Upgrading the US Space Shuttle fleet with a new "smart cockpit"

As the space shuttle program celebrates its 20th anniversary of human space flight, work is underway to develop a major Cockpit Avionics Upgrade (CAU) for the U.S. Space Shuttle orbiter fleet. The Command and Display Processing Subsystem (CDPS) represents the third generation of display avionics for the orbiters and builds upon the Multifunction Electronic Display Subsystem (MEDS) or "glass cockpit" already installed onboard Atlantis and Columbia and scheduled for installation on the rest of the fleet. United Space Alliance is heading the upgrade project as part of its space flight operations contract with NASA. With the goal of first flight in 2006, this upgrade is an important aspect of the "Shuttle of the Future" program, which aims to upgrade vehicle safety and enable the current shuttle orbiter fleet to keep flying for another 15-20 years.