “Boeing stands ready to repeat an OFT,” Chilton customers will choose how they want to ride to ISS told reporters during a March press conference. “We or any of the proposed private stations still to be just want to make sure that whatever we fl y next is aerospaceamerica.aiaa.org | JULY/AUGUST 2020 | 13 aligned with NASA’s preferences. And of course, for Starliner crews will don for launch and landing all of us, crew safety is No. 1.” exemplify these approaches. Along with meeting NASA’s requirements for a Different philosophies fl ame-resistant suit that would also protect crew in The Crew Dragon and Starliner designs are signifi cant the event of a cabin depressurization, SpaceX founder upgrades from that of the Apollo-era capsules and Elon Musk wanted a garment that looked stylish. space shuttle orbiters in terms of safety, software “He’s trying to get the entire world excited about a and reusability. Both vehicles are designed to fly hopeful, promising future in space for all of humanity, autonomously from launch to docking, although and to do that, it’s got to look good,” Reisman says. the spacecraft commander can intervene if there’s a “People are going to get excited about a future that technical failure. Boeing will alternate between two not only is cool but also looks cool.” Starliner capsules, each intended to fl y up to 10 times To meet this goal, Musk enlisted Hollywood cos- after refurbishment. The size of the Crew Dragon fl eet tume designer José Fernández in 2016 to create the is still unclear because until May, NASA had required fi rst prototypes. From there, SpaceX designers tweaked that SpaceX use a new capsule for every fl ight. the suits to balance aesthetics and functionality. Where these spacecraft diverge is the underlying The Boeing suits, by contrast, were made by David philosophy guiding their development. Clark Co. of Massachusetts, the same company that “I think the big difference is that SpaceX paid made the Gemini, Apollo and space shuttle suits. attention to the look of the design as part of the Boeing set out to create a lighter, more compact engineering process,” says Garrett Reisman, a former garment than those earlier suits. Designers relied NASA astronaut who worked at SpaceX from 2011 on feedback from former NASA astronaut Chris to 2018 and was in charge of Crew Dragon design Ferguson, hired by Boeing in 2012 as director of crew Boeing, NASA and and development. He remains a senior adviser on and mission systems for Starliner. Ferguson will join U.S. Army personnel tend topics relating to human spacefl ight. NASA astronauts Nicole Mann and Mike Fincke for to the Boeing CST-100 In contrast, Boeing opted for upgrades, not an the capsule’s crewed demonstration. Starliner spacecraft after overhaul, of “fl ight proven and heritage” technol- The Crew Dragon and Starliner suits, each of it landed in New Mexico in December following an ogies where possible, to cut down on schedule and which will be custom-made for crew members, uncrewed Orbital Flight risk to the crew, according to the Boeing website. both weigh in at 9 kilograms, compared to the Test that was cut short. The two distinct pressure suits that Dragon and 13.6-kilogram shuttle suit. The weight reduction NASA/Bill Ingalls 14 | JULY/AUGUST 2020 | aerospaceamerica.aiaa.org Choose your ride Boeing and SpaceX aren’t just competing to liberate NASA from relying on Russian Soyuz capsules. They’re vying against each other for future customers. Here are some differences, large and small. BOEING CST-100 STARLINER Launch vehicle: Atlas Spacesuits: Designed by Transport to launch pad: Flight deck displays: Two Getting home: Descend V from United Launch David Clark Co., maker Astronauts will ride aboard iPad-sized screens that under three parachutes to Alliance, a joint venture of the Gemini, Apollo and the Astrovan II, a custom display fl ight information; one of fi ve ranges in the of Boeing and Lockheed space shuttle suits. NASA vehicle manufactured by about 70 buttons and southwestern U.S.; Martin. astronaut Chris Ferguson Airstream, the company that switches for inputting com- cushioned by airbags. Launch pad: Space Launch was hired in part to give built the original Astrovan mands, though spacecraft Complex 41, leased by ULA input. that took shuttle crews to can fl y autonomously. from the U.S. Air Force. Special features: Soft-shell the launch pad. Manual fl ying: Steering two helmet that zips instead of joysticks.