AT A GLANCE / BOEING HUNTSVILLE huntsville design Center – With approximately 300 engineers, this center’s talent is working on programs throughout the company, including the 787, to help solve complex engineering and design problems and to study and recommend engineering and production process improvements that reduce cost and cycle time. International Space Station – As the station’s prime contractor, Boeing is responsible for the successful integration of new hardware and software and sustaining engineering work. Space launch System – Boeing has a contract to design and produce the core cryogenic stages and avionics for this rocket, which is scheduled to begin test flights in 2017. have since worked on the 787 and garnered positive reviews, said Frank McCall, deputy program manager for Space Launch System. “I think Huntsville is becoming better known across the company and gaining a well-deserved reputation as a group of people who can affordably get the currently in the devel- job done,” McCall said. opment stage. A bright spot among declining NASA budgets, “I expect space to Space Launch System has set its sights on be part of this site’s meeting upcoming development milestones. The identity for as long as program currently employs about 650 people— it’s part of the Boeing including roughly 400 in Huntsville—and expects company’s,” McCall that number to grow to 800 by the year’s end. said, “and I expect Boeing is contracted by NASA to design and that to be a long, long time.” produce the SLS rocket’s core cryogenic stage One of the legacies of Boeing’s space work and avionics. The program, which reuses design at the site is the Huntsville Design Center. Estab- elements from previous programs, such as the lished from the pool of engineers who worked space shuttle, is scheduled to begin test flights in on the space station, the center now has about 2017. The program’s vision calls for developing a 300 engineers working on everything from elements rocket that will enable exploration outside Earth’s of the 787 Dreamliner to the KC-46 refueling orbit and eventually take crews beyond the moon. tanker and even helicopters. Boeing Huntsville also continues to support Frank Dunn, a senior manager with the center, the International Space Station, which may be said the variety of products and programs keeps utilized well into the next decade. The site was expanding with the center’s reputation. responsible for building the U.S. components “The team here takes ownership and a lot of the space station, including the Unity Node, of pride in doing the work right and meeting its the U.S. Destiny Laboratory, environmental control commitments,” Dunn said. and life support system design, payload racks, a Hyslop added that the design center’s lower cupola viewing window, a cargo system and other cost structure helps it successfully bid internally for controls, systems and subsystems. Huntsville work, reducing costs for the entire company. And employees expect to be part of the low-Earth orbit the work gives the site something outside of mis- commercial crew transportation program as well, siles and space exploration to rely on for the future. “In a lot of ways,” Dunn said, “what we try to 26 BOEING FRONTIERS / SEPTEMBER 2012
Frontiers September 2012 Issue
To see the actual publication please follow the link above