1. In Spring 2003, proposals were accepted for both attached forebody inflatable aerocapture systems and attached afterbody configurations in the second ISP NRA involving aerocapture technology, Cycle 2. Lockheed Martin's forebody/inflatable aeroshell concept and Ball Aerospace's attached afterbody, clamped ballute system were recently selected. These two new awards, coupled with the Cycle 1 towed ballute award, will provide the ATP with several advanced ballute concept options. Aerocapture Flight Validation
2. Aerocapture was recently selected as one of five technology concept areas under consideration for spaceflight validation by the New Millennium Program Space Technology 9 (NMP ST9) Project. The New Millennium Program is a cross-enterprise technology program jointly funded and managed by the NASA Office of Space Science and the NASA Office of Earth Science. It was established in 1995 to provide a first flight opportunity for new space technology. The NMP ST9 NRA is due out in October/November of 2003. Final selections are scheduled for early 2005. More about NMP ST9 can be found at the NMP website: http://nmp.jpl.nasa.gov/.