COCOA BEACH, Fla. -- Ed Mango, program manager for NASA's Commercial Crew Program CCP, talks to industry partners and stakeholders during a preproposal conference at the Courtyard Marriott in Cocoa Beach, Fla. At left, are Cheryl McPhillips, the NASA Participant Evaluation Panel PEP chair for the Commercial Crew Program CCP, and Lee Pagel, the NASA PEP deputy. The meeting focused on information related to NASA's release of the Commercial Crew Integrated Capability CCiCap Announcement for Proposals on Feb. 7. More than 50 people from 25 aerospace companies attended the conference to find out what the space agency would be looking for in terms of milestones, funding, schedules, strategies, safety cultures, business modules and eventual flight certification standards of integrated crew space transportation systems. The goal of the CCiCap is to develop an indigenous U.S. transportation system that can safely, affordably and routinely fly to low Earth orbit destinations, including the International Space Station. Proposals are due March 23 and NASA plans to award multiple Space Act Agreements, valued from $300 million to $500 million each, toward the development of fully integrated commercial crew transportation systems in the summer of 2012. For more information, visit www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew Photo credit: Kim Shiflett The Ground Systems Development and Operations Program is developing the necessary ground systems, infrastructure and operational approaches required to safely process, assemble, transport and launch the next generation of rockets and spacecraft in support of NASA’s exploration objectives. Future work also will replace the antiquated communications, power and vehicle access resources with modern efficient systems. Some of the utilities and systems slated for replacement have been used since the VAB opened in 1965. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/exploration/systems/ground/index.html Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett KSC-2012-1329
![[Assignment: 48-DPA-SOI_K_SES_Con_Final24] Activities at Interior Senior Executive Service (SES) Conference, led by Secretary Dirk Kempthorne, [Deputy Secretary P. Lynn Scarlett, Associate Deputy Secretary James Cason, Chief of Staff Brian Waidmann, and other top officials] [48-DPA-SOI_K_SES_Con_Final24_IOD_9170.JPG]](https://cache.getarchive.net/Prod/thumb/cdn10/L3Bob3RvLzIwMDcvMDQvMjQvYXNzaWdubWVudC00OC1kcGEtc29pX2tfc2VzX2Nvbl9maW5hbDI0LWFjdGl2aXRpZXMtYXQtaW50ZXJpb3Itc2VuaW9yLWV4ZWN1dGl2ZS05YzJkNmUtNjQwLmpwZw%3D%3D/40/26/webp "[Assignment: 48-DPA-SOI_K_SES_Con_Final24] Activities at Interior Senior Executive Service (SES) Conference, led by Secretary Dirk Kempthorne, [Deputy Secretary P. Lynn Scarlett, Associate Deputy Secretary James Cason, Chief of Staff Brian Waidmann, and other top officials] [48-DPA-SOI_K_SES_Con_Final24_IOD_9170.JPG]")
