Worcester Business Journal

10 Worcester Business Journal • February 16, 2015 www.wbjournal.com part of the International Space Station, Hubble Space Telescope, the Space Shuttle and now the Orion spacecraft, whose goal is to take humans to Mars in the 2030s. The NASA connectors tie together circuit boards with extremely high reli- ability, which is key when it comes to space applications, Demers said. "You are talking about billions of dol- lars in programs, and when you are talk- ing manned space flight, there is a risk of human life as well as that (of a) signifi- cant amount of dollars," he added. David Clark (DCCI) has been mak- ing pressurized safety suits since 1941 when it helped in the effort to win World War II. It recently created a suit that allowed Felix Baumgartner to jump from 23 miles above the Earth's surface at the edge of space into a free fall that exceeded the speed of sound before he landed on Earth. "What we do is very unique and very personal. The fact (that) we are develop- ing equipment people wear to protect their lives is not something we take lightly. Not only for NASA but for the Air Force," said Daniel M. Barry, vice president and director of research and development at DCCI. "Virtually every- thing you see in a David Clark suit is made right here in Worcester." A connection that goes back nine decades Worcester's connection to space began with Robert Goddard, who spawned the age of modern rocketry in the 1920s with many of his experiments taking place in the city, said Vanessa Bumpus, the exhibit coordinator at the Worcester Historical Museum, who has been work- ing on a new exhibit detailing Worcester's involvement in the space race. Goddard's legacy spread to area companies, she said, helping the city transition from a manufacturing hub to an area support- ing research and innovation. "It started here and it's a continuous cycle," Bumpus said. "Worcester is not going to let Goddard's dream die." NASA has 47 direct suppliers and subcontractors in Massachusetts, with a number of subcontractors to larger com- panies in Central Massachusetts. Worcester's space connection has helped boost Central Massachusetts' image as a center for technology, Barry said. Being able to show that the work is taking place in Worcester also helps inspire local high school and college students, he added. The suppliers have been invaluable to NASA's space efforts, according to NASA spokeswoman Rachel Kraft. More than 1,000 companies from 46 states contrib- uted to Orion, helping lead to a success- ful Dec. 5 test flight, she said. Kraft called the suppliers the "backbone" of NASA's efforts. "They provide a level of expertise, along with manufacturing hardware, software and other elements that are very instrumental in the success of the space program." NASA's programs are being joined by private companies such as Orbital Sciences, Space X and Virgin Galactic that are planning commercial space flights and taking on NASA contracts to transport supplies and astronauts to the International Space Station. "I do feel a groundswell and a re- ignition of enthusiasm for the space market," Demers said, explaining that NASA had gone through a dormant period. More opportunities? Private space-travel companies could create more opportunities for compa- nies to get involved, Barry added. At the height of the Space Shuttle era (1981 to 2011), the U.S. flew a few dozen people a year, but under some plans for commercial flight that could expand exponentially, he said. "They are talking about flying dozens of people on a daily basis," Barry said, calling that a "game changer." Companies involved in the space pro- gram become members of a higher ech- elon of suppliers, Demers said. Smiths Connectors also provides products to commercial aerospace, defense applica- tions and medicine, such as in MRI machines. When your connectors have survived 20 years in space inside the Hubble telescope, companies can trust how your product will work in their machines, Demers said. "It lends a high level of credibility to your capabilities and performance. It gives you a certain pedigree," he said. "I think there (is) a very limited set of prime contractors and subcontractors … in this market and it does set you apart from a myriad of other compa- nies that may be in your respective industries." n Central Mass. firms play a part in space exploration >> Continued from Page 1 The Orion spacecraft is the lat- est headline-grabbing program to take humans into space. Here's a list of some of the key players and potential players: SpaceX, a company founded by Elon Musk, of Tesla Motors fame, already dockets its Dragon space capsule with the International Space Station and plans to begin transporting astronauts there by 2017 under contract with NASA. SpaceX has also received a contract from NASA for commercial resupply services to the space station. Boeing has also been con- tracted by NASA to transport astronauts into space by 2017, and will pursue a contract to resupply the space station. Virgin Galactic, founded by Richard Branson, a founder of the air carrier Virgin Atlantic, had planned to begin commercial space flights in 2015, but has pushed back plans following a fatal test-flight crash in October. Orbital Sciences was award- ed a contract from NASA for commercial resupply services to the International Space Station through 2016. An explosion of their Antares rocket has caused the company to switch from refurbished rockets from the for- mer Soviet Union to those pro- vided by the United Launch Alliance, a joint venture between Lockheed Martin and Boeing. Orbital also supplies rockets to Boeing. Space Shuttle astronauts wore the Model S1035 Advanced Crew Escape Suit created by David Clark Co. The suit is pictured here in a company advertisement. Supplying Orion P H O T O / C O U R T E S Y P H O T O / D R E A M S T I M E . C O M

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