spacetoday.net: NASA issues requirements for Orbital Space Plane

Posted: Wed, Feb 19, 2003, 7:52 AM ET (1252 GMT)
Orbital Space Plane illustration (NASA)

NASA released Tuesday the "top-level" requirements for its proposed Orbital Space Plane (OSP) vehicle, a spacecraft that would supplement the space shuttle and serve as a crew return vehicle for the space station. The Level 1 requirements specify that the OSP must be able to serve as a crew return vehicle for the station, capable of carrying at least four people, by 2010. The vehicle would also have to be capable of providing crew transport to and from the station, launched atop an expendable vehicle, by 2012. The requirements also specify that the vehicle have more on-orbit maneuverability than the shuttle and be able to launch more quickly and reliably than the shuttle. The requirements do not specify the design of the vehicle, leaving open designs that do not resemble space planes, such as reusable or even expendable capsules. NASA envisions that the OSP would operate until at least 2020, at which time it and the shuttle would be retired in favor of a future full-fledged reusable launch vehicle. The Level 1 requirements, developed in consultation with industry and the Defense Department, are designed to serve as a foundation for future work. NASA plans to release more detailed guidelines in a systems requirements document to be published late this year.