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Boeing CST-100 manned space capsule in free flight in low Earth orbit will transport astronaut crews to the International Space Station. Credit: Boeing Story updated <\/p>\n
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FL Boeing expects to begin assembly operations of our commercial CST-100 manned capsule soon at the Kennedy Space Center, Chris Ferguson, commander of NASAs final shuttle flight and now director of Boeings Crew and Mission Operations told Universe Today in an exclusive one-on-one interview about Boeings space efforts. In part 1, Ferguson described the maiden orbital test flights to the ISS set for 2017 here. <\/p>\n
In part 2, we focus our discussion on Boeings strategy for building and launching the CST-100 space taxi as a truly commercial space endeavor. <\/p>\n
To begin I asked; Where will Boeing build the CST-100? <\/p>\n
The CST-100 will be manufactured at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida inside a former shuttle hanger known as Orbiter Processing Facility 3, or OPF-3, which is now [transformed into] a Boeing processing facility, Ferguson told me. Over 300 people will be employed.<\/p>\n
Chris Ferguson, last Space Shuttle Atlantis commander, tests the Boeing CST-100 capsule which may fly US astronauts to the International Space Station in 2017. Ferguson is now Boeings director of Crew and Mission Operations for the Commercial Crew Program vying for NASA funding. Credit: NASA\/Boeing <\/p>\n
During the shuttle era, all three of NASAs Orbiter Processing Facilities (OPFs) were a constant beehive of activity for thousands of shuttle workers busily refurbishing the majestic orbiters for their next missions to space. But following Fergusons final flight on the STS-135 mission to the ISS in 2011, NASA sought new uses for the now dormant facilities. <\/p>\n
So Boeing signed a lease for OPF-3 with Space Florida, a state agency that spent some $20 million modernizing the approximately 64,000 square foot hanger for manufacturing by ripping out all the no longer needed shuttle era scaffolding, hardware and equipment previously used to process the orbiters between orbital missions. <\/p>\n
Boeing takes over the OPF-3 lease in late June 2014 following an official handover ceremony from Space Florida. Assembly begins soon thereafter. <\/p>\n
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More here:<\/p>\n
Assembling and Launching Boeings CST-100 Private Space Taxi One on One Interview with Chris Ferguson, Last Shuttle ...<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Want to stay on top of all the space news? Continue reading