X33 THE REUSABLE LAUNCH VEHICLE TECHNOLOGY PROGRAM
     
    MISSION: To design a new generation launch vehicle that will dramatically reduce
    the cost and complexity of going into orbit.
     
    X33 is an advanced technology demonstrationvehicle designed as a half-scale test model of the full size, commercial, reusable launch vehicle(RLV) program called VentureStar ®. Under a Cooperative Agreement with NASA, Lockheed Martin is leading the industry team of Boeing Rocketdyne, Allied-Signal, Sverdrup and BF Goodrich Aerospace to build the X-33 space plane.

    Interface and Control Systems has a key role in implementing the system that ground controllers will use to command, control and monitor the X-33 experimental space plane during it's development, maintenance and flight testing.

    In July 1996, Lockheed Martin Skunk
    Works chose Lockheed Martin Sanders to
    design the Launch Mission Control
    Management System (LMCMS) for the X-33
    program. In September 1997, Lockheed
    Martin Sanders selected ICS to provide our
    SCL product as a core component of the
    LMCMS ground support automation and integration system.

    Flexible System Architecture
    The X-33 project demonstrates SCL’s versatility, with the SCL Real Time Engine (RTE) incorporated as an embedded application within the LMCMS Command and Data Processor subsystem. This subsystem is hosted on a multi-processor Sun Enterprise Server and interfaces with high speed front end equipment including the Ground Interface Modules, the Telemetry and Range Interface Processors, the Data Manager Storage and Retrieval module, and a Console Manager that oversees up to 10 consoles.

    Each console is dedicated to a specific subsystem, with operators using the SCL RTE in real-time to command and configure the ground    		 system using the SCL scripting language.
    Lockheed Martin Sanders has implemented a
    Java user interface to allow the engineering
    staff to visualize system status data in real-time
    and to issue commands using a point and click
    capability. An SCL script can be executed at
    the push of a button from any of the consoles.
    In addition, over 250 displays will be available
    from any workstation.
    As of Spring 1999, seven major consoles have
    been defined:
    • Avionics Subsystems,
    • LH2 Subsystems,
    • LO2 Subsystems,
    • Engines Subsystems,
    • Environment Subsystems,
    • Flight Control Subsystems, and
    • The Integrated Systems Manager.

    Innovative Procedure Development Using SCL
    Because the X-33 operations concept depends
    on the simultaneous execution of scripted procedures from the various subsystem consoles by a single SCL RTE, a new multi-scripting, multi-threaded
    version of SCL was implemented for
    this particular application: SCL Version 3.0.
    SCL‘s script and rule capability supports a hierarchical approach to procedure development. At the lowest level are command and script primitives. Application sequences are developed as layers above the primitive elements: a component sequence layer, a subsystem sequence layer and finally a master sequence layer. Manual and automatic procedures comprised of sequence layer elements are then defined for system level operations, ending with a composite launch vehicle procedure.

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