Nov. 13, 2007 -- Boeing Advanced Network and Space Systems material and process engineer Elizabeth Chu inspects the Thermal Protection System Manufacturing Demonstration Unit developed for NASA's Orion Crew Exploration Vehicle project. Boeing Advanced Systems was awarded a contract last year to develop a prototype heat shield to protect NASA astronauts from extreme heat during re-entry into the Earth's atmosphere upon returning from lunar and low-Earth orbit missions. The work was performed at Boeing facilities in Huntington Beach, CA.