25 July 2019 Business News Politics Science & Technology

UNITED TECHNOLOGIES SHOWCASES ITS CONTRIBUTIONS TO MANNED SPACE PROGRAMS

United Technologies Corp., the company that provided the Life Support System for the Apollo 11 suit, showcased a suite of critical technologies it has contributed to the past, present and future of manned space programs during an event on Capitol Hill, where it also unveiled a prototype of its Collins Aerospace unit’s Next Generation Space Suit system.

 
DOWNLOAD FULL PHOTO COLLECTION
DOWNLOAD VIDEO FILE
United Technologies Showcases the Many Technologies it has Contributed to Manned Space Programs during Capitol Hill Event; Previews Collins Aerospace’s Next Generation Space Suit System
 
Showcase timed to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of Apollo 11  
 

WASHINGTON, D.C., July 25, 2019 -- United Technologies Corp. (NYSE: UTX) ("UTC") – the company that provided the Life Support System for the Apollo 11 suit, today showcased a suite of critical technologies it has contributed to the past, present and future of manned space programs during an event on Capitol Hill, where it also unveiled a prototype of its Collins Aerospace unit’s Next Generation Space Suit system.

Dan Burbank, former NASA astronaut and current Sr. Technical Fellow at Collins Aerospace, narrated a demonstration of the prototype’s capabilities at the event, alongside Rep. Kendra Horn, Chair of the House Space Subcommittee, and Rep. Brian Babin, the Subcommittee’s Ranking Member, both of whom applauded the efforts of UTC and its suppliers to make space exploration possible.

UTC’s businesses have been a part of every NASA space mission over the past 50 years. Key contributions by the company to the Apollo mission include:

  • Space Suit: UTC’s legacy Hamilton Standard unit, now part of Collins Aerospace, served as one of two prime contractors on NASA’s Apollo space suit. The company was responsible for the Portable Life Support System, without which Neil Armstrong would never have been able to take his historic first steps on the moon. This system pressurized the suit, provided oxygen, removed carbon dioxide, controlled humidity and provided heat removal and cooling for those wearing the suit. The heating and cooling element was especially critical given that temperatures would range from -250° F to 250° F. Over the course of Project Apollo, the company’s life support technology sustained 12 astronauts for a total of 138 hours on the moon.
  • Apollo Spacecraft and Lunar Module: UTC’s Pratt & Whitney unit developed the technology for the fuel cells that provided power to the Apollo 11 mission. The Lunar Module which shuttled the Apollo astronauts to the moon’s surface was equipped with an environmental control system developed by UTC’s Hamilton Standard to provide a life-sustaining atmosphere onboard the spacecraft. This included everything from heating and cooling to carbon dioxide removal and waste management.
  • Radio Communications: When Neil Armstrong spoke his famous words, “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind,” more than 600 million television viewers across the world were able to hear and see it thanks to the communications technology provided by Collins Radio, now part of Collins Aerospace.

 

Post-Apollo space mission contributions include:

  • Present Day Space Suit: Since the first launch of the Space Shuttle in 1981, Collins Aerospace has been the prime contractor and integrator for the current space suit used today for space shuttle and International Space Station missions.
  • Rocket Propulsion: Pratt & Whitney has consistently collaborated with NASA over the decades to develop mission critical propulsion technologies. Pratt & Whitney Canada’s PW308A is currently being used to power a launch aircraft for civilian space travel.
  • International Space Station: Collins Aerospace provides the ECLSS (Environmental Control and Life Support System) and EATCS (External Active Thermal Control System) for the International Space Station, helping to maintain a habitable environment and keep the station’s crew of six alive 220 miles above the Earth.
  • Orion Program: Collins Aerospace provides thermal control, life support and power management and distribution systems for the Orion spacecraft that will take astronauts on deep space missions beyond Low Earth Orbit.
  • Parker Solar Probe: The Parker Solar Probe (PSP) flew closer to the sun’s surface than any other spacecraft. The PSP is protected by the innovative Solar Array Cooling System, designed and developed by Collins Aerospace.
  • Many others (https://www.collinsaerospace.com/promo/space-technologies-defying-impossible-for-50-years)

 

A number of these products were displayed during the United Technologies event, which was open to the public from 9am-1pm in the Rayburn House Office Building.

“A lot has changed since we first landed astronauts on the Moon,” said Burbank. “UTC’s technologies made Neil Armstrong’s first steps on the lunar surface possible, and our innovation will continue to play a role in solving the hard challenges and enabling future missions for generations to come.”

Photos from the event can be found at: http://bit.ly/SpaceDay_Wire

About United Technologies Corporation

United Technologies Corp., based in Farmington, Connecticut, provides high-technology systems and services to the building and aerospace industries.  By combining a passion for science with precision engineering, the company is creating smart, sustainable solutions the world needs. For more information about the company, visit our website at www.utc.com or on Twitter @UTC.

###

UNITED TECHNOLOGIES SHOWCASES ITS CONTRIBUTIONS TO MANNED SPACE PROGRAMS

Source: Associated Press Content Services/United Technologies Corp.

Washington, DC, 25 July

  1. Wide shot – Rayburn House Office Building
  2. Close up – Rayburn House Office Building sign
  3. Wide shot – registration table and guests
  4. Wide shot – pan across Space Day on the Hill exhibits and visitors
  5. Wide shot – visitors to Space Day on the Hill with Next Gen space suit in background
  6. Soundbite (English) Gail Baker, President, ISR and Space Solutions, Collins Aerospace. “We are here in D.C. for Space Day on the Hill.  And we’re highlighting the history of space suits and our participation as the provider of these suits from Apollo through Space Station and hopefully in the future as well.”
  7. Close up – Above and Beyond flyer
  8. Close up – NASA and International Space Station patches on space suit
  9. Medium shot – 3 girls blowing kiss in front of space suit
  10. Wide shot – Gail Baker talking to Allen Flynt, pan across room.
  11. Soundbite (English) Allen Flynt,  General Manager of Civil Space and C Systems Business, Collins Aerospace. “This is a Next Generation space suit. You’ll see on the back of the suit that the primary life support system, which removes the carbon dioxide and pulls the astronaut, is attached to the suit. You’ll also see as the demonstration is occurring now, the flexibility in the suit and the ease by which the astronaut would be able to move around on the lunar surface.
  12. Medium shot – Man getting space suit gloves put on.
  13. Medium shot – Rear panel getting removed from suit
  14. Wide shot – Man in space suit getting moved by engineer, waving
  15. Gail Baker, President, ISR and Space Solutions, Collins Aerospace.. Soundbite (English). “It’s such an iconic product that we have here, so recognizable, and the space program has contributed so much to the advancement of technology and exploration that we wanted to bring this to Congress so they can see this first hand.”
  16. Medium shot – Patrick Kennedy listening to executives
  17. Medium shot – Patrick Kennedy shaking hands
  18. Kendra Horn and Suzanne Bonamici shaking hands with 2 children
  19. “The way that we live our lives today is fundamentally altered because of our investment in space. Because as a nation, we came together and we said, this is worth doing.”
  20. Soundbite (English) Dan Burbank.  “I’m Dan Burbank, I’m the, and I’m a retired NASA astronaut, having joined the company about a year ago.”  (He was an astronaut for 22 years.)
  21. Soundbite (English) Dan Burbank Senior Technical Fellow with Collins Aerospace. “50 years ago this week is when Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin set foot on the surface of the moon while Michael Collins floated in the command service module overhead.  And for me, that was an incredibly inspiring thing, as it was for millions of kids worldwide. Eventually, it led me to the space program.”
  22. Soundbite (English) Dan Burbank voiceover. “You would be hard pressed to do this kind of walking. You could not do it in Apollo suit like we had back in the day. Right now, Peter has it six times harder than it would be on the surface of the moon,.”
  23. Wide shot – Peter exits staging area in space suit and walks toward the stage.
  24. Wide shot – Peter in space suit joins Dan Burbank onstage.
  25. Wide shot – Peter in space suit shakes hands with Eva Schwartz
  26. Soundbite (English) Eva Schwartz – I would like to design space suits someday, but maybe not be the astronaut itself. I take designing more. I think designing would be more my thing.”
  27. Soundbite (English) Nina Schwartz. “I was very surprised to see the high mobility, how quickly they could move and they’re not even in space yet.”
  28. Soundbite (English) Gabriela Schwartz. “It’s cool how they’ve developed all these years and what they’re planning to do with all the technology they have.”
  29. Wide shot - Richard Blumental (D-Connecticut) enters room
  30. Wide shot – Richard Blumenthal next to Peter in space suit
  31. Wide shot – Richard Blumenthal next to Peter
  32. Soundbite (English) Richard Blumenthal(D-Connecticut) enters.  “The reason I’m here is that space exploration is in Connecticut’s DNA, just like it’s part of America.
  33. Soundbite (English) – Kendra Horn and Suzanne Bonamici with Peter in the space suit. Kendra Horn: “We just wanted to say thank you, appreciate it.”
  34. Wide shot – Suzanne Bonamici, man, Peter in space suit, Gail Baker pose for picture.
  35. Soundbite (English) Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR).  “I’m very very excited about all the efforts to get more, especially girls and people of color, diversify the STEM workforce. One of the ways I’m working on that is something called STEAM., integrating arts and design into STEM learning. When I see all of the developments that have been done to change the space suit for example, there’s a lot of design in that.”
  36. Medium shot – Engineer showing space suit to Donna Shalala.  Soundbite. “Also sizing. We can fit from the first percentile woman, up to the 99th percentile man.”
  37. Soundbite (English) Donna Shalala (D-FL). “We want women to be able to go to space and not have any kind of restrictions other than their skill and their passion.”
  38. Wide shot – Girl shaking hands with man in space suit.
  39. Medium shot – fingers pointing at NASA patches.
  40. Medium shot – Sunny Mistry talking about space suit with man.
  41. Soundbite (English) Sunny Mistry, Project Engineer, Collins Aerospace.  “It’s been a childhood dream to kind of be in this role where I can kind of see the astronauts and help and see how we’re progressing technology in space.
  42. Wide shot – man in space suit walking.
  43. Wide shot – man in space suit with arms on hips.
  44. United Technologies logo.
25 July 2019