bd Systems has been a major player in space and launch systems development throughout the history of the company. Our staff has provided a broad range of direct engineering and technical support to Rocketplane, the Orbital Space Plane program, Reusable Launch Vehicle program, Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle program, and the Titan and Delta II programs. We have also provided direct support to NASA Marshall Space Flight Center on numerous space programs over the past 15 years.

Crew Exploration Vehicle – CEV (Northrop Grumman/Boeing)

bd Systems is providing broad systems engineering support to Northrop Grumman and Boeing in support of NASA’s Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV). We have staff integrated with the NG/Boeing team supporting CEV systems requirements definition, internal and external interfaces, EVA operations including architecture and design, and mission and launch operations.

Rocketplane XP (Rocketplane Limited Inc.)

We are a significant contractor on the development of the Rocketplane XP suborbital transportation system, developing and delivering the guidance, navigation and control (GN&C) subsystem to the project and providing major analysis and design engineering for the airframe structure. We are lead developer of the vehicle control system and are providing comprehensive vehicle analysis, encompassing structures, GN&C, thermal. Developing ground-up GN&C architecture and preliminary flight code, including flight modes, and closed loop ascent guidance.

Broad in scope, bd Systems support for Boeing’s OSP program included systems definition, modeling & simulation, systems engineering, and discrete design & integration tasks. We assisted Boeing in a number of systems engineering functions during the transition from the Re-useable Launch Vehicle program to the initial OSP concept including requirements definition, validation/verification planning, analyses and trades leading to design solutions. We performed functional analyses (FFBDs and IDEFOs) and timeline analyses for the OSP and provided structure and technical support for populating the DOORS requirements tool used by Boeing. Boeing also assigned bd Systems to develop key OSP documentation including the system specifications, element specs, and ICDs. Our engineering staff also performed aerodynamic analyses and testing. We also used our tools, facilities, and resources to perform a number of analytical and modeling and simulation tasks for Boeing. In addition, we assisted in developing the spacecraft segment specification, resource module element specification, and selected ICDs.

Space Transportation System (United Space Alliance)

bd Systems performs structural and modal analysis, modal testing, mechanical simulations of highly non-linear transient systems, strength analysis of metallic and composite structures, fatigue and crack growth analysis, vibroacoustic analysis and neural network applications development. bd performs this type of work as part of our support to the United Space Alliance for each shuttle flight.

bd Systems also provided subcontractor support to Boeing for the RLV program. This support was broad in scope and included architectural definition studies, modeling & simulation, systems engineering, and a variety of design & integration tasks. bd engineers assisted Boeing to develop alternate RLV architecture concepts, support parametric analyses, perform architecture trades, and develop the RLV functional architecture. We also assisted in a number of systems engineering functions with primary focus on requirements definition. We were also tasked to develop key RLV documentation including an RLV operational requirements document and ICDs. We prepared evolution studies including the RLV Space Futures Report and provided support in specialty areas of reliability engineering and configuration management. In addition, we performed a number of analytical and modeling & simulation tasks including Booster/Orbiter/Payload separation, docking, berthing, and landing. bd engineers also supported RLV wind tunnel tests including performance of moment and aero-thermal analyses of various configurations.

bd Systems provides a variety of program management and engineering support to the EELV program managed at SMC. Technical support included front-end development of system requirements, cost-trade analyses, reliability planning & analysis, configuration management and information services, and also included support to EELV test and evaluation support to the Air Force Operational Test and Evaluation Center (AFOTEC) at Kirtland AFB, New Mexico. A significant amount of on-going support is acquisition and program management in nature and includes preparation of contract technical data packages, development of request for proposal instructions, source selection guidelines, criteria, and support of acquisition strategy development.

Our staff has significant support experience in the development and operational launch of Titan IV. We have participated in design and performance verification testing and analyses on Titan IV components as well as material property characterization programs, and were major contributors in developing and implementing motor life tests and analyses to validate service life requirements. We also developed integrated processes to eliminate possible failure scenarios and led “proof of failure” test efforts. A member of our staff led an investigation team to identify all potential rocket motor failure modes following a Titan IV launch failure. Our team has also provided specialty support including quality engineering and configuration management.

Members of our engineering team have experience in development and operational launch of Delta II launch system. bd staff members participated in the evolution of the Delta to the Delta II following the Space Shuttle Challenger accident, and are experienced in the integration of the various payloads on Delta II including GPS and a variety of NASA payloads including ROSAT and others. Our team also participated in the first independent readiness review (IRR) performed on the Delta II.