Liberty cargo module being berthed at the International Space Station. (Credit: ATK)
Kent Rominger
VP and Manager, Liberty
ATK Aerospace
Kent gave an overview of the Liberty launch system, which is competing for funding in NASA’s commercial crew program.
Overview
- 5-segment solid rocket first stage
- second stage: Ariane V booster first stage
- composite crew module (Lockheed Martin — leverages work being done on Orion)
- cargo module based on scaled down version of flown NASA modules
- Test flights begin in 2014
- Liberty ready to fly with a crew by the end of 2015
Commercial Crew Possibilities
- ATK willing to put own money into the system, which it views as commercially viable
- If NASA provides a full commercial crew award, then Liberty would stay as an ATK project
- If they don’t receive a full award, would probably spin off Liberty into a separate corporation
- Crewed schedule slips to the right from late 2015 if not fully funded – shifts about 7 months with 2/3rd commercial crew funding
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