Improving Performance of the System Safety Function at Marshall Space Flight Center

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kiessling, Ed; Tippett, Donald D.; Shivers, Herb

2004-01-01

The Columbia Accident Investigation Board (CAIB) determined that organizational and management issues were significant contributors to the loss of Space Shuttle Columbia. In addition, the CAIB observed similarities between the organizational and management climate that preceded the Challenger accident and the climate that preceded the Columbia accident. To prevent recurrence of adverse organizational and management climates, effective implementation of the system safety function is suggested. Attributes of an effective system safety program are presented. The Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) system safety program is analyzed using the attributes. Conclusions and recommendations for improving the MSFC system safety program are offered in this case study.

Skylab

NASA Image and Video Library

1971-06-01

The Apollo Telescope Mount (ATM) was one of four major components of Skylab that were designed and constructed under the management of the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). In this photograph, an ATM is seen sitting inside the MSFC's Structural Load Test Arnex where the main structural elements were simulated under launch conditions.

Lightning Protection Guidelines for Aerospace Vehicles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Goodloe, C. C.

1999-01-01

This technical memorandum provides lightning protection engineering guidelines and technical procedures used by the George C. Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) Electromagnetics and Aerospace Environments Branch for aerospace vehicles. The overviews illustrate the technical support available to project managers, chief engineers, and design engineers to ensure that aerospace vehicles managed by MSFC are adequately protected from direct and indirect effects of lightning. Generic descriptions of the lightning environment and vehicle protection technical processes are presented. More specific aerospace vehicle requirements for lightning protection design, performance, and interface characteristics are available upon request to the MSFC Electromagnetics and Aerospace Environments Branch, mail code EL23.

Overview of NASA MSFC IEC Federated Engineering Collaboration Capability

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Moushon, Brian; McDuffee, Patrick

2005-01-01

The MSFC IEC federated engineering framework is currently developing a single collaborative engineering framework across independent NASA centers. The federated approach allows NASA centers the ability to maintain diversity and uniqueness, while providing interoperability. These systems are integrated together in a federated framework without compromising individual center capabilities. MSFC IEC's Federation Framework will have a direct affect on how engineering data is managed across the Agency. The approach is directly attributed in response to the Columbia Accident Investigation Board (CAB) finding F7.4-11 which states the Space Shuttle Program has a wealth of data sucked away in multiple databases without a convenient way to integrate and use the data for management, engineering, or safety decisions. IEC s federated capability is further supported by OneNASA recommendation 6 that identifies the need to enhance cross-Agency collaboration by putting in place common engineering and collaborative tools and databases, processes, and knowledge-sharing structures. MSFC's IEC Federated Framework is loosely connected to other engineering applications that can provide users with the integration needed to achieve an Agency view of the entire product definition and development process, while allowing work to be distributed across NASA Centers and contractors. The IEC DDMS federation framework eliminates the need to develop a single, enterprise-wide data model, where the goal of having a common data model shared between NASA centers and contractors is very difficult to achieve.

Senator Doug Jones (D-AL) Tour of MSFC Facilities

NASA Image and Video Library

2018-02-22

Senator Doug Jones (D-AL.) and wife, Louise, tour Marshall Space Flight facilities. Steve Doering, manager, Stages Element, Space Launch System (SLS) program at MSFC, also tour the Payload Operations Integration Center (POIC) where Marshall controllers oversee stowage requirements aboard the International Space Station (ISS) as well as scientific experiments.

Microgravity

NASA Image and Video Library

1997-03-11

The Microgravity Science Glovebox (MSG) is being developed by the European Space Agency (ESA) and NASA for use aboard the International Space Station (ISS). Scientists will use the MSG to carry out multidisciplinary studies in combustion science, fluid physics and materials science. The MSG is managed by NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). Photo Credit: NASA/MSFC

International Space Station (ISS)

NASA Image and Video Library

1997-07-20

Photograph shows the International Space Station Laboratory Module under fabrication at Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC), Building 4708 West High Bay. Although management of the U.S. elements for the Station were consolidated in 1994, module and node development continued at MSFC by Boeing Company, the prime contractor for the Space Station.

The MSFC Systems Engineering Guide: An Overview and Plan

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shelby, Jerry; Thomas, L. Dale

2007-01-01

This paper describes the guiding vision, progress to date and the plan forward for development of the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) Systems Engineering Guide (SEG), a virtual systems engineering handbook and archive that describes the system engineering processes used by MSFC in the development of ongoing complex space systems such as the Ares launch vehicle and forthcoming ones as well. It is the intent of this website to be a "One Stop Shop' for MSFC systems engineers that will provide tutorial information, an overview of processes and procedures and links to assist system engineering with guidance and references, and provide an archive of relevant systems engineering artifacts produced by the many NASA projects developed and managed by MSFC over the years.

Microgravity

NASA Image and Video Library

1997-03-11

This photo shows the interior reach in the Microgravity Science Glovebox (MSG) being developed by the European Space Agency (ESA) and NASA for use aboard the International Space Station (ISS). Scientists will use the MSG to carry out multidisciplinary studies in combustion science, fluid physics and materials science. The MSG is managed by NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). Photo Credit: NASA/MSFC

MSFC personnel management tasks: Recruitment and orientation of new employees

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brindley, T. A.

1980-01-01

In order to encourage highly motivated young students to learn about NASA and consider it for a career, a formal program is to be initiated whereby selected students can work on a voluntary basis at Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). The first task was to develop the working plan and procedures for this program, called Student Volunteer Service Program, in the writing of MSFC official guidelines, the Marshall Management Instruction (the MMI) which is a binding document that defines policy and establishes procedures and guidelines. Particular considerations written into the MMI after numerous consultations, interviews, and discussions about a satisfactory policy, include: arrangements to be made between the student, the school authorities, and concerned MSFC employees; management of the work assignments; and procedures for the student's welfare and safety. The second task was the development of a recruitment brochure for the attraction of new employees, especially scientists and engineers. The third task assigned was to develop a plan called Orientation of New Employees.

Microgravity

NASA Image and Video Library

1997-03-11

This photo shows one of three arrays of air filters inside the Microgravity Science Glovebox (MSG) being developed by the European Space Agency (ESA) and NASA for use aboard the International Space Station (ISS). Scientists will use the MSG to carry out multidisciplinary studies in combustion science, fluid physics and materials science. The MSG is managed by NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). Photo Credit: NASA/MSFC

Microgravity Science Glovebox - Glove

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1997-01-01

This photo shows a rubber glove and its attachment ring for the Microgravity Science Glovebox (MSG) being developed by the European Space Agency (ESA) and NASA for use aboard the International Space Station (ISS). Scientists will use the MSG to carry out multidisciplinary studies in combustion science, fluid physics and materials science. The MSG is managed by NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). Photo Credit: NASA/MSFC

Microgravity Science Glovebox - Interior Reach

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1997-01-01

This photo shows the interior reach in the Microgravity Science Glovebox (MSG) being developed by the European Space Agency (ESA) and NASA for use aboard the International Space Station (ISS). Scientists will use the MSG to carry out multidisciplinary studies in combustion science, fluid physics and materials science. The MSG is managed by NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). Photo Credit: NASA/MSFC

Microgravity

NASA Image and Video Library

1997-03-11

Interior lights give the Microgravity Science Glovebox (MSG) the appearance of a high-tech juke box. The European Space Agency (ESA) and NASA are developing the MSG for use aboard the International Space Station (ISS). Scientists will use the MSG to carry out multidisciplinary studies in combustion science, fluid physics and materials science. The MSG is managed by NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). Photo Credit: NASA/MSFC

Microgravity

NASA Image and Video Library

1997-03-11

This photo shows a rubber glove and its attachment ring for the Microgravity Science Glovebox (MSG) being developed by the European Space Agency (ESA) and NASA for use aboard the International Space Station (ISS). Scientists will use the MSG to carry out multidisciplinary studies in combustion science, fluid physics and materials science. The MSG is managed by NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). Photo Credit: NASA/MSFC

Microgravity

NASA Image and Video Library

1997-03-11

This photo shows the access through the internal airlock (bottom right) on the Microgravity Science Glovebox (MSG) being developed by the European Space Agency (ESA) and NASA for use aboard the International Space Station (ISS). Scientists will use the MSG to carry out multidisciplinary studies in combustion science, fluid physics and materials science. The MSG is managed by NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). Photo Credit: NASA/MSFC

Gregory A. Merkel Greeted By Astronauts and MSFC Personnel

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1972-01-01

Springfield, Massachusetts high school student, Gregory A. Merkel, is greeted by (left to right): Astronauts Russell L. Schweickart, and Owen K. Garriott; Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) Skylab Program Manager, Leland Belew; and MSFC Director of Administration and Technical Services, David Newby, during a tour of MSFC. Merkel was among 25 winners of a contest in which some 3,500 high school students proposed experiments for the following year's Skylab Mission. The nationwide scientific competition was sponsored by the National Science Teachers Association and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The winning students, along with their parents and sponsor teachers, visited MSFC where they met with scientists and engineers, participated in design reviews for their experiments, and toured MSFC facilities. Of the 25 students, 6 did not see their experiments conducted on Skylab because the experiments were not compatible with Skylab hardware and timelines. Of the 19 remaining, 11 experiments required the manufacture of additional equipment.

Data Management Coordinators Monitor STS-78 Mission at the Huntsville Operations Support Center

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1996-01-01

Launched on June 20, 1996, the STS-78 mission's primary payload was the Life and Microgravity Spacelab (LMS), which was managed by the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). During the 17 day space flight, the crew conducted a diverse slate of experiments divided into a mix of life science and microgravity investigations. In a manner very similar to future International Space Station operations, LMS researchers from the United States and their European counterparts shared resources such as crew time and equipment. Five space agencies (NASA/USA, European Space Agency/Europe (ESA), French Space Agency/France, Canadian Space Agency /Canada, and Italian Space Agency/Italy) along with research scientists from 10 countries worked together on the design, development and construction of the LMS. This photo represents Data Management Coordinators monitoring the progress of the mission at the Huntsville Operations Support Center (HOSC) Spacelab Payload Operations Control Center (SL POCC) at MSFC. Pictured are assistant mission scientist Dr. Dalle Kornfeld, Rick McConnel, and Ann Bathew.

International Space Station ECLSS Technical Task Agreement Summary Report

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ray, C. D. (Compiler); Salyer, B. H. (Compiler)

1999-01-01

This Technical Memorandum provides a summary of current work accomplished under Technical Task Agreement (TTA) by the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) regarding the International Space Station (ISS) Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS). Current activities include ECLSS component design and development, computer model development, subsystem/integrated system testing, life testing, and general test support provided to the ISS program. Under ECLSS design, MSFC was responsible for the six major ECLSS functions, specifications and standard, component design and development, and was the architectural control agent for the ISS ECLSS. MSFC was responsible for ECLSS analytical model development. In-house subsystem and system level analysis and testing were conducted in support of the design process, including testing air revitalization, water reclamation and management hardware, and certain nonregenerative systems. The activities described herein were approved in task agreements between MSFC and NASA Headquarters Space Station Program Management Office and their prime contractor for the ISS, Boeing. These MSFC activities are in line to the designing, development, testing, and flight of ECLSS equipment planned by Boeing. MSFC's unique capabilities for performing integrated systems testing and analyses, and its ability to perform some tasks cheaper and faster to support ISS program needs, are the basis for the TTA activities.

Microgravity Science Glovebox - Airlock

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1997-01-01

This photo shows the access through the internal airlock (bottom right) on the Microgravity Science Glovebox (MSG) being developed by the European Space Agency (ESA) and NASA for use aboard the International Space Station (ISS). Scientists will use the MSG to carry out multidisciplinary studies in combustion science, fluid physics and materials science. The MSG is managed by NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). Photo Credit: NASA/MSFC

Microgravity Science Glovebox - Working Volume

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1997-01-01

Interior lights give the Microgravity Science Glovebox (MSG) the appearance of a high-tech juke box. The European Space Agency (ESA) and NASA are developing the MSG for use aboard the International Space Station (ISS). Scientists will use the MSG to carry out multidisciplinary studies in combustion science, fluid physics and materials science. The MSG is managed by NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). Photo Credit: NASA/MSFC

Microgravity Science Glovebox - Labels

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1997-01-01

Labels are overlaid on a photo (0003837) of the Microgravity Science Glovebox (MSG). The MSG is being developed by the European Space Agency (ESA) and NASA are developing the MSG for use aboard the International Space Station (ISS). Scientists will use the MSG to carry out multidisciplinary studies in combustion science, fluid physics and materials science. The MSG is managed by NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). Photo Credit: NASA/MSFC

Microgravity

NASA Image and Video Library

1997-03-11

An array of miniature lamps will provide illumination to help scientists as they conduct experiments inside the Microgravity Science Glovebox (MSG). The European Space Agency (ESA) and NASA are developing the MSG for use aboard the International Space Station (ISS). Scientists will use the MSG to carry out multidisciplinary studies in combustion science, fluid physics and materials science. The MSG is managed by NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). Photo Credit: NASA/MSFC

Creating the Future: Research and Technology

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1998-01-01

With the many different technical talents, Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) continues to be an important force behind many scientific breakthroughs. The MSFC's annual report reviews the technology developments, research in space and microgravity sciences, studies in space system concepts, and technology transfer. The technology development programs include development in: (1) space propulsion and fluid management, (2) structures and dynamics, (3) materials and processes and (4) avionics and optics.

Microbiological surveillance of food handling at NASA-MSFC

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Beyerle, F. J.

1973-01-01

A microbiological surveillance program of cafeterias and snack bars was conducted to supplement the inspections by NASA Medical Center personnel and to gather information for cafeteria management to pinpoint areas of possible contamination. The work conducted under the program from its inception in January, 1972, to its termination on September 15, 1972 is summarized. Ten food handling facilities were included in the surveillance at NASA-MSFC.

Engineering Management Capstone Project EM 697: Compare and Contrast Risk Management Implementation at NASA and the US Army

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brothers, Mary Ann; Safie, Fayssal M. (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

NASA at Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) and the U.S. Army at Redstone Arsenal were analyzed to determine whether they were successful in implementing their risk management program. Risk management implementation surveys were distributed to aid in this analysis. The scope is limited to NASA S&MA (Safety and Mission Assurance) at MSFC, including applicable support contractors, and the US Army Engineering Directorate, including applicable contractors, located at Redstone Arsenal. NASA has moderately higher risk management implementation survey scores than the Army. Accordingly, the implementation of the risk management program at NASA is considered good while only two of five of the survey categories indicated that the risk management implementation is good at the Army.

Lewis Wooten in the MSFC Payload Operations Integration facility.

NASA Image and Video Library

2015-04-13

LEWIS WOOTEN, NEW DIRECTOR OF THE MISSION OPERATIONS LABORATORY AT NASA'S MARSHALL SPACE FLIGHT CENTER IN HUNTSVILLE, ALABAMA, MANAGES OPERATIONS IN THE PAYLOAD OPERATIONS INTEGRATION CENTER-THE COMMAND POST FOR ALL SCIENCE AND RESEARCH ACTIVITIES ON THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION

Microgravity Science Glovebox - Interior Lamps

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1997-01-01

An array of miniature lamps will provide illumination to help scientists as they conduct experiments inside the Microgravity Science Glovebox (MSG). The European Space Agency (ESA) and NASA are developing the MSG for use aboard the International Space Station (ISS). Scientists will use the MSG to carry out multidisciplinary studies in combustion science, fluid physics and materials science. The MSG is managed by NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). Photo Credit: NASA/MSFC

International Space Station Laboratory "Destiny" Hardware Move From MSFC to KSC

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Welch, Andrew C.

2003-01-01

The transportation and handling of space flight hardware always demands the utmost care and planning. This was especially true when it came time to move the International Space Station lab module "Destiny" from its manufacturing facility at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) to the launch facility at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Good logistics management was the key to the coordination of the large team required to move the lab from the MSFC manufacturing facility 12 miles to the Huntsville International Airport. Overhead signs, power lines, and traffic lights had to be removed, law enforcement had to be coordinated and a major highway had to be completely shut down during the transportation phase of the move. The team responded well, and the move was accomplished on time with no major difficulties.

Skylab

NASA Image and Video Library

1972-06-02

Downey, California high school student, Donald W. Shellack, is greeted by (left to right): Astronauts Russell L. Schweickart, and Owen K. Garriott; Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) Skylab Program Manager, Leland Belew; and MSFC Director of Administration and Technical Services, David Newby, during a tour of MSFC. Shellack was among 25 winners of a contest in which some 3,500 high school students proposed experiments for the following year’s Skylab mission. The nationwide scientific competition was sponsored by the National Science Teachers Association and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The winning students, along with their parents and sponsor teachers, visited MSFC where they met with scientists and engineers, participated in design reviews for their experiments, and toured MSFC facilities. Of the 25 students, 6 did not see their experiments conducted on Skylab because the experiments were not compatible with Skylab hardware and timelines. Of the 19 remaining, 11 experiments required the manufacture of additional equipment.

Skylab

NASA Image and Video Library

1972-06-02

North Rochester, New York high school student, Robert L. Staehle, is greeted by (left to right): Astronauts Russell L. Schweickart, and Owen K. Garriott; Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) Skylab Program Manager, Leland Belew; and MSFC Director of Administration and Technical Services, David Newby, during a tour of MSFC. Staehle was among 25 winners of a contest in which some 3,500 high school students proposed experiments for the following year’s Skylab mission. The nationwide scientific competition was sponsored by the National Science Teachers Association and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The winning students, along with their parents and sponsor teachers, visited MSFC where they met with scientists and engineers, participated in design reviews for their experiments, and toured MSFC facilities. Of the 25 students, 6 did not see their experiments conducted on Skylab because the experiments were not compatible with Skylab hardware and timelines. Of the 19 remaining, 11 experiments required the manufacture of additional equipment.

Skylab

NASA Image and Video Library

1972-06-02

Littleton, Colorado high school student, Cheryl A. Peltz, is greeted by (left to right): Astronauts Russell L. Schweickart, and Owen K. Garriott; Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) Skylab Program Manager, Leland Belew; and MSFC Director of Administration and Technical Services, David Newby, during a tour of MSFC. Peltz was among 25 winners of a contest in which some 3,500 high school students proposed experiments for the following year’s Skylab mission. The nationwide scientific competition was sponsored by the National Science Teachers Association and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The winning students, along with their parents and sponsor teachers, visited MSFC where they met with scientists and engineers, participated in design reviews for their experiments, and toured MSFC facilities. Of the 25 students, 6 did not see their experiments conducted on Skylab because the experiments were not compatible with Skylab hardware and timelines. Of the 19 remaining, 11 experiments required the manufacture of additional equipment.

Skylab

NASA Image and Video Library

1972-06-02

Bayport, New York high school student, James E. Healy, is greeted by (left to right): Astronauts Russell L. Schweickart, and Owen K. Garriott; Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) Skylab Program Manager, Leland Belew; and MSFC Director of Administration and Technical Services, David Newby, during a tour of MSFC. Healy was among 25 winners of a contest in which some 3,500 high school students proposed experiments for the following year’s Skylab mission. The nationwide scientific competition was sponsored by the National Science Teachers Association and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The winning students, along with their parents and sponsor teachers, visited MSFC where they met with scientists and engineers, participated in design reviews for their experiments, and toured MSFC facilities. Of the 25 students, 6 did not see their experiments conducted on Skylab because the experiments were not compatible with Skylab hardware and timelines. Of the 19 remaining, 11 experiments required the manufacture of additional equipment.

Skylab

NASA Image and Video Library

1972-06-02

Berkley, Michigan high school student, Kirk M. Sherhart, is greeted by (left to right): Astronauts Russell L. Schweickart, and Owen K. Garriott; Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) Skylab Program Manager, Leland Belew; and MSFC Director of Administration and Technical Services, David Newby, during a tour of MSFC. Sherhart was among 25 winners of a contest in which some 3,500 high school students proposed experiments for the following year’s Skylab mission. The nationwide scientific competition was sponsored by the National Science Teachers Association and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The winning students, along with their parents and sponsor teachers, visited MSFC where they met with scientists and engineers, participated in design reviews for their experiments, and toured MSFC facilities. Of the 25 students, 6 did not see their experiments conducted on Skylab because the experiments were not compatible with Skylab hardware and timelines. Of the 19 remaining, 11 experiments required the manufacture of additional equipment.

Skylab

NASA Image and Video Library

1972-06-02

Springfield, Massachusetts high school student, Gregory A. Merkel, is greeted by (left to right): Astronauts Russell L. Schweickart, and Owen K. Garriott; Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) Skylab Program Manager, Leland Belew; and MSFC Director of Administration and Technical Services, David Newby, during a tour of MSFC. Merkel was among 25 winners of a contest in which some 3,500 high school students proposed experiments for the following year’s Skylab Mission. The nationwide scientific competition was sponsored by the National Science Teachers Association and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The winning students, along with their parents and sponsor teachers, visited MSFC where they met with scientists and engineers, participated in design reviews for their experiments, and toured MSFC facilities. Of the 25 students, 6 did not see their experiments conducted on Skylab because the experiments were not compatible with Skylab hardware and timelines. Of the 19 remaining, 11 experiments required the manufacture of additional equipment.

Skylab

NASA Image and Video Library

1972-06-02

Youngstown, Ohio high school student, W. Brian Dunlap, is greeted by (left to right): Astronauts Russell L. Schweickart, and Owen K. Garriott; Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) Skylab Program Manager, Leland Belew; and MSFC Director of Administration and Technical Services, David Newby, during a tour of MSFC. Dunlap was among 25 winners of a contest in which some 3,500 high school students proposed experiments for the following year’s Skylab mission. The nationwide scientific competition was sponsored by the National Science Teachers Association and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The winning students, along with their parents and sponsor teachers, visited MSFC where they met with scientists and engineers, participated in design reviews for their experiments, and toured MSFC facilities. Of the 25 students, 6 did not see their experiments conducted on Skylab because the experiments were not compatible with Skylab hardware and timelines. Of the 19 remaining, 11 experiments required the manufacture of additional equipment.

Skylab

NASA Image and Video Library

1972-06-02

Garland, Texas high school student, Keith D. McGee, is greeted by (left to right): Astronauts Russell L. Schweickart, and Owen K. Garriott; Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) Skylab Program Manager, Leland Belew; and MSFC Director of Administration and Technical Services, David Newby, during a tour of MSFC. McGee was among 25 winners of a contest in which some 3,500 high school students proposed experiments for the following year’s Skylab Mission. The nationwide scientific competition was sponsored by the National Science Teachers Association and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The winning students, along with their parents and sponsor teachers, visited MSFC where they met with scientists and engineers, participated in design reviews for their experiments, and toured MSFC facilities. Of the 25 students, 6 did not see their experiments conducted on Skylab because the experiments were not compatible with Skylab hardware and timelines. Of the 19 remaining, 11 experiments required the manufacture of additional equipment.

Skylab

NASA Image and Video Library

1972-06-02

Atlanta, Georgia high school student, Neal W. Shannon, is greeted by (left to right): Astronauts Russell L. Schweickart, and Owen K. Garriott; Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) Skylab Program Manager, Leland Belew; and MSFC Director of Administration and Technical Services, David Newby, during a tour of MSFC. Shannon was among 25 winners of a contest in which some 3,500 high school students proposed experiments for the following year’s Skylab mission. The nationwide scientific competition was sponsored by the National Science Teachers Association and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The winning students, along with their parents and sponsor teachers, visited MSFC where they met with scientists and engineers, participated in design reviews for their experiments, and toured MSFC facilities. Of the 25 students, 6 did not see their experiments conducted on Skylab because the experiments were not compatible with Skylab hardware and timelines. Of the 19 remaining, 11 experiments required the manufacture of additional equipment.

Skylab

NASA Image and Video Library

1972-06-02

Oshkosh, Wisconsin high school student, Joe B. Zmolek, is greeted by (left to right): Astronauts Russell L. Schweickart, and Owen K. Garriott; Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) Skylab Program Manager, Leland Belew; and MSFC Director of Administration and Technical Services, David Newby, during a tour of MSFC. Zmolek was among 25 winners of a contest in which some 3,500 high school students proposed experiments for the following year’s Skylab mission. The nationwide scientific competition was sponsored by the National Science Teachers Association and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The winning students, along with their parents and sponsor teachers, visited MSFC where they met with scientists and engineers, participated in design reviews for their experiments, and toured MSFC facilities. Of the 25 students, 6 did not see their experiments conducted on Skylab because the experiments were not compatible with Skylab hardware and timelines. Of the 19 remaining, 11 experiments required the manufacture of additional equipment.

Skylab

NASA Image and Video Library

1972-06-02

Baton Rouge, Louisiana high school student, Joe W. Reihs, is greeted by (left to right): Astronauts Russell L. Schweickart, and Owen K. Garriott; Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) Skylab Program Manager, Leland Belew; and MSFC Director of Administration and Technical Services, David Newby, during a tour of MSFC. Reihs was among 25 winners of a contest in which some 3,500 high school students proposed experiments for the following year’s Skylab mission. The nationwide scientific competition was sponsored by the National Science Teachers Association and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The winning students, along with their parents and sponsor teachers, visited MSFC where they met with scientists and engineers, participated in design reviews for their experiments, and toured MSFC facilities. Of the 25 students, 6 did not see their experiments conducted on Skylab because the experiments were not compatible with Skylab hardware and timelines. Of the 19 remaining, 11 experiments required the manufacture of additional equipment.

Skylab

NASA Image and Video Library

1962-06-02

St. Paul, Minnesota high school student, Roger Johnston, is greeted by (left to right): Astronauts Russell L. Schweickart, and Owen K. Garriott; Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) Skylab Program Manager, Leland Belew; and MSFC Director of Administration and Technical Services, David Newby, during a tour of MSFC. Johnston was among 25 winners of a contest in which some 3,500 high school students proposed experiments for the following year’s Skylab mission. The nationwide scientific competition was sponsored by the National Science Teachers Association and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The winning students, along with their parents and sponsor teachers, visited MSFC where they met with scientists and engineers, participated in design reviews for their experiments, and toured MSFC facilities. Of the 25 students, 6 did not see their experiments conducted on Skylab because the experiments were not compatible with Skylab hardware and timelines. Of the 19 remaining, 11 experiments required the manufacture of additional equipment.

Skylab

NASA Image and Video Library

1972-06-02

West Point, Nebraska high school student, Joel C. Wordekemper, is greeted by (left to right): Astronauts Russell L. Schweickart, and Owen K. Garriott; Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) Skylab Program Manager, Leland Belew; and MSFC Director of Administration and Technical Services, David Newby, during a tour of MSFC. Wordekemper was among 25 winners of a contest in which some 3,500 high school students proposed experiments for the following year’s Skylab mission. The nationwide scientific competition was sponsored by the National Science Teachers Association and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The winning students, along with their parents and sponsor teachers, visited MSFC where they met with scientists and engineers, participated in design reviews for their experiments, and toured MSFC facilities. Of the 25 students, 6 did not see their experiments conducted on Skylab because the experiments were not compatible with Skylab hardware and timelines. Of the 19 remaining, 11 experiments required the manufacture of additional equipment.

Skylab

NASA Image and Video Library

1972-06-02

Aiea, Hawaii high school student, John C. Hamilton, is greeted by (left to right): Astronauts Russell L. Schweickart, and Owen K. Garriott; Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) Skylab Program Manager, Leland Belew; and MSFC Director of Administration and Technical Services, David Newby, during a tour of MSFC. Hamilton was among 25 winners of a contest in which some 3,500 high school students proposed experiments for the following year’s Skylab mission. The nationwide scientific competition was sponsored by the National Science Teachers Association and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The winning students, along with their parents and sponsor teachers, visited MSFC where they met with scientists and engineers, participated in design reviews for their experiments, and toured MSFC facilities. Of the 25 students, 6 did not see their experiments conducted on Skylab because the experiments were not compatible with Skylab hardware and timelines. Of the 19 remaining, 11 experiments required the manufacture of additional equipment.

Skylab

NASA Image and Video Library

1972-06-02

Westbury, New York high school student, Keith L.Stein , is greeted by (left to right): Astronauts Russell L. Schweickart, and Owen K. Garriott; Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) Skylab Program Manager, Leland Belew; and MSFC Director of Administration and Technical Services, David Newby, during a tour of MSFC. Stein was among 25 winners of a contest in which some 3,500 high school students proposed experiments for the following year’s Skylab mission. The nationwide scientific competition was sponsored by the National Science Teachers Association and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The winning students, along with their parents and sponsor teachers, visited MSFC where they met with scientists and engineers, participated in design reviews for their experiments, and toured MSFC facilities. Of the 25 students, 6 did not see their experiments conducted on Skylab because the experiments were not compatible with Skylab hardware and timelines. Of the 19 remaining, 11 experiments required the manufacture of additional equipment.

Skylab

NASA Image and Video Library

1972-06-02

Silverton, Oregon high school student, Daniel C. Bochsler, is greeted by (left to right): Astronauts Russell L. Schweickart, and Owen K. Garriott; Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) Skylab Program Manager, Leland Belew; and MSFC Director of Administration and Technical Services, David Newby, during a tour of MSFC. Bochsler was among 25 winners of a contest in which some 3,500 high school students proposed experiments for the following year’s Skylab mission. The nationwide scientific competition was sponsored by the National Science Teachers Association and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The winning students, along with their parents and sponsor teachers, visited MSFC where they met with scientists and engineers, participated in design reviews for their experiments, and toured MSFC facilities. Of the 25 students, 6 did not see their experiments conducted on Skylab because the experiments were not compatible with Skylab hardware and timelines. Of the 19 remaining, 11 experiments required the manufacture of additional equipment.

Skylab

NASA Image and Video Library

1972-05-02

Kent, Washinton high school student, Troy A. Crites, is greeted by (left to right): Astronauts Russell L. Schweickart, and Owen K. Garriott; Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) Skylab Program Manager, Leland Belew; and MSFC Director of Administration and Technical Services, David Newby, during a tour of MSFC. Crites was among 25 winners of a contest in which some 3,500 high school students proposed experiments for the following year’s Skylab mission. The nationwide scientific competition was sponsored by the National Science Teachers Association and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The winning students, along with their parents and sponsor teachers, visited MSFC where they met with scientists and engineers, participated in design reviews for their experiments, and toured MSFC facilities. Of the 25 students, 6 did not see their experiments conducted on Skylab because the experiments were not compatible with Skylab hardware and timelines. Of the 19 remaining, 11 experiments required the manufacture of additional equipment.

Spacelab

NASA Image and Video Library

1996-05-05

Launched on June 20, 1996, the STS-78 mission’s primary payload was the Life and Microgravity Spacelab (LMS), which was managed by the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). During the 17 day space flight, the crew conducted a diverse slate of experiments divided into a mix of life science and microgravity investigations. In a manner very similar to future International Space Station operations, LMS researchers from the United States and their European counterparts shared resources such as crew time and equipment. Five space agencies (NASA/USA, European Space Agency/Europe (ESA), French Space Agency/France, Canadian Space Agency /Canada, and Italian Space Agency/Italy) along with research scientists from 10 countries worked together on the design, development and construction of the LMS. This photo represents Data Management Coordinators monitoring the progress of the mission at the Huntsville Operations Support Center (HOSC) Spacelab Payload Operations Control Center (SL POCC) at MSFC. Pictured are assistant mission scientist Dr. Dalle Kornfeld, Rick McConnel, and Ann Bathew.

CDRA-4EU Testing in Support of ISS

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Peters, Warren; Stanley, Christine; Knox, Jim

2016-01-01

NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) recently conducted tests on two desiccant beds of the four-bed molecular sieve carbon dioxide removal assembly (CDRA) returned from the International Space Station (ISS). MSFC had previously characterized the relationship between CDRA-4EU inlet conditions and the dewpoint at the desiccant bed exit and between the compressor and accumulator that make up the Carbon Dioxide Management Assembly (CDMA). MSFC installed the flight desiccant beds into the existing Exploration Test Chamber (E-chamber) using a suite of instrumentation not available on orbit to investigate the orbital performance of the desiccant beds. Test objectives, facility design and test results are presented.

National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) Between NASA Headquarters and MSFC (Marshall Space Flight Center) for NASA Principal Center for Review of Clean Air Regulations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Caruso, Salvadore V.; Clark-Ingram, Marceia A.

2000-01-01

This paper presents a memorandum of agreement on Clean Air Regulations. NASA headquarters (code JE and code M) has asked MSFC to serve as principle center for review of Clean Air Act (CAA) regulations. The purpose of the principle center is to provide centralized support to NASA headquarters for the management and leadership of NASA's CAA regulation review process and to identify the potential impact of proposed CAA reguations on NASA program hardware and supporting facilities. The materials and processes utilized in the manufacture of NASA's programmatic hardware contain HAPs (Hazardous Air Pollutants), VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds), and ODC (Ozone Depleting Chemicals). This paper is presented in viewgraph form.

Research Reports: 1984 NASA/ASEE Summer Faculty Fellowship Program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Freeman, L. M. (Editor); Osborn, T. L. (Editor); Dozier, J. B. (Editor); Karr, G. R. (Editor)

1985-01-01

A NASA/ASEE Summer Faulty Fellowship Program was conducted at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). The basic objectives of the programs are: (1) to further the professional knowledge of qualified engineering and science faculty members; (2) to stimulate an exchange of ideas between participants and NASA; (3) to enrich and refresh the research and teaching activities of the participants' institutions; and (4) to contribute to the research objectives of the NASA Centers. The Faculty Fellows spent ten weeks at MSFC engaged in a research project compatible with their interests and background and worked in collaboration with a NASA/MSFC colleague. This document is a compilation of Fellows' reports on their research during the summer of 1984. Topics covered include: (1) data base management; (2) computational fluid dynamics; (3) space debris; (4) X-ray gratings; (5) atomic oxygen exposure; (6) protective coatings for SSME; (7) cryogenics; (8) thermal analysis measurements; (9) solar wind modelling; and (10) binary systems.

MSFC Skylab program engineering and integration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1974-01-01

A technical history and managerial critique of the MSFC role in the Skylab program is presented. The George C. Marshall Space Flight Center had primary hardware development responsibility for the Saturn Workshop Modules and many of the designated experiments in addition to the system integration responsibility for the entire Skylab Orbital Cluster. The report also includes recommendations and conclusions applicable to hardware design, test program philosophy and performance, and program management techniques with potential application to future programs.

Microgravity

NASA Image and Video Library

1997-03-11

This photo shows the access through the internal airlock on the Microgravity Science Glovebox (MSG) being developed by the European Space Agency (ESA) and NASA for use aboard the International Space Station (ISS). The airlock will allow the insertion or removal of equipment and samples without opening the working volume of the glovebox. Scientists will use the MSG to carry out multidisciplinary studies in combustion science, fluid physics and materials science. The MSG is managed by NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). Photo Credit: NASA/MSFC

Microgravity

NASA Image and Video Library

1997-03-11

Once the Microgravity Science Glovebox (MSG) is sealed, additional experiment items can be inserted through a small airlock at the bottom right of the work volume. It is shown here with the door open. The European Space Agency (ESA) and NASA are developing the MSG for use aboard the International Space Station (ISS). Scientists will use the MSG to carry out multidisciplinary studies in combustion science, fluid physics and materials science. The MSG is managed by NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). Photo Credit: NASA/MSFC

Skylab

NASA Image and Video Library

1967-09-01

This September 1967 photograph shows workmen removing a mockup of the Saturn V S-IVB stage that housed the Skylab Orbital Workshop (OWS) from the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC), building 4755. The mockup was shipped to McDornell Douglas in Huntington, California for design modifications. NASA used the mockup as an engineering design tool to plan structures, equipment, and experiments for Skylab, an orbiting space laboratory. The MSFC had program management responsibility for the development of Skylab hardware and experiments, including the OWS.

Overview of the NASA/Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) CFD Consortium for Applications in Propulsion Technology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McConnaughey, P. K.; Schutzenhofer, L. A.

1992-07-01

This paper presents an overview of the NASA/Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) Consortium for Applications in Propulsion Technology (CAPT). The objectives of this consortium are discussed, as is the approach of managing resources and technology to achieve these objectives. Significant results by the three CFD CAPT teams (Turbine, Pump, and Combustion) are briefly highlighted with respect to the advancement of CFD applications, the development and evaluation of advanced hardware concepts, and the integration of these results and CFD as a design tool to support Space Transportation Main Engine and National Launch System development.

Skylab

NASA Image and Video Library

1972-06-02

Berkley, California high school student, Jeanne L. Leventhal, is greeted by (left to right): Astronauts Russell L. Schweickart, and Owen K. Garriott; and Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) Skylab Program Manager, Leland Belew during a tour of MSFC. Leventhal was among 25 winners of a contest in which some 3,500 high school students proposed experiments for the following year’s Skylab mission. The nationwide scientific competition was sponsored by the National Science Teachers Association and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The winning students, along with their parents and sponsor teachers, visited MSFC where they met with scientists and engineers, participated in design reviews for their experiments, and toured MSFC facilities. Of the 25 students, 6 did not see their experiments conducted on Skylab because the experiments were not compatible with Skylab hardware and timelines. Of the 19 remaining, 11 experiments required the manufacture of additional equipment.

STS-47 crew and backups at MSFC's Payload Crew Training Complex

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1992-01-01

STS-47 Endeavour, Orbiter Vehicle (OV) 105, Spacelab Japan (SLJ) crewmembers and backup payload specialists stand outside SLJ module mockup at the Payload Crew Training Complex at Marshall SpaceFlight Center (MSFC) in Huntsville, Alabama. From left to right are Payload Specialist Mamoru Mohri, backup Payload Specialist Takao Doi, backup Payload Specialist Chiaki Naito-Mukai, Mission Specialist (MS) Mae C. Jemison, MS N. Jan Davis, backup Payload Specialist Stan Koszelak, and MS and Payload Commander (PLC) Mark C. Lee. The MSFC-managed mission is a joint venture in space-based research between the United States and Japan. Mohri, Doi, and Mukai represent Japan's National Space Development Agency (NASDA). View provided with alternate number 92P-142.

Microgravity Science Glovebox - Airlock

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1997-01-01

Once the Microgravity Science Glovebox (MSG) is sealed, additional experiment items can be inserted through a small airlock at the bottom right of the work volume. It is shown here with the door removed. The European Space Agency (ESA) and NASA are developing the MSG for use aboard the International Space Station (ISS). Scientists will use the MSG to carry out multidisciplinary studies in combustion science, fluid physics and materials science. The MSG is managed by NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). Photo Credit: NASA/MSFC

Microgravity

NASA Image and Video Library

1997-03-11

Access ports, one on each side of the Microgravity Science Glovebox (MSG), will allow scientists to place large experiment items inside the MSG. The ports also provide additional glove ports (silver disk) for greater access to the interior. The European Space Agency (ESA) and NASA are developing the MSG for use aboard the International Space Station (ISS). Scientists will use the MSG to carry out multidisciplinary studies in combustion science, fluid physics and materials science. The MSG is managed by NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). Photo Credit: NASA/MSFC

Microgravity

NASA Image and Video Library

1997-03-11

Access ports, one on each side of the Microgravity Science Glovebox (MSG), will allow scientists to place large experiment items inside the MSG. The ports also provide additional glove ports (dark circle) for greater access to the interior. The European Space Agency (ESA) and NASA are developing the MSG for use aboard the International Space Station (ISS). Scientists will use the MSG to carry out multidisciplinary studies in combustion science, fluid physics and materials science. The MSG is managed by NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). Photo Credit: NASA/MSFC

Microgravity Science Glovebox - Working Volume

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1997-01-01

Access ports, one on each side of the Microgravity Science Glovebox (MSG), will allow scientists to place large experiment items inside the MSG. The ports also provide additional glove ports (silver disk) for greater access to the interior. The European Space Agency (ESA) and NASA are developing the MSG for use aboard the International Space Station (ISS). Scientists will use the MSG to carry out multidisciplinary studies in combustion science, fluid physics and materials science. The MSG is managed by NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). Photo Credit: NASA/MSFC

Microgravity Science Glovebox - Airlock

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1997-01-01

Once the Microgravity Science Glovebox (MSG) is sealed, additional experiment items can be inserted through a small airlock at the bottom right of the work volume. It is shown here with the door open. The European Space Agency (ESA) and NASA are developing the MSG for use aboard the International Space Station (ISS). Scientists will use the MSG to carry out multidisciplinary studies in combustion science, fluid physics and materials science. The MSG is managed by NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). Photo Credit: NASA/MSFC

Microgravity

NASA Image and Video Library

1997-03-11

This photo shows the access through the internal airlock (bottom right) on the Microgravity Science Glovebox (MSG) being developed by the European Space Agency (ESA) and NASA for use aboard the International Space Station (ISS). The airlock will allow the insertion or removal of equipment and samples without opening the working volume of the glovebox. Scientists will use the MSG to carry out multidisciplinary studies in combustion science, fluid physics and materials science. The MSG is managed by NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). Photo Credit: NASA/MSFC

Structural Margins Assessment Approach

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ryan, Robert S.

1988-01-01

A general approach to the structural design and verification used to determine the structural margins of the space vehicle elements under Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) management is described. The Space Shuttle results and organization will be used as illustrations for techniques discussed. Given also are: (1) the system analyses performed or to be performed by, and (2) element analyses performed by MSFC and its contractors. Analysis approaches and their verification will be addressed. The Shuttle procedures are general in nature and apply to other than Shuttle space vehicles.

Overview of the Life Science Glovebox (LSG) Facility and the Research Performed in the LSG

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cole, J. Michael; Young, Yancy

2016-01-01

The Life Science Glovebox (LSG) is a rack facility currently under development with a projected availability for International Space Station (ISS) utilization in the FY2018 timeframe. Development of the LSG is being managed by the Marshal Space Flight Center (MSFC) with support from Ames Research Center (ARC) and Johnson Space Center (JSC). The MSFC will continue management of LSG operations, payload integration, and sustaining following delivery to the ISS. The LSG will accommodate life science and technology investigations in a "workbench" type environment. The facility has a.Ii enclosed working volume that is held at a negative pressure with respect to the crew living area. This allows the facility to provide two levels of containment for handling Biohazard Level II and lower biological materials. This containment approach protects the crew from possible hazardous operations that take place inside the LSG work volume. Research investigations operating inside the LSG are provided approximately 15 cubic feet of enclosed work space, 350 watts of28Vdc and l IOVac power (combined), video and data recording, and real time downlink. These capabilities will make the LSG a highly utilized facility on ISS. The LSG will be used for biological studies including rodent research and cell biology. The LSG facility is operated by the Payloads Operations Integration Center at MSFC. Payloads may also operate remotely from different telescience centers located in the United States and different countries. The Investigative Payload Integration Manager (IPIM) is the focal to assist organizations that have payloads operating in the LSG facility. NASA provides an LSG qualification unit for payload developers to verify that their hardware is operating properly before actual operation on the ISS. This poster will provide an overview of the LSG facility and a synopsis of the research that will be accomplished in the LSG. The authors would like to acknowledge Ames Research Center, Johnson Space Center, Teledyne Brown Engineering, MOOG-Bradford Engineering and the entire LSG Team for their inputs into this abstract.

ASM Student Technology and Career Night

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hamilton, Jeff

2005-01-01

This viewgraph presentation presents a general overview of Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) for students who are perspective MSFC employees. The presentation includes an organizational chart and a summary of MSFC activities, as well as photographs and descriptions of some of the center's test facilities.

Wernher von Braun

NASA Image and Video Library

1965-05-25

This image depicts the tension in the Launch Control Center of the Launch Complex 37 at Cape Canaveral, Florida, during the SA-8 on May 25, 1965. Pointing, center is Dr. Kurt Debus, Director, Launch Operations Directorate, MSFC. To the right is Dr. Hans Gruene, Deputy Director, Launch Operations Directorate, MSFC; Dr. von Braun, Director, Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC); and leaning, Dr. Eberhard Rees, Director, Deputy Director for Research and Development, MSFC. The SA-8 mission, with a Saturn I launch vehicle, made the first night launch and deployed Pegasus II, micrometeoroid detection satellite.

The Space Station Module Power Management and Distribution automation test bed

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lollar, Louis F.

1991-01-01

The Space Station Module Power Management And Distribution (SSM/PMAD) automation test bed project was begun at NASA/Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) in the mid-1980s to develop an autonomous, user-supportive power management and distribution test bed simulating the Space Station Freedom Hab/Lab modules. As the test bed has matured, many new technologies and projects have been added. The author focuses on three primary areas. The first area is the overall accomplishments of the test bed itself. These include a much-improved user interface, a more efficient expert system scheduler, improved communication among the three expert systems, and initial work on adding intermediate levels of autonomy. The second area is the addition of a more realistic power source to the SSM/PMAD test bed; this project is called the Large Autonomous Spacecraft Electrical Power System (LASEPS). The third area is the completion of a virtual link between the SSM/PMAD test bed at MSFC and the Autonomous Power Expert at Lewis Research Center.

An Overview of NASA's In-Space Cryogenic Propellant Management Technologies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tucker, Stephen; Hastings, Leon; Haynes, Davy (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

Future mission planning within NASA continues to include cryogenic propellants for in space transportation, with mission durations ranging from days to years. Between 1995 and the present, NASA has pursued a diversified program of ground-based testing to prepare the various technologies associated with in-space cryogenic fluid management (CFM) for implementation. CFM technology areas being addressed include passive insulation, zero gravity pressure control, zero gravity mass gauging, capillary liquid acquisition devices, and zero boiloff storage. NASA CFM technologies are planned, coordinated, and implemented through the Cryogenic Technology Working Group which is comprised of representatives from the various NASA Centers as well as the National Institute of Standards and Technologies (NIST) and, on selected occasions, the Air Force. An overview of the NASA program and Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) roles, accomplishments, and near-term activities are presented herein. Basic CFM technology areas being addressed include passive insulation, zero gravity pressure control, zero gravity mass gauging, capillary liquid acquisition devices, and zero boiloff storage. Recent MSFC accomplishments include: the large scale demonstration of a high performance variable density multilayer insulation (MLI) that reduced the boiloff by about half that of standard MLI; utilization of a foam substrate under MLI to eliminate the need for a helium purge bag system; demonstrations of both spray-bar and axial-jet mixer concepts for zero gravity pressure control; and sub-scale testing that verified an optical sensor concept for measuring liquid hydrogen mass in zero gravity. In response to missions requiring cryogenic propellant storage durations on the order of years, a cooperative effort by NASA's Ames Research Center, Glenn Research Center, and MSFC has been implemented to develop and demonstrate zero boiloff concepts for in-space storage of cryogenic propellants. An MSFC contribution to this cooperative effort is a large-scale demonstration of the integrated operation of passive insulation, destratification/pressure control, and cryocooler (commercial unit) subsystems to achieve zero boiloff storage of liquid hydrogen. Testing is expected during the Summer of 2001.

Implementing EVM Data Analysis Adding Value from a NASA Project Manager's Perspective

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Counts, Stacy; Kerby, Jerald

2006-01-01

Data Analysis is one of the keys to an effective Earned Value Management (EVM) Process. Project Managers (PM) must continually evaluate data in assessing the health of their projects. Good analysis of data can assist PMs in making better decisions in managing projects. To better support our P Ms, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) - Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) recently renewed its emphasis on sound EVM data analysis practices and processes, During this presentation we will discuss the approach that MSFC followed in implementing better data analysis across its Center. We will address our approach to effectively equip and support our projects in applying a sound data analysis process. In addition, the PM for the Space Station Biological Research Project will share her experiences of how effective data analysis can benefit a PM in the decision making process. The PM will discuss how the emphasis on data analysis has helped create a solid method for assessing the project s performance. Using data analysis successfully can be an effective and efficient tool in today s environment with increasing workloads and downsizing workforces

NASA Lunar Regolith Simulant Program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Edmunson, J.; Betts, W.; Rickman, D.; McLemore, C.; Fikes, J.; Stoeser, D.; Wilson, S.; Schrader, C.

2010-01-01

Lunar regolith simulant production is absolutely critical to returning man to the Moon. Regolith simulant is used to test hardware exposed to the lunar surface environment, simulate health risks to astronauts, practice in situ resource utilization (ISRU) techniques, and evaluate dust mitigation strategies. Lunar regolith simulant design, production process, and management is a cooperative venture between members of the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). The MSFC simulant team is a satellite of the Dust group based at Glenn Research Center. The goals of the cooperative group are to (1) reproduce characteristics of lunar regolith using simulants, (2) produce simulants as cheaply as possible, (3) produce simulants in the amount needed, and (4) produce simulants to meet users? schedules.

NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) Contributes to Solar B/Hinode

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2006-01-01

Hinode (Sunrise), formerly known as Solar-B before reaching orbit, was launched from the Uchinoura Space Center in Japan on September 23, 2006. Hinode was designed to probe into the Sun's magnetic field to better understand the origin of solar disturbances which interfere with satellite communications, electrical power transmission grids, and the safety of astronauts traveling beyond the Earth's magnetic field. Hinode is circling Earth in a polar orbit that places the instruments in continuous sunlight for nine months each year and allows data dumps to a high latitude European Space Agency (ESA) ground station every orbit. NASA and other science teams will support instrument operations and data collection from the spacecraft's operation center at the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency's (JAXA's) Institute of Space and Aeronautical Science facility located in Tokyo. The Hinode spacecraft is a collaboration among space agencies of Japan, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Europe. The Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) managed development of three instruments comprising the spacecraft; the Solar Optical Telescope (SOT); the X-Ray Telescope (XRT); and the Extreme Ultraviolet (EUV) Imaging Spectrometer (EIS). Provided by the Multimedia support group at MSFC, this rendering illustrates the Solar-B Spacecraft in earth orbit with its solar panels completely extended.

NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) Contributes to Solar B/Hinode

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2006-01-01

Hinode (Sunrise), formerly known as Solar-B before reaching orbit, was launched from the Uchinoura Space Center in Japan on September 23, 2006. Hinode was designed to probe into the Sun's magnetic field to better understand the origin of solar disturbances which interfere with satellite communications, electrical power transmission grids, and the safety of astronauts traveling beyond the Earth's magnetic field. Hinode is circling Earth in a polar orbit that places the instruments in continuous sunlight for nine months each year and allows data dumps to a high latitude European Space Agency (ESA) ground station every orbit. NASA and other science teams will support instrument operations and data collection from the spacecraft's operation center at the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency's (JAXA's) Institute of Space and Aeronautical Science facility located in Tokyo. The Hinode spacecraft is a collaboration among space agencies of Japan, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Europe. The Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) managed development of three instruments comprising the spacecraft; the Solar Optical Telescope (SOT); the X-Ray Telescope (XRT); and the Extreme Ultraviolet (EUV) Imaging Spectrometer (EIS). Provided by the Multimedia support group at MSFC, this rendering illustrates the Solar-B Spacecraft in earth orbit with its solar panels partially extended.

NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) Contributes to Solar B/Hinode

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2006-01-01

Hinode (Sunrise), formerly known as Solar-B before reaching orbit, was launched from the Uchinoura Space Center in Japan on September 23, 2006. Hinode was designed to probe into the Sun's magnetic field to better understand the origin of solar disturbances which interfere with satellite communications, electrical power transmission grids, and the safety of astronauts traveling beyond the Earth's magnetic field. Hinode is circling Earth in a polar orbit that places the instruments in continuous sunlight for nine months each year and allows data dumps to a high latitude European Space Agency (ESA) ground station every orbit. NASA and other science teams will support instrument operations and data collection from the spacecraft's operation center at the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency's (JAXA's) Institute of Space and Aeronautical Science facility located in Tokyo. The Hinode spacecraft is a collaboration among space agencies of Japan, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Europe. The Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) managed development of three instruments comprising the spacecraft; the Solar Optical Telescope (SOT); the X-Ray Telescope (XRT); and the Extreme Ultraviolet (EUV) Imaging Spectrometer (EIS). Provided by the Multimedia support group at MSFC, this video clip is an animated illustration of the Solar-B Spacecraft in earth orbit.

ERISTAR: Earth Resources Information Storage, Transformation, Analysis, and Retrieval

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1972-01-01

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) have sponsored faculty fellowship programs in systems engineering design for the past several years. During the summer of 1972 four such programs were conducted by NASA, with Auburn University cooperating with Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). The subject for the Auburn-MSFC design group was ERISTAR, an acronym for Earth Resources Information Storage, Transformation, Analysis and Retrieval, which represents an earth resources information management network of state information centers administered by the respective states and linked to federally administered regional centers and a national center. The considerations for serving the users and the considerations that must be given to processing data from a variety of sources are described. The combination of these elements into a national network is discussed and an implementation plan is proposed for a prototype state information center. The compatibility of the proposed plan with the Department of Interior plan, RALI, is indicated.

Dr. Monaco Examines Lab-on a-Chip

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2003-01-01

Dr. Lisa Monaco, Marshall Space Flight Center's (MSFC's) project scientist for the Lab-on-a-Chip Applications Development (LOCAD) program, examines a lab on a chip. The small dots are actually ports where fluids and chemicals can be mixed or samples can be collected for testing. Tiny channels, only clearly visible under a microscope, form pathways between the ports. Many chemical and biological processes, previously conducted on large pieces of laboratory equipment, can now be performed on these small glass or plastic plates. Monaco and other researchers at MSFC in Huntsville, Alabama, are customizing the chips to be used for many space applications, such as monitoring microbes inside spacecraft and detecting life on other planets. The portable, handheld Lab-on-a Chip Application Development Portable Test System (LOCAD-PTS) made its debut flight aboard Discovery during the STS-116 mission launched December 9, 2006. The system allowed crew members to monitor their environment for problematic contaminants such as yeast, mold, and even E.coli, and salmonella. Once LOCAD-PTS reached the International Space Station (ISS), the Marshall team continued to manage the experiment, monitoring the study from a console in the Payload Operations Center at MSFC. The results of these studies will help NASA researchers refine the technology for future Moon and Mars missions. (NASA/MSFC/D.Stoffer)

MSFC Propulsion Systems Department Knowledge Management Project

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Caraccioli, Paul A.

2007-01-01

This slide presentation reviews the Knowledge Management (KM) project of the Propulsion Systems Department at Marshall Space Flight Center. KM is needed to support knowledge capture, preservation and to support an information sharing culture. The presentation includes the strategic plan for the KM initiative, the system requirements, the technology description, the User Interface and custom features, and a search demonstration.

STS-35 Mission Manager Actions Room at the Marshall Space Flight Center Spacelab Payload Operations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1990-01-01

The primary objective of the STS-35 mission was round the clock observation of the celestial sphere in ultraviolet and X-Ray astronomy with the Astro-1 observatory which consisted of four telescopes: the Hopkins Ultraviolet Telescope (HUT); the Wisconsin Ultraviolet Photo-Polarimeter Experiment (WUPPE); the Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (UIT); and the Broad Band X-Ray Telescope (BBXRT). The Huntsville Operations Support Center (HOSC) Spacelab Payload Operations Control Center (SL POCC) at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) was the air/ground communication channel used between the astronauts and ground control teams during the Spacelab missions. Teams of controllers and researchers directed on-orbit science operations, sent commands to the spacecraft, received data from experiments aboard the Space Shuttle, adjusted mission schedules to take advantage of unexpected science opportunities or unexpected results, and worked with crew members to resolve problems with their experiments. Due to loss of data used for pointing and operating the ultraviolet telescopes, MSFC ground teams were forced to aim the telescopes with fine tuning by the flight crew. This photo captures the activities at the Mission Manager Actions Room during the mission.

Activities at the JSC Payload Operations Control Center During Spacelab Mission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1984-01-01

During a Spacelab flight, the hub of activity was the Payload Operations Control Center (POCC) at the Johnson Space Flight Center (JSC) in Houston, Texas. The POCC became home to the management and science teams who worked around the clock to guide and support the mission. All Spacelab principal investigators and their teams of scientists and engineers set up work areas in the POCC. Through the use of computers, they could send commands to their instruments and receive and analyze experiment data. Instantaneous video and audio communications made it possible for scientists on the ground to follow the progress of their research almost as if they were in space with the crew. This real-time interaction between investigators on the ground and the crew in space was probably the most exciting of Spacelab's many capabilities. As principal investigators talked to the payload specialists during the mission, they consulted on experiment operations, made decisions, and shared in the thrill of gaining new knowledge. In December 1990, a newly-established POCC at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) opened its door for the operations of the Spacelab payloads and experiments, while JSC monitored the Shuttle flight operations. MSFC had managing responsibilities for the Spacelab missions.

Fast Paced, Low Cost Projects at MSFC

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Watson-Morgan, Lisa; Clinton, Raymond

2012-01-01

What does an orbiting microsatellite, a robotic lander and a ruggedized camera and telescope have in common? They are all fast paced, low cost projects managed by Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) teamed with successful industry partners. MSFC has long been synonymous with human space flight large propulsion programs, engineering acumen and risk intolerance. However, there is a growing portfolio/product line within MSFC that focuses on these smaller, fast paced projects. While launching anything into space is expensive, using a managed risk posture, holding to schedule and keeping costs low by stopping at egood enough f were key elements to their success. Risk is defined as the possibility of loss or failure per Merriam Webster. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) defines risk using procedural requirement 8705.4 and establishes eclasses f to discern the acceptable risk per a project. It states a Class D risk has a medium to significant risk of not achieving mission success. MSFC, along with industry partners, has created a niche in Class D efforts. How did the big, cautious MSFC succeed on these projects that embodied the antithesis of its heritage in human space flight? A key factor toward these successful projects was innovative industry partners such as Dynetics Corporation, University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAHuntsville), Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (JHU APL), Teledyne Brown Engineering (TBE), Von Braun Center for Science and Innovation (VCSI), SAIC, and Jacobs. Fast Affordable Satellite Technology (FastSat HSV01) is a low earth orbit microsatellite that houses six instruments with the primary scientific objective of earth observation and technology demonstration. The team was comprised of Dynetics, UAHuntsvile, SAIC, Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) and VCSI with the United States Air Force Space Test Program as the customer. The team completed design, development, manufacturing, environmental test and integration in one year. FastSat HSV01 also deployed a Poly Picosatellite Orbital Deployer (PPOD) for a separate nano ]satellite class spacecraft (Cubesat: Nano Sail Demonstration) in partnership with Ames Research Center. The Robotic lunar lander is a MSFC JHU APL partnership that led to the development of a flexible architecture for landers to support robotic missions to a wide range of lunar and asteroid destinations. The team started with the goal of meeting NASA agency directives that led to the creation of a test bed focusing on GN&C and software to demonstrate the descent and landing on any airless body for the final 30 to 60 meters. The team created a complex technology demonstration as well as Guidance Control and Navigation (GN&C) algorithms providing autonomous control of the lander. The team uses a green propellant of 90% hydrogen peroxide and has completed 18 successful test flights. The International Space Station (ISS) SERVIR Environmental Research and Visualization System (ISERV) is a technology demonstration payload to assist the SERVIR project with environmental monitoring for disaster relief and humanitarian efforts. The ISERV project was a partnership with TBE. The ISERV payload consists of a commercial off the shelf camera, telescope, and MSFC developed power distribution box and interfaces on ISS with the Window Observational Research Facility in the US Lab. MSFC has identified three key areas that enabled the low cost mission success to include culture, partnering, and cost/schedule control. This paper will briefly discuss these three Class D efforts, FastSat HSV-01, the Robotic Lunar Lander and the ISERV camera system, the lessons learned, their successes and challenges.

Overview af MSFC's Applied Fluid Dynamics Analysis Group Activities

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Garcia, Roberto; Griffin, Lisa; Williams, Robert

2004-01-01

This paper presents viewgraphs on NASA Marshall Space Flight Center's Applied Fluid Dynamics Analysis Group Activities. The topics include: 1) Status of programs at MSFC; 2) Fluid Mechanics at MSFC; 3) Relevant Fluid Dynamics Activities at MSFC; and 4) Shuttle Return to Flight.

Storm Warning Service

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1993-01-01

A Huntsville meteorologist of Baron Services, Inc. has formed a commercial weather advisory service. Weather information is based on data from Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) collected from antennas in Alabama and Tennessee. Bob Baron refines and enhances MSFC's real time display software. Computer data is changed to audio data for radio transmission, received by clients through an antenna and decoded by computer for display. Using his service, clients can monitor the approach of significant storms and schedule operations accordingly. Utilities and emergency management officials are able to plot a storm's path. A recent agreement with two other companies will promote continued development and marketing.

1100343

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-03-24

CHARLES BOLDEN, NASA ADMINISTRATOR PRESENTING THE 2010 ADMINISTRATOR’S CUP AWARD TO DAVID BROCK, SMALL BUSINESS SPECIALIST, MSFC. LEFT TO RIGHT GLENN DELGADO, ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR, NASA, OFFICE OF SMALL BUSINESS PROGRAMS, BYRON BUTLER, DIRECTOR, OFFICE OF PROCUREMENT, MSFC, DAVID BROCK, SMALL BUSINESS SPECIALIST, MSFC, CHARLES BOLDEN, NASA ADMINISTRATOR AND ROBERT LIGHTFOOT, MSFC CENTER DIRECTOR.

1301163

NASA Image and Video Library

2013-10-29

MSFC MECHANICAL ENGINEER BRIAN WEST, (L), DEMONSTRATES STRUCTURED LIGHT SCANNING PROCESS TO MEMBERS OF THE BREMEN, GERMANY, BUSINESS DELEGATION WHO VISITED MARSHALL RECENTLY. SENATOR MARTIN GÜNTHNER, MINISTRY OF ECONOMIC AFFAIRS, LABOUR AND PORTS (CENTER) VIEWS THE PRESSURE VESSEL BEING SCANNED. AT RIGHT IS BERND SCHMELING, SENIOR MANAGER PROCUREMENT, AIRBUS OPERATIONS GMBH

Saturn Apollo Program

NASA Image and Video Library

1960-01-01

Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) workers hoist a dynamic test version of the S-IVB stage, the Saturn IB launch vehicle's second stage, into the Center's Dynamic Test Stand on January 18, 1965. MSFC Test Laboratory persornel assembled a complete Saturn IB to test the launch vehicle's structural soundness. Developed by the MSFC as an interim vehicle in MSFC's "building block" approach to the Saturn rocket development, the Saturn IB utilized Saturn I technology to further develop and refine the larger boosters and the Apollo spacecraft capabilities required for the manned lunar missions.

Crew Launch Vehicle (CLV) Avionics and Software Integration Overview

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Monell, Donald W.; Flynn, Kevin C.; Maroney, Johnny

2006-01-01

On January 14, 2004, the President of the United States announced a new plan to explore space and extend a human presence across our solar system. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) established the Exploration Systems Mission Directorate (ESMD) to develop and field a Constellation Architecture that will bring the Space Exploration vision to fruition. The Constellation Architecture includes a human-rated Crew Launch Vehicle (CLV) segment, managed by the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC), comprised of the First Stage (FS), Upper Stage (US), and Upper Stage Engine (USE) elements. The CLV s purpose is to provide safe and reliable crew and cargo transportation into Low Earth Orbit (LEO), as well as insertion into trans-lunar trajectories. The architecture's Spacecraft segment includes, among other elements, the Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV), managed by the Johnson Space Flight Center (JSC), which is launched atop the CLV. MSFC is also responsible for CLV and CEV stack integration. This paper provides an overview of the Avionics and Software integration approach (which includes the Integrated System Health Management (ISHM) functions), both within the CLV, and across the CEV interface; it addresses the requirements to be met, logistics of meeting those requirements, and the roles of the various groups. The Avionics Integration and Vehicle Systems Test (ANST) Office was established at the MSFC with system engineering responsibilities for defining and developing the integrated CLV Avionics and Software system. The AIVST Office has defined two Groups, the Avionics and Software Integration Group (AVSIG), and the Integrated System Simulation and Test Integration Group (ISSTIG), and four Panels which will direct trade studies and analyses to ensure the CLV avionics and software meet CLV system and CEV interface requirements. The four panels are: 1) Avionics Integration Panel (AIP), 2) Software Integration Panel, 3) EEE Panel, and 4) Systems Simulation and Test Panel. Membership on the groups and panels includes the MSFC representatives from the requisite engineering disciplines, the First Stage, the Upper Stage, the Upper Stage Engine projects, and key personnel from other NASA centers. The four panels will take the results of trade studies and analyses and develop documentation in support of Design Analysis Cycle Reviews and ultimately the System Requirements Review.

Spacelab

NASA Image and Video Library

1985-06-01

Spacelab-3 launched aboard STS-51B, with the major science objective being to perform engineering tests on two new facilities: the rodent animal holding facility and the primate animal holding facility. In addition, scientists observed the animals to obtain first hand knowledge of the effects of launch and reentry stresses and behavior. The need for suitable animal housing to support research in space led to the development of the Research Animal Holding Facility at the Ames Research Center. Scientists often study animals to find clues to human physiology and behavior. Rats, insects, and microorganisms had already been studied aboard the Shuttle on previous missions. On Spacelab-3, scientists had a chance to observe a large number of animals living in space in a specially designed and independently controlled housing facility. Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) had management responsibility for the Spacelab-3 mission. This photograph depicts activities during the mission at the Huntsville Operations Support Center (HOSC) Spacelab Payload Operations Control Center (SL POCC) at MSFC.

Spacelab

NASA Image and Video Library

1985-05-01

Spacelab-3 launched aboard STS-51B, with the major science objective being to perform engineering tests on two new facilities: the rodent animal holding facility and the primate animal holding facility. In addition, scientists observed the animals to obtain first hand knowledge of the effects of launch and reentry stresses and behavior. The need for suitable animal housing to support research in space led to the development of the Research Animal Holding Facility at the Ames Research Center. Scientists often study animals to find clues to human physiology and behavior. Rats, insects, and microorganisms had already been studied aboard the Shuttle on previous missions. On Spacelab-3, scientists had a chance to observe a large number of animals living in space in a specially designed and independently controlled housing facility. Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) had management responsibility for the Spacelab 3 mission. This photograph depicts activities during the mission at the Huntsville Operations Support Center (HOSC) Spacelab Payload Operations Control Center (SL POCC) at MSFC.

Spacelab

NASA Image and Video Library

1985-05-01

Spacelab-3 launched aboard STS-51B, with the major science objective being to perform engineering tests on two new facilities: the rodent animal holding facility and the primate animal holding facility. In addition, scientists observed the animals to obtain first hand knowledge of the effects of launch and reentry stresses and behavior. The need for suitable animal housing to support research in space led to the development of the Research Animal Holding Facility at the Ames Research Center. Scientists often study animals to find clues to human physiology and behavior. Rats, insects, and microorganisms had already been studied aboard the Shuttle on previous missions. On Spacelab-3, scientists had a chance to observe a large number of animals living in space in a specially designed and independently controlled housing facility. Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) had management responsibility for the Spacelab-3 mission. This photograph depicts activities during the mission at the Huntsville Operations Support Center (HOSC) Spacelab Payload Operations Control Center (SL POCC) at MSFC.

Around Marshall

NASA Image and Video Library

1985-06-01

Spacelab-3 launched aboard STS-51B, with the major science objective being to perform engineering tests on two new facilities: the rodent animal holding facility and the primate animal holding facility. In addition, scientists observed the animals to obtain first hand knowledge of the effects of launch and reentry stresses and behavior. The need for suitable animal housing to support research in space led to the development of the Research Animal Holding Facility at the Ames Research Center. Scientists often study animals to find clues to human physiology and behavior. Rats, insects, and microorganisms had already been studied aboard the Shuttle on previous missions. On Spacelab-3, scientists had a chance to observe a large number of animals living in space in a specially designed and independently controlled housing facility. Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) had management responsibility for the Spacelab-3 mission. This photograph depicts activities during the mission at the Huntsville Operations Support Center (HOSC) Spacelab Payload Operations Control Center (SL POCC) at MSFC.

NASA's Principal Center for Review of Clean Air Act Regulations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Clark-Ingram, Marceia

2003-01-01

Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) was selected as the Principal Center for review of Clean Air Act (CAA) regulations. The CAA Principal Center is tasked to: 1) Provide centralized support to NASA/HDQ Code JE for the management and leadership of NASA's CAA regulation review process; 2) Identify potential impact from proposed CAA regulations to NASA program hardware and supporting facilities. The Shuttle Environmental Assurance Initiative, one of the responsibilities of the NASA CAA Working Group (WG), is described in part of this viewgraph presentation.

Automating a spacecraft electrical power system using expert systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lollar, L. F.

1991-01-01

Since Skylab, Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) has recognized the need for large electrical power systems (EPS's) in upcoming Spacecraft. The operation of the spacecraft depends on the EPS. Therefore, it must be efficient, safe, and reliable. In 1978, as a consequence of having to supply a large number of EPS personnel to monitor and control Skylab, the Electrical power Branch of MSFC began the autonomously managed power system (AMPS) project. This project resulted in the assembly of a 25-kW high-voltage dc test facility and provided the means of getting man out of the loop as much as possible. AMPS includes several embedded controllers which allow a significant level of autonomous operation. More recently, the Electrical Division at MSFC has developed the space station module power management and distribution (SSM/PMAD) breadboard to investigate managing and distributing power in the Space Station Freedom habitation and laboratory modules. Again, the requirement for a high level of autonomy for the efficient operation over the lifetime of the station and for the benefits of enhanced safety has been demonstrated. This paper describes the two breadboards and the hierarchical approach to automation which was developed through these projects.

Physical Examination to Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) Employees

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1998-01-01

Nurse performs tonometry examination, which measure the tension of the eyeball, during an employee's arnual physical examination given by MSFC Occupational Medicine Environmental Health Services under the Center Operations Directorate.

Overview of Marshall Space Flight Center Activities for the Combustion Stability Tool Development Program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kenny, R. J.; Greene, W. D.

2016-01-01

This presentation covers the overall scope, schedule, and activities associated with the NASA - Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) involvement with the Combustion Stability Tool Development (CSTD) program. The CSTD program is funded by the Air Force Space & Missile Systems Center; it is approximately two years in duration and; and it is sponsoring MSFC to: design, fabricate, & execute multi-element hardware testing, support Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) single element testing, and execute testing of a small-scale, multi-element combustion chamber. Specific MSFC Engineering Directorate involvement, per CSTD-sponsored task, will be outlined. This presentation serves a primer for the corresponding works that provide details of the technical work performed by individual groups within MSFC.

Application of Fault Management Theory to the Quantitive Selection of a Launch Vehicle Abort Trigger Suite

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lo, Yunnhon; Johnson, Stephen B.; Breckenridge, Jonathan T.

2014-01-01

SHM/FM theory has been successfully applied to the selection of the baseline set Abort Triggers for the NASA SLS center dot Quantitative assessment played a useful role in the decision process ? M&FM, which is new within NASA MSFC, required the most "new" work, as this quantitative analysis had never been done before center dot Required development of the methodology and tool to mechanize the process center dot Established new relationships to the other groups ? The process is now an accepted part of the SLS design process, and will likely be applied to similar programs in the future at NASA MSFC ? Future improvements center dot Improve technical accuracy ?Differentiate crew survivability due to an abort, vs. survivability even no immediate abort occurs (small explosion with little debris) ?Account for contingent dependence of secondary triggers on primary triggers ?Allocate "? LOC Benefit" of each trigger when added to the previously selected triggers. center dot Reduce future costs through the development of a specialized tool ? Methodology can be applied to any manned/unmanned vehicle, in space or terrestrial

Space Science Curricula

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1990-01-01

Johnson High School, Huntsville, Alabama started an international magnet program in 1987. One of the courses in the curriculum was in space science. They appealed to Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) when they couldn't find a suitable textbook, nor locate other classes in space science to provide a guideline. MSFC agreed to help and placed the school under an official 'Adopt-A-School' program. MSFC's chief scientist and others at the space center helped prepare a very comprehensive space science program. Examples of the subjects covered include problems of space travel, materials processing in space, technology utilization, robotics, space colonization, etc. MSFC followed up by working with Johnson High to determine if the curriculum is generally usable and workable. If it is, MSFC may make it available to other schools. MSFC not only developed the space science curriculum; they continue to support the program by sponsoring hands- on activities and tours of space research facilities.

Spacelab

NASA Image and Video Library

1984-01-01

During a Spacelab flight, the hub of activity was the Payload Operations Control Center (POCC) at the Johnson Space Flight Center (JSC) in Houston, Texas. The POCC became home to the management and science teams who worked around the clock to guide and support the mission. All Spacelab principal investigators and their teams of scientists and engineers set up work areas in the POCC. Through the use of computers, they could send commands to their instruments and receive and analyze experiment data. Instantaneous video and audio communications made it possible for scientists on the ground to follow the progress of their research almost as if they were in space with the crew. This real-time interaction between investigators on the ground and the crew in space was probably the most exciting of Spacelab's many capabilities. As principal investigators talked to the payload specialists during the mission, they consulted on experiment operations, made decisions, and shared in the thrill of gaining new knowledge. In December 1990, a newly-established POCC at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) opened its door for the operations of the Spacelab payloads and experiments, while JSC monitored the Shuttle flight operations. MSFC had managing responsibilities for the Spacelab missions.

Wernher von Braun

NASA Image and Video Library

1966-06-21

Dr. Joseph Randall, a laser expert at Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC), explains one of the projects he is working on to a group composed of Federal Republic of Germany and MSFC officials. From left are: Dr. Randall; Minister for Scientific Research of Federal Republic of Germany, Dr. Gerhard Stolenberg; Director of MSFC Astrionics Lab, Dr. Walter Haeusserman; Head of Space Research Federal Republic of Germany, Max Mayer; MSFC Director Dr. von Braun; MSFC Deputy Director Dr. Elberhard Rees.

Space Shuttle Projects

NASA Image and Video Library

1988-03-21

The Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) successfully test fired the third in a series of Transient Pressure Test Articles (TPTA) in its east test area. The test article was a short-stack solid rocket motor 52-feet long and 12-feet in diameter. The TPTA tests were designed to evaluate the effects of temperature, pressure and external loads encountered by the SRM, primarily during ignition transients. Instrumentation on the motor recorded approximately 1,000 charnels of data to verify the structural performance, thermal response, sealing capability of the redesign field, and case-to-nozzle joints. The TPTA test stand, 14-feet wide by 26-feet long by 33-feet high, was built in 1987. The TPTA series was a joint effort among Morton Thiokol, Inc., United Space Boosters, Inc., Wyle Laboratories, and MSFC. Wyle Laboratories conducted the tests for the MSFC, which manages the redesigned SRM program for NASA.

NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center Saves Water With High-Efficiency Toilet and Urinal Program

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

None

2011-02-22

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) has a longstanding, successful sustainability program that focuses on energy and water efficiency as well as environmental protection. Because MSFC was built in the 1960s, most of the buildings house outdated, inefficient restroom fixtures. The facility engineering team at MSFC developed an innovative efficiency model for replacing these older toilets and urinals.

Orbiter Enterprise at Marshall Space Flight Center for testing

NASA Image and Video Library

2002-10-29

In this view, the Shuttle Orbiter Enterprise is seen heading South on Rideout Road with Marshall Space Flight Center's (MSFC'S) administrative 4200 Complex in the background, as it is being transported to MSFC's building 4755 for later Mated Vertical Ground Vibration tests (MVGVT) at MSFC's Dynamic Test Stand. The tests marked the first time ever that the entire shuttle complement (including Orbiter, external tank, and solid rocket boosters) were mated vertically.

Walt Disney visited Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1965-01-01

Walt Disney toured the West Test Area during his visit to the Marshall Space Flight Center on April 13, 1965. The three in center foreground are Karl Heimburg, Director, Test Division; Dr. von Braun, Director, MSFC; and Walt Disney. The Dynamic Test Stand with the S-1C stage being installed is in the background.

Project LASER Volunteer, Marshall Space Flight Center Education Program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1999-01-01

Through Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) Education Department, over 400 MSFC employees have volunteered to support educational program during regular work hours. Project LASER (Learning About Science, Engineering, and Research) provides support for mentor/tutor requests, education tours, classroom presentations, and curriculum development. This program is available to teachers and students living within commuting distance of the NASA/MSFC in Huntsville, Alabama (approximately 50-miles radius). This image depicts students viewing their reflections in an x-ray mirror with Marshall optic engineer Vince Huegele at the Discovery Laboratory, which is an onsite MSFC laboratory facility that provides hands-on educational workshop sessions for teachers and students learning activities.

Precision Cleaning and Verification Processes Used at Marshall Space Flight Center for Critical Hardware Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Caruso, Salvadore V.; Cox, Jack A.; McGee, Kathleen A.

1998-01-01

Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration performs many research and development programs that require hardware and assemblies to be cleaned to levels that are compatible with fuels and oxidizers (liquid oxygen, solid propellants, etc.). Also, MSFC is responsible for developing large telescope satellites which require a variety of optical systems to be cleaned. A precision cleaning shop is operated within MSFC by the Fabrication Services Division of the Materials & Processes Laboratory. Verification of cleanliness is performed for all precision cleaned articles in the Environmental and Analytical Chemistry Branch. Since the Montreal Protocol was instituted, MSFC had to find substitutes for many materials that have been in use for many years, including cleaning agents and organic solvents. As MSFC is a research center, there is a great variety of hardware that is processed in the Precision Cleaning Shop. This entails the use of many different chemicals and solvents, depending on the nature and configuration of the hardware and softgoods being cleaned. A review of the manufacturing cleaning and verification processes, cleaning materials and solvents used at MSFC and changes that resulted from the Montreal Protocol will be presented.

Pathfinder

NASA Image and Video Library

2001-07-01

This photograph shows two Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) engineers, Mark Vaccaro (left) and Ken Welzyn, testing electrodynamic tethers in the MSFC Tether Winding and Spark Testing Facility. For 4 years, MSFC and industry partners have been developing the Propulsive Small Expendable Deployer System experiment, called ProSEDS. ProSEDS will test electrodynamic tether propulsion technology. Electrodynamic tethers are long, thin wires that collect electrical current when passing through a magnetic field. The tether works as a thruster as a magnetic field exerts a force on a current-carrying wire. Since electrodynamic tethers require no propellant, they could substantially reduce the weight of the spacecraft and provide a cost-effective method of reboosting spacecraft. The initial flight of ProSEDS is scheduled to fly aboard an Air Force Delta II rocket in the summer of 2002. In orbit, ProSEDS will deploy from a Delta II second stage. It will be a 3.1-mile (5 kilometer) long, ultrathin base-wire tether cornected with a 6.2-mile (10 kilometer) long non-conducting tether. This photograph shows Less Johnson, a scientist at MSFC, inspecting the nonconducting part of a tether as it exits a deployer similar to the one to be used in the ProSEDS experiment. The ProSEDS experiment is managed by the Space Transportation Directorate at MSFC.

The SLS Stages Intertank Structural Test Assembly (STA) arrives at MSFC

NASA Image and Video Library

2018-03-08

The SLS Stages Intertank Structural Test Assembly (STA) is rolling off the NASA Pegasus Barge at the MSFC Dock enroute to the MSFC 4619 Load Test Annex test facility for qualification testing via MSFC West Test Area. Historic Saturn 1-C test stand on far left, blockhouse 4670 on far right, SLS LH2 test stand, 4693, in center.

Rocket exhaust effluent modeling for tropospheric air quality and environmental assessments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stephens, J. B.; Stewart, R. B.

1977-01-01

The various techniques for diffusion predictions to support air quality predictions and environmental assessments for aerospace applications are discussed in terms of limitations imposed by atmospheric data. This affords an introduction to the rationale behind the selection of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)/Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) Rocket Exhaust Effluent Diffusion (REED) program. The models utilized in the NASA/MSFC REED program are explained. This program is then evaluated in terms of some results from a joint MSFC/Langley Research Center/Kennedy Space Center Titan Exhaust Effluent Prediction and Monitoring Program.

Earth Science

NASA Image and Video Library

2001-01-01

A NASA team studying the causes of electrical storms and their effects on our home planet achieved a milestone on August 21, 2002, completing the study's longest-duration research flight and monitoring four thunderstorms in succession. Radio news media can talk with Dr. Richard Blakeslee, the project's principal investigator, and Tony Kim, project manager at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC), about their results and how their work will help improve future weather forecasting ability. Based at the Naval Air Station Key West, Florida, researchers with the Altus Cumulus Electrification Study (ACES) used the Altus II remotely- piloted aircraft to study a thunderstorm in the Atlantic Ocean off Key West, two storms at the western edge of the Everglades, and a large storm over the northwestern corner of the Everglades. This photograph shows Tony Kim And Dr. Richard Blakeslee of MSFC testing aircraft sensors that would be used to measure the electric fields produced by thunderstorm as part of NASA's ACES. With dual goals of gathering weather data safely and testing the adaptability of the uninhabited aircraft, the ACES study is a collaboration among the MSFC, the University of Alabama in Huntsville, NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, Pernsylvania State University in University Park, and General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc.

Around Marshall

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-12-01

Helen Cole, the project manager for the Lab-on-a-Chip Applications Development program, and Lisa Monaco, the project scientist for the program, insert a lab on a chip into the Caliper 42 which is specialized equipment that controls processes on commercial chips to support development of lab-on-a-chip applications. The system has special microscopes and imaging systems, so scientists can process and study different types of fluid, chemical, and medical tests conducted on chips. For example, researchers have examined fluorescent bacteria as it flows through the chips' fluid channels or microfluidic capillaries. Researchers at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) in Huntsville, Alabama, have been studying how the lab-on-a-chip technology can be used for microbial detection, water quality monitoring, and detecting biosignatures of past or present life on Mars. The Marshall Center team is also collaborating with scientists at other NASA centers and at universities to develop custom chip designs for not only space applications, but for many Earth applications, such as for detecting deadly microbes in heating and air systems. (NASA/MSFC/D.Stoffer)

Total Quality Management in Space Shuttle Main Engine manufacturing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ding, J.

1992-01-01

The Total Quality Management (TQM) philosophy developed in the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) is briefly reviewed and the ongoing TQM implementation effort which is being pursued through the continuous improvement (CI) process is discussed. TQM is based on organizational excellence which integrates the new supportive culture with the technical tools necessary to identify, assess, and correct manufacturing processes. Particular attention is given to the prime contractor's change to the organizational excellence management philosophy in SSME manufacturing facilities.

Precision Cleaning and Verification Processes Used at Marshall Space Flight Center for Critical Hardware Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Caruso, Salvadore V.

1999-01-01

Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) performs many research and development programs that require hardware and assemblies to be cleaned to levels that are compatible with fuels and oxidizers (liquid oxygen, solid propellants, etc.). Also, the Center is responsible for developing large telescope satellites which requires a variety of optical systems to be cleaned. A precision cleaning shop is operated with-in MSFC by the Fabrication Services Division of the Materials & Processes Division. Verification of cleanliness is performed for all precision cleaned articles in the Analytical Chemistry Branch. Since the Montreal Protocol was instituted, MSFC had to find substitutes for many materials that has been in use for many years, including cleaning agents and organic solvents. As MSFC is a research Center, there is a great variety of hardware that is processed in the Precision Cleaning Shop. This entails the use of many different chemicals and solvents, depending on the nature and configuration of the hardware and softgoods being cleaned. A review of the manufacturing cleaning and verification processes, cleaning materials and solvents used at MSFC and changes that resulted from the Montreal Protocol will be presented.

Around Marshall

NASA Image and Video Library

1996-06-20

Launched on June 20, 1996, the STS-78 mission’s primary payload was the Life and Microgravity Spacelab (LMS), which was managed by the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). During the 17 day space flight, the crew conducted a diverse slate of experiments divided into a mix of life science and microgravity investigations. In a manner very similar to future International Space Station operations, LMS researchers from the United States and their European counterparts shared resources such as crew time and equipment. Five space agencies (NASA/USA, European Space Agency/Europe (ESA), French Space Agency/France, Canadian Space Agency /Canada, and Italian Space Agency/Italy) along with research scientists from 10 countries worked together on the design, development and construction of the LMS. In this photo, LMS mission scientist Patton Downey and LMS mission manager Mark Boudreaux display the flag that was flown for the mission at MSFC.

Gregory Merkel Tours Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1972-01-01

Gregory A. Merkel (left), high school student from Springfield, Massachusetts, is pictured here with Harry Coons of the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) during a visit to the center. Merkel was among 25 winners of a contest in which some 3,500 high school students proposed experiments for the following year's Skylab mission. The nationwide scientific competition was sponsored by the National Science Teachers Association and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The winning students, along with their parents and sponsor teachers, visited MSFC where they met with scientists and engineers, participated in design reviews for their experiments, and toured MSFC facilities. Of the 25 students, 6 did not see their experiments conducted on Skylab because the experiments were not compatible with Skylab hardware and timelines. Of the 19 remaining, 11 experiments required the manufacture of additional equipment.

Brian Dunlap Tours Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1972-01-01

W. Brain Dunlap (left), high school student from Youngstown, Ohio, is pictured here with Harry Coons of the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) during a visit to the center. Dunlap was among 25 winners of a contest in which some 3,500 high school students proposed experiments for the following year's Skylab mission. The nationwide scientific competition was sponsored by the National Science Teachers Association and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The winning students, along with their parents and sponsor teachers, visited MSFC where they met with scientists and engineers, participated in design reviews for their experiments, and toured MSFC facilities. Of the 25 students, 6 did not see their experiments conducted on Skylab because the experiments were not compatible with Skylab hardware and timelines. Of the 19 remaining, 11 experiments required the manufacture of additional equipment.

Launch Vehicles

NASA Image and Video Library

1992-09-25

Titan III vehicle launched the Mars Observer spacecraft and the Transfer Orbit Stage (TOS) from the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station on September 25, 1992. Managed by the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC), TOS will fire to send the Observer on an 11-month interplanetary journey to the Mars. The Observer failed to reach the Mars orbit in August 1993.

Saturn Apollo Program

NASA Image and Video Library

1960-01-01

RL-10 engine characteristics. The RL-10 engine was developed under the management of the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) to power the Saturn I upper stage (S-IV stage). The six RL-10 engines, which used liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen as propellants, were arranged in a circle on the aft end of the S-IV stage.

The MSFC Program Control Development Program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1994-01-01

It is the policy of the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) that employees be given the opportunity to develop their individual skills and realize their full potential consistent with their selected career path and with the overall Center's needs and objectives. The MSFC Program Control Development Program has been designed to assist individuals who have selected Program Control or Program Analyst Program Control as a career path to achieve their ultimate career goals. Individuals selected to participate in the MSFC Program Control Development Program will be provided with development training in the various Program Control functional areas identified in the NASA Program Control Model. The purpose of the MSFC Program Control Development Program is to develop individual skills in the various Program Control functions by on-the-job and classroom instructional training on the various systems, tools, techniques, and processes utilized in these areas.

Using the World Wide Web for GIDEP Problem Data Processing at Marshall Space Flight Center

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

McPherson, John W.; Haraway, Sandra W.; Whirley, J. Don

1999-01-01

Since April 1997, Marshall Space Flight Center has been using electronic transfer and the web to support our processing of the Government-Industry Data Exchange Program (GIDEP) and NASA ALERT information. Specific aspects include: (1) Extraction of ASCII text information from GIDEP for loading into Word documents for e-mail to ALERT actionees; (2) Downloading of GIDEP form image formats in Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) for internal storage display on the MSFC ALERT web page; (3) Linkage of stored GRDEP problem forms with summary information for access from the MSFC ALERT Distribution Summary Chart or from an html table of released MSFC ALERTs (4) Archival of historic ALERTs for reference by GIDEP ID, MSFC ID, or MSFC release date; (5) On-line tracking of ALERT response status using a Microsoft Access database and the web (6) On-line response to ALERTs from MSFC actionees through interactive web forms. The technique, benefits, effort, coordination, and lessons learned for each aspect are covered herein.

Potential utilization of the NASA/George C. Marshall Space Flight Center in earthquake engineering research

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Scholl, R. E. (Editor)

1979-01-01

Earthquake engineering research capabilities of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) facilities at George C. Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC), Alabama, were evaluated. The results indicate that the NASA/MSFC facilities and supporting capabilities offer unique opportunities for conducting earthquake engineering research. Specific features that are particularly attractive for large scale static and dynamic testing of natural and man-made structures include the following: large physical dimensions of buildings and test bays; high loading capacity; wide range and large number of test equipment and instrumentation devices; multichannel data acquisition and processing systems; technical expertise for conducting large-scale static and dynamic testing; sophisticated techniques for systems dynamics analysis, simulation, and control; and capability for managing large-size and technologically complex programs. Potential uses of the facilities for near and long term test programs to supplement current earthquake research activities are suggested.

Microgravity

NASA Image and Video Library

1998-08-10

Lisa Crawford, a graduate research assistant from the University of Toledo, works with Laurel Karr of Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) in the molecular biology laboratory. They are donducting genetic manipulation of bacteria and yeast for the production of large amount of desired protein. Photo credit: NASA/Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC)

Development of Mirror Modules for the ART-XC Instrument

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gubarev, M.; Ramsey, B.; O'Dell, S. L.; Elsner, R.; Kilaru, K.; McCracken, J.; Pavlinsky, M.; Lapshov, I.

2012-01-01

The Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) is developing x-ray mirror modules for the ART -XC instrument on board the Spectrum-Roentgen-Gamma Mission under a Reimbursable Agreement between NASA and the Russian Space Research Institute (IKI.) ART-XC will consist of seven co-aligned x-ray mirror modules with seven corresponding CdTe focal plane detectors. Currently, four of the modules are being fabricated by the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC.) Each MSFC module provides an effective area of 65 cm2 at 8 keV, response out to 30 keV, and an angular resolution of 45 arcsec or better HPD. We will present a status of the ART x-ray module development at MSFC.

Members of House Committee on Science and Astronautics Visited MSFC

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1962-01-01

The members of the House Committee on Science and Astronautics visited the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) on March 9, 1962 to gather firsthand information of the nation's space exploration program. The congressional group was composed of members of the Subcommittee on Manned Space Flight. They were briefed on MSFC's manned space efforts earlier in the day and then inspected mockups of the Saturn I Workshop and the Apollo Telescope Mount, two projects developed by MSFC for the post-Apollo program. Pictured left-to-right are Dieter Grau, MSFC; Konrad Dannenberg, MSFC; James G. Fulton, Republican representative for Pennsylvania; Joe Waggoner, Democratic representative for Louisiana; and Dr. Wernher von Braun, Director of MSFC.

Marshall Application Realignment System (MARS) Architecture

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Belshe, Andrea; Sutton, Mandy

2010-01-01

The Marshall Application Realignment System (MARS) Architecture project was established to meet the certification requirements of the Department of Defense Architecture Framework (DoDAF) V2.0 Federal Enterprise Architecture Certification (FEAC) Institute program and to provide added value to the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) Application Portfolio Management process. The MARS Architecture aims to: (1) address the NASA MSFC Chief Information Officer (CIO) strategic initiative to improve Application Portfolio Management (APM) by optimizing investments and improving portfolio performance, and (2) develop a decision-aiding capability by which applications registered within the MSFC application portfolio can be analyzed and considered for retirement or decommission. The MARS Architecture describes a to-be target capability that supports application portfolio analysis against scoring measures (based on value) and overall portfolio performance objectives (based on enterprise needs and policies). This scoring and decision-aiding capability supports the process by which MSFC application investments are realigned or retired from the application portfolio. The MARS Architecture is a multi-phase effort to: (1) conduct strategic architecture planning and knowledge development based on the DoDAF V2.0 six-step methodology, (2) describe one architecture through multiple viewpoints, (3) conduct portfolio analyses based on a defined operational concept, and (4) enable a new capability to support the MSFC enterprise IT management mission, vision, and goals. This report documents Phase 1 (Strategy and Design), which includes discovery, planning, and development of initial architecture viewpoints. Phase 2 will move forward the process of building the architecture, widening the scope to include application realignment (in addition to application retirement), and validating the underlying architecture logic before moving into Phase 3. The MARS Architecture key stakeholders are most interested in Phase 3 because this is where the data analysis, scoring, and recommendation capability is realized. Stakeholders want to see the benefits derived from reducing the steady-state application base and identify opportunities for portfolio performance improvement and application realignment.

The Marshall Space Flight Center Development of Mirror Modules for the ART-XC Instrument aboard the Spectrum-Roentgen-Gamma Mission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gubarev, Mikhail V.; Ramsey, B.; ODell, S. L.; Elsner, R.; Kilaru, K.; McCracken, J.; Pavlinsky, M.; Tkachenko, A.; Lapshov, I.

2012-01-01

The Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) is developing x-ray mirror modules for the ART-XC instrument on board the Spectrum-Roentgen Gamma Mission under a Reimbursable Agreement between NASA and the Russian Space Research Institute (IKI.) ART-XC will consist of seven co-aligned x-ray mirror modules with seven corresponding CdTe focal plane detectors. Currently, four of the modules are being fabricated by the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC.) Each MSFC module consist of 28 nested Ni/Co thin shells giving an effective area of 65 sq cm at 8 keV, response out to 30 keV, and an angular resolution of 45 arcsec or better HPD. Delivery of these modules to the IKI is scheduled for summer 2013. We present a status of the ART x-ray modules development at the MSFC.

The Marshall Space Flight Center development of mirror modules for the ART-XC instrument aboard the Spectrum-Roentgen-Gamma mission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gubarev, M.; Ramsey, B.; O'Dell, S. L.; Elsner, R.; Kilaru, K.; McCracken, J.; Pavlinsky, M.; Tkachenko, A.; Lapshov, I.

2012-09-01

The Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) is developing x-ray mirror modules for the ART-XC instrument on board the Spectrum-Roentgen-Gamma Mission under a Reimbursable Agreement between NASA and the Russian Space Research Institute (IKI.) ART-XC will consist of seven co-aligned x-ray mirror modules with seven corresponding CdTe focal plane detectors. Currently, four of the modules are being fabricated by the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC.) Each MSFC module consist of 28 nested Ni/Co thin shells giving an effective area of 65 cm2 at 8 keV, response out to 30 keV, and an angular resolution of 45 arcsec or better HPD. Delivery of these modules to the IKI is scheduled for summer 2013. We present a status of the ART x-ray modules development at the MSFC.

Members of House Committee on Science and Astronautics Visited MSFC

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1962-01-01

Members of the House Committee on Science and Astronautics visited the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) on January 3, 1962 to gather firsthand information of the nation's space exploration program. The congressional group was composed of members of the Subcommittee on Manned Space Flight. Shown here at MSFC's Manufacturing Engineering Laboratory are (left to right): Dr. Eberhard Rees, MSFC; Congressman George P. Miller, Democratic representative of California; Congressman F. Edward Hebert, Democratic representative of Louisiana; Congressman Robert R. Casey, Democratic representative of Texas; and Werner Kuers, MSFC.

n/a

NASA Image and Video Library

1962-03-08

The members of the House Committee on Science and Astronautics visited the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) on March 9, 1962 to gather firsthand information of the nation's space exploration program. The congressional group was composed of members of the Subcommittee on Manned Space Flight. They were briefed on MSFC's manned space efforts earlier in the day and then inspected mockups of the Saturn I Workshop and the Apollo Telescope Mount, two projects developed by MSFC for the post-Apollo program. Pictured left-to-right are Dieter Grau, MSFC; Konrad Dannenberg, MSFC; James G. Fulton, Republican representative for Pennsylvania; Joe Waggoner, Democratic representative for Louisiana; and Dr. Wernher von Braun, Director of MSFC.

Manipulating Genetic Material in Bacteria

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1998-01-01

Lisa Crawford, a graduate research assistant from the University of Toledo, works with Laurel Karr of Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) in the molecular biology laboratory. They are donducting genetic manipulation of bacteria and yeast for the production of large amount of desired protein. Photo credit: NASA/Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC)

6. PRELIMINARY SKETCH FOR A NEW REDSTONE ARSENAL HEADQUARTERS AND ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

6. PRELIMINARY SKETCH FOR A NEW REDSTONE ARSENAL HEADQUARTERS AND ENGINEERING AREA. (PRESENT DAY MARSHALL SPACE FLIGHT CENTER), INCLUDING TEST AREA NUMBER 2 (MSFC, EAST TEST AREA). SEPTEMBER 1951, HANNES LUEHRSEN COLLECTION, MSFC MASTER PLANNING OFFICE. - Marshall Space Flight Center, East Test Area, Dodd Road, Huntsville, Madison County, AL

Research Technology

NASA Image and Video Library

1998-09-16

A team of engineers at Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) has designed, fabricated, and tested the first solar thermal engine, a non-chemical rocket that produces lower thrust but has better thrust efficiency than the chemical combustion engines. This segmented array of mirrors is the solar concentrator test stand at MSFC for firing the thermal propulsion engines. The 144 mirrors are combined to form an 18-foot diameter array concentrator. The mirror segments are aluminum hexagons that have the reflective surface cut into it by a diamond turning machine, which is developed by MSFC Space Optics Manufacturing Technology Center.

Saturn Apollo Program

NASA Image and Video Library

1965-01-01

Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) workers lower S-IB-200D, a dynamic test version of the Saturn IB launch vehicle's first stage (S-IB stage), into the Center's Dynamic Test Stand on January 12, 1965. Test Laboratory persornel assembled a complete Saturn IB to test the structural soundness of the launch vehicle. Developed by the MSFC as an interim vehicle in MSFC's "building block" approach to Saturn rocket development, the Saturn IB utilized Saturn I technology to further develop and refine large boosters and the Apollo spacecraft capabilities required for the manned lunar missions.

Saturn Apollo Program

NASA Image and Video Library

1967-01-01

NASA used barges for transporting full-sized stages for the Saturn I, Saturn IB, and Saturn V vehicles between the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC), the manufacturing plant at the Michoud Assembly Facility (MAF), the Mississippi Test Facility for testing, and the Kennedy Space Center. The barges traveled from the MSFC dock to the MAF, a total of 1,086.7 miles up the Tennessee River and down the Mississippi River. The barges also transported the assembled stages of the Saturn vehicle from the MAF to the Kennedy Space Center, a total of 932.4 miles along the Gulf of Mexico and up along the Atlantic Ocean, for the final assembly and the launch. This photograph shows the barge Orion at the MSFC dock.

Modeling and analysis of chill and fill processes for the cryogenic storage and transfer engineering development unit tank

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hedayat, A.; Cartagena, W.; Majumdar, A. K.; LeClair, A. C.

2016-03-01

NASA's future missions may require long-term storage and transfer of cryogenic propellants. The Engineering Development Unit (EDU), a NASA in-house effort supported by both Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) and Glenn Research Center, is a cryogenic fluid management (CFM) test article that primarily serves as a manufacturing pathfinder and a risk reduction task for a future CFM payload. The EDU test article comprises a flight-like tank, internal components, insulation, and attachment struts. The EDU is designed to perform integrated passive thermal control performance testing with liquid hydrogen (LH2) in a test-like vacuum environment. A series of tests, with LH2 as a testing fluid, was conducted at Test Stand 300 at MSFC during the summer of 2014. The objective of this effort was to develop a thermal/fluid model for evaluating the thermodynamic behavior of the EDU tank during the chill and fill processes. The Generalized Fluid System Simulation Program, an MSFC in-house general-purpose computer program for flow network analysis, was utilized to model and simulate the chill and fill portion of the testing. The model contained the LH2 supply source, feed system, EDU tank, and vent system. The test setup, modeling description, and comparison of model predictions with the test data are presented.

NASA Studies Lightning Storms Using High-Flying, Uninhabited Vehicle

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2001-01-01

A NASA team studying the causes of electrical storms and their effects on our home planet achieved a milestone on August 21, 2002, completing the study's longest-duration research flight and monitoring four thunderstorms in succession. Radio news media can talk with Dr. Richard Blakeslee, the project's principal investigator, and Tony Kim, project manager at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC), about their results and how their work will help improve future weather forecasting ability. Based at the Naval Air Station Key West, Florida, researchers with the Altus Cumulus Electrification Study (ACES) used the Altus II remotely- piloted aircraft to study a thunderstorm in the Atlantic Ocean off Key West, two storms at the western edge of the Everglades, and a large storm over the northwestern corner of the Everglades. This photograph shows Tony Kim And Dr. Richard Blakeslee of MSFC testing aircraft sensors that would be used to measure the electric fields produced by thunderstorm as part of NASA's ACES. With dual goals of gathering weather data safely and testing the adaptability of the uninhabited aircraft, the ACES study is a collaboration among the MSFC, the University of Alabama in Huntsville, NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, Pernsylvania State University in University Park, and General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc.

Modeling and Analysis of Chill and Fill Processes for the EDU Tank

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hedayat, A.; Cartagena, W.; Majumdar, A. K.; Leclair, A. C.

2015-01-01

NASA's future missions may require long-term storage and transfer of cryogenic propellants. The Engineering Development Unit (EDU), a NASA in-house effort supported by both Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) and Glenn Research Center (GRC), is a Cryogenic Fluid Management (CFM) test article that primarily serves as a manufacturing pathfinder and a risk reduction task for a future CFM payload. The EDU test article, comprises a flight like tank, internal components, insulation, and attachment struts. The EDU is designed to perform integrated passive thermal control performance testing with liquid hydrogen in a space-like vacuum environment. A series of tests, with liquid hydrogen as a testing fluid, was conducted at Test Stand 300 at MSFC during summer of 2014. The objective of this effort was to develop a thermal/fluid model for evaluating the thermodynamic behavior of the EDU tank during the chill and fill processes. Generalized Fluid System Simulation Program (GFSSP), an MSFC in-house general-purpose computer program for flow network analysis, was utilized to model and simulate the chill and fill portion of the testing. The model contained the liquid hydrogen supply source, feed system, EDU tank, and vent system. The modeling description and comparison of model predictions with the test data will be presented in the final paper.

Research Technology

NASA Image and Video Library

2002-07-01

Dr. Tom Markusic, a propulsion research engineer at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC), adjusts a diagnostic laser while a pulsed plasma thruster (PPT) fires in a vacuum chamber in the background. NASA/MSFC's Propulsion Research Center (PRC) is presently investigating plasma propulsion for potential use on future nuclear-powered spacecraft missions, such as human exploration of Mars.

Skylab

NASA Image and Video Library

1973-05-01

Sixty-three seconds after the launch of the modified Saturn V vehicle carrying the Skylab cluster, engineers in the operation support and control center saw an unexpected telemetry indication that signalled that damages occurred on one solar array and the micrometeoroid shield during the launch. Still unoccupied, the Skylab was stricken with the loss of the heat shield and sunlight beat mercilessly on the lab's sensitive skin. Internal temperatures soared, rendering the the station uninhabitable, threatening foods, medicines, films, and experiments. The launch of the first marned Skylab (Skylab-2) mission was delayed until methods were devised to repair and salvage the workshop. Personnel from other NASA Centers and industries quickly joined the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) in efforts to save the damaged Skylab. They worked day and night for the next several days. Eventually the MSFC developed, tested, rehearsed, and approved three repair options. These options included a parasol sunshade and a twin-pole sunshade to restore the temperature inside the workshop, and a set of metal cutting tools to free the jammed solar panel. This photograph was taken during a discussion of the methods of the twin-pole Sun shield by (left to right) Astronaut Alan Bean, MSFC Director Dr. Rocco Petrone, Astronaut Edward Gibson, and MSFC engineer Richard Heckman. Dr. William Lucas, who became MSFC Director after Dr. Petrone left MSFC in March of 1974, is standing.

Model Based Definition

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rowe, Sidney E.

2010-01-01

In September 2007, the Engineering Directorate at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) created the Design System Focus Team (DSFT). MSFC was responsible for the in-house design and development of the Ares 1 Upper Stage and the Engineering Directorate was preparing to deploy a new electronic Configuration Management and Data Management System with the Design Data Management System (DDMS) based upon a Commercial Off The Shelf (COTS) Product Data Management (PDM) System. The DSFT was to establish standardized CAD practices and a new data life cycle for design data. Of special interest here, the design teams were to implement Model Based Definition (MBD) in support of the Upper Stage manufacturing contract. It is noted that this MBD does use partially dimensioned drawings for auxiliary information to the model. The design data lifecycle implemented several new release states to be used prior to formal release that allowed the models to move through a flow of progressive maturity. The DSFT identified some 17 Lessons Learned as outcomes of the standards development, pathfinder deployments and initial application to the Upper Stage design completion. Some of the high value examples are reviewed.

Members of House Committee on Science and Astronautics Visited MSFC

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1962-01-01

The members of the House Committee on Science and Astronautics visited the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) on March 9, 1962 to gather firsthand information of the nation's space exploration program. The congressional group was composed of members of the Subcommittee on Manned Space Flight. The subcommittee was briefed on MSFC's manned space efforts earlier in the day and then inspected mockups of the Saturn I Workshop and the Apollo Telescope Mount, two projects developed by MSFC for the post-Apollo program. In this photograph, MSFC Director, Dr. Wernher von Braun and Joe Waggoner, Democratic representative of Louisiana, discuss Apollo models.

Research Reports: 2001 NASA/ASEE Summer Faculty Fellowship Program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Karr, G. (Editor); Pruitt, J. (Editor); Nash-Stevenson, S. (Editor); Freeman, L. M. (Editor); Karr, C. L. (Editor)

2002-01-01

For the thirty-seventh consecutive year, a NASA/ASEE (American Society for Engineering Education) Summer Faculty Fellowship Program was conducted at Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). The program was conducted by The University of Alabama in Huntsville and MSFC during the period May 29 - August 3, 2001. Operated under the auspices of the American Society for Engineering Education, the MSFC program, as well as those at other NASA Centers, was sponsored by the University Affairs Office, NASA Headquarters, Washington, DC. The basic objectives of the programs, which are in the thirty-seventh year of operation nationally, are (1) to further the professional knowledge of qualified engineering and science faculty members; (2) to stimulate an exchange of ideas between participants and NASA; (3) to enrich and refresh the research and teaching activities of the participants' institutions; and (4) to contribute to the research objectives of the NASA Centers. The Faculty Fellows spent ten weeks at MSFC engaged in a research project compatible with their interests and background and worked in collaboration with a NASA MSFC colleague. This document is a compilation of Fellows' reports on their research during the summer of 2001.

Lab-on a-Chip

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2003-01-01

Helen Cole, the project manager for the Lab-on-a-Chip Applications Development program, and Lisa Monaco, the project scientist for the program, insert a lab on a chip into the Caliper 42 which is specialized equipment that controls processes on commercial chips to support development of lab-on-a-chip applications. The system has special microscopes and imaging systems, so scientists can process and study different types of fluid, chemical, and medical tests conducted on chips. For example, researchers have examined fluorescent bacteria as it flows through the chips' fluid channels or microfluidic capillaries. Researchers at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) in Huntsville, Alabama, have been studying how the lab-on-a-chip technology can be used for microbial detection, water quality monitoring, and detecting biosignatures of past or present life on Mars. The Marshall Center team is also collaborating with scientists at other NASA centers and at universities to develop custom chip designs for not only space applications, but for many Earth applications, such as for detecting deadly microbes in heating and air systems. (NASA/MSFC/D.Stoffer)

Around Marshall

NASA Image and Video Library

1990-12-02

The primary objective of the STS-35 mission was round the clock observation of the celestial sphere in ultraviolet and X-Ray astronomy with the Astro-1 observatory which consisted of four telescopes: the Hopkins Ultraviolet Telescope (HUT); the Wisconsin Ultraviolet Photo-Polarimeter Experiment (WUPPE); the Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (UIT); and the Broad Band X-Ray Telescope (BBXRT). The Huntsville Operations Support Center (HOSC) Spacelab Payload Operations Control Center (SL POCC) at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) was the air/ground communication channel used between the astronauts and ground control teams during the Spacelab missions. Teams of controllers and researchers directed on-orbit science operations, sent commands to the spacecraft, received data from experiments aboard the Space Shuttle, adjusted mission schedules to take advantage of unexpected science opportunities or unexpected results, and worked with crew members to resolve problems with their experiments. Due to loss of data used for pointing and operating the ultraviolet telescopes, MSFC ground teams were forced to aim the telescopes with fine tuning by the flight crew. This photo captures the activity of viewing HUT data in the Mission Manager Actions Room during the mission.

Around Marshall

NASA Image and Video Library

1990-12-02

The primary objective of the STS-35 mission was round the clock observation of the celestial sphere in ultraviolet and X-Ray astronomy with the Astro-1 observatory which consisted of four telescopes: the Hopkins Ultraviolet Telescope (HUT); the Wisconsin Ultraviolet Photo-Polarimeter Experiment (WUPPE); the Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (UIT); and the Broad Band X-Ray Telescope (BBXRT). The Huntsville Operations Support Center (HOSC) Spacelab Payload Operations Control Center (SL POCC) at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) was the air/ground communication channel used between the astronauts and ground control teams during the Spacelab missions. Teams of controllers and researchers directed on-orbit science operations, sent commands to the spacecraft, received data from experiments aboard the Space Shuttle, adjusted mission schedules to take advantage of unexpected science opportunities or unexpected results, and worked with crew members to resolve problems with their experiments. Due to loss of data used for pointing and operating the ultraviolet telescopes, MSFC ground teams were forced to aim the telescopes with fine tuning by the flight crew. This photo captures the activities at the Mission Manager Actions Room during the mission.

MSFC Annual Day of Remembrance ceremony

NASA Image and Video Library

2018-01-25

Participants in Marshall Space Flight Center’s annual “Day of Remembrance are, from left to right, MSFC Director Todd May, retired astronaut Jan Davis, retired astronaut Robert “Hoot” Gibson, retired astronaut Robert Stewart, MSFC Deputy Director Jody singer, and Director of Safety and Mission Assurance Rick Burt.

HUT Data Inspected at Marshall Space Flight Center During the STS-35 Mission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1990-01-01

The primary objective of the STS-35 mission was round the clock observation of the celestial sphere in ultraviolet and X-Ray astronomy with the Astro-1 observatory which consisted of four telescopes: the Hopkins Ultraviolet Telescope (HUT); the Wisconsin Ultraviolet Photo-Polarimeter Experiment (WUPPE); the Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (UIT); and the Broad Band X-Ray Telescope (BBXRT). The Huntsville Operations Support Center (HOSC) Spacelab Payload Operations Control Center (SL POCC) at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) was the air/ground communication channel used between the astronauts and ground control teams during the Spacelab missions. Teams of controllers and researchers directed on-orbit science operations, sent commands to the spacecraft, received data from experiments aboard the Space Shuttle, adjusted mission schedules to take advantage of unexpected science opportunities or unexpected results, and worked with crew members to resolve problems with their experiments. Due to loss of data used for pointing and operating the ultraviolet telescopes, MSFC ground teams were forced to aim the telescopes with fine tuning by the flight crew. This photo captures the activity of viewing HUT data in the Mission Manager Actions Room during the mission.

Copper Disk Manufactured at the Space Optics Manufacturing and Technology Center

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2001-01-01

This photograph shows Wes Brown, Marshall Space Flight Center's (MSFC's) lead diamond tuner, an expert in the science of using diamond-tipped tools to cut metal, inspecting the mold's physical characteristics to ensure the uniformity of its more than 6,000 grooves. This king-size copper disk, manufactured at the Space Optics Manufacturing and Technology Center (SOMTC) at MSFC, is a special mold for making high resolution monitor screens. This master mold will be used to make several other molds, each capable of forming hundreds of screens that have a type of lens called a fresnel lens. Weighing much less than conventional optics, fresnel lenses have multiple concentric grooves, each formed to a precise angle, that together create the curvature needed to focus and project images. The MSFC leads NASA's space optics manufacturing technology development as a technology leader for diamond turning. The machine used to manufacture this mold is among many one-of-a-kind pieces of equipment of MSFC's SOMTC.

Saturn Apollo Program

NASA Image and Video Library

1965-01-01

Workers at the Marshall Space Flight Center's (MSFC) Dynamic Test Stand install S-IB-200D, a dynamic test version of the Saturn IB launch vehicle's first stage, on January 11, 1965. MSFC Test Laboratory persornel assembled a complete Saturn IB to test the launch vehicle's structural soundness. Developed by the MSFC as an interim vehicle in MSFC's "building block" approach to the Saturn rocket development, the Saturn IB utilized Saturn I technology to further develop and refine the larger boosters and the Apollo spacecraft capabilities required for the manned lunar missions.

Copper Disk Manufactured at the Space Optics Manufacturing and Technology Center

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1997-01-01

This king-size copper disk, manufactured at the Space Optics Manufacturing and Technology Center (SOMTC) at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC), is a special mold for making high resolution monitor screens. This master mold will be used to make several other molds, each capable of forming hundreds of screens that have a type of lens called a Fresnel lens. Weighing much less than conventional optics, Fresnel lenses have multiple concentric grooves, each formed to a precise angle, that together create the curvature needed to focus and project images. MSFC leads NASA's space optics manufacturing technology development as a technology leader for diamond turning. The machine used to manufacture this mold is among many one-of-a-kind pieces of equipment of MSFC's SOMTC.

Saturn Apollo Program

NASA Image and Video Library

1967-01-01

NASA used barges for transporting full-sized stages for the Saturn I, Saturn IB, and Saturn V vehicles between the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC), the manufacturing plant at the Michoud Assembly Facility (MAF), the Mississippi Test Facility for testing, and the Kennedy Space Center. The barges traveled from the MSFC dock to the MAF, a total of 1,086.7 miles up the Tennessee River and down the Mississippi River. The barges also transported the assembled stages of the Saturn vehicle from the MAF to the Kennedy Space Center, a total of 932.4 miles along the Gulf of Mexico and up along the Atlantic Ocean, for the final assembly and the launch. Pictured is the barge Palaemon carrying Saturn IV S-IB flight stage enroute to MSFC.

X-34 Main Propulsion System Design and Operation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Champion, R. J., Jr.; Darrow, R. J., Jr.

1998-01-01

The X-34 program is a joint industry/government program to develop, test, and operate a small, fully-reusable hypersonic flight vehicle, utilizing technologies and operating concepts applicable to future Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV) systems. The vehicle will be capable of Mach 8 flight to 250,000 feet altitude and will demonstrate an all composite structure, composite RP-1 tank, the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) developed Fastrac engine, and the operability of an advanced thermal protection systems. The vehicle will also be capable of carrying flight experiments. MSFC is supporting the X-34 program in three ways: Program Management, the Fastrac engine as Government Furnished Equipment (GFE), and the design of the Main Propulsion System (MPS). The MPS Product Development Team (PDT) at MSFC is responsible for supplying the MPS design, analysis, and drawings to Orbital. The MPS consists of the LOX and RP-1 Fill, Drain, Feed, Vent, & Dump systems and the Helium & Nitrogen Purge, Pressurization, and Pneumatics systems. The Reaction Control System (RCS) design was done by Orbital. Orbital is the prime contractor and has responsibility for integration, procurement, and construction of all subsystems. The paper also discusses the design, operation, management, requirements, trades studies, schedule, and lessons learning with the MPS and RCS designs.

Microgravity

NASA Image and Video Library

2000-01-30

Engineers from NASA's Glenn Research Center demonstrate the access to one of the experiment racks planned for the U.S. Destiny laboratory module on the International Space Station (ISS). This mockup has the full diameter, full corridor width, and half the length of the module. The mockup includes engineering mockups of the Fluids and Combustion Facility being developed by NASA's Glenn Research Center. (The full module will be six racks long; the mockup is three racks long). Listening at left (coat and patterned tie) is John-David Bartoe, ISS research manager at NASA's Johnson Space Center and a payload specialist on Spacelab 2 mission (1985). Photo credit: NASA/Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC)

Members of House Committee on Science and Astronautics Visited MSFC

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1962-01-01

The members of the House Committee on Science and Astronautics visited the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) on March 9, 1962 to gather firsthand information of the nation's space exploration program. The congressional group was composed of members of the Subcommittee on Manned Space Flight. The subcommittee was briefed on MSFC's manned space efforts earlier in the day and then inspected mockups of the Saturn I Workshop and the Apollo Telescope Mount, two projects developed by MSFC for the post-Apollo program. In this photograph, MSFC Director, Dr. Wernher von Braun, bids farewell to Texas Democratic Representative Olin E. Teague before departure at the Redstone Arsenal Airstrip.

Members of House Committee on Science and Astronautics Visited MSFC

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1962-01-01

The members of the House Committee on Science and Astronautics visited the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) on March 9, 1962 to gather firsthand information of the nation's space exploration program. The congressional group was composed of members of the Subcommittee on Manned Space Flight. The subcommittee was briefed on MSFC's manned space efforts earlier in the day and then inspected mockups of the Saturn I Workshop and the Apollo Telescope Mount, two projects developed by MSFC for the post-Apollo program. In this photograph, MSFC Director, Dr. Wernher von Braun and Richard L. Roudebush, Republican representative of Indiana, discuss Apollo models.

A data and information system for processing, archival, and distribution of data for global change research

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Graves, Sara J.

1994-01-01

Work on this project was focused on information management techniques for Marshall Space Flight Center's EOSDIS Version 0 Distributed Active Archive Center (DAAC). The centerpiece of this effort has been participation in EOSDIS catalog interoperability research, the result of which is a distributed Information Management System (IMS) allowing the user to query the inventories of all the DAAC's from a single user interface. UAH has provided the MSFC DAAC database server for the distributed IMS, and has contributed to definition and development of the browse image display capabilities in the system's user interface. Another important area of research has been in generating value-based metadata through data mining. In addition, information management applications for local inventory and archive management, and for tracking data orders were provided.

FY 1986 scientific and technical reports, articles, papers and presentations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Turner, Joyce E. (Compiler)

1986-01-01

Formal NASA technical reports, papers published in technical journals, and presentations by Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) personnel in FY-86 are presented. Also included are papers of MSFC contractors.

The NRC Research Associateship Program has Greatly Enhanced the Solar Research at Marshall Space Flight Center During the Last Quarter Century

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gary, G. A.

2003-01-01

Under the educational Resident Research Associateships (RRA) program, NASA Headquarters funds post-doctoral research scientists through a contract with the National Research Council (NRC). This short article reviews the important influence that the RRAs have had on solar research at NASA s Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). Through the RRA program the National Research Council under the National Academy of Sciences has provided the Marshall Space Flight Center s Solar Physics Group with 29 post-doctorial research associateships since 1975. This starting date corresponds with the increased research activity in solar physics at MSFC. A number of MSFC scientists had been working on and supporting NASA s Skylab Mission in operation from May 1973 until February 1974. This scientific effort included the development MSFC s X-ray telescope SO56 and the development of the United States first full-vector magnetograph. Numerous engineers and scientists at MSFC supported the development and operation of the cluster of solar telescopes on the Apollo Telescope Mount (ATM), a principal part of the Skylab orbiting workshop. With the enormous volume of new and exciting solar data of the solar corona, MSFC dedicated a group of scientists to analyze these data and develop new solar instruments and programs. With this new initiative, came the world- renowned solar prominence expert, Dr. Einar Tandberg-Hanssen, from the High Altitude Observatory in Boulder, Colorado and the support of the first two RRAs in support of solar physics research.

Multi-Center Implementation of NPR 7123.1A: A Collaborative Effort

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hall, Phillip B.; McNelis, Nancy B.

2011-01-01

Collaboration efforts between MSFC and GRC Engineering Directorates to implement the NASA Systems Engineering (SE) Engine have expanded over the past year to include other NASA Centers. Sharing information on designing, developing, and deploying SE processes has sparked further interest based on the realization that there is relative consistency in implementing SE processes at the institutional level. This presentation will provide a status on the ongoing multi-center collaboration and provide insight into how these NPR 7123.1A SE-aligned directives are being implemented and managed to better support the needs of NASA programs and projects. NPR 7123.1A, NASA Systems Engineering Processes and Requirements, was released on March 26, 2007 to clearly articulate and establish the requirements on the implementing organization for performing, supporting, and evaluating SE activities. In early 2009, MSFC and GRC Engineering Directorates undertook a collaborative opportunity to share their research and work associated with developing, updating and revising their SE process policy to comply and align with NPR 7123.1A. The goal is to develop instructions, checklists, templates, and procedures for each of the 17 SE process requirements so that systems engineers will be a position to define work that is process-driven. Greater efficiency and more effective technical management will be achieved due to consistency and repeatability of SE process implementation across and throughout each of the NASA centers. An added benefit will be to encourage NASA centers to pursue and collaborate on joint projects as a result of using common or similar processes, methods, tools, and techniques.

Saturn Apollo Program

NASA Image and Video Library

1970-03-20

Under the direction of Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC), the Lunar Roving Vehicle (LRV) was designed to allow Apollo astronauts a greater range of mobility during lunar exploration missions. During the development process, LRV prototype wheels underwent soil tests in building 4481 at Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). Pictured from left to right are the wheels for: LRV, Bendix Corporation, Local Scientific Survey Module (LSSM), and Grumman Industries.

8. AERIAL VIEW OF THE EAST TEST AREA DURING A ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

8. AERIAL VIEW OF THE EAST TEST AREA DURING A SATURN I STATIC TEST. THIS PHOTO WAS TAKEN IN 1960 JUST PRIOR TO THE CHANGE OVER OF LAND, FACILITIES AND MISSION FROM ARMY/MICOM (MISSILE COMMAND) TO NASA/MSFC (MARSHALL SPACE FLIGHT CENTER). MSFC PHOTO LAB. - Marshall Space Flight Center, East Test Area, Dodd Road, Huntsville, Madison County, AL

Organic Binder Developments for Solid Freeform Fabrication

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cooper, Ken; Mobasher, Amir A.

2003-01-01

A number of rapid prototyping techniques are under development at Marshall Space Flight Center's (MSFC) National Center for Advanced Manufacturing Rapid Prototyping Laboratory. Commercial binder developments in creating solid models for rapid prototyping include: 1) Fused Deposition Modeling; 2) Three Dimensional Printing; 3) Selective Laser Sintering (SLS). This document describes these techniques developed by the private sector, as well as SLS undertaken by MSFC.

Microgravity

NASA Image and Video Library

2000-04-14

Don Gillies, a materials scientist at NASA/Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC), demonstrates the classroom-size Microgravity Drop Tower Demonstrator. The apparatus provides 1/6 second of microgravity for small experiments. A video camera helps teachers observe what happens inside the package. This demonstration was at the April 2000 conference of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) in Chicago. Photo credit: NASA/Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC)

Research Reports: 1995 NASA/ASEE Summer Faculty Fellowship Program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Karr, G. R. (Editor); Chappell, C. R. (Editor); Six, F. (Editor); Freeman, L. M. (Editor)

1996-01-01

For the 31st consecutive year, a NASA/ASEE Summer Faculty Fellowship Program was conducted at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). The program was conducted by the University of Alabama in Huntsville and MSFC during the period 15 May 1995 - 4 Aug. 1995. Operated under the auspices of the American Society for Engineering Education, the MSFC program, as well as those at other NASA centers, was sponsored by the Higher Education Branch, Education Division, NASA Headquarters, Washington, D.C. The basic objectives of the programs, which are in the 32nd year of operation nationally, are (1) to further the professional knowledge of qualified engineering and science faculty members; (2) to stimulate an exchange of ideas between participants and NASA; (3) to enrich and refresh the research and teaching activities of the participants' institutions; and (4) to contribute to the research objectives of the NASA centers. The Faculty Fellows spent 10 weeks at MSFC engaged in a research project compatible with their interests and background and worked in collaboration with a NASA/MSFC colleague. This document is a compilation of Fellows' reports on their research during the summer of 1995. The University of Alabama in Huntsville presents the Co-Directors' report on the administrative operations of the program. Further information can be obtained by contacting any of the editors.

Research Reports: 1996 NASA/ASEE Summer Faculty Fellowship Program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Freeman, M. (Editor); Chappell, C. R. (Editor); Six, F. (Editor); Karr, G. R. (Editor)

1996-01-01

For the 32nd consecutive year, a NASA/ASEE Summer Faculty Fellowship Program was conducted at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). The program was conducted by the University of Alabama and MSFC during the period May 28, 1996 through August 2, 1996. Operated under the auspices of the American Society for Engineering Education, the MSFC program, as well as those at other NASA centers, was sponsored by the Higher Education Branch, Education Division, NASA Headquarters, Washington, D.C. The basic objectives of the programs, which are in the 33rd year of operation nationally, are (1) to further the professional knowledge of qualified engineering and science faculty members; (2) to stimulate an exchange of ideas between participants and NASA; (3) to enrich and refresh the research and teaching activities of the participants' institutions; and (4) to contribute to the research objectives of the NASA centers. The Faculty Fellows spent 10 weeks at MSFC engaged in a research project compatible with their interests and background and worked in collaboration with a NASA/MSFC colleague. This document is a compilation of Fellows' reports on their research during the summer of 1996. The University of Alabama presents the Co-Directors' report on the administrative operations of the program. Further information can be obtained by contacting any of the editors.

Redstone Test Stand Accepted Into National Register of Historical Places

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1976-01-01

On October 02, 1976, Marshall Space Flight Center's (MSFC) Redstone test stand was received into the National Registry of Historical Places. Photographed in front of the Redstone test stand along with their wives are (left to right), Madison County Commission Chairman James Record, Dr. William R. Lucas, MSFC Center Director from June 15, 1974 until July 3, 1986, (holding certificate), Ed, Buckbee, Space and Rocket Center Director; Harvie Jones, Huntsville Architect; Dick Smith; and Joe Jones.

Technology transfer metrics: Measurement and verification of data/reusable launch vehicle business analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Trivoli, George W.

1996-01-01

Congress and the Executive Branch have mandated that all branches of the Federal Government exert a concentrated effort to transfer appropriate government and government contractor-developed technology to the industrial use in the U.S. economy. For many years, NASA has had a formal technology transfer program to transmit information about new technologies developed for space applications into the industrial or commercial sector. Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) has been in the forefront of the development of U.S. industrial assistance programs using technologies developed at the Center. During 1992-93, MSFC initiated a technology transfer metrics study. The MSFC study was the first of its kind among the various NASA centers. The metrics study is a continuing process, with periodic updates that reflect on-going technology transfer activities.

Earth Science

NASA Image and Video Library

1990-08-29

Multiple lightning bolts struck the Technology Test Bed, formerly the S-IC Static Test Stand, at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) during a thunderstorm. This spectacular image of lightning was photographed by MSFC photographer Dernis Olive on August 29, 1990.

Research Reports: 1989 NASA/ASEE Summer Faculty Fellowship Program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Karr, Gerald R. (Editor); Six, Frank (Editor); Freeman, L. Michael (Editor)

1989-01-01

For the twenty-fifth consecutive year, a NASA/ASEE Summer Faculty Fellowship Program was conducted at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). The basic objectives of the programs are: (1) to further the professional knowledge of qualified engineering and science faculty members; (2) to stimulate an exchange of ideas between participants and NASA; (3) to enrich and refresh the research and teaching activities of the participants' institutions; and (4) to contribute to the research objectives of the NASA Centers. The Faculty Fellows spent ten weeks at MSFC engaged in a research project compatible with their interests and background and worked in collaboration with a NASA/MSFC colleague.

Members of House Committee on Science and Astronautics Visited MSFC

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1962-01-01

The members of the House Committee on Science and Astronautics visited the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) on March 9, 1962 to gather firsthand information of the nation's space exploration program. The congressional group was composed of members of the Subcommittee on Manned Space Flight. The subcommittee was briefed on MSFC's manned space efforts earlier in the day and then inspected mockups of the Saturn I Workshop and the Apollo Telescope Mount, two projects developed by MSFC for the post-Apollo program. In this photograph, MSFC Director, Dr. Wernher von Braun meets with Congressmen in the MSFC boardroom. Pictured from left to right are: Jack Cramer, NASA Headquarters; Joe Waggoner, Democratic representative of Louisiana; John W. Davis, Democratic representative of Georgia; R. Walter Riehlman, Republican representative of New York; Olin E. Teague, Democratic representative of Texas; Dr. Wernher von Braun, Director of MSFC; James G. Fulton, Republican representative of Pennsylvania; Ken Hechler, Democratic representative of West Virginia; and Erich Neubert of MSFC.

Electrical Actuation Technology Bridging

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hammond, Monica (Compiler); Sharkey, John (Compiler)

1993-01-01

This document contains the proceedings of the NASA Electrical Actuation Technology Bridging (ELA-TB) Workshop held in Huntsville, Alabama, September 29-October 1, 1992. The workshop was sponsored by the NASA Office of Space Systems Development and Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). The workshop addressed key technologies bridging the entire field of electrical actuation including systems methodology, control electronics, power source systems, reliability, maintainability, and vehicle health management with special emphasis on thrust vector control (TVC) applications on NASA launch vehicles. Speakers were drawn primarily from industry with participation from universities and government. In addition, prototype hardware demonstrations were held at the MSFC Propulsion Laboratory each afternoon. Splinter sessions held on the final day afforded the opportunity to discuss key issues and to provide overall recommendations. Presentations are included in this document.

Electrical Actuation Technology Bridging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hammond, Monica; Sharkey, John

1993-05-01

This document contains the proceedings of the NASA Electrical Actuation Technology Bridging (ELA-TB) Workshop held in Huntsville, Alabama, September 29-October 1, 1992. The workshop was sponsored by the NASA Office of Space Systems Development and Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). The workshop addressed key technologies bridging the entire field of electrical actuation including systems methodology, control electronics, power source systems, reliability, maintainability, and vehicle health management with special emphasis on thrust vector control (TVC) applications on NASA launch vehicles. Speakers were drawn primarily from industry with participation from universities and government. In addition, prototype hardware demonstrations were held at the MSFC Propulsion Laboratory each afternoon. Splinter sessions held on the final day afforded the opportunity to discuss key issues and to provide overall recommendations. Presentations are included in this document.

Senator Doug Jones (D-AL) Tour of MSFC Facilities

NASA Image and Video Library

2018-02-22

Senator Doug Jones (D-AL.) and wife, Louise, tour Marshall Space Flight facilities. Steve Doering, manager, Stages Element, Space Launch System (SLS) program at MSFC, along with Senator and Mrs. Jones, viewed the MSFC campus from the top of test stand 4693.

Engineering Technical Review Planning Briefing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gardner, Terrie

2012-01-01

The general topics covered in the engineering technical planning briefing are 1) overviews of NASA, Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC), and Engineering, 2) the NASA Systems Engineering(SE) Engine and its implementation , 3) the NASA Project Life Cycle, 4) MSFC Technical Management Branch Services in relation to the SE Engine and the Project Life Cycle , 5) Technical Reviews, 6) NASA Human Factor Design Guidance , and 7) the MSFC Human Factors Team. The engineering technical review portion of the presentation is the primary focus of the overall presentation and will address the definition of a design review, execution guidance, the essential stages of a technical review, and the overall review planning life cycle. Examples of a technical review plan content, review approaches, review schedules, and the review process will be provided and discussed. The human factors portion of the presentation will focus on the NASA guidance for human factors. Human factors definition, categories, design guidance, and human factor specialist roles will be addressed. In addition, the NASA Systems Engineering Engine description, definition, and application will be reviewed as background leading into the NASA Project Life Cycle Overview and technical review planning discussion.

Surface evaluation of UV-degraded contamination

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Connatser, Robert; Hadaway, James B.

1992-01-01

Three different areas of work were accomplished under this contract: (1) contamination testing and evaluation; (2) UV irradiation testing; and (3) surface evaluation testing. Contamination testing was generally performed in the In-Situ Contamination Effects Facility at Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). UV irradiation testing was also performed primarily at MSFC, utilizing facilities there. Finally, the surface evaluation was done at facilities at UAH Center for Applied Optics.

Microgravity Outreach with Math Teachers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2000-01-01

Don Gillies, a materials scientist at NASA/Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC), demonstrates the classroom-size Microgravity Drop Tower Demonstrator. The apparatus provides 1/6 second of microgravity for small experiments. A video camera helps teachers observe what happens inside the package. This demonstration was at the April 2000 conference of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) in Chicago. Photo credit: NASA/Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC)

Redstone Test Stand Accepted Into National Register of Historical Places

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1976-01-01

On October 02, 1976, Marshall Space Flight Center's (MSFC) Redstone test stand was received into the National Registry of Historical Places. Photographed in front of the Redstone test stand are Dr. William R. Lucas, MSFC Center Director from June 15, 1974 until July 3, 1986, as he is accepting a certificate of registration from Madison County Commission Chairman James Record, and Huntsville architect Harvie Jones.

Benefit from NASA

NASA Image and Video Library

1993-01-01

Bob Barin, a Huntsville meterorologist, has formed a commercial weather advisory service. The weather information is based on data from Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) collected from anternas in Alabama and Tennessee. Baron proposed and concluded an agreement with MSFC whereby the center would provide him the data and he would refine and enhance real-time software. By using his service, clients can monitor the approach of storms and schedule operations accordingly.

Future Nanotube Commercialization Opportunities at the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center and the US Army Aviation and Missile Command

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Watson, Michael; Shah, Sandeep; Kaul, Raj; Zhu, Shen; Vandiver, Terry; Zimmerman, Joe E. (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

Nanotube technology has broad applicability to programs at both the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) and the US Army Aviation and Missile Command (AMCOM). MSFC has interest in applications of nanotubes as sensors and high strength lightweight materials for propulsion system components, avionic systems, and scientific instruments. MSFC is currently pursuing internal programs to develop nanotube temperature sensors, heat pipes, and metal matrix composites. In support of these application areas MSFC is interested in growth of long nanotubes, growth of nanotubes in the microgravity environment, and nanotubes fabricated from high temperature materials such as Boron Nitride or Silicon Carbide. AMCOM is similarly interested in nanotube applications which take advantage of the nanotube thermal conductance properties, high strength, and lightweight. Applications of interest to AMCOM include rocket motor casing structures, rocket nozzles, and lightweight structure and aeronautic skins.

Space Science

NASA Image and Video Library

2001-05-01

This photograph shows Wes Brown, Marshall Space Flight Center's (MSFC's) lead diamond tuner, an expert in the science of using diamond-tipped tools to cut metal, inspecting the mold's physical characteristics to ensure the uniformity of its more than 6,000 grooves. This king-size copper disk, manufactured at the Space Optics Manufacturing and Technology Center (SOMTC) at MSFC, is a special mold for making high resolution monitor screens. This master mold will be used to make several other molds, each capable of forming hundreds of screens that have a type of lens called a fresnel lens. Weighing much less than conventional optics, fresnel lenses have multiple concentric grooves, each formed to a precise angle, that together create the curvature needed to focus and project images. The MSFC leads NASA's space optics manufacturing technology development as a technology leader for diamond turning. The machine used to manufacture this mold is among many one-of-a-kind pieces of equipment of MSFC's SOMTC.

AXAF-1 High Resolution Assembly Image Model and Comparison with X-Ray Ground Test Image

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zissa, David E.

1999-01-01

The x-ray ground test of the AXAF-I High Resolution Mirror Assembly was completed in 1997 at the X-ray Calibration Facility at Marshall Space Flight Center. Mirror surface measurements by HDOS, alignment results from Kodak, and predicted gravity distortion in the horizontal test configuration are being used to model the x-ray test image. The Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) image modeling serves as a cross check with Smithsonian Astrophysical observatory modeling. The MSFC image prediction software has evolved from the MSFC model of the x-ray test of the largest AXAF-I mirror pair in 1991. The MSFC image modeling software development is being assisted by the University of Alabama in Huntsville. The modeling process, modeling software, and image prediction will be discussed. The image prediction will be compared with the x-ray test results.

An intelligent position-specific training system for mission operations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schneider, M. P.

1992-01-01

Marshall Space Flight Center's (MSFC's) payload ground controller training program provides very good generic training; however, ground controller position-specific training can be improved by including position-specific training systems in the training program. This report explains why MSFC needs to improve payload ground controller position-specific training. The report describes a generic syllabus for position-specific training systems, a range of system designs for position-specific training systems, and a generic development process for developing position-specific training systems. The report also describes a position-specific training system prototype that was developed for the crew interface coordinator payload operations control center ground controller position. The report concludes that MSFC can improve the payload ground controller training program by incorporating position-specific training systems for each ground controller position; however, MSFC should not develop position-specific training systems unless payload ground controller position experts will be available to participate in the development process.

MSFC Historic Resource Reel

NASA Image and Video Library

2013-12-11

Name/Title of Video: Marshall Space Flight Center Historic Resource Reel Description: A brief collection of film and video b-roll of historic events and programs associated with NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala. For more information and/or more footage of these events, please contact the Marshall Center Public & Employee Communications Office. Graphic Information:file footage PAO Name:News Chief Jennifer Stanfield or MSFC Historian Mike Wright Phone Number:256-544-0034 Email Address: jennifer.stanfield@nasa.gov or mike.d.wright@nasa.gov

Portrait view of ESA Spacelab Specialists

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1978-01-01

Portrait view of European Space Agency (ESA) Spacelab Specialist Byron K. Lichtenberg in civilian clothes standing in front of a display case. The photo was taken at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC), Huntsville, Alabama (31779); portrait view of ESA Spacelab Specialist Michael L. Lampton, also in civilian clothes in front of display at MSFC (31780); portrait view of Wubbo Ockels, also in civilian clothes in front of display at MSFC (31781).

Saturn Apollo Program

NASA Image and Video Library

1969-07-15

Lee B. James (left), manager of the Saturn Program at the Marshall Space flight Center (MSFC), talks with Isom Pigell in the firing room 1 of the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) control center during the countdown demonstration test for the Apollo 11 mission. The Apollo 11 mission, the first lunar landing mission, launched from the KSC in Florida via the MSFC developed Saturn V launch vehicle on July 16, 1969 and safely returned to Earth on July 24, 1969. Aboard the space craft were astronauts Neil A. Armstrong, commander; Michael Collins, Command Module (CM) pilot; and Edwin E. (Buzz) Aldrin Jr., Lunar Module (LM) pilot. The CM, “Columbia”, piloted by Collins, remained in a parking orbit around the Moon while the LM, “Eagle’’, carrying astronauts Armstrong and Aldrin, landed on the Moon. On July 20, 1969, Armstrong was the first human to ever stand on the lunar surface, followed by Aldrin. During 2½ hours of surface exploration, the crew collected 47 pounds of lunar surface material for analysis back on Earth. With the success of Apollo 11, the national objective to land men on the Moon and return them safely to Earth had been accomplished.

Saturn Apollo Program

NASA Image and Video Library

1969-07-15

Lee B. James (left), manager of the Saturn Program at the Marshall Space flight Center (MSFC), talks with Isom Pigell in the firing room 1 of the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) control center during the countdown demonstration test for the Apollo 11 mission. At left is Dr. Hans C. Gruen of KSC. The Apollo 11 mission, the first lunar landing mission, launched from the KSC in Florida via the MSFC developed Saturn V launch vehicle on July 16, 1969 and safely returned to Earth on July 24, 1969. Aboard the space craft were astronauts Neil A. Armstrong, commander; Michael Collins, Command Module (CM) pilot; and Edwin E. (Buzz) Aldrin Jr., Lunar Module (LM) pilot. The CM, “Columbia”, piloted by Collins, remained in a parking orbit around the Moon while the LM, “Eagle’’, carrying astronauts Armstrong and Aldrin, landed on the Moon. On July 20, 1969, Armstrong was the first human to ever stand on the lunar surface, followed by Aldrin. During 2½ hours of surface exploration, the crew collected 47 pounds of lunar surface material for analysis back on Earth. With the success of Apollo 11, the national objective to land men on the Moon and return them safely to Earth had been accomplished.

n/a

NASA Image and Video Library

2006-08-09

Hinode (Sunrise), formerly known as Solar-B before reaching orbit, was launched from the Uchinoura Space Center in Japan on September 23, 2006. Hinode was designed to probe into the Sun’s magnetic field to better understand the origin of solar disturbances which interfere with satellite communications, electrical power transmission grids, and the safety of astronauts traveling beyond the Earth’s magnetic field. Hinode is circling Earth in a polar orbit that places the instruments in continuous sunlight for nine months each year and allows data dumps to a high latitude European Space Agency (ESA) ground station every orbit. NASA and other science teams will support instrument operations and data collection from the spacecraft’s operation center at the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency’s (JAXA’s) Institute of Space and Aeronautical Science facility located in Tokyo. The Hinode spacecraft is a collaboration among space agencies of Japan, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Europe. The Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) managed development of three instruments comprising the spacecraft; the Solar Optical Telescope (SOT); the X-Ray Telescope (XRT); and the Extreme Ultraviolet (EUV) Imaging Spectrometer (EIS). Provided by the Multimedia support group at MSFC, this rendering illustrates the Solar-B Spacecraft in earth orbit with its solar panels partially extended.

n/a

NASA Image and Video Library

2006-08-09

Hinode (Sunrise), formerly known as Solar-B before reaching orbit, was launched from the Uchinoura Space Center in Japan on September 23, 2006. Hinode was designed to probe into the Sun’s magnetic field to better understand the origin of solar disturbances which interfere with satellite communications, electrical power transmission grids, and the safety of astronauts traveling beyond the Earth’s magnetic field. Hinode is circling Earth in a polar orbit that places the instruments in continuous sunlight for nine months each year and allows data dumps to a high latitude European Space Agency (ESA) ground station every orbit. NASA and other science teams will support instrument operations and data collection from the spacecraft’s operation center at the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency’s (JAXA’s) Institute of Space and Aeronautical Science facility located in Tokyo. The Hinode spacecraft is a collaboration among space agencies of Japan, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Europe. The Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) managed development of three instruments comprising the spacecraft; the Solar Optical Telescope (SOT); the X-Ray Telescope (XRT); and the Extreme Ultraviolet (EUV) Imaging Spectrometer (EIS). Provided by the Multimedia support group at MSFC, this rendering illustrates the Solar-B Spacecraft in earth orbit with its solar panels completely extended.

International Space Station (ISS)

NASA Image and Video Library

2001-02-01

The International Space Station (ISS) Payload Operations Center (POC) at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) in Huntsville, Alabama, is the world's primary science command post for the International Space Station (ISS), the most ambitious space research facility in human history. The Payload Operations team is responsible for managing all science research experiments aboard the Station. The center is also home for coordination of the mission-plarning work of variety of international sources, all science payload deliveries and retrieval, and payload training and safety programs for the Station crew and all ground personnel. Within the POC, critical payload information from the ISS is displayed on a dedicated workstation, reading both S-band (low data rate) and Ku-band (high data rate) signals from a variety of experiments and procedures operated by the ISS crew and their colleagues on Earth. The POC is the focal point for incorporating research and experiment requirements from all international partners into an integrated ISS payload mission plan. This photograph is an overall view of the MSFC Payload Operations Center displaying the flags of the countries participating the ISS. The flags at the left portray The United States, Canada, France, Switzerland, Netherlands, Japan, Brazil, and Sweden. The flags at the right portray The Russian Federation, Italy, Germany, Belgium, Spain, United Kingdom, Denmark, and Norway.

International Space Station (ISS)

NASA Image and Video Library

2000-02-01

The International Space Station (ISS) Payload Operations Center (POC) at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) in Huntsville, Alabama, is the world's primary science command post for the (ISS), the most ambitious space research facility in human history. The Payload Operations team is responsible for managing all science research experiments aboard the Station. The center is also home for coordination of the mission-plarning work of variety of international sources, all science payload deliveries and retrieval, and payload training and safety programs for the Station crew and all ground personnel. Within the POC, critical payload information from the ISS is displayed on a dedicated workstation, reading both S-band (low data rate) and Ku-band (high data rate) signals from a variety of experiments and procedures operated by the ISS crew and their colleagues on Earth. The POC is the focal point for incorporating research and experiment requirements from all international partners into an integrated ISS payload mission plan. This photograph is an overall view of the MSFC Payload Operations Center displaying the flags of the countries participating in the ISS. The flags at the left portray The United States, Canada, France, Switzerland, Netherlands, Japan, Brazil, and Sweden. The flags at the right portray The Russian Federation, Italy, Germany, Belgium, Spain, United Kingdom, Denmark, and Norway.

1992 NASA/ASEE Summer Faculty Fellowship Program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Freeman, L. Michael; Chappell, Charles R.; Six, Frank; Karr, Gerald R.

1992-01-01

For the 28th consecutive year, a NASA/ASEE Summer Faculty Fellowship Program was conducted at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). The program was conducted by the University of Alabama and MSFC during the period June 1, 1992 through August 7, 1992. Operated under the auspices of the American Society for Engineering Education, the MSFC program, was well as those at other centers, was sponsored by the Office of Educational Affairs, NASA Headquarters, Washington, DC. The basic objectives of the programs, which are the 29th year of operation nationally, are (1) to further the professional knowledge of qualified engineering and science faculty members; (2) to stimulate and exchange ideas between participants and NASA; (3) to enrich and refresh the research and teaching activities of the participants' institutions; and (4) to contribute to the research objectives of the NASA centers.

Around Marshall

NASA Image and Video Library

1999-09-30

Through Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) Education Department, over 400 MSFC employees have volunteered to support educational program during regular work hours. Project LASER (Learning About Science, Engineering, and Research) provides support for mentor/tutor requests, education tours, classroom presentations, and curriculum development. This program is available to teachers and students living within commuting distance of the NASA/MSFC in Huntsville, Alabama (approximately 50-miles radius). This image depicts students viewing their reflections in an x-ray mirror with Marshall optic engineer Vince Huegele at the Discovery Laboratory, which is an onsite MSFC laboratory facility that provides hands-on educational workshop sessions for teachers and students learning activities.

Space Science

NASA Image and Video Library

1997-10-01

This king-size copper disk, manufactured at the Space Optics Manufacturing and Technology Center (SOMTC) at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC), is a special mold for making high resolution monitor screens. This master mold will be used to make several other molds, each capable of forming hundreds of screens that have a type of lens called a Fresnel lens. Weighing much less than conventional optics, Fresnel lenses have multiple concentric grooves, each formed to a precise angle, that together create the curvature needed to focus and project images. MSFC leads NASA's space optics manufacturing technology development as a technology leader for diamond turning. The machine used to manufacture this mold is among many one-of-a-kind pieces of equipment of MSFC's SOMTC.

International Space Station (ISS)

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-10-20

In the Destiny laboratory aboard the International Space Station (ISS), European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Pedro Duque of Spain is seen working at the Microgravity Science Glovebox (MSG). He is working with the PROMISS experiment, which will investigate the growth processes of proteins during weightless conditions. The PROMISS is one of the Cervantes program of tests (consisting of 20 commercial experiments). The MSG is managed by NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC).

Microgravity Outreach with Math Teachers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2000-01-01

Jimmy Grisham of the Microgravity Program Plarning Integration Office at NASA/Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC), demonstrates the classroom-size Microgravity Drop Tower Demonstrator. This apparatus provides 1/6 second of microgravity for small experiments. A video camera helps teachers observe what happens inside the package. This demonstration was at the April 2000 conference of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) in Chicago. Photo credit: NASA/Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC)

Around Marshall

NASA Image and Video Library

1976-10-02

On October 02, 1976, Marshall Space Flight Center’s (MSFC) Redstone test stand was received into the National Registry of Historical Places. Photographed in front of the Redstone test stand along with their wives are (left to right), Madison County Commission Chairman James Record, Dr. William R. Lucas, MSFC Center Director from June 15, 1974 until July 3, 1986, (holding certificate), Ed, Buckbee, Space and Rocket Center Director; Harvie Jones, Huntsville Architect; Dick Smith; and Joe Jones.

Design and Verification Guidelines for Vibroacoustic and Transient Environments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1986-01-01

Design and verification guidelines for vibroacoustic and transient environments contain many basic methods that are common throughout the aerospace industry. However, there are some significant differences in methodology between NASA/MSFC and others - both government agencies and contractors. The purpose of this document is to provide the general guidelines used by the Component Analysis Branch, ED23, at MSFC, for the application of the vibroacoustic and transient technology to all launch vehicle and payload components and payload components and experiments managed by NASA/MSFC. This document is intended as a tool to be utilized by the MSFC program management and their contractors as a guide for the design and verification of flight hardware.

The MSFC Systems Engineering Guide: An Overview and Plan

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shelby, Jerry A.; Thomas, L. Dale

2007-01-01

As systems and subsystems requirements become more complex in the pursuit of the exploration of space, advanced technology will demand and require an integrated approach to the design and development of safe and successful space vehicles and there products. System engineers play a vital and key role in transforming mission needs into vehicle requirements that can be verified and validated. This will result in a safe and cost effective design that will satisfy the mission schedule. A key to successful vehicle design within systems engineering is communication. Communication, through a systems engineering infrastructure, will not only ensure that customers and stakeholders are satisfied but will also assist in identifying vehicle requirements; i.e. identification, integration and management. This vehicle design will produce a system that is verifiable, traceable, and effectively satisfies cost, schedule, performance, and risk throughout the life-cycle of the product. A communication infrastructure will bring about the integration of different engineering disciplines within vehicle design. A system utilizing these aspects will enhance system engineering performance and improve upon required activities such as Development of Requirements, Requirements Management, Functional Analysis, Test, Synthesis, Trade Studies, Documentation, and Lessons Learned to produce a successful final product. This paper will describe the guiding vision, progress to date and the plan forward for development of the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) Systems Engineering Guide (SEG), a virtual systems engineering handbook and archive that will describe the system engineering processes that are used by MSFC in the development of complex systems such as the Ares launch vehicle. It is the intent of this website to be a "One Stop Shop" for our systems engineers that will provide tutorial information, an overview of processes and procedures and links to assist system engineering with guidance and references, and provide an archive of systems engineering artifacts produced by the many NASA projects developed and managed by MSFC over the years.

Mission Manager Area of the Spacelab Payload Operations Control Center (SL POCC)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1990-01-01

The primary objective of the STS-35 mission was round the clock observation of the celestial sphere in ultraviolet and X-Ray astronomy with the Astro-1 observatory which consisted of four telescopes: the Hopkins Ultraviolet Telescope (HUT); the Wisconsin Ultraviolet Photo-Polarimeter Experiment (WUPPE); the Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (UIT); and the Broad Band X-Ray Telescope (BBXRT). The Huntsville Operations Support Center (HOSC) Spacelab Payload Operations Control Center (SL POCC) at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) was the air/ground communication channel used between the astronauts and ground control teams during the Spacelab missions. Teams of controllers and researchers directed on-orbit science operations, sent commands to the spacecraft, received data from experiments aboard the Space Shuttle, adjusted mission schedules to take advantage of unexpected science opportunities or unexpected results, and worked with crew members to resolve problems with their experiments. Pictured is Jack Jones in the Mission Manager Area.

Members of House Committee on Science and Astronautics Visited MSFC

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1962-01-01

The members of the House Committee on Science and Astronautics visited the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) on March 9, 1962 to gather firsthand information of the nation's space exploration program. The congressional group was composed of members of the Subcommittee on Manned Space Flight. Standing at the Apollo Applications Program Cluster Model in building 4745 are (left-to-right): Dr. Wernher von Braun, MSFC; Congressman Joe D. Waggoner, Democratic representative of Louisiana; Congressman Earle Cabell, Democratic representative of Texas; Subcommittee Chairman Olin E. Teague, Democratic representative of Texas; Congressman James G. Fulton, Republican representative of Pennsylvania; and Dr. Ernst Stuhlinger, associate MSFC director for science. The subcommittee was briefed on MSFC's manned space efforts earlier in the day and then inspected mockups of the Saturn I Workshop and the Apollo Telescope Mount, two projects developed by MSFC for the post-Apollo program.

Around Marshall

NASA Image and Video Library

1962-03-08

The members of the House Committee on Science and Astronautics visited the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) on March 9, 1962 to gather firsthand information of the nation’s space exploration program. The congressional group was composed of members of the Subcommittee on Manned Space Flight. The subcommittee was briefed on MSFC’s manned space efforts earlier in the day and then inspected mockups of the Saturn I Workshop and the Apollo Telescope Mount, two projects developed by MSFC for the post-Apollo program. In this photograph, MSFC Director, Dr. Wernher von Braun meets with Congressmen in the MSFC boardroom. Pictured from left to right are: Jack Cramer, NASA Headquarters; Joe Waggoner, Democratic representative of Louisiana; John W. Davis, Democratic representative of Georgia; R. Walter Riehlman, Republican representative of New York; Olin E. Teague, Democratic representative of Texas; Dr. Wernher von Braun, Director of MSFC; James G. Fulton, Republican representative of Pennsylvania; Ken Hechler, Democratic representative of West Virginia; and Erich Neubert of MSFC.

Converse and Head at Space and Rocket Center

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1972-01-01

Vincent W. Converse, high school student from Rockford, Illinois, discussed a mass measurement device he proposed for the Skylab mission with Dr. Robert Head of the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) during his visit to the center. The lunar surface scene in the background is one of many space exhibits at the Alabama Space and Rocket Center in nearby Huntsville, Alabama. Converse was among 25 winners of a contest in which some 3,500 high school students proposed experiments for the following year's Skylab mission. The nationwide scientific competition was sponsored by the National Science Teachers Association and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The winning students, along with their parents and sponsor teachers, visited MSFC where they met with scientists and engineers, participated in design reviews for their experiments, and toured MSFC facilities. Of the 25 students, 6 did not see their experiments conducted on Skylab because the experiments were not compatible with Skylab hardware and timelines. Of the 19 remaining, 11 experiments required the manufacture of additional equipment.

Sherhart and Head at Space and Rocket Center

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1972-01-01

Kirk M. Sherhart, high school student from Berkley, Michigan, discussed a his proposed Skylab experiment with Dr. Robert Head of the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) during his visit to the center. The lunar surface scene in the background is one of many space exhibits at the Alabama Space and Rocket Center in nearby Huntsville, Alabama. Sherhart was among 25 winners of a contest in which some 3,500 high school students proposed experiments for the following year's Skylab mission. The nationwide scientific competition was sponsored by the National Science Teachers Association and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The winning students, along with their parents and sponsor teachers, visited MSFC where they met with scientists and engineers, participated in design reviews for their experiments, and toured MSFC facilities. Of the 25 students, 6 did not see their experiments conducted on Skylab because the experiments were not compatible with Skylab hardware and timelines. Of the 19 remaining, 11 experiments required the manufacture of additional equipment.

FOD Prevention at NASA-Marshall Space Flight Center

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lowrey, Nikki M.

2011-01-01

NASA now requires all flight hardware projects to develop and implement a Foreign Object Damage (FOD) Prevention Program. With the increasing use of composite and bonded structures, NASA now also requires an Impact Damage Protection Plan for these items. In 2009, Marshall Space Flight Center released an interim directive that required all Center organizations to comply with FOD protocols established by on-site Projects, to include prevention of impact damage. The MSFC Technical Standards Control Board authorized the development of a new MSFC technical standard for FOD Prevention.

Organizational Metamorphosis in Space Research and Development.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tompkins, Phillip K.

1978-01-01

The communicative, and therefore organizational and managerial, aspects of the Marshall Space Flight Center's (MSFC) metamorphosis from Saturn V to Skylab are analyzed. MSFC's consistent successes are attributed to the organization's commitment to communication systems, its technical integrity, and its single-minded purpose. (JMF)

Microgravity

NASA Image and Video Library

2000-06-05

Prof. Kerneth Kelton of Washington University in St. Lous, MO, (L) and Dr. Michael Robinson of NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) examine a titanium-iron silicate (TiFeSiO)sample processed in MSFC's Electrostatic Levitator (ESL) Facility (background). Kelton is investigating undercooling of polytetrahedral phase-forming liquids.

Crystal Growth Furnace System Configuration and Planned Experiments on the Second United States Microgravity Laboratory Mission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Srinivas, R.; Hambright, G.; Ainsworth, M.; Fiske, M.; Schaefer, D.

1995-01-01

The Crystal Growth Furnace (CGF) is currently undergoing modifications and refurbishment and is currently undergoing modifications and refurbishment and is manifested to refly on the Second United States Microgravity Laboratory (USML-2) mission scheduled for launch in September 1995. The CGF was developed for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) under the Microgravity Science and Applications Division (MSAD) programs at NASA Headquarters. The refurbishment and reflight program is being managed by the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) in Huntsville, Alabama. Funding and program support for the CGF project is provided to MSFC by the office of Life and Microgravity Sciences and Applications at NASA Headquarters. This paper presents an overview of the CGF system configuration for the USML-2 mission, and provides a brief description of the planned on-orbit experiment operation.

Eclipse 2017: Partnering with NASA MSFC to Inspire Students

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fry, Craig " Ghee" ; Adams, Mitzi; Gallagher, Dennis; Krause, Linda

2017-01-01

NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) is partnering with the U.S. Space and Rocket Center (USSRC), and Austin Peay State University (APSU) to engage citizen scientists, engineers, and students in science investigations during the 2017 American Solar Eclipse. Investigations will support the Citizen Continental America Telescopic Eclipse (CATE), Ham Radio Science Citizen Investigation(HamSCI), and Interactive NASA Space Physics Ionosphere Radio Experiments (INSPIRE). All planned activities will engage Space Campers and local high school students in the application of the scientific method as they seek to explore a wide range of observations during the eclipse. Where planned experiments touch on current scientific questions, the camper/students will be acting as citizen scientists, participating with researchers from APSU and MSFC. Participants will test their expectations and after the eclipse, share their results, experiences, and conclusions to younger Space Campers at the US Space & Rocket Center.

The Propulsion Center at MSFC

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gerrish, Harold; Schmidt, George R. (Technical Monitor)

2000-01-01

The Propulsion Research Center at MSFC serves as a national resource for research of advanced, revolutionary propulsion technologies. Our mission is to move the nation's capabilities beyond the confines of conventional chemical propulsion into an era of aircraft like access to earth-orbit, rapid travel throughout the solar system, and exploration of interstellar space. Current efforts cover a wide range of exciting areas, including high-energy plasma thrusters, advanced fission and fusion engines, antimatter propulsion systems, beamed energy rockets and sails, and fundamental motive physics. Activities involve concept investigation, proof-of-concept demonstration, and breadboard validation of new propulsion systems. The Propulsion Research Center at MSFC provides an environment where NASA, national laboratories, universities, and industry researchers can pool their skills together to perform landmark propulsion achievements. We offer excellent educational opportunities to students and young researchers-fostering a wellspring of innovation that will revolutionize space transportation.

Replacement of Hydrochlorofluorocarbon (HCFC) -225 Solvent for Cleaning and Verification Sampling of NASA Propulsion Oxygen Systems Hardware, Ground Support Equipment, and Associated Test Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Burns, H. D.; Mitchell, M. A.; McMillian, J. H.; Farner, B. R.; Harper, S. A.; Peralta, S. F.; Lowrey, N. M.; Ross, H. R.; Juarez, A.

2015-01-01

Since the 1990's, NASA's rocket propulsion test facilities at Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) and Stennis Space Center (SSC) have used hydrochlorofluorocarbon-225 (HCFC-225), a Class II ozone-depleting substance, to safety clean and verify the cleanliness of large scale propulsion oxygen systems and associated test facilities. In 2012 through 2014, test laboratories at MSFC, SSC, and Johnson Space Center-White Sands Test Facility collaborated to seek out, test, and qualify an environmentally preferred replacement for HCFC-225. Candidate solvents were selected, a test plan was developed, and the products were tested for materials compatibility, oxygen compatibility, cleaning effectiveness, and suitability for use in cleanliness verification and field cleaning operations. Honewell Soltice (TradeMark) Performance Fluid (trans-1-chloro-3,3, 3-trifluoropropene) was selected to replace HCFC-225 at NASA's MSFC and SSC rocket propulsion test facilities.

The 1993 NASA/ASEE Summer Faculty Fellowship Program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Karr, Gerald R. (Editor); Chappell, Charles R. (Editor); Six, Frank (Editor); Freeman, L. Michael (Editor)

1993-01-01

For the 29th consecutive year, a NASA/ASEE Summer Faculty Fellowship Program was conducted at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). The program was conducted by the University of Alabama in Huntsville and MSFC during the period of 6-1-93 through 8-6-93. Operated under the auspices of the American Society for Engineering Education, the MSFC program, as well as those at other NASA centers, was sponsored by the Office of Educational Affairs, NASA Headquarters, Washington, DC. The basic objectives of the programs, which are in the 30th year of operation nationally, are (1) to further the professional knowledge of qualified engineering and science faculty members; (2) to stimulate an exchange of ideas between participants and NASA; (3) to enrich and refresh the research and teaching activities of the participants' institution; and (4) to contribute to the research objectives of the NASA centers.

Space Environmental Effects on Coated Tether Materials

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gittemeier, Keith A.; Hawk, Clark W.; Finckenor, Miria M.; Watts, Ed

2005-01-01

The University of Alabama in Huntsville s Propulsion Research Center has teamed with NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) to research the effects of atomic oxygen (AO) bombardment on coated tether materials. Tethers Unlimited Inc. has provided several candidate tether materials with various coatings for AO exposure in MSFC s Atomic Oxygen Beam Facility. Additional samples were exposed to ultraviolet (UV) radiation at MSFC. AO erodes most organic materials, and ultraviolet radiation embrittles polymers. This test series was performed to determine the effect of AO and UV on the mechanical integrity of tether materials that were treated with AO-protective coatings, such as polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS) or metallization. Both TUI's Multi-Application Survivable Tether (MAST) Experiment and Marshall Space Flight Center s Momentum Exchange Electrodynamic Reboost (MXER) programs will benefit from this research by helping to determine tether materials and coatings that give the longest life with the lowest mass penalty.

Dr. Wernher von Braun

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2004-01-01

Dr. von Braun is looking out from a 10th floor window of building 4200 at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). He was the first Center Director and served as the Director from July 1960 through February 1970. Following World War II, Dr. von Braun and his German colleagues arrived in the United States under the Project Paperclip (American acquisition of German rocket experts) to continue their rocket development work. In 1950, von Braun and his German Rocket Team (also called the Peenemuende Team) were transferred from Ft. Bliss, Texas to Huntsville, Alabama to work for the Army's rocket program at Redstone Arsenal and later, NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). Under Dr. von Braun's leadership, MSFC developed the Saturn V launch vehicle, which placed the first men, two American astronauts, on the Moon. Wernher von Braun's life was dedicated to expanding man's knowledge through the exploration of space.

Atomic Oxygen Effects on Coated Tether Materials

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gittemeier, Keith A.; Hawk, Clark W.; Finckenor, Miria M.; Watts, Ed

2005-01-01

The University of Alabama in Huntsville s Propulsion Research Center has teamed with NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) to research the effects of atomic oxygen (AO) bombardment on coated tether materials. Tethers Unlimited Inc. has provided several candidate tether materials with various coatings for (AO) exposure in MSFC's Atomic Oxygen Beam Facility. Additional samples were exposed to ultraviolet (UV) radiation at MSFC. AO erodes most organic materials, and ultraviolet radiation embrittles polymers. This test series was performed to determine the effect of AO and UV on the mechanical integrity of tether materials that were treated with AO-protective coatings, such as Photosil or metallization. Both TUI's Multi-Application Survivable Tether (MAST) Experiment and Marshall Space Flight Center's Momentum Exchange Electrodynamic Reboost (MXER) programs will benefit from this research by helping to determine tether materials and coatings that give the longest life with the lowest mass penalty.

Research reports: 1987 NASA/ASEE Summer Faculty Fellowship Program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Karr, Gerald R. (Editor); Cothran, Ernestine K. (Editor); Freeman, L. Michael (Editor)

1987-01-01

For the 23rd consecutive year, a NASA/ASEE Summer Faculty Fellowship Program was conducted at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). The program was conducted by the University of Alabama in Huntsville and MSFC during the period 1 June to 7 August 1987. Operated under the auspices of the American Society for Engineering Education, the MSFC program, as well as those at other NASA Centers, was sponsored by the Office of University Affairs, NASA Headquarters, Washington, D.C. The basic objectives of the program are: (1) to further the professional knowledge of qualified engineering and science faculty members; (2) to stimulate an exchange of ideas between participants and NASA; (3) to enrich and refresh the research and teaching activities of the participant's institutions; and (4) to contribute to the research objectives of the NASA Centers. This document is a compilation of Fellow's reports on their research during the Summer of 1987.

Space Science

NASA Image and Video Library

1999-04-20

NASA's Space Optics Manufacturing Technology Center has been working to expand our view of the universe via sophisticated new telescopes. The Optics Center's goal is to develop low-cost, advanced space optics technologies for the NASA program in the 21st century, including the long-term goal of imaging Earth-like planets in distant solar systems. A segmented array of mirrors was designed by the Space Optics Manufacturing Technology Center for the solar concentrator test stand at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) for powering solar thermal propulsion engines. Each hexagon mirror has a spherical surface to approximate a parabolic concentrator when combined into the entire 18-foot diameter array. The aluminum mirrors were polished with a diamond turning machine that creates a glass-like reflective finish on metal. The precision fabrication machinery at the Space Optics Manufacturing Technology Center at MSFC can polish specialized optical elements to a world class quality of smoothness. This image shows optics physicist, Vince Huegele, examining one of the 144-segment hexagonal mirrors of the 18-foot diameter array at the MSFC solar concentrator test stand.

Space Science

NASA Image and Video Library

1999-04-20

NASA's Space Optics Manufacturing Technology Center has been working to expand our view of the universe via sophisticated new telescopes. The Optics Center's goal is to develop low-cost, advanced space optics technologies for the NASA program in the 21st century, including the long-term goal of imaging Earth-like planets in distant solar systems. A segmented array of mirrors was designed by the Space Optics Manufacturing Technology Center for solar the concentrator test stand at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) for powering solar thermal propulsion engines. Each hexagon mirror has a spherical surface to approximate a parabolic concentrator when combined into the entire 18-foot diameter array. The aluminum mirrors were polished with a diamond turning machine, that creates a glass-like reflective finish on metal. The precision fabrication machinery at the Space Optics Manufacturing Technology Center at MSFC can polish specialized optical elements to a world class quality of smoothness. This image shows optics physicist, Vince Huegele, examining one of the 144-segment hexagonal mirrors of the 18-foot diameter array at the MSFC solar concentrator test stand.

X-Ray Optics at NASA Marshall Space Flight Center

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

O'Dell, Stephen L.; Atkins, Carolyn; Broadway, David M.; Elsner, Ronald F.; Gaskin, Jessica A.; Gubarev, Mikhail V.; Kilaru, Kiranmayee; Kolodziejczak, Jeffery J.; Ramsey, Brian D.; Roche, Jacqueline M.;

Solar Thermal Propulsion Test Facility at MSFC

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1999-01-01

This photograph shows an overall view of the Solar Thermal Propulsion Test Facility at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). The 20-by 24-ft heliostat mirror, shown at the left, has dual-axis control that keeps a reflection of the sunlight on an 18-ft diameter concentrator mirror (right). The concentrator mirror then focuses the sunlight to a 4-in focal point inside the vacuum chamber, shown at the front of concentrator mirror. Researchers at MSFC have designed, fabricated, and tested the first solar thermal engine, a non-chemical rocket engine that produces lower thrust but has better thrust efficiency than chemical a combustion engine. MSFC turned to solar thermal propulsion in the early 1990s due to its simplicity, safety, low cost, and commonality with other propulsion systems. Solar thermal propulsion works by acquiring and redirecting solar energy to heat a propell nt. As part of MSFC's Space Transportation Directorate, the Propulsion Research Center serves as a national resource for research of advanced, revolutionary propulsion technologies. The mission is to move the Nation's capabilities beyond the confines of conventional chemical propulsion into an era of aircraft-like access to Earth-orbit, rapid travel throughout the solar system, and exploration of interstellar space.

Hubble Space Telescope nickel-hydrogen battery testing: An update

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Whitt, Thomas H.; Brewer, Jeffrey C.

1995-01-01

The Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) began testing the HST Ni-H2 Six Battery Test and the 'Flight Spare Battery' Tests approximately one year before the launch of the HST. These tests are operated and reported on by the MSFC, but are managed and funded by Goddard Space Flight Center in direct support of the HST program. The HST Ni-H2 batteries are built from Eagle Picher RNH-90-3 cells. The HST EPS (electrical power system) is a direct energy transfer power system. The HST Ni-H2 Six Battery Test is a breadboard of the HST EPS. The batteries in the test are composed of test module cells and packaged into three battery modules identical to the flight modules. This test is the HST EPS testbed. The 'Flight Spare Battery' Test is a simulation of one of the six battery channels on the HST. The cells in the test are from the flight spare lot of cells, which are the same lot of cells that three of the six HST flight batteries are made from. This test is the battery life test for the HST program.

1001518

NASA Image and Video Library

2010-09-01

DEVELOPMENT TESTING BEING CONDUCTED AT THE REQUEST OF THE MSFC DYNAMICS, LOADS, AND STRENGTH BRANCH (EV31) TO STUDY THE FAILURE BEHAVIOR OF FASTENERS SUBJECTED TO COMBINED SHEAR AND TENSION LOADING. THE DATA FROM THIS TESTING WILL BE USED TO DEVELOP APPROPRIATE STRUCTURAL ANALYSIS METHODS AS PART OF A FASTENER STANDARDS EFFORT SPONSORED BY THE NASA ENGINEERING SAFETY CENTER (NESC). THE TEST FIXTURE WAS DESIGNED AND FABRICATED THROUGH THE MSFC MECHANICAL FABRICATION BRANCH (ES23). THE TESTING ORGANIZATION IS THE MSFC MATERIALS TEST BRANCH (EM10).

1001519

NASA Image and Video Library

2010-09-01

DEVELOPMENT TESTING BEING CONDUCTED AT THE REQUEST OF THE MSFC DYNAMICS, LOADS, AND STRENGTH BRANCH (EV31) TO STUDY THE FAILURE BEHAVIOR OF FASTENERS SUBJECTED TO COMBINED SHEAR AND TENSION LOADING. THE DATA FROM THIS TESTING WILL BE USED TO DEVELOP APPROPRIATE STRUCTURAL ANALYSIS METHODS AS PART OF A FASTENER STANDARDS EFFORT SPONSORED BY THE NASA ENGINEERING SAFETY CENTER (NESC). THE TEST FIXTURE WAS DESIGNED AND FABRICATED THROUGH THE MSFC MECHANICAL FABRICATION BRANCH (ES23). THE TESTING ORGANIZATION IS THE MSFC MATERIALS TEST BRANCH (EM10).

1001520

NASA Image and Video Library

2010-09-01

DEVELOPMENT TESTING BEING CONDUCTED AT THE REQUEST OF THE MSFC DYNAMICS, LOADS, AND STRENGTH BRANCH (EV31) TO STUDY THE FAILURE BEHAVIOR OF FASTENERS SUBJECTED TO COMBINED SHEAR AND TENSION LOADING. THE DATA FROM THIS TESTING WILL BE USED TO DEVELOP APPROPRIATE STRUCTURAL ANALYSIS METHODS AS PART OF A FASTENER STANDARDS EFFORT SPONSORED BY THE NASA ENGINEERING SAFETY CENTER (NESC). THE TEST FIXTURE WAS DESIGNED AND FABRICATED THROUGH THE MSFC MECHANICAL FABRICATION BRANCH (ES23). THE TESTING ORGANIZATION IS THE MSFC MATERIALS TEST BRANCH (EM10).

1001521

NASA Image and Video Library

2010-09-01

DEVELOPMENT TESTING BEING CONDUCTED AT THE REQUEST OF THE MSFC DYNAMICS, LOADS, AND STRENGTH BRANCH (EV31) TO STUDY THE FAILURE BEHAVIOR OF FASTENERS SUBJECTED TO COMBINED SHEAR AND TENSION LOADING. THE DATA FROM THIS TESTING WILL BE USED TO DEVELOP APPROPRIATE STRUCTURAL ANALYSIS METHODS AS PART OF A FASTENER STANDARDS EFFORT SPONSORED BY THE NASA ENGINEERING SAFETY CENTER (NESC). THE TEST FIXTURE WAS DESIGNED AND FABRICATED THROUGH THE MSFC MECHANICAL FABRICATION BRANCH (ES23). THE TESTING ORGANIZATION IS THE MSFC MATERIALS TEST BRANCH (EM10).

Phase III Simplified Integrated Test (SIT) results - Space Station ECLSS testing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Roberts, Barry C.; Carrasquillo, Robyn L.; Dubiel, Melissa Y.; Ogle, Kathryn Y.; Perry, Jay L.; Whitley, Ken M.

1990-01-01

During 1989, phase III testing of Space Station Freedom Environmental Control and Life Support Systems (ECLSS) began at Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) with the Simplified Integrated Test. This test, conducted at the MSFC Core Module Integration Facility (CMIF), was the first time the four baseline air revitalization subsystems were integrated together. This paper details the results and lessons learned from the phase III SIT. Future plans for testing at the MSFC CMIF are also discussed.

Environmental Control and Life Support Systems Test Facility at MSFC

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2001-01-01

The Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) is responsible for designing and building the life support systems that will provide the crew of the International Space Station (ISS) a comfortable environment in which to live and work. Scientists and engineers at the MSFC are working together to provide the ISS with systems that are safe, efficient, and cost-effective. These compact and powerful systems are collectively called the Environmental Control and Life Support Systems, or simply, ECLSS. This photograph shows the development Water Processor located in two racks in the ECLSS test area at the Marshall Space Flight Center. Actual waste water, simulating Space Station waste, is generated and processed through the hardware to evaluate the performance of technologies in the flight Water Processor design.

NEARING THE END OF CONSTRUCTION ON THE LOX TEST STAND AT MSFC.

NASA Image and Video Library

2015-01-08

AS THE END OF CONSTRUCTION ON TEST STAND 4697, THE LIQUID OXYGEN TANK TEST STAND AT MARSHALL SPACE FLIGHT CENTER, PROJECT ENGINEERS PHIL HENDRIX, FROM MSFC, AND CURTNEY WALTERS FROM THE U.S. CORP OF ENGINEERS, STUDY PLANS AND PROGRESS.

Spacecraft Chemical Propulsion Systems at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center: Heritage and Capabilities

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

McRight, Patrick S.; Sheehy, Jeffrey A.; Blevins, John A.

2005-01-01

NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) is well known for its contributions to large ascent propulsion systems such as the Saturn V and the Space Shuttle. This paper highlights a lesser known but equally rich side of MSFC - its heritage in spacecraft chemical propulsion systems and its current capabilities for in-space propulsion system development and chemical propulsion research. The historical narrative describes the efforts associated with developing upper-stage main propulsion systems such as the Saturn S-IVB as well as orbital maneuvering and reaction control systems such as the S-IVB auxiliary propulsion system, the Skylab thruster attitude control system, and many more recent activities such as Chandra, the Demonstration of Automated Rendezvous Technology, X-37, the X-38 de-orbit propulsion system, the Interim Control Module, the US Propulsion Module, and several technology development activities. Also discussed are MSFC chemical propulsion research capabilities, along with near- and long-term technology challenges to which MSFC research and system development competencies are relevant.

Skylab

NASA Image and Video Library

1972-08-21

St. Paul Minnesota high school student, Roger Johnston (center), Gene Vacca (left) of NASA Headquarters, and Ann Whitaker of the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) discuss the equipment to be used for the student’s experiment, “Capillary Action Studies in a State of Free Fall”, to be performed aboard the Skylab the following year. Johnston was among 25 winners of a contest in which some 3,500 high school students proposed experiments for the following year’s Skylab mission. The nationwide scientific competition was sponsored by the National Science Teachers Association and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The winning students, along with their parents and sponsor teachers, visited MSFC two months earlier where they met with scientists and engineers, participated in design reviews for their experiments, and toured MSFC facilities. Of the 25 students, 6 did not see their experiments conducted on Skylab because the experiments were not compatible with Skylab hardware and timelines. Of the 19 remaining, 11 experiments required the manufacture of additional equipment. The equipment for the experiments was manufactured at MSFC.

Mirror Material Properties Compiled for Preliminary Design of the Next Generation Space Telescope (30 to 294 Kelvin)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Luz, P. L.; Rice, T.

1998-01-01

This technical memorandum reports on the mirror material properties that were compiled by NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) from April 1996 to June 1997 for preliminary design of the Next Generation Space Telescope (NGST) Study. The NGST study began in February 1996, when the Program Development Directorate at NASA MSFC studied the feasibility of the NGST and developed the pre-phase A program for it. After finishing some initial studies and concepts development work on the NGST, MFSC's Program Development Directorate handed this work to the Observatory Projects Office at MSFC and then to NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC). This technical memorandum was written by MSFC's Preliminary Design Office and Materials and Processes Laboratory for the NGST Optical Telescope Assembly (OTA) team, in Support of NASA GSFC. It contains material properties for 9 mirror Substrate materials, using information from at least 6 industrial Suppliers, 16 textbooks, 44 technical papers, and 130 technical abstracts.

Microgravity Science Glovebox Aboard the International Space Station

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2003-01-01

In the Destiny laboratory aboard the International Space Station (ISS), European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Pedro Duque of Spain is seen working at the Microgravity Science Glovebox (MSG). He is working with the PROMISS experiment, which will investigate the growth processes of proteins during weightless conditions. The PROMISS is one of the Cervantes program of tests (consisting of 20 commercial experiments). The MSG is managed by NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC).

Product Lifecycle Management and the Quest for Sustainable Space Exploration Solutions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Caruso, Pamela W.; Dumbacher, Daniel L.; Grieves, Michael

2011-01-01

Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) is an outcome of lean thinking to eliminate waste and increase productivity. PLM is inextricably tied to the systems engineering business philosophy, coupled with a methodology by which personnel, processes and practices, and information technology combine to form an architecture platform for product design, development, manufacturing, operations, and decommissioning. In this model, which is being implemented by the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) Engineering Directorate, total lifecycle costs are important variables for critical decision-making. With the ultimate goal to deliver quality products that meet or exceed requirements on time and within budget, PLM is a powerful concept to shape everything from engineering trade studies and testing goals, to integrated vehicle operations and retirement scenarios. This briefing will demonstrate how the MSFC Engineering Directorate is implementing PLM as part of an overall strategy to deliver safe, reliable, and affordable space exploration solutions and how that strategy aligns with the Agency and Center systems engineering policies and processes. Sustainable space exploration solutions demand that all lifecycle phases be optimized, and engineering the next generation space transportation system requires a paradigm shift such that digital tools and knowledge management, which are central elements of PLM, are used consistently to maximum effect. Adopting PLM, which has been used by the aerospace and automotive industry for many years, for spacecraft applications provides a foundation for strong, disciplined systems engineering and accountable return on investment. PLM enables better solutions using fewer resources by making lifecycle considerations in an integrative decision-making process.

MSFC Space Station Program Commonly Used Acronyms and Abbreviations Listing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gates, Thomas G.

1988-01-01

The Marshall Space Flight Center maintains an active history program to assure that the foundation of the Center's history is captured and preserved for current and future generations. As part of that overall effort, the Center began a project in 1987 to capture historical information and documentation on the Marshall Center's roles regarding Space Shuttle and Space Station. This document is MSFC Space Station Program Commonly Used Acronyms and Abbreviations Listing. It contains acronyms and abbreviations used in Space Station documentation and in the Historian Annotated Bibliography of Space Station Program. The information may be used by the researcher as a reference tool.

Conceptual Design of In-Space Vehicles for Human Exploration of the Outer Planets

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Adams, R. B.; Alexander, R. A.; Chapman, J. M.; Fincher, S. S.; Hopkins, R. C.; Philips, A. D.; Polsgrove, T. T.; Litchford, R. J.; Patton, B. W.; Statham, G.

2003-01-01

During FY-2002, a team of engineers from TD30/Advanced Concepts and TD40/Propulsion Research Center embarked on a study of potential crewed missions to the outer solar system. The study was conducted under the auspices of the Revolutionary Aerospace Systems Concepts activity administered by Langley Research Center (LaRC). The Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) team interacted heavily with teams from other Centers including Glenn Research Center, LaRC, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and Johnson Space Center. The MSFC team generated five concept missions for this project. The concept missions use a variety of technologies, including magnetized target fusion (MTF), magnetoplasmadynamic thrusters, solid core reactors, and molten salt reactors in various combinations. The Technical Publication (TP) reviews these five concepts and the methods used to generate them. The analytical methods used are described for all significant disciplines and subsystems. The propulsion and power technologies selected for each vehicle are reviewed in detail. The MSFC team also expended considerable effort refining the MTF concept for use with this mission. The results from this effort are also contained within this TP. Finally, the lessons learned from this activity are summarized in the conclusions section.

Development of a NEW Vector Magnetograph at Marshall Space Flight Center

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

West, Edward; Hagyard, Mona; Gary, Allen; Smith, James; Adams, Mitzi; Rose, M. Franklin (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

This paper will describe the Experimental Vector Magnetograph that has been developed at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). This instrument was designed to improve linear polarization measurements by replacing electro-optic and rotating waveplate modulators with a rotating linear analyzer. Our paper will describe the motivation for developing this magnetograph, compare this instrument with traditional magnetograph designs, and present a comparison of the data acquired by this instrument and original MSFC vector magnetograph.

Microgravity

NASA Image and Video Library

1998-06-16

Eddie Snell (standing), Post-Doctoral Fellow the National Research Council (NRC),and Marc Pusey of Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) use a reciprocal space mapping diffractometer for marcromolecular crystal quality studies. The diffractometer is used in mapping the structure of marcromolecules such as proteins to determine their structure and thus understand how they function with other proteins in the body. This is one of several analytical tools used on proteins crystalized on Earth and in space experiments. Photo credit: NASA/Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC)

The Marshall Space Flight Center KC-135 zero gravity test program for FY 1982

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shurney, R. E. (Editor)

1983-01-01

During FY-82, researchers and experimenters from Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) conducted 11 separate investigations during 26.3 hr of testing aboard the KC-135 zero-gravity aircraft, based at Ellington Air force Base, Texas. Although this represented fewer hours than initially projected, all experiment and test objectives were met or exceeded. This Technical Memorandum compiles all results achieved by MSFC users during FY-82, a year considered to be highly productive.

Dr. von Braun Tries Out the Neutral Buoyancy Simulator (NBS)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1967-01-01

Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) Director, Dr. von Braun, submerges after spending some time under water in the MSFC Neutral Buoyancy Simulator (NBS). Weighted to a neutrally buoyant condition, Dr. von Braun was able to perform tasks underwater which simulated weightless conditions found in space.

Around Marshall

NASA Image and Video Library

1962-03-03

Members of the House Committee on Science and Astronautics visited the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) on January 3, 1962 to gather firsthand information of the nation’s space exploration program. The congressional group was composed of members of the Subcommittee on Manned Space Flight. Shown here at MSFC’s Manufacturing Engineering Laboratory are (left to right): Dr. Eberhard Rees, MSFC; Congressman George P. Miller, Democratic representative of California; Congressman F. Edward Hebert, Democratic representative of Louisiana; Congressman Robert R. Casey, Democratic representative of Texas; and Werner Kuers, MSFC.

Wernher von Braun

NASA Image and Video Library

1970-06-27

This photograph was taken after Dr. von Braun moved from his post as Director of the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) to Deputy Associate Administrator for Planning at NASA Headquarters. On June 27, 1970, he visited the MSFC again during the center’s 10th anniversary to look at a mockup of the spacecraft that would later be known as Skylab. With von Braun are (left to right): Herman K. Weidner, director of Science and Engineering at MSFC, and James R. Thompson of the center’s Astrionics Laboratory.

Launching the Future of Science and Exploration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shivers, Charles H.

2009-01-01

This slide presentation reviews the impact that NASA and more specifically the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) has had in science and exploration of Earth. the moon, the solar system and the universe. Some of the contributions that MSFC has made to NASA's missions and the plans for future explorations are reviewed. Also there are views of the contributions to improvement of human life on earth and the impact of the understanding of some natural phenomena made possible by the technology and scientific discoveries of MSFC.

Spacelab

NASA Image and Video Library

1992-10-22

This is a Space Shuttle Columbia (STS-52) onboard photograph of the United States Microgravity Payload-1 (USMP-1) in the cargo bay. The USMP program is a series of missions developed by NASA to provide scientists with the opportunity to conduct research in the unique microgravity environment of the Space Shuttle's payload bay. The USMP-1 mission was designed for microgravity experiments that do not require the hands-on environment of the Spacelab. Science teams on the ground would remotely command and monitor instruments and analyze data from work stations at NASA's Spacelab Mission Operation Control facility at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). The USMP-1 payload carried three investigations: two studied basic fluid and metallurgical processes in microgravity, and the third would characterize the microgravity environment onboard the Space Shuttle. The three experiments that made up USMP-1 were the Lambda Point Experiment, the Space Acceleration Measurement System, and the Materials for the Study of Interesting Phenomena of Solidification Earth and in Orbit (MEPHISTO). The three experiments were mounted on two cornected Mission Peculiar Equipment Support Structures (MPESS) mounted in the orbiter's cargo bay. The USMP program was managed by the MSFC and the MPESS was developed by the MSFC.

Applied Virtual Reality in Reusable Launch Vehicle Design, Operations Development, and Training

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hale, Joseph P.

1997-01-01

Application of Virtual Reality (VR) technology offers much promise to enhance and accelerate the development of Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV) infrastructure and operations while simultaneously reducing developmental and operational costs. One of the primary cost areas in the RLV concept that is receiving special attention is maintenance and refurbishment operations. To produce and operate a cost effective RLV, turnaround cost must be minimized. Designing for maintainability is a necessary requirement in developing RLVs. VR can provide cost effective methods to design and evaluate components and systems for maintenance and refurbishment operations. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)/Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) is beginning to utilize VR for design, operations development, and design analysis for RLVs. A VR applications program has been under development at NASA/MSFC since 1989. The objectives of the MSFC VR Applications Program are to develop, assess, validate, and utilize VR in hardware development, operations development and support, mission operations training and science training. The NASA/MSFC VR capability has also been utilized in several applications. These include: 1) the assessment of the design of the late Space Station Freedom Payload Control Area (PCA), the control room from which onboard payload operations are managed; 2) a viewing analysis of the Tethered Satellite System's (TSS) "end-of-reel" tether marking options; 3) development of a virtual mockup of the International Space Welding Experiment for science viewing analyses from the Shuttle Remote Manipulator System elbow camera and as a trainer for ground controllers; and 4) teleoperations using VR. This presentation will give a general overview of the MSFC VR Applications Program and describe the use of VR in design analyses, operations development, and training for RLVs.

Large-Scale Demonstration of Liquid Hydrogen Storage with Zero Boiloff for In-Space Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hastings, L. J.; Bryant, C. B.; Flachbart, R. H.; Holt, K. A.; Johnson, E.; Hedayat, A.; Hipp, B.; Plachta, D. W.

2010-01-01

Cryocooler and passive insulation technology advances have substantially improved prospects for zero-boiloff cryogenic storage. Therefore, a cooperative effort by NASA s Ames Research Center, Glenn Research Center, and Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) was implemented to develop zero-boiloff concepts for in-space cryogenic storage. Described herein is one program element - a large-scale, zero-boiloff demonstration using the MSFC multipurpose hydrogen test bed (MHTB). A commercial cryocooler was interfaced with an existing MHTB spray bar mixer and insulation system in a manner that enabled a balance between incoming and extracted thermal energy.

Dr. von Braun Visits Huntsville Boys Club

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1961-01-01

Dr. von Braun, Director of Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) and chairman of this year's United Givers Fund (UGF) drive at MSFC, takes time out from the problems of sending a man to the Moon to talk baseball with 11-year-old Randy Smith at the Huntsville Boys Club.

Skylab

NASA Image and Video Library

1971-10-01

The Apollo Telescope Mount (ATM) was designed and developed by the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) and served as the primary scientific instrument unit aboard Skylab (1973-1979). The ATM consisted of eight scientific instruments as well as a number of smaller experiments. This image is of the ATM flight unit sun end canister in MSFC's building 4755.

Saturn Apollo Program

NASA Image and Video Library

1960-01-01

Pictured is one of the earliest testing of the Saturn I S-I (first) stage, with a cluster of eight H-1 engines, at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). It was a part of the test program to prove out the clustered-booster concept. MSFC was responsible for designing and development the Saturn launch vehicles.

Dr. von Braun Tries Out the NBS

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1967-01-01

Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) Director, Dr. von Braun, is shown fitted with suit and diving equipment as he prepares for a tryout in the MSFC Neutral Buoyancy Simulator (NBS). Weighted to a neutrally buoyant condition, Dr. von Braun was able to perform tasks underwater which simulated weightless conditions found in space.

Saturn Apollo Program

NASA Image and Video Library

1967-10-01

Workmen at the Marshall Space Flight Center's (MSFC's) dock on the Ternessee River unload S-IB-211, the flight version of the Saturn IB launch vehicle's first stage, from the NASA barge Palaemon. Between December 1967 and April 1968, the stage would undergo seven static test firings in MSFC's S-IB static test stand.

Development of an automated electrical power subsystem testbed for large spacecraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hall, David K.; Lollar, Louis F.

1990-01-01

The NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) has developed two autonomous electrical power system breadboards. The first breadboard, the autonomously managed power system (AMPS), is a two power channel system featuring energy generation and storage and 24-kW of switchable loads, all under computer control. The second breadboard, the space station module/power management and distribution (SSM/PMAD) testbed, is a two-bus 120-Vdc model of the Space Station power subsystem featuring smart switchgear and multiple knowledge-based control systems. NASA/MSFC is combining these two breadboards to form a complete autonomous source-to-load power system called the large autonomous spacecraft electrical power system (LASEPS). LASEPS is a high-power, intelligent, physical electrical power system testbed which can be used to derive and test new power system control techniques, new power switching components, and new energy storage elements in a more accurate and realistic fashion. LASEPS has the potential to be interfaced with other spacecraft subsystem breadboards in order to simulate an entire space vehicle. The two individual systems, the combined systems (hardware and software), and the current and future uses of LASEPS are described.

Chronology: MSFC Space Station program, 1982 - present. Major events

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Whalen, Jessie E. (Compiler); Mckinley, Sarah L. (Compiler); Gates, Thomas G. (Compiler)

1988-01-01

The Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) maintains an active program to capture historical information and documentation on the MSFC's roles regarding Space Shuttle and Space Station. Marshall History Report 12, called Chronology: MSFC Space Station Program, 1982-Present, is presented. It contains synopses of major events listed according to the dates of their occurrence. Indices follow the synopses and provide additional data concerning the events listed. The Event Index provides a brief listing of all the events without synopses. The Element Index lists the specific elements of the Space Station Program under consideration in the events. The Location Index lists the locations where the events took place. The indices and synopses may be cross-referenced by using dates.

Members of House Committee on Science and Astronautics Visited MSFC

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1962-01-01

The members of the House Committee on Science and Astronautics visited the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) on March 9, 1962 to gather firsthand information of the nation's space exploration program. The congressional group was composed of members of the Subcommittee on Manned Space Flight. Pictured from left-to-right are Congressman Ken Hechler, Democratic representative of West Virginia; Dieter Grau, MSFC; Congressman John W. Davis, Democratic representative of Georgia; Congressman Joe Waggoner, Democratic representative of Louisiana; Congressman Richard L. Roudebush, Republican representative of Indiana; Congressman R. Walter Riehlman, Republican representative of New York; Congressman James G. Fulton, Republican representative of Pennsylvania; Dr. Wernher von Braun, MSFC; and Congressman Olin E. Teague, Democratic representative of Texas.

Description of MSFC engineering photographic analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Earle, Jim; Williams, Frank

1988-01-01

Utilizing a background that includes development of basic launch and test photographic coverage and analysis procedures, the MSFC Photographic Evaluation Group has built a body of experience that enables it to effectively satisfy MSFC's engineering photographic analysis needs. Combining the basic soundness of reliable, proven techniques of the past with the newer technical advances of computers and computer-related devices, the MSFC Photo Evaluation Group is in a position to continue to provide photo and video analysis service center-wide and NASA-wide to supply an improving photo analysis product to meet the photo evaluation needs of the future; and to provide new standards in the state-of-the-art of photo analysis of dynamic events.

A compilation of technology spinoffs from the US Space Shuttle Program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jackson, David Jeff

1993-01-01

As the successful transfer of NASA-developed technology is a stated mission of NASA, the documentation of such transfer is vital in support of the program. The purpose of this report is to document technology transfer, i.e. 'spinoffs', from the U.S. Space Shuttle Program to the commercial sector. These spinoffs have their origin in the many scientific and engineering fields associated with the shuttle program and, as such, span many diverse commercial applications. These applications include, but are not limited to, consumer products, medicine, industrial productivity, manufacturing technology, public safety, resources management, materials processing, transportation, energy, computer technology, construction, and environmental applications. To aide to the generation of this technology spinoff list, significant effort was made to establish numerous and complementary sources of information. The primary sources of information used in compiling this list include: the NASA 'Spinoff' publication, NASA Tech Briefs, the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) Technology Utilization (TU) Office, the NASA Center for Aerospace Information (CASI), the NASA COSMIC Software Center, and MSFC laboratory and contractor personnel. A complete listing of resources may be found in the bibliography of this report. Additionally, effort was made to insure that the obtained information was placed in electronic database form to insure that the subsequent updating would be feasible with minimal effort.

Nanotechnology Concepts at Marshall Space Flight Center: Engineering Directorate

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bhat, B.; Kaul, R.; Shah, S.; Smithers, G.; Watson, M. D.

2001-01-01

Nanotechnology is the art and science of building materials and devices at the ultimate level of finesse: atom by atom. Our nation's space program has need for miniaturization of components, minimization of weight, and maximization of performance, and nanotechnology will help us get there. Marshall Space Flight Center's (MSFC's) Engineering Directorate is committed to developing nanotechnology that will enable MSFC missions in space transportation, space science, and space optics manufacturing. MSFC has a dedicated group of technologists who are currently developing high-payoff nanotechnology concepts. This poster presentation will outline some of the concepts being developed including, nanophase structural materials, carbon nanotube reinforced metal and polymer matrix composites, nanotube temperature sensors, and aerogels. The poster will outline these concepts and discuss associated technical challenges in turning these concepts into real components and systems.

Research reports: 1994 NASA/ASEE Summer Faculty Fellowship Program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Freeman, L. Michael (Editor); Chappell, Charles R. (Editor); Six, Frank (Editor); Karr, Gerald R. (Editor)

1994-01-01

For the 30th consecutive year, a NASA/ASEE Summer Faculty Fellowship Program was conducted at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). The basic objectives of the programs, which are in the 31st year of operation nationally, are (1) to further the professional knowledge of qualified engineering and science faculty members; (2) to stimulate an exchange of ideas between participants and NASA; (3) to enrich and refresh the research and teaching activities of participants' institutions; and (4) to contribute to the research objectives of the NASA centers. The Faculty Fellows spent 10 weeks at MSFC engaged in a research project compatible with their interests and background and worked in collaboration with a NASA/MSFC colleague. This document is a compilation of Fellows' reports on their research during the summer of 1994.

Skylab

NASA Image and Video Library

1973-05-01

Engineers from the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) and its contractors were testing the twin-pole sunshade at the Skylab mockup in the MSFC Building 4619. The Skylab Orbital Workshop (OWS) lost its thermal protection shield during launch on May 14, 1963. Without the heat shield, the temperature inside the OWS became dangerously high, rendering the workshop uninhabitable and threatened deterioration of the interior insulation and adhesive. Engineers from the MSFC, its contractors, and NASA persornel at other centers worked day and night for several days to develop the way to save the Skylab OWS. Eventually, they developed, tested, rehearsed, and approved three repair options. These options included a parasol sunshade and a twin-pole sunshade to restore the temperature inside the workshop, and a set of metal cutting tools to free the jammed solar panel.

Research Technology

NASA Image and Video Library

1997-02-01

Researchers at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) have designed, fabricated, and tested the first solar thermal engine, a non-chemical rocket engine that produces lower thrust but has better thrust efficiency than a chemical combustion engine. This photograph shows components for the thermal propulsion engine being laid out prior to assembly. MSFC turned to solar thermal propulsion in the early 1990s due to its simplicity, safety, low cost, and commonality with other propulsion systems. As part of MSFC's Space Transportation Directorate, the Propulsion Research Center serves as a national resource for research of advanced, revolutionary propulsion technologies. The mission is to move the Nation's capabilities beyond the confines of conventional chemical propulsion into an era of aircraft-like access to Earth-orbit, rapid travel throughout the solar system, and exploration of interstellar space.

Skylab

NASA Image and Video Library

1972-06-02

W. Brain Dunlap (left), high school student from Youngstown, Ohio, is pictured here with Harry Coons of the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) during a visit to the center. Dunlap was among 25 winners of a contest in which some 3,500 high school students proposed experiments for the following year’s Skylab mission. The nationwide scientific competition was sponsored by the National Science Teachers Association and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The winning students, along with their parents and sponsor teachers, visited MSFC where they met with scientists and engineers, participated in design reviews for their experiments, and toured MSFC facilities. Of the 25 students, 6 did not see their experiments conducted on Skylab because the experiments were not compatible with Skylab hardware and timelines. Of the 19 remaining, 11 experiments required the manufacture of additional equipment.

Skylab

NASA Image and Video Library

1972-06-02

Princeton, New Jersey high school student, Alison Hopfield, is greeted by astronauts Russell L. Schweickart (left) and Owen K. Garriott (center) during a tour of the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). Hopfield was among 25 winners of a contest in which some 3,500 high school students proposed experiments for the following year’s Skylab mission. The nationwide scientific competition was sponsored by the National Science Teachers Association and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The winning students, along with their parents and sponsor teachers, visited MSFC where they met with scientists and engineers, participated in design reviews for their experiments, and toured MSFC facilities. Of the 25 students, 6 did not see their experiments conducted on Skylab because the experiments were not compatible with Skylab hardware and timelines. Of the 19 remaining, 11 experiments required the manufacture of additional equipment.

Skylab

NASA Image and Video Library

1972-06-02

Gregory A. Merkel (left), high school student from Springfield, Massachusetts, is pictured here with Harry Coons of the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) during a visit to the center. Merkel was among 25 winners of a contest in which some 3,500 high school students proposed experiments for the following year’s Skylab mission. The nationwide scientific competition was sponsored by the National Science Teachers Association and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The winning students, along with their parents and sponsor teachers, visited MSFC where they met with scientists and engineers, participated in design reviews for their experiments, and toured MSFC facilities. Of the 25 students, 6 did not see their experiments conducted on Skylab because the experiments were not compatible with Skylab hardware and timelines. Of the 19 remaining, 11 experiments required the manufacture of additional equipment.

Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) in the design of a water-jet-drive system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Garcia, Roberto

1994-01-01

NASA/Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) has an ongoing effort to transfer to industry the technologies developed at MSFC for rocket propulsion systems. The Technology Utilization (TU) Office at MSFC promotes these efforts and accepts requests for assistance from industry. One such solicitation involves a request from North American Marine Jet, Inc. (NAMJ) for assistance in the design of a water-jet-drive system to fill a gap in NAMJ's product line. NAMJ provided MSFC with a baseline axial flow impeller design as well as the relevant working parameters (rpm, flow rate, etc.). This baseline design was analyzed using CFD, and significant deficiencies identified. Four additional analyses were performed involving MSFC changes to the geometric and operational parameters of the baseline case. Subsequently, the impeller was redesigned by NAMJ and analyzed by MSFC. This new configuration performs significantly better than the baseline design. Similar cooperative activities are planned for the design of the jet-drive inlet.

Design and integrated operation of an innovative thermodynamic vent system concept

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fazah, Michel M.; Lak, Tibor; Nguyen, Han; Wood, Charles C.

1993-06-01

A unique zero-g thermodynamic vent system (TVS) is being developed by NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) and Rockwell International to meet cryogenic propellant management requirements for future space missions. The design is highly innovative in that it integrates the functions of a spray-bar tank mixer and a TVS. This concept not only satisfies the requirement for efficient tank mixing and zero-g venting but also accommodates thermal conditioning requirements for other components (e.g., engine feed lines, turbopumps, and liquid acquisition devices). In addition, operations can be extended to accomplish tank chill-down, no-vent fill, and emergency venting during zero-g propellant transfer. This paper describes the system performance characterization and future test activities that are part of MSFC's Multipurpose Hydrogen Test Bed (MHTB) program. The testing will demonstrate the feasibility and merit of the design, and serve as a proof-of-concept development activity.

Protein Crystal Quality Studies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1998-01-01

Eddie Snell (standing), Post-Doctoral Fellow the National Research Council (NRC),and Marc Pusey of Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) use a reciprocal space mapping diffractometer for marcromolecular crystal quality studies. The diffractometer is used in mapping the structure of marcromolecules such as proteins to determine their structure and thus understand how they function with other proteins in the body. This is one of several analytical tools used on proteins crystalized on Earth and in space experiments. Photo credit: NASA/Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC)

n/a

NASA Image and Video Library

1967-11-01

Workmen at the Kennedy Space Center position the nose cone for the 204LM-1, an unmanned Apollo mission that tested the Apollo Lunar Module (LM) in Earth orbit. Also known as Apollo 5, the spacecraft was launched on the fourth Saturn IBC launch vehicle. Developed by the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) as an interim vehicle in MSFC's "building block" approach to the Saturn rocket development, the Saturn IBC utilized Saturn I technology to further develop and refine a larger booster and the Apollo spacecraft capabilities required for the manned lunar missions.

Marshall (MSFC) 3D Printing Media Resource

NASA Image and Video Library

2018-06-12

Edited b-roll video from NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala. Engineers at Marshall are pioneering and advancing new additive manufacturing techniques that can greatly reduce costs and development of rocket engines and other spacecraft components. Marshall teams also managed the development of the International Space Station’s first 3D printer. For more information and/or more detailed footage please contact the Marshall Office of Communications. PAO: Jennifer Stanfield, 256-544-0034, Jennifer.stanfield@nasa.gov

Research Reports: 1997 NASA/ASEE Summer Faculty Fellowship Program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Karr, G. R. (Editor); Dowdy, J. (Editor); Freeman, L. M. (Editor)

1998-01-01

For the 33rd consecutive year, a NASA/ASEE Summer Faculty Fellowship Program was conducted at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). The program was conducted by the University of Alabama in Huntsville and MSFC during the period June 2, 1997 through August 8, 1997. Operated under the auspices of the American Society for Engineering Education, the MSFC program was sponsored by the Higher Education Branch, Education Division, NASA Headquarters, Washington, D.C. The basic objectives of the program, which are in the 34th year of operation nationally, are: (1) to further the professional knowledge of qualified engineering and science faculty members; (2) to stimulate an exchange of ideas between participants and NASA; (3) to enrich and refresh the research and teaching activities of the participants' institutions; and (4) to contribute to the research objectives of the NASA centers. The Faculty Fellows spent 10 weeks at MSFC engaged in a research project compatible with their interests and background and worked in collaboration with a NASA/MSFC colleague. This document is a compilation of Fellows' reports on their research during the summer of 1997. The University of Alabama in Huntsville presents the Co-Directors' report on the administrative operations of the program. Further information can be obtained by contacting any of the editors.

Tennessee Representative Chuck Fleischmann Visit to MSFC

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-06-11

Rep. Chuck Fleischmann (R-Tn) being briefed on additive manufacturing at MSFC during a tour of Marshall facilities. Rep. Fleischmann was accompanied by Darrell Akins, Executive Manager of the Tennessee Valley corridor.

Space Students Visit MSFC During STS-35 Astro-1 Mission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1990-01-01

The primary objective of the STS-35 mission was round the clock observation of the celestial sphere in ultraviolet and X-Ray astronomy with the Astro-1 observatory which consisted of four telescopes: the Hopkins Ultraviolet Telescope (HUT); the Wisconsin Ultraviolet Photo-Polarimeter Experiment (WUPPE); the Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (UIT); and the Broad Band X-Ray Telescope (BBXRT). The Huntsville Operations Support Center (HOSC) Spacelab Payload Operations Control Center (SL POCC) at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) was the air/ground communication channel used between the astronauts and ground control teams during the Spacelab missions. Teams of controllers and researchers directed on-orbit science operations, sent commands to the spacecraft, received data from experiments aboard the Space Shuttle, adjusted mission schedules to take advantage of unexpected science opportunities or unexpected results, and worked with crew members to resolve problems with their experiments. This photo is of Space classroom students in the Discovery Optics Lab at MSFC during STS-35, ASTRO-1 mission payload operations.

Skylab

NASA Image and Video Library

1972-06-02

Kirk M. Sherhart, high school student from Berkley, Michigan, discussed a his proposed Skylab experiment with Dr. Robert Head of the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) during his visit to the center. The lunar surface scene in the background is one of many space exhibits at the Alabama Space and Rocket Center in nearby Huntsville, Alabama. Sherhart was among 25 winners of a contest in which some 3,500 high school students proposed experiments for the following year’s Skylab mission. The nationwide scientific competition was sponsored by the National Science Teachers Association and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The winning students, along with their parents and sponsor teachers, visited MSFC where they met with scientists and engineers, participated in design reviews for their experiments, and toured MSFC facilities. Of the 25 students, 6 did not see their experiments conducted on Skylab because the experiments were not compatible with Skylab hardware and timelines. Of the 19 remaining, 11 experiments required the manufacture of additional equipment.

Skylab

NASA Image and Video Library

1972-05-02

Vincent W. Converse, high school student from Rockford, Illinois, discussed a mass measurement device he proposed for the Skylab mission with Dr. Robert Head of the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) during his visit to the center. The lunar surface scene in the background is one of many space exhibits at the Alabama Space and Rocket Center in nearby Huntsville, Alabama. Converse was among 25 winners of a contest in which some 3,500 high school students proposed experiments for the following year’s Skylab mission. The nationwide scientific competition was sponsored by the National Science Teachers Association and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The winning students, along with their parents and sponsor teachers, visited MSFC where they met with scientists and engineers, participated in design reviews for their experiments, and toured MSFC facilities. Of the 25 students, 6 did not see their experiments conducted on Skylab because the experiments were not compatible with Skylab hardware and timelines. Of the 19 remaining, 11 experiments required the manufacture of additional equipment.

The Development of MSFC Usability Lab

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cheng, Yiwei; Richardson, Sally

2010-01-01

This conference poster reviews the development of the usability lab at Marshall Space Flight Center. The purpose of the lab was to integrate a fully functioning usability laboratory to provide a resource for future human factor assessments. and to implement preliminary usability testing on a MSFC website to validate the functionality of the lab.

Dr. von Braun Tries Out the Neutral Buoyancy Simulator (NBS)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1967-01-01

Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) Director, Dr. von Braun, is shown leaving the suiting-up van wearing a pressure suit prepared for a tryout in the MSFC Neutral Buoyancy Simulator (NBS). Weighted to a neutrally buoyant condition, Dr. von Braun was able to perform tasks underwater which simulated weightless conditions found in space.

MSFC Technology Year in Review 2015

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Reynolds, David; Tinker, Mike

2015-01-01

MSFC has a strong diverse portfolio of technology development projects, ranging from flight projects to very low Technology Readiness Level (TRL) laboratory projects. The 2015 Year in Review highlights the Center's technology projects and celebrates their accomplishments to raise awareness of technology development work that is integral to the success of future Agency flight programs.

Saturn Apollo Program

NASA Image and Video Library

1965-02-01

Workers at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) move a facility test version of the Saturn IB launch vehicle's second stage, the S-IVB, to the J-2 test stand on February 10, 1965. Also known as a "battleship" because of its heavy, rugged construction, the non-flight, stainless-steel model was used to check out testing facilities at MSFC.

Saturn Apollo Program

NASA Image and Video Library

1965-02-01

A facility test version of the S-IVB, the second stage of the Saturn IB launch vehicle, sits in the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) J-2 test stand on February 10, 1965. Also known as a "battleship" because of its heavy, rugged construction, the non-flight, stainless-steel model was used to check out testing facilities at MSFC.

Skylab

NASA Image and Video Library

1972-08-21

Youngstown, Ohio high school student, W. Brian Dunlap (center), discusses with Dr. Robert Head (right), and Henry Floyd, both of the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC), his experiment to be performed aboard the Skylab the following year. His experiment, “Wave Motion Trough A Liquid in Zero Gravity” used a container attached to the end of a leaf spring which was oscillated at specific rates using two thickness differentiated types of liquids. Dunlap was among 25 winners of a contest in which some 3,500 high school students proposed experiments for the following year’s Skylab mission. The nationwide scientific competition was sponsored by the National Science Teachers Association and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The winning students, along with their parents and sponsor teachers, visited MSFC where they met with scientists and engineers, participated in design reviews for their experiments, and toured MSFC facilities. Of the 25 students, 6 did not see their experiments conducted on Skylab because the experiments were not compatible with Skylab hardware and timelines. Of the 19 remaining, 11 experiments required the manufacture of additional equipment. The equipment for the experiments was manufactured at MSFC.

AXAF-1 high-resolution mirror assembly image model and comparison with x-ray ground-test image

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zissa, David E.

1999-09-01

The completed High Resolution Mirror Assembly (HRMA) of the Advanced X-ray Astrophysics Facility - Imaging (AXAF-I) was tested at the X-ray Calibration Facility (XRCF) at the NASA- Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) in 1997. The MSFC image model was developed during the development of AXAF-I. The MSFC model is a detailed ray-trace model of the as-built HRMA optics and the XRCF teste conditions. The image encircled-energy distributions from the model are found to general agree well with XRCF test data nd the preliminary Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory (SAO) model. MSFC model effective-area result generally agree with those of the preliminary SAO model. Preliminary model effective-area results were reported by SAO to be approximately 5-13 percent above initial XRCF test results. The XRCF test conditions are removed from the MSFC ray-trace model to derive an on-orbit prediction of the HRMA image.

Thermal control surfaces on the MSFC LDEF experiments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wilkes, Donald R.; Whitaker, Ann F.; Zwiener, James M.; Linton, Roger C.; Shular, David; Peters, Palmer N.; Gregory, John C.

1992-01-01

There were five Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) experiments on the LDEF. Each of those experiments carried thermal control surfaces either as test samples or as operational surfaces. These materials experienced varying degrees of mechanical and optical damage. Some materials were virtually unchanged by the extended exposure while others suffered extensive degradation. The synergistic effects due to the constituents of the space environment are evident in the diversity of these material changes. The sample complement for the MSFC experiments is described along with results of the continuing analyses efforts.

Saturn Apollo Program

NASA Image and Video Library

1965-04-01

S-IB-1, the first flight version of the Saturn IB launch vehicle's first stage (S-IB stage), undergoes a full-duration static firing in Saturn IB static test stand at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) on April 13, 1965. Developed by the MSFC and built by the Chrysler Corporation at the Michoud Assembly Facility (MAF) in New Orleans, Louisiana, the 90,000-pound booster utilized eight H-1 engines to produce a combined thrust of 1,600,000 pounds. Between April 1965 and July 1968, MSFC performed thirty-two static tests on twelve different S-IB stages.

Microgravity

NASA Image and Video Library

1995-10-20

This drawing depicts one set of flow patterns simulated in the Geophysical Fluid Flow Cell (GFFC) that flew on two Spacelab missions. Silicone oil served as the atmosphere around a rotating steel hemisphere (dotted circle) and an electrostatic field pulled the oil inward to mimic gravity's effects during the experiments. The GFFC thus produced flow patterns that simulated conditions inside the atmospheres of Jupiter and the Sun and other stars. The principal investigator was John Hart of the University of Colorado at Boulder. It was managed by NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). An Acrobat PDF copy of this drawing is available at http://microgravity.nasa.gov/gallery. (Credit: NASA/Marshall Space Flight Center)

Lab-on a-Chip

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1999-01-01

Labs on chips are manufactured in many shapes and sizes and can be used for numerous applications, from medical tests to water quality monitoring to detecting the signatures of life on other planets. The eight holes on this chip are actually ports that can be filled with fluids or chemicals. Tiny valves control the chemical processes by mixing fluids that move in the tiny channels that look like lines, connecting the ports. Scientists at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) in Huntsville, Alabama designed this chip to grow biological crystals on the International Space Station (ISS). Through this research, they discovered that this technology is ideally suited for solving the challenges of the Vision for Space Exploration. For example, thousands of chips the size of dimes could be loaded on a Martian rover looking for biosignatures of past or present life. Other types of chips could be placed in handheld devices used to monitor microbes in water or to quickly conduct medical tests on astronauts. The portable, handheld Lab-on-a Chip Application Development Portable Test System (LOCAD-PTS) made its debut flight aboard Discovery during the STS-116 mission launched December 9, 2006. The system allowed crew members to monitor their environment for problematic contaminants such as yeast, mold, and even E.coli, and salmonella. Once LOCAD-PTS reached the ISS, the Marshall team continued to manage the experiment, monitoring the study from a console in the Payload Operations Center at MSFC. The results of these studies will help NASA researchers refine the technology for future Moon and Mars missions. (NASA/MSFC/D.Stoffer)

Saturn Apollo Program

NASA Image and Video Library

1960-01-01

H-1 engine characteristics: The H-1 engine was developed under the management of the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). The cluster of eight H-1 engines was used to power the first stage of the Saturn I (S-I stage) and Saturn IB (S-IVB stage) launch vehicles, and produced 188,00 pounds of thrust, a combined thrust of 1,500,000 pounds, later uprated to 205,000 pounds of thrust and a combined total thrust of 1,650,000 pounds for the Saturn IB program.

Some effects of time usage patterns on the productivity of engineers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jackson, Conrad N.

1992-01-01

The performance of the 1500+ engineers at MSFC is critical to the Center's mission. Worker's performance, however, is a variable affected by ability, motivation, role understanding, and other factors. Managing subordinates' performance is a great challenges to managers. Special challenges confront the managers of engineers because engineers often work with general goals, long deadlines, and considerable autonomy. The productivity of a team or branch is a function of the productivity of each of its members. While many managers have personal theories about how to run their work group, surprisingly little systematic scientific knowledge exerts about the effects of various factors on engineers' productivity. This study is intended to help lay the foundation for such a program of research.

Saturn Apollo Program

NASA Image and Video Library

1969-07-15

Seriousness exudes from launch official Miles Ross (left) of Kennedy Space Flight Center (KSC) and Major General E.F. O’Conner, director of program management of the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC), as they participate in the Apollo 11 countdown demonstration test. The Apollo 11 mission, the first lunar landing mission, launched from the KSC in Florida via the MSFC developed Saturn V launch vehicle on July 16, 1969 and safely returned to Earth on July 24, 1969. Aboard the space craft were astronauts Neil A. Armstrong, commander; Michael Collins, Command Module (CM) pilot; and Edwin E. (Buzz) Aldrin Jr., Lunar Module (LM) pilot. The CM, “Columbia”, piloted by Collins, remained in a parking orbit around the Moon while the LM, “Eagle’’, carrying astronauts Armstrong and Aldrin, landed on the Moon. On July 20, 1969, Armstrong was the first human to ever stand on the lunar surface, followed by Aldrin. During 2½ hours of surface exploration, the crew collected 47 pounds of lunar surface material for analysis back on Earth. With the success of Apollo 11, the national objective to land men on the Moon and return them safely to Earth had been accomplished.

Advanced Space Transportation Program (ASTP)

NASA Image and Video Library

1997-08-07

This double exposure depicts Marshall Space Flight Center's (MSFC) Test Stand 116 hosting a 60K Bantam Fastrac thrust chamber assembly test. The lower right exposure shows the engine firing in the test stand while the center exposure reveals workers monitoring the test in the interior block house of the test facility. The thrust chamber assembly is only part of the Fastrac engine project to build a low-cost engine for the X-34, an alternate light-weight unmarned launch vehicle. Both the nozzle and the engine for Fastrac are being manufactured at MSFC.

KSC-02pd1512

NASA Image and Video Library

2002-10-11

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- This 100-pound Mundrabilla meteorite sample is being studied in Wyle Laboratory's Nondestructive Testing Laboratory at KSC. The one-of-a-kind meteorite was found 36 years ago in Australia and is on loan to Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) from the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of Natural History. Dr. Donald Gillies, discipline scientist for materials science at MSFC's Microgravity Science and Applications Department, is the Principal Investigator. The studies may help provide the science community and industry with fundamental knowledge for use in the design of advanced materials.

KSC-02pd1511

NASA Image and Video Library

2002-10-11

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- This 100-pound Mundrabilla meteorite sample is being studied in Wyle Laboratory's Nondestructive Testing Laboratory at KSC. The one-of-a-kind meteorite was found 36 years ago in Australia and is on loan to Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) from the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of Natural History. Dr. Donald Gillies, discipline scientist for materials science at MSFC's Microgravity Science and Applications Department, is the Principal Investigator. The studies may help provide the science community and industry with fundamental knowledge for use in the design of advanced materials.

n/a

NASA Image and Video Library

1967-11-01

Workmen at the Kennedy Space Center hoist the Saturn Lunar Module (LM) Adapter into position during assembly of the 204LM-1, an unmanned Apollo mission that tested the Apollo Lunar Module in Earth orbit. Also known as Apollo 5, the spacecraft was launched on the fourth Saturn IB launch vehicle. Developed by the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) as an interim vehicle in MSFC's "building block" approach to the Saturn rocket development, the Saturn IB utilized Saturn I technology to further develop and refine a larger booster and the Apollo spacecraft capabilities required for the manned lunar missions.

Film Processing Module for Automated Fiber Placement

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hulcher, A. Bruce

2004-01-01

This viewgraph presentation describes fiber placement technology which was originally developed by Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) for the fabrication of fiber composite propellant tanks. The presentation includes an image of the MSFC Fiber Placement Machine, which is a prototype test bed, and images of some of the machine's parts. Some possible applications for the machines are listed.

Saturn Apollo Program

NASA Image and Video Library

1973-01-01

This chart provides a launch summary of the Saturn IB launch vehicle as of 1973. Developed by the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) as an interim vehicle in MSFC's "building block" approach to the Saturn rocket development, the Saturn IB utilized Saturn I technology to further develop and refine the larger boosters and the Apollo spacecraft capabilities required for the marned lunar missions.

Saturn Apollo Program

NASA Image and Video Library

1968-01-01

This 1968 chart depicts the various mission configurations for the Saturn IB launch vehicle. Developed by the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) as an interim vehicle in MSFC's "building block" approach to the Saturn rocket development, the Saturn IB utilized Saturn I technology to further develop and refine the larger boosters and the Apollo spacecraft capabilities required for the marned lunar missions.

Saturn Apollo Program

NASA Image and Video Library

1968-01-01

This 1968 chart illustrates the characteristics and proposed missions for the Saturn IB launch vehicle. Developed by the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) as an interim vehicle in MSFC's "building block" approach to the Saturn rocket development, the Saturn IB utilized Saturn I technology to further develop and refine the larger boosters and the Apollo spacecraft capabilities required for the marned lunar missions.

Interstellar Message Plaques: Application of White-Light Holography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Matloff, G. L.

2002-01-01

During Spring / Summer 2001, a prototype white-light holographic interstellar-probe message plaque was created under Contract H-29712D of NASA Marshall Spaceflight Center (MSFC), and commercial white-light holograms were tested for space-radiation tolerance at the MSFC Space Environment Facility (SEF) in Huntsville, AL, USA. Artist C Bangs' message plaque was created at the Center for Holographic Arts in Long Island City, NY. The 57.5 X 47.5 cm rainbow hologram was delivered to MSFC after framing by Simon Liu Inc., Brooklyn, NY, USA. The prototype message plaque, which is in the collection of the MSFC Space Transportation Directorate, has six multiplexed 2-D and 3-D images representing humans, the hypothetical interstellar spacecraft, and our position in the galaxy. Consultation with John Caulfield of Fisk University, an expert in holography, revealed that micron-thick holograms not much larger than a sheet of paper could contain hundreds of thousands of images, which opens the me ssage-plaque field considerably so that work of many artists could be included. Tests of commercial holograms at up to 100 MRad of simulated solar-wind radiation were performed at MSFC / SEF. Image-quality deterioriation was monitored using the image-color- histogram of the (trademarked) Adobe Photoshop software package. No significant deterioration occurred, which is in agreement with the literature. Holographic solar sails may be a propulsive application of this technology.

INSPACE CHEMICAL PROPULSION SYSTEMS AT NASA's MARSHALL SPACE FLIGHT CENTER: HERITAGE AND CAPABILITIES

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

McRight, P. S.; Sheehy, J. A.; Blevins, J. A.

2005-01-01

NASA s Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) is well known for its contributions to large ascent propulsion systems such as the Saturn V rocket and the Space Shuttle external tank, solid rocket boosters, and main engines. This paper highlights a lesser known but very rich side of MSFC-its heritage in the development of in-space chemical propulsion systems and its current capabilities for spacecraft propulsion system development and chemical propulsion research. The historical narrative describes the flight development activities associated with upper stage main propulsion systems such as the Saturn S-IVB as well as orbital maneuvering and reaction control systems such as the S-IVB auxiliary propulsion system, the Skylab thruster attitude control system, and many more recent activities such as Chandra, the Demonstration of Automated Rendezvous Technology (DART), X-37, the X-38 de-orbit propulsion system, the Interim Control Module, the US Propulsion Module, and multiple technology development activities. This paper also highlights MSFC s advanced chemical propulsion research capabilities, including an overview of the center s Propulsion Systems Department and ongoing activities. The authors highlight near-term and long-term technology challenges to which MSFC research and system development competencies are relevant. This paper concludes by assessing the value of the full range of aforementioned activities, strengths, and capabilities in light of NASA s exploration missions.

Proposal Improvements That Work

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dunn, F.

1998-01-01

Rocketdyne Propulsion and Power, an operating location of Boeing in Canoga Park, California is under contract with NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) in Huntsville, Alabama for design, development, production, and mission support of Space Shuttle Main Engines (SSMEs). The contract was restructured in 1996 to emphasize a mission contracting environment under which Rocketdyne supports the Space Transportation System launch manifest of seven flights a year without the need for a detailed list of contract deliverables such as nozzles, turbopumps, and combustion devices. This contract structure is in line with the overall Space Shuttle program goals established by the NASA to fly safely, meet the flight manifest, and reduce cost. Rocketdyne's Contracts, Pricing, and Estimating team has worked for the past several years with representatives from MSFC, the local Defense Contract Management Command, and the DCAA to improve the quality of cost proposals to MSFC for contract changes on the SSME. The contract changes on the program result primarily from engineering change proposals for product enhancements to improve safety, maintainability, or operability in the space environment. This continuous improvement team effort has been successful in improving proposal quality, reducing cycle time, and reducing cost. Some of the principal lessons learned are highlighted here to show how proposal improvements can be implemented to enhance customer satisfaction and ensure cost proposals can be evaluated easily by external customers.

Space Science

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-12-01

Dr. Lisa Monaco, Marshall Space Flight Center’s (MSFC’s) project scientist for the Lab-on-a-Chip Applications Development (LOCAD) program, examines a lab on a chip. The small dots are actually ports where fluids and chemicals can be mixed or samples can be collected for testing. Tiny channels, only clearly visible under a microscope, form pathways between the ports. Many chemical and biological processes, previously conducted on large pieces of laboratory equipment, can now be performed on these small glass or plastic plates. Monaco and other researchers at MSFC in Huntsville, Alabama, are customizing the chips to be used for many space applications, such as monitoring microbes inside spacecraft and detecting life on other planets. The portable, handheld Lab-on-a Chip Application Development Portable Test System (LOCAD-PTS) made its debut flight aboard Discovery during the STS-116 mission launched December 9, 2006. The system allowed crew members to monitor their environment for problematic contaminants such as yeast, mold, and even E.coli, and salmonella. Once LOCAD-PTS reached the International Space Station (ISS), the Marshall team continued to manage the experiment, monitoring the study from a console in the Payload Operations Center at MSFC. The results of these studies will help NASA researchers refine the technology for future Moon and Mars missions. (NASA/MSFC/D.Stoffer)

Technology in action

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1992-01-01

In keeping with the NASA Administrator's announcement that technology transfer will become a fundamental mission of NASA, the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) has initiated new programs to reach the heartland of U.S. industry. The Center has continued to expand its already well-established outreach program aimed at helping American business, industry, and academia at the grassroots level. The goal is to ensure that America regains and maintains its proper place of leadership among the world's technologically developed nations. MSFC's national goal is to enhance America's competitiveness in the world marketplace, fortify the value of the dollar, and ensure technological breakthroughs by American laboratories benefit taxpayers and industries. The Technology Utilization (TU) Office at MSFC believes a number of measures are possible to slow, then halt, and ultimately reverse the erosion of American technological leadership. MSFC's TU Office is reaching out to American industry on an increasingly broadening scope, facilitating the transfer of NASA derived technologies to American businesses, industries, educational institutions, and individuals. There are many valid approaches to achieving this goal. Some, such as the National Technology Initiative, begin at the top and work down through America's top corporate structure. Others, such as the technology transfer program that MSFC has implemented, begin at the one-on-one, grassroots level -- working with small and medium-sized firms that form the bulk of American industry. What can be done by one NASA center is, admittedly, limited. But by extrapolating this one-on-one approach to the more than 700 Federal laboratories, a great deal can be accomplished. This report contains an examination of outreach and in reach programs, problem statements programs, applications projects, new technology reporting, new technology administration, and the need for increased resources to further facilitate technology transfer.

Around Marshall

NASA Image and Video Library

1962-03-08

The members of the House Committee on Science and Astronautics visited the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) on March 9, 1962 to gather firsthand information of the nation’s space exploration program. The congressional group was composed of members of the Subcommittee on Manned Space Flight. The subcommittee was briefed on MSFC’s manned space efforts earlier in the day and then inspected mockups of the Saturn I Workshop and the Apollo Telescope Mount, two projects developed by MSFC for the post-Apollo program. In this photograph, MSFC Director, Dr. Wernher von Braun and Joe Waggoner, Democratic representative of Louisiana, discuss Apollo models.

Around Marshall

NASA Image and Video Library

1962-03-08

The members of the House Committee on Science and Astronautics visited the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) on March 9, 1962 to gather firsthand information of the nation’s space exploration program. The congressional group was composed of members of the Subcommittee on Manned Space Flight. The subcommittee was briefed on MSFC’s manned space efforts earlier in the day and then inspected mockups of the Saturn I Workshop and the Apollo Telescope Mount, two projects developed by MSFC for the post-Apollo program. In this photograph, MSFC Director, Dr. Wernher von Braun, bids farewell to Texas Democratic Representative Olin E. Teague before departure at the Redstone Arsenal Airstrip.

Saturn Apollo Program

NASA Image and Video Library

1965-01-01

S-IB-200D, a dynamic test version of the Saturn IB launch vehicle's first stage (S-IB), makes its way to the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) East Test Area on January 4, 1965. Test Laboratory persornel assembled a complete Saturn IB to test the structural soundness of the launch vehicle in the Dynamic Test Stand. Developed by the MSFC as an interim vehicle in MSFC's "building block" approach to the Saturn rocket development, the Saturn IB utilized Saturn I technology to further develop and refine the larger boosters and the Apollo spacecraft capabilities required for the manned lunar missions.

Space Station Freedom Water Recovery test total organic carbon accountability

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Davidson, Michael W.; Slivon, Laurence; Sheldon, Linda; Traweek, Mary

1991-01-01

Marshall Space Flight Center's (MSFC) Water Recovery Test (WRT) addresses the concept of integrated hygiene and potable reuse water recovery systems baselined for Space Station Freedom (SSF). To assess the adequacy of water recovery system designs and the conformance of reclaimed water quality to established specifications, MSFC has initiated an extensive water characterization program. MSFC's goal is to quantitatively account for a large percentage of organic compounds present in waste and reclaimed hygiene and potable waters from the WRT and in humidity condensate from Spacelab missions. The program is coordinated into Phase A and B. Phase A's focus is qualitative and semi-quantitative. Precise quantitative analyses are not emphasized. Phase B's focus centers on a near complete quantitative characterization of all water types. Technical approaches along with Phase A and partial Phase B investigations on the compositional analysis of Total Organic Carbon (TOC) Accountability are presented.

International Space Station (ISS)

NASA Image and Video Library

2001-02-01

The Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) is responsible for designing and building the life support systems that will provide the crew of the International Space Station (ISS) a comfortable environment in which to live and work. Scientists and engineers at the MSFC are working together to provide the ISS with systems that are safe, efficient, and cost-effective. These compact and powerful systems are collectively called the Environmental Control and Life Support Systems, or simply, ECLSS. This is a view of the ECLSS and the Internal Thermal Control System (ITCS) Test Facility in building 4755, MSFC. In the foreground is the 3-module ECLSS simulator comprised of the U.S. Laboratory Module Simulator, Node 1 Simulator, and Node 3/Habitation Module Simulator. At center left is the ITCS Simulator. The main function of the ITCS is to control the temperature of equipment and hardware installed in a typical ISS Payload Rack.

Optical Measurement Techniques for Rocket Engine Testing and Component Applications: Digital Image Correlation and Dynamic Photogrammetry

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gradl, Paul

2016-01-01

NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) has been advancing dynamic optical measurement systems, primarily Digital Image Correlation, for extreme environment rocket engine test applications. The Digital Image Correlation (DIC) technology is used to track local and full field deformations, displacement vectors and local and global strain measurements. This technology has been evaluated at MSFC through lab testing to full scale hotfire engine testing of the J-2X Upper Stage engine at Stennis Space Center. It has been shown to provide reliable measurement data and has replaced many traditional measurement techniques for NASA applications. NASA and AMRDEC have recently signed agreements for NASA to train and transition the technology to applications for missile and helicopter testing. This presentation will provide an overview and progression of the technology, various testing applications at NASA MSFC, overview of Army-NASA test collaborations and application lessons learned about Digital Image Correlation.

Development and Implementation of NASA's Lead Center for Rocket Propulsion Testing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dawson, Michael C.

2001-01-01

With the new millennium, NASA's John C. Stennis Space Center (SSC) continues to develop and refine its role as rocket test service provider for NASA and the Nation. As Lead Center for Rocket Propulsion Testing (LCRPT), significant progress has been made under SSC's leadership to consolidate and streamline NASA's rocket test infrastructure and make this vital capability truly world class. NASA's Rocket Propulsion Test (RPT) capability consists of 32 test positions with a replacement value in excess of $2B. It is dispersed at Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC), Johnson Space Center (JSC)-White Sands Test Facility (WSTF), Glenn Research Center (GRC)-Plum Brook (PB), and SSC and is sized appropriately to minimize duplication and infrastructure costs. The LCRPT also provides a single integrated point of entry into NASA's rocket test services. The RPT capability is managed through the Rocket Propulsion Test Management Board (RPTMB), chaired by SSC with representatives from each center identified above. The Board is highly active, meeting weekly, and is key to providing responsive test services for ongoing operational and developmental NASA and commercial programs including Shuttle, Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle, and 2nd and 3rd Generation Reusable Launch Vehicles. The relationship between SSC, the test provider, and the hardware developers, like MSFC, is critical to the implementation of the LCRPT. Much effort has been expended to develop and refine these relationships with SSC customers. These efforts have met with success and will continue to be a high priority to SSC for the future. To data in the exercise of its role, the LCRPT has made 22 test assignments and saved or avoided approximately $51M. The LCRPT directly manages approximately $30M annually in test infrastructure costs including facility maintenance and upgrades, direct test support, and test technology development. This annual budges supports rocket propulsion test programs which have an annual budget in excess of $150M. As the LCRPT continues to develop, customer responsiveness and lower cost test services will be major themes. In that light, SSC is embarking on major test technology development activities ensuring long range goals of safer, more responsive, and more cost effective test services are realized. The LCRPT is also focusing on the testing requirements for advanced propulsion systems. This future planning is key to defining and fielding the ability to test these new technologies in support of the hardware developers.

Around Marshall

NASA Image and Video Library

1990-12-03

The primary objective of the STS-35 mission was round the clock observation of the celestial sphere in ultraviolet and X-Ray astronomy with the Astro-1 observatory which consisted of four telescopes: the Hopkins Ultraviolet Telescope (HUT); the Wisconsin Ultraviolet Photo-Polarimeter Experiment (WUPPE); the Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (UIT); and the Broad Band X-Ray Telescope (BBXRT). The Huntsville Operations Support Center (HOSC) Spacelab Payload Operations Control Center (SL POCC) at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) was the air/ground communication channel used between the astronauts and ground control teams during the Spacelab missions. Teams of controllers and researchers directed on-orbit science operations, sent commands to the spacecraft, received data from experiments aboard the Space Shuttle, adjusted mission schedules to take advantage of unexpected science opportunities or unexpected results, and worked with crew members to resolve problems with their experiments. Due to loss of data used for pointing and operating the ultraviolet telescopes, MSFC ground teams were forced to aim the telescopes with fine tuning by the flight crew. This photo is an overview of the MSFC Payload Control Room (PCR).

Around Marshall

NASA Image and Video Library

1990-12-04

The primary objective of the STS-35 mission was round the clock observation of the celestial sphere in ultraviolet and X-Ray astronomy with the Astro-1 observatory which consisted of four telescopes: the Hopkins Ultraviolet Telescope (HUT); the Wisconsin Ultraviolet Photo-Polarimeter Experiment (WUPPE); the Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (UIT); and the Broad Band X-Ray Telescope (BBXRT). The Huntsville Operations Support Center (HOSC) Spacelab Payload Operations Control Center (SL POCC) at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) was the air/ground communication channel used between the astronauts and ground control teams during the Spacelab missions. Teams of controllers and researchers directed on-orbit science operations, sent commands to the spacecraft, received data from experiments aboard the Space Shuttle, adjusted mission schedules to take advantage of unexpected science opportunities or unexpected results, and worked with crew members to resolve problems with their experiments. Due to loss of data used for pointing and operating the ultraviolet telescopes, MSFC ground teams were forced to aim the telescopes with fine tuning by the flight crew. This photo captures a press briefing at MSFC during STS-35, ASTRO-1 Mission.

FY 2005 Scientific and Technical Reports, Articles, Papers, and Presentations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Narmore, K. A. (Compiler)

2007-01-01

This Technical Memorandum (TM) presents formal NASA technical reports, papers published in technical journals, and presentations by Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) personnel in FY 2005. It also includes papers of MSFC contractors. The information in this TM may be of value to the scientific and engineering community in determining what information has been published and what is available.

FY 1989 scientific and technical reports, articles, papers, and presentations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Turner, Joyce E. (Compiler)

1989-01-01

A compendium of bibliographic references to papers presented by Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) personnel and contractors during FY 1989 is provided. The papers include formal NASA technical reports, memoranda, papers which were published in technical journals, and presentations by MSFC personnel. The formal NASA technical reports and memoranda have abstracts included. Sources for obtaining these documents are also included.

FY 1985 scientific and technical reports, articles, papers and presentations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Turner, Joyce E. (Compiler)

1985-01-01

This document presents formal NASA technical reports, papers published in technical journals, and presentations by Marshal Space Flight Center (MSFC) personnel in FY 85. It also includes papers of MSFC contractors. After being announced in STAR, all of the NASA series reports may be obtained from the National Technical Information Service (NTIS), 5285 Port Royal Road, Springfield, Va. 22161.

Around Marshall

NASA Image and Video Library

1976-10-02

On October 02, 1976, Marshall Space Flight Center’s (MSFC) Redstone test stand was received into the National Registry of Historical Places. Photographed in front of the Redstone test stand are Dr. William R. Lucas, MSFC Center Director from June 15, 1974 until July 3, 1986, as he is accepting a certificate of registration from Madison County Commission Chairman James Record, and Huntsville architect Harvie Jones.

Overview of MSFC's Applied Fluid Dynamics Analysis Group Activities

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Garcia, Roberto; Griffin, Lisa; Williams, Robert

2003-01-01

TD64, the Applied Fluid Dynamics Analysis Group, is one of several groups with high-fidelity fluids design and analysis expertise in the Space Transportation Directorate at Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). TD64 assists personnel working on other programs. The group participates in projects in the following areas: turbomachinery activities, nozzle activities, combustion devices, and the Columbia accident investigation.

Research Technology

NASA Image and Video Library

1999-11-01

This photograph shows an overall view of the Solar Thermal Propulsion Test Facility at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). The 20-by 24-ft heliostat mirror, shown at the left, has dual-axis control that keeps a reflection of the sunlight on an 18-ft diameter concentrator mirror (right). The concentrator mirror then focuses the sunlight to a 4-in focal point inside the vacuum chamber, shown at the front of concentrator mirror. Researchers at MSFC have designed, fabricated, and tested the first solar thermal engine, a non-chemical rocket engine that produces lower thrust but has better thrust efficiency than chemical a combustion engine. MSFC turned to solar thermal propulsion in the early 1990s due to its simplicity, safety, low cost, and commonality with other propulsion systems. Solar thermal propulsion works by acquiring and redirecting solar energy to heat a propell nt. As part of MSFC's Space Transportation Directorate, the Propulsion Research Center serves as a national resource for research of advanced, revolutionary propulsion technologies. The mission is to move the Nation's capabilities beyond the confines of conventional chemical propulsion into an era of aircraft-like access to Earth-orbit, rapid travel throughout the solar system, and exploration of interstellar space.

Engineering the System and Technical Integration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Blair, J. C.; Ryan, R. S.; Schutzenhofer, L. A.

2011-01-01

Approximately 80% of the problems encountered in aerospace systems have been due to a breakdown in technical integration and/or systems engineering. One of the major challenges we face in designing, building, and operating space systems is: how is adequate integration achieved for the systems various functions, parts, and infrastructure? This Contractor Report (CR) deals with part of the problem of how we engineer the total system in order to achieve the best balanced design. We will discuss a key aspect of this question - the principle of Technical Integration and its components, along with management and decision making. The CR will first provide an introduction with a discussion of the Challenges in Space System Design and meeting the challenges. Next is an overview of Engineering the System including Technical Integration. Engineering the System is expanded to include key aspects of the Design Process, Lifecycle Considerations, etc. The basic information and figures used in this CR were presented in a NASA training program for Program and Project Managers Development (PPMD) in classes at Georgia Tech and at Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). Many of the principles and illustrations are extracted from the courses we teach for MSFC.

Software Design Methodology Migration for a Distributed Ground System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ritter, George; McNair, Ann R. (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

The Marshall Space Flight Center's (MSFC) Payload Operations Center (POC) ground system has been developed and has evolved over a period of about 10 years. During this time the software processes have migrated from more traditional to more contemporary development processes. The new Software processes still emphasize requirements capture, software configuration management, design documenting, and making sure the products that have been developed are accountable to initial requirements. This paper will give an overview of how the Software Process have evolved highlighting the positives as well as the negatives. In addition, we will mention the COTS tools that have been integrated into the processes and how the COTS have provided value to the project .

Operating and Managing a Backup Control Center

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Marsh, Angela L.; Pirani, Joseph L.; Bornas, Nicholas

2010-01-01

Due to the criticality of continuous mission operations, some control centers must plan for alternate locations in the event an emergency shuts down the primary control center. Johnson Space Center (JSC) in Houston, Texas is the Mission Control Center (MCC) for the International Space Station (ISS). Due to Houston s proximity to the Gulf of Mexico, JSC is prone to threats from hurricanes which could cause flooding, wind damage, and electrical outages to the buildings supporting the MCC. Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) has the capability to be the Backup Control Center for the ISS if the situation is needed. While the MSFC Huntsville Operations Support Center (HOSC) does house the BCC, the prime customer and operator of the ISS is still the JSC flight operations team. To satisfy the customer and maintain continuous mission operations, the BCC has critical infrastructure that hosts ISS ground systems and flight operations equipment that mirrors the prime mission control facility. However, a complete duplicate of Mission Control Center in another remote location is very expensive to recreate. The HOSC has infrastructure and services that MCC utilized for its backup control center to reduce the costs of a somewhat redundant service. While labor talents are equivalent, experiences are not. Certain operations are maintained in a redundant mode, while others are simply maintained as single string with adequate sparing levels of equipment. Personnel at the BCC facility must be trained and certified to an adequate level on primary MCC systems. Negotiations with the customer were done to match requirements with existing capabilities, and to prioritize resources for appropriate level of service. Because some of these systems are shared, an activation of the backup control center will cause a suspension of scheduled HOSC activities that may share resources needed by the BCC. For example, the MCC is monitoring a hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico. As the threat to MCC increases, HOSC must begin a phased activation of the BCC, while working resource conflicts with normal HOSC activities. In a long duration outage to the MCC, this could cause serious impacts to the BCC host facility s primary mission support activities. This management of a BCC is worked based on customer expectations and negotiations done before emergencies occur. I.

Microgravity

NASA Image and Video Library

1999-05-26

Looking for a faster computer? How about an optical computer that processes data streams simultaneously and works with the speed of light? In space, NASA researchers have formed optical thin-film. By turning these thin-films into very fast optical computer components, scientists could improve computer tasks, such as pattern recognition. Dr. Hossin Abdeldayem, physicist at NASA/Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) in Huntsville, Al, is working with lasers as part of an optical system for pattern recognition. These systems can be used for automated fingerprinting, photographic scarning and the development of sophisticated artificial intelligence systems that can learn and evolve. Photo credit: NASA/Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC)

KSC-02pd1513

NASA Image and Video Library

2002-10-11

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Pete Engel, an engineering specialist in Wyle Laboratory's Nondestructive Testing Laboratory at KSC, explains the testing being performed on a 100-pound Mundrabilla meteorite sample. The one-of-a-kind meteorite was found 36 years ago in Australia and is on loan to Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) from the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of Natural History. Dr. Donald Gillies, discipline scientist for materials science at MSFC's Microgravity Science and Applications Department, is the Principal Investigator. The studies may help provide the science community and industry with fundamental knowledge for use in the design of advanced materials.

KSC-02pd1510

NASA Image and Video Library

2002-10-11

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Pete Engel, an engineering specialist in Wyle Laboratory's Nondestructive Testing Laboratory at KSC, explains the testing being performed on a 100-pound Mundrabilla meteorite sample. The one-of-a-kind meteorite was found 36 years ago in Australia and is on loan to Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) from the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of Natural History. Dr. Donald Gillies, discipline scientist for materials science at MSFC's Microgravity Science and Applications Department, is the Principal Investigator. The studies may help provide the science community and industry with fundamental knowledge for use in the design of advanced materials.

Microgravity

NASA Image and Video Library

2000-04-14

Pat Doty (right) of NASA/Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) demonstrates the greater bounce to the ounce of metal made from a supercooled bulk metallic glass alloy that NASA is studying in space experiments. The metal plates at the bottom of the plexiglass tubes are made of three different types of metal. Bulk metallic glass is more resilient and, as a result, the dropped ball bearing bounces higher. Experiments in space allow scientists to study fundamental properties that carnot be observed on Earth. This demonstration was at the April 2000 conference of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics in Chicago. Photo credit: NASA/Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC)

Microgravity

NASA Image and Video Library

2000-04-14

Pat Doty (right) of NASA/Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) demonstrates the greater bounce to the ounce of metal made from a supercooled bulk metallic glass alloy that NASA is studying in space experiments. The metal plates at the bottom of the plexiglass tubes are made of three different types of metal. Bulk metallic glass is more resilient and, as a result, the dropped ball bearing bounces higher. Experiments in space allow scientists to study fundamental properties that carnot be observed on Earth. This demonstration was at the April 200 conference of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) in Chicago. photo credit: NASA/Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC)

Microgravity

NASA Image and Video Library

2000-04-14

Pat Doty (right) of NASA/Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) demonstrates the greater bounce to the ounce of metal made from a supercooled bulk metallic glass alloy that NASA is studying in space expepriments. The metal plates at the bottom of plexiglass tubes are made of three different types of metal. Bulk mettalic glass is more resilient and, as a result, the dropped ball bearing bounces higher. Experiments in space allow scientists to study fundamental properties that carnot be observed on Earth. This demonstration was at the April 2000 conference of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) in Chicago. Photo credit: NASA/Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC)

The effect of environmental initiatives on NASA specifications and standards activities

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Griffin, Dennis; Webb, David; Cook, Beth

1995-01-01

The NASA Operational Environment Team (NOET) has conducted a survey of NASA centers specifications and standards that require the use of Ozone Depleting Substances (ODS's) (Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), Halons, and chlorinated solvents). The results of this survey are presented here, along with a pathfinder approach utilized at Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) to eliminate the use of ODS's in targeted specifications and standards. Presented here are the lessons learned from a pathfinder effort to replace CFC-113 in a significant MSFC specification for cleaning and cleanliness verification methods for oxygen, fuel and pneumatic service, including Shuttle propulsion elements.

Comparing NASA and ESA Cost Estimating Methods for Human Missions to Mars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hunt, Charles D.; vanPelt, Michel O.

2004-01-01

To compare working methodologies between the cost engineering functions in NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) and ESA European Space Research and Technology Centre (ESTEC), as well as to set-up cost engineering capabilities for future manned Mars projects and other studies which involve similar subsystem technologies in MSFC and ESTEC, a demonstration cost estimate exercise was organized. This exercise was a direct way of enhancing not only cooperation between agencies but also both agencies commitment to credible cost analyses. Cost engineers in MSFC and ESTEC independently prepared life-cycle cost estimates for a reference human Mars project and subsequently compared the results and estimate methods in detail. As a non-sensitive, public domain reference case for human Mars projects, the Mars Direct concept was chosen. In this paper the results of the exercise are shown; the differences and similarities in estimate methodologies, philosophies, and databases between MSFC and ESTEC, as well as the estimate results for the Mars Direct concept. The most significant differences are explained and possible estimate improvements identified. In addition, the Mars Direct plan and the extensive cost breakdown structure jointly set-up by MSFC and ESTEC for this concept are presented. It was found that NASA applied estimate models mainly based on historic Apollo and Space Shuttle cost data, taking into account the changes in technology since then. ESA used models mostly based on European satellite and launcher cost data, taking into account the higher equipment and testing standards for human space flight. Most of NASA's and ESA s estimates for the Mars Direct case are comparable, but there are some important, consistent differences in the estimates for: 1) Large Structures and Thermal Control subsystems; 2) System Level Management, Engineering, Product Assurance and Assembly, Integration and Test/Verification activities; 3) Mission Control; 4) Space Agency Program Level activities.

Temporary Laboratory Office in Huntsville Industrial Center Building

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1964-01-01

Temporary quarters in the Huntsville Industrial Center (HIC) building located in downtown Huntsville, Alabama, as Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) grew. This image shows drafting specialists from the Propulsion and Vehicle Engineering Laboratory at work in the HIC building.

Space Station Freedom environmental database system (FEDS) for MSFC testing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Story, Gail S.; Williams, Wendy; Chiu, Charles

1991-01-01

The Water Recovery Test (WRT) at Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) is the first demonstration of integrated water recovery systems for potable and hygiene water reuse as envisioned for Space Station Freedom (SSF). In order to satisfy the safety and health requirements placed on the SSF program and facilitate test data assessment, an extensive laboratory analysis database was established to provide a central archive and data retrieval function. The database is required to store analysis results for physical, chemical, and microbial parameters measured from water, air and surface samples collected at various locations throughout the test facility. The Oracle Relational Database Management System (RDBMS) was utilized to implement a secured on-line information system with the ECLSS WRT program as the foundation for this system. The database is supported on a VAX/VMS 8810 series mainframe and is accessible from the Marshall Information Network System (MINS). This paper summarizes the database requirements, system design, interfaces, and future enhancements.

Around Marshall

NASA Image and Video Library

1962-03-08

The members of the House Committee on Science and Astronautics visited the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) on March 9, 1962 to gather firsthand information of the nation’s space exploration program. The congressional group was composed of members of the Subcommittee on Manned Space Flight. Standing at the Apollo Applications Program Cluster Model in building 4745 are (left-to-right): Dr. Wernher von Braun, MSFC; Congressman Joe D. Waggoner, Democratic representative of Louisiana; Congressman Earle Cabell, Democratic representative of Texas; Subcommittee Chairman Olin E. Teague, Democratic representative of Texas; Congressman James G. Fulton, Republican representative of Pennsylvania; and Dr. Ernst Stuhlinger, associate MSFC director for science. The subcommittee was briefed on MSFC’s manned space efforts earlier in the day and then inspected mockups of the Saturn I Workshop and the Apollo Telescope Mount, two projects developed by MSFC for the post-Apollo program.

Gas Emission Measurements from the RD 180 Rocket Engine

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ross, H. R.

2001-01-01

The Science Laboratory operated by GB Tech was tasked by the Environmental Office at the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) to collect rocket plume samples and to measure gaseous components and airborne particulates from the hot test firings of the Atlas III/RD 180 test article at MSFC. This data will be used to validate plume prediction codes and to assess environmental air quality issues.

Dr. von Braun Tries Out the Neutral Buoyancy Simulator (NBS)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1967-01-01

Astronaut L. Gordon Cooper checks the neck ring of a space suit worn by Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) Director, Dr. von Braun before he submerges into the water of the MSFC Neutral Buoyancy Simulator (NBS). Wearing a pressurized suit and weighted to a neutrally buoyant condition, Dr. von Braun was able to perform tasks underwater which simulated weightless conditions found in space.

Summary of Recent Inducer Testing at MSFC and Future Plans

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Skelley, Stephen

2003-01-01

This viewgraph presentation covers water flow tests on the RS-83 Main LOX Inducer for the Space Shuttle Main Engine (SSME). The presentation lists recent water tests on the SSME liquid oxygen (LOX) pump inducer, includes images and diagrams of the water test facility at Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC), profiles inducer hydrodynamic forces, and diagrams the performance of the RS-83 inducer.

Saturn Apollo Program

NASA Image and Video Library

1968-01-01

This 1968 cutaway drawing illustrates the Saturn IB launch vehicle with its two booster stages, the S-IB and S-IVB. Developed by the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) as an interim vehicle in MSFC's "building block" approach to the Saturn rocket development, the Saturn IB utilized Saturn I technology to further develop and refine the larger boosters and the Apollo spacecraft capabilities required for the marned lunar mission.

Saturn Apollo Program

NASA Image and Video Library

2004-04-15

This undated cutaway drawing illustrates the Saturn IB launch vehicle with its two booster stages, the S-IB and S-IVB. Developed by the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) as an interim vehicle in MSFC's "building block" approach to the Saturn rocket development, the Saturn IB utilized Saturn I technology to further develop and refine the larger boosters and the Apollo spacecraft capabilities required for the marned lunar missions.

Around Marshall

NASA Image and Video Library

1962-03-08

The members of the House Committee on Science and Astronautics visited the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) on March 9, 1962 to gather firsthand information of the nation’s space exploration program. The congressional group was composed of members of the Subcommittee on Manned Space Flight. Pictured from left-to-right are Congressman Ken Hechler, Democratic representative of West Virginia; Dieter Grau, MSFC; Congressman John W. Davis, Democratic representative of Georgia; Congressman Joe Waggoner, Democratic representative of Louisiana; Congressman Richard L. Roudebush, Republican representative of Indiana; Congressman R. Walter Riehlman, Republican representative of New York; Congressman James G. Fulton, Republican representative of Pennsylvania; Dr. Wernher von Braun, MSFC; and Congressman Olin E. Teague, Democratic representative of Texas.

Senator Doug Jones (D-AL) Tour of MSFC Facilities

NASA Image and Video Library

2018-02-22

Senator Doug Jones (D-AL.) and wife, Louise, tour Marshall Space Flight facilities. Steve Doering, manager, Stages Element, Space Launch System (SLS) program at MSFC, views the test stand 4693 where key SLS structural elements will be subjected to stress testing simulating space flight.

Senator Doug Jones (D-AL) Tour of MSFC Facilities

NASA Image and Video Library

2018-02-22

Senator Doug Jones (D-AL.) and wife, Louise, tour Marshall Space Flight facilities. Steve Doering, manager, Stages Element, Space Launch System (SLS) program at MSFC, explains the stages of the SLS rocket with the scale model rocket located in the lobby of building 4200.

An illustrated chronology of the NASA Marshall Center and MSFC programs 1960-1973

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Akens, D. S.

1974-01-01

The role that NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center played in the space program during the past 13 years is highlighted with pictures and text, plus background information concerning events that were important in the center's formation.

AUTHOR MARGOT LEE SHETTERLY SPEAKS AT MSFC WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-03-07

DIANE CAIN, STANDING NEAR CENTER, OF NASA MARSHALL SPACE FLIGHT CENTER'S OFFICE OF HUMAN CAPITAL, SPEAKS TO AN AUDIENCE GATHERED FOR AN AGENCY-WIDE LIVESTREAM PRESENTATION BY AUTHOR MARGOT LEE SHETTERLY FROM NASA'S LANGLEY RESEARCH CENTER ON MARCH 7

Space Science

NASA Image and Video Library

1999-04-01

NASA's Space Optics Manufacturing Center has been working to expand our view of the universe via sophisticated new telescopes. The Optics Center's goal is to develop low-cost, advanced space optics technologies for the NASA program in the 21st century - including the long-term goal of imaging Earth-like planets in distant solar systems. To reduce the cost of mirror fabrication, Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) has developed replication techniques, the machinery, and materials to replicate electro-formed nickel mirrors. Optics replication uses reusable forms, called mandrels, to make telescope mirrors ready for final finishing. MSFC optical physicist Bill Jones monitors a device used to chill a mandrel, causing it to shrink and separate from the telescope mirror without deforming the mirror's precisely curved surface.

Shell Separation for Mirror Replication

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1999-01-01

NASA's Space Optics Manufacturing Center has been working to expand our view of the universe via sophisticated new telescopes. The Optics Center's goal is to develop low-cost, advanced space optics technologies for the NASA program in the 21st century - including the long-term goal of imaging Earth-like planets in distant solar systems. To reduce the cost of mirror fabrication, Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) has developed replication techniques, the machinery, and materials to replicate electro-formed nickel mirrors. Optics replication uses reusable forms, called mandrels, to make telescope mirrors ready for final finishing. MSFC optical physicist Bill Jones monitors a device used to chill a mandrel, causing it to shrink and separate from the telescope mirror without deforming the mirror's precisely curved surface.

Space Science

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-07-30

Microbiologist Dr. Elena V. Pikuta, and Astrobiologist Richard Hoover culture extremophiles, microorganisms that can live in extreme environments, in the astrobiology laboratory at the National Space Science and Technology Center (NSSTC) in Huntsville, Alabama. The scientists recently discovered a new species of extremophiles, Spirochaeta Americana. The species was found in Northern California's Mono Lake, an alkaline, briny oxygen-limited lake in a closed volcanic crater that Hoover believes may offer new clues to help identify sites to research for potential life on Mars. Hoover is an astrobiologist at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC), and Pikuta is a microbiologist with the Center for Space Plasma and Aeronomy Research Laboratory at the University of Alabama in Huntsville. The NSSTC is a partnership with MSFC, Alabama universities, industry, research institutes, and federal agencies.

Vector magnetic fields in sunspots. I - Stokes profile analysis using the Marshall Space Flight Center magnetograph

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Balasubramaniam, K. S.; West, E. A.

1991-01-01

The Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) vector magnetograph is a tunable filter magnetograph with a bandpass of 125 mA. Results are presented of the inversion of Stokes polarization profiles observed with the MSFC vector magnetograph centered on a sunspot to recover the vector magnetic field parameters and thermodynamic parameters of the spectral line forming region using the Fe I 5250.2 A spectral line using a nonlinear least-squares fitting technique. As a preliminary investigation, it is also shown that the recovered thermodynamic parameters could be better understood if the fitted parameters like Doppler width, opacity ratio, and damping constant were broken down into more basic quantities like temperature, microturbulent velocity, or density parameter.

RP That's Right For You

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cooper, Ken; Gordon, Gail (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

This article offers an unfiltered look at a large cross section of the different rapid prototyping technologies available today; from a guy with one of the biggest RP toy boxes in the world as the manager of the Rapid Prototyping Laboratory at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) in Huntsville, AL, USA. NASA's current operation capacity is nine RP machines, representing eight actual technologies. The article presents a realistic, unbiased look at the technologies and offers advice on what to do and where to go for the best solution to your rapid prototyping needs.

Heavy Lift Vehicle (HLV) Avionics Flight Computing Architecture Study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hodson, Robert F.; Chen, Yuan; Morgan, Dwayne R.; Butler, A. Marc; Sdhuh, Joseph M.; Petelle, Jennifer K.; Gwaltney, David A.; Coe, Lisa D.; Koelbl, Terry G.; Nguyen, Hai D.

2011-01-01

A NASA multi-Center study team was assembled from LaRC, MSFC, KSC, JSC and WFF to examine potential flight computing architectures for a Heavy Lift Vehicle (HLV) to better understand avionics drivers. The study examined Design Reference Missions (DRMs) and vehicle requirements that could impact the vehicles avionics. The study considered multiple self-checking and voting architectural variants and examined reliability, fault-tolerance, mass, power, and redundancy management impacts. Furthermore, a goal of the study was to develop the skills and tools needed to rapidly assess additional architectures should requirements or assumptions change.

Institute Study Report

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Whitaker, Ann; Steadman, Jackie; Little, Sally; Underwood, Debra; Blackman, Mack; Simonds, Judy

1997-01-01

This report documents a study conducted by the MSFC working group on Institutes in 1995 on the structure, organization and business arrangements of Institutes at a time when the agency was considering establishing science institutes. Thirteen institutes, ten science centers associated with the state of Georgia, Stanford Research Institute (SRI), and IIT Research Institute (IITRI), and general data on failed institutes were utilized to form this report. The report covers the working group's findings on institute mission, structure, director, board of directors/advisors, the working environment, research arrangements, intellectual property rights, business management, institute funding, and metrics.

Heritage Gallery

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2002-01-01

Marshall Space Flight Center's (MSFC's) building 4200 hosts a new spaceflight history museum referred to as the Heritage Gallery, allowing employees and visitors alike to have the opportunity to experience history first hand. On display are many models of launch vehicles and spacecraft that have made the center famous. It features a full-scale mockup of the lunar roving vehicle, three built-in multimedia displays, a large theater screen, and two glass cases that house memorabilia such as personal items belonging to Wernher von Braun, MSFC's first Center Director. The new Heritage Gallery features the accomplishments of several past and present members of the Marshall team. Attending the ribbon cutting ceremony are: (left to right) Gerhard Reisig; Cort Durocher, executive director of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics; Ernst Stuhlinger; Konrad Darnenburg; Werner Dahm; Walter Jacobi; and host of event, Center Director Art Stephenson.

Current Activities and Capabilities of the Terrestrial Environment Group at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Roberts, Barry C.; Batts, Wade

1997-01-01

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) designated Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) the center of excellence for space transportation. The Aerospace Environments and Effects (AEE) team of the Electromagnetics and Aerospace Environments Branch (EL23) in the Systems Analysis and Integration Laboratory at MSFC, supports the center of excellence designation by providing near-Earth space, deep space, planetary, and terrestrial environments expertise to projects as required. The Terrestrial Environment (TE) group within the AEE team maintains an extensive TE data base. Statistics and models derived from this data are applied to the design and development of new aerospace vehicles, as well as performance enhancement of operational vehicles such as the Space Shuttle. The TE is defined as the Earth's atmospheric environment extending from the surface to orbital insertion altitudes (approximately 90 km).

Around Marshall

NASA Image and Video Library

2002-10-30

Marshall Space Flight Center's (MSFC's) building 4200 hosts a new spaceflight history museum referred to as the Heritage Gallery, allowing employees and visitors alike to have the opportunity to experience history first hand. On display are many models of launch vehicles and spacecraft that have made the center famous. It features a full-scale mockup of the lunar roving vehicle, three built-in multimedia displays, a large theater screen, and two glass cases that house memorabilia such as personal items belonging to Wernher von Braun, MSFC's first Center Director. The new Heritage Gallery features the accomplishments of several past and present members of the Marshall team. Attending the ribbon cutting ceremony are: (left to right) Gerhard Reisig; Cort Durocher, executive director of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics; Ernst Stuhlinger; Konrad Darnenburg; Werner Dahm; Walter Jacobi; and host of event, Center Director Art Stephenson.

Assessment of MSFCs Process for the Development and Activation of Space Act Agreements

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Daugherty, Rachel A.

2014-01-01

A Space Act Agreement (SAA) is a contractual vehicle that NASA utilizes to form partnerships with non-NASA entities to stimulate cutting-edge innovation within the science and technology communities while concurrently supporting the NASA missions. SAAs are similar to traditional contracts in that they involve the commitment of Agency resources but allow more flexibility and are more cost effective to implement than traditional contracts. Consequently, the use of SAAs to develop partnerships has greatly increased over the past several years. To facilitate this influx of SAAs, Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) developed a process during a kaizen event to streamline and improve the quality of SAAs developed at the Center level. This study assessed the current SAA process to determine if improvements could be implemented to increase productivity, decrease time to activation, and improve the quality of deliverables. Using a combination of direct procedural observation, personnel interviews, and statistical analysis, elements of the process in need of remediation were identified and potential solutions developed. The findings focus primarily on the difficulties surrounding tracking and enforcing process adherence and communication issues among stakeholders. Potential solutions include utilizing customer relationship management (CRM) software to facilitate process coordination and co-locating or potentially merging the two separate organizations involved in SAA development and activation at MSFC.

NASA Performance Report

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2000-01-01

Introduction NASA's mission is to advance and communicate scientific knowledge and understanding of Earth, the solar system, and the universe; to advance human exploration, use, and development of space; and to research, develop, verify, and transfer advanced aeronautics, space, and related technologies. In support of this mission, NASA has a strategic architecture that consists of four Enterprises supported by four Crosscutting Processes. The Strategic Enterprises are NASA's primary mission areas to include Earth Science, Space Science, Human Exploration and Development of Space, and Aerospace Technology. NASA's Crosscutting Processes are Manage Strategically, Provide Aerospace Products and Capabilities, Generate Knowledge and Communicate Knowledge. The implementation of NASA programs, science, and technology research occurs primarily at our Centers. NASA consists of a Headquarters, nine Centers, and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, as well as several ancillary installations and offices in the United States and abroad. The nine Centers are as follows: (1) Ames Research Center, (2) Dryden Flight Research Center (DFRC), (3) Glenn Research Center (GRC), (4) Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), (5) Johnson Space Center, (6) Kennedy Space Center (KSC), (7) Langley Research Center (LaRC), (8) Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC), and (9) Stennis Space Center (SSC).

SpaceOps 2012 Plus 2: Social Tools to Simplify ISS Flight Control Communications and Log Keeping

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cowart, Hugh S.; Scott, David W.

2014-01-01

A paper written for the SpaceOps 2012 Conference (Simplify ISS Flight Control Communications and Log Keeping via Social Tools and Techniques) identified three innovative concepts for real time flight control communications tools based on social mechanisms: a) Console Log Tool (CoLT) - A log keeping application at Marshall Space Flight Center's (MSFC) Payload Operations Integration Center (POIC) that provides "anywhere" access, comment and notifications features similar to those found in Social Networking Systems (SNS), b) Cross-Log Communication via Social Techniques - A concept from Johnsson Space Center's (JSC) Mission Control Center Houston (MCC-H) that would use microblogging's @tag and #tag protocols to make information/requests visible and/or discoverable in logs owned by @Destination addressees, and c) Communications Dashboard (CommDash) - A MSFC concept for a Facebook-like interface to visually integrate and manage basic console log content, text chat streams analogous to voice loops, text chat streams dedicated to particular conversations, generic and position-specific status displays/streams, and a graphically based hailing display. CoLT was deployed operationally at nearly the same time as SpaceOps 2012, the Cross- Log Communications idea is currently waiting for a champion to carry it forward, and CommDash was approved as a NASA Iinformation Technoloby (IT) Labs project. This paper discusses lessons learned from two years of actual CoLT operations, updates CommDash prototype development status, and discusses potential for using Cross-Log Communications in both MCC-H and/or POIC environments, and considers other ways for synergizing console applcations.

Research Technology

NASA Image and Video Library

2002-03-11

Engineers at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) have begun a series of engine tests on a new breed of space propulsion: a Reaction Control Engine developed for the Space Launch Initiative (SLI). The engine, developed by TRW Space and Electronics of Redondo Beach, California, is an auxiliary propulsion engine designed to maneuver vehicles in orbit. It is used for docking, reentry, attitude control, and fine-pointing while the vehicle is in orbit. The engine uses nontoxic chemicals as propellants, a feature that creates a safer environment for ground operators, lowers cost, and increases efficiency with less maintenance and quicker turnaround time between missions. Testing includes 30 hot-firings. This photograph shows the first engine test performed at MSFC that includes SLI technology. Another unique feature of the Reaction Control Engine is that it operates at dual thrust modes, combining two engine functions into one engine. The engine operates at both 25 and 1,000 pounds of force, reducing overall propulsion weight and allowing vehicles to easily maneuver in space. The low-level thrust of 25 pounds of force allows the vehicle to fine-point maneuver and dock while the high-level thrust of 1,000 pounds of force is used for reentry, orbit transfer, and coarse positioning. SLI is a NASA-wide research and development program, managed by the MSFC, designed to improve safety, reliability, and cost effectiveness of space travel for second generation reusable launch vehicles.

Reaction Control Engine for Space Launch Initiative

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2002-01-01

Engineers at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) have begun a series of engine tests on a new breed of space propulsion: a Reaction Control Engine developed for the Space Launch Initiative (SLI). The engine, developed by TRW Space and Electronics of Redondo Beach, California, is an auxiliary propulsion engine designed to maneuver vehicles in orbit. It is used for docking, reentry, attitude control, and fine-pointing while the vehicle is in orbit. The engine uses nontoxic chemicals as propellants, a feature that creates a safer environment for ground operators, lowers cost, and increases efficiency with less maintenance and quicker turnaround time between missions. Testing includes 30 hot-firings. This photograph shows the first engine test performed at MSFC that includes SLI technology. Another unique feature of the Reaction Control Engine is that it operates at dual thrust modes, combining two engine functions into one engine. The engine operates at both 25 and 1,000 pounds of force, reducing overall propulsion weight and allowing vehicles to easily maneuver in space. The low-level thrust of 25 pounds of force allows the vehicle to fine-point maneuver and dock while the high-level thrust of 1,000 pounds of force is used for reentry, orbit transfer, and coarse positioning. SLI is a NASA-wide research and development program, managed by the MSFC, designed to improve safety, reliability, and cost effectiveness of space travel for second generation reusable launch vehicles.

Visiting Author

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1999-01-01

Author of Rocket Boys Homer Hickam, Jr. (left) and Marshall Space Flight Center Director Art Stephenson during a conference at Morris Auditorium. Homer Hickam worked at MSFC during the Apollo project years. As a young man, Mr. Hickam always dreamed of becoming a rocket scientist and following in the footsteps fo Wernher von Braun. Years later he would see his dream realized and had written Rocket Boys commemorating his life and the people at MSFC.

n/a

NASA Image and Video Library

1965-04-13

Dr. von Braun began his association with Walt Disney in the 1950s when the rocket scientist appeared in three Disney television productions related to the exploration of space. Years later, Dr. von Braun invited Disney and his associates to tour the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) in Huntsville, Alabama. This photograph is dated April 13, 1965. From left are R.J. Schwinghamer from the MSFC, Disney, B.J. Bennight, and Dr. von Braun.

Around Marshall

NASA Image and Video Library

1999-07-16

Author of Rocket Boys Homer Hickam, Jr. (left) and Marshall Space Flight Center Director Art Stephenson during a conference at Morris Auditorium. Homer Hickam worked at MSFC during the Apollo project years. As a young man, Mr. Hickam always dreamed of becoming a rocket scientist and following in the footsteps fo Wernher von Braun. Years later he would see his dream realized and had written Rocket Boys commemorating his life and the people at MSFC.

Combustion Science

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-04-01

This photograph depicts one of over thirty tests conducted on the Vortex Combustion Chamber Engine at Marshall Space Flight Center's (MSFC) test stand 115, a joint effort between NASA's MSFC and the U.S. Army AMCOM of Redstone Arsenal. The engine tests were conducted to evaluate an irnovative, "self-cooled", vortex combustion chamber, which relies on tangentially injected propellants from the chamber wall producing centrifugal forces that keep the relatively cold liquid propellants near the wall.

Saturn Apollo Program

NASA Image and Video Library

1966-06-07

Built by Brown Engineering company of Huntsville, Alabama, a motorized mockup of a small Lunar Roving Vehicle (LRV) is being demonstrated at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). This particular vehicle weighed about 1200 pounds and is almost 10 feet long, 7-feet and 2-inches wide, and 7-feet and 8-inches high. The LRV was developed under the direction of MSFC to provide astronauts with greater mobility on the lunar surface.

Calibration of the ART-XC/SRG X-ray Mirror Modules

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gubarev, M.; Ramsey, B.; Zavlin, V.; Swartz, D.; Kolodziejczak, J.; Elsner, R.; Pavlinsky, M.; Tkachenko, A.; Lapshov, I.

2014-01-01

Seven x-ray mirror modules are being fabricated at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) for the Astronomical Roentgen Telescope (ART) instrument to be launched on board of the Spektrum Roentgen Gamma (SRG) Mission. As they are completed, the modules are tested and calibrated at the MSFC's 104-m Stray Flight Facility. The results of these calibration measurements and comparisons with theoretical models will be presented.

Around Marshall

NASA Image and Video Library

1964-04-28

Two US Congressmen, accompanied by NASA Administrator James E. Webb, visited the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) April 28, 1964, for a briefing on the Saturn program and a tour of the facilities. They are (left to right) Congressman Gerald Ford Jr., Republican representative of Michigan; Dr. Wernher von Braun, MSFC director; Congressman George H. Mahon, Democratic representative of Texas; and Mr. Webb. Not pictured is Dr. Robert Seamans, associate administrator, who was also in the group.

MSFC Advanced Concepts Office and the Iterative Launch Vehicle Concept Method

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Creech, Dennis

2011-01-01

This slide presentation reviews the work of the Advanced Concepts Office (ACO) at Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) with particular emphasis on the method used to model launch vehicles using INTegrated ROcket Sizing (INTROS), a modeling system that assists in establishing the launch concept design, and stage sizing, and facilitates the integration of exterior analytic efforts, vehicle architecture studies, and technology and system trades and parameter sensitivities.

Saturn Apollo Program

NASA Image and Video Library

1965-03-01

S-IB-1, the first flight version of the Saturn IB launch vehicle's first stage (S-IB stage), sat in the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) Saturn IB static test stand on March 15, 1965. Developed by the MSFC and built by the Chrysler Corporation at the Michoud Assembly Facility (MAF) in New Orleans, Louisiana, the 90,000-pound booster utilized eight H-1 engines to produce a combined thrust of 1,600,000 pounds.

Saturn Apollo Program

NASA Image and Video Library

1965-03-04

Pictured is a J-2 engine being processed at Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). A single J-2 engine was utilized on the S-IVB stage, the second stage of the Saturn IB and the third stage of the Saturn V vehicles, while a cluster of five J-2 engines powered the second (S-II) stage of the Saturn V launch vehicle. The Saturn V was designed, developed, and tested by engineers at MSFC.

Focal Point Inside the Vacuum Chamber for Solar Thermal Propulsion

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1999-01-01

Researchers at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) have designed, fabricated, and tested the first solar thermal engine, a non-chemical rocket engine that produces lower thrust but has better thrust efficiency than a chemical combustion engine. MSFC turned to solar thermal propulsion in the early 1990s due to its simplicity, safety, low cost, and commonality with other propulsion systems. Solar thermal propulsion works by acquiring and redirecting solar energy to heat a propellant. The 20- by 24-ft heliostat mirror (not shown in this photograph) has dual-axis control that keeps a reflection of the sunlight on an 18-ft diameter concentrator mirror, which then focuses the sunlight to a 4-in focal point inside the vacuum chamber. The focal point has 10 kilowatts of intense solar power. This photograph is a close-up view of a 4-in focal point inside the vacuum chamber at the MSFC Solar Thermal Propulsion Test facility. As part of MSFC's Space Transportation Directorate, the Propulsion Research Center serves as a national resource for research of advanced, revolutionary propulsion technologies. The mission is to move the Nation's capabilities beyond the confines of conventional chemical propulsion into an era of aircraft-like access to Earth orbit, rapid travel throughout the solar system, and exploration of interstellar space.

Research Technology

NASA Image and Video Library

1999-08-01

Researchers at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) have designed, fabricated, and tested the first solar thermal engine, a non-chemical rocket engine that produces lower thrust but has better thrust efficiency than a chemical combustion engine. MSFC turned to solar thermal propulsion in the early 1990s due to its simplicity, safety, low cost, and commonality with other propulsion systems. Solar thermal propulsion works by acquiring and redirecting solar energy to heat a propellant. The 20- by 24-ft heliostat mirror (not shown in this photograph) has dual-axis control that keeps a reflection of the sunlight on an 18-ft diameter concentrator mirror, which then focuses the sunlight to a 4-in focal point inside the vacuum chamber. The focal point has 10 kilowatts of intense solar power. This photograph is a close-up view of a 4-in focal point inside the vacuum chamber at the MSFC Solar Thermal Propulsion Test facility. As part of MSFC's Space Transportation Directorate, the Propulsion Research Center serves as a national resource for research of advanced, revolutionary propulsion technologies. The mission is to move the Nation's capabilities beyond the confines of conventional chemical propulsion into an era of aircraft-like access to Earth orbit, rapid travel throughout the solar system, and exploration of interstellar space.

Research Technology

NASA Image and Video Library

1999-08-01

Researchers at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) have designed, fabricated and tested the first solar thermal engine, a non-chemical rocket engine that produces lower thrust but has better thrust efficiency than a chemical combustion engine. MSFC turned to solar thermal propulsion in the early 1990s due to its simplicity, safety, low cost, and commonality with other propulsion systems. Solar thermal propulsion works by acquiring and redirecting solar energy to heat a propellant. This photograph, taken at MSFC's Solar Thermal Propulsion Test Facility, shows a concentrator mirror, a combination of 144 mirrors forming this 18-ft diameter concentrator, and a vacuum chamber that houses the focal point. The 20- by 24-ft heliostat mirror (not shown in this photograph) has a dual-axis control that keeps a reflection of the sunlight on the 18-foot diameter concentrator mirror, which then focuses the sunlight to a 4-in focal point inside the vacuum chamber. The focal point has 10 kilowatts of intense solar power. As part of MSFC's Space Transportation Directorate, the Propulsion Research Center serves as a national resource for research of advanced, revolutionary propulsion technologies. The mission is to move the Nation's capabilities beyond the confines of conventional chemical propulsion into an era of aircraft-like access to Earth-orbit, rapid travel throughout the solar system, and exploration of interstellar space.

Solar Thermal Propulsion Test Facility

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1999-01-01

Researchers at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) have designed, fabricated and tested the first solar thermal engine, a non-chemical rocket engine that produces lower thrust but has better thrust efficiency than a chemical combustion engine. MSFC turned to solar thermal propulsion in the early 1990s due to its simplicity, safety, low cost, and commonality with other propulsion systems. Solar thermal propulsion works by acquiring and redirecting solar energy to heat a propellant. This photograph, taken at MSFC's Solar Thermal Propulsion Test Facility, shows a concentrator mirror, a combination of 144 mirrors forming this 18-ft diameter concentrator, and a vacuum chamber that houses the focal point. The 20- by 24-ft heliostat mirror (not shown in this photograph) has a dual-axis control that keeps a reflection of the sunlight on the 18-foot diameter concentrator mirror, which then focuses the sunlight to a 4-in focal point inside the vacuum chamber. The focal point has 10 kilowatts of intense solar power. As part of MSFC's Space Transportation Directorate, the Propulsion Research Center serves as a national resource for research of advanced, revolutionary propulsion technologies. The mission is to move the Nation's capabilities beyond the confines of conventional chemical propulsion into an era of aircraft-like access to Earth-orbit, rapid travel throughout the solar system, and exploration of interstellar space.

Results of Small-scale Solid Rocket Combustion Simulator testing at Marshall Space Flight Center

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Goldberg, Benjamin E.; Cook, Jerry

1993-01-01

The Small-scale Solid Rocket Combustion Simulator (SSRCS) program was established at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC), and used a government/industry team consisting of Hercules Aerospace Corporation, Aerotherm Corporation, United Technology Chemical Systems Division, Thiokol Corporation and MSFC personnel to study the feasibility of simulating the combustion species, temperatures and flow fields of a conventional solid rocket motor (SRM) with a versatile simulator system. The SSRCS design is based on hybrid rocket motor principles. The simulator uses a solid fuel and a gaseous oxidizer. Verification of the feasibility of a SSRCS system as a test bed was completed using flow field and system analyses, as well as empirical test data. A total of 27 hot firings of a subscale SSRCS motor were conducted at MSFC. Testing of the Small-scale SSRCS program was completed in October 1992. This paper, a compilation of reports from the above team members and additional analysis of the instrumentation results, will discuss the final results of the analyses and test programs.

Around Marshall

NASA Image and Video Library

1972-01-01

This is a cutaway illustration of the Neutral Buoyancy Simulator (NBS) at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC ). The MSFC NBS provided an excellent environment for testing hardware to examine how it would operate in space and for evaluating techniques for space construction and spacecraft servicing. Here, engineers, designers, and astronauts performed various tests to develop basic concepts, preliminary designs, final designs, and crew procedures. The NBS was constructed of welded steel with polyester-resin coating. The water tank was 75-feet (22.9- meters) in diameter, 40-feet (12.2-meters) deep, and held 1.32 million gallons of water. Since it opened for operation in 1968, the NBS had supported a number of successful space missions, such as the Skylab, Solar Maximum Mission Satellite, Marned Maneuvering Unit, Experimental Assembly of Structures in Extravehicular Activity/Assembly Concept for Construction of Erectable Space Structures (EASE/ACCESS), the Hubble Space Telescope, and the Space Station. The function of the MSFC NBS was moved to the larger simulator at the Johnson Space Center and is no longer operational.

Skylab

NASA Image and Video Library

1972-06-02

One of the most successful of the Skylab educational efforts was the Skylab Student Project. A nationwide scientific competition was sponsored by the National Science Teachers Association and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in which secondary students were encouraged to submit proposals for experiments to be conducted on Skylan in Earth orbit the following year. After the official announcement of this project, over 4,000 students responded with 3,409 proposals. The winning 25 students, along with their parents and sponsor teachers, visited Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC), the lead center for Skylab, where they met with scientists and engineers, participated in design reviews for their experiments, and toured MSFC facilities. Of the 25 students, 6 did not see their experiments conducted on Skylab because the experiments were not compatible with Skylab hardware and timelines. Of the 19 remaining, 11 experiments required the manufacture of additional equipment. This photograph is a group shot of the 25 winners, parents, and sponsors when they met for the first time on the steps of Building 4200 at MSFC in the Spring of 1972.

Technology transfer initiatives

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mccain, Wayne; Schroer, Bernard J.; Ziemke, M. Carl

1994-01-01

This report summarizes the University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) technology transfer activities with the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) for the period of April 1993 through December 1993. Early in 1993, the MSFC/TUO and UAH conceived of the concept of developing stand-alone, integrated data packages on MSFC technology that would serve industrial needs previously determined to be critical. Furthermore, after reviewing over 500 problem statements received by MSFC, it became obvious that many of these requests could be satisfied by a standard type of response. As a result, UAH has developed two critical area response (CAR) packages: CFC (chlorofluorocarbon) replacements and modular manufacturing and simulation. Publicity included news releases, seminars, articles and conference papers. The Huntsville Chamber of Commerce established the Technology Transfer Subcommittee with the charge to identify approaches for the Chamber to assist its members, as well as non-members, access to the technologies at the federal laboratories in North Alabama. The Birmingham Chamber of Commerce has expressed interest in establishing a similar technology transfer program. This report concludes with a section containing a tabulation of the problem statements, including CAR packages, submitted to MSFC from January 1992 through December 1993.

Microgravity Outreach with Math Teachers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2000-01-01

Pat Doty (right) of NASA/Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) demonstrates the greater bounce to the ounce of metal made from a supercooled bulk metallic glass alloy that NASA is studying in space experiments. The metal plates at the bottom of the plexiglass tubes are made of three different types of metal. Bulk metallic glass is more resilient and, as a result, the dropped ball bearing bounces higher. Experiments in space allow scientists to study fundamental properties that carnot be observed on Earth. This demonstration was at the April 200 conference of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) in Chicago. photo credit: NASA/Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC)

Microgravity Outreach with Math Teachers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2000-01-01

Pat Doty (right) of NASA/Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) demonstrates the greater bounce to the ounce of metal made from a supercooled bulk metallic glass alloy that NASA is studying in space expepriments. The metal plates at the bottom of plexiglass tubes are made of three different types of metal. Bulk mettalic glass is more resilient and, as a result, the dropped ball bearing bounces higher. Experiments in space allow scientists to study fundamental properties that carnot be observed on Earth. This demonstration was at the April 2000 conference of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) in Chicago. Photo credit: NASA/Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC)

Microgravity Outreach with Math Teachers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2000-01-01

Pat Doty (right) of NASA/Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) demonstrates the greater bounce to the ounce of metal made from a supercooled bulk metallic glass alloy that NASA is studying in space experiments. The metal plates at the bottom of the plexiglass tubes are made of three different types of metal. Bulk metallic glass is more resilient and, as a result, the dropped ball bearing bounces higher. Experiments in space allow scientists to study fundamental properties that carnot be observed on Earth. This demonstration was at the April 2000 conference of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics in Chicago. Photo credit: NASA/Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC)

Breast Cancer Research at NASA

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1998-01-01

Isolation of human mammary epithelial cells (HMEC) from breast cancer susceptible tissue. Isolate of long-term growth human mammary epithelial cells (HMEC) from outgrowth of duct element; cells shown soon after isolation and early in culture in a dish. NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) is sponsoring research with Bioreactors, rotating wall vessels designed to grow tissue samples in space, to understand how breast cancer works. This ground-based work studies the growth and assembly of human mammary epithelial cell (HMEC) from breast cancer susceptible tissue. Radiation can make the cells cancerous, thus allowing better comparisons of healthy vs. tunorous tissue. Credit: Dr. Robert Tichmond, NASA/Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC).

Microgravity

NASA Image and Video Library

1998-10-10

Isolation of human mammary epithelial cells (HMEC) from breast cancer susceptible tissue. Isolate of long-term growth human mammary epithelial cells (HMEC) from outgrowth of duct element; cells shown soon after isolation and early in culture in a dish. NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) is sponsoring research with Bioreactors, rotating wall vessels designed to grow tissue samples in space, to understand how breast cancer works. This ground-based work studies the growth and assembly of human mammary epithelial cell (HMEC) from breast cancer susceptible tissue. Radiation can make the cells cancerous, thus allowing better comparisons of healthy vs. tunorous tissue. Credit: Dr. Robert Tichmond, NASA/Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC).

Microgravity

NASA Image and Video Library

1998-10-10

Isolation of human mammary epithelial cells (HMEC) from breast cancer susceptible tissue. Outgrowth of cells from duct element in upper right corner cultured in a standard dish; most cells spontaneously die during early cell divisions, but a few will establish long-term growth. NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) is sponsoring research with Bioreactors, rotating wall vessels designed to grow tissue samples in space, to understand how breast cancer works. This ground-based work studies the growth and assembly of human mammary epithelial cell (HMEC) from breast cancer susceptible tissue. Radiation can make the cells cancerous, thus allowing better comparisons of healthy vs. tunorous tissue. Credit: Dr. Robert Tichmond, NASA/Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC).

Kodak Mirror Assembly Tested at Marshall Space Flight Center

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2003-01-01

The Eastman-Kodak mirror assembly is being tested for the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) project at the X-Ray Calibration Facility at Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). In this photo, an MSFC employee is inspecting one of many segments of the mirror assembly for flaws. MSFC is supporting Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) in developing the JWST by taking numerous measurements to predict its future performance. The tests are conducted in a vacuum chamber cooled to approximate the super cold temperatures found in space. During its 27 years of operation, the facility has performed testing in support of a wide array of projects, including the Hubble Space Telescope (HST), Solar A, Chandra technology development, Chandra High Resolution Mirror Assembly and science instruments, Constellation X-Ray Mission, and Solar X-Ray Imager, currently operating on a Geostationary Operational Environment Satellite. The JWST is NASA's next generation space telescope, a successor to the Hubble Space Telescope, named in honor of NASA's second administrator, James E. Webb. It is scheduled for launch in 2010 aboard an expendable launch vehicle. It will take about 3 months for the spacecraft to reach its destination, an orbit of 940,000 miles in space.

Saturn Apollo Program

NASA Image and Video Library

1964-02-01

Temporary quarters in the Huntsville Industrial Center (HIC) building located in downtown Huntsville, Alabama, as Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) grew. This image shows drafting specialists from the Propulsion and Vehicle Engineering Laboratory at work in the HIC building.

The 1992 NASA/ASEE Summer Faculty Fellowship Program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1992-01-01

This is the administrative report for the 1992 NASA/ASEE Summer Faculty Fellowship Program which was held at the George C. Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) for the 28th consecutive year. The nominal starting and finishing dates for the ten week program were June 1, 1992 through August 7, 1992. The program was sponsored by NASA Headquarters, Washington, D.C., and operated under the auspices of the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE). The program was one of eight such programs at eight NASA centers sponsored and funded by NASA Headquarters. The basic objectives of the program are the following: (1) to further the professional knowledge of qualified engineering and science faculty members; (2) to stimulate an exchange of ideas between participants and NASA; (3) to enrich and refresh the research and teaching activities at the participants' institutions; and (4) to contribute to the research objectives of the NASA centers. The major activities of the 1992 program were the following: (1) recruitment, selection, and assignment of faculty fellows; (2) research performed by the participants in collaboration with the MSFC colleague; (3) a seminar and tour program aimed at providing information concerning activities at MSFC; (4) an activities program of a social/non-technical nature aimed at providing the fellows and their families a means of learning about the MSFC/Huntsville area; and (5) preparation of a volume containing the written reports of the details of the research performed by each of the summer faculty. The success of the 1992 program activities in meeting the stated objectives was measured through questionnaires, which were filled out by participants and their MSFC colleagues. The following sections describe the major activities in more detail and the results of the questionnaires are summarized showing that the 1992 program was highly successful. This year's program also included 19 participants in the Summer Teacher Enrichment Program (STEP) which is comprised of middle school and high school math and science teachers.

International Space Station ECLSS Technical Task Agreement Summary Report

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Minton-Summers, S.; Ray, C. D.

1996-01-01

A summary of work accomplished under Technical Task Agreement by the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) documents activities regarding the Environmental Control and Life Support Systems (ECLSS) of the International Space Station (ISS) program. These MSFC activities were in-line to the designing, the development, the testing, and the flight of ECLSS equipment. MSFC's unique capabilities for performing integrated system testing and analyses, and its ability to perform some tasks cheaper and faster to support ISS program needs are the basis for the Technical Task Agreement activities. Tasks were completed in the Water Recovery Systems, Air Revitalization Systems, and microbiology areas. The results of each task is described in this summary report.

Ethernet-based smart networked elements (sensors and actuators)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mata, Carlos T.; Perotti, José M.; Oostdyk, Rebecca L.; Lucena, Angel

2006-05-01

This paper outlines the present design approach for the Ethernet-Based Smart Networked Elements (SNE) being developed by NASA's Instrumentation Branch and the Advanced Electronics and Technology Development Laboratory of ASRC Aerospace Corporation at Kennedy Space Center (KSC). The SNEs are being developed as part of the Integrated Intelligent Health Management System (IIHMS), jointly developed by Stennis Space Center (SSC), KSC, and Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). SNEs are sensors/actuators with embedded intelligence, capable of networking among themselves and with higher-level systems (external processors and controllers) to provide not only instrumentation data but also associated data validity qualifiers. NASA KSC has successfully developed and preliminarily demonstrated this new generation of SNEs. SNEs that collect pressure, strain, and temperature measurements (including cryogenic temperature ranges) have been developed and tested in the laboratory and are ready for demonstration in the field.

Software Development and Test Methodology for a Distributed Ground System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ritter, George; Guillebeau, Pat; McNair, Ann R. (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

The Marshall Space Flight Center's (MSFC) Payload Operations Center (POC) ground system has evolved over a period of about 10 years. During this time the software processes have migrated from more traditional to more contemporary development processes in an effort to minimize unnecessary overhead while maximizing process benefits. The Software processes that have evolved still emphasize requirements capture, software configuration management, design documenting, and making sure the products that have been developed are accountable to initial requirements. This paper will give an overview of how the Software Processes have evolved, highlighting the positives as well as the negatives. In addition, we will mention the COTS tools that have been integrated into the processes and how the COTS have provided value to the project.

PROMIS (Procurement Management Information System)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1987-01-01

The PROcurement Management Information System (PROMIS) provides both detailed and summary level information on all procurement actions performed within NASA's procurement offices at Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). It provides not only on-line access, but also schedules procurement actions, monitors their progress, and updates Forecast Award Dates. Except for a few computational routines coded in FORTRAN, the majority of the systems is coded in a high level language called NATURAL. A relational Data Base Management System called ADABAS is utilized. Certain fields, called descriptors, are set up on each file to allow the selection of records based on a specified value or range of values. The use of like descriptors on different files serves as the link between the falls, thus producing a relational data base. Twenty related files are currently being maintained on PROMIS.

Alkali Metal Handling Practices at NASA MSFC

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Salvail, Patrick G.; Carter, Robert R.

2002-01-01

NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) is NASA s principle propulsion development center. Research and development is coordinated and carried out on not only the existing transportation systems, but also those that may be flown in the near future. Heat pipe cooled fast fission cores are among several concepts being considered for the Nuclear Systems Initiative. Marshall Space Flight Center has developed a capability to handle high-purity alkali metals for use in heat pipes or liquid metal heat transfer loops. This capability is a low budget prototype of an alkali metal handling system that would allow the production of flight qualified heat pipe modules or alkali metal loops. The processing approach used to introduce pure alkali metal into heat pipe modules and other test articles are described in this paper.

The Real Time Mission Monitor: A Situational Awareness Tool For Managing Experiment Assets

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Blakeslee, Richard; Hall, John; Goodman, Michael; Parker, Philip; Freudinger, Larry; He, Matt

2007-01-01

The NASA Real Time Mission Monitor (RTMM) is a situational awareness tool that integrates satellite, airborne and surface data sets; weather information; model and forecast outputs; and vehicle state data (e.g., aircraft navigation, satellite tracks and instrument field-of-views) for field experiment management RTMM optimizes science and logistic decision-making during field experiments by presenting timely data and graphics to the users to improve real time situational awareness of the experiment's assets. The RTMM is proven in the field as it supported program managers, scientists, and aircraft personnel during the NASA African Monsoon Multidisciplinary Analyses experiment during summer 2006 in Cape Verde, Africa. The integration and delivery of this information is made possible through data acquisition systems, network communication links and network server resources built and managed by collaborators at NASA Dryden Flight Research Center (DFRC) and Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). RTMM is evolving towards a more flexible and dynamic combination of sensor ingest, network computing, and decision-making activities through the use of a service oriented architecture based on community standards and protocols.

Around Marshall

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-09-01

A team of NASA researchers from Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) and Dryden Flight Research center have proven that beamed light can be used to power an aircraft, a first-in-the-world accomplishment to the best of their knowledge. Using an experimental custom built radio-controlled model aircraft, the team has demonstrated a system that beams enough light energy from the ground to power the propeller of an aircraft and sustain it in flight. Special photovoltaic arrays on the plane, similar to solar cells, receive the light energy and convert it to electric current to drive the propeller motor. In a series of indoor flights this week at MSFC, a lightweight custom built laser beam was aimed at the airplane `s solar panels. The laser tracks the plane, maintaining power on its cells until the end of the flight when the laser is turned off and the airplane glides to a landing. The laser source demonstration represents the capability to beam more power to a plane so that it can reach higher altitudes and have a greater flight range without having to carry fuel or batteries, enabling an indefinite flight time. The demonstration was a collaborative effort between the Dryden Center at Edward's, California, where the aircraft was designed and built, and MSFC, where integration and testing of the laser and photovoltaic cells was done. Laser power beaming is a promising technology for consideration in new aircraft design and operation, and supports NASA's goals in the development of revolutionary aerospace technologies. Photographed with their invention are (from left to right): David Bushman and Tony Frackowiak, both of Dryden; and MSFC's Robert Burdine.

NASA Deputy Administrator Tours Marshall Space Flight Center

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1968-01-01

Pictured from the left, in the Saturn I mockup, are: William Brooksbank, Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) Propulsion and Vehicle Engineering Laboratory; Dr. Thomas O. Paine, Deputy Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA); Dr. Wernher von Braun, MSFC director; Colonel Clare F. Farley, executive officer of the Office of the Administrator; and Charles J. Donlan, newly appointed deputy associate administrator for Manned Space Flight, technical. The party examined an ordinary man's shoe (held by Paine) outfitted for use in the Saturn I Workshop. The shoe had a unique fastener built into the sole to allow an astronaut to move about the workshop floor and to remain in one position if he desired. Dr. Paine and his party indulged in a two-day tour at the Marshall Space Flight Center getting acquainted with Marshall personnel and programs. It was Paine's first visit to the center since assuming the NASA post on February 1, 1968.

Space Science

NASA Image and Video Library

1999-04-01

NASA's Space Optics Manufacturing Center has been working to expand our view of the universe via sophisticated new telescopes. The Optics Center's goal is to develop low-cost, advanced space optics technologies for the NASA program in the 21st century - including the long-term goal of imaging Earth-like planets in distant solar systems. To reduce the cost of mirror fabrication, Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) has developed replication techniques, the machinery, and materials to replicate electro-formed nickel mirrors. The process allows fabricating precisely shaped mandrels to be used and reused as masters for replicating high-quality mirrors. MSFC's Space Optics Manufacturing Technology Center (SOMTC) has grinding and polishing equipment ranging from conventional spindles to custom-designed polishers. These capabilities allow us to grind precisely and polish a variety of optical devices, including x-ray mirror mandrels. This image shows Charlie Griffith polishing the half-meter mandrel at SOMTC.

Ares I-X Vibroacoustic Environments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Larsen, Curtis E.; Schuster, David M.; Kaufman, Daniel S.

2009-01-01

This paper provides a summary of the NASA Engineering and Safety Center (NESC) team recommendations and observations following participation with the Ares I-X Vibroacoustic (VA) Environments Panel in meetings at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) and the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) in March and April 2008, respectively.

Chronology: MSFC Space Shuttle program development, assembly, and testing major events (1969 - April, 1981)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Whalen, Jessie E. (Compiler); Mckinley, Sarah L. (Compiler); Gates, Thomas G. (Compiler)

1988-01-01

Listings of major events directly related to the Space Shuttle Program at Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) are presented. This information will provide the researcher with a means of following the chronological progression of the program. The products that the historians have prepared are intended to provide supportive research essential to the writing of formal narrative histories of Marshall's contributions to the Space Shuttle and Space Station.

ELV Payload Safety Program Workshop Green Propulsion Update

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Robinson, Joel

2014-01-01

MSFC is engaged on the system solution: thrusters and power units; GRC is working plume diagnostics/modeling and independent thruster testing on GPIM.; GSFC is working slosh characteristics on GPIM tank.; JPL and ARC continually interested to infuse green propellant as potential replacement to hydrazine.; Mike Gazarik, AA of STMD, has requested MSFC lead the development of an Agency-level green propellant roadmap involving multiple Centers., Tentatively planned for August 2015 in Huntsville.

The MSFC complementary metal oxide semiconductor (including multilevel interconnect metallization) process handbook

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bouldin, D. L.; Eastes, R. W.; Feltner, W. R.; Hollis, B. R.; Routh, D. E.

1979-01-01

The fabrication techniques for creation of complementary metal oxide semiconductor integrated circuits at George C. Marshall Space Flight Center are described. Examples of C-MOS integrated circuits manufactured at MSFC are presented with functional descriptions of each. Typical electrical characteristics of both p-channel metal oxide semiconductor and n-channel metal oxide semiconductor discrete devices under given conditions are provided. Procedures design, mask making, packaging, and testing are included.

Dr. von Braun Briefing Walt Disney

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1965-01-01

Dr. von Braun began his association with Walt Disney in the 1950s when the rocket scientist appeared in three Disney television productions related to the exploration of space. Years later, Dr. von Braun invited Disney and his associates to tour the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) in Huntsville, Alabama. This photograph is dated April 13, 1965. From left are R.J. Schwinghamer from the MSFC, Disney, B.J. Bernight, and Dr. von Braun.

Saturn Apollo Program

NASA Image and Video Library

1970-06-01

This image depicts the Apollo 16 mission astronauts John Young (right) and Charles Duke (left) in pressure suits during a final crew training on the Lunar Roving Vehicle (LRV) at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC), building 4619. Developed by the MSFC, the LRV was the lightweight electric car designed to increase the range of mobility and productivity of astronauts on the lunar surface. It was used on the last three Apollo missions; Apollo 15, Apollo 16, and Apollo 17.

Saturn Apollo Program

NASA Image and Video Library

1967-10-01

S-IB-211, the flight version of the Saturn IB launch vehicle's first (S-IVB) stage, arrives at Marshall Space Flight Center's (MSFC's) S-IB static test stand. Between December 1967 and April 1968, the stage would undergo seven static test firings. The S-IB, developed by the MSFC and built by the Chrysler Corporation at the Michoud Assembly Facility near New Orleans, Louisiana, utilized eight H-1 engines and each produced 200,000 pounds of thrust.

Saturn Apollo Program

NASA Image and Video Library

1965-03-15

Workers at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) hoist S-IB-1, the first flight version of the Saturn IB launch vehicle's first stage (S-IB stage), into the Saturn IB static test stand on March 15, 1965. Developed by the MSFC and built by the Chrysler Corporation at the Michoud Assembly Facility (MAF) in New Orleans, Louisiana, the 90,000-pound booster utilized eight H-1 engines to produce a combined thrust of 1,600,000 pounds.

Saturn Apollo Program

NASA Image and Video Library

1967-10-01

S-IB-211, the flight version of the Saturn IB launch vehicle's first (S-IVB) stage, on its way to Marshall Space Flight Center's (MSFC's) west test area. Between December 1967 and April 1968, the stage would undergo seven static test firings. The S-IB, developed by the MSFC and built by the Chrysler Corporation at the Michoud Assembly Facility near New Orleans, Louisiana, utilized eight H-1 engines and each produced 200,000 pounds of thrust.

Saturn Apollo Program

NASA Image and Video Library

1967-10-01

S-IB-211, the flight version of the Saturn IB launch vehicle's (S-IVB) first stage, after installation at the Marshall Space Flight Center's (MSFC's) S-IB static test stand. Between December 1967 and April 1968, the stage would undergo seven static test firings. The S-IB, developed by the MSFC and built by the Chrysler Corporation at the Michoud Assembly Facility near New Orleans, Louisiana, utilized eight H-1 engines and each produced 200,000 pounds of thrust.

Origin of Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC)

NASA Image and Video Library

2004-04-15

The Marshall Space Flight Center, a NASA field installation, was established at Huntsville, Alabama, in 1960. The Center was named in honor of General George C. Marshall, the Army Chief of Staff during World War II, Secretary of State, and Nobel Prize Wirner for his world-renowned Marshall Plan.

Payload Operations Integration Center Tour

NASA Image and Video Library

2013-11-22

Step inside the International Space Station Payload Operations Integration Center at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala. Listen to the people who work around-the-clock with scientists around the world and the crew in space to conduct experiments that improve life on Earth and enable deep space exploration. (NASA/MSFC)

Space Station power system autonomy demonstration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kish, James A.; Dolce, James L.; Weeks, David J.

1988-01-01

The Systems Autonomy Demonstration Program (SADP) represents NASA's major effort to demonstrate, through a series of complex ground experiments, the application and benefits of applying advanced automation technologies to the Space Station project. Lewis Research Center (LeRC) and Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) will first jointly develop an autonomous power system using existing Space Station testbed facilities at each center. The subsequent 1990 power-thermal demonstration will then involve the cooperative operation of the LeRC/MSFC power system with the Johnson Space Center (JSC's) thermal control and DMS/OMS testbed facilities. The testbeds and expert systems at each of the NASA centers will be interconnected via communication links. The appropriate knowledge-based technology will be developed for each testbed and applied to problems requiring intersystem cooperation. Primary emphasis will be focused on failure detection and classification, system reconfiguration, planning and scheduling of electrical power resources, and integration of knowledge-based and conventional control system software into the design and operation of Space Station testbeds.

Breast Cancer Research at NASA

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1998-01-01

Isolation of human mammary epithelial cells (HMEC) from breast cancer susceptible tissue. Outgrowth of cells from duct element in upper right corner cultured in a standard dish; most cells spontaneously die during early cell divisions, but a few will establish long-term growth. NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) is sponsoring research with Bioreactors, rotating wall vessels designed to grow tissue samples in space, to understand how breast cancer works. This ground-based work studies the growth and assembly of human mammary epithelial cell (HMEC) from breast cancer susceptible tissue. Radiation can make the cells cancerous, thus allowing better comparisons of healthy vs. tunorous tissue. Credit: Dr. Robert Tichmond, NASA/Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC).

Breast Cancer Research at NASA

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1998-01-01

Isolation of human mammary epithelial cells (HMEC) from breast cancer susceptible tissue. Same long-term growth human mammary epithelial cells (HMEC), but after 3 weeks in concinuous culture. Note attempts to reform duct elements, but this time in two dimensions in a dish rather that in three demensions in tissue. NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) is sponsoring research with Bioreactors, rotating wall vessels designed to grow tissue samples in space, to understand how breast cancer works. This ground-based work studies the growth and assembly of human mammary epithelial cell (HMEC) from breast cancer susceptible tissue. Radiation can make the cells cancerous, thus allowing better comparisons of healthy vs. tunorous tissue. Credit: Dr. Robert Tichmond, NASA/Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC).

Microgravity

NASA Image and Video Library

1999-06-28

Kim Nelson, left, of Sandalwood High School in Jacksonville, FL, helps Steven Nepowada, right, of Terry Parker High School in Jacksonville, practice loading a protein sample into a thermos-like container, known as Dewar. Students from Jacksonville worked with researchers from NASA/Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC), as well as universities, in Huntsville, AL, on an experiment for the International Space Station (ISS). The proteins are placed in plastic tubing that is heat-sealed at the ends, then flash-frozen and preserved in a liquid nitrogen Dewar. Aboard the ISS, the nitrogen will be allowed to evaporated so the samples thaw and then slowly crystallize. They will be analyzed after return to Earth. Photo credit: NASA/Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC)

Microgravity

NASA Image and Video Library

1998-10-10

Isolation of human mammary epithelial cells (HMEC) from breast cancer susceptible tissue. Same long-term growth human mammary epithelial cells (HMEC), but after 3 weeks in concinuous culture. Note attempts to reform duct elements, but this time in two dimensions in a dish rather that in three demensions in tissue. NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) is sponsoring research with Bioreactors, rotating wall vessels designed to grow tissue samples in space, to understand how breast cancer works. This ground-based work studies the growth and assembly of human mammary epithelial cell (HMEC) from breast cancer susceptible tissue. Radiation can make the cells cancerous, thus allowing better comparisons of healthy vs. tunorous tissue. Credit: Dr. Robert Tichmond, NASA/Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC).

FY 1998 Scientific and Technical Reports, Articles, Papers, and Presentations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Waits, J. E. Turner (Compiler)

1999-01-01

This document presents formal NASA technical reports, papers published in technical journals, and presentations by MSFC (Marshall Space Flight Center) personnel in FY98. It also includes papers of MSFC contractors. After being announced in STAR, all of the NASA series reports may be obtained from the National Technical Information Service. The information in this report may be of value to the scientific and engineering community in determining what information has been published and what is available.

Scientific and Technical Reports, Articles, Papers, and Presentations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Turner, J. E. (Compiler)

2000-01-01

This document presents formal NASA technical reports, papers published in technical journals, and presentations by MSFC personnel in FY99. It also includes papers of MSFC contractors. All of the NASA series reports may be obtained from the NASA Center for AeroSpace Information (CASI), 7121 Standard Drive, Hanover, MD 21076-1320 The information in this report may be of value to the scientific and engineering community in determining what information has been published and what is available.

Saturn Apollo Program

NASA Image and Video Library

1964-09-01

This photograph shows the components for the Saturn V S-IC stage fuel tank assembly in the Manufacturing Engineering Laboratory, building 4707, at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). Left to right are upper head, lower head, and forward skirt assembly. Thirty-three feet in diameter, they will hold a total of 4,400,000 pounds of fuel. Although this tankage was assembled at MSFC, the elements were made by the Boeing Company at Wichita and the Michould Operations at New Orleans.

Spin Forming of Aluminum Metal Matrix Composites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lee, Jonathan A.; Munafo, Paul M. (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

An exploratory effort between NASA-Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) and SpinCraft, Inc., to experimentally spin form cylinders and concentric parts from small and thin sheets of aluminum Metal Matrix Composites (MMC), successfully yielded good microstructure data and forming parameters. MSFC and SpinCraft will collaborate on the recent technical findings and develop strategy to implement this technology for NASA's advanced propulsion and airframe applications such as pressure bulkheads, combustion liner assemblies, propellant tank domes, and nose cone assemblies.

Saturn Apollo Program

NASA Image and Video Library

1971-01-01

This 1968 cutaway drawing illustrates the Saturn IB launch vehicle with its two booster stages, the S-IB (first stage) and S-IVB (second stage), and provides the vital statistics in metric units. Developed by the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) as an interim vehicle in MSFC's "building block" approach to the Saturn rocket development, the Saturn IB utilized Saturn I technology to further develop and refine the larger boosters and the Apollo spacecraft capabilities required for the marned lunar missions.

Applied Virtual Reality Research and Applications at NASA/Marshall Space Flight Center

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hale, Joseph P.

1995-01-01

A Virtual Reality (VR) applications program has been under development at NASA/Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) since 1989. The objectives of the MSFC VR Applications Program are to develop, assess, validate, and utilize VR in hardware development, operations development and support, mission operations training and science training. Before this technology can be utilized with confidence in these applications, it must be validated for each particular class of application. That is, the precision and reliability with which it maps onto real settings and scenarios, representative of a class, must be calculated and assessed. The approach of the MSFC VR Applications Program is to develop and validate appropriate virtual environments and associated object kinematic and behavior attributes for specific classes of applications. These application-specific environments and associated simulations will be validated, where possible, through empirical comparisons with existing, accepted tools and methodologies. These validated VR analytical tools will then be available for use in the design and development of space systems and operations and in training and mission support systems. Specific validation studies for selected classes of applications have been completed or are currently underway. These include macro-ergonomic "control-room class" design analysis, Spacelab stowage reconfiguration training, a full-body micro-gravity functional reach simulator, and a gross anatomy teaching simulator. This paper describes the MSFC VR Applications Program and the validation studies.

Summary of Current and Future MSFC International Space Station Environmental Control and Life Support System Activities

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ray, Charles D.; Carrasquillo, Robyn L.; Minton-Summers, Silvia

1997-01-01

This paper provides a summary of current work accomplished under technical task agreement (TTA) by the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) regarding the Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS) as well as future planning activities in support of the International Space Station (ISS). Current activities include ECLSS computer model development, component design and development, subsystem integrated system testing, life testing, and government furnished equipment delivered to the ISS program. A long range plan for the MSFC ECLSS test facility is described whereby the current facility would be upgraded to support integrated station ECLSS operations. ECLSS technology development efforts proposed to be performed under the Advanced Engineering Technology Development (AETD) program are also discussed.

Saturn Apollo Program

NASA Image and Video Library

1964-10-01

The components of the Saturn V booster (S-IC stage) fuel tank are shown in this photograph. The liquid oxygen tank bulkhead on the left and both halves of the fuel tank were in the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) Manufacturing Engineering Laboratory, building 4707. These components were used at MSFC in structural testing to prove that they could withstand the forces to which they were subjected in flight. Each S-IC stage has two tanks, one for kerosene and one for liquid oxygen, made from such components as these. Thirty-three feet in diameter, they hold a total of 4,400,000 pounds of fuel. Although this tankage was assembled at MSFC, the elements were made by the Boeing Company at Wichita and the Michoud Operations at New Orleans.

Applied virtual reality in aerospace design

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hale, Joseph P.

1995-01-01

A virtual reality (VR) applications program has been under development at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) since 1989. The objectives of the MSFC VR Applications Program are to develop, assess, validate, and utilize VR in hardware development, operations development and support, mission operations training and science training. Before VR can be used with confidence in a particular application, VR must be validated for that class of applications. For that reason, specific validation studies for selected classes of applications have been proposed and are currently underway. These include macro-ergonomic 'control room class' design analysis, Spacelab stowage reconfiguration training, a full-body microgravity functional reach simulator, a gross anatomy teaching simulator, and micro-ergonomic design analysis. This paper describes the MSFC VR Applications Program and the validation studies.

Summary of LOX/CH4 Thruster Technology Development at NASA/MSFC

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Greene, Sandra Elam

2015-01-01

In recent years, a variety of injectors for liquid oxygen (LOX) and methane (CH4) propellant systems have been designed, fabricated, and demonstrated with hot-fire testing at Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). Successful designs for liquid methane (LCH4) and gaseous methane (GCH4) have been developed. A variety of chambers, including a transpiration cooled design, along with uncooled ablatives and refractory metals, have also been hot-fire tested by MSFC for use with LOX/LCH4 injectors. Hot-fire testing has also demonstrated multiple ignition source options. Heat flux data for selected injectors has been gathered by testing with a calorimeter chamber. High performance and stable combustion have been demonstrated, along with designs for thrust levels ranging from 500 to 7,000 lbf. The newest LOX/CH4 injector and chamber developed by MSFC have been fabricated with additive manufacturing techniques and include unique design features to investigate regenerative cooling with methane. This low cost and versatile hardware offers a design for 4,000 lbf thrust and will be hot-fire tested at MSFC in 2015. Its design and operation can easily be scaled for use in systems with thrust levels up to 25,000 lbf.

MSFC Optical Metrology: A National Resource

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Burdine, Robert

1998-01-01

A national need exists for Large Diameter Optical Metrology Services. These services include the manufacture, testing, and assurance of precision and control necessary to assure the success of large optical projects. "Best Practices" are often relied on for manufacture and quality controls while optical projects are increasingly more demanding and complex. Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) has acquired unique optical measurement, testing and metrology capabilities through active participation in a wide variety of NASA optical programs. An overview of existing optical facilities and metrology capabilities is given with emphasis on use by other optical projects. Cost avoidance and project success is stressed through use of existing MSFC facilities and capabilities for measurement and metrology controls. Current issues in large diameter optical metrology are briefly reviewed. The need for a consistent and long duration Large Diameter Optical Metrology Service Group is presented with emphasis on the establishment of a National Large Diameter Optical Standards Laboratory. Proposals are made to develop MSFC optical standards and metrology capabilities as the primary national standards resource, providing access to MSFC Optical Core Competencies for manufacturers and researchers. Plans are presented for the development of a national lending library of precision optical standards with emphasis on cost avoidance while improving measurement assurance.

Development of a large field-of-view KD potassium di-deuterium phosphate modulator: Center Director's Discretionary Fund

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

West, E. A.

1993-01-01

Magnetographs, which measure polarized light, allow solar astronomers to infer the magnetic field intensity on the Sun. The Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) Vector Magnetograph is such an imaging instrument. The instrument requires rapid modulation between polarization states to minimize seeing effects. The accuracy of those polarization measurements is dependent on stable modulators with small field-of-view errors. Although these devices are very important in ground-based telescopes, extending the field of view of electro-optical crystals such as KD*Ps (potassium di-deuterium phosphate) could encourage the development of these devices for other imaging applications. The work that was done at MSFC as part of the Center Director's Discretionary Fund (CDDF) to reduce the field-of-view errors of instruments that use KD*P modulators in their polarimeters is described.

Space Processing Applications Rocket (SPAR) project: SPAR 10

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Poorman, R. (Compiler)

1986-01-01

The Space Processing Applications Rocket Project (SPAR) X Final Report contains the compilation of the post-flight reports from each of the Principal Investigators (PIs) on the four selected science payloads, in addition to the engineering report as documented by the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). This combined effort also describes pertinent portions of ground-based research leading to the ultimate selection of the flight sample composition, including design, fabrication and testing, all of which are expected to contribute to an improved comprehension of materials processing in space. The SPAR project was coordinated and managed by MSFC as part of the Microgravity Science and Applications (MSA) program of the Office of Space Science and Applications (OSSA) of NASA Headquarters. This technical memorandum is directed entirely to the payload manifest flown in the tenth of a series of SPAR flights conducted at the White Sands Missile Range (WSMR) and includes the experiments entitled, Containerless Processing Technology, SPAR Experiment 76-20/3; Directional Solidification of Magnetic Composites, SPAR Experiment 76-22/3; Comparative Alloy Solidification, SPAR Experiment 76-36/3; and Foam Copper, SPAR Experiment 77-9/1R.

Around Marshall

NASA Image and Video Library

1986-07-08

Dr. William R. Lucas, Marshall's fourth Center Director (1974-1986), delivers a speech in front of a picture of the lunar landscape with Earth looming in the background while attending a Huntsville Chamber of Commerce reception honoring his achievements as Director of Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC).

Low-Energy Microfocus X-Ray Source for Enhanced Testing Capability in the Stray Light Facility

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gaskin, Jessica; O'Dell, Stephen; Kolodziejczak, Jeff

2015-01-01

Research toward high-resolution, soft x-ray optics (mirrors and gratings) necessary for the next generation large x-ray observatories requires x-ray testing using a low-energy x-ray source with fine angular size (<1 arcsecond). To accommodate this somewhat demanding requirement, NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) has procured a custom, windowless low-energy microfocus (approximately 0.1 mm spot) x-ray source from TruFocus Corporation that mates directly to the Stray Light Facility (SLF). MSFC X-ray Astronomy team members are internationally recognized for their expertise in the development, fabrication, and testing of grazing-incidence optics for x-ray telescopes. One of the key MSFC facilities for testing novel x-ray instrumentation is the SLF. This facility is an approximately 100-m-long beam line equipped with multiple x-ray sources and detectors. This new source adds to the already robust compliment of instrumentation, allowing MSFC to support additional internal and community x-ray testing needs.

Around Marshall

NASA Image and Video Library

1990-12-03

The primary objective of the STS-35 mission was round the clock observation of the celestial sphere in ultraviolet and X-Ray astronomy with the Astro-1 observatory which consisted of four telescopes: the Hopkins Ultraviolet Telescope (HUT); the Wisconsin Ultraviolet Photo-Polarimeter Experiment (WUPPE); the Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (UIT); and the Broad Band X-Ray Telescope (BBXRT). The Huntsville Operations Support Center (HOSC) Spacelab Payload Operations Control Center (SL POCC) at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) was the air/ground communication channel used between the astronauts and ground control teams during the Spacelab missions. Teams of controllers and researchers directed on-orbit science operations, sent commands to the spacecraft, received data from experiments aboard the Space Shuttle, adjusted mission schedules to take advantage of unexpected science opportunities or unexpected results, and worked with crew members to resolve problems with their experiments. Pictured is Jack Jones in the Mission Manager Area.

A Decade of Friction Stir Welding R and D at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center and a Glance into the Future

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ding, Jeff; Carter, Bob; Lawless, Kirby; Nunes, Arthur; Russell, Carolyn; Suites, Michael; Schneider, Judy

2006-01-01

Welding at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC), Huntsville, Alabama, has taken a new direction through the last 10 years. Fusion welding processes, namely variable polarity plasma arc (VPPA) and tungsten inert gas (TIG) were once the corner stone of welding development in the Space Flight Center's welding laboratories, located in the part of MSFC know as National Center for Advanced Manufacturing (NCM). Developed specifically to support the Shuttle Program's External Tank and later International Space Station manufacturing programs, was viewed as the paragon of welding processes for joining aluminum alloys. Much has changed since 1994, however, when NASA's Jeff Ding brought the FSW process to the NASA agency. Although, at that time, FSW was little more than a "lab curiosity", NASA researchers started investigating where the FSW process would best fit NASA manufacturing programs. A laboratory FSW system was procured and the first welds were made in fall of 1995. The small initial investment NASA made into the first FSW system has certainly paid off for the NASA agency in terms of cost savings, hardware quality and notoriety. FSW is now a part of Shuttle External Tank (ET) production and the preferred weld process for the manufacturing of components for the new Crew Launch Vehicle (CLV) and Heavy Lift Launch Vehicle (HLLV) that will take this country back to the moon. It is one of the solid state welding processes being considered for on-orbit space welding and repair, and is of considerable interest for Department of Defense @OD) manufacturing programs. MSFC involvement in these and other programs makes NASA a driving force in this country's development of FSW and other solid state welding technologies. Now, a decade later, almost the entire on-going welding R&D at MSFC now focuses on FSW and other more advanced solid state welding processes.

A Concept for the Inclusion of Analytical and Computational Capability in Existing Systems for Measurement of Neutron Flux

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Patrick, Clinton; Cooper, Anita E.; Powers, W. T.

2005-01-01

For approximately two decades, efforts have been sponsored by NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center to make possible high-speed, automated classification and quantification of constituent materials in various harsh environments. MSFC, along with the Air Force/Arnold Engineering Development Center, has led the work, developing and implementing systems that employ principles of emission and absorption spectroscopy to monitor molecular and atomic particulates in gas plasma of rocket engine flow fields. One such system identifies species and quantifies mass loss rates in H2/O2 rocket plumes. Other gases have been examined and the physics of their detection under numerous conditions were made a part of the knowledge base for the MSFC/USAF team. Additionally, efforts are being advanced to hardware encode components of the data analysis tools in order to address real-time operational requirements for health monitoring and management. NASA has a significant investment in these systems, warranting a spiral approach that meshes current tools and experience with technological advancements. This paper addresses current systems - the Optical Plume Anomaly Detector (OPAD) and the Engine Diagnostic Filtering System (EDIFIS) - and discusses what is considered a natural progression: a concept for migrating them towards detection of high energy particles, including neutrons and gamma rays. The proposal outlines system development to date, basic concepts for future advancements, and recommendations for accomplishing them.

Using CASE to Exploit Process Modeling in Technology Transfer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Renz-Olar, Cheryl

2003-01-01

A successful business will be one that has processes in place to run that business. Creating processes, reengineering processes, and continually improving processes can be accomplished through extensive modeling. Casewise(R) Corporate Modeler(TM) CASE is a computer aided software engineering tool that will enable the Technology Transfer Department (TT) at NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) to capture these abilities. After successful implementation of CASE, it could then go on to be applied in other departments at MSFC and other centers at NASA. The success of a business process is dependent upon the players working as a team and continuously improving the process. A good process fosters customer satisfaction as well as internal satisfaction in the organizational infrastructure. CASE provides a method for business process success through functions consisting of systems and processes business models; specialized diagrams; matrix management; simulation; report generation and publishing; and, linking, importing, and exporting documents and files. The software has an underlying repository or database to support these functions. The Casewise. manual informs us that dynamics modeling is a technique used in business design and analysis. Feedback is used as a tool for the end users and generates different ways of dealing with the process. Feedback on this project resulted from collection of issues through a systems analyst interface approach of interviews with process coordinators and Technical Points of Contact (TPOCs).

History of Chandra X-Ray Observatory

NASA Image and Video Library

1997-05-01

This photograph shows the Chandra X-Ray Observatory (CXO), formerly Advanced X-Ray Astrophysics Facility (AXAF), High Resolution Mirror Assembly (HRMA) being removed from the test structure in the X-Ray Calibration Facility (XRCF) at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). The AXAF was renamed CXO in 1999. The CXO is the most sophisticated and the world's most powerful x-ray telescope ever built. It observes x-rays from high-energy regions of the universe, such as hot gas in the remnants of exploded stars. The HRMA, the heart of the telescope system, is contained in the cylindrical "telescope" portion of the observatory. Since high-energy x-rays would penetrate a normal mirror, special cylindrical mirrors were created. The two sets of four nested mirrors resemble tubes within tubes. Incoming x-rays graze off the highly polished mirror surface and are furneled to the instrument section for detection and study. MSFC's XRCF is the world's largest, most advanced laboratory for simulating x-ray emissions from distant celestial objects. It produces a space-like environment in which components related to x-ray telescope imaging are tested and the quality of their performances in space is predicted. TRW, Inc. was the prime contractor for the development of the CXO and NASA's MSFC was responsible for its project management. The Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory controls science and flight operations of the CXO for NASA from Cambridge, Massachusetts. The CXO was launched July 22, 1999 aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia (STS-93).

History of Chandra X-Ray Observatory

NASA Image and Video Library

1996-12-16

This is a photograph of the Chandra X-Ray Observatory (CXO), formerly Advanced X-Ray Astrophysics Facility (AXAF), High Resolution Mirror Assembly (HRMA) integration at the X-Ray Calibration Facility (XRCF) at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). The AXAF was renamed CXO in 1999. The CXO is the most sophisticated and the world's most powerful x-ray telescope ever built. It observes x-rays from high-energy regions of the universe, such as hot gas in the remnants of exploded stars. The HRMA, the heart of the telescope system, is contained in the cylindrical "telescope" portion of the observatory. Since high-energy x-rays would penetrate a normal mirror, special cylindrical mirrors were created. The two sets of four nested mirrors resemble tubes within tubes. Incoming x-rays graze off the highly polished mirror surface and are furneled to the instrument section for detection and study. MSFC's XRCF is the world's largest, most advanced laboratory for simulating x-ray emissions from distant celestial objects. It produces a space-like environment in which components related to x-ray telescope imaging are tested and the quality of their performances in space is predicted. TRW, Inc. was the prime contractor for the development of the CXO and NASA's MSFC was responsible for its project management. The Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory controls science and flight operations of the CXO for NASA from Cambridge, Massachusetts. The CXO was launched July 22, 1999 aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia (STS-93).

History of Chandra X-Ray Observatory

NASA Image and Video Library

1997-05-01

This photograph shows the Chandra X-ray Observatory (CXO), formerly Advanced X-Ray Astrophysics Facility (AXAF), High Resolution Mirror Assembly (HRMA) being removed from the test structure in the X-Ray Calibration Facility (XRCF) at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). The AXAF was renamed CXO in 1999. The CXO is the most sophisticated and the world's most powerful x-ray telescope ever built. It observes x-rays from high-energy regions of the universe, such as hot gas in the remnants of exploded stars. The HRMA, the heart of the telescope system, is contained in the cylindrical "telescope" portion of the observatory. Since high-energy x-rays would penetrate a normal mirror, special cylindrical mirrors were created. The two sets of four nested mirrors resemble tubes within tubes. Incoming x-rays graze off the highly polished mirror surface and are furneled to the instrument section for detection and study. MSFC's XRCF is the world's largest, most advanced laboratory for simulating x-ray emissions from distant celestial objects. It produces a space-like environment in which components related to x-ray telescope imaging are tested and the quality of their performances in space is predicted. TRW, Inc. was the prime contractor for the development of the CXO and NASA's MSFC was responsible for its project management. The Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory controls science and flight operations of the CXO for NASA from Cambridge, Massachusetts. The CXO was launched July 22, 1999 aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia (STS-93).

Space Station Environmental Control and Life Support System Test Facility at Marshall Space Flight Center

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Springer, Darlene

1989-01-01

Different aspects of Space Station Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS) testing are currently taking place at Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). Unique to this testing is the variety of test areas and the fact that all are located in one building. The north high bay of building 4755, the Core Module Integration Facility (CMIF), contains the following test areas: the Subsystem Test Area, the Comparative Test Area, the Process Material Management System (PMMS), the Core Module Simulator (CMS), the End-use Equipment Facility (EEF), and the Pre-development Operational System Test (POST) Area. This paper addresses the facility that supports these test areas and briefly describes the testing in each area. Future plans for the building and Space Station module configurations will also be discussed.

Propulsion and Power Technologies for the NASA Exploration Vision: A Research Perspective

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Litchford, Ron J.

2004-01-01

Future propulsion and power technologies for deep space missions are profiled in this viewgraph presentation. The presentation includes diagrams illustrating possible future travel times to other planets in the solar system. The propulsion technologies researched at Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) include: 1) Chemical Propulsion; 2) Nuclear Propulsion; 3) Electric and Plasma Propulsion; 4) Energetics. The presentation contains additional information about these technologies, as well as space reactors, reactor simulation, and the Propulsion Research Laboratory (PRL) at MSFC.

Pathfinder

NASA Image and Video Library

1997-06-04

A close-up view of Bantam duration testing of the 40K Fastrac II Engine for X-34 at Marshall Space Flight Center's (MSFC) test stand 116. The Bantam test refers to the super lightweight engines of the Fastrac program. The engines were designed as part of the low cost X-34 Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV). The testing of these engines at MSFC allowed the engineers to determine the capabilities of these engines and the metal alloys that were used in their construction. The Fastrac and X-34 programs were cancelled in 2001.

FY 2004 Scientific and Technical Reports, Articles, Papers, and Presentations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fowler, B. A. (Compiler)

2006-01-01

This Technical Memorandum (TM) presents formal NASA technical reports, papers published in technical journals, and presentations by Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) personnel FY 2004. It also includes papers of MSFC contractors. After being announced in STAR, all NASA series reports may be obtained from the National Technical Information Service, 5285 Port Royal Road, Springfield, VA 22161. The information in this TM maybe of value to the scientific and engineering community in determining what information has been published and what is available.

FY 1999 Scientific and Technical Reports, Articles, Papers, and Presentations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Waits, J.oyce E.Turner

2000-01-01

This document presents formal NASA technical reports, papers published in technical journals, and presentations by MSFC personnel in FY99. It also includes papers of MSFC contractors. All of the NASA series reports may be obtained from the NASA Center for AeroSpace Information (CASI), 7121 Standard Drive, Hanover, MD 21076-1320 The information in this report may be of value to the scientific and engineering community in determining what information has been published and what is available.

Outboard Motor Maximizes Power and Dependability

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2008-01-01

Developed by Jonathan Lee, a structural materials engineer at Marshall Space Flight Center, and PoShou Chen, a scientist with Huntsville, Alabama-based Morgan Research Corporation, MSFC-398 is a high-strength aluminum alloy able to operate at high temperatures. MSFC-398 was licensed for marine applications by Bombardier Recreational Products Inc., and is now found in the complete line of Evinrude E-TEC outboard motors, a line of two-stroke motors that maintain the power and dependability of a two-stroke with the refinement of a four-stroke.

NASA/MSFC/NSSTC Science Communication Roundtable

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Adams, M. L.; Gallagher, D. L.; Koczor, R.; Six, N. Frank (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

The Science Directorate at Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) conducts a diverse program of Internet-based science communication through a Science Roundtable process. The Roundtable includes active researchers, writers, NASA public relations staff, educators, and administrators. The Science@NASA award-winning family of Web sites features science, mathematics, and space news to inform, involve, and inspire students and the public about science. We describe here the process of producing stories, results from research to understand the science communication process, and we highlight each member of our Web family.

FY 2003 Scientific and Technical Reports, Articles, Papers, and Presentations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fowler, B. A. (Compiler)

2004-01-01

This Technical Memorandum (TM) presents formal NASA technical reports, papers published in technical journals, and presentations by Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) personnel in FY 2003. It also includes papers of MSFC contractors. After being announced in STAR, all NASA series reports may be obtained from the National Technical Information Service, 5285 Port Royal Road, Spring.eld, VA 22161. The information in this TM may be of value to the scientific and engineering community in determining what information has been published and what is available.

Space Science

NASA Image and Video Library

2002-01-01

Pictured is the chosen artist's rendering of NASA's next generation space telescope, a successor to the Hubble Space Telescope, was named the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) in honor of NASA's second administrator, James E. Webb. To further our understanding of the way our present universe formed following the the big bang, NASA is developing the JWST to observe the first stars and galaxies in the universe. This grand effort will help to answer the following fundamental questions: How galaxies form and evolve, how stars and planetary systems form and interact, how the universe builds up its present elemental/chemical composition, and what dark matter is. To see into the depths of space, the JWST is currently plarning to carry instruments that are sensitive to the infrared wavelengths of the electromagnetic spectrum. The new telescope will carry a near-infrared camera, a multi-object spectrometer, and a mid-infrared camera/spectrometer. The JWST is scheduled for launch in 2010 aboard an expendable launch vehicle. It will take about 3 months for the spacecraft to reach its destination, an orbit of 940,000 miles in space. Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) is supporting Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) in developing the JWST by creating an ultra-lightweight mirror for the telescope at MSFC's Space Optics Manufacturing Technology Center. GSFC, Greenbelt, Maryland, manages the JWST, and TRW will design and fabricate the observatory's primary mirror and spacecraft. The program has a number of industry, academic, and government partners, as well as the European Space Agency and the Canadian Space Agency. (Image: Courtesy of TRW)

Design and Build of Reactor Simulator for Fission Surface Power Technology Demonstrator Unit

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Godfroy, Thomas; Dickens, Ricky; Houts, Michael; Pearson, Boise; Webster, Kenny; Gibson, Marc; Qualls, Lou; Poston, Dave; Werner, Jim; Radel, Ross

2011-01-01

The Nuclear Systems Team at NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) focuses on technology development for state of the art capability in non-nuclear testing of nuclear system and Space Nuclear Power for fission reactor systems for lunar and Mars surface power generation as well as radioisotope power systems for both spacecraft and surface applications. Currently being designed and developed is a reactor simulator (RxSim) for incorporation into the Technology Demonstrator Unit (TDU) for the Fission Surface Power System (FSPS) Program, which is supported by multiple national laboratories and NASA centers. The ultimate purpose of the RxSim is to provide heated NaK to a pair of Stirling engines in the TDU. The RxSim includes many different systems, components, and instrumentation that have been developed at MSFC while working with pumped NaK systems and in partnership with the national laboratories and NASA centers. The main components of the RxSim are a core, a pump, a heat exchanger (to mimic the thermal load of the Stirling engines), and a flow meter for tests at MSFC. When tested at NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC) the heat exchanger will be replaced with a Stirling power conversion engine. Additional components include storage reservoirs, expansion volumes, overflow catch tanks, safety and support hardware, instrumentation (temperature, pressure, flow) for data collection, and power supplies. This paper will discuss the design and current build status of the RxSim for delivery to GRC in early 2012.

Around Marshall

NASA Image and Video Library

1998-08-04

Nurse performs tonometry examination, which measure the tension of the eyeball, during an employee's arnual physical examination given by MSFC Occupational Medicine Environmental Health Services under the Center Operations Directorate.

Students Pave Way for First Microgravity Experiments on International Space Station

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1999-01-01

Kim Nelson, left, of Sandalwood High School in Jacksonville, FL, helps Steven Nepowada, right, of Terry Parker High School in Jacksonville, practice loading a protein sample into a thermos-like container, known as Dewar. Students from Jacksonville worked with researchers from NASA/Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC), as well as universities, in Huntsville, AL, on an experiment for the International Space Station (ISS). The proteins are placed in plastic tubing that is heat-sealed at the ends, then flash-frozen and preserved in a liquid nitrogen Dewar. Aboard the ISS, the nitrogen will be allowed to evaporated so the samples thaw and then slowly crystallize. They will be analyzed after return to Earth. Photo credit: NASA/Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC)

International Space Station (ISS)

NASA Image and Video Library

2001-02-01

The Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) is responsible for designing and building the life support systems that will provide the crew of the International Space Station (ISS) a comfortable environment in which to live and work. Scientists and engineers at the MSFC are working together to provide the ISS with systems that are safe, efficient, and cost-effective. These compact and powerful systems are collectively called the Environmental Control and Life Support Systems, or simply, ECLSS. This photograph shows the development Water Processor located in two racks in the ECLSS test area at the Marshall Space Flight Center. Actual waste water, simulating Space Station waste, is generated and processed through the hardware to evaluate the performance of technologies in the flight Water Processor design.

A summary of laboratory testing performed to characterize and select an elastomeric O-ring material to be used in the redesigned solid rocket motors of the space transportation system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Turner, J. E.

1993-01-01

An elastomeric O-ring material is used in the joints of the redesigned solid motors (RSRM's) of the National Space Transportation System (NSTS). The selection of the O-ring material used in the RSRM's was a very thorough process that included efforts by NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center and the Langley Research Center, and the Thiokol Corporation. One of the efforts performed at MSFC was an extensive in-house laboratory test regime to screen potential O-ring materials and ultimately to characterize the elastomeric material that was chosen to be used in the RSRM's. The laboratory tests performed at MSFC are summarized.

Research Reports: 1986 NASA/ASEE Summer Faculty Fellowship Program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Freeman, L. Michael (Editor); Speer, Fridtjof A. (Editor); Cothran, Ernestine K. (Editor); Karr, Gerald R. (Editor)

1986-01-01

For the 22th consecutive year, a NASA/ASEE Summer Faculty Fellowship Program was conducted for the summer of 1986 by the University of Alabama and Marshall Space Flight Center. The basic objectives of the program are: (1)to further the professional knowledge of qualified engineering and science faculty members; (2)to stimulate an exchange of ideas between participants and NASA; (3)to enrich and refresh the research and teaching activities of the participants' institution; and (4)to contribute to the research objectives of the NASA center. The Faculty Fellows spent ten weeks at MSFC engaged in a research project compatible with their interest and background and worked in collaboration with a NASA/MSFC colleague. This is a compilation of Fellows' reports on their research.

International Space Station (ISS)

NASA Image and Video Library

2000-05-01

This photograph depicts the International Space Station's (ISS) Joint Airlock Module undergoing exhaustive structural and systems testing in the Space Station manufacturing facility at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) prior to shipment to the Kennedy Space Center. The Airlock includes two sections. The larger equipment lock, on the left, will store spacesuits and associated gear and the narrower crewlock is on the right, from which the astronauts will exit into space for extravehicular activity. The airlock is 18 feet long and has a mass of about 13,500 pounds. It was launched to the station aboard the Space Shuttle orbiter Atlantis (STS-104 mission) on July 12, 2001. The MSFC is playing a primary role in NASA's development, manufacturing, and operations of the ISS.

NASA. Marshall Space Flight Center Hydrostatic Bearing Activities

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Benjamin, Theodore G.

1991-01-01

The basic approach for analyzing hydrostatic bearing flows at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) is briefly discussed. The Hydrostatic Bearing Team has responsibility for assessing and evaluating flow codes; evaluating friction, ignition, and galling effects; evaluating wear; and performing tests. The Office of Aerospace and Exploration Technology Turbomachinery Seals Tasks consist of tests and analysis. The MSFC in-house analyses utilize one-dimensional bulk-flow codes. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis is used to enhance understanding of bearing flow physics or to perform parametric analysis that are outside the bulk flow database. As long as the bulk flow codes are accurate enough for most needs, they will be utilized accordingly and will be supported by CFD analysis on an as-needed basis.

CMIF ECLS system test findings

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schunk, Richard G.; Carrasquillo, Robyn L.; Ogle, Kathyrn Y.; Wieland, Paul O.; Bagdigian, Robert M.

1989-01-01

During 1987 three Space Station integrated Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS) tests were conducted at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) Core Module Integration Facility (CMIF) as part of the MSFC ECLSS Phase II test program. The three tests ranged in duration from 50 to 150 hours and were conducted inside of the CMIF module simulator. The Phase II partial integrated system test configuration consisted of four regenerative air revitalization subsystems and one regenerative water reclamation subsystem. This paper contains a discussion of results and lessons learned from the Phase II test program. The design of the Phase II test configuration and improvements made throughout the program are detailed. Future plans for the MSFC CMIF test program are provided, including an overview of planned improvements for the Phase III program.

MC-1 Engine Valves, Lessons Learned

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Laszar, John

2003-01-01

Many lessons were learned during the development of the valves for the MC-1 engine. The purpose of this report is to focus on a variety of issues related to the engine valves and convey the lessons learned. This paper will not delve into detailed technical analysis of the components. None of the lessons learned are new or surprising, but simply reinforce the importance of addressing the details of the design early, at the component level. The Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC), Huntsville, Alabama developed the MC-1 engine, a LOX / FW-1, 60,000 pound thrust engine. This engine was developed under the Low Cost Boost Technology office at MSFC and proved to be a very successful project for the MSFC Propulsion team and the various subcontractors working the development of the engine and its components.

Flowfield visualization for SSME hot gas manifold

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Roger, Robert P.

1988-01-01

The objective of this research, as defined by NASA-Marshall Space Flight Center, was two-fold: (1) to numerically simulate viscous subsonic flow in a proposed elliptical two-duct version of the fuel side Hot Gas Manifold (HGM) for the Space Shuttle Main Engine (SSME), and (2) to provide analytical support for SSME related numerical computational experiments, being performed by the Computational Fluid Dynamics staff in the Aerophysics Division of the Structures and Dynamics Laboratory at NASA-MSFC. Numerical results of HGM were calculations to complement both water flow visualization experiments and air flow visualization experiments and air experiments in two-duct geometries performed at NASA-MSFC and Rocketdyne. In addition, code modification and improvement efforts were to strengthen the CFD capabilities of NASA-MSFC for producing reliable predictions of flow environments within the SSME.

Development Issues for Lunar Regolith Simulants

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rickman, Doug; Carpenter, Paul; Sibille, Laurent; Owens, Charles; French, Raymond; McLemore, Carole

2006-01-01

Significant challenges and logistical issues exist for the development of standardized lunar regolith simulant (SLRS) materials for use in the development and testing of flight hardware for upcoming NASA lunar missions. A production program at Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) for the deployment of lunar mare basalt simulant JSC-lA is underway. Root simulants have been proposed for the development of a low-T mare basalt simulant and a high-Ca highland anorthosite simulant, as part of a framework of simulant development outlined in the 2005 Lunar Regolith Simulant Materials Workshop held at MSFC. Many of the recommendation for production and standardization of simulants have already been documented by the MSFC team. But there are a number of unanswered questions related to geology which need ta be addressed prior to the creation of the simulants.

NASA Data Acquisitions System (NDAS) Software Architecture

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Davis, Dawn; Duncan, Michael; Franzl, Richard; Holladay, Wendy; Marshall, Peggi; Morris, Jon; Turowski, Mark

2012-01-01

The NDAS Software Project is for the development of common low speed data acquisition system software to support NASA's rocket propulsion testing facilities at John C. Stennis Space Center (SSC), White Sands Test Facility (WSTF), Plum Brook Station (PBS), and Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC).

The Imaging X-Ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE): Overview

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

O'Dell, Steve; Weisskopf, M.; Soffitta, P.; Baldini, L.; Bellazzini, R.; Costa, E.; Elsner, R.; Kaspi, V.; Kolodziejczak, J.; Latronico, L.;

Canadarm2 Maneuvers Quest Airlock

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2001-01-01

At the control of Expedition Two Flight Engineer Susan B. Helms, the newly-installed Canadian-built Canadarm2, Space Station Remote Manipulator System (SSRMS) maneuvers the Quest Airlock into the proper position to be mated onto the starboard side of the Unity Node I during the first of three extravehicular activities (EVA) of the STS-104 mission. The Quest Airlock makes it easier to perform space walks, and allows both Russian and American spacesuits to be worn when the Shuttle is not docked with the International Space Station (ISS). American suits will not fit through Russion airlocks at the Station. The Boeing Company, the space station prime contractor, built the 6.5-ton (5.8 metric ton) airlock and several other key components at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC), in the same building where the Saturn V rocket was built. Installation activities were supported by the development team from the Payload Operations Control Center (POCC) located at the MSFC and the Mission Control Center at NASA's Johnson Space Flight Center in Houston, Texas.

International Space Station (ISS)

NASA Image and Video Library

2001-07-15

At the control of Expedition Two Flight Engineer Susan B. Helms, the newly-installed Canadian-built Canadarm2, Space Station Remote Manipulator System (SSRMS) maneuvers the Quest Airlock into the proper position to be mated onto the starboard side of the Unity Node I during the first of three extravehicular activities (EVA) of the STS-104 mission. The Quest Airlock makes it easier to perform space walks, and allows both Russian and American spacesuits to be worn when the Shuttle is not docked with the International Space Station (ISS). American suits will not fit through Russion airlocks at the Station. The Boeing Company, the space station prime contractor, built the 6.5-ton (5.8 metric ton) airlock and several other key components at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC), in the same building where the Saturn V rocket was built. Installation activities were supported by the development team from the Payload Operations Control Center (POCC) located at the MSFC and the Mission Control Center at NASA's Johnson Space Flight Center in Houston, Texas.

Around Marshall

NASA Image and Video Library

1968-04-24

Pictured from the left, in the Saturn I mockup, are: William Brooksbank, Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) Propulsion and Vehicle Engineering Laboratory; Dr. Thomas O. Paine, Deputy Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA); Dr. Wernher von Braun, MSFC director; Colonel Clare F. Farley, executive officer of the Office of the Administrator; and Charles J. Donlan, newly appointed deputy associate administrator for Manned Space Flight, technical. The party examined an ordinary man’s shoe (held by Paine) outfitted for use in the Saturn I Workshop. The shoe had a unique fastener built into the sole to allow an astronaut to move about the workshop floor and to remain in one position if he desired. Dr. Paine and his party indulged in a two-day tour at the Marshall Space Flight Center getting acquainted with Marshall personnel and programs. It was Paine’s first visit to the center since assuming the NASA post on February 1, 1968.

Around Marshall

NASA Image and Video Library

1990-12-07

The primary objective of the STS-35 mission was round the clock observation of the celestial sphere in ultraviolet and X-Ray astronomy with the Astro-1 observatory which consisted of four telescopes: the Hopkins Ultraviolet Telescope (HUT); the Wisconsin Ultraviolet Photo-Polarimeter Experiment (WUPPE); the Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (UIT); and the Broad Band X-Ray Telescope (BBXRT). The Huntsville Operations Support Center (HOSC) Spacelab Payload Operations Control Center (SL POCC) at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) was the air/ground communication channel used between the astronauts and ground control teams during the Spacelab missions. Teams of controllers and researchers directed on-orbit science operations, sent commands to the spacecraft, received data from experiments aboard the Space Shuttle, adjusted mission schedules to take advantage of unexpected science opportunities or unexpected results, and worked with crew members to resolve problems with their experiments. This photo is of Space classroom students in the Discovery Optics Lab at MSFC during STS-35, ASTRO-1 mission payload operations.

Automation in the Space Station module power management and distribution Breadboard

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Walls, Bryan; Lollar, Louis F.

1990-01-01

The Space Station Module Power Management and Distribution (SSM/PMAD) Breadboard, located at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) in Huntsville, Alabama, models the power distribution within a Space Station Freedom Habitation or Laboratory module. Originally designed for 20 kHz ac power, the system is now being converted to high voltage dc power with power levels on a par with those expected for a space station module. In addition to the power distribution hardware, the system includes computer control through a hierarchy of processes. The lowest level process consists of fast, simple (from a computing standpoint) switchgear, capable of quickly safing the system. The next level consists of local load center processors called Lowest Level Processors (LLP's). These LLP's execute load scheduling, perform redundant switching, and shed loads which use more than scheduled power. The level above the LLP's contains a Communication and Algorithmic Controller (CAC) which coordinates communications with the highest level. Finally, at this highest level, three cooperating Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems manage load prioritization, load scheduling, load shedding, and fault recovery and management. The system provides an excellent venue for developing and examining advanced automation techniques. The current system and the plans for its future are examined.

International Space Station Alpha user payload operations concept

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schlagheck, Ronald A.; Crysel, William B.; Duncan, Elaine F.; Rider, James W.

1994-01-01

International Space Station Alpha (ISSA) will accommodate a variety of user payloads investigating diverse scientific and technology disciplines on behalf of five international partners: Canada, Europe, Japan, Russia, and the United States. A combination of crew, automated systems, and ground operations teams will control payload operations that require complementary on-board and ground systems. This paper presents the current planning for the ISSA U.S. user payload operations concept and the functional architecture supporting the concept. It describes various NASA payload operations facilities, their interfaces, user facility flight support, the payload planning system, the onboard and ground data management system, and payload operations crew and ground personnel training. This paper summarizes the payload operations infrastructure and architecture developed at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) to prepare and conduct ISSA on-orbit payload operations from the Payload Operations Integration Center (POIC), and from various user operations locations. The authors pay particular attention to user data management, which includes interfaces with both the onboard data management system and the ground data system. Discussion covers the functional disciplines that define and support POIC payload operations: Planning, Operations Control, Data Management, and Training. The paper describes potential interfaces between users and the POIC disciplines, from the U.S. user perspective.

Development and application of contamination technology for MSFC managed space systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1993-01-01

The second annual report on the development and application of contamination technology for MSFC managed space systems covering the period from 10 Dec. 1992 to 10 Dec. 1993 is presented. During this time period, studies were concluded which proved that in-process corrosion protection is not required during Redesigned Solid Rocket Motor (RSRM) case processing. Also completed were a series of tests evaluating the effects of environmental exposure and contamination on 2219-T87 aluminum (Space Shuttle External Tank) OSEE response and bonding properties. Correlations were developed between OSEE response, contamination type/level, and primer adhesion. The results showed that the wet tape and water break free tests currently employed during ET processing may not detect bond affecting levels of some potential contaminants; however, the contaminants were detected with OSEE analysis. Finally, exposure/contamination studies were initiated with HP9-4-30 steel. HP9-4-30 was selected for evaluation because it represents a class of metals commom to MSFC managed space flight systems which are less prone to oxidation than D6AC steel or aluminum.

Development and application of contamination technology for MSFC managed space systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

The second annual report on the development and application of contamination technology for MSFC managed space systems covering the period from 10 Dec. 1992 to 10 Dec. 1993 is presented. During this time period, studies were concluded which proved that in-process corrosion protection is not required during Redesigned Solid Rocket Motor (RSRM) case processing. Also completed were a series of tests evaluating the effects of environmental exposure and contamination on 2219-T87 aluminum (Space Shuttle External Tank) OSEE response and bonding properties. Correlations were developed between OSEE response, contamination type/level, and primer adhesion. The results showed that the wet tape and water break free tests currently employed during ET processing may not detect bond affecting levels of some potential contaminants; however, the contaminants were detected with OSEE analysis. Finally, exposure/contamination studies were initiated with HP9-4-30 steel. HP9-4-30 was selected for evaluation because it represents a class of metals commom to MSFC managed space flight systems which are less prone to oxidation than D6AC steel or aluminum.

X-ray optic developments at NASA's MSFC

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Atkins, C.; Ramsey, B.; Kilaru, K.; Gubarev, M.; O'Dell, S.; Elsner, R.; Swartz, D.; Gaskin, J.; Weisskopf, M.

2013-05-01

NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) has a successful history of fabricating optics for astronomical x-ray telescopes. In recent years optics have been created using electroforming replication for missions such as the balloon payload HERO (High energy replicated optics) and the rocket payload FOXSI (Focusing Optics x-ray Solar Imager). The same replication process is currently being used in the creation seven x-ray mirror modules (one module comprising of 28 nested shells) for the Russian ART-XC (Astronomical Rontgen Telescope) instrument aboard the Spectrum-Roentgen-Gamma mission and for large-diameter mirror shells for the Micro-X rocket payload. In addition to MSFC's optics fabrication, there are also several areas of research and development to create the high resolution light weight optics which are required by future x-ray telescopes. Differential deposition is one technique which aims to improve the angular resolution of lightweight optics through depositing a filler material to smooth out fabrication imperfections. Following on from proof of concept studies, two new purpose built coating chambers are being assembled to apply this deposition technique to astronomical x-ray optics. Furthermore, MSFC aims to broaden its optics fabrication through the recent acquisition of a Zeeko IRP 600 robotic polishing machine. This paper will provide a summary of the current missions and research and development being undertaken at NASA's MSFC.

Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP) in a Control Center Environment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pirani, Joseph; Calvelage, Steven

2010-01-01

The technology of transmitting voice over data networks has been available for over 10 years. Mass market VoIP services for consumers to make and receive standard telephone calls over broadband Internet networks have grown in the last 5 years. While operational costs are less with VoIP implementations as opposed to time division multiplexing (TDM) based voice switches, is it still advantageous to convert a mission control center s voice system to this newer technology? Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) Huntsville Operations Support Center (HOSC) has converted its mission voice services to a commercial product that utilizes VoIP technology. Results from this testing, design, and installation have shown unique considerations that must be addressed before user operations. There are many factors to consider for a control center voice design. Technology advantages and disadvantages were investigated as they refer to cost. There were integration concerns which could lead to complex failure scenarios but simpler integration for the mission infrastructure. MSFC HOSC will benefit from this voice conversion with less product replacement cost, less operations cost and a more integrated mission services environment.

Advanced Manufacturing at the Marshall Space Flight Center and Application to Ares I and Ares V Launch Vehicles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Carruth, Ralph

2008-01-01

There are various aspects of advanced manufacturing technology development at the field centers of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) has been given the assignment to lead the National Center for Advanced Manufacturing (NCAM) at MSFC and pursue advanced development and coordination with other federal agencies for NASA. There are significant activities at the Marshall Center as well as at the Michoud Assembly Facility (MAF) in New Orleans which we operate in conjunction with the University of New Orleans. New manufacturing processes in metals processing, component development, welding operations, composite manufacturing and thermal protection system material and process development will be utilized in the manufacturing of the United States two new launch vehicles, the Ares I and the Ares V. An overview of NCAM will be presented as well as some of the development activities and manufacturing that are ongoing in Ares Upper Stage development. Some of the tools and equipment produced by Italian owned companies and their application in this work will be mentioned.

Chamber of Commerce reception for Dr. Lucas

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1986-01-01

Dr. William R. Lucas, Marshall's fourth Center Director (1974-1986), delivers a speech in front of a picture of the lunar landscape with Earth looming in the background while attending a Huntsville Chamber of Commerce reception honoring his achievements as Director of Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC).

30. SKETCH OF THE PROPOSED TEST STAND FOR THE ORDNANCE ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

30. SKETCH OF THE PROPOSED TEST STAND FOR THE ORDNANCE GUIDED MISSILE CENTER AT REDSTONE ARSENAL (PRE-DATING NASA). JUNE, 1951, HANS LUEHRSEN COLLECTION, MSFC MASTER PLANNING OFFICE. - Marshall Space Flight Center, Saturn Propulsion & Structural Test Facility, East Test Area, Huntsville, Madison County, AL

Using CFD as Rocket Injector Design Tool: Recent Progress at Marshall Space Flight Center

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tucker, Kevin; West, Jeff; Williams, Robert; Lin, Jeff; Rocker, Marvin; Canabal, Francisco; Robles, Bryan; Garcia, Robert; Chenoweth, James

2003-01-01

The choice of tools used for injector design is in a transitional phase between exclusive reliance on the empirically based correlations and extensive use of computational fluid dynamics (CFD). The Next Generation Launch Technology (NGLT) Program goals emphasizing lower costs and increased reliability have produced a need to enable CFD as an injector design tool in a shorter time frame. This is the primary objective of the Staged Combustor Injector Technology Task currently under way at Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). The documentation of this effort begins with a very brief status of current injector design tools. MSFC's vision for use of CFD as a tool for combustion devices design is stated and discussed with emphasis on the injector. The concept of the Simulation Readiness Level (SRL), comprised of solution fidelity, robustness and accuracy, is introduced and discussed. This quantitative measurement is used to establish the gap between the current state of demonstrated capability and that necessary for regular use in the design process. MSFC's view of the validation process is presented and issues associated with obtaining the necessary data are noted and discussed. Three current experimental efforts aimed at generating validation data are presented. The importance of uncertainty analysis to understand the data quality is also demonstrated. First, a brief status of current injector design tools is provided as context for the current effort. Next, the MSFC vision for using CFD as an injector design tool is stated. A generic CFD-based injector design methodology is also outlined and briefly discussed. Three areas where MSFC is using injector CFD analyses for program support will be discussed. These include the Integrated Powerhead Development (IPD) engine which uses hydrogen and oxygen propellants in a full flow staged combustion (FFSC) cycle and the TR-107 and the RS84 engine both of which use RP-1 and oxygen in an ORSC cycle. Finally, an attempt is made to objectively summarize what progress has been made at MSFC in enabling CFD as an injector design tool.

Advanced program development management software system. Software description and user's manual

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1990-01-01

The objectives of this project were to apply emerging techniques and tools from the computer science discipline of paperless management to the activities of the Space Transportation and Exploration Office (PT01) in Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) Program Development, thereby enhancing the productivity of the workforce, the quality of the data products, and the collection, dissemination, and storage of information. The approach used to accomplish the objectives emphasized the utilization of finished form (off-the-shelf) software products to the greatest extent possible without impacting the performance of the end product, to pursue developments when necessary in the rapid prototyping environment to provide a mechanism for frequent feedback from the users, and to provide a full range of user support functions during the development process to promote testing of the software.

Solar and Drag Sail Propulsion: From Theory to Mission Implementation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Johnson, Les; Alhorn, Dean; Boudreaux, Mark; Casas, Joe; Stetson, Doug; Young, Roy

2014-01-01

Solar and drag sail technology is entering the mainstream for space propulsion applications within NASA and around the world. Solar sails derive propulsion by reflecting sunlight from a large, mirror- like sail made of a lightweight, reflective material. The continuous sunlight pressure provides efficient primary propulsion, without the expenditure of propellant or any other consumable, allowing for very high V maneuvers and long-duration deep space exploration. Drag sails increase the aerodynamic drag on Low Earth Orbit (LEO) spacecraft, providing a lightweight and relatively inexpensive approach for end-of-life deorbit and reentry. Since NASA began investing in the technology in the late 1990's, significant progress has been made toward their demonstration and implementation in space. NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) managed the development and testing of two different 20-m solar sail systems and rigorously tested them under simulated space conditions in the Glenn Research Center's Space Power Facility at Plum Brook Station, Ohio. One of these systems, developed by L'Garde, Inc., is planned for flight in 2015. Called Sunjammer, the 38m sailcraft will unfurl in deep space and demonstrate solar sail propulsion and navigation as it flies to Earth-Sun L1. In the Flight Center (MSFC) managed the development and testing of two different 20-m solar sail systems and rigorously tested them under simulated space conditions in the Glenn Research Center's Space Power Facility at Plum Brook Station, Ohio. One of these systems, developed by L'Garde, Inc., is planned for flight in 2015. Called Sunjammer, the 38m sailcraft will unfurl in deep space and demonstrate solar sail propulsion and navigation as it flies to Earth-Sun L1. In the interim, NASA MSFC funded the NanoSail-D, a subscale drag sail system designed for small spacecraft applications. The NanoSail-D flew aboard the Fast Affordable Science and Technology SATellite (FASTSAT) in 2010, also developed by MSFC, and began its mission after it was ejected from the FASTSAT into Earth orbit, where it remained for several weeks before deorbiting as planned. NASA recently selected two small satellite missions for study as part of the Advanced Exploration Systems (AES) Program, both of which will use solar sails to enable their scientific objectives. Lunar Flashlight, managed by JPL, will search for and map volatiles in permanently shadowed Lunar craters using a solar sail as a gigantic mirror to steer sunlight into the shaded craters. The Near Earth Asteroid (NEA) Scout mission will use the sail as primary propulsion allowing it to survey and image one or more NEA's of interests for possible future human exploration. Both are being studied for possible launch in 2017. The Planetary Society's privately funded LightSail-A and -B cubesat-class spacecraft are nearly complete and scheduled for launch in 2015 and 2016, respectively. MMA Design launched their DragNet deorbit system in November 2013, which will deploy from the STPSat-3 spacecraft as an end of life deorbit system. The University of Surrey is building a suite of cubesat class drag and solar sail systems that will be launched beginning in 2015. As the technology matures, solar sails will increasingly be used to enable science and exploration missions that are currently impossible or prohibitively expensive using traditional chemical and electric rockets. For example, the NASA Heliophysics Decadal Survey identifies no less than three such missions for possible flight before the mid-2020's. Solar and drag sail propulsion technology is no longer merely an interesting theoretical possibility; it has been demonstrated in space and is now a critical technology for science and solar system exploration.

Adaptation of Control Center Software to Commerical Real-Time Display Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Collier, Mark D.

1994-01-01

NASA-Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) is currently developing an enhanced Huntsville Operation Support Center (HOSC) system designed to support multiple spacecraft missions. The Enhanced HOSC is based upon a distributed computing architecture using graphic workstation hardware and industry standard software including POSIX, X Windows, Motif, TCP/IP, and ANSI C. Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) is currently developing a prototype of the Display Services application for this system. Display Services provides the capability to generate and operate real-time data-driven graphic displays. This prototype is a highly functional application designed to allow system end users to easily generate complex data-driven displays. The prototype is easy to use, flexible, highly functional, and portable. Although this prototype is being developed for NASA-MSFC, the general-purpose real-time display capability can be reused in similar mission and process control environments. This includes any environment depending heavily upon real-time data acquisition and display. Reuse of the prototype will be a straight-forward transition because the prototype is portable, is designed to add new display types easily, has a user interface which is separated from the application code, and is very independent of the specifics of NASA-MSFC's system. Reuse of this prototype in other environments is a excellent alternative to creation of a new custom application, or for environments with a large number of users, to purchasing a COTS package.

UAHuntsville-NASA MSFC Heliophysics REU: A Model for Recruiting Targeted Groups

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Farid, S.; Heerikhuisen, J.; Winebarger, A. R.

2014-12-01

In 2011, researchers from the University of Alabama-Huntsville Center for Space Plasma and Aeronomic Research Center (CSPAR) and NASA Marshall Space Fight Center (MSFC) received a 3-year NSF award to create a REU site specifically designed to increase the participation of underrepresented groups in the Geo-sciences, specifically Heliophysics, and to reduce the attrition rate of sophomores by engaging them in research. This program has been highly successful. In three years of operation, we have increased in the diversity of applicant pool and selected participants, increased the number of inexperienced participants and made measurable impacts on the students' perceptions of graduate school and Heliophysics careers, and produced research with significant scientific merit. We attribute the success of the program to our proactive recruitment of first and second year students, underrepresented groups, and students from small universities. Key factors in our efforts include: 1) In person school visits of targeted schools 2.) Establishing relationships with faculty at targeted schools. 3.) An inclusive selection process that considers the availability of research at the students home institution 4.) A reduced focus on GPA and more focus on recommendation letters as indicators of success 5.) A successful cohort of experienced and inexperienced students 6.) The unique learning environment fostered by UAH-CSPAR and NASA-MSFC scientists. In this presentation, we review our strategies and suggest techniques to recruit targeted groups to similar REU programs.

Information Flow in the Launch Vehicle Design/Analysis Process

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Humphries, W. R., Sr.; Holland, W.; Bishop, R.

1999-01-01

This paper describes the results of a team effort aimed at defining the information flow between disciplines at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) engaged in the design of space launch vehicles. The information flow is modeled at a first level and is described using three types of templates: an N x N diagram, discipline flow diagrams, and discipline task descriptions. It is intended to provide engineers with an understanding of the connections between what they do and where it fits in the overall design process of the project. It is also intended to provide design managers with a better understanding of information flow in the launch vehicle design cycle.

Automated documentation generator for advanced protein crystal growth

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Maddux, Gary A.; Provancha, Anna; Chattam, David; Ford, Ronald

1993-01-01

The System Management and Production Laboratory at the Research Institute, the University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH), was tasked by the Microgravity Experiment Projects (MEP) Office of the Payload Projects Office (PPO) at Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) to conduct research in the current methods of written documentation control and retrieval. The goals of this research were to determine the logical interrelationships within selected NASA documentation, and to expand on a previously developed prototype system to deliver a distributable, electronic knowledge-based system. This computer application would then be used to provide a paperless interface between the appropriate parties for the required NASA document.

Atomic research

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hadaway, James B.; Connatser, Robert; Cothren, Bobby; Johnson, R. B.

1993-01-01

Work performed by the University of Alabama in Huntsville's (UAH) Center for Applied Optics (CAO) entitled Atomic Research is documented. Atomic oxygen (AO) effects on materials have long been a critical concern in designing spacecraft to withstand exposure to the Low Earth Orbit (LEO) environment. The objective of this research effort was to provide technical expertise in the design of instrumentation and experimental techniques for analyzing materials exposed to atomic oxygen in accelerated testing at NASA/MSFC. Such testing was required to answer fundamental questions concerning Space Station Freedom (SSF) candidate materials and materials exposed to atomic oxygen aboard the Long-Duration Exposure Facility (LDEF). The primary UAH task was to provide technical design, review, and analysis to MSFC in the development of a state-of-the-art 5eV atomic oxygen beam facility required to simulate the RAM-induced low earth orbit (LEO) AO environment. This development was to be accomplished primarily at NASA/MSFC. In support of this task, contamination effects and ultraviolet (UV) simulation testing was also to be carried out using NASA/MSFC facilities. Any materials analysis of LDEF samples was to be accomplished at UAH.

Environmental Control and Life Support Systems Test Facility at MSFC

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2001-01-01

The Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) is responsible for designing and building the life support systems that will provide the crew of the International Space Station (ISS) a comfortable environment in which to live and work. Scientists and engineers at the MSFC are working together to provide the ISS with systems that are safe, efficient, and cost-effective. These compact and powerful systems are collectively called the Environmental Control and Life Support Systems, or simply, ECLSS. In this photograph, the life test area on the left of the MSFC ECLSS test facility is where various subsystems and components are tested to determine how long they can operate without failing and to identify components needing improvement. Equipment tested here includes the Carbon Dioxide Removal Assembly (CDRA), the Urine Processing Assembly (UPA), the mass spectrometer filament assemblies and sample pumps for the Major Constituent Analyzer (MCA). The Internal Thermal Control System (ITCS) simulator facility (in the module in the right) duplicates the function and operation of the ITCS in the ISS U.S. Laboratory Module, Destiny. This facility provides support for Destiny, including troubleshooting problems related to the ITCS.

Wernher von Braun

NASA Image and Video Library

1965-04-13

Walt Disney toured the West Test Area during his visit to the Marshall Space Flight Center on April 13, 1965. The three in center foreground are Karl Heimburg, Director, Test Division; Dr. von Braun, Director, MSFC; and Walt Disney. The Dynamic Test Stand with the S-1C stage being installed is in the background.

5. PRELIMINARY SKETCH OF THE GUIDED MISSILE TEST FACILITIES FOR ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

5. PRELIMINARY SKETCH OF THE GUIDED MISSILE TEST FACILITIES FOR TEST AREA NUMBER 2. TODAY IR IS KNOWN AS MARSHALL SPACE FLIGHT CENTER'S EAST TEST AREA. HANNES LUEHRSEN COLLECTION, MSFC MASTER PLANNING OFFICE. - Marshall Space Flight Center, East Test Area, Dodd Road, Huntsville, Madison County, AL

4. PROPOSED C1 ASSEMBLY AND TESTING FACILITIES FOR THE ORDINANCE ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

4. PROPOSED C-1 ASSEMBLY AND TESTING FACILITIES FOR THE ORDINANCE GUIDED MISSILE CENTER AT REDSTONE ARSENAL, NEAR THE SOUTH END OF MADKIN MOUNTAIN. OCTOBER 1950, HANNES LUEHRSEN COLLECTION, MSFC MASTER PLANNING OFFICE. - Marshall Space Flight Center, East Test Area, Dodd Road, Huntsville, Madison County, AL

Spacelab

NASA Image and Video Library

1970-11-01

At Marshall Space Flight Center, Skylab's Multiple Docking Adapter (MDA) flight article undergoes center-of-gravity testing. Developed and fabricated by MSFC, the MDA housed the control units for the Apollo Telescope Mount (ATM), Earth Resources Experiment Package (EREP), and the Zero-Gravity Material Processing Facility and provided a docking port for the Apollo Command Module.

Around Marshall

NASA Image and Video Library

1993-09-15

Virtual Reality (VR) can provide cost effective methods to design and evaluate components and systems for maintenance and refurbishment operations. Marshall SPace Flight Center (MSFC) is begirning to utilize VR for design analysis in the X-34 experimental reusable space vehicle. Analysts at MSFC's Computer Applications and Virtual Environments (CAVE) used Head Mounted Displays (HMD) (pictured), spatial trackers and gesture inputs as a means to animate or inhabit a properly sized virtual human model. These models are used in a VR scenario as a way to determine functionality of space and maintenance requirements for the virtual X-34. The primary functions of the virtual X-34 mockup is to support operations development and design analysis for engine removal, the engine compartment and the aft fuselage. This capability provides general visualization support to engineers and designers at MSFC and to the System Design Freeze Review at Orbital Sciences Corporation (OSC).

Around Marshall

NASA Image and Video Library

1993-12-15

Virtual Reality (VR) can provide cost effective methods to design and evaluate components and systems for maintenance and refurbishment operations. Marshall Spce Flight Center (MSFC) is begirning to utilize VR for design analysis in the X-34 experimental reusable space vehicle. Analysts at MSFC's Computer Applications and Virtual Environments (CAVE) used Head Mounted Displays (HMD) (pictured), spatial trackers and gesture inputs as a means to animate or inhabit a properly sized virtual human model. These models are used in a VR scenario as a way to determine functionality of space and maintenance requirements for the virtual X-34. The primary functions of the virtual X-34 mockup is to support operations development and design analysis for engine removal, the engine compartment and the aft fuselage. This capability provides general visualization support to engineers and designers at MSFC and to the System Design Freeze Review at Orbital Sciences Corporation (OSC).

Manned Mars mission cost estimate

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hamaker, Joseph; Smith, Keith

1986-01-01

The potential costs of several options of a manned Mars mission are examined. A cost estimating methodology based primarily on existing Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) parametric cost models is summarized. These models include the MSFC Space Station Cost Model and the MSFC Launch Vehicle Cost Model as well as other modes and techniques. The ground rules and assumptions of the cost estimating methodology are discussed and cost estimates presented for six potential mission options which were studied. The estimated manned Mars mission costs are compared to the cost of the somewhat analogous Apollo Program cost after normalizing the Apollo cost to the environment and ground rules of the manned Mars missions. It is concluded that a manned Mars mission, as currently defined, could be accomplished for under $30 billion in 1985 dollars excluding launch vehicle development and mission operations.

The NASA Severe Thunderstorm Observations and Regional Modeling (NASA STORM) Project

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schultz, Christopher J.; Gatlin, Patrick N.; Lang, Timothy J.; Srikishen, Jayanthi; Case, Jonathan L.; Molthan, Andrew L.; Zavodsky, Bradley T.; Bailey, Jeffrey; Blakeslee, Richard J.; Jedlovec, Gary J.

2016-01-01

The NASA Severe Storm Thunderstorm Observations and Regional Modeling(NASA STORM) project enhanced NASA’s severe weather research capabilities, building upon existing Earth Science expertise at NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). During this project, MSFC extended NASA’s ground-based lightning detection capacity to include a readily deployable lightning mapping array (LMA). NASA STORM also enabled NASA’s Short-term Prediction and Research Transition (SPoRT) to add convection allowing ensemble modeling to its portfolio of regional numerical weather prediction (NWP) capabilities. As a part of NASA STORM, MSFC developed new open-source capabilities for analyzing and displaying weather radar observations integrated from both research and operational networks. These accomplishments enabled by NASA STORM are a step towards enhancing NASA’s capabilities for studying severe weather and positions them for any future NASA related severe storm field campaigns.

Manufacturing and NDE of Large Composite Structures for Space Transportation at MSFC

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

McGill, Preston; Russell, Sam

2000-01-01

This paper presents the Marshall Space Flight Center's (MSFC's) vision to manufacture, increase safety and reduce the cost of launch vehicles. Nondestructive evaluations of large composite structures are tested for space transportation at MSFC. The topics include: 1) 6 1/2 Generations of Airplanes in a Century; 2) Shuttle Safety Upgrades; 3) Generations of Reusable Launch Vehicles; 4) RLV Technology Demonstration Path; 5) Second Generation; 6) Key NASA Requirements; 7) X-33 Elements; 8) Future-X Pathfinder Projects and Experiments; 9) Focus Area Technical Goals; 10) X-34 Expanded View; 11) X-38 Spacecraft with De-Orbit Propulsion Stage (DPS); 12) Deorbit Module (DM) Critical Design Review (CDR) Design; 13) Forward Structural Adapter (FSA) CDR Design; 14) X-38 DPS CDR Design; 15) RLV Focused Propulsion Technologies; and 16) Challenges in Technology. This paper is presented in viewgraph form.

Solar Thermal Propulsion Test

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1999-01-01

Researchers at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) have designed, fabricated, and tested the first solar thermal engine, a non-chemical rocket engine that produces lower thrust but has better thrust efficiency than a chemical combustion engine. MSFC turned to solar thermal propulsion in the early 1990s due to its simplicity, safety, low cost, and commonality with other propulsion systems. Solar thermal propulsion works by acquiring and redirecting solar energy to heat a propellant. The 20- by 24-ft heliostat mirror (not shown in this photograph) has a dual-axis control that keeps a reflection of the sunlight on the 18-ft diameter concentrator mirror, which then focuses the sunlight to a 4-in focal point inside the vacuum chamber. The focal point has 10 kilowatts of intense solar power. This image, taken during the test, depicts the light being concentrated into the focal point inside the vacuum chamber. As part of MSFC's Space Transportation Directorate, the Propulsion Research Center serves as a national resource for research of advanced, revolutionary propulsion technologies. The mission is to move the Nation's capabilities beyond the confines of conventional chemical propulsion into an era of aircraft-like access to Earth orbit, rapid travel throughout the solar system, and exploration of interstellar space.