Client:
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Flight Operations Directorate and the International Space Station (ISS) Program Office
Location:
Houston, TX; Huntsville, AL; Cape Canaveral, FL; Moscow and Star City, Russia
Project Details
KBR delivers unmatched expertise in Human Spaceflight (HSF) planning, training, and flight execution, including real-time flight control, astronaut and flight controller training, and new vehicle design, development and testing on the Integrated Mission Operations Contract (IMOC II).
Having trained every astronaut, cosmonaut, and International Partner (IP) astronaut how to live and work on every human spaceflight vehicle in use today, KBR has a heritage that goes back to the beginning of HSF with the Mercury program. Our extensive knowledge and experience base is used to fulfill customer requirements for the primary components of the IMOC II, including:
- Planning – Flight design and analysis; operations product development and certification, including crew and ground procedures, flight rules, hazard controls, command and telemetry.
- Training – Astronaut, flight controller, instructor, and analyst training and certification; simulator requirements development, testing, and operation; curriculum design and development; and training integration and scheduling. We are also training astronauts for future missions to the Moon on the Orion, Gateway, and Human Lander System vehicles.
- Flying – 24/7/365 real-time mission execution; vehicle command and control; International Partner integration with Russia, Canada, Europe, and Japan.
In addition, KBR delivers extensive support to operations activity for new vehicle, system, and program designs for the Boeing Starliner (CST-100), Orion, Space Launch System, Gateway, and Human Lander System.
Providing highly qualified, experienced personnel to support ISS sustaining engineering activities involving ISS human factors (engineering, analysis and performance assessment), extravehicular activity and crew accommodations, environmental control and life support, and flight and mission operations systems analysis. KBR supplies expertise to ensure accurate product deliveries for ISS Program Avionics and Software Integration, coordination, and support activities. While assisting the astronaut office, KBR also organizes appearances, scheduling, social media, crew equipment, and training integration.
Project Highlights
- Provides 24/7/365 expert real-time ISS mission operations support, including Soyuz launches, visiting vehicle missions, U.S. Extravehicular Activity (EVA), and Commercial Crew development and flight.
- Delivered outstanding support to the SpaceX Demonstration Mission (DM)-2 final training, prelaunch, launch, rendezvous, and docking to the International Space Station (ISS). Support continued with ingress operations, emergency equipment transfer, video camera support, structural dynamic measurement system data recording, and crew quarters preparation.
- Provided critical support throughout the Boeing Commercial Crew and Cargo Starliner vehicle (CST-100) development and test activities for the last several years, culminating in real-time operations from the Johnson Space Center (JSC) Mission Control Center (MCC) for the uncrewed Orbital Flight Test. IMOC II personnel represented a significant portion of the total Flight Control Team for the successful flight test.
- Collaborated on the successful Orion MPCV Exploration Flight Test (EFT-1), part of our significant support to the NASA Artemis program and its collaboration with commercial and international partners to establish sustainable exploration by the end of the decade. Our contributions include support to requirements reviews, simulation tool analysis, and development of test procedures and mission and training risk assessments.
- Signed a historic and exclusive agreement with NASA to provide Private Astronaut training for ISS activity using NASA facilities. This enables KBR to offer traditionally NASA-only services to commercial companies to help NASA meet the emerging needs from the commercial space sector. With access to the full spectrum of Astronaut training content and media, we work with the commercial entity and NASA to develop a training plan designed to meet the mission objectives
- Consistently earns “Exceptional” Contractor Performance Assessment Reporting Systems (CPARS) ratings, the highest level.