SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNICAL AEROSPACE REPORTS
A Biweekly Publication of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
VOLUME 43, ISSUE 19 - SEPTEMBER 23, 2006
15 LAUNCH VEHICLES AND LAUNCH OPERATIONS
Includes all classes of launch vehicles, launch/space vehicle systems, and boosters; and launch operations.
For related information see also 18 Spacecraft Design, Testing and Performance; and 20 Spacecraft Propulsion and Power.
20050210110 NASA Kennedy Space Center, Cocoa Beach, FL, USA
STS-114: Discovery L-3 Countdown Status Briefing
July 10, 2005; In English; 30 min., 16 sec. playing time, in color, with sound; No Copyright; Avail: CASI; V02, Videotape-VHS; B02, Videotape-Beta
Bruce Buckingham of NASA Public Affair hosted this briefing. Jeff Spaulding, NASATest Director; Scott Higgenbotham, STS-114 Payload-Mission Manager; Cathy Winters, Shuttle Weather Officer were present. Jeff specifically noted that the mission represents NASA’s first step towards fulfilling the President’s visions of returning to the Moon and then on to Mars and beyond. Scott reports that the 28,000 pounds of ISS hardware that is in the payload bay of the Discovery is ready to go, and completed final close outs. Cathy mentioned that Hurricane Dennis is not a threat, however, main threat of inland thunderstorms would result to 30% weather prohibiting launch. Cathy further gave current weather forecast supported with charts: the Launch Forecast, Tanking Forecast, SRB (Shuttle Solid Rocket Booster) Forecast, CONUS and TAL Launch Sites Forecast and with 24 hours and 48 hours turn around plan. Final inspections, ice formation, ice inspection, effect of weather conditions to the external tank, delays and contingencies were some of the topics covered with the News Media. CASI
Space Shuttle Missions; Space Transportation System; Launching; Prelaunch Summaries
20050210112 NASA Kennedy Space Center, Cocoa Beach, FL, USA
| |
| Tools for Aviation/Aerospace |
| IHS sells products and services designed to meet the needs of today's engineers. To learn more, and for a free quote, please complete the form below. |
|
STS-114: Discovery L-2 Countdown Status Briefing
July 11, 2005; In English; 21 min., 44 sec. playing time, in color, with sound; No Copyright; Avail: CASI; V02, Videotape-VHS; B02, Videotape-Beta
George Diller of NASA Public Affairs hosted this briefing. Pete Nickolenko, NASA Test Director; Scott Higgenbotham, STS-114 Payload-Mission Manager; CathyWinters, ShuttleWeather Officer were present. Pete reports his team has completed the avionics system check ups, servicing of the cryogenic tanks will take about seven hours that day, and will perform engine system checks and pad close outs come evening. Pete also summarized other standard close out activities: check ups of the Orbiter and ground communications network, rotary service, structure retraction, and external tank load (ETL). Pete reported that the mission will be 12 days with two weather contingency days, and end of mission landing scheduled at Kennedy Space Center (KSC) at approximately 11:00 in the morning, Eastern time on July 25th. Scott briefly reported that all hardware is on board Discovery, closed out, and ready to fly. Cathy reported that hurricane Dennis moved to the North and looking forward to launch. She mentioned of a new hurricane looming and will be named Emily, spotted some crosswinds which will migrate to the west, there is 30% probability weather prohibiting launch. Cathy further gave current weather forecast supported with charts: the Launch Forecast, Tanking Forecast, SRB (Shuttle Solid Rocket Booster) Forecast, CONUS and TAL Launch Sites Forecast, and with 24 hours and 48 hours turn around plan. Launch constraints, weather, crosswinds, cloud cover, ground imagery system, launch countdown, launch crews, mission management simulations, launch team simulations were topics covered with the News Media. CASI
Space Shuttle Missions; Space Transportation System; Launching; Prelaunch Summaries
20050210187 NASA Kennedy Space Center, Cocoa Beach, FL, USA
STS-114: Discovery Tanking Operations for Launch
July 26, 2005; In English; 1 hr., 29 min., 9 sec. playing time, in color, with sound; No Copyright; Avail: CASI; V04, Videotape-VHS; B04, Videotape-Beta
Jessica Rye from NASA Public Affairs is the narrator for the tanking operations for the launch of the Space Shuttle Discovery. She presents a video of the arrival and processing of the new external tank at the Kennedy Space Center. The external tank is also shown entering the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB). The external tank underwent new processing resulting from its redesign including inspection of the bipod heater and the external separation camera. The changes to the external tank include: 1) Electric heaters to protect from icing; and 2) Liquid Oxygen feed line bellows to carry fuel from the external tank to the Orbiter. Footage of the external tank processing facility at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans, La. prior to its arrival at Kennedy Space Center is shown and a video of the three key modifications to the external tank including the bipod, flange and bellows are shown. CASI
Discovery (Orbiter); Space Transportation System; Spacecraft Launching; NASA Space Programs; External Tanks
20050210225 NASA Kennedy Space Center, Cocoa Beach, FL, USA
| |
| Aerospace Engineering Design |
| ESDU packages provide validated design data, methods and software, offering a valuable toolset to aerospace engineers. To learn more, and for a free quote, please complete the form below. |
|
STS-114: Discovery L-1 Countdown Status Briefing STS-114/Discovery L-2 Countdown Status Briefing
July 25, 2005; In English; 34 min., 19 sec. playing time, in color, with sound; No Copyright; Avail: CASI; V03, Videotape-VHS; B03, Videotape-Beta
Bruce Buckingham from NASA Public Affairs introduces Jeff Spaulding, NASATest Director and KathyWinters, Shuttle Weather Officer in this L-2 countdown status briefing. Spaulding gives the Space Shuttle launch countdown status before lift-off on July 26th. He expresses that vehicle launch and ground systems are performing well and that there are no significant issues in preparation for the launch. The crew arrival time to the launching pad and the launch window for Discovery is also discussed. He ends his countdown status by expressing that the Discovery Orbiter is the safest Shuttle to date. Kathy Winters gives her weather forecast for the launch day. She presents a satellite picture of tropical storm Franklin and charts showing the STS-114 Tanking Forecast, Launch Forecast, Solid Rocket Booster (SRB) recovery, Continental USA (CONUS) launch, Transoceanic Abort Landing (TAL) launch, 24 and 48 Hour Delay, CONUS 24 and 48 hour delay, and TAL 24 and 48 hr delay. Questions from the news media about the mood of the test engineers as launch day is approached are answered. Jessica Rye from NASA Public Affairs introduces Pete Nikolento, NASA Test Director; Scott Higgenbotham, STS-114 Payload Mission Manager; and Kathy Winters, Space Shuttle Weather Officer in this L-1 Countdown Status Briefing. Nikolento expresses that the completion of the main engine system check-outs and servicing of on-board fuel-cell reactants have been completed. He also talks about pad closeouts and external cryogenic loads prior to launch. Scott Higgenbotham gives the payload status and Kathy Winters talks about her weather forecast for launch. Questions about the ecosensors, TAL sites, weather forecast and thoughts about return to flight are addressed. CASI
Countdown; Discovery (Orbiter); Space Transportation System; NASA Space Programs
20050210227 NASA Kennedy Space Center, Cocoa Beach, FL, USA
STS-114: Discovery Post MMT Briefing
July 29, 2005; In English; 38 min., 38 sec. playing time, in color, with sound; No Copyright; Avail: CASI; V03, Videotape-VHS; B03, Videotape-Beta
Wayne Hale, Space Shuttle Deputy Program Manager and Terri Murphy, Space Shuttle Imagery Integration Manager are seen in this post Mission Management Team (MMT) briefing. Hale begins with showing a video that was recovered from the Solid Rocket Booster (SRB) looking at the external tank during ascent. Pictures of the RH Nose Landing Gear Damage (NLGD), Protruding gap filler near chine and protruding gap fillers are shown. Terri Murphy talks about the imagery from debris, integrated simulations and radar data collected from the launch. Hale answers questions from the news media about the location of the gap fillers, possible EVA to remove the gap fillers and the thermal protection system. CASI
External Tanks; Space Transportation System; Discovery (Orbiter); NASA Space Programs; Mission Planning
20050211985 NASA Kennedy Space Center, Cocoa Beach, FL, USA
STS-114: Discovery Mission Status Briefing
July 30, 2005; In English; 56 min. playing time, in color, with sound; No Copyright; Avail: CASI; V03, Videotape-VHS; B03, Videotape-Beta
Phil Engelauf, STS-114 Mission Operations Representative, Mark Ferring, STS-114 Lead ISS Flight Director and Cindy Begley, STS-114 Lead EVA Officer is presented in this STS-114 Discovery mission status briefing. Mark Ferring talks about Control Moment Gyroscopes (CMG), Phil Engelauf discusses repair techniques for the Space Shuttle Discovery and Cindy Begley talks about the EVA’s that Steve Robinson and Soichi Noguchi are performing. She also answers questions from the media about the spacewalker’s ability to perform these tasks. CASI
Discovery (Orbiter); NASA Space Programs; Space Shuttle Boosters; Space Transportation System; Mission Planning
20050212103 NASA Langley Research Center, Hampton, VA, USA
Simulation and Analyses of Stage Separation Two-Stage Reusable Launch Vehicles
Pamadi, Bandu N.; Neirynck, Thomas A.; Hotchko, Nathaniel J.; Tartabini, Paul V.; Scallion, William I.; Murphy, Kelly J.; Covell, Peter F.; [2005]; 26 pp.; In English; 13th AIAA/CIRA Internatioal Space Planes and Hypersonic Systems Technologies Conference, 16-20 May 2005, Capua, Italy Contract(s)/Grant(s): 23-090-20-65 Report No.(s): AIAA Paper 2005-3247; No Copyright; Avail: CASI; A03, Hardcopy
NASA has initiated the development of methodologies, techniques and tools needed for analysis and simulation of stage separation of next generation reusable launch vehicles. As a part of this activity, ConSep simulation tool is being developed which is a MATLAB-based front-and-back-end to the commercially available ADAMS(registered Trademark) solver, an industry standard package for solving multi-body dynamic problems. This paper discusses the application of ConSep to the simulation and analysis of staging maneuvers of two-stage-to-orbit (TSTO) Bimese reusable launch vehicles, one staging at Mach 3 and the other at Mach 6. The proximity and isolated aerodynamic database were assembled using the data from wind tunnel tests conducted at NASA Langley Research Center. The effects of parametric variations in mass, inertia, flight path angle, altitude from their nominal values at staging were evaluated. Monte Carlo runs were performed for Mach 3 staging to evaluate the sensitivity to uncertainties in aerodynamic coefficients. Author
Reusable Launch Vehicles; Stage Separation; SIMulation; Flight Paths; Aerodynamic Coeffýcients; Hypersonic Speed
20050212246 Optimal Synthesis, Inc., Los Altos, CA USA
Near-Optimal Antenna Placement Using Genetic Search
Crawford, Lara S.; Cheng, Victor H.; Burns, Rich; Liu, Shiang; Jan. 2000; 12 pp.; In English; Original contains color illustrations Contract(s)/Grant(s): F29601-99-C-0087 Report No.(s): AD-A436387; AIAA-2000-4914; No Copyright; Avail: CASI; A03, Hardcopy
The optimal placement of ground stations and antennas in the Air Force Satellite Control Network (AFSCN) to support the operation of a large set of satellites is a very difficult problem involving many complex, interacting constraints and requirements. This paper explores the application of genetic search techniques to antenna-placement optimization. The performance index used in the genetic search optimization was based on a candidate configuration’s cost. Requirements on the number of satellite contacts that could be scheduled with the configuration were imposed as constraints. adequate support for a given set of satellites. Three different genetic search formulations of the antenna placement optimization problem were designed using this set of performance index and constraints. The first two genetic search formulations assumed that antenna placement was restricted to a pre-existing set of candidate ground site locations. The third genetic search formulation allowed for ground stations to be placed at any location on the Earth, though locations not inside predefined feasible regions were eliminated. The three genetic search formulations all found cost-effective solutions to the placement problem while maintaining serviceability. DTIC
Artificial Satellites; Genetics; Ground Stations
20050212324 Phillips Lab., Edwards AFB, CA USA
Life Extension Strategies for Space Shuttle-Deployed Small Satellites Using a Pulsed Plasma Thruster
Tilley, Dennis L.; Spores, Ronald A.; Jul. 1996; 16 pp.; In English Contract(s)/Grant(s): Proj-2308 Report No.(s): AD-A436557; No Copyright; Avail: CASI; A03, Hardcopy
At typical Space Shuttle altitudes atmospheric drag is the dominant force limiting satellite on-orbit life (typically \h100 days). The pulsed plasma thruster (PPT) is ideally suited to extend the life of small satellites deployed from the Shuttle due to its low system mass and volume, high specific impulse, and inert solid propellant (Teflon). The objective of this study was to identify and analyze life extension strategies for Space Shuttle-deployed small satellites using the pulsed plasma thruster. A generalized analysis is presented which is applicable to a broad range of satellite, PPT performance and life characteristics. Many PPT thrusting strategies were identified, enough to fit most spacecraft operational scenarios, for significantly extending small satellite on-orbit life. Within the limits of typical small satellite power to mass ratios, the most capable of these strategies, designated Lift & Coast, requires the least amount of propellant and is capable of extending life 1-2 years with state-of-the-art PPT technology. In addition, within the context of PPT operation, preferential launch windows and strategies for reducing satellite drag were also discussed. DTIC
Artificial Satellites; Deployment; Plasma Engines; Pulsed Plasma Thrusters; Space Shuttles
20050212351 McGill Univ., Montreal, Quebec Canada
The Vertical Limit of State Sovereignty
Reinhardt, Dean N.; Jun. 2005; 98 pp.; In English Report No.(s): AD-A436627; No Copyright; Avail: CASI; A05, Hardcopy
There is no international agreement on the vertical limit of State sovereignty, the boundary between territorial airspace and outer space. The need for defining this boundary has been debated for over 50 years. Today, the need to settle this gap in the law is growing in importance. This thesis concludes that setting a low vertical limit on State sovereignty is the best approach because it will allow all States free access to space and enable uniform international rules to be set at a relatively low altitude. Chapter 1 discusses territorial sovereignty and examines the evolution of vertical sovereignty. It then compares this to the evolution of the law governing territorial seas and concludes by examining the airspace laws of several States. Chapter II reviews the reasons demarcation is important. Chapter III discusses past proposals for demarcation and recommends setting a low vertical limit on State sovereignty. DTIC
Aerospace Engineering; Airspace; Extraterrestrial Environments; Sovereignty; Space Missions
20050214509 Iowa State Univ. of Science and Technology, Ames, IA USA
Development of Colorimetric Solid Phase Extraction (C-SPE) for In-Flight Monitoring of Spacecraft Water Supplies
Gazda, D. B.; January 2004; 138 pp.; In English Report No.(s): DE2005-835309; No Copyright; Avail: Department of Energy Information Bridge
Although having recently been extremely successful gathering data on the surface of Mars, robotic missions are not an effective substitute for the insight and knowledge about our solar system that can be gained though first-hand exploration. Earlier this year, President Bush presented a ‘new course’ for the U.S. space program that shifts NASA’s focus to the development of new manned space vehicles to the return of humans to the moon. Re-establishing the human presence on the moon will eventually lead to humans permanently living and working in space and also serve as a possible launch point for missions into deeper space. There are several obstacles to the realization of these goals, most notably the lack of life support and environmental regeneration and monitoring hardware capable of functioning on long duration spaceflight. In the case of the latter, past experience on the International Space Station (ISS), Mir, and the Space Shuttle has strongly underscored the need to develop broad spectrum in-flight chemical sensors that: (1) meet current environmental monitoring requirements on ISS as well as projected requirements for future missions, and (2) enable the in-situ acquisition and analysis of analytical data in order to further define on-orbit monitoring requirements. Additionally, systems must be designed to account for factors unique to on-orbit deployment such as crew time availability, payload restrictions, material consumption, and effective operation in microgravity. This dissertation focuses on the development, ground testing, and microgravity flight demonstration of Colorimetric Solid Phase Extraction (C-SPE) as a candidate technology to meet the near- and long-term water quality monitoring needs of NASA. NTIS
Colorimetry; Extraction; In-Flight Monitoring; Solid Phases; Supplying; Water
20050214559 NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD, USA
Flight Loads and Environments Initiative
Kaufman, Daniel; Kern, Dennis; [2005]; 23 pp.; In English; 2005 Spacecraft and Launch Vehicle Dynamic Environments Workshop, 21-23 Jun. 2005, Los Angeles, CA, USA; No Copyright; Avail: CASI; A03, Hardcopy
A viewgraph presentation on the design of a lightweight non-intrusive force measurement device (FMD) to reduce the cost per effective payload (PL) mass into orbit (CPMO) by improving launch vehicle (LV) loads and environments. CASI
Environments; Launch Vehicles; Dynamic Loads
20050214738 NASA Glenn Research Center, Cleveland, OH, USA
Preliminary Sizing Completed for Single- Stage-To-Orbit Launch Vehicles Powered By Rocket-Based Combined Cycle Technology
Roche, Joseph M.; Research and Technology 2001; March 2002; 2 pp.; In English; No Copyright; Avail: CASI; A01, Hardcopy
Single-stage-to-orbit (SSTO) propulsion remains an elusive goal for launch vehicles. The physics of the problem is leading developers to a search for higher propulsion performance than is available with all-rocket power. Rocket-based combined cycle (RBCC) technology provides additional propulsion performance that may enable SSTO flight. Structural efficiency is also a major driving force in enabling SSTO flight. Increases in performance with RBCC propulsion are offset with the added size of the propulsion system. Geometrical considerations must be exploited to minimize the weight. Integration of the propulsion system with the vehicle must be carefully planned such that aeroperformance is not degraded and the air-breathing performance is enhanced. Consequently, the vehicle’s structural architecture becomes one with the propulsion system architecture. Geometrical considerations applied to the integrated vehicle lead to low drag and high structural and volumetric efficiency. Sizing of the SSTO launch vehicle (GTX) is itself an elusive task. The weight of the vehicle depends strongly on the propellant required to meet the mission requirements. Changes in propellant requirements result in changes in the size of the vehicle, which in turn, affect the weight of the vehicle and change the propellant requirements. An iterative approach is necessary to size the vehicle to meet the flight requirements. GTX Sizer was developed to do exactly this. The governing geometry was built into a spreadsheet model along with scaling relationships. The scaling laws attempt to maintain structural integrity as the vehicle size is changed. Key aerodynamic relationships are maintained as the vehicle size is changed. The closed weight and center of gravity are displayed graphically on a plot of the synthesized vehicle. In addition, comprehensive tabular data of the subsystem weights and centers of gravity are generated. The model has been verified for accuracy with finite element analysis. The final trajectory was rerun using OTIS (Boeing Corporation’s trajectory optimization software package), and the sizing output was incorporated into a solid model of the vehicle using PRO/Engineer computer-aided design software (Parametric Technology Corporation, Waltham, MA). Author
Rocket-Based Combined-Cycle Engines; Single Stage to Orbit Vehicles; Launch Vehicles; Technology Utilization; Structural Weight
Source: NASA.
|
IHS sells products and services designed to meet the needs of today's aviation & aerospace engineers, including:
- Quick access to FAA, JAA, ICAO and UK-CAA information and regulations.
- Validated engineering methods, data, principles, worked examples, programs and related equations on over 1340 specific aerospace, process, structural and mechanical engineering topics.
- The IHS Fasteners eCatalog, providing decision support for the identification, specification and sourcing of aerospace & defense standard fasteners/hardware such as bolts, screws, nuts, washers, rivets, studs, etc.
- Standards documents and collections from the top aerospace & aviation standards development organizations, including SAE International, AIAA, AIA, FAA and NASA.
|