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Meeting	ACGS Committee Meeting 111 - Reno, Nevada - March 2013
Agenda Location	5 SUBCOMMITTEE C – AVIONICS AND SYSTEM INTEGRATION 5.4 The ‘Max’ Launch Abort System (M-LAS): Design, Integration, and Flight Test
Title	The ‘Max’ Launch Abort System (M-LAS): Design, Integration, and Flight Test Best Presentation Award
Presenter	Mike Gilbert
Affiliation	NASA Engineering and Safety Center
Available Downloads*	presentation video
	Downloads are available to members who are logged in and either Active* or attended this meeting.
Abstract	The "Max" Launch Abort System (MLAS): Design, Integration, and Flight Test Michael G. Gilbert, PhD NESC Principal Engineer/MLAS Chief Engineer The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Engineering and Safety Center (NESC) was formed in 2003 following the Columbia Space Shuttle accident to provide independent engineering analysis and testing addressing critical technical issues facing NASA flight and development programs. In 2007, the NESC was tasked to design, build, and flight test an alternative to the tower-based launch abort system then under development for the Constellation Program. The intent of the effort was three-fold; to provide a potential alternate abort system design in case of development issues with the baseline tower-based system; to investigate the potential for augmenting mass-to-orbit performance by using the abort system rocket motor(s) thrust capability during nominal launches; and to provide a relatively short-term, relatively low cost "cradle-to-grave" development opportunity for early career NASA engineers. The effort culminated with the successful launch of the MLAS flight test vehicle on July 7, 2009 from the NASA Wallops Flight Facility. An overall summary of the MLAS project will be provided, with emphasis on the approach to flight path control during powered flight, the command and control system that managed four major component separations and nine parachute deployments, and the on-board instrumentation systems. The unique design challenges and integration issues of the engineering instrumentation system, which was the assigned responsibility of the early-career engineer cadre, will also be discussed.