NASA Web Update

NASA and Blue Origin of Kent, Wash., signed an agreement this week to extend their Commercial Crew Development Round 2 (CCDev2) partnership in an unfunded capacity. Between now and mid-2014, Blue Origin will continue to advance the subsystems of its biconic-shaped spacecraft, putting emphasis on power and actuation systems, in-space propulsion, multiplex avionics and flight mechanics. The company also will progress the spacecraft's guidance, navigation and control systems.

NASA Release: 12-362

WASHINGTON -- NASA's Commercial Crew Program (CCP) partner Blue Origin has successfully fired the thrust chamber assembly for its new 100,000 pound thrust BE-3 liquid oxygen, liquid hydrogen rocket engine. As part of Blue's Reusable Booster System (RBS), the engines are designed to eventually launch the biconic-shaped Space Vehicle the company is developing.

KENT, Washington. – Blue Origin successfully completed a System Requirements Review (SRR) of its orbital Space Vehicle on May 15-16. Blue Origin is maturing the design of the Space Vehicle in partnership with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) under the agency's Commercial Crew Development (CCDev) program.

KENT, Washington. – A new exhibit opens today at The Museum of Flight in Seattle that features Blue Origin's first flying vehicle, Charon. Built as an early development project in 2005, Blue Origin has loaned the vertical take-off, vertical-landing jet-powered vehicle to the Museum. Charon will be on display in the new Charles Simonyi Space Gallery on the west side of the Museum of Flight campus, accompanied by the NASA Full-Fuselage Space Shuttle Trainer and the TMA-14 Soyuz space capsule.

KENT, Washington. – Blue Origin successfully tested the design of its next-generation Space Vehicle, completing a series of wind tunnel tests to refine the aerodynamic characteristics of the spacecraft’s unique biconic shape. The tests were carried out as part of Blue Origin’s partnership with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) under the agency’s Commercial Crew Development (CCDev) program. Blue Origin is designing the Space Vehicle to provide safe, affordable transport of up to seven astronauts to low-Earth orbit and the International Space Station.

(From @NASA Twitter account) – NASA Administrator Charles Bolden (r) discusses the upcoming testing of Blue Origin's BE-3 engine thrust chamber assembly with Steve Knowles, Blue Origin project manager, on the E-1 Test Stand at NASA's Stennis Space Center in south Mississippi.

WASHINGTON -- NASA Deputy Administrator Lori Garver is visiting Blue Origin in Kent, Wash., today. The company is one of NASA's commercial partners opening a new chapter in human exploration by developing innovative systems to reach low Earth orbit as part of the Commercial Crew Development Program.