HL-20 Spacecraft Cockpit Graduate Project Teams

This HL-20 Spacecraft Cockpit Graduate Projects Team was originally funded by Sierra Nevada Corporation in support of their Dream Chaser crew transportation vehicle. Since its inception, the team has used its in-house HL-20 cockpit to:

• Design several iterations of the HL-20 cockpit console and panels.
• Conduct human factors testing to validate design decision. Some questions addressed: How quickly can crew safely exit the cockpit? How does launch disorient the crew?
• Design traditional and alternative seat designs.

In Fall 2014, the team designed a steel frame and winch system which enabled the cockpit to rotate between a vertical and horizontal position. This structure allowed human factors testing to be conducted while the cockpit was oriented vertically, such as it would be atop an Atlas V rocket.

Project Advisor: Jim Voss

-Written By: Ari Sandberg, Intern