Development of the Flight Test Telemetry System for Clipper Graham: A New Way to do Business

Since the beginning of NASA, there has been one way to do business. To procedure flight hardware you did things a certain way, to monitor contracts you did things a certain way and to support tests you did things a certain way. When the Delta Clipper Experimental (DC-X) space flight test vehicle was being upgraded (to the DC-XA, later called the Clipper Graham), the opportunity to change the way NASA did business presented itself The development of a flight test telemetry system (FTTS) for the Clipper Graham presented the perfect opportunity to change the way NASA did business. This paper will discuss the differences from the old way to the new way of doing business during the development of the FTTS from the conceptual stage thru the flight stages. The major focus will be the pulse code modulation system of the FTTS. Topics that will be discussed are working with procurement, working with contractors and subcontractors, supporting ground and flight testing and lessons learned.