December 17, 1991
RELEASE: 91-209
SPACE SCIENCE DOMINATES 1991 NASA ACTIVITIES
Major advancements in several fields of space science
highlighted the activities of NASA during 1991.
The September deployment of the Upper Atmosphere
Research Satellite from the Space Shuttle initiated NASA's Mission
to Planet Earth, a 2-decade-long coordinated research program to
study the Earth as a complete environmental system. A Total
Ozone Mapping Spectrometer was launched aboard a Soviet
Meteor Satellite in August ensuring that ozone data will continue
to be available for several years.
In April, the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory became the
second of NASA's Great Observatories to begin studying the
cosmos. The first Great Observatory, the Hubble Space Telescope,
began to provide an extraordinary challenge to the view of how the
Universe was formed.
As the end of 1991 neared, the Magellan spacecraft had radar
mapped nearly the entire surface of Venus; the Galileo planetary
probe passed by the asteroid Gaspra on its way to Jupiter and
returned the first close-up image ever taken of an asteroid; and
the Ulysses spacecraft set its trajectory for Jupiter on its way to
study the poles of the Sun.
In other areas, NASA took delivery of the Space Shuttle orbiter
Endeavour in April bringing the Shuttle fleet to full strength. Six
Shuttle flights were conducted in 1991.
Preliminary design of space station Freedom's man-tended
configuration was completed in 1991 following a Congressionally-
mandated restructuring of the Freedom program.
Michael D. Griffin was selected to head the new Office of
Exploration which was created to lead NASA's efforts in returning
to the Moon permanently and to begin the human exploration of
Mars.
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In aeronautics research, a NASA F-16 XL aircraft attained the
first laminar airflow over a large part of an airplane wing while
flying at supersonic speeds and NASA's F/A-18 High-Alpha
Research Vehicle began flight tests with a special thrust vectoring
system that makes it easier to fly at very high angles of attack.
A representative full-scale X-30 National Aero-Space Plane wing
control surface made of advanced carbon-carbon composites was
completed and shipped to Ames-Dryden for structural tests in
mid-1991.
These subjects and other 1991 NASA activities are covered in
the following background release.
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NASA MANAGEMENT
During the course of 1991, several major management changes
were initiated by NASA Administrator Richard H. Truly.
A Systems Analysis and Concepts Office was established at
NASA Headquarters in May, and James D. Bain was named the
Director. The new Office provides independent and non-advocate
decision support to the NASA Administrator and his immediate
office with focus on policy alternatives, conceptual and formulative
stages of new programs and systematic review of the requirements
and benefits of new and ongoing programs.
In June, Darleen A. Druyun was named the new Assistant
Administrator for the Office of Procurement.
Truly announced in August the selection of Dr. Michael D.
Griffin as Associate Administrator of the newly established Office of
Exploration. This Office will lead NASA's efforts to expand
exploration beyond Earth orbit into the solar system.
In the same month, a new Office of Human Resources and
Education was created and Lieutenant General Spence (Sam) M.
Armstrong was appointed Associate Administrator. In announcing
the appointment, Truly said that Armstrong would be responsible
for developing NASA's human resources strategic plan and for
furthering NASA's emphasis on national education goals.
NASA Deputy Administrator J.R.Thompson Jr. announced his
resignation in September and left the agency in November. No
replacement has been nominated.
In September, an Office of Space Systems Development was
established to be responsible for Space Station Freedom, large
propulsion systems development including the new national
launch system and its new space transportation main engine, other
large space flight development and the advanced transportation
systems program planning function. The Office of Space Flight
retained responsibility for the Space Shuttle, Space Station
Freedom/Spacelab operations, expendable launch vehicle
operations and upper stages. Arnold D. Aldrich was selected as
Associate Administrator for Space Systems Development in
October.
On Oct. 3, the Office of Management Systems and Facilities was
created which consolidated the Offices of Management and
Headquarters Operations. Bonita A. Cooper was named the
Associate Administrator.
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Also in October, Paul F. Holloway succeeded Richard H.
Petersen as Director of the Langley Research Center. Petersen was
appointed Associate Administrator for the Office of Aeronautics
and Space Technology. James T. Rose, Assistant Administrator for
Commercial Programs, announced his plans to leave NASA and
John G. Mannix was named his successor. Robert L. Crippen was
named Director of the Kennedy Space Center replacing Forrest S.
McCartney who leaves NASA on Jan. 1, 1992. In December,
Leonard S. Nicholson was named Director, Space Shuttle Program
replacing Crippen.
SPACE SCIENCE AND APPLICATIONS
Mission To Planet Earth
The deployment of the Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite
(UARS) initiated Mission to Planet Earth by expanding NASA's
research in ozone depletion. Whereas previous studies of ozone
depletion have been relatively limited in scope or physical scale,
UARS data will be used to create three-dimensional maps of ozone
and chemicals important in ozone depletion. UARS instruments
also will provide scientists with comprehensive data sets on upper
atmospheric winds and energy inputs from the Sun into Earth's
upper atmosphere.
Preliminary data from UARS already has illustrated the link
between low levels of ozone and high levels of chlorine monoxide,
a key intermediate compound in the chemical chain reaction that
leads to ozone depletion.
Other ongoing studies sponsored by NASA's Earth Science and
Applications Division kept the agency in the forefront of
international efforts to understand ozone depletion. Data from the
Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (TOMS) on the Nimbus-7
satellite indicated the problem continues to be serious. The 1991
ozone hole over Antarctica matched the geographic extent and low
levels of the 3 previous years, with a single day low recorded on
Oct. 6.
A second TOMS instrument was launched aboard a Soviet
Meteor satellite on Aug. 15, ensuring that ozone data will continue
to be available for several years. In October, a 6-month campaign
began using NASA aircraft loaded with instruments to look for
signs of an ozone hole over the Arctic.
The TOMS instrument also tracked the sulfur dioxide cloud
emitted by June's eruption of Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines.
TOMS images showed the cloud circling the Earth from east to
west and expanding north and south. A NASA airborne expedition
based in the Caribbean investigated the cloud as it spread across
the Atlantic. Satellite data indicates that volcanic emissions have
altered temperatures in different atmospheric layers.
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Astrophysics
NASA astrophysics programs continued to expand knowledge of
the cosmos. The Hubble Space Telescope provided a startling
challenge to the view of how the Universe was formed.
Last summer, HST scientists discovered a forest of intergalactic
hydrogen clouds -- often found at the outer reaches of the visible
universe -- near the Milky Way. If these clouds are the age this
galaxy, e.g.,10-15 billion years old, present theories state these
clouds should have collapsed to form galaxies or just have
dissipated. Is there an unknown mechanism producing these
clouds even today? Astronomers now will have to reexamine
theories on the evolution of the Universe.
Another HST instrument resolved several hundred stars where
ground-based images yielded only a few dozen in the core of the
globular cluster 47 Tucanae. The HST image showed evidence
that stars may collide, capture each other and gain a new "lease on
life" in the process. Observations revealed a unique class of star
called blue stragglers, which may evolve from "old age" back to a
hotter and brighter "youth."
The Compton Gamma Ray Observatory (formerly GRO)
discovered bursts of gamma radiation coming from outside the
narrow plane of stars that make up our galaxy, implying that there
are unknown sources of gamma rays relatively near our solar
system or from mysterious objects well outside our galaxy. In July,
the observatory also detected the most distant and most luminous
source of gamma rays ever seen, Quasar 3C279, approximately 7
billion light years from Earth. The quasar emits about 10 million
times the energy of the Milky Way galaxy.
Other stars likely to become supernovae relatively soon were
identified by the Astro-1 mission in an ultraviolet survey of the
Large Magellanic Cloud, a neighboring galaxy to our own. The
success of the Astro-1 mission, a Spacelab mission flown aboard
the Space Shuttle, led to the announcement that a second Astro
mission would be flown, probably in 1994.
In other missions, the NASA Soft X-Ray Telescope was
launched aboard the Japanese Solar-A satellite in August. Data
from the Cosmic Background Explorer (COBE) was used to create
galactic-scale maps of the distribution of nitrogen, carbon and
interstellar dust, enabling astronomers to better understand the
heating and cooling processes that take place in the galaxy.
Life Sciences
In June, the agency's Life Sciences and Flight Systems Divisions
oversaw the flight of Spacelab Life Sciences-1 (SLS-1) aboard the
Space Shuttle Columbia, in which seven astronauts conducted 9
days of experiments to study the effects of weightlessness on the
human body.
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Preliminary findings indicated that previously observed
decreases in white bloodcell responsiveness, which helps the body
fight infections, could be somewhat counteracted. Other studies
indicated that the body's volume of blood decreases by 10 percent
in the first 24 hours of space flight and suggested that much of the
body's cardiovascular adaptation to space occurs on the launch pad
and during launch.
Solar System Exploration
The Magellan mission to Venus continued its success,
completing its primary objective of mapping 70 percent of the
Venusian surface more than a month ahead of schedule. As the
end of 1991 neared, Magellan had mapped 93.5 percent of the
planet. The geological data returned by Magellan included
evidence of volcanic activity, some of which might be quite recent,
and images of the longest channel in the solar system, a 4,200-
mile long chasm across the plains of Venus.
NASA's other planetary probes continued on their voyages.
Galileo passed by the asteroid Gaspra on its way toward Jupiter and
returned the first close-up picture ever taken of an asteroid. A
third in a series of attempts to free the spacecraft's high-gain
antenna by cooling the antenna tower and "walking" the pins free,
was conducted in December.
Other NASA research illuminated our planet's past. Work by a
NASA-led team indicates that a series of sinkholes in the
northwestern corner of the Mexican state of Yucatan is the impact
crater of an asteroid that may have caused the extinction of
dinosaurs about 65 million years ago.
Space Physics
The year began with a successful series of space physics
experiments that lit up the night sky over North America and
continued with summer releases over the Caribbean. Chemical
releases from the Combined Release and Radiation Effects Satellite
(CRRES) created electrically charged clouds that traced lines of
the Earth's magnetic field, allowing scientists to study the
interaction of energetic particles with the magnetic field. The
CRRES releases gave scientists a better understanding of how solar
particles, which continually stream toward the Earth, can disrupt
terrestrial power and communications systems.
Ulysses, on its way to study the Sun's poles a joint mission with
the ESA, set its trajectory for Jupiter where it will investigate the
planet's magnetic field and interaction with the solar wind. When
Ulysses passed behind the Sun relative to Earth in August,
scientists used radio signals from the spacecraft to investigate the
outer atmosphere of the Sun.
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Ground-based Research
Complementing NASA's flight programs are the research efforts
conducted here on Earth. NASA's space science program involves
more than 5,000 scientists at 250 U.S. academic institutions,
3,500 scientists at NASA centers and non-academic institutions,
more than 700 U.S. companies and more than 250 international
cooperation agreements with approximately 120 foreign
institutions.
Included in this diverse program are suborbital flights of
sounding rockets and balloons supporting research in the Earth
sciences, space physics and astrophysics. In 1991, NASA launched
24 sounding rockets and 16 research balloons, with two more
balloons scheduled for launch in late December.
SPACE FLIGHT
Space Shuttle
NASA's fleet of reusable space planes returned to full strength
in 1991 when the Space Shuttle program took delivery of
Endeavour on April 25 in a ceremony at Rockwell's facility in
Palmdale, Calif. NASA's newest orbiter is capable of flying
extended duration missions and has significant safety
enhancements such as redundant nose wheel steering and a drag
chute system. Endeavour's first flight remains on target for May
1992.
Also added to the Shuttle program was a new Orbiter
Processing Facility at KSC, which opened in September, giving
NASA the ability to process three orbiters at the same time.
In 1991, NASA maintained its safety first position when it came
to flying the Shuttle. When an issue came up with cracks in the
external tank door hinge mechanism on the Shuttle Discovery,
Shuttle managers postponed its flight until the problem was fully
understood and corrective measures had been taken.
There were seven Shuttle flights planned for 1991. Due to the
external tank door mechanism investigation, one flight, STS-42
(IML) was pushed into January 1992. The remaining six flights
flew near or before their scheduled launch dates. Each of the
missions flown in 1991 had unique qualities and demonstrated the
remarkable versatility of the Space Shuttle.
o STS-37/Gamma Ray Observatory (4/5/91 to 4/11/91) - The
first mission flown in 1991 included both a planned and
unplanned extravehicular activity. The unplanned EVA took place
to help with the deployment of GRO's high gain antenna. Also
demonstrated during the first planned EVA in 5 years were
mobility aids which will be used on Space Station Freedom.
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o STS-39/Air Force Payload-675 (4/28/91 to 5/6/91) - One of
the most complicated missions ever flown, Discovery performed
dozens of maneuvers, deploying canisters from the cargo bay,
releasing and retrieving a payload with the RMS, all of which
allowed the Department of Defense to gather important plume
observation data and information for the Strategic Defense
Initiative Organization.
o STS-40/Spacelab Life Sciences (6/5/91 to 6/14/91) - The
first mission since Skylab to do intensive investigations into the
effects of weightlessness on humans. Data learned from this flight
will be used in NASA's planning for longer Shuttle missions set for
1992 and in the planning of Space Station Freedom.
o STS-43/Tracking And Data Relay Satellite-E (8/2/91 to
8/11/91) - This flight set a record as the heaviest mission flown to
date with a liftoff weight of Atlantis at 253,000 pounds. A TDRS
satellite was deployed, keeping the network which supports
Shuttle missions and other spacecraft, such as the Hubble Space
Telescope, at full operational capability.
o STS-48/Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (9/12/91 to
9/18/91) - With the shuffling of missions that happened in the
early part of the year, the Shuttle team launched the STS-
48/UARS mission in September - about 6 weeks earlier than the
original November commitment date.
o STS-44/Defense Support Program (11/24/91 to 12/1/91) -
A dedicated mission for the Department of Defense to gather data
for their programs finished off the year. Mission 44 also continued
NASA's research into the effects of weightlessness on humans in
preparation for 13-day Extended Duration Orbiter missions
planned for 1992. The mission, originally planned for 10 days,
was shortened when an inertial measurement unit failed on the
6th day of the mission. Space Shuttle Atlantis landed safely at the
Dryden Flight Research Facility, Edwards, Calif., the next day.
In 1991, significant facility construction activities continued at
the Yellow Creek Facility, in Iuka Miss., in support of planned
Advanced Solid Rocket Motor (ASRM) production. Successful
continuous-mix propellant tests were conducted at Aerojet's pilot
plant in Calif., and successful 48" motor firings involving potential
ASRM nozzle materials were performed at NASA's Marshall Space
Flight Center, Ala.
At the Stennis Space Center, environmental permits were
obtained from the state of Mississippi for future testing of ASRMs
at that facility.
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Flight Systems
In April, the National Space Council directed NASA and the
Department of Defense to jointly develop and fund a new launch
system to meet civil and national space requirements for the 21st
century. This new family of unmanned, but man-rateable vehicles,
will employ a NASA-developed Space Transportation Main Engine
as a core propulsion element for vehicles capable of boosting
50,000 to 100,000 pound payloads into low Earth orbit
There were two expendable launches in 1991, an Atlas-E
vehicle on May 14 from Vandenberg AFB to place a NOAA
meteorological satellite into polar orbit and the June 29 launch
from Vandenberg AFB of a USAF radiation experiment satellite on
a Scout vehicle, the 114th launch of the NASA Scout vehicle.
In March, NASA announced selection of Orbital Sciences Corp.
for Pegasus commercial launch services for as many as 10 NASA
Explorer satellites, and the Italian Space Agency officially handed
their Tethered Satellite System over to NASA in November for
prelaunch processing. The tethered satellite is scheduled for
launch on STS-46 next September aboard Atlantis.
SPACE SYSTEMS DEVELOPMENT
Space Station Freedom
Stability and progress marked NASA's efforts to establish the
international permanently manned space station, Freedom.
Preliminary design of Freedom's man-tended configuration was
completed in 1991, and construction and testing of flight-like
hardware at NASA centers and contractor facilities proceeded on
schedule for a first element launch in November 1995.
A Congressionally-mandated restructuring of the Freedom
program was completed in the spring of 1991. A 1991 fiscal year
budget shortfall of more than $550 million along with
Congressional direction to significantly reduce out-year spending
by nearly $6 billion prompted NASA to start the restructuring of
the Freedom program in late 1990.
Freedom's new design is less expensive, smaller, easier to
assemble in orbit and requires fewer Shuttle flights to build. Major
new features of the redesigned station include shorter modules
that can be launched fully outfitted and a pre-integrated truss
structure that is assembled and verified on the ground, thus
significantly reducing on-orbit extravehicular activity.
The program completed a major milestone in November with
the preliminary design review of the man-tended configuration.
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The man-tended phase begins once the U.S. laboratory module has
been placed on orbit permitting human crews to work inside the
research module while the Shuttle is docked nearby.
Milestones for the first element launch, man-tended phase and
permanently manned phase remained on target for November
1995, December 1996 and September 1999, respectively.
The Italian Space Agency joined the international partnership
developing Space Station Freedom by signing a memorandum of
understanding with NASA to provide two mini logistics modules to
the orbiting workshop. The two pressurized modules will be used
to carry payloads and resupply items to the station and return
items to Earth. The agreement also calls for the two agencies to
work toward expanding the relationship to include provisions for a
mini laboratory for the station.
Astronauts on the STS-37 Space Shuttle mission donned
spacesuits for the first extravehicular activity in 5 years and tested
equipment that will help astronauts traverse Space Station
Freedom's 350-foot long truss. Astronauts Jerry Ross and Jay Apt
spent 6 and 1/2 hours testing various mobility carts which ran
along a special rail installed in Atlantis' 60-foot long cargo bay.
At the Johnson Space Center, construction of the Space Station
Control Center, which will house the mission controllers, has been
completed and underfloor power and data trays are being installed.
Integrated simulation training will begin in the facility in June
1995. Construction of the Space Station Training Facility was
completed in July, and the first part-task trainer has been
delivered. The facility will be ready for training simulations in
March 1995.
At the Lewis Research Center, Cleveland, where Freedom's
power generation and distribution system is being developed,
about half of the solar cells needed to generate the 18.75 kilowatts
for the man-tended configuration have been built. Testing also has
begun on an engineering model of the battery orbital replacement
unit. Batteries will furnish power to the station during the 30-
minutes of each 90-minute orbit when the Earth blocks the Sun's
rays from reaching Freedom's solar arrays.
At the Marshall Space Flight Center, volunteers have been
helping engineers develop the water recycling system for Freedom.
In a laboratory that simulates the environmental control system on
the space station, 50 volunteers have been exercising, cooking meals,
washing clothes and showering - all to donate the kinds of waste
water Freedom's crew will produce. Taste tests of the recycled
water also have been conducted and testers say the space station
water is as good as or better than tap water. Also at MSFC, a
full-sized pressurized module has been constructed to flight
specifications, and a series of pressure tests has been completed.
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The common hatch to be used on both the module-connecting "nodes"
and pressurized modules has been built and tested.
NASA's Kennedy Space Center broke ground in April on a
457,000 square foot processing facility for prelaunch checkout of
Freedom's flight hardware and experiments. The facility is
proceeding on schedule for occupancy in 1994.
EXPLORATION
NASA made significant progress this year both in reorganizing
the Space Exploration Initiative effort to implement
recommendations of a blue ribbon panel and in developing a near-
term exploration program. In February, a search was launched for
an Associate Administrator to head the newly created Office of
Exploration announced last December by Administrator Truly as an
early response to the recommendations of the Advisory Committee
on the Future of the U.S. Space Program (Augustine Committee).
Truly announced in August the selection of Michael D. Griffin to
fill the post and indicated "[Griffin] brings a wealth of knowledge,
experience and dedication that will be instrumental in leading
NASA's efforts to expand exploration beyond Earth orbit into the
solar system."
Griffin arrived at NASA in October and by December, the Office
of Exploration had defined a plan for an initial set of missions to
move aggressively forward in the near-term toward the ultimate
objectives of the President's Space Exploration Initiative -- to
return to the Moon permanently and to begin the human
exploration of Mars.
These early automated missions will be relatively low-cost and
will quickly increase scientific and technological knowledge in
areas necessary to make long-range decisions about Moon and
Mars activities, thus decreasing the cost and risk of the overall
exploration program. Precursor missions include projects to
obtain lunar terrain, resource and gravity maps, as well as a small
robotic lander to aid in lunar landing site preparation and in the
longer term for resupply purposes.
AERONAUTICS AND SPACE TECHNOLOGY
Aeronautics
Late in the year, a NASA F-16 XL aircraft attained the first
laminar (smooth) airflow over a large part of an airplane wing at
supersonic speeds. The plane used a suction device to remove
turbulent air moving over a test section on its upper wing surface,
causing a smoother flow of air. Because reducing such turbulence
saves fuel, the test was an important step toward more efficient
future high-speed civil transports.
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Improved air safety was a major area of aeronautics research in
1991. An Ames-Dryden study showed that multi-engine planes
with a special flight control system can land safely using just their
engines if the hydraulic controls fail. The new research-only
computer software turns the pilot's stick inputs into throttle
commands. It automatically programs the engines to make the
aircraft turn, climb, descend and land safely.
A NASA flight test program proved that new sensors can warn
airline pilots of the potentially dangerous weather phenomenon
called windshear. A NASA Boeing 737 based at Langley Research
Center, Hampton, Va., was equipped with microwave radar and
infrared devices that detect "microbursts" -- downdrafts of air that
rush toward the ground. The plane spent 2 weeks in the Orlando,
Fla., area in June checking the sensors by flying around and
through such storms. A later trip to the Denver area in July let
researchers penetrate wind gust fronts and make many storm
measurements with the instruments, though the expected
microbursts did not occur.
In the high-performance aircraft arena, NASA's F/A-18 High-
Alpha Research Vehicle began flight tests with a special thrust
vectoring system that makes it easier to fly at very high angles of
attack, or "alpha." The plane has three spoon-shaped paddles
around each of its two engine exhaust nozzles that deflect the
thrust to help maneuver and stabilize the aircraft. The system is
expected to give the F/A-18 better control in forward flight at
nose-high angles up to 70 degrees.
Another F/A-18 became the first full-size airplane to face the
winds inside the world's largest wind tunnel in June. Twelve
weeks of tests were run on the aircraft in the 80- by 120-foot test
section of the National Full-Scale Aerodynamics Complex at NASA's
Ames Research Center, Mountain View, Calif. The tunnel work,
like the F/A-18 high-alpha flights, should help engineers
understand how a modern fighter flies at high angles of attack and
answer aerodynamic questions unique to the twin-tailed F/A-18.
The unique X-29 made the last flight in its planned high-alpha
research program on Sept. 30. The X-29's forward-swept wings
gave pilots excellent control response at angles of attack up to 45
degrees. The aircraft also flew at up to 67 degrees in handling and
control studies. The 374 flights by the two X-29s during 1984-91
-- most for any "X-plane" -- also proved that forward-swept wings
perform at least as well as standard rear-swept wings on fighter-
type planes that fly at the speed of sound to just over Mach 1.
A revolutionary paint that measures aerodynamic surface
pressures across large areas made its first successful test flight
this year on a NASA F-104 aircraft. The light pink paint becomes
luminescent in ultraviolet wavelengths. The intensity of the light
varies according to the pressure it receives as the plane flies
through the air. The easily-applied paint could
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someday replace the wires, tubing and sensors that engineers
traditionally use to get data on the strength of an aircraft's wings
and tail.
X-30 National Aero-Space Plane
The X-30 National Aero-Space Plane (NASP), a joint
NASA/Department of Defense effort to develop a single-stage-to-
orbit flight research vehicle, came closer to reality. A
representative full-scale NASP wing control surface made of
advanced carbon-carbon composites was completed and shipped
to Ames-Dryden for structural tests in mid-1991. Design and
building of this major flight-weight part followed years of
technology development. The non-metallic carbon-carbon
material is lighter than most metals and is stronger at the
sustained high temperatures the X-30 will encounter.
Space Technology
In 1991, NASA revealed the rich harvest of data from the Long
Duration Exposure Facility (LDEF), a schoolbus-sized science and
technology satellite that flew in Earth orbit from April 1984 to
January 1990. LDEF exposed a set of materials to the space
environment and gathered information on radiation, space debris,
meteoroids and life sciences. Among the findings:
o LDEF was the first satellite to detect beta meteoroids, tiny
particles speeded up by solar radiation. It also found beryllium-7,
the first time a radioactive isotope had collected on an orbiting
spacecraft;
o The in-orbit performance of protective paints varied
dramatically and many protective thermal blankets were partly or
completely eroded away;
o Most of LDEF's biological specimens survived after their
exposure to space radiation. Space-exposed seeds produced
plants with variegated leaves and flower buds; some leaf parts were
a normal green, but others totally lacked chlorophyll.
NASA's In-Space Technology Experiments Program (IN-STEP)
passed a major milestone as its first flight hardware flew on two
successive Shuttle missions. The Tank Pressure Control
Experiment, a test that mixed fluids to regulate pressure in
cryogenic storage tanks, rode aboard STS-43. The STS-48
Middeck 0-gravity Dynamics Experiment studied aspects of
mechanical and fluid action vital to future space structures such as
Space Station Freedom. IN-STEP brings NASA, the aerospace
community and academia together to research potentially valuable
space technologies using small, relatively inexpensive payloads.
Looking toward the day when humans will return to the Moon
and then go onto Mars, scuba divers at Ames Research Center
exercised on a unique underwater treadmill that simulated various
gravity fields. The tests studied
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basic questions of human movement and energy consumption in
the reduced gravity of the Moon, Mars and other planetary bodies.
By changing the number and placement of weights on the divers'
bodies, researchers imitated five different gravity conditions.
NASA also tested a small, 52-pound robotic vehicle dubbed
"Rocky III" on a simulated Martian terrain as part of studies
looking at low-cost approaches to Mars exploration. The mini-
rover, developed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena,
Calif., successfully crossed rough ground in two tests south of
Death Valley. It also rambled across a Mojave Desert lava field like
those scientists believe are on the Martian surface. If they prove
practical, mini-rovers and even smaller micro-rovers (under 11
pounds) could carry cameras, seismometers and tiny atmospheric
and soil sensors on less costly missions to the Red Planet.
The arcjet thrusters selected for AT&T's Telstar 4
communications satellites in 1991 were a product of research
started at NASA's Lewis Research Center in 1983. Arcjets use an
electrical arc to heat decomposed hydrazine propellant to very
high levels, producing higher thrust per pound of rocket fuel than
chemical and other electrically-boosted thrusters. The fuel savings
translates into an increase in a satellite's on-orbit lifetime, larger
payload weight or a lower payload mass that can ride to orbit on a
less powerful launch vehicle.
NASA has begun research on a carbon molecule shaped like a
geodesic dome as a fuel for advanced rocket engines. The Carbon
60 molecules have qualities that reduce the energy needed to
ionize propellant in ion engines, which typically use less fuel than
chemical thrusters.
The "Grand Challenges" in computer science are the focus of a
new federal research effort called the High-Performance
Computing and Communications Program, in which NASA is a
major player. The goal is to extend U.S. leadership in state-of-the-
art computers and apply that technology to critical national
scientific issues. NASA will coordinate software and algorithm
research among the eight federal agencies involved. NASA's part
of the program also will try to improve Earth and space science
computer models, simulations of system interactions in aerospace
vehicles and the capabilities of robotic space explorers.
COMMERCIAL PROGRAMS
Commercial Use of Space
As a result of considerable research and development
requirements in advanced telecommunications technology in
1991, NASA initiated a new program in the Office of Commercial
Programs to stimulate relevant industry
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activity in this area. The effort is focused on two primary thrusts
-- the Advanced Communications Technology Satellite
experiments program and communications research and
development.
In support of this initiative, two new Centers for the
Commercial Development of Space (CCDS) were selected through
a competitive process to focus on the commercialization of
advanced satellite communications and other space-based
telecommunications technologies.
In an unrelated action, NASA and Vanderbilt University,
Nashville, Tenn., mutually agreed to discontinue the university's
Center for Space Processing of Engineering Materials due to a
decline in research by large metals fabricators and producers.
Late in January, the University of Tennessee-Calspan's Center
for Space Transportation and Applied Research (CSTAR), selected
three industrial firms for the Commercial Experiment Transporter
(COMET), a program inaugurated to provide low-cost, recoverable
access to space for microgravity experiments and to stimulate
growth in U.S. commercial space business.
The first COMET mission is scheduled for launch in September
1992 from the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center's Wallops Flight
Facility, Wallops Island, Va., with retrieval of the recovery system
containing six experiments a month later in the Great Salt Lake
Desert. The three experiments aboard the service module will
remain in orbit and continue to be monitored from the
Commercial Payload Operations Center in Houston for at least 100
days.
Consort 4, a commercial suborbital sounding rocket carrying
nine materials processing and biotechnology experiments, was
successfully launched on Nov. 16 from White Sands Missile Range
(WSMR), N.M., providing the payload with 7 minutes of
microgravity.
In November, EER Systems Corp., Vienna, Va., was selected by
the University of Alabama in Huntsville's Consortium for Materials
Development in Space (UAH CMDS) to provide launch vehicle and
related services for the next series of Consort suborbital missions.
Using its Starfire launch vehicle, EER will continue using its
Starfire rocket to launch Consort flights from WSMR.
Joust 1, also sponsored by UAH CMDS, was launched on June
18. However, about 15 seconds after liftoff from the Cape
Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla., the Prospector sounding rocket
deviated from its planned trajectory and was destroyed by range
safety about 25 seconds into the flight.
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Commercial experiments conducted aboard the Space Shuttle
in 1991 included:
* Protein Crystal Growth (PCG), an experiment package
provided by the Center for Macromolecular Crystallography, a
NASA CCDS located at the University of Alabama-Birmingham
(STS-37, STS-43 and STS-48).
* BioServe ITA Materials Dispersion Apparatus (BIMDA), a
payload jointly developed by the University of Colorado-Boulder's
BioServe Space Technologies CCDS and Instrumentation
Technology Associates, Inc., Exton, Pa. (STS-37 and STS-43).
* Consortium for Materials Development in Space Complex
Autonomous Payload (CONCAP), a Getaway Special experiment
payload of mixed materials science, sponsored by the UAH CMDS
(STS-40).
* Investigations into Polymer Membrane Processing (IPMP),
flown for the Battelle Advanced Materials CCDS, Columbus, Ohio
(STS-43 and STS-48).
* Electronic Still Photography Test, an experiment based on a
Technical Exchange Agreement between NASA and Autometric,
Inc., Alexandria, Va., signed earlier in the year, to assess the utility
of the Johnson Space Center-developed Electronic Still Camera for
potential commercial applications.
Technology Utilization
In an effort to upgrade and revitalize the agency's technology
transfer network, NASA conducted an open competition to
establish six new Regional Technology Transfer Centers (RTTC).
The RTTCs, which replace the NASA-sponsored Industrial
Applications Centers, are: the Center for Technology
Commercialization, Westborough, Mass. (northeast); the University
of Pittsburgh (mid-Atlantic); Battelle Memorial Institute,
Columbus, Ohio (midwest); the University of Florida, Alachua
(southeast); Texas A&M University, College Station (mid-
continent); and the University of Southern California, Los Angeles
(far west).
It is anticipated that the restructuring to a regional approach
will align the centers closer to the needs of particular industries,
local business and entrepreneurs.
The National Technology Transfer Center (NTTC) emerged
from the planning stage into a concept that focuses on the national
issues and needs of the federal technology transfer process.
Under the mutual leadership of NASA and the Wheeling Jesuit
College, W.Va., the NTTC's mission is to concentrate on training
individuals from government and industry on the various aspects of
the technology transfer program; establishing a national
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"gateway" for potential users to make initial contact with the
federal technology transfer network; and providing a national
forum for advocating the availability and benefits of federally
generated technology to the private sector.
The second national technology transfer conference and
exposition, TECHNOLOGY 2001, took place Dec. 3-5 at the San
Jose Convention Center in Calif., with NASA Administrator Richard
H. Truly featured as the keynote speaker. Sponsored by NASA,
"NASA Tech Briefs" magazine and the Technology Utilization
Foundation, the conference featured 225 exhibits from all nine
NASA field centers, other government agencies, universities,
government research centers and a diverse array of high-tech
companies.
Small Business Innovation Research
In January, the Small Business Innovation Research Division
selected 39 research proposals for negotiation of Phase II contract
awards in NASA,s SBIR program. Included were 36 small, high
technology firms located in 17 states.
The selection of 301 research proposals for negotiation of
Phase I contracts in the 1991 SBIR program was announced in
November. Proposals selected were submitted by 243 small, high-
tech firms located in 34 states.
INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
Highlights of NASA's international cooperative activities in
1991 included:
o NASA signed an agreement on Dec. 6 with the Italian Space
Agency (ASI) under which ASI will design and develop two Mini
Pressurized Logistics Modules for Space Station Freedom.
o The Federal Republic of Germany contributed one of four
instruments, COMPTEL, and key portions of a second instrument,
EGRET, for the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory.
o Under the 1987 civil space agreement, the United States
and the Soviet Union agreed to exchange flights by an astronaut
and a cosmonaut on Mir and the Space Shuttle, increase
cooperation in monitoring the global environment from space and
initiate annual space consultations. The agreement was announced
at the Bush-Gorbachev Moscow Summit, July 30-31.
o The U.S. Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer was launched
on the Soviet Meteor-3 spacecraft on Aug. 15, the first flight of an
active U.S. scientific instrument on a Soviet satellite.
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o NASA, NOAA and the Canadian Space Agency agreed on
cooperation in a 5-year RADARSAT Earth observation satellite
mission.
o NASA's Soft X-ray Telescope, one of four instruments on the
Japanese Solar-A spacecraft, was launched on Aug. 30 from Japan's
Kagoshima Space Center.
o In July, U.S. and Spanish officials extended their agreement
on use of Spanish runways as emergency Space Shuttle landing
sites. In December, NASA and the Spanish Space Agency signed
an umbrella agreement on cooperation in space science and
technology.
o Vice President Dan Quayle and Argentine President Carlos
Menem signed an agreement in August for cooperation in the civil
uses of space, with special emphasis on Earth and space sciences.
During the same ceremony, NASA and Argentina concluded an
agreement to cooperate in a solar physics and astrophysics
satellite mission, Satelite de Aplicaciones Cientificas-B (SAC-B).
SAC-B will be the first joint spacecraft mission undertaken by
NASA and a Latin American country.
o Dr. Franco Malerba was named Prime Payload Specialist and
Dr. Umberto Guidoni Backup Payload Specialist for the Tethered
Satellite System (TSS-l) mission, scheduled for flight aboard the
Space Shuttle Atlantis next summer. Dr. Malerba will be the first
Italian to fly in space.
o Dr. Dirk D. Frimout was named as Payload Specialist for the
Atmospheric Laboratory for Applications and Science (ATLAS-l)
Spacelab mission scheduled for flight in early 1992. Dr. Frimout
will be the first Belgian to fly in space.
SPACE COMMUNICATIONS
The fifth Tracking and Data Relay Satellite (TDRS-5) was
launched in August aboard STS-43 . The on-orbit checkout of the
spacecraft was highly successful and completed in record time.
There are three other TDRSs in the orbital constellation. TDRS-5
was positioned at 174 degrees west longitude, replacing TDRS-3
which was moved to 62 degrees west longitude, becoming an on-
orbit emergency backup. TDRS-4 and TDRS-1 remained at 41
degrees and 171 degrees west, respectively.
The on-orbit Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System (TDRSS)
constellation, linked to the ground by the White Sands Ground
Terminal, N. M., provided continuous communications coverage to
network customers for over 85 percent of each orbit. The TDRSS
accomplished ambitious achievements by performing at a
proficiency in excess of 99.8 percent during
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the period of greatest utilization. The increased frequency of
flights of the Space Shuttle, Gamma Ray Observatory, Upper
Atmosphere Research Satellite and the Hubble Space Telescope
were the major contributors to this heavy workload.
The TDRSS has relayed more than 2 million minutes of data to
the ground. Since late 1983, every Space Shuttle mission has
required the TDRSS capabilities.
To meet the evolving needs for satellite tracking and
communications through the first decade of the 21st Century, a
second generation TDRSS program was initiated. Participating
contractors completed preliminary design studies, which are now
under review. The second generation TDRSS is required to
continue space tracking services of the first generation TDRSS as
they reach their end of life.
EDUCATION
President Bush joined NASA Administrator Truly for a back-to-
school special, "Launching the School Year with President Bush,"
which was broadcast live Sept. 17 on NASA Select TV. President
Bush spoke with students and teachers about America 2000 and
the national education goals. Third and fourth grade students
gathered in Washington, D.C. and La Porte, Texas, and asked the
President questions.
The students also participated in a unique math and science
lesson led by Astronauts Charlie Bolden in Washington and Tammy
Jernigan in La Porte, as well as aerospace education specialist Lisa
McLeod. Making up the audience at NASA Headquarters were 17
national student winners of the NASA/National Science Teachers
Association's Space Science Student Involvement Program.
Expanding NASA's National Space Grant College and Fellowship
Program, 26 Space Grant State Consortia were selected for
Program Grants or Capability Enhancement Grants under Phase II
of the program bringing the total number of states participating to
46 plus the District of Columbia.
NASA's Ames Research Center, Mountain View, Calif.,
converted a portion of a supersonic wind tunnel into a unique
aerospace education facility designed to capture young people's
interest in math, science and technology. The Ames "Aerospace
Encounter" opened November 4 to students in grades 4-6. The
learning center features numerous activity stations that explain a
variety of aerospace concepts.
During Space Shuttle Endeavour's April rollout ceremony,
Administrator Truly announced the creation of the NASA
Endeavour Teacher Fellowship
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Program with the generous gifts donated to NASA by the public for
the replacement orbiter. The program, targeted for
implementation in FY 1993, will award scholarships to American
undergraduates studying to be teachers.
Nickelodeon, NASA and the Astronauts Memorial Foundation
launched a new educational television series called "Launch Box --
Your TV Connection to Outer Space." The 14 half-hour programs
are created by teachers for classroom use and are broadcast
commercial-free on Nickelodeon. The first episode, "The
Spectacular Spacesuit" debuted May 9 to coincide with the
Astronaut Memorial dedication.
In September, USA Today, in cooperation with NASA and the
National Association of Elementary School Principals, launched
"Visions of Exploration." The multi-media educational program is
designed to bring the spirit of exploration into the classroom in
1992, the International Space Year, by motivating elementary and
middle school students to learn about past and present explorers.
The Discovery Channel, a television partner, broadcasts
corresponding documentaries relating to Vision's themes.
NASA has adopted the National Education Goals set by the
President and the Governors as fundamental guidelines for
developing and conducting education programs. As a result, a
complementary 10-year plan is being developed.
SAFETY AND MISSION QUALITY
The Office of Safety and Mission Quality (SMQ) made significant
contributions to the successful operation of this year's Space
Shuttle and expendable launch vehicle missions. SMQ provided
management support including independent safety oversight,
technical assessments, safety assurance engineering, policy
development, risk assessment and mishap investigations.
SMQ continued its efforts towards controlling major causes or
sources of fatalities, lost time disabilities and overall employee
compensation costs. These efforts continue to result in lower
incident rates in NASA activities.
Safety 2000, a strategic long-range safety plan, was
implemented to provide for the future safety needs during NASA
mission operations. Using the concepts of Total Quality
Management (TQM), the primary goal of the plan is to standardize
NASA safety processes to achieve a reduction in mishaps and
ensure the safety of personnel and systems performing NASA
operations.
A new NASA Safety Training Center (NSTC) was established at
the Johnson Space Center. The NSTC will provide high-quality,
cost- effective
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training to employees with the goal of retaining a pool of qualified
safety professionals capable of conducting NASA operations in the
safest possible manner.
A formal NASA metric policy was approved and a Metric
Transition Plan developed requiring the use of the metric system.
Plans call for the end of 1995 as the target date for completing the
initiatives necessary to establish a full, internal metric capability.
Grumman Technical Services Division, Titusville, Fla., and
Thiokol Space Operations, Brigham City, Utah, were announced as
the winners of the 1991 George M. Low Trophy at a special
ceremony at the Eight Annual NASA/Contractors Conference and
National Symposium on Quality and Productivity held in Houston.
The trophy recognizes NASA prime contractors, subcontractors
and suppliers for outstanding achievement in quality and
productivity improvement and TQM.
Over 1,000 international, government, industry , academic and
contractor representatives from over 400 organizations attended
the Eight Annual NASA/Contractors Conference and National
Symposium on Quality and Productivity. The event, televised to
hundreds of other participants conducting concurrent conferences
in Colorado and Maryland, provided a forum where ideas and
strategies were discussed to implement TQM, improve products
and services, develop community partnerships and improve
America's educational system .
An Engineering Management Council was established to
provide better focus on engineering standards and practices and
system engineering. The new organization is chaired by the NASA
Deputy Administrator and composed of Chief Engineers and Heads
of SMQ at each NASA center.
FY 1992 NASA Appropriations
The FY 1992 VA-HUD-Independent Agencies Appropriations
Bill cleared Congress on October 3 and was signed by President
Bush on October 28. NASA's funding was set at $14.353 billion, a
3 percent increase over 1991 but $1.8 billion less than the
President's request of $15.754 billion.
The future of the Space Station Freedom program was
extensively debated in both houses of Congress during
consideration of the bill. The House Appropriations Subcommittee
proposed that all funding for the station be deleted, but full
funding of $2.029 billion was restored on the House floor. Full
funding for Freedom survived a floor fight in the Senate as well.
Funding for Space Science and Applications in FY 1992 is
increased 10 percent above the FY 1991 level. Funding for the
major science projects,
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including the Earth Observing System, the Mars Observer, the
Advanced X-Ray Astrophysics Facility and the CRAF and Cassini
missions has been included. Funding to start development of
Lifesat, the reusable biosatellite for which $15 million was
requested in FY 1992, was deleted.
Significant reductions were made in the National Aero-Space
Plane program, the National Launch System and Space Shuttle
Operations. Additional funding above the request was provided for
the the Advanced Solid Rocket Motor program in an effort to
preserve its scheduled availability for use in Space Station
Freedom assembly.
In a statement following passage of the bill in Congress, NASA
Administrator Richard H. Truly said the agency has mixed feelings
about the bill. He said people in NASA were tremendously grateful
to the many members on both sides of the aisle who worked very
hard on NASA's behalf and particularly pleased with Space Station
Freedom funding and the very significant percentage increase for
space science, but were disappointed that, for the first time in
many years, the total NASA appropriations does not keep up with
inflation.
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