Nondestructive Evaluation of the J-2X Direct Metal Laser Sintered Gas Generator Discharge Duct

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Esther, Elizabeth A.; Beshears, Ronald D.; Lash, Rhonda K.

2012-01-01

The J-2X program at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) procured a direct metal laser sintered (DMLS) gas generator discharge duct from Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne and Morris Technologies for a test program that would evaluate the material properties and durability of the duct in an engine-like environment. DMLS technology was pursued as a manufacturing alternative to traditional techniques, which used off nominal practices to manufacture the gas generator duct's 180 degree turn geometry. MSFC's Nondestructive Evaluation (NDE) Team performed radiographic, ultrasonic, computed tomographic, and fluorescent penetrant examinations of the duct. Results from the NDE examinations reveal some shallow porosity but no major defects in the as-manufactured material. NDE examinations were also performed after hot-fire testing the gas generator duct and yielded similar results pre and post-test and showed no flaw growth or development.

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.

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.

Russian Rocket Engine Test

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1998-01-01

NASA engineers successfully tested a Russian-built rocket engine on November 4, 1998 at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) Advanced Engine Test Facility, which had been used for testing the Saturn V F-1 engines and Space Shuttle Main engines. The MSFC was under a Space Act Agreement with Lockheed Martin Astronautics of Denver to provide a series of test firings of the Atlas III propulsion system configured with the Russian-designed RD-180 engine. The tests were designed to measure the performance of the Atlas III propulsion system, which included avionics and propellant tanks and lines, and how these components interacted with the RD-180 engine. The RD-180 is powered by kerosene and liquid oxygen, the same fuel mix used in Saturn rockets. The RD-180, the most powerful rocket engine tested at the MSFC since Saturn rocket tests in the 1960s, generated 860,000 pounds of thrust.

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.

Around Marshall

NASA Image and Video Library

1998-11-04

NASA engineers successfully tested a Russian-built rocket engine on November 4, 1998 at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) Advanced Engine Test Facility, which had been used for testing the Saturn V F-1 engines and Space Shuttle Main engines. The MSFC was under a Space Act Agreement with Lockheed Martin Astronautics of Denver to provide a series of test firings of the Atlas III propulsion system configured with the Russian-designed RD-180 engine. The tests were designed to measure the performance of the Atlas III propulsion system, which included avionics and propellant tanks and lines, and how these components interacted with the RD-180 engine. The RD-180 is powered by kerosene and liquid oxygen, the same fuel mix used in Saturn rockets. The RD-180, the most powerful rocket engine tested at the MSFC since Saturn rocket tests in the 1960s, generated 860,000 pounds of thrust.

Flight control augmentation for AFT CG launch vehicles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Barret, Chris

1996-01-01

The Space Shuttle was only the first step in achieving routine access to space. Recently, the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) has been studying a whole spectrum of new launch vehicles (L/V's) for space transportation. Some of these could transport components of the Space Station to orbit, and some could take us to Mars and beyond to boldly expand our frontiers of knowledge. In all our future launch vehicle (L/V) designs, decreasing the structural weight will always be of great concern. This is tantamount to increased payload capability, which in turn means reduced cost-per-pound to orbit. One very significant increase in payload capability has been defined. In a L/V recently studied at MSFC it has been shown that a sizable weight savings can be realized by a rearrangement of the internal propellant tanks. Studies have been conducted both at MSFC and at Martin Marietta Corporation, maker of the Space Shuttle External Tank (ET) which show that a very substantial weight can be saved by inverting the relative positions of the liquid hydrogen (LH2) and the liquid oxygen (LOX) propellant tanks in a particular L/V studied. As the vehicle sits on the launch pad, in the conventional configuration the heavier LOX tank is located on top of the lighter LH2. This requires a heavy structural member between the two tanks to prevent the lighter LH2 tank from being crushed. This configuration also requires large, long, and even drag producing LOX feed lines running the length of the vehicle on the exterior fuselage. If the relative position of the propellant tanks is inverted, both the heavy structural separation member and the long LOX feed lines could be deleted. While the structures community at MSFC was elated with this finding, the LOX tank aft configuration gave the vehicle an aft center-of-gravity (cg) location which surfaced controllability concerns. In the conventional configuration the L/V is controlled in the ascent trajectory by the gimballing of its rocket engines. Studies have been conducted at MSFC which showed that the resulting aft cg configured L/V would not be adequately controllable with the engine gimballing alone.

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.

Russian Rocket Engine Test

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1998-01-01

NASA engineers successfully tested a Russian-built rocket engine on November 4, 1998 at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) Advanced Engine Test Facility, which had been used for testing the Saturn V F-1 engines and Space Shuttle Main engines. The MSFC was under a Space Act Agreement with Lockheed Martin Astronautics of Denver to provide a series of test firings of the Atlas III propulsion system configured with the Russian-designed RD-180 engine. The tests were designed to measure the performance of the Atlas III propulsion system, which included avionics and propellant tanks and lines, and how these components interacted with the RD-180 engine. The RD-180 is powered by kerosene and liquid oxygen, the same fuel mix used in Saturn rockets. The RD-180, the most powerful rocket engine tested at the MSFC since Saturn rocket tests in the 1960s, generated 860,000 pounds of thrust. The test was the first test ever anywhere outside Russia of a Russian designed and built engine.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

The Quest for Engineering Innovation at NASA's Marshall Space Flight (MSFC)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Turner, James E.

2017-01-01

A recent NASA team, chartered to examine innovation within the Agency, captured the meaning of the word innovation as the "application of creative ideas to improve and generate value for the organization". The former NASA Administrator Charles Bolden shared his own thoughts about innovation in a memo with all employees that stated, "At NASA, we are dedicated to innovation, bold ideas, and excellence." Innovation turns out to be one of the major driving forces behind the work produced at NASA. It seems failure is often what has driven NASA to be more innovative. Fifty years ago, the Apollo 1 tragedy killed three astronauts when fire erupted in their command module. NASA had to bear the responsibility of such loss and at the same time work smarter in order to obtain the dream to reach the moon by the end of the 1960s. Through this circumstance, NASA engineers developed a revolutionary replacement for the combustible nylon astronaut suits so the Apollo program could continue. A material called Beta Cloth was born. This material was used to produce noncombustible space suits for all Apollo astronauts, enabling the United States to ultimately land 12 Americans on the moon. Eventually this material was used as the roof system in the Denver International Airport, showing relevance and applications of NASA innovations to real-world need. Innovative ideas are also driven by the need to accomplish NASA missions and to improve the way we produce our products. MSFC engineers are advancing technologies in additive manufacturing of liquid rocket engines in order to reduce the number of parts, design time, and the cost of the engines. NASA is working with academia to eliminate the need for miles of sensor cables by investigating innovations in wireless sensors. In order to enable future exploration missions to Mars, MSFC engineers are pursuing innovative approaches in diverse areas such as the use of ionic liquids for life support systems and composite cryogenic tanks, very low leakage valves to contain propulsion fluids, and natural, non-toxic inhibitors to eliminate the buildup of biofilms in the water systems planned for future crewed Mars missions. Although results are encouraging, we cannot rest on our past accomplishments. In order to overcome breathtaking technical challenges in space exploration, we must continue to promote a culture supporting growth, breakthroughs and disruptive innovations.

Software Engineering Improvement Activities/Plan

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2003-01-01

bd Systems personnel accomplished the technical responsibilities for this reporting period, as planned. A close working relationship was maintained with personnel of the MSFC Avionics Department Software Group (ED14). Work accomplishments included development, evaluation, and enhancement of a software cost model, performing literature search and evaluation of software tools available for code analysis and requirements analysis, and participating in other relevant software engineering activities. Monthly reports were submitted. This support was provided to the Flight Software Group/ED 1 4 in accomplishing the software engineering improvement engineering activities of the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) Software Engineering Improvement Plan.

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.

Marshall Engineers Use Virtual Reality

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1993-01-01

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).

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.

Conversion-Integration of MSFC Nonlinear Signal Diagnostic Analysis Algorithms for Realtime Execution of MSFC's MPP Prototype System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jong, Jen-Yi

1996-01-01

NASA's advanced propulsion system Small Scale Magnetic Disturbances/Advanced Technology Development (SSME/ATD) has been undergoing extensive flight certification and developmental testing, which involves large numbers of health monitoring measurements. To enhance engine safety and reliability, detailed analysis and evaluation of the measurement signals are mandatory to assess its dynamic characteristics and operational condition. Efficient and reliable signal detection techniques will reduce the risk of catastrophic system failures and expedite the evaluation of both flight and ground test data, and thereby reduce launch turn-around time. During the development of SSME, ASRI participated in the research and development of several advanced non- linear signal diagnostic methods for health monitoring and failure prediction in turbomachinery components. However, due to the intensive computational requirement associated with such advanced analysis tasks, current SSME dynamic data analysis and diagnostic evaluation is performed off-line following flight or ground test with a typical diagnostic turnaround time of one to two days. The objective of MSFC's MPP Prototype System is to eliminate such 'diagnostic lag time' by achieving signal processing and analysis in real-time. Such an on-line diagnostic system can provide sufficient lead time to initiate corrective action and also to enable efficient scheduling of inspection, maintenance and repair activities. The major objective of this project was to convert and implement a number of advanced nonlinear diagnostic DSP algorithms in a format consistent with that required for integration into the Vanderbilt Multigraph Architecture (MGA) Model Based Programming environment. This effort will allow the real-time execution of these algorithms using the MSFC MPP Prototype System. ASRI has completed the software conversion and integration of a sequence of nonlinear signal analysis techniques specified in the SOW for real-time execution on MSFC's MPP Prototype. This report documents and summarizes the results of the contract tasks; provides the complete computer source code; including all FORTRAN/C Utilities; and all other utilities/supporting software libraries that are required for operation.

Benefit from NASA

NASA Image and Video Library

2000-07-11

A knee brace that uses Space Shuttle propulsion technology has moved a step closer to being available to help knee injury and stroke patients and may possibly benefit patients with birth defects, spinal cord injuries, and post-polio conditions. After years of hard work, inventors at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) in Huntsville, Alabama, have turned over the final design and prototype to industry partners at Horton's Orthotic Lab in Little Rock, Arkansas for further clinical testing. The device, called the Selectively Lockable Knee Brace, may mean faster, less painful rehabilitation for patients by allowing the knee to move when weight is not on the heel. Devices currently on the market lock the knee in a rigid, straight-leg position, or allow continuous free motion. The knee brace is just one example of how space technology is being used to improve the lives of people on Earth. NASA's MSFC inventors Michael Shadoan and Neill Myers are space propulsion engineers who use the same mechanisms and materials to build systems for rockets that they used to design and develop the knee brace.

New Generation Lockable Knee Brace

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2000-01-01

A knee brace that uses Space Shuttle propulsion technology has moved a step closer to being available to help knee injury and stroke patients and may possibly benefit patients with birth defects, spinal cord injuries, and post-polio conditions. After years of hard work, inventors at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) in Huntsville, Alabama, have turned over the final design and prototype to industry partners at Horton's Orthotic Lab in Little Rock, Arkansas for further clinical testing. The device, called the Selectively Lockable Knee Brace, may mean faster, less painful rehabilitation for patients by allowing the knee to move when weight is not on the heel. Devices currently on the market lock the knee in a rigid, straight-leg position, or allow continuous free motion. The knee brace is just one example of how space technology is being used to improve the lives of people on Earth. NASA's MSFC inventors Michael Shadoan and Neill Myers are space propulsion engineers who use the same mechanisms and materials to build systems for rockets that they used to design and develop the knee brace.

The Establishment of a New Friction Stir Welding Process Development Facility at NASA/MSFC

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Carter, Robert W.

2009-01-01

Full-scale weld process development is being performed at MSFC to develop the tools, fixtures, and facilities necessary for Ares I production. Full scale development in-house at MSFC fosters technical acuity within the NASA engineering community, and allows engineers to identify and correct tooling and equipment shortcomings before they become problems on the production floor. Finally, while the new weld process development facility is currently being outfitted in support of Ares I development, it has been established to support all future Constellation Program needs. In particular, both the RWT and VWT were sized with the larger Ares V hardware in mind.

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

NASA Image and Video Library

2018-02-22

During Senator Doug Jones (D-Al.) tour of MSFC facilities Marshall engineer Bob Zeek explains the High School Students United with NASA to Create Hardware (HUNCH) program to Senator Jones and his wife, Louise.

Overview of NASA MSFC IEC Multi-CAD Collaboration Capability

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Moushon, Brian; McDuffee, Patrick

2005-01-01

This viewgraph presentation provides an overview of a Design and Data Management System (DDMS) for Computer Aided Design (CAD) collaboration in order to support the Integrated Engineering Capability (IEC) at Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC).

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).

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.

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.

Evaluation of human engineering design standard (MSFC-STD-267A) in the design of manned space vehicles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rogers, J. G.

1972-01-01

The major conclusion of the detailed examination of the human factors engineering design standard is that it is unsuitable for future spacecraft design. The standard, published in 1966, was not intended to be a zero or reduced gravity standard and was directed primarily toward ground support equipment and technology. Futhermore, ambiguities, conflicts, and unenforceable requirements contribute to the difficulty. The role of man in future space missions and its impact on human engineering standards are also discussed, and it is concluded that greater standardization is vital to the success of future missions. A survey of NASA/MSFC contractors was made, and it was found that MSFC-STD-267A is largely ignored and the most significant problems are inaccessibility and nonspecificity of the data. The resistance of contract management and designer and of program managers is a primary reason for poor human engineering design. Specific recommendations for improvement of format and organization, including an interim solution, are given.

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.

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.

Optical Design of Segmented Hexagon Array Solar Mirror

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Huegele, Vince

2000-01-01

A segmented array of mirrors was designed for a solar concentrator test stand at MSFC for firing solar thermal propulsion engines. The 144 mirrors each have a spherical surface to approximate a parabolic concentrator when combined into the entire 18-foot diameter array. The mirror segments are aluminum hexagons that had the surface diamond turned and quartz coated. The array focuses sunlight reflected from a heliostat to a 4 inch diameter spot containing 10 kw of power at the 15-foot focal point. The derivation of the surface figure for the respective mirror elements is shown. The alignment process of the array is discussed and test results of the system's performance is given.

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. The Marshall Space Flight Centerr (MSFC) in Huntsville, Alabama began 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 were 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 was to support operations development and design analysis for engine removal, the engine compartment and the aft fuselage. This capability provided general visualization support to engineers and designers at MSFC and to the System Design Freeze Review at Orbital Sciences Corporation (OSC). The X-34 program was cancelled in 2001.

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. The Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) in Huntsville, Alabama began 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 were 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 was to support operations development and design analysis for engine removal, the engine compartment and the aft fuselage. This capability providedgeneral visualization support to engineers and designers at MSFC and to the System Design Freeze Review at Orbital Sciences Corporation (OSC). The X-34 program was cancelled in 2001.

Computer Applications and Virtual Environments (CAVE)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1993-01-01

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).

ComputerApplications and Virtual Environments (CAVE)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1993-01-01

Virtual Reality (VR) can provide cost effective methods to design and evaluate components and systems for maintenance and refurbishment operations. The Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) in Huntsville, Alabama began 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 were 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 was to support operations development and design analysis for engine removal, the engine compartment and the aft fuselage. This capability providedgeneral visualization support to engineers and designers at MSFC and to the System Design Freeze Review at Orbital Sciences Corporation (OSC). The X-34 program was cancelled in 2001.

ComputerApplications and Virtual Environments (CAVE)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1993-01-01

Virtual Reality (VR) can provide cost effective methods to design and evaluate components and systems for maintenance and refurbishment operations. The Marshall Space Flight Centerr (MSFC) in Huntsville, Alabama began 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 were 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 was to support operations development and design analysis for engine removal, the engine compartment and the aft fuselage. This capability provided general visualization support to engineers and designers at MSFC and to the System Design Freeze Review at Orbital Sciences Corporation (OSC). The X-34 program was cancelled in 2001.

Saturn Apollo Program

NASA Image and Video Library

1963-12-05

The test laboratory of the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) tested the F-1 engine, the most powerful rocket engine ever fired at MSFC. The engine was tested on the newly modified Saturn IB Static Test Stand which had been used for three years to test the Saturn I eight-engine booster, S-I (first) stage. In 1961 the test stand was modified to permit static firing of the S-I/S-IB stage and the name of the stand was then changed to the S-IB Static Test Stand. Producing a combined thrust of 7,500,000 pounds, five F-1 engines powered the S-IC (first) stage of the Saturn V vehicle for the marned lunar mission.

Saturn Apollo Program

NASA Image and Video Library

1963-12-01

The test laboratory of the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) tested the F-1 engine, the most powerful rocket engine ever fired at MSFC. The engine was tested on the newly modified Saturn IB static test stand that had been used for three years to test the Saturn I eight-engine booster, S-I (first) stage. In 1961, the test stand was modified to permit static firing of the S-I/S-IB stage and the name of the stand was then changed to the S-IB Static Test Stand. Producing a combined thrust of 7,500,000 pounds, five F-1 engines powered the S-IC (first) stage of the Saturn V vehicle for the marned lunar mission.

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.

Avionics Simulation, Development and Software Engineering

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2002-01-01

During this reporting period, all technical responsibilities were accomplished as planned. A close working relationship was maintained with personnel of the MSFC Avionics Department Software Group (ED14), the MSFC EXPRESS Project Office (FD31), and the Huntsville Boeing Company. Accomplishments included: performing special tasks; supporting Software Review Board (SRB), Avionics Test Bed (ATB), and EXPRESS Software Control Panel (ESCP) activities; participating in technical meetings; and coordinating issues between the Boeing Company and the MSFC Project Office.

Promoting a Culture of Tailoring for Systems Engineering Policy Expectations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Blankenship, Van A.

2016-01-01

NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) has developed an integrated systems engineering approach to promote a culture of tailoring for program and project policy requirements. MSFC's culture encourages and supports tailoring, with an emphasis on risk-based decision making, for enhanced affordability and efficiency. MSFC's policy structure integrates the various Agency requirements into a single, streamlined implementation approach which serves as a "one-stop-shop" for our programs and projects to follow. The engineers gain an enhanced understanding of policy and technical expectations, as well as lesson's learned from MSFC's history of spaceflight and science missions, to enable them to make appropriate, risk-based tailoring recommendations. The tailoring approach utilizes a standard methodology to classify projects into predefined levels using selected mission and programmatic scaling factors related to risk tolerance. Policy requirements are then selectively applied and tailored, with appropriate rationale, and approved by the governing authorities, to support risk-informed decisions to achieve the desired cost and schedule efficiencies. The policy is further augmented by implementation tools and lifecycle planning aids which help promote and support the cultural shift toward more tailoring. The MSFC Customization Tool is an integrated spreadsheet that ties together everything that projects need to understand, navigate, and tailor the policy. It helps them classify their project, understand the intent of the requirements, determine their tailoring approach, and document the necessary governance approvals. It also helps them plan for and conduct technical reviews throughout the lifecycle. Policy tailoring is thus established as a normal part of project execution, with the tools provided to facilitate and enable the tailoring process. MSFC's approach to changing the culture emphasizes risk-based tailoring of policy to achieve increased flexibility, efficiency, and effectiveness in project execution, while maintaining appropriate rigor to ensure mission success.

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.

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.

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).

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.

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.

Benefit from NASA

NASA Image and Video Library

1996-12-17

A knee brace that uses Space Shuttle propulsion technology has moved a step closer to being available to help knee injury and stroke patients and may possibly benefit patients with birth defects, spinal cord injuries, and post-polio conditions. After years of hard work, inventors at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) in Huntsville, Alabama, have turned over the final design and prototype to industry partners at Horton's Orthotic Lab in Little Rock, Arkansas for further clinical testing. The device, called the Selectively Lockable Knee Brace, may mean faster, less painful rehabilitation for patients by allowing the knee to move when weight is not on the heel. Devices currently on the market lock the knee in a rigid, straight-leg position, or allow continuous free motion. Pictured here is a knee brace prototype being tested and fitted at Horton's Orthotic Lab. The knee brace is just one example of how space technology is being used to improve the lives of people on Earth. NASA's MSFC inventors Michael Shadoan and Neill Myers are space propulsion engineers who use the same mechanisms and materials to build systems for rockets that they used to design and develop the knee brace.

New Generation Lockable Knee Brace

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1996-01-01

A knee brace that uses Space Shuttle propulsion technology has moved a step closer to being available to help knee injury and stroke patients and may possibly benefit patients with birth defects, spinal cord injuries, and post-polio conditions. After years of hard work, inventors at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) in Huntsville, Alabama, have turned over the final design and prototype to industry partners at Horton's Orthotic Lab in Little Rock, Arkansas for further clinical testing. The device, called the Selectively Lockable Knee Brace, may mean faster, less painful rehabilitation for patients by allowing the knee to move when weight is not on the heel. Devices currently on the market lock the knee in a rigid, straight-leg position, or allow continuous free motion. Pictured here is a knee brace prototype being tested and fitted at Horton's Orthotic Lab. The knee brace is just one example of how space technology is being used to improve the lives of people on Earth. NASA's MSFC inventors Michael Shadoan and Neill Myers are space propulsion engineers who use the same mechanisms and materials to build systems for rockets that they used to design and develop the knee brace.

Human Factors Virtual Analysis Techniques for NASA's Space Launch System Ground Support using MSFC's Virtual Environments Lab (VEL)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Searcy, Brittani

2017-01-01

Using virtual environments to assess complex large scale human tasks provides timely and cost effective results to evaluate designs and to reduce operational risks during assembly and integration of the Space Launch System (SLS). NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) uses a suite of tools to conduct integrated virtual analysis during the design phase of the SLS Program. Siemens Jack is a simulation tool that allows engineers to analyze human interaction with CAD designs by placing a digital human model into the environment to test different scenarios and assess the design's compliance to human factors requirements. Engineers at MSFC are using Jack in conjunction with motion capture and virtual reality systems in MSFC's Virtual Environments Lab (VEL). The VEL provides additional capability beyond standalone Jack to record and analyze a person performing a planned task to assemble the SLS at Kennedy Space Center (KSC). The VEL integrates Vicon Blade motion capture system, Siemens Jack, Oculus Rift, and other virtual tools to perform human factors assessments. By using motion capture and virtual reality, a more accurate breakdown and understanding of how an operator will perform a task can be gained. By virtual analysis, engineers are able to determine if a specific task is capable of being safely performed by both a 5% (approx. 5ft) female and a 95% (approx. 6'1) male. In addition, the analysis will help identify any tools or other accommodations that may to help complete the task. These assessments are critical for the safety of ground support engineers and keeping launch operations on schedule. Motion capture allows engineers to save and examine human movements on a frame by frame basis, while virtual reality gives the actor (person performing a task in the VEL) an immersive view of the task environment. This presentation will discuss the need of human factors for SLS and the benefits of analyzing tasks in NASA MSFC's VEL.

Development of Mirror Modules for the ART-XC Instrument aboard the Spectrum-Roentgen-Gamma Mission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

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

2013-01-01

MSFC is developing eight x-ray mirror modules for the ART-XC instrument on board the SRG Mission. The Engineering Unit tests are successful. MSFC is on schedule to deliver flight units in the November of 2013 and January 2014.

Additive Manufacturing for Affordable Rocket Engines

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

West, Brian; Robertson, Elizabeth; Osborne, Robin; Calvert, Marty

2016-01-01

Additive manufacturing (also known as 3D printing) technology has the potential to drastically reduce costs and lead times associated with the development of complex liquid rocket engine systems. NASA is using 3D printing to manufacture rocket engine components including augmented spark igniters, injectors, turbopumps, and valves. NASA is advancing the process to certify these components for flight. Success Story: MSFC has been developing rocket 3D-printing technology using the Selective Laser Melting (SLM) process. Over the last several years, NASA has built and tested several injectors and combustion chambers. Recently, MSFC has 3D printed an augmented spark igniter for potential use the RS-25 engines that will be used on the Space Launch System. The new design is expected to reduce the cost of the igniter by a factor of four. MSFC has also 3D printed and tested a liquid hydrogen turbopump for potential use on an Upper Stage Engine. Additive manufacturing of the turbopump resulted in a 45% part count reduction. To understanding how the 3D printed parts perform and to certify them for flight, MSFC built a breadboard liquid rocket engine using additive manufactured components including injectors, turbomachinery, and valves. The liquid rocket engine was tested seven times in 2016 using liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen. In addition to exposing the hardware to harsh environments, engineers learned to design for the new manufacturing technique, taking advantage of its capabilities and gaining awareness of its limitations. Benefit: The 3D-printing technology promises reduced cost and schedule for rocket engines. Cost is a function of complexity, and the most complicated features provide the largest opportunities for cost reductions. This is especially true where brazes or welds can be eliminated. The drastic reduction in part count achievable with 3D printing creates a waterfall effect that reduces the number of processes and drawings, decreases the amount of touch labor required, and increases reliability. When certification is achieved, NASA missions will be able to realize these benefits.

Space Shuttle Projects

NASA Image and Video Library

2001-01-01

The Space Shuttle represented an entirely new generation of space vehicles, the world's first reusable spacecraft. Unlike earlier expendable rockets, the Shuttle was designed to be launched over and over again and would serve as a system for ferrying payloads and persornel to and from Earth orbit. The Shuttle's major components are the orbiter spacecraft; the three main engines, with a combined thrust of more than 1.2 million pounds; the huge external tank (ET) that feeds the liquid hydrogen fuel and liquid oxygen oxidizer to the three main engines; and the two solid rocket boosters (SRB's), with their combined thrust of some 5.8 million pounds, that provide most of the power for the first two minutes of flight. Crucially involved with the Space Shuttle program virtually from its inception, the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) played a leading role in the design, development, testing, and fabrication of many major Shuttle propulsion components. The MSFC was assigned responsibility for developing the Shuttle orbiter's high-performance main engines, the most complex rocket engines ever built. The MSFC was also responsible for developing the Shuttle's massive ET and the solid rocket motors and boosters.

Space Shuttle Projects

NASA Image and Video Library

1975-01-01

The Space Shuttle represented an entirely new generation of space vehicle, the world's first reusable spacecraft. Unlike earlier expendable rockets, the Shuttle was designed to be launched over and over again and would serve as a system for ferrying payloads and persornel to and from Earth orbit. The Shuttle's major components are the orbiter spacecraft; the three main engines, with a combined thrust of more than 1.2 million pounds; the huge external tank (ET) that feeds the liquid hydrogen fuel and liquid oxygen oxidizer to the three main engines; and the two solid rocket boosters (SRB's), with their combined thrust of some 5.8 million pounds. The SRB's provide most of the power for the first two minutes of flight. Crucially involved with the Space Shuttle program virtually from its inception, the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) played a leading role in the design, development, testing, and fabrication of many major Shuttle propulsion components. The MSFC was assigned responsibility for developing the Shuttle orbiter's high-performance main engines, the most complex rocket engines ever built. The MSFC was also responsible for developing the Shuttle's massive ET and the solid rocket motors and boosters.

Fabrication and Testing of Low Cost 2D Carbon-Carbon Nozzle Extensions at NASA/MSFC

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Greene, Sandra Elam; Shigley, John K.; George, Russ; Roberts, Robert

2015-01-01

Subscale liquid engine tests were conducted at NASA/MSFC using a 1.2 Klbf engine with liquid oxygen (LOX) and gaseous hydrogen. Testing was performed for main-stage durations ranging from 10 to 160 seconds at a chamber pressure of 550 psia and a mixture ratio of 5.7. Operating the engine in this manner demonstrated a new and affordable test capability for evaluating subscale nozzles by exposing them to long duration tests. A series of 2D C-C nozzle extensions were manufactured, oxidation protection applied and then tested on a liquid engine test facility at NASA/MSFC. The C-C nozzle extensions had oxidation protection applied using three very distinct methods with a wide range of costs and process times: SiC via Polymer Impregnation & Pyrolysis (PIP), Air Plasma Spray (APS) and Melt Infiltration. The tested extensions were about 6" long with an exit plane ID of about 6.6". The test results, material properties and performance of the 2D C-C extensions and attachment features will be discussed.

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.

NASA Marshall Space Flight Center Improves Cooling System Performance: Best Management Practice Case Study #10: Cooling Towers (Fact Sheet)

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

Not Available

National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) has a longstanding sustainability program that revolves around energy and water efficiency as well as environmental protection. MSFC identified a problematic cooling loop with six separate compressor heat exchangers and a history of poor efficiency. The facility engineering team at MSFC partnered with Flozone Services, Incorporated to implement a comprehensive water treatment platform to improve the overall efficiency of the system.

NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center Saves Water With High-Efficiency Toilet and Urinal Program: Best Management Practice Case Study #6 - Toilets and Urinals (Fact Sheet)

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

Not Available

2011-02-01

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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: 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.

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.

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.

FY 1991 scientific and technical reports, articles, papers, and presentations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Turner, Joyce E. (Compiler)

1991-01-01

Formal NASA technical reports, papers published in technical journals, and presentations by MSFC personnel in FY 1991 are presented. Papers of MSFC contractors are also included. 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.

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.

The Role of CFD Simulation in Rocket Propulsion Support Activities

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

West, Jeff

2011-01-01

Outline of the presentation: CFD at NASA/MSFC (1) Flight Projects are the Customer -- No Science Experiments (2) Customer Support (3) Guiding Philosophy and Resource Allocation (4) Where is CFD at NASA/MSFC? Examples of the expanding Role of CFD at NASA/MSFC (1) Liquid Rocket Engine Applications : Evolution from Symmetric and Steady to 3D Unsteady (2)Launch Pad Debris Transport-> Launch Pad Induced Environments (a) STS and Launch Pad Geometry-steady (b) Moving Body Shuttle Launch Simulations (c) IOP and Acoustics Simulations (3)General Purpose CFD Applications (4) Turbomachinery Applications

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.

Operations planning and analysis handbook for NASA/MSFC phase B development projects

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Batson, Robert C.

1986-01-01

Current operations planning and analysis practices on NASA/MSFC Phase B projects were investigated with the objectives of (1) formalizing these practices into a handbook and (2) suggesting improvements. The study focused on how Science and Engineering (S&E) Operational Personnel support Program Development (PD) Task Teams. The intimate relationship between systems engineering and operations analysis was examined. Methods identified for use by operations analysts during Phase B include functional analysis, interface analysis methods to calculate/allocate such criteria as reliability, Maintainability, and operations and support cost.

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.

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.

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.

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.

FY 1995 Scientific and Technical Reports, Articles, Papers, and Presentations, Volume 1

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Turner, Joyce E. (Compiler)

1995-01-01

This document presents formal NASA technical reports, papers published in technical journals, and presentations by MSFC personnel in FY95. It also includes papers of MSFC contractors. 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.

FY 2002 Scientific and Technical Reports, Articles, Papers, and Presentations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fowler, B. A. (Compiler)

2003-01-01

This Technical Memorandum (TM) presents formal NASA technical reports, papers published in technical journals, and presentations by MSFC personnel in FY 2002. 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.

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.

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.

Regeneratively Cooled Liquid Oxygen/Methane Technology Development Between NASA MSFC and PWR

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Robinson, Joel W.; Greene, Christopher B.; Stout, Jeffrey B.

2012-01-01

The National Aeronautics & Space Administration (NASA) has identified Liquid Oxygen (LOX)/Liquid Methane (LCH4) as a potential propellant combination for future space vehicles based upon exploration studies. The technology is estimated to have higher performance and lower overall systems mass compared to existing hypergolic propulsion systems. NASA-Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) in concert with industry partner Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne (PWR) utilized a Space Act Agreement to test an oxygen/methane engine system in the Summer of 2010. PWR provided a 5,500 lbf (24,465 N) LOX/LCH4 regenerative cycle engine to demonstrate advanced thrust chamber assembly hardware and to evaluate the performance characteristics of the system. The chamber designs offered alternatives to traditional regenerative engine designs with improvements in cost and/or performance. MSFC provided the test stand, consumables and test personnel. The hot fire testing explored the effective cooling of one of the thrust chamber designs along with determining the combustion efficiency with variations of pressure and mixture ratio. The paper will summarize the status of these efforts.

Additively Manufactured Combustion Devices Components for LOX/Methane Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Greene, Sandra Elam; Protz, Christopher; Garcia, Chance; Goodman, Dwight; Baker, Kevin

2016-01-01

Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) has designed, fabricated, and hot-fire tested a variety of successful injectors, chambers, and igniters for potential liquid oxygen (LOX) and methane (CH4) systems since 2005. The most recent efforts have focused on components with additive manufacturing (AM) to include unique design features, minimize joints, and reduce final machining efforts. Inconel and copper alloys have been used with AM processes to produce a swirl coaxial injector and multiple methane cooled thrust chambers. The initial chambers included unique thermocouple ports for measuring local coolant channel temperatures along the length of the chamber. Results from hot-fire testing were used to anchor thermal models and generate a regeneratively cooled thruster for a 4,000 lbf LOX/CH4 engine. The completed thruster will be hot-fire tested in the summer of 2016 at MSFC. The thruster design can also be easily scaled and used on a 25,000 lbf engine. To further support the larger engine design, an AM gas generator injector has been designed. Hot-fire testing on this injector is planned for the summer of 2016 at MSFC.

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.

Saturn Apollo Program

NASA Image and Video Library

1964-12-01

At the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC), the fuel tank assembly for the Saturn V S-IC-T (static test stage) fuel tank assembly is mated to the liquid oxygen (LOX) tank in building 4705. This stage underwent numerous static firings at the newly-built S-IC Static Test Stand at the MSFC west test area. The S-IC (first) stage used five F-1 engines that produced a total thrust of 7,500,000 pounds as each engine produced 1,500,000 pounds of thrust. The S-IC stage lifted the Saturn V vehicle and Apollo spacecraft from the launch pad.

Saturn Apollo Program

NASA Image and Video Library

1967-09-09

This image depicts the test firing of a J-2 engine in the S-IVB Test Stand at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). The J-2, developed by Rocketdyne under the direction of MSFC, was propelled by liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen. A single J-2 was utilized in the S-IVB stage (the second stage for the Saturn IB and third stage for the Saturn V) and in a cluster of five for the second stage (S-II) of the Saturn V. Initially rated at 200,000 pounds of thrust, the engine was later upgraded in the Saturn V program to 230,000 pounds.

The 2003 Goddard Rocket Replica Project: A Reconstruction of the World's First Functional Liquid Rocket System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Farr, R. A.; Elam, S. K.; Hicks, G. D.; Sanders, T. M.; London, J. R.; Mayne, A. W.; Christensen, D. L.

2003-01-01

As a part of NASA s 2003 Centennial of Flight celebration, engineers and technicians at Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC), Huntsville, Alabama, in cooperation with the Alabama-Mississippi AIAA Section, have reconstructed historically accurate, functional replicas of Dr. Robert H. Goddard s 1926 first liquid- fuel rocket. The purposes of this project were to clearly understand, recreate, and document the mechanisms and workings of the 1926 rocket for exhibit and educational use, creating a vital resource for researchers studying the evolution of liquid rocketry for years to come. The MSFC team s reverse engineering activity has created detailed engineering-quality drawings and specifications describing the original rocket and how it was built, tested, and operated. Static hot-fire tests, as well as flight demonstrations, have further defined and quantified the actual performance and engineering actual performance and engineering challenges of this major segment in early aerospace history.

Cold Flow Propulsion Test Complex Pulse Testing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

McDougal, Kris

2016-01-01

When the propellants in a liquid rocket engine burn, the rocket not only launches and moves in space, it causes forces that interact with the vehicle itself. When these interactions occur under specific conditions, the vehicle's structures and components can become unstable. One instability of primary concern is termed pogo (named after the movement of a pogo stick), in which the oscillations (cycling movements) cause large loads, or pressure, against the vehicle, tanks, feedlines, and engine. Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) has developed a unique test technology to understand and quantify the complex fluid movements and forces in a liquid rocket engine that contribute strongly to both engine and integrated vehicle performance and stability. This new test technology was established in the MSFC Cold Flow Propulsion Test Complex to allow injection and measurement of scaled propellant flows and measurement of the resulting forces at multiple locations throughout the engine.

Space Shuttle Projects

NASA Image and Video Library

1989-06-03

The Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) engineers test fired a 26-foot long, 100,000-pound-thrust solid rocket motor for 30 seconds at the MSFC east test area, the first test firing of the Modified NASA Motor (M-NASA Motor). The M-NASA Motor was fired in a newly constructed stand. The motor is 48-inches in diameter and was loaded with two propellant cartridges weighing a total of approximately 12,000 pounds. The purpose of the test was to learn more about solid rocket motor insulation and nozzle materials and to provide young engineers additional hands-on expertise in solid rocket motor technology. The test is a part of NASA's Solid Propulsion Integrity Program, that is to provide NASA engineers with the techniques, engineering tools, and computer programs to be able to better design, build, and verify solid rocket motors.

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.

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.

FY 1990 scientific and technical reports, articles, papers, and presentations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Turner, Joyce E. (Compiler)

1990-01-01

Formal NASA technical reports, papers published in technical journals, and presentations by MSFC personnel in FY 90 are presented. Also included are papers of MSFC contractors. After being announced in STAR, all of the NASA series reports may be obtained from NTIS. The information may be of value to the scientific and engineering community in determining what information has been published and what is available.

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)

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.

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.

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.

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.

Saturn Apollo Program

NASA Image and Video Library

1965-01-01

The Saturn V first stages were test fired at the Mississippi Test Facility and at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). Five F-1 engines powered the first stage, each developing 1.5 million pounds of thrust. The first stage, known as the S-IC stage, burned over 15 tons of propellant per second during its 2.5 minutes of operation to take the vehicle to a height of about 36 miles and to a speed of about 6,000 miles per hour. The stage was 138 feet long and 33 feet in diameter. This photograph shows the test firing of an F-1 engine at the MSFC's S-IC Static Test Firing Facility.

Thin-film sensors for space propulsion technology: Fabrication and preparation for testing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kim, Walter S.; Hepp, Aloysius F.

1989-01-01

The goal of this work is to develop and test thin-film thermocouples for Space Shuttle Main Engine (SSME) components. Thin-film thermocouples have been developed for aircraft gas turbine engines and are in use for temperature measurement on turbine blades up to 1800 F. Established aircraft engine gas turbine technology is currently being adapted to turbine engine blade materials and the environment encountered in the SSME, especially severe thermal shock from cryogenic fuel to combustion temperatures. Initial results using coupons of MAR M-246 (+Hf) and PWA 1480 have been followed by fabrication of thin-film thermocouples on SSME turbine blades. Current efforts are focused on preparing for testing in the Turbine Blade Tester at the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). Future work will include testing of thin-film thermocouples on SSME blades of single crystal PWA 1480 at MSFC.

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.

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.

Skylab

NASA Image and Video Library

1972-06-02

Houston, Texas high school student, Kathy L. Jackson, is greeted by astronauts Russell L. Schweickart (left) and Owen K. Garriott (center), and Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) Skylab Program Manager, Leland Belew during a tour of the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). Jackson 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.

Holographic flow diagnostics for the Space Shuttle main engine

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1992-01-01

Summarized here are the results of an effort to produce holograms of the exhaust from the Space Shuttle Main Engine (SSME) being tested on a test stand at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). The effort took place from December 1990 to January 1992, during which seven trips were made from MetroLaser to MSFC. A brief outline of each trip is given. Due to the suspension of the SSME program in Huntsville and unexpected complications in resolving safety issues, the proposed holography system was not operated until November 1991. A NASA 100 mW Argon laser was installed in the holography system for an October engine test while these safety issues were being resolved. A video camera shadowgraph was made during this test, which was shut down prematurely after 20 seconds. System problems precluded successful operation of the holography system until the January 1992 engine test. No hologram resulted during this test due to heavy fog conditions around the engine.

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.

Nozzle Side Load Testing and Analysis at Marshall Space Flight Center

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ruf, Joseph H.; McDaniels, David M.; Brown, Andrew M.

2009-01-01

Realistic estimates of nozzle side loads, the off-axis forces that develop during engine start and shutdown, are important in the design cycle of a rocket engine. The estimated magnitude of the nozzle side loads has a large impact on the design of the nozzle shell and the engine s thrust vector control system. In 2004 Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) began developing a capability to quantify the relative magnitude of side loads caused by different types of nozzle contours. The MSFC Nozzle Test Facility was modified to measure nozzle side loads during simulated nozzle start. Side load results from cold flow tests on two nozzle test articles, one with a truncated ideal contour and one with a parabolic contour are provided. The experimental approach, nozzle contour designs and wall static pressures are also discussed

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.

Fastrac Nozzle Design, Performance and Development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Peters, Warren; Rogers, Pat; Lawrence, Tim; Davis, Darrell; DAgostino, Mark; Brown, Andy

2000-01-01

With the goal of lowering the cost of payload to orbit, NASA/MSFC (Marshall Space Flight Center) researched ways to decrease the complexity and cost of an engine system and its components for a small two-stage booster vehicle. The composite nozzle for this Fastrac Engine was designed, built and tested by MSFC with fabrication support and engineering from Thiokol-SEHO (Science and Engineering Huntsville Operation). The Fastrac nozzle uses materials, fabrication processes and design features that are inexpensive, simple and easily manufactured. As the low cost nozzle (and injector) design matured through the subscale tests and into full scale hot fire testing, X-34 chose the Fastrac engine for the propulsion plant for the X-34. Modifications were made to nozzle design in order to meet the new flight requirements. The nozzle design has evolved through subscale testing and manufacturing demonstrations to full CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics), thermal, thermomechanical and dynamic analysis and the required component and engine system tests to validate the design. The Fastrac nozzle is now in final development hot fire testing and has successfully accumulated 66 hot fire tests and 1804 seconds on 18 different nozzles.

Scientific and Technical Reports, Articles, Papers, and Presentations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Waits, J. E. Turner (Compiler)

2001-01-01

This document presents formal NASA technical reports, papers published in technical journals, and presentations by MSFC personnel in FY 2000. It also includes papers of MSFC contractors. After being announced in STAR, all the NASA series reports may be obtained from the National Technical Information Service, 5285 Port Royal Road, Springfield, VA 22161. 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.

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.

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.

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.

Swirl Coaxial Injector Testing with LOX/RP-J

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Greene, Sandra Elam; Casiano, Matt

2013-01-01

Testing was conducted at NASA fs Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) in the fall of 2012 to evaluate the operation and performance of liquid oxygen (LOX) and kerosene (RP ]1) in an existing swirl coaxial injector. While selected Russian engines use variations of swirl coaxial injectors, component level performance data has not been readily available, and all previously documented component testing at MSFC with LOX/RP ]1 had been performed using a variety of impinging injector designs. Impinging injectors have been adequate for specific LOX/RP ]1 engine applications, yet swirl coaxial injectors offer easier fabrication efforts, providing cost and schedule savings for hardware development. Swirl coaxial elements also offer more flexibility for design changes. Furthermore, testing with LOX and liquid methane propellants at MSFC showed that a swirl coaxial injector offered improved performance compared to an impinging injector. So, technical interest was generated to see if similar performance gains could be achieved with LOX/RP ]1 using a swirl coaxial injector. Results would allow such injectors to be considered for future engine concepts that require LOX/RP ]1 propellants. Existing injector and chamber hardware was used in the test assemblies. The injector had been tested in previous programs at MSFC using LOX/methane and LOX/hydrogen propellants. Minor modifications were made to the injector to accommodate the required LOX/RP ]1 flows. Mainstage tests were performed over a range of chamber pressures and mixture ratios. Additional testing included detonated gbombs h for stability data. Test results suggested characteristic velocity, C*, efficiencies for the injector were 95 ]97%. The injector also appeared dynamically stable with quick recovery from the pressure perturbations generated in the bomb tests.

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.

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.

Preliminary engineering study: Quick opening valve MSFC high Reynolds number wind tunnel

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1983-01-01

FluiDyne Engineering Corporation has conducted a preliminary engineering study of a quick-opening valve for the MSFC High Reynolds Number Wind Tunnel under NASA Contract NAS8-35056. The subject valve is intended to replace the Mylar diaphragm system as the flow initiation device for the tunnel. Only valves capable of opening within 0.05 sec. and providing a minimum of 11.4 square feet of flow area were considered. Also, the study focused on valves which combined the quick-opening and tight shutoff features in a single unit. A ring sleeve valve concept was chosen for refinement and pricing. Sealing for tight shutoff, ring sleeve closure release and sleeve actuation were considered. The resulting cost estimate includes the valve and requisite modifications to the facility to accommodate the valve as well as the associated design and development work.

ATK Launch Vehicle (ALV-X1) Liftoff Acoustic Environments: Prediction vs. Measurement

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Houston, J.; Counter, Douglas; Kenny, Jeremy; Murphy, John

2010-01-01

Launched from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport (MARS) Pad 01B on August 22, 2008, the ATK Launch Vehicle (ALV-X1) provided an opportunity to measure liftoff acoustic noise data. Predicted lift-off acoustic environments were developed by both NASA MSFC and ATK engineers. ATK engineers developed predictions for use in determining vibro-acoustic loads using the method described in the monograph NASA SP-8072. The MSFC ALV-X1 lift-off acoustic prediction was made with the Vehicle Acoustic Environment Prediction Program (VAEPP). The VAEPP and SP-8072 methods predict acoustic pressures of rocket systems generally scaled to existing rocket motor data based upon designed motor or engine characteristics. The predicted acoustic pressures are sound-pressure spectra at specific positions on the vehicle. This paper presents the measured liftoff acoustics on the vehicle and tower. This data is useful for the ALV-X1 in validating the pre-launch environments and loads predictions.

Marshall Space Flight Center CFD overview

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schutzenhofer, Luke A.

1989-01-01

Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) activities at Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) have been focused on hardware specific and research applications with strong emphasis upon benchmark validation. The purpose here is to provide insight into the MSFC CFD related goals, objectives, current hardware related CFD activities, propulsion CFD research efforts and validation program, future near-term CFD hardware related programs, and CFD expectations. The current hardware programs where CFD has been successfully applied are the Space Shuttle Main Engines (SSME), Alternate Turbopump Development (ATD), and Aeroassist Flight Experiment (AFE). For the future near-term CFD hardware related activities, plans are being developed that address the implementation of CFD into the early design stages of the Space Transportation Main Engine (STME), Space Transportation Booster Engine (STBE), and the Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS) for the Space Station. Finally, CFD expectations in the design environment will be delineated.

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.

Saturn Apollo Program

NASA Image and Video Library

1961-05-16

On October 27, 1961, the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) and the Nation marked a high point in the 3-year-old Saturn development program when the first Saturn vehicle flew a flawless 215-mile ballistic trajectory from Cape Canaveral, Florida. SA-1 is pictured here, five months before launch, in the MSFC test stand on May 16, 1961. Developed and tested at MSFC under the direction of Dr. Wernher von Braun, SA-1 incorporated a Saturn I, Block I engine. The typical height of a Block I vehicle was approximately 163 feet. and had only one live stage. It consisted of eight tanks, each 70 inches in diameter, clustered around a central tank, 105 inches in diameter. Four of the external tanks were fuel tanks for the RP-1 (kerosene) fuel. The other four, spaced alternately with the fuel tanks, were liquid oxygen tanks, as was the large center tank. All fuel tanks and liquid oxygen tanks drained at the same rates respectively. The thrust for the stage came from eight H-1 engines, each producing a thrust of 165,000 pounds, for a total thrust of over 1,300,000 pounds. The engines were arranged in a double pattern. Four engines, located inboard, were fixed in a square pattern around the stage axis and canted outward slightly, while the remaining four engines were located outboard in a larger square pattern offset 40 degrees from the inner pattern. Unlike the inner engines, each outer engine was gimbaled. That is, each could be swung through an arc. They were gimbaled as a means of steering the rocket, by letting the instrumentation of the rocket correct any deviations of its powered trajectory. The block I required engine gimabling as the only method of guiding and stabilizing the rocket through the lower atmosphere. The upper stages of the Block I rocket reflected the three-stage configuration of the Saturn I vehicle.

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.

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.

Around Marshall

NASA Image and Video Library

1996-06-18

Scientists at MSFC have been studying the properties of Aerogel for several years. Aerogel, the lightest solid known to man, has displayed a high quality for insulation. Because of its smoky countenance it has yet to be used as an insulation on windows, but has been used to insulate the walls of houses and engine compartments in cars. It was also used in the space program as insulating material on the rover Sojourner, aboard the Mars Pathfinder. MSFC is one of the many research facilities conducting experiments to unlock the smoky properties of aerogel and make it a clear substance. MSFC researchers believe that by taking this research to space, they can resolve the problem of making aerogel transparent enough to see through. So far, recent space experiments have been encouraging. The samples produced in microgravity indicate a change in the microstructure of the material as compared to ground samples. MSFC scientists continue to study the effects of microgravity on Aerogel as their research is space continues.

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.

The FY 1992 scientific and technical reports, articles, papers, and presentations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Turner, Joyce E. (Compiler)

1992-01-01

This document presents formal NASA technical reports, papers published in technical journals, and presentations by MSFC personnel in FY92. 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, 5285 Port Royal Road, Springfield, VA 22161. 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.

FY 1988 scientific and technical reports, articles, papers and presentations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Turner, Joyce E. (Compiler)

1988-01-01

This document presents formal NASA technical reports, papers published in technical journals, and presentations by MSFC personnel in FY 88. 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, 5285 Port Royal Road, Springfield, VA 22161. 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.

FY87 scientific and technical reports, articles, papers, and presentations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Turner, Joyce E. (Compiler)

1987-01-01

The document presents formal NASA technical reports, papers published in technical journals, and presentations by MSFC personnel in FY87. 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, 5285 Port Royal Road, Springfield, Va. 22161. 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.

FY 1996 Scientific and Technical Reports, Articles, Papers, and Presentations. Volume 1

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Turner-Waits, Joyce E. (Compiler)

1996-01-01

This document presents formal NASA technical reports, papers published in technical journals, and presentations by MSFC personnel in FY96. 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, 5285 Port Royal Road, Springfield, VA 22161. 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.

FY 2001 Scientific and Technical Reports, Articles, Papers, and Presentations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Waits, J. E. Turner (Compiler)

2002-01-01

This Technical Memorandum (TM) presents formal NASA technical reports, papers published in technical journals, and presentations by MSFC personnel in FY 2001. 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 may be of value to the scientific and engineering community in determining what information has been published and what is available.

Fiscal year 1993 scientific and technical reports, articles, papers, and presentations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Turner, Joyce E. (Compiler)

1993-01-01

This document presents formal NASA technical reports, papers published in technical journals, and presentations by MSFC personnel in FY93. 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, 5285 Port Royal Road, Springfield, VA 22161. 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.

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.

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.

Research Technology

NASA Image and Video Library

2002-03-13

NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) in Huntsville, Alabama, has begun a series of engine tests on the Reaction Control Engine developed by TRW Space and Electronics for NASA's Space Launch Initiative (SLI). SLI is a technology development effort aimed at improving the safety, reliability, and cost effectiveness of space travel for reusable launch vehicles. The engine in this photo, the first engine tested at MSFC that includes SLI technology, was tested for two seconds at a chamber pressure of 185 pounds per square inch absolute (psia). Propellants used were liquid oxygen as an oxidizer and liquid hydrogen as fuel. Designed to maneuver vehicles in orbit, the engine is used as an auxiliary propulsion system for docking, reentry, fine-pointing, and orbit transfer while the vehicle is in orbit. The Reaction Control Engine has two unique features. It uses nontoxic chemicals as propellants, which creates a safer environment with less maintenance and quicker turnaround time between missions, and it operates in 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 force of low level thrust allows the vehicle to fine-point maneuver and dock, while the force of the high level thrust is used for reentry, orbital transfer, and course positioning.

Saturn Apollo Program

NASA Image and Video Library

1967-01-01

Workers at the Michoud Assembly Facility (MAF) near New Orleans, Louisiana, install the last engine on the S-IB stage. Developed by the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) and built by the Chrysler Corporation at MAF, the S-IB stage utilized eight H-1 engines to produce a combined thrust of 1,600,000 pounds.

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.

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.

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.

Towards Rocket Engine Components with Increased Strength and Robust Operating Characteristics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Marcu, Bogdan; Hadid, Ali; Lin, Pei; Balcazar, Daniel; Rai, Man Mohan; Dorney, Daniel J.

2005-01-01

High-energy rotating machines, powering liquid propellant rocket engines, are subject to various sources of high and low cycle fatigue generated by unsteady flow phenomena. Given the tremendous need for reliability in a sustainable space exploration program, a fundamental change in the design methodology for engine components is required for both launch and space based systems. A design optimization system based on neural-networks has been applied and demonstrated in the redesign of the Space Shuttle Main Engine (SSME) Low Pressure Oxidizer Turbo Pump (LPOTP) turbine nozzle. One objective of the redesign effort was to increase airfoil thickness and thus increase its strength while at the same time detuning the vane natural frequency modes from the vortex shedding frequency. The second objective was to reduce the vortex shedding amplitude. The third objective was to maintain this low shedding amplitude even in the presence of large manufacturing tolerances. All of these objectives were achieved without generating any detrimental effects on the downstream flow through the turbine, and without introducing any penalty in performance. The airfoil redesign and preliminary assessment was performed in the Exploration Technology Directorate at NASA ARC. Boeing/Rocketdyne and NASA MSFC independently performed final CFD assessments of the design. Four different CFD codes were used in this process. They include WIL DCA T/CORSAIR (NASA), FLUENT (commercial), TIDAL (Boeing Rocketdyne) and, a new family (AardvarWPhantom) of CFD analysis codes developed at NASA MSFC employing LOX fluid properties and a Generalized Equation Set formulation. Extensive aerodynamic performance analysis and stress analysis carried out at Boeing Rocketdyne and NASA MSFC indicate that the redesign objectives have been fully met. The paper presents the results of the assessment analysis and discusses the future potential of robust optimal design for rocket engine components.

Advancing Systems Engineering Excellence: The Marshall Systems Engineering Leadership Development Program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hall, Philip; Whitfield, Susan

2011-01-01

As NASA undertakes increasingly complex projects, the need for expert systems engineers and leaders in systems engineering is becoming more pronounced. As a result of this issue, the Agency has undertaken an initiative to develop more systems engineering leaders through its Systems Engineering Leadership Development Program; however, the NASA Office of the Chief Engineer has also called on the field Centers to develop mechanisms to strengthen their expertise in systems engineering locally. In response to this call, Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) has developed a comprehensive development program for aspiring systems engineers and systems engineering leaders. This presentation will summarize the two-level program, which consists of a combination of training courses and on-the-job, developmental training assignments at the Center to help develop stronger expertise in systems engineering and technical leadership. In addition, it will focus on the success the program has had in its pilot year. The program hosted a formal kickoff event for Level I on October 13, 2009. The first class includes 42 participants from across MSFC and Michoud Assembly Facility (MAF). A formal call for Level II is forthcoming. With the new Agency focus on research and development of new technologies, having a strong pool of well-trained systems engineers is becoming increasingly more critical. Programs such as the Marshall Systems Engineering Leadership Development Program, as well as those developed at other Centers, help ensure that there is an upcoming generation of trained systems engineers and systems engineering leaders to meet future design challenges.

On the Moon: NASA and Design Squad Team Up to Inspire a New Generation of Engineers. Engineering Challenges for School and Afterschool Programs, Grades 3-12. EG-2009-02-05-MSFC

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lockwood, Jeff

2008-01-01

NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) is one of the biggest employers of engineers in the world--about 90,000 among its own employees and its corporate partners. So it's not surprising that NASA wants kids to learn more about engineering, become interested in the things engineers do, and experience the world of engineering…

Space Launch Initiative (SLI) Engine Test

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2002-01-01

NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) in Huntsville, Alabama, has begun a series of engine tests on the Reaction Control Engine developed by TRW Space and Electronics for NASA's Space Launch Initiative (SLI). SLI is a technology development effort aimed at improving the safety, reliability, and cost effectiveness of space travel for reusable launch vehicles. The engine in this photo, the first engine tested at MSFC that includes SLI technology, was tested for two seconds at a chamber pressure of 185 pounds per square inch absolute (psia). Propellants used were liquid oxygen as an oxidizer and liquid hydrogen as fuel. Designed to maneuver vehicles in orbit, the engine is used as an auxiliary propulsion system for docking, reentry, fine-pointing, and orbit transfer while the vehicle is in orbit. The Reaction Control Engine has two unique features. It uses nontoxic chemicals as propellants, which creates a safer environment with less maintenance and quicker turnaround time between missions, and it operates in 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 force of low level thrust allows the vehicle to fine-point maneuver and dock, while the force of the high level thrust is used for reentry, orbital transfer, and course positioning.

Wernher von Braun

NASA Image and Video Library

1965-11-05

In this photograph, Marshall Space Flight Center Director, Dr. Wernher von Braun, presents a Co-Inventor’s award to MSFC employee Martin Hall of the Mechanical Engineering Laboratory during the NASA Anniversary ceremony.

Thermal Analysis and Testing of Fastrac Gas Generator Design

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nguyen, H.

1998-01-01

The Fastrac Engine is being developed by the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) to help meet the goal of substantially reducing the cost of access to space. This engine relies on a simple gas-generator cycle, which burns a small amount of RP-1 and oxygen to provide gas to drive the turbine and then exhausts the spent fuel. The Fastrac program envisions a combination of analysis, design and hot-fire evaluation testing. This paper provides the supporting thermal analysis of the gas generator design. In order to ensure that the design objectives were met, the evaluation tests have started on a component level and a total of 15 tests of different durations were completed to date at MSFC. The correlated thermal model results will also be compared against hot-fire thermocouple data gathered.

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.

Modular Rocket Engine Control Software (MRECS)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tarrant, C.; Crook, J.

1998-01-01

The Modular Rocket Engine Control Software (MRECS) Program is a technology demonstration effort designed to advance the state-of-the-art in launch vehicle propulsion systems. Its emphasis is on developing and demonstrating a modular software architecture for advanced engine control systems that will result in lower software maintenance (operations) costs. It effectively accommodates software requirement changes that occur due to hardware technology upgrades and engine development testing. Ground rules directed by MSFC were to optimize modularity and implement the software in the Ada programming language. MRECS system software and the software development environment utilize Commercial-Off-the-Shelf (COTS) products. This paper presents the objectives, benefits, and status of the program. The software architecture, design, and development environment are described. MRECS tasks are defined and timing relationships given. Major accomplishments are listed. MRECS offers benefits to a wide variety of advanced technology programs in the areas of modular software architecture, reuse software, and reduced software reverification time related to software changes. MRECS was recently modified to support a Space Shuttle Main Engine (SSME) hot-fire test. Cold Flow and Flight Readiness Testing were completed before the test was cancelled. Currently, the program is focused on supporting NASA MSFC in accomplishing development testing of the Fastrac Engine, part of NASA's Low Cost Technologies (LCT) Program. MRECS will be used for all engine development testing.

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 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.

Space Station ECLSS Integration Analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1993-01-01

The Space Station Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS) contract with NASA MSFC covered the time frame from 9 May 1985 to 31 Dec. 1992. The contract roughly covered the period of Space Station Freedom (SSF) development from early Phase B through Phase C/D Critical Design Review (CDR). During this time, McDonnell Douglas Aerospace-Huntsville (formerly McDonnell Douglas Space Systems Company) performed an analytical support role to MSFC for the development of analytical math models and engineering trade studies related to the design of the ECLSS for the SSF.

The NASA/MSFC global reference atmospheric model: 1990 version (GRAM-90). Part 2: Program/data listings

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Justus, C. G.; Alyea, F. N.; Cunnold, D. M.; Jeffries, W. R., III; Johnson, D. L.

1991-01-01

A new (1990) version of the NASA/MSFC Global Reference Atmospheric Model (GRAM-90) was completed and the program and key data base listing are presented. GRAM-90 incorporate extensive new data, mostly collected under the Middle Atmosphere Program, to produce a completely revised middle atmosphere model (20 to 120 km). At altitudes greater than 120 km, GRAM-90 uses the NASA Marshall Engineering Thermosphere model. Complete listings of all program and major data bases are presented. Also, a test case is included.

NASA Engineering Design Challenges: Spacecraft Structures. EP-2008-09-121-MSFC

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Haddad, Nick; McWilliams, Harold; Wagoner, Paul

2007-01-01

NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) Engineers at Marshall Space Flight Center along with their partners at other NASA centers, and in private industry, are designing and beginning to develop the next generation of spacecraft to transport cargo, equipment, and human explorers to space. These vehicles are part of the Constellation…

Development of Liquid Propulsion Systems Testbed at MSFC

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Alexander, Reginald; Nelson, Graham

2016-01-01

As NASA, the Department of Defense and the aerospace industry in general strive to develop capabilities to explore near-Earth, Cis-lunar and deep space, the need to create more cost effective techniques of propulsion system design, manufacturing and test is imperative in the current budget constrained environment. The physics of space exploration have not changed, but the manner in which systems are developed and certified needs to change if there is going to be any hope of designing and building the high performance liquid propulsion systems necessary to deliver crew and cargo to the further reaches of space. To further the objective of developing these systems, the Marshall Space Flight Center is currently in the process of formulating a Liquid Propulsion Systems testbed, which will enable rapid integration of components to be tested and assessed for performance in integrated systems. The manifestation of this testbed is a breadboard engine configuration (BBE) with facility support for consumables and/or other components as needed. The goal of the facility is to test NASA developed elements, but can be used to test articles developed by other government agencies, industry or academia. Joint government/private partnership is likely the approach that will be required to enable efficient propulsion system development. MSFC has recently tested its own additively manufactured liquid hydrogen pump, injector, and valves in a BBE hot firing. It is rapidly building toward testing the pump and a new CH4 injector in the BBE configuration to demonstrate a 22,000 lbf, pump-fed LO2/LCH4 engine for the Mars lander or in-space transportation. The value of having this BBE testbed is that as components are developed they may be easily integrated in the testbed and tested. MSFC is striving to enhance its liquid propulsion system development capability. Rapid design, analysis, build and test will be critical to fielding the next high thrust rocket engine. With the maturity of the BBE testbed, MSFC propulsion engineering will bring forward a national capability that enables growth of both commercial and government interests.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Modular Rocket Engine Control Software (MRECS)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tarrant, Charlie; Crook, Jerry

1997-01-01

The Modular Rocket Engine Control Software (MRECS) Program is a technology demonstration effort designed to advance the state-of-the-art in launch vehicle propulsion systems. Its emphasis is on developing and demonstrating a modular software architecture for a generic, advanced engine control system that will result in lower software maintenance (operations) costs. It effectively accommodates software requirements changes that occur due to hardware. technology upgrades and engine development testing. Ground rules directed by MSFC were to optimize modularity and implement the software in the Ada programming language. MRECS system software and the software development environment utilize Commercial-Off-the-Shelf (COTS) products. This paper presents the objectives and benefits of the program. The software architecture, design, and development environment are described. MRECS tasks are defined and timing relationships given. Major accomplishment are listed. MRECS offers benefits to a wide variety of advanced technology programs in the areas of modular software, architecture, reuse software, and reduced software reverification time related to software changes. Currently, the program is focused on supporting MSFC in accomplishing a Space Shuttle Main Engine (SSME) hot-fire test at Stennis Space Center and the Low Cost Boost Technology (LCBT) Program.

Regeneratively Cooled Liquid Oxygen/Methane Technology Development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Robinson, Joel W.; Greene, Christopher B.; Stout, Jeffrey

2012-01-01

The National Aeronautics & Space Administration (NASA) has identified Liquid Oxygen (LOX)/Liquid Methane (LCH4) as a potential propellant combination for future space vehicles based upon exploration studies. The technology is estimated to have higher performance and lower overall systems mass compared to existing hypergolic propulsion systems. NASA-Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) in concert with industry partner Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne (PWR) utilized a Space Act Agreement to test an oxygen/methane engine system in the Summer of 2010. PWR provided a 5,500 lbf (24,465 N) LOX/LCH4 regenerative cycle engine to demonstrate advanced thrust chamber assembly hardware and to evaluate the performance characteristics of the system. The chamber designs offered alternatives to traditional regenerative engine designs with improvements in cost and/or performance. MSFC provided the test stand, consumables and test personnel. The hot fire testing explored the effective cooling of one of the thrust chamber designs along with determining the combustion efficiency with variations of pressure and mixture ratio. The paper will summarize the status of these efforts.

Advanced main combustion chamber program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1991-01-01

The topics presented are covered in viewgraph form and include the following: investment of low cost castings; usage of SSME program; usage of MSFC personnel for design effort; and usage of concurrent engineering techniques.

Saturn Apollo Program

NASA Image and Video Library

1960-01-25

The Saturn I liquid-oxygen (LOX) tank for the Saturn I S-I stage being aligned with the end spider beam in the fabrication and engineering laboratory, building 4705, at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC).

Tabletop Experimental Track for Magnetic Launch Assist

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2000-01-01

Marshall Space Flight Center's (MSFC's) Advanced Space Transportation Program has developed the Magnetic Launch Assist System, formerly known as the Magnetic Levitation (MagLev) technology that could give a space vehicle a running start to break free from Earth's gravity. A Magnetic Launch Assist system would use magnetic fields to levitate and accelerate a vehicle along a track at speeds up to 600 mph. The vehicle would shift to rocket engines for launch into orbit. Similar to high-speed trains and roller coasters that use high-strength magnets to lift and propel a vehicle a couple of inches above a guideway, a Magnetic Launch Assist system would electromagnetically propel a space vehicle along the track. The tabletop experimental track for the system shown in this photograph is 44-feet long, with 22-feet of powered acceleration and 22-feet of passive braking. A 10-pound carrier with permanent magnets on its sides swiftly glides by copper coils, producing a levitation force. The track uses a linear synchronous motor, which means the track is synchronized to turn the coils on just before the carrier comes in contact with them, and off once the carrier passes. Sensors are positioned on the side of the track to determine the carrier's position so the appropriate drive coils can be energized. MSFC engineers have conducted tests on the indoor track and a 50-foot outdoor track. The major advantages of launch assist for NASA launch vehicles is that it reduces the weight of the take-off, the landing gear, the wing size, and less propellant resulting in significant cost savings. The US Navy and the British MOD (Ministry of Defense) are planning to use magnetic launch assist for their next generation aircraft carriers as the aircraft launch system. The US Army is considering using this technology for launching target drones for anti-aircraft training.

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.

Enhancing Systems Engineering Education Through Case Study Writing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stevens, Jennifer Stenger

2016-01-01

Developing and refining methods for teaching systems engineering is part of Systems Engineering grand challenges and agenda for research in the SE research community. Retention of systems engineering knowledge is a growing concern in the United States as the baby boom generation continues to retire and the faster pace of technology development does not allow for younger generations to gain experiential knowledge through years of practice. Government agencies, including the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), develop their own curricula and SE leadership development programs to "grow their own" systems engineers. Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) conducts its own Center-focused Marshall Systems Engineering Leadership Development Program (MSELDP), a competitive program consisting of coursework, a guest lecture series, and a rotational assignment into an unfamiliar organization engaged in systems engineering. Independently, MSFC developed two courses to address knowledge retention and sharing concerns: Real World Marshall Mission Success course and its Case Study Writers Workshop and Writers Experience. Teaching case study writing and leading students through a hands-on experience at writing a case study on an SE topic can enhance SE training and has the potential to accelerate the transfer of experiential knowledge. This paper is an overview of the pilot experiences with teaching case study writing, its application in case study-based learning, and identifies potential areas of research and application for case study writing in systems engineering education.

Saturn Apollo Program

NASA Image and Video Library

2004-04-15

The business end of a Second Stage (S-II) slowly emerges from the shipping container as workers prepare to transport the Saturn V component to the testing facility at MSFC. The Second Stage (S-II) underwent vibration and engine firing tests. The towering 363-foot Saturn V was a multi-stage, multi-engine launch vehicle standing taller than the Statue of Liberty. Altogether, the Saturn V engines produced as much power as 85 Hoover Dams.

Liquid Oxygen/Liquid Methane Component Technology Development at MSFC

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Robinson, Joel W.

2010-01-01

The National Aeronautics & Space Administration (NASA) has identified Liquid Oxygen (LOX)/Liquid Methane (LCH4) as a potential propellant combination for future space vehicles based upon exploration studies. The technology is estimated to have higher performance and lower overall systems mass compared to existing hypergolic propulsion systems. Besides existing in-house risk reduction activities, NASA has solicited from industry their participation on component technologies based on the potential application to the lunar ascent main engine (AME). Contracted and NASA efforts have ranged from valve technologies to engine system testbeds. The application for the AME is anticipated to be an expendable, pressure-fed engine for ascent from the moon at completion of its lunar stay. Additionally, the hardware is expected to provide an abort capability prior to landing, in the event that descent systems malfunction. For the past 4 years, MSFC has been working with the Glenn Research Center and the Johnson Space Center on methane technology development. This paper will focus on efforts specific to MSFC in pursuing ignition, injector performance, chamber material assessments and cryogenic valve technologies. Ignition studies have examined characteristics for torch, spark and microwave systems. Injector testing has yielded insight into combustion performance for shear, swirl and impinging type injectors. The majority of chamber testing has been conducted with ablative and radiatively cooled chambers with planned activities for regenerative and transpiration cooled chambers. Lastly, an effort is underway to examine the long duration exposure issues of cryogenic valve internal components. The paper will summarize the status of these efforts.

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.

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

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Godfroy, T.; Dickens, R.; Houts, M.; Pearson, B.; Webster, K.; Gibson, M.; Qualls, L.; Poston, D.; Werner, J.; Radel, R.

The Nuclear Systems Team at 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 when being tested at MSFC. When tested at 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, instrumenta- tion (temperature, pressure, flow) 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.

Evaluation and Characterization Study of Dual Pulse Laser-Induced Spark (DPLIS) for Rocket Engine Ignition System Application

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Osborne, Robin; Wehrmeyer, Joseph; Trinh, Huu; Early, James

2003-01-01

This paper addresses the progress of technology development of a laser ignition system at NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). Laser ignition has been used at MSFC in recent test series to successfully ignite RP1/GOX propellants in a subscale rocket chamber, and other past studies by NASA GRC have demonstrated the use of laser ignition for rocket engines. Despite the progress made in the study of this ignition method, the logistics of depositing laser sparks inside a rocket chamber have prohibited its use. However, recent advances in laser designs, the use of fiber optics, and studies of multi-pulse laser formats3 have renewed the interest of rocket designers in this state-of the-art technology which offers the potential elimination of torch igniter systems and their associated mechanical parts, as well as toxic hypergolic ignition systems. In support of this interest to develop an alternative ignition system that meets the risk-reduction demands of Next Generation Launch Technology (NGLT), characterization studies of a dual pulse laser format for laser-induced spark ignition are underway at MSFC. Results obtained at MSFC indicate that a dual pulse format can produce plasmas that absorb the laser energy as efficiently as a single pulse format, yet provide a longer plasma lifetime. In an experiments with lean H2/air propellants, the dual pulse laser format, containing the same total energy of a single laser pulse, produced a spark that was superior in its ability to provide sustained ignition of fuel-lean H2/air propellants. The results from these experiments are being used to optimize a dual pulse laser format for future subscale rocket chamber tests. Besides the ignition enhancement, the dual pulse technique provides a practical way to distribute and deliver laser light to the combustion chamber, an important consideration given the limitation of peak power that can be delivered through optical fibers. With this knowledge, scientists and engineers at Los Alamos National Laboratory and CFD Research Corporation have designed and fabricated a miniaturized, first-generation optical prototype of a laser ignition system that could be the basis for a laser ignition system for rocket applications. This prototype will be tested at MSFC in future subscale rocket ignition tests.

NASA Engineering Design Challenges: Thermal Protection Systems. EP-2008-09-122-MSFC

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Haddad, Nick; McWilliams, Harold; Wagoner, Paul

2007-01-01

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Engineers at Marshall Space Flight Center, and their partners at other NASA centers and in private industry, are designing and beginning to develop the next generation of spacecraft to transport cargo, equipment, and human explorers to space. These vehicles--the Ares I and Ares V launch…

Around Marshall

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-01-01

This is a close-up of a sample of titanium-zirconium-nickel alloy inside the Electrostatic Levitator (ESL) vacuum chamber at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). The ESL uses static electricity to suspend an object (about 3-4 mm in diameter) inside a vacuum chamber allowing scientists to record a wide range of physical properties without the sample contracting the container or any instruments, conditions that would alter the readings. Once inside the chamber, a laser heats the sample until it melts. The laser is then turned off and the sample cools, changing from a liquid drop to a solid sphere. Since 1977, the ESL has been used at MSFC to study the characteristics of new metals, ceramics, and glass compounds. Materials created as a result of these tests include new optical materials, special metallic glasses, and spacecraft components.

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.

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.

Intelligent Vision Systems Independent Research and Development (IR&D) 2006

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Patrick, Clinton; Chavis, Katherine

2006-01-01

This report summarizes results in conduct of research sponsored by the 2006 Independent Research and Development (IR&D) program at Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) at Redstone Arsenal, Alabama. The focus of this IR&D is neural network (NN) technology provided by Imagination Engines, Incorporated (IEI) of St. Louis, Missouri. The technology already has many commercial, military, and governmental applications, and a rapidly growing list of other potential spin-offs. The goal for this IR&D is implementation and demonstration of the technology for autonomous robotic operations, first in software and ultimately in one or more hardware realizations. Testing is targeted specifically to the MSFC Flat Floor, but may also include other robotic platforms at MSFC, as time and funds permit. For the purpose of this report, the NN technology will be referred to by IEI's designation for a subset configuration of its patented technology suite: Self-Training Autonomous Neural Network Object (STANNO).

MSFC Three Point Docking Mechanism design review

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schaefer, Otto; Ambrosio, Anthony

1992-01-01

In the next few decades, we will be launching expensive satellites and space platforms that will require recovery for economic reasons, because of initial malfunction, servicing, repairs, or out of a concern for post lifetime debris removal. The planned availability of a Three Point Docking Mechanism (TPDM) is a positive step towards an operational satellite retrieval infrastructure. This study effort supports NASA/MSFC engineering work in developing an automated docking capability. The work was performed by the Grumman Space & Electronics Group as a concept evaluation/test for the Tumbling Satellite Retrieval Kit. Simulation of a TPDM capture was performed in Grumman's Large Amplitude Space Simulator (LASS) using mockups of both parts (the mechanism and payload). Similar TPDM simulation activities and more extensive hardware testing was performed at NASA/MSFC in the Flight Robotics Laboratory and Space Station/Space Operations Mechanism Test Bed (6-DOF Facility).

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 an exterior view of the U.S. Laboratory Module Simulator containing the ECLSS Internal Thermal Control System (ITCS) testing facility at MSFC. At the bottom right is the data acquisition and control computers (in the blue equipment racks) that monitor the testing in the facility. The ITCS simulator facility duplicates the function, operation, and troubleshooting problems of the ITCS. The main function of the ITCS is to control the temperature of equipment and hardware installed in a typical ISS Payload Rack.

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.

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. On the 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.

Proceedings of the ASPE/MSFC Symposium on Engineering and Productivity Gains from Space Technology

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1977-01-01

Aerospace technology findings were examined in regard to nonaerospace applications. Studies of energy generation, materials and processes, earth observation as well as advances and benefits of electronics are included.

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.

Analysis of Hard Thin Film Coating

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shen, Dashen

1998-01-01

Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) is interested in developing hard thin film coating for bearings. The wearing of the bearing is an important problem for space flight engine. Hard thin film coating can drastically improve the surface of the bearing and improve the wear-endurance of the bearing. However, many fundamental problems in surface physics, plasma deposition, etc, need further research. The approach is using Electron Cyclotron Resonance Chemical Vapor Deposition (ECRCVD) to deposit hard thin film on stainless steel bearing. The thin films in consideration include SiC, SiN and other materials. An ECRCVD deposition system is being assembled at MSFC.

Analysis of Hard Thin Film Coating

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shen, Dashen

1998-01-01

MSFC is interested in developing hard thin film coating for bearings. The wearing of the bearing is an important problem for space flight engine. Hard thin film coating can drastically improve the surface of the bearing and improve the wear-endurance of the bearing. However, many fundamental problems in surface physics, plasma deposition, etc, need further research. The approach is using electron cyclotron resonance chemical vapor deposition (ECRCVD) to deposit hard thin film an stainless steel bearing. The thin films in consideration include SiC, SiN and other materials. An ECRCVD deposition system is being assembled at 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.

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.

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.

Around Marshall

NASA Image and Video Library

2002-05-17

In this photograph, Jeff Alden (left) and Justin O'Cornor, two middle school students at Lane Middle School in Portland, Oregon are demonstrating their Earth-to-Orbit (ETO) Design Challenge project at NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) in Huntsville, Alabama. Jeff and Justin, who are just a couple of "typical teens," have been spending their time tackling some of the same challenges NASA engineers face when designing propulsion systems at MSFC. The ETO Design Challenge is a hands-on educational program, targeted to middle school students, in which students are assigned a project engaging in related design challenges in their classrooms under the supervision of their teachers. The project is valuable because it can be used by any student and any teacher, even those without technical backgrounds. Students in 12 states: Alabama, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Illinois, Missouri, Montana, New York, Ohio, Tennessee, Virginia, and Washington, are taking part in the MSFC's Earth-to-Orbit program. NASA uses such programs to support educational excellence while participating in educational outreach programs through centers around the country. The Oregon students' teacher, Joanne Fluvog, commented, "the biggest change I've seen is in the students' motivation and their belief in their ability to think." Both Justin and Jeff said being involved in a real engineering project has made them realize that "science is cool."

Earth-to-Orbit Education Program 'Makes Science Cool'

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2002-01-01

In this photograph, Jeff Alden (left) and Justin O'Cornor, two middle school students at Lane Middle School in Portland, Oregon are demonstrating their Earth-to-Orbit (ETO) Design Challenge project at NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) in Huntsville, Alabama. Jeff and Justin, who are just a couple of 'typical teens,' have been spending their time tackling some of the same challenges NASA engineers face when designing propulsion systems at MSFC. The ETO Design Challenge is a hands-on educational program, targeted to middle school students, in which students are assigned a project engaging in related design challenges in their classrooms under the supervision of their teachers. The project is valuable because it can be used by any student and any teacher, even those without technical backgrounds. Students in 12 states: Alabama, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Illinois, Missouri, Montana, New York, Ohio, Tennessee, Virginia, and Washington, are taking part in the MSFC's Earth-to-Orbit program. NASA uses such programs to support educational excellence while participating in educational outreach programs through centers around the country. The Oregon students' teacher, Joanne Fluvog, commented, 'the biggest change I've seen is in the students' motivation and their belief in their ability to think.' Both Justin and Jeff said being involved in a real engineering project has made them realize that 'science is cool.'

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.

Saturn V First Stage (S-1C) At MSFC

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1960-01-01

This small group of unidentified officials is dwarfed by the gigantic size of the Saturn V first stage (S-1C) at the shipping area of the Manufacturing Engineering Laboratory at Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. The towering 363-foot Saturn V was a multi-stage, multi-engine launch vehicle standing taller than the Statue of Liberty. Altogether, the Saturn V engines produced as much power as 85 Hoover Dams.

Magnetic Launch Assist Experimental Track

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1999-01-01

In this photograph, a futuristic spacecraft model sits atop a carrier on the Magnetic Launch Assist System, formerly known as the Magnetic Levitation (MagLev) System, experimental track at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). Engineers at MSFC have developed and tested Magnetic Launch Assist technologies that would use magnetic fields to levitate and accelerate a vehicle along a track at very high speeds. Similar to high-speed trains and roller coasters that use high-strength magnets to lift and propel a vehicle a couple of inches above a guideway, a Magnetic Launch Assist system would electromagnetically drive a space vehicle along the track. A full-scale, operational track would be about 1.5-miles long and capable of accelerating a vehicle to 600 mph in 9.5 seconds. This track is an advanced linear induction motor. Induction motors are common in fans, power drills, and sewing machines. Instead of spinning in a circular motion to turn a shaft or gears, a linear induction motor produces thrust in a straight line. Mounted on concrete pedestals, the track is 100-feet long, about 2-feet wide, and about 1.5-feet high. The major advantages of launch assist for NASA launch vehicles is that it reduces the weight of the take-off, the landing gear, the wing size, and less propellant resulting in significant cost savings. The US Navy and the British MOD (Ministry of Defense) are planning to use magnetic launch assist for their next generation aircraft carriers as the aircraft launch system. The US Army is considering using this technology for launching target drones for anti-aircraft training.

Research Technology

NASA Image and Video Library

2001-03-01

Engineers at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) have been testing Magnetic Launch Assist Systems, formerly known as Magnetic Levitation (MagLev) technologies. To launch spacecraft into orbit, a Magnetic Launch Assist system would use magnetic fields to levitate and accelerate a vehicle along a track at a very high speed. Similar to high-speed trains and roller coasters that use high-strength magnets to lift and propel a vehicle a couple of inches above a guideway, the launch-assist system would electromagnetically drive a space vehicle along the track. A full-scale, operational track would be about 1.5-miles long and capable of accelerating a vehicle to 600 mph in 9.5 seconds. This photograph shows a subscale model of an airplane running on the experimental track at MSFC during the demonstration test. This track is an advanced linear induction motor. Induction motors are common in fans, power drills, and sewing machines. Instead of spinning in a circular motion to turn a shaft or gears, a linear induction motor produces thrust in a straight line. Mounted on concrete pedestals, the track is 100-feet long, about 2-feet wide, and about 1.5- feet high. The major advantages of launch assist for NASA launch vehicles is that it reduces the weight of the take-off, the landing gear, the wing size, and less propellant resulting in significant cost savings. The US Navy and the British MOD (Ministry of Defense) are planning to use magnetic launch assist for their next generation aircraft carriers as the aircraft launch system. The US Army is considering using this technology for launching target drones for anti-aircraft training.

Research Technology

NASA Image and Video Library

1999-10-01

In this photograph, a futuristic spacecraft model sits atop a carrier on the Magnetic Launch Assist System, formerly known as the Magnetic Levitation (MagLev) System, experimental track at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). Engineers at MSFC have developed and tested Magnetic Launch Assist technologies that would use magnetic fields to levitate and accelerate a vehicle along a track at very high speeds. Similar to high-speed trains and roller coasters that use high-strength magnets to lift and propel a vehicle a couple of inches above a guideway, a Magnetic Launch Assist system would electromagnetically drive a space vehicle along the track. A full-scale, operational track would be about 1.5-miles long and capable of accelerating a vehicle to 600 mph in 9.5 seconds. This track is an advanced linear induction motor. Induction motors are common in fans, power drills, and sewing machines. Instead of spinning in a circular motion to turn a shaft or gears, a linear induction motor produces thrust in a straight line. Mounted on concrete pedestals, the track is 100-feet long, about 2-feet wide, and about 1.5-feet high. The major advantages of launch assist for NASA launch vehicles is that it reduces the weight of the take-off, the landing gear, the wing size, and less propellant resulting in significant cost savings. The US Navy and the British MOD (Ministry of Defense) are planning to use magnetic launch assist for their next generation aircraft carriers as the aircraft launch system. The US Army is considering using this technology for launching target drones for anti-aircraft training.

NEAR EARTH ASTERIOD SCOUT SOLAR SAIL

NASA Image and Video Library

2015-01-08

NEAR EARTH ASTEROID (NEA) SAIL TEAM PERFORMING A DEPLOYMENT OF THE FLIGHT-LIKE ENGINEERING DEVELOPMENT UNIT SOLAR SAIL. THE SAIL WAS MANUFACTURED AT NEXOLVE (HSV, AL) AND DEPLOYED FOR THE FIRST TIME AT MSFC ON AUGUST 4TH, 2016

Saturn Apollo Program

NASA Image and Video Library

1980-09-23

Pictured is a dual position Saturn I/IB test at the T-Stand at Marshall Space Flight Center. This stand was built to test two articles at the same time, thus providing engineers at MSFC with the opportunity to compare identical burns.

Large space telescope engineering scale model optical design

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Facey, T. A.

1973-01-01

The objective is to develop the detailed design and tolerance data for the LST engineering scale model optical system. This will enable MSFC to move forward to the optical element procurement phase and also to evaluate tolerances, manufacturing requirements, assembly/checkout procedures, reliability, operational complexity, stability requirements of the structure and thermal system, and the flexibility to change and grow.

Designing Liquid Rocket Engine Injectors for Performance, Stability, and Cost

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Westra, Douglas G.; West, Jeffrey S.

2014-01-01

NASA is developing the Space Launch System (SLS) for crewed exploration missions beyond low Earth orbit. Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) is designing rocket engines for the SLS Advanced Booster (AB) concepts being developed to replace the Shuttle-derived solid rocket boosters. One AB concept uses large, Rocket-Propellant (RP)-fueled engines that pose significant design challenges. The injectors for these engines require high performance and stable operation while still meeting aggressive cost reduction goals for access to space. Historically, combustion stability problems have been a critical issue for such injector designs. Traditional, empirical injector design tools and methodologies, however, lack the ability to reliably predict complex injector dynamics that often lead to combustion stability. Reliance on these tools alone would likely result in an unaffordable test-fail-fix cycle for injector development. Recently at MSFC, a massively parallel computational fluid dynamics (CFD) program was successfully applied in the SLS AB injector design process. High-fidelity reacting flow simulations were conducted for both single-element and seven-element representations of the full-scale injector. Data from the CFD simulations was then used to significantly augment and improve the empirical design tools, resulting in a high-performance, stable injector design.

Low-Cost Approach to the Design and Fabrication of a LOX/RP-1 Injector

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shadoan, Michael D.; Sparks, Dave L.; Turner, James E. (Technical Monitor)

2000-01-01

NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) has designed, built, and is currently testing Fastrac, a liquid oxygen (LOX)/RP-1 fueled 60K-lb thrust class rocket engine. One facet of Fastrac, which makes it unique is that it is the first large-scale engine designed and developed in accordance with the Agency's mandated "faster, better, cheaper" (FBC) program policy. The engine was developed under the auspices of MSFC's Low Cost Boost Technology office. Development work for the main injector actually began in 1993 in subscale form. In 1996, work began on the full-scale unit approximately 1 year prior to initiation of the engine development program. In order to achieve the value goals established by the FBC policy, a review of traditional design practices was necessary. This internal reevaluation would ultimately challenge more conventional methods of material selection. design process, and fabrication techniques. The effort was highly successful. This "new way" of thinking has resulted in an innovative injector design, one with reduced complexity and significantly lower cost. Application of lessons learned during this effort to new or existing designs can have a similar effect on costs and future program successes.

Integrated Testing of a 4-Bed Molecular Sieve, Air-Cooled Temperature Swing Adsorption Compressor, and Sabatier Engineering Development Unit

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Knox, James C.; Miller, Lee; Campbell, Melissa; Mulloth, Lila; Varghese, Mini

2006-01-01

Accumulation and subsequent compression of carbon dioxide that is removed from the space cabin are two important processes involved in a closed-loop air revitalization scheme of the International Space Station (ISS). The 4-Bed Molecular Sieve (4BMS) of ISS currently operates in an open loop mode without a compressor. The Sabatier Engineering Development Unit (EDU) processes waste CO2 to provide water to the crew. This paper reports the integrated 4BMS, air-cooled Temperature Swing Adsorption Compressor (TSAC), and Sabatier EDU testing. The TSAC prototype was developed at NASA Ames Research Center (ARC). The 4BMS was modified to a functionally flight-like condition at NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). Testing was conducted at MSFC. The paper provides details of the TSAC operation at various CO2 loadings and corresponding performance of the 4BMS and Sabatier.

Research Technology

NASA Image and Video Library

1998-01-01

Engineers at Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) in Huntsville, Alabama, are working with industry partners to develop a new generation of more cost-efficient space vehicles. Lightweight fuel tanks and components under development will be the critical elements in tomorrow's reusable launch vehicles and will tremendously curb the costs of getting to space. In this photo, Tom DeLay, a materials processes engineer for MSFC, uses a new graphite epoxy technology to create lightweight cryogenic fuel lines for futuristic reusable launch vehicles. He is wrapping a water-soluble mandrel, or mold, with a graphite fabric coated with an epoxy resin. Once wrapped, the pipe will be vacuum-bagged and autoclave-cured. The disposable mold will be removed to reveal a thin-walled fuel line. In addition to being much lighter and stronger than metal, this material won't expand or contract as much in the extreme temperatures encountered by launch vehicles.

Thrust vector control using electric actuation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bechtel, Robert T.; Hall, David K.

1995-01-01

Presently, gimbaling of launch vehicle engines for thrust vector control is generally accomplished using a hydraulic system. In the case of the space shuttle solid rocket boosters and main engines, these systems are powered by hydrazine auxiliary power units. Use of electromechanical actuators would provide significant advantages in cost and maintenance. However, present energy source technologies such as batteries are heavy to the point of causing significant weight penalties. Utilizing capacitor technology developed by the Auburn University Space Power Institute in collaboration with the Auburn CCDS, Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) and Auburn are developing EMA system components with emphasis on high discharge rate energy sources compatible with space shuttle type thrust vector control requirements. Testing has been done at MSFC as part of EMA system tests with loads up to 66000 newtons for pulse times of several seconds. Results show such an approach to be feasible providing a potential for reduced weight and operations costs for new launch vehicles.

Around Marshall

NASA Image and Video Library

1984-01-01

An engineer at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) observes a model of the Space Shuttle Orbiter being tested in the MSFC's 14x14-Inch Trisonic Wind Tunnel. The 14-Inch Wind Tunnel is a trisonic wind tunnel. This means it is capable of running subsonic, below the speed of sound; transonic, at or near the speed of sound (Mach 1,760 miles per hour at sea level); or supersonic, greater than Mach 1 up to Mach 5. It is an intermittent blowdown tunnel that operates by high pressure air flowing from storage to either vacuum or atmospheric conditions. The MSFC 14x14-Inch Trisonic Wind Tunnel has been an integral part of the development of the United States space program Rocket and launch vehicles from the Jupiter-C in 1958, through the Saturn family up to the current Space Shuttle and beyond have been tested in this Wind Tunnel. MSFC's 14x14-Inch Trisonic Wind Tunnel, as with most other wind tunnels, is named after the size of the test section. The 14-Inch Wind Tunnel, as in the past, will continue to play a large but unseen role in the development of America's space program.

Systems Engineering Leadership Development: Advancing Systems Engineering Excellence

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hall, Phil; Whitfield, Susan

2011-01-01

This slide presentation reviews the Systems Engineering Leadership Development Program, with particular emphasis on the work being done in the development of systems engineers at Marshall Space Flight Center. There exists a lack of individuals with systems engineering expertise, in particular those with strong leadership capabilities, to meet the needs of the Agency's exploration agenda. Therefore there is a emphasis on developing these programs to identify and train systems engineers. The presentation reviews the proposed MSFC program that includes course work, and developmental assignments. The formal developmental programs at the other centers are briefly reviewed, including the Point of Contact (POC)

NASA Engineers Test Combustion Chamber to Advance 3-D Printed Rocket Engine Design

NASA Image and Video Library

2016-12-08

A series of test firings like this one in late August brought a group of engineers at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, a big step closer to their goal of a 100-percent 3-D printed rocket engine, said Andrew Hanks, test lead for the additively manufactured demonstration engine project. The main combustion chamber, fuel turbopump, fuel injector, valves and other components used in the tests were of the team's new design, and all major engine components except the main combustion chamber were 3-D printed. (NASA/MSFC)

Pulse Detonation Rocket MHD Power Experiment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Litchford, Ron J.; Cook, Stephen (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

A pulse detonation research engine (MSFC (Marshall Space Flight Center) Model PDRE (Pulse Detonation Rocket Engine) G-2) has been developed for the purpose of examining integrated propulsion and magnetohydrodynamic power generation applications. The engine is based on a rectangular cross-section tube coupled to a converging-diverging nozzle, which is in turn attached to a segmented Faraday channel. As part of the shakedown testing activity, the pressure wave was interrogated along the length of the engine while running on hydrogen/oxygen propellants. Rapid transition to detonation wave propagation was insured through the use of a short Schelkin spiral near the head of the engine. The measured detonation wave velocities were in excess of 2500 m/s in agreement with the theoretical C-J velocity. The engine was first tested in a straight tube configuration without a nozzle, and the time resolved thrust was measured simultaneously with the head-end pressure. Similar measurements were made with the converging-diverging nozzle attached. The time correlation of the thrust and head-end pressure data was found to be excellent. The major purpose of the converging-diverging nozzle was to configure the engine for driving an MHD generator for the direct production of electrical power. Additional tests were therefore necessary in which seed (cesium-hydroxide dissolved in methanol) was directly injected into the engine as a spray. The exhaust plume was then interrogated with a microwave interferometer in an attempt to characterize the plasma conditions, and emission spectroscopy measurements were also acquired. Data reduction efforts indicate that the plasma exhaust is very highly ionized, although there is some uncertainty at this time as to the relative abundance of negative OH ions. The emission spectroscopy data provided some indication of the species in the exhaust as well as a measurement of temperature. A 24-electrode-pair segmented Faraday channel and 0.6 Tesla permanent magnet assembly were then installed on Marshall Space Flight Center's (MSFC's) rectangular channel pulse detonation research engine. Magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) electrical power extraction experiments were carried out for a range of load impedances in which cesium hydroxide seed (dissolved in methanol) was sprayed into the gaseous oxygen/hydrogen propellants. Positive power extraction was obtained, but preliminary analysis of the data indicated that the plasma electrical conductivity is lower than anticipated and the near-electrode voltage drop is not negligible. It is believed that the electrical conductivity is reduced due to a large population of negative OH ions. This occurs because OH has a strong affinity for capturing free electrons. The effect of near-electrode voltage drop is associated with the high surface-to-volume ratio of the channel (1-inch by 1-inch cross-section) where surface effects play a dominant role. As usual for MHD devices, higher performance will require larger scale devices. Overall, the gathered data is extremely valuable from the standpoint of understanding plasma behavior and for developing empirical scaling laws.

The Direction of Fluid Dynamics for Liquid Propulsion at NASA Marshall Space Flight Center

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Griffin, Lisa W.

2012-01-01

Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) is the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)-designated center for the development of space launch systems. MSFC is particularly known for propulsion system development. Many engineering skills and technical disciplines are needed to accomplish this mission. This presentation will focus on the work of the Fluid Dynamics Branch (ER42). ER42 resides in the Propulsion Systems Department at MSFC. The branch is responsible for all aspects of the discipline of fluid dynamics applied to propulsion or propulsion-induced loads and environments. This work begins with design trades and parametric studies, and continues through development, risk assessment, anomaly investigation and resolution, and failure investigations. Applications include the propellant delivery system including the main propulsion system (MPS) and turbomachinery; combustion devices for liquid engines and solid rocket motors; coupled systems; and launch environments. An advantage of the branch is that it is neither analysis nor test centric, but discipline centric. Fluid dynamics assessments are made by analysis, from lumped parameter modeling through unsteady computational fluid dynamics (CFD); testing, which can be cold flow or hot fire; or a combination of analysis and testing. Integration of all discipline methods into one branch enables efficient and accurate support to the projects. To accomplish this work, the branch currently employs approximately fifty engineers divided into four teams -- Propellant Delivery CFD, Combustion Driven Flows CFD, Unsteady and Experimental Flows, and Acoustics and Stability. This discussion will highlight some of the work performed in the branch and the direction in which the branch is headed.

Second Stage (S-II) Arrives at Marshall Space Flight Center For Testing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2004-01-01

The business end of a Second Stage (S-II) slowly emerges from the shipping container as workers prepare to transport the Saturn V component to the testing facility at MSFC. The Second Stage (S-II) underwent vibration and engine firing tests. The towering 363-foot Saturn V was a multi-stage, multi-engine launch vehicle standing taller than the Statue of Liberty. Altogether, the Saturn V engines produced as much power as 85 Hoover Dams.

Non-Toxic Dual Thrust Reaction Control Engine Development for On-Orbit APS Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Robinson, Philip J.; Veith, Eric M.

2003-01-01

A non-toxic dual thrust proof-of-concept demonstration engine was successfully tested at the Aerojet Sacramento facility under a technology contract sponsored by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). The goals of the NASA MSFC contract (NAS8-01109) were to develop and expand the technical maturity of a non-toxic, on-orbit auxiliary propulsion system (APS) thruster under the Next Generation Launch Technology (NGLT) program. The demonstration engine utilized the existing Kistler K-1 870 lbf LOX/Ethanol orbital maneuvering engine ( O m ) coupled with some special test equipment (STE) that enabled engine operation at 870 lbf in the primary mode and 25 lbf in the vernier mode. Ambient testing in primary mode varied mixture ratio (MR) from 1.28 to 1.71 and chamber pressure (P(c) from 110 to 181 psia, and evaluated electrical pulse widths (EPW) of 0.080, 0.100 and 0.250 seconds. Altitude testing in vernier mode explored igniter and thruster pulsing characteristics, long duration steady state operation (greater than 420 sec) and the impact of varying the percent fuel film cooling on vernier performance and chamber thermal response at low PC (4 psia). Data produced from the testing provided calibration of the performance and thermal models used in the design of the next version of the dual thrust Reaction Control Engine (RCE).

Reentry aerodynamic characteristics of a space shuttle solid rocket booster model 449 tested in MSFC 14 by 14 inch TWT (SA26F)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Johnson, J. D.; Braddock, W. F.

1974-01-01

Force tests of a 0.563 percent scale space shuttle solid rocket booster (SRB) model, MSFC Model 449, were conducted at the Marshall Space Flight Center 14 x 14 inch Trisonic Wind Tunnel. There were a total of 134 runs (pitch polars) made. Test Mach numbers were 0.6, 0.9, 1.2, 1.96, 2.74, 3.48, 4.00, 4.45, and 4.96; test angles of attack ranged from minus 10 degrees to 190 degrees; test Reynolds numbers ranged from 4.9 million per foot to 7.1 million per foot; and test roll angles were 0, 45, 90, and 135 degrees. The model was tested with three different engine nozzle/skirts. Two of these engine configurations differed from each other in the magnitude of the volume inside the nozzle and skirt. The third engine configuration had part of the nozzle removed. The model was tested with an electrical tunnel in combination with separation rockets of two different heights.

Analysis of internal flows relative to the space shuttle main engine

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1987-01-01

Cooperative efforts between the Lockheed-Huntsville Computational Mechanics Group and the NASA-MSFC Computational Fluid Dynamics staff has resulted in improved capabilities for numerically simulating incompressible flows generic to the Space Shuttle Main Engine (SSME). A well established and documented CFD code was obtained, modified, and applied to laminar and turbulent flows of the type occurring in the SSME Hot Gas Manifold. The INS3D code was installed on the NASA-MSFC CRAY-XMP computer system and is currently being used by NASA engineers. Studies to perform a transient analysis of the FPB were conducted. The COBRA/TRAC code is recommended for simulating the transient flow of oxygen into the LOX manifold. Property data for modifying the code to represent LOX/GOX flow was collected. The ALFA code was developed and recommended for representing the transient combustion in the preburner. These two codes will couple through the transient boundary conditions to simulate the startup and/or shutdown of the fuel preburner. A study, NAS8-37461, is currently being conducted to implement this modeling effort.

Saturn Apollo Program

NASA Image and Video Library

1960-01-01

This cutaway illustrates the S-I stage, the first stage of the Saturn I vehicle developed by the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). The stage was propelled by a cluster of eight H-1 engines, capable of producing 1,500,000 pounds of thrust.

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.

Titanium-Zirconium-Nickel Alloy Inside Marshall's Electrostatic Levitator (ESL)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2003-01-01

This is a close-up of a sample of titanium-zirconium-nickel alloy inside the Electrostatic Levitator (ESL) vacuum chamber at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). The ESL uses static electricity to suspend an object (about 3-4 mm in diameter) inside a vacuum chamber allowing scientists to record a wide range of physical properties without the sample contracting the container or any instruments, conditions that would alter the readings. Once inside the chamber, a laser heats the sample until it melts. The laser is then turned off and the sample cools, changing from a liquid drop to a solid sphere. Since 1977, the ESL has been used at MSFC to study the characteristics of new metals, ceramics, and glass compounds. Materials created as a result of these tests include new optical materials, special metallic glasses, and spacecraft components.

Saturn Apollo Program

NASA Image and Video Library

1960-01-01

A Cluster of eight H-1 engines were used to thrust the first stage of Saturn I (S-I stage) and Saturn IB (S-IB stage). The engines were arranged in a double pattern. Four engines, located inboard, were fixed in a square pattern around the stage axis, while the remaining four engines were located outboard in a larger square pattern and each outer engine was gimbaled. Each H-1 engine, fueled with liquid oxygen (LOX) and kerosene (RP-1), had a thrust of 188,000 pound each for a combined thrust of over 1,500,000 pounds. The H-1 engine was developed under the direction of Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC).

Saturn Apollo Program

NASA Image and Video Library

1960-01-01

A Cluster of eight H-1 engines were used to thrust the first stage of Saturn I (S-I stage) and Saturn IB (S-IB stage). The engines were arranged in a double pattern. Four engines, located inboard, were fixed in a square pattern around the stage axis, while the remaining four engines were located outboard in a larger square pattern and each outer engine was gimbaled. The H-1 engine, fueled with liquid oxygen (LOX) and kerosene (RP-1), had a thrust of 188,000 pound each for a combined thrust of over 1,500,000 pounds. Each H-1 engine was developed under the direction of Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC).

How to Do Science From an Engineering Organization

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Suggs, Robert M.

2003-01-01

MSFC's Space Environments Team performs engineering support for a number of NASA spaceflight projects by defining the space environment, developing design requirements, supporting the design process, and supporting operations. Examples of this type of support are given including meteoroid environment work for the Jovian Icy Moon Orbiter mission, ionizing radiation support for the Chandra X-Ray Observatory, and astronomicaVgeophysica1 observation planning for International Space Station.

NASA Ambassadors: A Speaker Outreach Program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

McDonald, Malcolm W.

1998-01-01

The work done on this project this summer has been geared toward setting up the necessary infrastructure and planning to support the operation of an effective speaker outreach program. The program has been given the name, NASA AMBASSADORS. Also, individuals who become participants in the program will be known as "NASA AMBASSADORS". This summer project has been conducted by the joint efforts of this author and those of Professor George Lebo who will be issuing a separate report. The description in this report will indicate that the NASA AMBASSADOR program operates largely on the contributions of volunteers, with the assistance of persons at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). The volunteers include participants in the various summer programs hosted by MSFC as well as members of the NASA Alumni League. The MSFC summer participation programs include: the Summer Faculty Fellowship Program for college and university professors, the Science Teacher Enrichment Program for middle- and high-school teachers, and the NASA ACADEMY program for college and university students. The NASA Alumni League members are retired NASA employees, scientists, and engineers. The MSFC offices which will have roles in the operation of the NASA AMBASSADORS include the Educational Programs Office and the Public Affairs Office. It is possible that still other MSFC offices may become integrated into the operation of the program. The remainder of this report will establish the operational procedures which will be necessary to sustain the NASA AMBASSADOR speaker outreach program.

Research reports: 1991 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)

1991-01-01

The basic objectives of the programs, which are in the 28th 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 is a compilation of their research reports for summer 1991.

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.

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.

SXI prototype mirror mount

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1995-01-01

The purpose of this contract was to provide optomechanical engineering and fabrication support to the Solar X-ray Imager (SXI) program in the areas of mirror, optical bench and camera assemblies of the telescope. The Center for Applied Optics (CAO) worked closely with the Optics and S&E technical staff of MSFC to develop and investigate the most viable and economical options for the design and fabrication of a number of parts for the various telescope assemblies. All the tasks under this delivery order have been successfully completed within budget and schedule. A number of development hardware parts have been designed and fabricated jointly by MSFC and UAH for the engineering model of SXI. The major parts include a nickel electroformed mirror and a mirror mount, plating and coating of the ceramic spacers, and gold plating of the contact rings and fingers for the camera assembly. An aluminum model of the high accuracy sun sensor (HASS) was also designed and fabricated. A number of fiber optic tapers for the camera assembly were also coated with indium tin oxide and phosphor for testing and evaluation by MSFC. A large number of the SXI optical bench parts were also redesigned and simplified for a prototype telescope. These parts include the forward and rear support flanges, front aperture plate, the graphite epoxy optical bench and a test fixture for the prototype telescope. More than fifty (50) drawings were generated for various components of the prototype telescope. Some of these parts were subsequently fabricated at UAH machine shop or at MSFC or by the outside contractors. UAH also provide technical support to MSFC staff for a number of preliminary and critical design reviews. These design reviews included PDR and CDR for the mirror assembly by United Technologies Optical Systems (UTOS), and the program quarterly reviews, and SXI PDR and CDR. UAH staff also regularly attended the monthly status reviews, and made a significant number of suggestions to improve the design, assembly and alignment of the telescope. Finally, a high level assembly and alignment plan for the entire telescope was prepared by UAH. This plan addresses the sequence of assembly, the required assembly and alignment tolerances, and the methods to verify the alignment at each step during the assembly process. This assembly and alignment plan will be used to assemble and integrate the engineering model (EM) of the telescope. Later on, based on this plan more detailed assembly and alignment procedures will be developed for the lower-level assemblies of SXI.

MSFC Skylab Orbital Workshop, volume 5

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1974-01-01

The various programs involved in the development of the Skylab Orbital Workshop are discussed. The subjects considered include the following: (1) reliability program, (2) system safety program, (3) testing program, (4) engineering program management, (5) mission operations support, and (6) aerospace applications.

Engine systems analysis results of the Space Shuttle Main Engine redesigned powerhead initial engine level testing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sander, Erik J.; Gosdin, Dennis R.

1992-01-01

Engineers regularly analyze SSME ground test and flight data with respect to engine systems performance. Recently, a redesigned SSME powerhead was introduced to engine-level testing in part to increase engine operational margins through optimization of the engine internal environment. This paper presents an overview of the MSFC personnel engine systems analysis results and conclusions reached from initial engine level testing of the redesigned powerhead, and further redesigns incorporated to eliminate accelerated main injector baffle and main combustion chamber hot gas wall degradation. The conclusions are drawn from instrumented engine ground test data and hardware integrity analysis reports and address initial engine test results with respect to the apparent design change effects on engine system and component operation.

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.

High Energy Astronomy Observatory (HEAO)

NASA Image and Video Library

1977-06-01

This photograph is of the High Energy Astronomy Observatory (HEAO)-2 telescope being checked by engineers in the X-Ray Calibration Facility at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). The MSFC was heavily engaged in the technical and scientific aspects, testing and calibration, of the HEAO-2 telescope. The HEAO-2 was the first imaging and largest x-ray telescope built to date. The X-Ray Calibration Facility was built in 1976 for testing MSFC's HEAO-2. The facility is the world's largest, most advanced laboratory for simulating x-ray emissions from distant celestial objects. It produced a space-like environment in which components related to x-ray telescope imaging are tested and the quality of their performance in space is predicted. The original facility contained a 1,000-foot long by 3-foot diameter vacuum tube (for the x-ray path) cornecting an x-ray generator and an instrument test chamber. Recently, the facility was upgraded to evaluate the optical elements of NASA's Hubble Space Telescope, Chandra X-Ray Observatory and Compton Gamma-Ray Observatory.

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.

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.

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.

Skylab

NASA Image and Video Library

1972-06-02

Rockford, Illinois high school student, Vincent Converse (right), is greeted by astronauts Russell L. Schweickart and Owen K. Garriott during a tour of the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). 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. His experiment, “Zero Gravity Mass Measurement” used a simple leaf spring with the mass to be weighed attached to the end. An electronic package oscillated the spring at a specific rate and the results were recorded electronically. 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 equipme

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.

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.

Liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen feedline passive recirculation analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Holt, Kimberly Ann; Cleary, Nicole L.; Nichols, Andrew J.; Perry, Gretchen L. E.

The primary goal of the National Launch System (NLS) program was to design an operationally efficient, highly reliable vehicle with minimal recurring launch costs. To achieve this goal, trade studies of key main propulsion subsystems were performed to specify vehicle design requirements. These requirements include the use of passive recirculation to thermally condition the liquid hydrogen (LH2) and liquid oxygen (LO2) propellant feed systems and Space Transportation Main Engine (STME) fuel pumps. Rockwell International (RI) proposed a joint independent research and development (JIRAD) program with Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) to study the LH2 feed system passive recirculation concept. The testing was started in July 1992 and completed in November 1992. Vertical and sloped feedline designs were used. An engine simulator was attached at the bottom of the feedline. This simulator had strip heaters that were set to equal the corresponding heat input from different engines. A computer program is currently being used to analyze the passive recirculation concept in the LH2 vertical feedline tests. Four tests, where the heater setting is the independent variable, were chosen. While the JIRAD with RI was underway, General Dynamics Space Systems (GDSS) proposed a JIRAD with MSFC to explore passive recirculation in the LO2 feed system. Liquid nitrogen (LN2) is being used instead of LO2 for safety and economic concerns. To date, three sets of calibration tests have been completed on the sloped LN2 test article. The environmental heat was calculated from the calibration tests in which the strip heaters were turned off. During the LH2 testing, the environmental heat was assumed to be constant. Therefore, the total heat was equal to the environmental heat flux plus the heater input. However, the first two sets of LN2 calibration tests have shown that the environmental heat flux varies with heater input. A Systems Improved Numerical Differencing Analyzer and Fluid Integrator (SINDA/FLUINT) model is currently being built to determine if this variation in environmental heat is due to a change in the wall temperature.

Solar Thermal Propulsion Improvements at Marshall Space Flight Center

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gerrish, Harold P.

2003-01-01

Solar Thermal Propulsion (STP) is a concept which operates by transferring solar energy to a propellant, which thermally expands through a nozzle. The specific impulse performance is about twice that of chemical combustions engines, since there is no need for an oxidizer. In orbit, an inflatable concentrator mirror captures sunlight and focuses it inside an engine absorber cavity/heat exchanger, which then heats the propellant. The primary application of STP is with upperstages taking payloads from low earth orbit to geosynchronous earth orbit or earth escape velocities. STP engines are made of high temperature materials since heat exchanger operation requires temperatures greater than 2500K. Refractory metals such as tungsten and rhenium have been examined. The materials must also be compatible with hot hydrogen propellant. MSFC has three different engine designs, made of different refractory metal materials ready to test. Future engines will be made of high temperature carbide materials, which can withstand temperatures greater than 3000K, hot hydrogen, and provide higher performance. A specific impulse greater than 1000 seconds greatly reduces the amount of required propellant. A special 1 OkW solar ground test facility was made at MSFC to test various STP engine designs. The heliostat mirror, with dual-axis gear drive, tracks and reflects sunlight to the 18 ft. diameter concentrator mirror. The concentrator then focuses sunlight through a vacuum chamber window to a small focal point inside the STP engine. The facility closely simulates how the STP engine would function in orbit. The flux intensity at the focal point is equivalent to the intensity at a distance of 7 solar radii from the sun.

An Overview of Quantitative Risk Assessment of Space Shuttle Propulsion Elements

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Safie, Fayssal M.

1998-01-01

Since the Space Shuttle Challenger accident in 1986, NASA has been working to incorporate quantitative risk assessment (QRA) in decisions concerning the Space Shuttle and other NASA projects. One current major NASA QRA study is the creation of a risk model for the overall Space Shuttle system. The model is intended to provide a tool to estimate Space Shuttle risk and to perform sensitivity analyses/trade studies, including the evaluation of upgrades. Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) is a part of the NASA team conducting the QRA study; MSFC responsibility involves modeling the propulsion elements of the Space Shuttle, namely: the External Tank (ET), the Solid Rocket Booster (SRB), the Reusable Solid Rocket Motor (RSRM), and the Space Shuttle Main Engine (SSME). This paper discusses the approach that MSFC has used to model its Space Shuttle elements, including insights obtained from this experience in modeling large scale, highly complex systems with a varying availability of success/failure data. Insights, which are applicable to any QRA study, pertain to organizing the modeling effort, obtaining customer buy-in, preparing documentation, and using varied modeling methods and data sources. Also provided is an overall evaluation of the study results, including the strengths and the limitations of the MSFC QRA approach and of qRA technology in general.

Systems engineering process and organization assessment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Batson, Robert G.

1992-01-01

The purpose of this report is to briefly summarize the results of an eight week assessment of NASA/MSFC Phase A and Phase B systems engineering processes, methodologies, and activities. Specifically, fourteen inconsistencies or weaknesses were identified and recommendations for corrective action were generated. A 1.5 hour briefing on these results was given in EL51 on 8-11-92; that documentation is available from the author or either NASA Colleague.

Elimination of High-Frequency Combustion Instability in the Fastrac Engine Thrust Chamber

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rocker, Marvin; Nesman, Thomas E.

1998-01-01

NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center(MSFC) has been tasked with developing a 60,000 pound thrust, pump-fed, LOX/RP-1 engine under the Advanced Space Transportation Program(ASTP). This government-led design has been designated the Fastrac engine. The X-34 vehicle will use the Fastrac engine as the main propulsion system. The X-34 will be a suborbital vehicle developed by the Orbital Sciences Corporation. The X-34 vehicle will be launched from an L-1011 airliner. After launch, the X-34 vehicle will be able to climb to altitudes up to 250,000 feet and reach speeds up to Mach 8, over a mission range of 500 miles. The overall length, wingspan, and gross takeoff weight of the X-34 vehicle are 58.3 feet, 27.7 feet and 45,000 pounds, respectively. This report summarizes the plan of achieving a Fastrac thrust chamber assembly(TCA) stable bomb test that meets the JANNAF standards, the Fastrac TCA design, and the combustion instabilities exhibited by the Fastrac TCA during testing at MSFC's test stand 116 as determined from high-frequency fluctuating pressure measurements. This report also summarizes the characterization of the combustion instabilities from the pressure measurements and the steps taken to eliminate the instabilities.

Upper Stage Engine Composite Nozzle Extensions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Valentine, Peter G.; Allen, Lee R.; Gradl, Paul R.; Greene, Sandra E.; Sullivan, Brian J.; Weller, Leslie J.; Koenig, John R.; Cuneo, Jacques C.; Thompson, James; Brown, Aaron;

Magnetic Launch Assist System Demonstration Test

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2001-01-01

Engineers at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) have been testing Magnetic Launch Assist Systems, formerly known as Magnetic Levitation (MagLev) technologies. To launch spacecraft into orbit, a Magnetic Launch Assist system would use magnetic fields to levitate and accelerate a vehicle along a track at a very high speed. Similar to high-speed trains and roller coasters that use high-strength magnets to lift and propel a vehicle a couple of inches above a guideway, the launch-assist system would electromagnetically drive a space vehicle along the track. A full-scale, operational track would be about 1.5-miles long and capable of accelerating a vehicle to 600 mph in 9.5 seconds. This photograph shows a subscale model of an airplane running on the experimental track at MSFC during the demonstration test. This track is an advanced linear induction motor. Induction motors are common in fans, power drills, and sewing machines. Instead of spinning in a circular motion to turn a shaft or gears, a linear induction motor produces thrust in a straight line. Mounted on concrete pedestals, the track is 100-feet long, about 2-feet wide, and about 1.5- feet high. The major advantages of launch assist for NASA launch vehicles is that it reduces the weight of the take-off, the landing gear, the wing size, and less propellant resulting in significant cost savings. The US Navy and the British MOD (Ministry of Defense) are planning to use magnetic launch assist for their next generation aircraft carriers as the aircraft launch system. The US Army is considering using this technology for launching target drones for anti-aircraft training.

Magnetic Launch Assist Demonstration Test

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2001-01-01

This image shows a 1/9 subscale model vehicle clearing the Magnetic Launch Assist System, formerly referred to as the Magnetic Levitation (MagLev), test track during a demonstration test conducted at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). Engineers at MSFC have developed and tested Magnetic Launch Assist technologies. To launch spacecraft into orbit, a Magnetic Launch Assist System would use magnetic fields to levitate and accelerate a vehicle along a track at very high speeds. Similar to high-speed trains and roller coasters that use high-strength magnets to lift and propel a vehicle a couple of inches above a guideway, a launch-assist system would electromagnetically drive a space vehicle along the track. A full-scale, operational track would be about 1.5-miles long and capable of accelerating a vehicle to 600 mph in 9.5 seconds. This track is an advanced linear induction motor. Induction motors are common in fans, power drills, and sewing machines. Instead of spinning in a circular motion to turn a shaft or gears, a linear induction motor produces thrust in a straight line. Mounted on concrete pedestals, the track is 100-feet long, about 2-feet wide and about 1.5-feet high. The major advantages of launch assist for NASA launch vehicles is that it reduces the weight of the take-off, the landing gear, the wing size, and less propellant resulting in significant cost savings. The US Navy and the British MOD (Ministry of Defense) are planning to use magnetic launch assist for their next generation aircraft carriers as the aircraft launch system. The US Army is considering using this technology for launching target drones for anti-aircraft training.

Research Technology

NASA Image and Video Library

2001-03-01

This image shows a 1/9 subscale model vehicle clearing the Magnetic Launch Assist System, formerly referred to as the Magnetic Levitation (MagLev), test track during a demonstration test conducted at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). Engineers at MSFC have developed and tested Magnetic Launch Assist technologies. To launch spacecraft into orbit, a Magnetic Launch Assist System would use magnetic fields to levitate and accelerate a vehicle along a track at very high speeds. Similar to high-speed trains and roller coasters that use high-strength magnets to lift and propel a vehicle a couple of inches above a guideway, a launch-assist system would electromagnetically drive a space vehicle along the track. A full-scale, operational track would be about 1.5-miles long and capable of accelerating a vehicle to 600 mph in 9.5 seconds. This track is an advanced linear induction motor. Induction motors are common in fans, power drills, and sewing machines. Instead of spinning in a circular motion to turn a shaft or gears, a linear induction motor produces thrust in a straight line. Mounted on concrete pedestals, the track is 100-feet long, about 2-feet wide and about 1.5-feet high. The major advantages of launch assist for NASA launch vehicles is that it reduces the weight of the take-off, the landing gear, the wing size, and less propellant resulting in significant cost savings. The US Navy and the British MOD (Ministry of Defense) are planning to use magnetic launch assist for their next generation aircraft carriers as the aircraft launch system. The US Army is considering using this technology for launching target drones for anti-aircraft training.

Repeatability and uncertainty analyses of light gas gun test data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schonberg, William P.; Cooper, David

1994-01-01

All large spacecraft are susceptible to high-speed impacts by meteoroids and pieces of orbiting space debris which can damage flight-critical systems and in turn lead to catastrophic failure. One way to obtain information on the response of a structure to a meteoroid impact or an orbital debris impact is to simulate the impact conditions of interest in the laboratory and analyze the resulting damage to a target structure. As part of the Phase B and C/D development activities for the Space Station Freedom, 950 impact tests were performed using the NASA/Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) light gas gun from 1985-1991. This paper presents the results of impact phenomena repeatability and data uncertainty studies performed using the information obtained from those tests. The results of these studies can be used to assess the utility of individual current and future NASA/MSFC impact test results in the design of long-duration spacecraft.

Titanium-Zirconium-Nickel Alloy Inside Marshall's Electrostatic Levitator (ESL)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2003-01-01

This Photo, which appeared on the July cover of `Physics Today', is of the Electrostatic Levitator (ESL) at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). The ESL uses static electricity to suspend an object (about 3-4 mm in diameter) inside a vacuum chamber allowing scientists to record a wide range of physical properties without the sample contracting the container or any instruments, conditions that would alter the readings. Once inside the chamber, a laser heats the sample until it melts. The laser is then turned off and the sample cools, changing from a liquid drop to a solid sphere. In this particular shot, the ESL contains a solid metal sample of titanium-zirconium-nickel alloy. Since 1977, the ESL has been used at MSFC to study the characteristics of new metals, ceramics, and glass compounds. Materials created as a result of these tests include new optical materials, special metallic glasses, and spacecraft components.

Around Marshall

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-01-01

This Photo, which appeared on the July cover of `Physics Today', is of the Electrostatic Levitator (ESL) at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). The ESL uses static electricity to suspend an object (about 3-4 mm in diameter) inside a vacuum chamber allowing scientists to record a wide range of physical properties without the sample contracting the container or any instruments, conditions that would alter the readings. Once inside the chamber, a laser heats the sample until it melts. The laser is then turned off and the sample cools, changing from a liquid drop to a solid sphere. In this particular shot, the ESL contains a solid metal sample of titanium-zirconium-nickel alloy. Since 1977, the ESL has been used at MSFC to study the characteristics of new metals, ceramics, and glass compounds. Materials created as a result of these tests include new optical materials, special metallic glasses, and spacecraft components.

Design and analysis of seals for extended service life

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bower, Mark V.

1992-01-01

Space Station Freedom is being developed for a service life of up to thirty years. As a consequence, the design requirements for the seals to be used are unprecedented. Full scale testing to assure the selected seals can satisfy the design requirements are not feasible. As an alternative, a sub-scale test program has been developed by MSFC to calibrate the analysis tools to be used to certify the proposed design. This research has been conducted in support of the MSFC Integrated Seal Test Program. The ultimate objective of this research is to correlate analysis and test results to qualify the analytical tools, which in turn, are to be used to qualify the flight hardware. This research is totally focused on O-rings that are compressed by perpendicular clamping forces. In this type of seal the O-ring is clamped between the sealing surfaces by loads perpendicular to the circular cross section.

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.

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

Internal Social Media at Marshall Space Flight Center - An Engineer's Snapshot

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Scott, David W.

2013-01-01

In the brief span of about six years (2004-2010), social media radically enhanced people's ways of maintaining recreational friendships. Social media's impact on public affairs (PAO) and community engagement is equally striking: NASA has involved millions of non-NASA viewers in its activities via outward-facing social media, often in a very two-way street fashion. Use of social media as an internal working tool by NASA's tens of thousands of civil servants, onsite contractor employees, and external stakeholders is evolving more slowly. This paper examines, from an engineer's perspective, Marshall Space Flight Center s (MSFC) efforts to bring the power of social media to the daily working environment. Primary emphasis is on an internal Social Networking Service called Explornet that could be scaled Agency-wide. Other topics include MSFC use of other social media day-to-day for non-PAO purposes, some specialized uses of social techniques in space flight control operations, and how to help a community open up so it can discover and adopt what works well.

Simulation of UV atomic radiation for application in exhaust plume spectrometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wallace, T. L.; Powers, W. T.; Cooper, A. E.

1993-06-01

Quantitative analysis of exhaust plume spectral data has long been a goal of developers of advanced engine health monitoring systems which incorporate optical measurements of rocket exhaust constituents. Discussed herein is the status of present efforts to model and predict atomic radiation spectra and infer free-atom densities from emission/absorption measurements as part of the Optical Plume Anomaly Detection (OPAD) program at Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). A brief examination of the mathematical formalism is provided in the context of predicting radiation from the Mach disk region of the SSME exhaust flow at nominal conditions during ground level testing at MSFC. Computational results are provided for Chromium and Copper at selected transitions which indicate a strong dependence upon broadening parameter values determining the absorption-emission line shape. Representative plots of recent spectral data from the Stennis Space Center (SSC) Diagnostic Test Facility (DTF) rocket engine are presented and compared to numerical results from the present self-absorbing model; a comprehensive quantitative analysis will be reported at a later date.

Skylab

NASA Image and Video Library

1973-05-01

The Saturn V vehicle, carrying the unmarned orbital workshop for the Skylab-1 mission, lifted off successfully and all systems performed normally. Sixty-three seconds into the flight, 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. The micrometeoroid shield, a thin protective cylinder surrounding the workshop protecting it from tiny space particles and the sun's scorching heat, ripped loose from its position around the workshop. This caused the loss of one solar wing and jammed the other. Still unoccupied, the Skylab was stricken with the loss of the heat shield and sunlight beat mercilessly on the lab's sensitive skin. Intrnal temperatures soared, rendering the station uninhabitable, threatening foods, medicines, films, and experiments. This image shows astronaut Kerwin cutting the metal strap to free and deploy the Orbital Workshop solar array. Kerwin used special cutting tools developed by engineers at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). The MSFC had a major role in developing the procedures to repair the damaged Skylab.

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.

Cost and Schedule Analytical Techniques Development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1996-01-01

This Final Report summarizes the activities performed by Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) for the base contract year from December 1, 1994 through November 30, 1995. The Final Report is in compliance with Paragraph 5 of Section F of the contract. This CSATD contract provides technical services and products to the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center's (MSFC) Engineering Cost Office (PP03) and the Program Plans and Requirements Office (PP02). Detailed Monthly Progress Reports were submitted to MSFC in accordance with the contract's Statement of Work Section IV "Reporting and Documentation". These reports spelled out each month's specific work accomplishments, deliverables submitted, major meetings held, and other pertinent information. This Final Report will summarize these activities at a higher level.

CFD simulation of coaxial injectors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Landrum, D. Brian

1993-01-01

The development of improved performance models for the Space Shuttle Main Engine (SSME) is an important, ongoing program at NASA MSFC. These models allow prediction of overall system performance, as well as analysis of run-time anomalies which might adversely affect engine performance or safety. Due to the complexity of the flow fields associated with the SSME, NASA has increasingly turned to Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) techniques as modeling tools. An important component of the SSME system is the fuel preburner, which consists of a cylindrical chamber with a plate containing 264 coaxial injector elements at one end. A fuel rich mixture of gaseous hydrogen and liquid oxygen is injected and combusted in the chamber. This process preheats the hydrogen fuel before it enters the main combustion chamber, powers the hydrogen turbo-pump, and provides a heat dump for nozzle cooling. Issues of interest include the temperature and pressure fields at the turbine inlet and the thermal compatibility between the preburner chamber and injector plate. Performance anomalies can occur due to incomplete combustion, blocked injector ports, etc. The performance model should include the capability to simulate the effects of these anomalies. The current approach to the numerical simulation of the SSME fuel preburner flow field is to use a global model based on the MSFC sponsored FNDS code. This code does not have the capabilities of modeling several aspects of the problem such as detailed modeling of the coaxial injectors. Therefore, an effort has been initiated to develop a detailed simulation of the preburner coaxial injectors and provide gas phase boundary conditions just downstream of the injector face as input to the FDNS code. This simulation should include three-dimensional geometric effects such as proximity of injectors to baffles and chamber walls and interaction between injectors. This report describes an investigation into the numerical simulation of GH2/LOX coaxial injectors. The following sections will discuss the physical aspects of injectors, the CFD code employed, and preliminary results of a simulation of a single coaxial injector for which experimental data is available. It is hoped that this work will lay the foundation for the development of a unique and useful tool to support the SSME program.

Saturn V Instrument Unit Being Checked At MSFC

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1967-01-01

A technician checks the systems of the Saturn V instrument unit in a test facility in Huntsville. This instrument unit was flown aboard Apollo 4 on November 7, 1967, which was the first test flight of the Saturn V. The towering 363-foot Saturn V was a multi-stage, multi-engine launch vehicle standing taller than the Statue of Liberty. Altogether, the Saturn V engines produced as much power as 85 Hoover Dams.

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.

ROBERT BOBO AND MIKE NICHOLS AT TEST STAND 4693

NASA Image and Video Library

2016-12-14

ROBERT BOBO, LEFT, AND MIKE NICHOLS TALK BENEATH THE 221-FOOT-TALL TEST STAND 4693, THE LARGEST OF TWO NEW SPACE LAUNCH SYSTEM TEST STANDS AT MSFC. BOBO MANAGES SLS STRUCTURAL STRENGTH TESTING, AND NICHOLS IS LEAD TEST ENGINEER FOR THE SLS LIQUID HYDROGEN TANK.

Moon Munchies: Human Exploration Project Engineering Design Challenge--A Standards-Based Elementary School Model Unit Guide--Design, Build, and Evaluate (Lessons 1-6). Engineering By Design: Advancing Technological Literacy--A Standards-Based Program Series. EP-2007-08-92-MSFC

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Weaver, Kim M.

2005-01-01

In this unit, elementary students design and build a lunar plant growth chamber using the Engineering Design Process. The purpose of the unit is to help students understand and apply the design process as it relates to plant growth on the moon. This guide includes six lessons, which meet a number of national standards and benchmarks in…

An Overview of In-Stu Treatability Studies at Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Alabama

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

McElroy, Bill; Keith, Amy; Glasgow, J. K.; Dasappa, Srini; McCaleb, Rebecca (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) is located in Huntsville, Alabama (north-central Alabama), on approximately 1,840 acres near the center of the U.S. Army's Redstone Arsenal (RSA). MSFC is the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA's) principal propulsion development center. Its scientists, engineers, and support personnel play a major role in the National Space Transportation System by managing space shuttle mission activities, including the microgravity laboratory. In addition, MSFC will be a significant contributor to several of NASA's future programs, including the Reusable Launch Vehicle (X-33), International Space Station, and Advanced X-ray Astrophysics Facility, as well as research on a variety of space science applications. MSFC has been used to develop, test and manufacture space vehicles and components since 1960, when civilian rocketry and missile activities were transferred from RSA to MSFC. In 1994, MSFC was placed on the National Priority List for the management of hazardous waste sites, under the requirements of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA). One requirement of the CERCLA program is to evaluate the nature and extent of environmental contamination resulting from identified CERCLA sites, assess the public health and environmental risks associated with the identified contamination, and identify potential remedial actions. A CERCLA remedial investigation (RI) for the groundwater system has identified at least five major plumes of chlorinated volatile organic compounds (CVOCs) in the groundwater beneath the facility. These plumes are believed to be the result of former management practices at 14 main facility locations (termed "source areas") where CVOCs were released to the subsurface. Trichloroethene (TCE) is the predominant CVOC and is common to all the plumes. Perchloroethene (PCE) also exists in two of the plumes. In addition to TCE and PCE, carbon tetrachloride and 1,1,2,2-tetrachloroethane are contained in one of the plumes. The CVOCs are believed to exist as dense non-aqueous phase liquids (DNAPLs) beneath many of the source areas.

Implementing a Workforce Development Pipeline

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hix, Billy

2002-01-01

Research shows that the number of highly trained scientists and engineers has continued a steady decline during the 1990's. Furthermore, at the high school level, almost 40% of the total high school graduates are seeking technical skills in preparation of entering the workforce directly. The decrease of students in technology and science programs, along with the lack of viable vocational programs, haunts educators and businesses alike. However, MSFC (Marshall Space Flight Center) has the opportunity to become a leading edge model of workforce development by offering a unified program of apprenticeships, workshops, and educational initiatives. These programs will be designed to encourage young people of all backgrounds to pursue the fields of technology and science, to assist research opportunities, and to support teachers in the systemic changes that they are facing. The emphasis of our program based on grade levels will be: Elementary Level: Exposure to the workforce. Middle School: Examine the workforce. High School and beyond: Instruct the workforce. It is proposed that MSFC create a well-integrated Workforce Development Pipeline Program. The program will act to integrate the many and varied programs offered across MSFC directorates and offices. It will offer a clear path of programs for students throughout middle school, high school, technical training, and college and universities. The end result would consist of technicians, bachelors degrees, masters degrees, and PhDs in science and engineering fields entering the nation's workforce, with a focus on NASA's future personnel needs.

Test Planning Approach and Lessons

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Parkinson, Douglas A.; Brown, Kendall K.

2004-01-01

As NASA began technology risk reduction activities and planning for the next generation launch vehicle under the Space Launch Initiative (SLI), now the Next Generation Launch Technology (NGLT) Program, a review of past large liquid rocket engine development programs was performed. The intent of the review was to identify any significant lessons from the development testing programs that could be applied to current and future engine development programs. Because the primary prototype engine in design at the time of this study was the Boeing-Rocketdyne RS-84, the study was slightly biased towards LOX/RP-1 liquid propellant engines. However, the significant lessons identified are universal. It is anticipated that these lessons will serve as a reference for test planning in the Engine Systems Group at Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). Towards the end of F-1 and J-2 engine development testing, NASA/MSFC asked Rocketdyne to review those test programs. The result was a document titled, Study to Accelerate Development by Test of a Rocket Engine (R-8099). The "intent (of this study) is to apply this thinking and learning to more efficiently develop rocket engines to high reliability with improved cost effectivenes" Additionally, several other engine programs were reviewed - such as SSME, NSTS, STME, MC-1, and RS-83- to support or refute the R-8099. R-8099 revealed two primary lessons for test planning, which were supported by the other engine development programs. First, engine development programs can benefit from arranging the test program for engine system testing as early as feasible. The best test for determining environments is at the system level, the closest to the operational flight environment. Secondly, the component testing, which tends to be elaborate, should instead be geared towards reducing risk to enable system test. Technical risk can be reduced at the component level, but the design can only be truly verified and validated after engine system testing.

Demonstration of a Non-Toxic Reaction Control Engine

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Robinson, Philip J.; Turpin, Alicia A.; Veith, Eric M.

2007-01-01

T:hree non-toxic demonstration reaction control engines (RCE) were successfully tested at the Aerojet Sacramento facility under a technology contract sponsored by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). The goals of the NASA MSFC contract (NAS8-01109) were to develop and expand the technical maturity of a non-toxic, on-orbit auxiliary propulsion system (APS) thruster under the auspices of the Exploration Systems Mission Directorate. The demonstration engine utilized Liquid Oxygen (LOX) and Ethanol as propellants to produce 870 lbf thrust. The Aerojet RCE's were successfully acceptance tested over a broad range of operating conditions. Steady state tests evaluated engine response to varying chamber pressures and mixture ratios. In addition to the steady state tests, a variety of pulsing tests were conducted over a wide range of electrical pulse widths (EPW). Each EPW condition was also tested over a range of percent duty cycles (DC), and bit impulse and pulsing specific impulse were determined for each of these conditions. Subsequent to acceptance testing at Aerojet, these three engines were delivered to the NASA White Sands Test Facility (WSTF) in April 2005 for incorporation into a cryogenic Auxiliary Propulsion System Test Bed (APSTB). The APSTB is a test article that will be utilized in an altitude test cell to simulate anticipated mission applications. The objectives of this APSTB testing included evaluation of engine performance over an extended duty cycle map of propellant pressure and temperature, as well as engine and system performance at typical mission duty cycles over extended periods of time. This paper provides acceptance test results and a status of the engine performance as part of the system level testing.

Demonstration of a Non-Toxic Reaction Control Engine

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Robinson, Philip J.; Veith, Eric M.; Turpin, Alicia A.

2006-01-01

Three non-toxic demonstration reaction control engines (RCE) were successfully tested at the Aerojet Sacramento facility under a technology contract sponsored by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration s (NASA) Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). The goals of the NASA MSFC contract (NAS8-01109) were to develop and expand the technical maturity of a non-toxic, on-orbit auxiliary propulsion system (APS) thruster under the auspices of the Exploration Systems Mission Directorate. The demonstration engine utilized Liquid Oxygen (LOX) and Ethanol as propellants to produce 870 lbf thrust. The Aerojet RCE s were successfully acceptance tested over a broad range of operating conditions. Steady state tests evaluated engine response to varying chamber pressures and mixture ratios. In addition to the steady state tests, a variety of pulsing tests were conducted over a wide range of electrical pulse widths (EPW). Each EPW condition was also tested over a range of percent duty cycles (DC), and bit impulse and pulsing specific impulse were determined for each of these conditions. White Sands Test Facility (WSTF) in April 2005 for incorporation into a cryogenic Auxiliary Propulsion System Test Bed (APSTB). The APSTB is a test article that will be utilized in an altitude test cell to simulate anticipated mission applications. The objectives of this APSTB testing included evaluation of engine performance over an extended duty cycle map of propellant pressure and temperature, as well as engine and system performance at typical mission duty cycles over extended periods of time. This paper provides acceptance test results and a status of the engine performance as part of the system level testing. Subsequent to acceptance testing at Aerojet, these three engines were delivered to the NASA

FY 1997 Scientific and Technical Reports, Articles, Papers, and Presentations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Waits, J. E. Turner (Compiler)

1998-01-01

This document presents formal NASA technical reports, papers published in technical journals, and presentations by MSFC personnel in FY97. 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.

Skylab

NASA Image and Video Library

1972-08-21

San Antonio, Texas high school student, Terry C. Quist (left), and Dr. Raymond Gause of the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC), discuss the student’s experiment to be performed aboard the Skylab the following year. His experiment, “Earth Orbital Neutron Analysis” required detectors such as the one he is examining in this photo. The detector was to be attached to a water tank in Skylab. Neutrons striking the detectors left traces that were brought out by a chemical etching process after the Skylab mission. Quist’s experiment seeked to record neutron hits, count them, and determine their direction. This information was to help determine the source of neutrons in the solar system. Quist 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.

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.

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. 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.

Environmental Control and Life Support Systems Testing 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 Urine Processor Assembly (UPA) which utilizes the Vapor Compression Distillation (VCD) technology. The VCD is used for integrated testing of the entire Water Recovery System (WRS) and development testing of the Urine Processor Assembly. The UPA accepts and processes pretreated crewmember urine to allow it to be processed along with other wastewaters in the Water Processor Assembly (WPA). The WPA removes free gas, organic, and nonorganic constituents before the water goes through a series of multifiltration beds for further purification. Product water quality is monitored primarily through conductivity measurements. Unacceptable water is sent back through the WPA for reprocessing. Clean water is sent to a storage tank.

High Energy Astronomy Observatory (HEAO)

NASA Image and Video Library

1977-01-01

This photograph is of the High Energy Astronomy Observatory (HEAO)-2 telescope being evaluated by engineers in the clean room of the X-Ray Calibration Facility at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). The MSFC was heavily engaged in the technical and scientific aspects, testing and calibration, of the HEAO-2 telescope The HEAO-2 was the first imaging and largest x-ray telescope built to date. The X-Ray Calibration Facility was built in 1976 for testing MSFC's HEAO-2. The facility is the world's largest, most advanced laboratory for simulating x-ray emissions from distant celestial objects. It produced a space-like environment in which components related to x-ray telescope imaging are tested and the quality of their performance in space is predicted. The original facility contained a 1,000-foot long by 3-foot diameter vacuum tube (for the x-ray path) cornecting an x-ray generator and an instrument test chamber. Recently, the facility was upgraded to evaluate the optical elements of NASA's Hubble Space Telescope, Chandra X-Ray Observatory and Compton Gamma-Ray Observatory.

Interplanetary Radiation and Fault Tolerant Mini-Star Tracker System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rakoczy, John; Paceley, Pete

2015-01-01

The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, Inc. is partnering with the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) Engineering Directorate's Avionics Design Division and Flight Mechanics & Analysis Division to develop and test a prototype small, low-weight, low-power, radiation-hardened, fault-tolerant mini-star tracker (fig. 1). The project is expected to enable Draper Laboratory and its small business partner, L-1 Standards and Technologies, Inc., to develop a new guidance, navigation, and control sensor product for the growing small sat technology market. The project also addresses MSFC's need for sophisticated small sat technologies to support a variety of science missions in Earth orbit and beyond. The prototype star tracker will be tested on the night sky on MSFC's Automated Lunar and Meteor Observatory (ALAMO) telescope. The specific goal of the project is to address the need for a compact, low size, weight, and power, yet radiation hardened and fault tolerant star tracker system that can be used as a stand-alone attitude determination system or incorporated into a complete attitude determination and control system for emerging interplanetary and operational CubeSat and small sat missions.

Skylab

NASA Image and Video Library

1972-08-21

Rockford, Illinois high school student, Vincent Converse (left), and Robert Head of the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC), check out the equipment to be used in conducting the student’s experiment aboard the Skylab the following year. His experiment, “Zero Gravity Mass Measurement” used a simple leaf spring with the mass to be weighed attached to the end. An electronic package oscillated the spring at a specific rate and the results were recorded electronically. 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 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.

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

Microgravity

NASA Image and Video Library

2000-01-30

Engineers from NASA's Glen Research Center demonstrate the access to one of the experiment racks plarned 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). Photo credit: NASA/Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC)

Lunar Plant Growth Chamber: Human Exploration Project STS-118 Design Challenge. A Standards-Based High School Unit Guide. Engineering by Design: Advancing Technological Literacy. A Standards-Based Program Series. EP-2007-08-94-MSFC

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Caron, Daniel W.; Fuller, Jeremy; Watson, Janice; St. Hilaire, Katherine

2007-01-01

In May 2005, the International Technology Education Association (ITEA) was funded by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to develop curricular units for Grades K-12 on Space Exploration. The units focus on aspects of the themes that NASA Engineers and Scientists--as well as future generations of explorers--must consider, such…

Human Motion Tracking and Glove-Based User Interfaces for Virtual Environments in ANVIL

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dumas, Joseph D., II

2002-01-01

The Army/NASA Virtual Innovations Laboratory (ANVIL) at Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) provides an environment where engineers and other personnel can investigate novel applications of computer simulation and Virtual Reality (VR) technologies. Among the many hardware and software resources in ANVIL are several high-performance Silicon Graphics computer systems and a number of commercial software packages, such as Division MockUp by Parametric Technology Corporation (PTC) and Jack by Unigraphics Solutions, Inc. These hardware and software platforms are used in conjunction with various VR peripheral I/O (input / output) devices, CAD (computer aided design) models, etc. to support the objectives of the MSFC Engineering Systems Department/Systems Engineering Support Group (ED42) by studying engineering designs, chiefly from the standpoint of human factors and ergonomics. One of the more time-consuming tasks facing ANVIL personnel involves the testing and evaluation of peripheral I/O devices and the integration of new devices with existing hardware and software platforms. Another important challenge is the development of innovative user interfaces to allow efficient, intuitive interaction between simulation users and the virtual environments they are investigating. As part of his Summer Faculty Fellowship, the author was tasked with verifying the operation of some recently acquired peripheral interface devices and developing new, easy-to-use interfaces that could be used with existing VR hardware and software to better support ANVIL projects.

Development of a 12-Thrust Chamber Kerosene /Oxygen Primary Rocket Sub-System for an Early (1964) Air-Augmented Rocket Ground-Test System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pryor, D.; Hyde, E. H.; Escher, W. J. D.

1999-01-01

Airbreathing/Rocket combined-cycle, and specifically rocket-based combined- cycle (RBCC), propulsion systems, typically employ an internal engine flow-path installed primary rocket subsystem. To achieve acceptably short mixing lengths in effecting the "air augmentation" process, a large rocket-exhaust/air interfacial mixing surface is needed. This leads, in some engine design concepts, to a "cluster" of small rocket units, suitably arrayed in the flowpath. To support an early (1964) subscale ground-test of a specific RBCC concept, such a 12-rocket cluster was developed by NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). The small primary rockets used in the cluster assembly were modified versions of an existing small kerosene/oxygen water-cooled rocket engine unit routinely tested at MSFC. Following individual thrust-chamber tests and overall subsystem qualification testing, the cluster assembly was installed at the U. S. Air Force's Arnold Engineering Development Center (AEDC) for RBCC systems testing. (The results of the special air-augmented rocket testing are not covered here.) While this project was eventually successfully completed, a number of hardware integration problems were met, leading to catastrophic thrust chamber failures. The principal "lessons learned" in conducting this early primary rocket subsystem experimental effort are documented here as a basic knowledge-base contribution for the benefit of today's RBCC research and development community.

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.

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.

Cost and Schedule Analytical Techniques Development: Option 1

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1996-01-01

This Final Report summarizes the activities performed by Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) for the base contract year from December 1, 1995 through November 30, 1996. The Final Report is in compliance with Paragraph 5 of Section F of the contract. This CSATD contract provides technical services and products to the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center's (MSFC) Engineering Cost Office (PPO3) and the Program Plans and Requirements Officer (PPO2). Detailed Monthly Progress Reports were submitted to MSFC in accordance with the contract's Statement of Work Section IV "Reporting and Documentation". These reports spelled out each month's specific work accomplishments, deliverables submitted, major meetings held, and other pertinent information. This Final Report will summarize these activities at a higher level.

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.

Saturn Apollo Program

NASA Image and Video Library

1967-09-09

This photograph depicts the F-1 engine firing in the Marshall Space Flight Center’s F-1 Engine Static Test Stand. Construction of the S-IC Static test stand complex began in 1961 in the west test area of MSFC, and was completed in 1964. It is a vertical engine firing test stand, 239 feet in elevation and 4,600 square feet in area at the base, designed to assist in the development of the F-1 Engine. Capability is provided for static firing of 1.5 million pounds of thrust using liquid oxygen and kerosene. The foundation of the stand is keyed into the bedrock approximately 40 feet below grade.

On the X-34 FASTRAC-Memorandums of Misunderstanding

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hawkins, Lakiesha V.; Turner, Jim E.

2015-01-01

Engineers at MSFC designed, developed, and tested propulsion systems that helped launch Saturn I, IB, and V boosters for the Apollo missions. After the Apollo program, Marshall was responsible for the design and development of the propulsion elements for the Shuttle launch vehicle, including the solid rocket boosters, external tank and main engines. Each of these systems offered new propulsion technological challenges that pushed engineers and administrators beyond Saturn. The technical challenges presented by the development of each of these propulsion systems helped to establish and sustain a culture of engineering conservatism and was often accompanied by a deep level of penetration into contractors that worked on these systems.

Signal Processing Methods for Liquid Rocket Engine Combustion Spontaneous Stability and Rough Combustion Assessments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kenny, R. Jeremy; Casiano, Matthew; Fischbach, Sean; Hulka, James R.

2012-01-01

Liquid rocket engine combustion stability assessments are traditionally broken into three categories: dynamic stability, spontaneous stability, and rough combustion. This work focuses on comparing the spontaneous stability and rough combustion assessments for several liquid engine programs. The techniques used are those developed at Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) for the J-2X Workhorse Gas Generator program. Stability assessment data from the Integrated Powerhead Demonstrator (IPD), FASTRAC, and Common Extensible Cryogenic Engine (CECE) programs are compared against previously processed J-2X Gas Generator data. Prior metrics for spontaneous stability assessments are updated based on the compilation of all data sets.

Very High Load Capacity Air Bearing Spindle for Large Diamond Turning Machines

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-06-08

testing and a surplus air bearing rotary table has been located. A prototype spindle has been designed to work with the table. 15. SUBJECT TERMS...MSFC) • PROTOTYPE SPINDLE DESIGN June 8, 2010Mirror Technology Workshop 3 Introduction • DT is a proven method of manufacturing aspheric off-axis... designed to hold in a strain-free condition. This spindle development is aimed at producing 3 meter diameter components. This requirement results in the

SSME Post Test Diagnostic System: Systems Section

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bickmore, Timothy

1995-01-01

An assessment of engine and component health is routinely made after each test firing or flight firing of a Space Shuttle Main Engine (SSME). Currently, this health assessment is done by teams of engineers who manually review sensor data, performance data, and engine and component operating histories. Based on review of information from these various sources, an evaluation is made as to the health of each component of the SSME and the preparedness of the engine for another test or flight. The objective of this project - the SSME Post Test Diagnostic System (PTDS) - is to develop a computer program which automates the analysis of test data from the SSME in order to detect and diagnose anomalies. This report primarily covers work on the Systems Section of the PTDS, which automates the analyses performed by the systems/performance group at the Propulsion Branch of NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). This group is responsible for assessing the overall health and performance of the engine, and detecting and diagnosing anomalies which involve multiple components (other groups are responsible for analyzing the behavior of specific components). The PTDS utilizes several advanced software technologies to perform its analyses. Raw test data is analyzed using signal processing routines which detect features in the data, such as spikes, shifts, peaks, and drifts. Component analyses are performed by expert systems, which use 'rules-of-thumb' obtained from interviews with the MSFC data analysts to detect and diagnose anomalies. The systems analysis is performed using case-based reasoning. Results of all analyses are stored in a relational database and displayed via an X-window-based graphical user interface which provides ranked lists of anomalies and observations by engine component, along with supporting data plots for each.

Marshall Space Flight Center Materials and Processes Laboratory

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tramel, Terri L.

2012-01-01

Marshall?s Materials and Processes Laboratory has been a core capability for NASA for over fifty years. MSFC has a proven heritage and recognized expertise in materials and manufacturing that are essential to enable and sustain space exploration. Marshall provides a "systems-wise" capability for applied research, flight hardware development, and sustaining engineering. Our history of leadership and achievements in materials, manufacturing, and flight experiments includes Apollo, Skylab, Mir, Spacelab, Shuttle (Space Shuttle Main Engine, External Tank, Reusable Solid Rocket Motor, and Solid Rocket Booster), Hubble, Chandra, and the International Space Station. MSFC?s National Center for Advanced Manufacturing, NCAM, facilitates major M&P advanced manufacturing partnership activities with academia, industry and other local, state and federal government agencies. The Materials and Processes Laborato ry has principal competencies in metals, composites, ceramics, additive manufacturing, materials and process modeling and simulation, space environmental effects, non-destructive evaluation, and fracture and failure analysis provide products ranging from materials research in space to fully integrated solutions for large complex systems challenges. Marshall?s materials research, development and manufacturing capabilities assure that NASA and National missions have access to cutting-edge, cost-effective engineering design and production options that are frugal in using design margins and are verified as safe and reliable. These are all critical factors in both future mission success and affordability.

The NASA Marshall engineering thermosphere model

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hickey, Michael Philip

1988-01-01

Described is the NASA Marshall Engineering Thermosphere (MET) Model, which is a modified version of the MFSC/J70 Orbital Atmospheric Density Model as currently used in the J70MM program at MSFC. The modifications to the MFSC/J70 model required for the MET model are described, graphical and numerical examples of the models are included, as is a listing of the MET model computer program. Major differences between the numerical output from the MET model and the MFSC/J70 model are discussed.

NLS Flight Simulation Laboratory (FSL) documentation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1995-01-01

The Flight Simulation Laboratory (FSL) Electronic Documentation System design consists of modification and utilization of the MSFC Integrated Engineering System (IES), translation of the existing FSL documentation to an electronic format, and generation of new drawings to represent the Engine Flight Simulation Laboratory design and implementation. The intent of the electronic documentation is to provide ease of access, local print/plot capabilities, as well as the ability to correct and/or modify the stored data by network users who are authorized to access this information.

Dual nozzle aerodynamic and cooling analysis study. [dual throat and dual expander nozzles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Meagher, G. M.

1980-01-01

Geometric, aerodynamic flow field, performance prediction, and heat transfer analyses are considered for two advanced chamber nozzle concepts applicable to Earth-to-orbit engine systems. Topics covered include improvements to the dual throat aerodynamic and performance prediction program; geometric and flow field analyses of the dual expander concept; heat transfer analysis of both concepts, and engineering analysis of data from the NASA/MSFC hot-fire testing of a dual throat thruster model thrust chamber assembly. Preliminary results obtained are presented in graphs.

Space station MSFC-DPD-235/DR no. CM-03 specification, modular space station project, Part 1 CEI

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1971-01-01

Contract engineering item specifications for the modular space station are presented. These specifications resulted from the development and allocations of requirements which are concise statements of performance or constraints on performance. Specifications contain requirements for functional performance and for the verification of design solutions.

Saturn Apollo Program

NASA Image and Video Library

1969-02-12

A test engineer drives a Mobility Test Article (MTA) during a test of a Lunar Roving Vehicle (LRV) concept through the mountains of Arizona. The data provided by the MTA helped in designing the LRV, developed under the direction of MSFC. The LRV was designed to allow Apollo astronauts a greater range of mobility during lunar exploration missions.

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 are presented an overview of the Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS) which was developed at Marshall Space flight Center. Marshall engineer Keith Parrish explains the steps in converting waste fluids generated on the International Space Station (ISS) into purified drinking water.

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.

Remote Sensing of Urban Land Cover/Land Use Change, Surface Thermal Responses, and Potential Meteorological and Climate Change Impacts

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Quattrochi, Dale A.; Jedlovec, Gary; Meyer, Paul

2011-01-01

City growth influences the development of the urban heat island (UHI), but the effect that local meteorology has on the UHI is less well known. This paper presents some preliminary findings from a study that uses multitemporal Landsat TM and ASTER data to evaluate land cover/land use change (LULCC) over the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MFSC) and its Huntsville, AL metropolitan area. Landsat NLCD data for 1992 and 2001 have been used to evaluate LULCC for MSFC and the surrounding urban area. Land surface temperature (LST) and emissivity derived from NLCD data have also been analyzed to assess changes in these parameters in relation to LULCC. Additionally, LULCC, LST, and emissivity have been identified from ASTER data from 2001 and 2011 to provide a comparison with the 2001 NLCD and as a measure of current conditions within the study area. As anticipated, the multi-temporal NLCD and ASTER data show that significant changes have occurred in land covers, LST, and emissivity within and around MSFC. The patterns and arrangement of these changes, however, is significant because the juxtaposition of urban land covers within and outside of MSFC provides insight on what impacts at a local to regional scale, the inter-linkage of these changes potentially have on meteorology. To further analyze these interactions between LULCC, LST, and emissivity with the lower atmosphere, a network of eleven weather stations has been established across the MSFC property. These weather stations provide data at a 10 minute interval, and these data are uplinked for use by MSFC facilities operations and the National Weather Service. The weather data are also integrated within a larger network of meteorological stations across north Alabama. Given that the MSFC weather stations will operate for an extended period of time, they can be used to evaluate how the building of new structures, and changes in roadways, and green spaces as identified in the MSFC master plan for the future, will potentially affect land cover LSTs across the Center. Moreover, the weather stations will also provide baseline data for developing a better understanding of how localized weather factors, such as extreme rainfall and heat events, affect micrometeorology. These data can also be used to model the interrelationships between LSTs and meteorology on a longer term basis to help evaluate how changes in these parameters can be quantified from satellite data collected in the future. In turn, the overall integration of multi-temporal meteorological information with LULCC, and LST data for MSFC proper and the surrounding Huntsville urbanized area can provide a perspective on how urban land surface types affect the meteorology in the boundary layer and ultimately, the UHI. Additionally, data such as this can be used as a foundation for modeling how climate change will potentially impact local and regional meteorology and conversely, how urban LULCC can or will influence changes on climate over the north Alabama area.

VUV testing of science cameras at MSFC: QE measurement of the CLASP flight cameras

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Champey, P.; Kobayashi, K.; Winebarger, A.; Cirtain, J.; Hyde, D.; Robertson, B.; Beabout, B.; Beabout, D.; Stewart, M.

2015-08-01

The NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) has developed a science camera suitable for sub-orbital missions for observations in the UV, EUV and soft X-ray. Six cameras were built and tested for the Chromospheric Lyman-Alpha Spectro-Polarimeter (CLASP), a joint MSFC, National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ), Instituto de Astrofisica de Canarias (IAC) and Institut D'Astrophysique Spatiale (IAS) sounding rocket mission. The CLASP camera design includes a frame-transfer e2v CCD57-10 512 × 512 detector, dual channel analog readout and an internally mounted cold block. At the flight CCD temperature of -20C, the CLASP cameras exceeded the low-noise performance requirements (<= 25 e- read noise and <= 10 e- /sec/pixel dark current), in addition to maintaining a stable gain of ≍ 2.0 e-/DN. The e2v CCD57-10 detectors were coated with Lumogen-E to improve quantum efficiency (QE) at the Lyman- wavelength. A vacuum ultra-violet (VUV) monochromator and a NIST calibrated photodiode were employed to measure the QE of each camera. Three flight cameras and one engineering camera were tested in a high-vacuum chamber, which was configured to operate several tests intended to verify the QE, gain, read noise and dark current of the CCD. We present and discuss the QE measurements performed on the CLASP cameras. We also discuss the high-vacuum system outfitted for testing of UV, EUV and X-ray science cameras at MSFC.

Origin of Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC)

NASA Image and Video Library

2004-04-15

Twelve scientific specialists of the Peenemuende team at the front of Building 4488, Redstone Arsenal, Huntsville, Alabama. They led the Army's space efforts at ABMA before transfer of the team to National Aeronautic and Space Administration (NASA), George C. Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). (Left to right) Dr. Ernst Stuhlinger, Director, Research Projects Office; Dr. Helmut Hoelzer, Director, Computation Laboratory: Karl L. Heimburg, Director, Test Laboratory; Dr. Ernst Geissler, Director, Aeroballistics Laboratory; Erich W. Neubert, Director, Systems Analysis Reliability Laboratory; Dr. Walter Haeussermarn, Director, Guidance and Control Laboratory; Dr. Wernher von Braun, Director Development Operations Division; William A. Mrazek, Director, Structures and Mechanics Laboratory; Hans Hueter, Director, System Support Equipment Laboratory;Eberhard Rees, Deputy Director, Development Operations Division; Dr. Kurt Debus, Director Missile Firing Laboratory; Hans H. Maus, Director, Fabrication and Assembly Engineering Laboratory

Using Innovative Technologies for Manufacturing Rocket Engine Hardware

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Betts, E. M.; Eddleman, D. E.; Reynolds, D. C.; Hardin, N. A.

2011-01-01

Many of the manufacturing techniques that are currently used for rocket engine component production are traditional methods that have been proven through years of experience and historical precedence. As the United States enters into the next space age where new launch vehicles are being designed and propulsion systems are being improved upon, it is sometimes necessary to adopt innovative techniques for manufacturing hardware. With a heavy emphasis on cost reduction and improvements in manufacturing time, rapid manufacturing techniques such as Direct Metal Laser Sintering (DMLS) are being adopted and evaluated for their use on NASA s Space Launch System (SLS) upper stage engine, J-2X, with hopes of employing this technology on a wide variety of future projects. DMLS has the potential to significantly reduce the processing time and cost of engine hardware, while achieving desirable material properties by using a layered powder metal manufacturing process in order to produce complex part geometries. Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) has recently hot-fire tested a J-2X gas generator (GG) discharge duct that was manufactured using DMLS. The duct was inspected and proof tested prior to the hot-fire test. Using a workhorse gas generator (WHGG) test fixture at MSFC's East Test Area, the duct was subjected to extreme J-2X hot gas environments during 7 tests for a total of 537 seconds of hot-fire time. The duct underwent extensive post-test evaluation and showed no signs of degradation. DMLS manufacturing has proven to be a viable option for manufacturing rocket engine hardware, and further development and use of this manufacturing method is recommended.

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.

Advanced Engine Health Management Applications of the SSME Real-Time Vibration Monitoring System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fiorucci, Tony R.; Lakin, David R., II; Reynolds, Tracy D.; Turner, James E. (Technical Monitor)

2000-01-01

The Real Time Vibration Monitoring System (RTVMS) is a 32-channel high speed vibration data acquisition and processing system developed at Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). It Delivers sample rates as high as 51,200 samples/second per channel and performs Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) processing via on-board digital signal processing (DSP) chips in a real-time format. Advanced engine health assessment is achieved by utilizing the vibration spectra to provide accurate sensor validation and enhanced engine vibration redlines. Discrete spectral signatures (such as synchronous) that are indicators of imminent failure can be assessed and utilized to mitigate catastrophic engine failures- a first in rocket engine health assessment. This paper is presented in viewgraph form.

Environmental Control and Life Support Systems Testing 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 fifth generation Urine Processor Development Hardware. The Urine Processor Assembly (UPA) is a part of the Water Recovery System (WRS) on the ISS. It uses a chase change process called vapor compression distillation technology to remove contaminants from urine. The UPA accepts and processes pretreated crewmember urine to allow it to be processed along with other wastewaters in the Water Processor Assembly (WPA). The WPA removes free gas, organic, and nonorganic constituents before the water goes through a series of multifiltration beds for further purification. Product water quality is monitored primarily through conductivity measurements. Unacceptable water is sent back through the WPA for reprocessing. Clean water is sent to a storage tank.

Green Propulsion Auxiliary Power Unit Demonstration at MSFC

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Robinson, Joel W.

2014-01-01

In 2012, the National Aeronautics & Space Administration (NASA) Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD) began the process of building an integrated technology roadmap, including both technology pull and technology push strategies. Technology Area 1 (TA-01)1 for Launch Propulsion Systems is one of fourteen TAs that provide recommendations for the overall technology investment strategy and prioritization of NASA's space technology activities. Identified within TA-01 was the need for a green propulsion auxiliary power unit (APU) for hydraulic power by 2015. Engineers led by the author at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) have been evaluating green propellant alternatives and have begun the development of an APU test bed to demonstrate the feasibility of use. NASA has residual APU assets remaining from the retired Space Shuttle Program. Likewise, the F-16 Falcon fighter jet also uses an Emergency Power Unit (EPU) that has similar characteristics to the NASA hardware. Both EPU and APU components have been acquired for testing at MSFC. This paper will summarize the status of the testing efforts of green propellant from the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) propellant AFM315E based on hydroxyl ammonium nitrate (HAN) with these test assets.

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.

MSFC Director welcomes attendees to the 10th Annual Wernher von

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-10-26

Marshall Space Flight Center director Todd May welcomes attendees to the 10th annual Dr. Wernher von Braun Memorial Symposium held at the University of Alabama, Huntsville, Alabama. The three-day symposium brought together experts for discussion panels on science, engineering and technology under the theme “Gateways in Space: Exploration, Security, and Commerce.”

Field Trip to the Moon. Educator's Guide. EG-2007-09-120-MSFC

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), 2007

2007-01-01

The Field Trip to the Moon program uses an inquiry-based learning approach that fosters team building and introduces students to careers in science and engineering. The program components include a DVD and classroom investigations. The compelling DVD (not included here) provides essential information about Earth and the Moon. The hands-on…

Field Trip to the Moon. LRO/LCROSS Edition. Informal Educator's Guide. EG-2008-09-48-MSFC

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), 2007

2007-01-01

Field Trip to the Moon uses an inquiry-based learning approach that fosters team building and introduces participants to careers in science and engineering. The program components include the Field Trip to the Moon DVD [not included here], Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO)/Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS) Activities, and…

Field Trip to the Moon. Informal Educator's Guide. EG-2007-09-121-MSFC

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), 2007

2007-01-01

The Field Trip to the Moon program uses an inquiry-based learning approach that fosters team building and introduces young people to careers in science and engineering. The program components include the Field Trip to the Moon show (either on DVD or presented in a planetarium dome) and workshop investigations. The compelling show provides…

NASA Engineering Design Challenges: Environmental Control and Life Support Systems. Water Filtration Challenge. EG-2008-09-134-MSFC

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schneider, Twila, Ed.

2010-01-01

This educator guide is organized into seven chapters: (1) Overview; (2) The Design Challenge; (3) Connections to National Curriculum Standards; (4) Preparing to Teach; (5) Classroom Sessions; (6) Opportunities for Extension; and (7) Teacher Resources. Chapter 1 provides information about Environmental Control and Life Support Systems used on NASA…

MSFC Combustion Devices in 2001

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dexter, Carol; Turner, James (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

The objectives of the project detailed in this viewgraph presentation were to reduce thrust assembly weights to create lighter engines and to increase the cycle life and/or operating temperatures. Information is given on material options (metal matrix composites and polymer matrix composites), ceramic matrix composites subscale liners, lightweight linear chambers, lightweight injector development, liquid/liquid preburner tasks, and vortex chamber tasks.

Saturn Apollo Program

NASA Image and Video Library

1964-11-01

This image shows the Saturn V S-IC-T stage (S-IC static test article) fuel tank being attached to the thrust structure in the vehicle assembly building at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). The S-IC stage utilized five F-1 engines that used liquid oxygen and kerosene as propellant and provided a combined thrust of 7,500,000 pounds.

Saturn Apollo Program

NASA Image and Video Library

1968-01-09

A cluster of eight H-1 engines were used to thrust the first stage of Saturn I (S-I stage) and Saturn IB (S-IB stage). The engines were arranged in a double pattern. Four engines, located inboard, were fixed in a square pattern around the stage axis, while the remaining four engines were located outboard in a larger square pattern and each outer engine was gimbaled. Each H-1 engine, fueled with liquid oxygen (LOX) and kerosene (RP-1), initially had a thrust of 188,000 pounds each for a combined thrust of over 1,500,000 pounds. Later, the H-1 engine was upgraded to 205,000 pounds of thrust and a combined total thrust of 1,650,000 pounds for the Saturn IB program. This photo depicts a single modified H-1 engine. The H-1 engine was developed under the direction of Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC).

Nuclear Thermal Propulsion (NTP) Development Activities at the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center - 2006 Accomplishments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ballard, Richard O.

2007-01-01

In 2005-06, the Prometheus program funded a number of tasks at the NASA-Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) to support development of a Nuclear Thermal Propulsion (NTP) system for future manned exploration missions. These tasks include the following: 1. NTP Design Develop Test & Evaluate (DDT&E) Planning 2. NTP Mission & Systems Analysis / Stage Concepts & Engine Requirements 3. NTP Engine System Trade Space Analysis and Studies 4. NTP Engine Ground Test Facility Assessment 5. Non-Nuclear Environmental Simulator (NTREES) 6. Non-Nuclear Materials Fabrication & Evaluation 7. Multi-Physics TCA Modeling. This presentation is a overview of these tasks and their accomplishments

Investigations for the improvement of space shuttle main engine electron beam welding equipment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smock, R. A.; Taylor, R. A.; Wall, W. A., Jr.

1977-01-01

Progress made in the testing, evaluation, and correction of MSFC's 7.5 kW electron beam welder in support of space shuttle main engine component welding is summarized. The objective of this project was to locate and correct the deficiencies in the welder. Some 17 areas were deficient in the 7.5 kW ERI welding system and the associated corrective action was taken to improve its operational performance. An overall improvement of 20 times the original reliability was obtained at full rated capacity after the modifications were made.

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.

Students Participate in Rocket Launch Project

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2002-01-01

Filled with anticipation, students from three Huntsville area high schools: Randolph, Sparkman, and Johnson High Schools, counted down to launch the rockets they designed and built at the Army test site on Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama. The projected two-mile high launch culminated more than a year's work and demonstrated the student team's ability to meet the challenge set by the Marshall Space Flight Center's (MSFC) Student Launch Initiative (SLI) program to apply science and math to experience, judgment, and common sense, and proved to NASA officials that they have successfully built reusable launch vehicles (RLVs), another challenge set by NASA's SLI program. MSFC's SLI program is an educational effort that aims to motivate students to pursue careers in science, math, and engineering. It provides them with hands-on, practical aerospace experience. In this picture, three Sparkman High School students pose with their rocket.

Students Participate in Rocket Launch Project

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2002-01-01

Filled with anticipation, students from three Huntsville area high schools: Randolph, Sparkman and Johnson High Schools, counted down to launch the rockets they designed and built at the Army test site on Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama. The projected two-mile high launch culminated more than a year's work and demonstrated the student team's ability to meet the challenge set by the Marshall Space Flight Center's (MSFC) Student Launch Initiative (SLI) program to apply science and math to experience, judgment, and common sense, and proved to NASA officials that they have successfully built reusable launch vehicles (RLVs), another challenge set by NASA's SLI program. MSFC's SLI program is an educational effort that aims to motivate students to pursue careers in science, math, and engineering. It provides them with hands-on, practical aerospace experience. In this picture, two Johnson High School students pose with their rocket.

Around Marshall

NASA Image and Video Library

2002-04-27

Filled with anticipation, students from three Huntsville area high schools: Randolph, Sparkman, and Johnson High Schools, counted down to launch the rockets they designed and built at the Army test site on Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama. The projected two-mile high launch culminated more than a year's work and demonstrated the student team's ability to meet the challenge set by the Marshall Space Flight Center's (MSFC) Student Launch Initiative (SLI) program to apply science and math to experience, judgment, and common sense, and proved to NASA officials that they have successfully built reusable launch vehicles (RLVs), another challenge set by NASA's SLI program. MSFC's SLI program is an educational effort that aims to motivate students to pursue careers in science, math, and engineering. It provides them with hands-on, practical aerospace experience. In this picture, three Sparkman High School students pose with their rocket.

Around Marshall

NASA Image and Video Library

2002-04-27

Filled with anticipation, students from three Huntsville area high schools: Randolph, Sparkman, and Johnson High Schools, counted down to launch the rockets they designed and built at the Army test site on Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama. The projected two-mile high launch culminated more than a year's work and demonstrated the student team's ability to meet the challenge set by the Marshall Space Flight Center's (MSFC) Student Launch Initiative program to apply science and math to experience, judgment, and common sense, and proved to NASA officials that they have successfully built reusable launch vehicles (RLVs), another challenge set by NASA's SLI program. MSFC's SLI program is an educational effort that aims to motivate students to pursue careers in science, math, and engineering. It provides hands-on, practical aerospace experience. In this picture, a rocket built by Johnson High School students soars to it projected designation.

Around Marshall

NASA Image and Video Library

2002-04-27

Filled with anticipation, students from three Huntsville area high schools: Randolph, Sparkman and Johnson High Schools, counted down to launch the rockets they designed and built at the Army test site on Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama. The projected two-mile high launch culminated more than a year's work and demonstrated the student team's ability to meet the challenge set by the Marshall Space Flight Center's (MSFC) Student Launch Initiative (SLI) program to apply science and math to experience, judgment, and common sense, and proved to NASA officials that they have successfully built reusable launch vehicles (RLVs), another challenge set by NASA's SLI program. MSFC's SLI program is an educational effort that aims to motivate students to pursue careers in science, math, and engineering. It provides them with hands-on, practical aerospace experience. In this picture, two Johnson High School students pose with their rocket.

VPS GRCop-84 Liner Development Efforts

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Elam, Sandra K.; Holmes, Richard; McKechnie, Tim; Hickman, Robert; Pickens, Tim

2003-01-01

For the past several years, NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) has been working with Plasma Processes, Inc. (PPI) to fabricate combustion chamber liners using the Vacuum Plasma Spray (VPS) process. Multiple liners of a variety of shapes and sizes have been created. Each liner has been fabricated with GRCop-84 (a copper alloy with chromium and niobium) and a functional gradient coating (FGC) on the hot wall. While the VPS process offers versatility and a reduced fabrication schedule, the material system created with VPS allows the liners to operate at higher temperatures, with maximum blanch resistance and improved cycle life. A subscal unit (5K lbf thrust class) is being cycle tested in a LOX/Hydrogen thrust chamber assembly at MSFC. To date, over 75 hot-fire tests have been accumulated on this article. Tests include conditions normally detrimental to conventional materials, yet the VPS GRCop-84 liner has yet to show any signs of degradation. A larger chamber (15K lbf thrust class) has also been fabricated and is being prepared for hot-fire testing at MSFC near the end of 2003. Linear liners have been successfully created to further demonstrate the versatility of the process. Finally, scale up issues for the VPS process are being tackled with efforts to fabricate a full size, engine class liner. Specifically, a liner for the SSME's Main Combustion Chamber (MCC) has recently been attempted. The SSME size was chosen for convenience, since its design was readily available and its size was sufficient to tackle specific issues. Efforts to fabricate these large liners have already provided valuable lessons for using this process for engine programs. The material quality for these large units is being evaluated with destructive analysis and these results will be available by the end of 2003.

New Frontiers AO: Advanced Materials Bi-propellant Rocket (AMBR) Engine Information Summary

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Liou, Larry C.

2008-01-01

The Advanced Material Bi-propellant Rocket (AMBR) engine is a high performance (I(sub sp)), higher thrust, radiation cooled, storable bi-propellant space engine of the same physical envelope as the High Performance Apogee Thruster (HiPAT(TradeMark)). To provide further information about the AMBR engine, this document provides details on performance, development, mission implementation, key spacecraft integration considerations, project participants and approach, contact information, system specifications, and a list of references. The In-Space Propulsion Technology (ISPT) project team at NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC) leads the technology development of the AMBR engine. Their NASA partners were Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) and Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). Aerojet leads the industrial partners selected competitively for the technology development via the NASA Research Announcement (NRA) process.

Space Environment Testing of Photovoltaic Array Systems at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schneider, Todd A.; Vaughn, Jason A.; Wright, Kenneth H., Jr.; Phillips, Brandon S.

2015-01-01

CubeSats, Communication Satellites, and Outer Planet Science Satellites all share one thing in common: Mission success depends on maintaining power in the harsh space environment. For a vast majority of satellites, spacecraft power is sourced by a photovoltaic (PV) array system. Built around PV cells, the array systems also include wiring, substrates, connectors, and protection diodes. Each of these components must function properly throughout the mission in order for power production to remain at nominal levels. Failure of even one component can lead to a crippling loss of power. To help ensure PV array systems do not suffer failures on-orbit due to the space environment, NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) has developed a wide ranging test and evaluation capability. Key elements of this capability include: Testing: a. Ultraviolet (UV) Exposure b. Charged Particle Radiation (Electron and Proton) c. Thermal Cycling d. Plasma and Beam Environments Evaluation: a. Electrostatic Discharge (ESD) Screening b. Optical Inspection and easurement c. PV Power Output including Large Area Pulsed Solar Simulator (LAPSS) measurements This paper will describe the elements of the space environment which particularly impact PV array systems. MSFC test capabilities will be described to show how the relevant space environments can be applied to PV array systems in the laboratory. A discussion of MSFC evaluation capabilities will also be provided. The sample evaluation capabilities offer test engineers a means to quantify the effects of the space environment on their PV array system or component. Finally, examples will be shown of the effects of the space environment on actual PV array materials tested at MSFC.

System Engineering Issues for Avionics Survival in the Space Environment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pavelitz, Steven

1999-01-01

This paper examines how the system engineering process influences the design of a spacecraft's avionics by considering the space environment. Avionics are susceptible to the thermal, radiation, plasma, and meteoroids/orbital debris environments. The environment definitions for various spacecraft mission orbits (LEO/low inclination, LEO/Polar, MEO, HEO, GTO, GEO and High ApogeeElliptical) are discussed. NASA models and commercial software used for environment analysis are reviewed. Applicability of technical references, such as NASA TM-4527 "Natural Orbital Environment Guidelines for Use in Aerospace Vehicle Development" is discussed. System engineering references, such as the MSFC System Engineering Handbook, are reviewed to determine how the environments are accounted for in the system engineering process. Tools and databases to assist the system engineer and avionics designer in addressing space environment effects on avionics are described and usefulness assessed.

Overview of Additive Manufacturing Initiatives at NASA Marshall Space Flight Center

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Clinton, R. G., Jr.

2018-01-01

NASA's In Space Manufacturing Initiative (ISM) includes: The case for ISM - why; ISM path to exploration - results from the 3D Printing In Zero-G Technology Demonstration - ISM challenges; In space Robotic Manufacturing and Assembly (IRMA); Additive construction. Additively Manufacturing (AM) development for liquid rocket engine space flight hardware. MSFC standard and specification for additively manufactured space flight hardware. Summary.

9. AERIAL VIEW LOOKING NORTH AT THE GEORGE C. MARSHALL ...

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

9. AERIAL VIEW LOOKING NORTH AT THE GEORGE C. MARSHALL SPACE FLIGHT CENTER. DODD ROAD RUNS DOWN THE CENTER OF THE PHOTO. THE EAST TEST AREA IS TOWARDS THE BOTTOM OF THE PHOTO, FABRICATION, ENGINEERING AND ADMINISTRATION NEAR THE TOP OF THE PHOTO. 1961, MSFC PHOTO LAB. - Marshall Space Flight Center, East Test Area, Dodd Road, Huntsville, Madison County, AL

FY 1994 scientific and technical reports, articles, papers, and presentations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Turner, Joyce E. (Compiler)

1994-01-01

This document presents formal NASA technical reports, papers published in technical journals, and presentations by Marshall Space Flight Center personnel in FY94. It also includes papers of MSFC contractors and author indexes. 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.

107 Range Commanders Council Meteorology Group Meeting (RCC-MG): NASA Marshall Space Flight Center Range Report

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Roberts, Barry C.

2016-01-01

The following is a summary of the major meteorological/atmospheric projects and research that have been or currently are being accomplished at Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). Listed below are highlights of work done during the past 6 months in the Engineering Directorate (ED) and in the Science and Mission Systems Office (ZP).

108 Range Commanders Council Meteorology Group Meeting (RCC-MG) NASA Marshall Space Flight Center Range Report - April 2017

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Roberts, Barry C.

2017-01-01

The following is a summary of the major meteorological/atmospheric projects and research that have been or currently are being accomplished at Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). Listed below are highlights of work done during the past 6 months in the Engineering Directorate (ED) and in the Science and Technology Office (ST).

Marshall Team Recreates Goddard Rocket

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2003-01-01

In honor of the Centernial of Flight celebration and commissioned by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), a team of engineers from Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) built a replica of the first liquid-fueled rocket. The original rocket, designed and built by rocket engineering pioneer Robert H. Goddard in 1926, opened the door to modern rocketry. Goddard's rocket reached an altitude of 41 feet while its flight lasted only 2.5 seconds. The Marshall design team's plan was to stay as close as possible to an authentic reconstruction of Goddard's rocket. The same propellants were used - liquid oxygen and gasoline - as available during Goddard's initial testing and firing. The team also tried to construct the replica using the original materials and design to the greatest extent possible. By purposely using less advanced techniques and materials than many that are available today, the team encountered numerous technical challenges in testing the functional hardware. There were no original blueprints or drawings, only photographs and notes. However, this faithful adherence to historical accuracy has also allowed the team to experience many of the same challenges Goddard faced 77 years ago, and more fully appreciate the genius of this extraordinary man. The replica will undergo ground tests at MSFC this summer.

Around Marshall

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-07-01

In honor of the Centernial of Flight celebration and commissioned by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), a team of engineers from Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) built a replica of the first liquid-fueled rocket. The original rocket, designed and built by rocket engineering pioneer Robert H. Goddard in 1926, opened the door to modern rocketry. Goddard's rocket reached an altitude of 41 feet while its flight lasted only 2.5 seconds. The Marshall design team's plan was to stay as close as possible to an authentic reconstruction of Goddard's rocket. The same propellants were used - liquid oxygen and gasoline - as available during Goddard's initial testing and firing. The team also tried to construct the replica using the original materials and design to the greatest extent possible. By purposely using less advanced techniques and materials than many that are available today, the team encountered numerous technical challenges in testing the functional hardware. There were no original blueprints or drawings, only photographs and notes. However, this faithful adherence to historical accuracy has also allowed the team to experience many of the same challenges Goddard faced 77 years ago, and more fully appreciate the genius of this extraordinary man. The replica will undergo ground tests at MSFC this summer.

Microgravity

NASA Image and Video Library

2000-07-01

What appear to be boulders fresh from a tumble down a mountain are really grains of Ottawa sand, a standard material used in civil engineering tests and also used in the Mechanics of Granular Materials (MGM) experiment. The craggy surface shows how sand grans have faces that can cause friction as they roll and slide against each other, or even causing sticking and form small voids between grains. This complex behavior can cause soil to behave like a liquid under certain conditions such as earthquakes or when powders are handled in industrial processes. MGM uses the microgravity of space to simulate this behavior under conditions that carnot be achieved in laboratory tests on Earth. MGM is shedding light on the behavior of fine-grain materials under low effective stresses. Applications include earthquake engineering, granular flow technologies (such as powder feed systems for pharmaceuticals and fertilizers), and terrestrial and planetary geology. Nine MGM specimens have flown on two Space Shuttle flights. Another three are scheduled to fly on STS-107. The principal investigator is Stein Sture of the University of Colorado at Boulder. These images are from an Electron Spectroscopy for Chemical Analysis (ESCA) study conducted by Dr. Binayak Panda of IITRI for Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). (Credit: NASA/MSFC)

Thermal Orbital Environmental Parameter Study on the Propulsive Small Expendable Deployer System (ProSEDS) Using Earth Radiation Budget Experiment (ERBE) Data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sharp, John R.; McConnaughey, Paul K. (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

The natural thermal environmental parameters used on the Space Station Program (SSP 30425) were generated by the Space Environmental Effects Branch at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) utilizing extensive data from the Earth Radiation Budget Experiment (ERBE), a series of satellites which measured low earth orbit (LEO) albedo and outgoing long-wave radiation. Later, this temporal data was presented as a function of averaging times and orbital inclination for use by thermal engineers in NASA Technical Memorandum TM 4527. The data was not presented in a fashion readily usable by thermal engineering modeling tools and required knowledge of the thermal time constants and infrared versus solar spectrum sensitivity of the hardware being analyzed to be used properly. Another TM was recently issued as a guideline for utilizing these environments (NASA/TM-2001-211221) with more insight into the utilization by thermal analysts. This paper gives a top-level overview of the environmental parameters presented in the TM and a study of the effects of implementing these environments on an ongoing MSFC project, the Propulsive Small Expendable Deployer System (ProSEDS), compared to conventional orbital parameters that had been historically used.

Transient Approximation of SAFE-100 Heat Pipe Operation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bragg-Sitton, Shannon M.; Reid, Robert S.

2005-01-01

Engineers at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) have designed several heat pipe cooled reactor concepts, ranging in power from 15 kWt to 800 kWt, for both surface power systems and nuclear electric propulsion systems. The Safe, Affordable Fission Engine (SAFE) is now being developed in a collaborative effort between LANL and NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (NASA/MSFC). NASA is responsible for fabrication and testing of non-nuclear, electrically heated modules in the Early Flight Fission Test Facility (EFF-TF) at MSFC. In-core heat pipes must be properly thawed as the reactor power starts. Computational models have been developed to assess the expected operation of a specific heat pipe design during start-up, steady state operation, and shutdown. While computationally intensive codes provide complete, detailed analyses of heat pipe thaw, a relatively simple. concise routine can also be applied to approximate the response of a heat pipe to changes in the evaporator heat transfer rate during start-up and power transients (e.g., modification of reactor power level) with reasonably accurate results. This paper describes a simplified model of heat pipe start-up that extends previous work and compares the results to experimental measurements for a SAFE-100 type heat pipe design.

DRACO Flowpath Performance and Environments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Komar, D. R.; McDonald, Jon

1999-01-01

The Advanced Space Transportation (AST) project office has challenged NASA to design, manufacture, ground-test and flight-test an axisymmetric, hydrocarbon-fueled, flight-weight, ejector-ramjet engine system testbed no later than 2005. To accomplish this, a multi-center NASA team has been assembled. The goal of this team, led by NASA-Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC), is to develop propulsion technologies that demonstrate rocket and airbreathing combined-cycle operation (DRACO). Current technical activities include flowpath conceptual design, engine systems conceptual design, and feasibility studies investigating the integration and operation of the DRACO engine with a Lockheed D-21B drone. This paper focuses on the activities of the Flowpath Systems Product Development Team (PDT), led by NASA-Glenn Research Center (GRC) and supported by NASA-MSFC and TechLand Research, Inc. The objective of the Flowpath PDT at the start of the DRACO program was to establish a conceptual design of the flowpath aerodynamic lines, determine the preliminary performance, define the internal environments, and support the DRACO testbed concept feasibility studies. To accomplish these tasks, the PDT convened to establish a baseline flowpath concept. With the conceptual lines defined, cycle analysis tasks were planned and the flowpath performance and internal environments were defined. Additionally, sensitivity studies investigating the effects of inlet reference area, combustion performance, and combustor/nozzle materials selection were performed to support the Flowpath PDT design process. Results of these tasks are the emphasis of this paper and are intended to verify the feasibility of the DRACO flowpath and engine system as well as identify the primary technical challenges inherent in the flight-weight design of an advanced propulsion technology demonstration engine. Preliminary cycle performance decks were developed to support the testbed concept feasibility studies but are not discussed further in this paper.

Analyses of Longitudinal Mode Combustion Instability in J-2X Gas Generator Development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hulka, J. R.; Protz, C. S.; Casiano, M. J.; Kenny, R. J.

2011-01-01

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne are developing a liquid oxygen/liquid hydrogen rocket engine for future upper stage and trans-lunar applications. This engine, designated the J-2X, is a higher pressure, higher thrust variant of the Apollo-era J-2 engine. The contract for development was let to Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne in 2006. Over the past several years, development of the gas generator for the J-2X engine has progressed through a variety of workhorse injector, chamber, and feed system configurations on the component test stand at the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). Several of the initial configurations resulted in combustion instability of the workhorse gas generator assembly at a frequency near the first longitudinal mode of the combustion chamber. In this paper, several aspects of these combustion instabilities are discussed, including injector, combustion chamber, feed system, and nozzle influences. To ensure elimination of the instabilities at the engine level, and to understand the stability margin, the gas generator system has been modeled at the NASA MSFC with two techniques, the Rocket Combustor Interaction Design and Analysis (ROCCID) code and a lumped-parameter MATLAB(TradeMark) model created as an alternative calculation to the ROCCID methodology. To correctly predict the instability characteristics of all the chamber and injector geometries and test conditions as a whole, several inputs to the submodels in ROCCID and the MATLAB(TradeMark) model were modified. Extensive sensitivity calculations were conducted to determine how to model and anchor a lumped-parameter injector response, and finite-element and acoustic analyses were conducted on several complicated combustion chamber geometries to determine how to model and anchor the chamber response. These modifications and their ramification for future stability analyses of this type are discussed.

Solar Thermal Upper Stage Cryogen System Engineering Checkout Test

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Olsen, A. D; Cady, E. C.; Jenkins, D. S.

1999-01-01

The Solar Thermal Upper Stage technology (STUSTD) program is a solar thermal propulsion technology program cooperatively sponsored by a Boeing led team and by NASA MSFC. A key element of its technology program is development of a liquid hydrogen (LH2) storage and supply system which employs multi-layer insulation, liquid acquisition devices, active and passive thermodynamic vent systems, and variable 40W tank heaters to reliably provide near constant pressure H2 to a solar thermal engine in the low-gravity of space operation. The LH2 storage and supply system is designed to operate as a passive, pressure fed supply system at a constant pressure of about 45 psia. During operation of the solar thermal engine over a small portion of the orbit the LH2 storage and supply system propulsively vents through the enjoy at a controlled flowrate. During the long coast portion of the orbit, the LH2 tank is locked up (unvented). Thus, all of the vented H2 flow is used in the engine for thrust and none is wastefully vented overboard. The key to managing the tank pressure and therefore the H2 flow to the engine is to manage and balance the energy flow into the LH2 tank with the MLI and tank heaters with the energy flow out of the LH2 tank through the vented H2 flow. A moderate scale (71 cu ft) LH2 storage and supply system was installed and insulated at the NASA MSFC Test Area 300. The operation of the system is described in this paper. The test program for the LH2 system consisted of two parts: 1) a series of engineering tests to characterize the performance of the various components in the system: and 2) a 30-day simulation of a complete LEO and GEO transfer mission. This paper describes the results of the engineering tests, and correlates these results with analytical models used to design future advanced Solar Orbit Transfer Vehicles.

Progress on the PT-1 Prototype Plasmoid Thruster

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Eskridge, Richard H.; Martin, Adam K.

2007-01-01

The design and construction of a plasmoid thruster prototype is described. This thruster operates by expelling inductively formed plasmoids at high velocities. These plasmoids are field reversed configuration plasmas which are formed by reversing a magnetic flux frozen in an ionized gas inside a theta-pinch coil. The pinch coil is a unique multi-turn, multi-lead design chosen for optimization of inductance and field uniformity. A table-top bread-board demonstrator has been built at MSFC, and will be delivered to Radiance Technologies Inc. for further testing at the Auburn Space Power Institute.

Using Innovative Techniques for Manufacturing Rocket Engine Hardware

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Betts, Erin M.; Reynolds, David C.; Eddleman, David E.; Hardin, Andy

2011-01-01

Many of the manufacturing techniques that are currently used for rocket engine component production are traditional methods that have been proven through years of experience and historical precedence. As we enter into a new space age where new launch vehicles are being designed and propulsion systems are being improved upon, it is sometimes necessary to adopt new and innovative techniques for manufacturing hardware. With a heavy emphasis on cost reduction and improvements in manufacturing time, manufacturing techniques such as Direct Metal Laser Sintering (DMLS) are being adopted and evaluated for their use on J-2X, with hopes of employing this technology on a wide variety of future projects. DMLS has the potential to significantly reduce the processing time and cost of engine hardware, while achieving desirable material properties by using a layered powder metal manufacturing process in order to produce complex part geometries. Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) has recently hot-fire tested a J-2X gas generator discharge duct that was manufactured using DMLS. The duct was inspected and proof tested prior to the hot-fire test. Using the Workhorse Gas Generator (WHGG) test setup at MSFC?s East Test Area test stand 116, the duct was subject to extreme J-2X gas generator environments and endured a total of 538 seconds of hot-fire time. The duct survived the testing and was inspected after the test. DMLS manufacturing has proven to be a viable option for manufacturing rocket engine hardware, and further development and use of this manufacturing method is recommended.

NASA X-34 Technology in Motion

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Beech, Geoffrey; Chandler, Kristie

1997-01-01

The X-34 technology development program is a joint industry/government project to develop, test, and operate a small, fully-reusable hypersonic flight vehicle. The objective is to demonstrate key technologies and operating concepts applicable to future reusable launch vehicles. Integrated in the vehicle are various systems to assure successful completion of mission objectives, including the Main Propulsion System (MPS). NASA-Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) is responsible for developing the X-34's MPS including the design and complete build package for the propulsion system components. The X-34 will be powered by the Fastrac Engine, which is currently in design and development at NASA-MSFC. Fastrac is a single-stage main engine, which burns a mixture of liquid oxygen (LOX) and kerosene(RP-1). The interface between the MPS and Fastrac engine are critical for proper system operation and technologies applicable to future reusable launch vehicles. Deneb's IGRIP software package with the Dynamic analysis option provided a key tool for conducting studies critical to this interface as well as a mechanism to drive the design of the LOX and RP-1 feedlines. Kinematic models were created for the Fastrac Engine and the feedlines for various design concepts. Based on the kinematic simulation within Envision, design and joint limits were verified and system interference controlled. It was also critical to the program to evaluate the effect of dynamic loads visually, providing a verification tool for dynamic analysis and in some cases uncovering areas that had not been considered. Deneb's software put the X-34 technology in motion and has been a key factor in facilitating the strenuous design schedule.

Ares I-X Roll Control System Development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Unger, Ronald J.; Massey, Edmund C.

2009-01-01

Project Managers often face challenging technical, schedule and budget issues. This presentation will explore how the Ares I-X Roll Control System Integrated Product Team (IPT) mitigated challenges such as concurrent engineering requirements and environments and evolving program processes, while successfully managing an aggressive project schedule and tight budget. IPT challenges also included communications and negotiations among inter- and intra-government agencies, including the US Air Force, NASA/MSFC Propulsion Engineering, LaRC, GRC, KSC, WSTF, and the Constellation Program. In order to successfully meet these challenges it was essential that the IPT define those items that most affected the schedule critical path, define early mitigation strategies to reduce technical, schedule, and budget risks, and maintain the end-product focus of an "unmanned test flight" context for the flight hardware. The makeup of the IPT and how it would function were also important considerations. The IPT consisted of NASA/MSFC (project management, engineering, and safety/quality) and contractors (Teledyne Brown Engineering and Pratt and Whitney Rocketdyne, who supplied heritage hardware experience). The early decision to have a small focused IPT working "badgelessly" across functional lines to eliminate functional stove-piping allowed for many more tasks to be done by fewer people. It also enhanced a sense of ownership of the products, while still being able to revert back to traditional roles in order to provide the required technical independence in design reviews and verification closures. This presentation will highlight several prominent issues and discuss how they were mitigated and the resulting Lessons Learned that might benefit other projects.

Space Launch System, Core Stage, Structural Test Design and Implementation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shaughnessy, Ray

2017-01-01

As part of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) Space Launch System (SLS) Program, engineers at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) in Huntsville, Alabama are working to design, develop and implement the SLS Core Stage structural testing. The SLS will have the capability to return humans to the Moon and beyond and its first launch is scheduled for December of 2017. The SLS Core Stage consist of five major elements; Forward Skirt, Liquid Oxygen (LOX) tank, Intertank (IT), Liquid Hydrogen (LH2) tank and the Engine Section (ES). Structural Test Articles (STA) for each of these elements are being designed and produced by Boeing at Michoud Assembly Facility located in New Orleans, La. The structural test for the Core Stage STAs (LH2, LOX, IT and ES) are to be conducted by the MSFC Test Laboratory. Additionally, the MSFC Test Laboratory manages the Structural Test Equipment (STE) design and development to support the STAs. It was decided early (April 2012) in the project life that the LH2 and LOX tank STAs would require new test stands and the Engine Section and Intertank would be tested in existing facilities. This decision impacted schedules immediately because the new facilities would require Construction of Facilities (C of F) funds that require congressional approval and long lead times. The Engine Section and Intertank structural test are to be conducted in existing facilities which will limit lead times required to support the first launch of SLS. With a SLS launch date of December, 2017 Boeing had a need date for testing to be complete by September of 2017 to support flight certification requirements. The test facilities were required to be ready by October of 2016 to support test article delivery. The race was on to get the stands ready before Test Article delivery and meet the test complete date of September 2017. This paper documents the past and current design and development phases and the supporting processes, tools, and methodology for supporting the SLS Core Stage STA test stands and related STE. The paper will address key requirements, system development activities and project challenges. Additionally, the interrelationships as well as interdependencies within the SLS project will be discussed.

Modal test of Shuttle engine nozzle

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Johnston, G. D.; Coleman, A. D.

1983-01-01

A structural failure occurred on the main propulsion test stand at NSTL causing a hydrogen fire and damage to the engines to be used on the Orbiter Columbia. Scattered accelerometer measurements indicated very high response levels at 254 hertz and 311 hertz. The Engine Office at MSFC asked the Dynamics Test Branch to try and find out what caused the failure. All three nozzles were sent to Huntsville for testing. Modal test data revealed very quickly how the failure occurred in the steerhorn and also pointed out two other structural problems. A complete set of data is presented along with a narrative explanation of the steps taken to identify and verify the structural problem.

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.

Cold Flow Plume Entrainment Test Final Report NTF Test Number 2456

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ruf, Joseph H.; McDaniels, David; Mishtawy, Jason; Ramachandran, Narayanan; Hammad, Khaled J.

2005-01-01

As part of the Space Shuttle Return to Flight (RTF) program, Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) performed computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis to define the velocity flowfields around the Shuttle stack at liftoff. These CFD predicted velocity flowfields were used in debris transport analysis (DTA). High speed flows such as plumes induce or 'entrain' mass from the surrounding environment. Previous work had shown that CFD analysis over-predicts plume induced flows. Therefore, the DTA would tend to 1) predict more debris impacts, and 2) the debris velocity (and kinetic energy) of those impacts would be too high. At a November, 2004 peer-review it was recommended that the Liftoff DTA team quantify the uncertainty in the DTA caused by the CFD's over prediction of plume induced flow. To do so, the Liftoff DTA team needed benchmark quality data for plume induced flow to quantify the CFD accuracy and its effect on the DTA. MSFC's Nozzle Test Facility (NTF) conducted the "Nozzle Induced Flows test, P#2456" to obtain experimental data for plume induced flows for nozzle flow exhausting into q quiescent freestream. Planning for the test began in December, 2004 and the experimental data was obtained in February and March of 2005. The funding for this test was provided by MSFC's Space Shuttle Propulsion Systems Integration and Engineering office.

Manned Mars System Study (MMSS): Mars transportation and facility infrastructure study. Volume 2: Technical report

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1990-01-01

The Manned Mars System Study (MMSS) was conducted for the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) over the 35 month period between May 15, 1987 and April 30, 1990. During the course of the study, the NASA Office of Exploration (OEXP; Code Z) was created and MSFC was subsequently designated the Transportation Integration Agent (TIA) for support of the OEXP Mission Analysis and Systems Engineering (MASE) team. As a result of this action, modifications to the contract redirected the efforts to be consistent with NASA's overall objectives, including lunar transportation system design. A large number of written submittals were required in order to provide TIA support to MASE. A list summarizing the documents which have been prepared and delivered by Martin Marietta under this contract during the course of this work is presented. In nearly all cases, full sets of view-graphs were also provided to the MSFC COTR, and in several cases magnetic media were provided as well. To incorporate all of these materials (more than 2,000 pages) into the present report would obviously produce an extremely unwieldy and confusing document. Therefore, a summary of key findings are presented in this final report, supplemented by other material produced under this contract but not already available in the widespread literature.

Planning an Effective Speakers Outreach Program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

McDonald, Malcolm W.

1996-01-01

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and, in particular, the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) have played pivotal roles in the advancement of space exploration and space-related science and discovery since the early 1960's. Many of the extraordinary accomplishments and advancements of NASA and MSFC have gone largely unheralded to the general public, though they often border on the miraculous. This lack of suitable and deserved announcement of these "miracles" seems to have occurred because NASA engineers and scientists are inclined to regard extraordinary accomplishment as a normal course of events. The goal in this project has been to determine an effective structure and mechanism for communicating to the general public the extent to which our investment in our US civilian space program, NASA, is, in fact, a very wise investment. The project has involved discerning important messages of truth which beg to be conveyed to the public. It also sought to identify MSFC personnel who are particularly effective as messengers or communicators. A third aspect of the project was to identify particular target audiences who would appreciate knowing the facts about their NASA investment. The intent is to incorporate the results into the formation of an effective, proactive MSFC speakers bureau. A corollary accomplishment for the summer was participation in the formation of an educational outreach program known as Nasa Ambassadors. Nasa Ambassadors are chosen from the participants in the various MSFC summer programs including: Summer Faculty Fellowship Program (SFFP), Science Teacher Enrichment Program (STEP), Community College Enrichment Program (CCEP), Joint Venture (JOVE) program, and the NASA Academy program. NASA Ambassadors agree to make pre-packaged NASA-related presentations to non-academic audiences in their home communities. The packaged presentations were created by a small cadre of participants from the 1996 MSFC summer programs, volunteering their time beyond their normal NASA summer research commitment. A total of eight presentations were created and made available for use by NASA Ambassadors. A major segment of the research effort during the summer has been devoted to verifying and documenting certain "spinoff' contributions of NASA technology and in determining their relevance and impact to our society and our nation's economy. The purpose behind the verification/documentation research has been to shed light on the question of whether or not our NASA investment is a wise investment. It has revealed that NASA is a wise investment.

Students Participate in Rocket Launch Project

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2002-01-01

Filled with anticipation, students from three Huntsville area high schools: Randolph, Sparkman, and Johnson High Schools, counted down to launch the rockets they designed and built at the Army test site on Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama. The projected two-mile high launch culminated more than a year's work and demonstrated the student team's ability to meet the challenge set by the Marshall Space Flight Center's (MSFC) Student Launch Initiative (SLI) program to apply science and math to experience, judgment, and common sense, and proved to NASA officials that they have successfully built reusable launch vehicles (RLVs), another challenge set by NASA's SLI program. MSFC's SLI program is an educational effort that aims to motivate students to pursue careers in science, math, and engineering. It provides hands-on, practical aerospace experience. In this picture, Randolph High School students are assembling their rocket in preparation for launch.

Students Participate in Rocket Launch Project

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2002-01-01

Filled with anticipation, students from three Huntsville area high schools: Randolph, Sparkman, and Johnson High Schools, counted down to launch the rockets they designed and built at the Army test site on Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama. The projected two-mile high launch culminated more than a year's work and demonstrated the student team's ability to meet the challenge set by the Marshall Space Flight Center's (MSFC) Student Launch Initiative program to apply science and math to experience, judgment, and common sense, and proved to NASA officials that they have successfully built reusable launch vehicles (RLVs), another challenge set by NASA's SLI program. MSFC's SLI program is an educational effort that aims to motivate students to pursue careers in science, math, and engineering. It provides hands-on, practical aerospace experience. In this picture, a rocket built by Johnson High School students soars to it projected designation.

Numerical Modeling of Pressurization of Cryogenic Propellant Tank for Integrated Vehicle Fluid System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Majumdar, Alok K.; LeClair, Andre C.; Hedayat, Ali

2016-01-01

This paper presents a numerical model of pressurization of a cryogenic propellant tank for the Integrated Vehicle Fluid (IVF) system using the Generalized Fluid System Simulation Program (GFSSP). The IVF propulsion system, being developed by United Launch Alliance, uses boiloff propellants to drive thrusters for the reaction control system as well as to run internal combustion engines to develop power and drive compressors to pressurize propellant tanks. NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) has been running tests to verify the functioning of the IVF system using a flight tank. GFSSP, a finite volume based flow network analysis software developed at MSFC, has been used to develop an integrated model of the tank and the pressurization system. This paper presents an iterative algorithm for converging the interface boundary conditions between different component models of a large system model. The model results have been compared with test data.

The Lunar Quest Program and the International Lunar Network (ILN)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cohen, Barbara A.

2009-01-01

The Lunar and Planetary Science group at Marshall provides core capabilities to support the Agency's lunar exploration goals. ILN Anchor Nodes are currently in development by MSFC and APL under the Lunar Quest Program at MSFC. The Science objectives of the network are to understand the interior structure and composition of the moon. Pre-phase A engineering assessments are complete, showing a design that can achieve the science requirements, either on their own (if 4 launched) or in concert with international partners. Risk reduction activities are ongoing. The Lunar Quest Program is a Science-based program with the following goals: a) Fly small/medium science missions to accomplish key science goals; b) Build a strong lunar science community; c) Provide opportunities to demonstrate new technologies; and d) Where possible, help ESMD and SOMG goals and enhance presence of science in the implementation of the VSE. The Lunar Quest Program will be guided by recommendations from community reports.

Clean room survey and assessment, volume 5, appendix H

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1991-01-01

The scope of this task is to perform a comparative analysis of the various Environmental Control Life Support System (ECLSS) options for different growth scenarios. The Space Station Freedom ECLSS design and existing ground-based clean room facilities are used as a baseline for comparison. Specifically addressed here are the ground based clean room facilities at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). Given here is an evaluation of the facilities, equipment, technologies, and procedures used to maintain specified environments in typical aerospace industrial areas. Twenty-five specific clean rooms are evaluated. The objectives were to collect, compare, and catalog data for each specified facility in the areas of engineering and design, construction materials, work stations, contamination control, particulate elimination, entry systems, and instrumentation, and to make recommendations concerning enhancements required to assure an efficient and orderly evolution of MSFC clean room environmental control facilities.

Space station definition and preliminary design, WP-01. Volume 2: Results

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lenda, J. A.

1987-01-01

The basis for the studies and analyses which led to the results and conclusions documented and summarized, was the Engineering Master Schedule (EMS) generated by NASA and used as the controlling set of milestones and associated activities required to produce in a timely manner those products needed by all program participants in the establishment of an approved program baseline. The EMS consisted of twenty themes grouped into categories covering requirements, configurations, and strategies. A number of studies and analyses that were coordinated with the MSFC program and technical personnel as being needed to provide the requisite back-up material to satify the EMS were identified. These studies and analyses provided the data sufficient to support the conclusions and recommendations given to the MSFC in response to their EMS activity and to support the system level and conceptual design level approaches developed and reflected in the detailed sections of this document.

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.

Status of the Combustion Devices Injector Technology Program at the NASA MSFC

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jones, Gregg; Protz, Christopher; Trinh, Huu; Tucker, Kevin; Nesman, Tomas; Hulka, James

2005-01-01

To support the NASA Space Exploration Mission, an in-house program called Combustion Devices Injector Technology (CDIT) is being conducted at the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) for the fiscal year 2005. CDIT is focused on developing combustor technology and analysis tools to improve reliability and durability of upper-stage and in-space liquid propellant rocket engines. The three areas of focus include injector/chamber thermal compatibility, ignition, and combustion stability. In the compatibility and ignition areas, small-scale single- and multi-element hardware experiments will be conducted to demonstrate advanced technological concepts as well as to provide experimental data for validation of computational analysis tools. In addition, advanced analysis tools will be developed to eventually include 3-dimensional and multi- element effects and improve capability and validity to analyze heat transfer and ignition in large, multi-element injectors.

Experimental Performance Evaluation of a Supersonic Turbine for Rocket Engine Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Snellgrove, Lauren M.; Griffin, Lisa W.; Sieja, James P.; Huber, Frank W.

2003-01-01

In order to mitigate the risk of rocket propulsion development, efficient, accurate, detailed fluid dynamics analysis and testing of the turbomachinery is necessary. To support this requirement, a task was developed at NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) to improve turbine aerodynamic performance through the application of advanced design and analysis tools. These tools were applied to optimize a supersonic turbine design suitable for a reusable launch vehicle (RLV). The hot gas path and blading were redesigned-to obtain an increased efficiency. The goal of the demonstration was to increase the total-to- static efficiency of the turbine by eight points over the baseline design. A sub-scale, cold flow test article modeling the final optimized turbine was designed, manufactured, and tested in air at MSFC s Turbine Airflow Facility. Extensive on- and off- design point performance data, steady-state data, and unsteady blade loading data were collected during testing.

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.

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.

MSFC Skylab airlock module, volume 2. [systems design and performance, systems support activity, and reliability and safety programs

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1974-01-01

System design and performance of the Skylab Airlock Module and Payload Shroud are presented for the communication and caution and warning systems. Crew station and storage, crew trainers, experiments, ground support equipment, and system support activities are also reviewed. Other areas documented include the reliability and safety programs, test philosophy, engineering project management, and mission operations support.

MSFC Skylab Orbital Workshop, volume 3. [design and development of waste disposal system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1974-01-01

The waste management system for the Skylab Orbital Workshop is discussed. The general requirements of the system are presented. Illustrations of the components of the system are provided. Data concerning maximum expected performance capabilities are developed. The results of performance tests on the system components are reported. Emphasis is placed on the human factors engineering aspects of the system.

Microgravity

NASA Image and Video Library

1992-10-01

MSFC Test Engineer performing a functional test on the TES. The TES can be operated as a refrigerator, with a minimum set point temperature of 4.0 degrees C, or as an incubator, with a maximum set point temperature 40.0 degrees C of the set point. The TES can be set to maintain a constant temperature or programmed to change temperature settings over time, internal temperature recorded by a date logger.

MSFC_09-25-17_VPatPOIC

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-09-25

From Marshall’s science command center, Vice President Pence called the NASA astronauts aboard the space station and spoke with Expedition 53 commander Randy Bresnik, and flight engineers Mark Vande Hei and Joe Acaba. He also met with the ground controllers that provide around-the-clock support of the crew’s scientific activities on the orbiting laboratory, paving the way for future deep space exploration missions.

Neural network architectures to analyze OPAD data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Whitaker, Kevin W.

1992-01-01

A prototype Optical Plume Anomaly Detection (OPAD) system is now installed on the space shuttle main engine (SSME) Technology Test Bed (TTB) at MSFC. The OPAD system requirements dictate the need for fast, efficient data processing techniques. To address this need of the OPAD system, a study was conducted into how artificial neural networks could be used to assist in the analysis of plume spectral data.

Liquid Methane/Liquid Oxygen Injectors for Potential Future Mars Ascent Engines

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Trinh, Huu Phuoc

1999-01-01

Preliminary mission studies for human exploration of Mars have been performed at Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). These studies indicate that for chemical rockets only a cryogenic propulsion system would provide high enough performance to be considered for a Mars ascent vehicle. Although the mission is possible with Earth-supplied propellants for this vehicle, utilization of in-situ propellants is highly attractive. This option would significantly reduce the overall mass of launch vehicles. Consequently, the cost of the mission would be greatly reduced because the number and size of the Earth launch vehicle(s) needed for the mission would decrease. NASA/Johnson Space Center has initiated several concept studies of in-situ propellant production plants. Liquid oxygen (LOX) is the primary candidate for an in-situ oxidizer. In-situ fuel candidates include methane (CH4), ethylene (C2H4), and methanol (CH3OH). MSFC initiated a technology development program for a cryogenic propulsion system for the Mars human exploration mission in 1998. One part of this technology program is the effort described here: an evaluation of propellant injection concepts for a LOX/liquid methane Mars Ascent Engine (MAE) with an emphasis on light-weight, high efficiency, reliability, and thermal compatibility. In addition to the main objective, hot-fire tests of the subject injectors will be used to test other key technologies including light-weight combustion chamber materials and advanced ignition concepts. This paper will address the results of the liquid methane/LOX injector study conducted at MSFC. A total of four impinging injector configurations were tested under combustion conditions in a modular combustor test article (MCTA), equipped with optically accessible windows. A series of forty hot-fire tests, which covered a wide range of engine operating conditions with the chamber pressure varied from 320 to 510 and the mixture ratio from 1.5 to 3.5, were performed. The test matrix also included a variation in the combustion chamber length for the purpose of investigating its effects on the combustion performance and stability.

Elements of Engineering Excellence

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

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

2012-01-01

The inspiration for this Contract Report (CR) originated in discussions with the director of Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) Engineering who asked that we investigate the question: "How do you achieve excellence in aerospace engineering?" Engineering a space system is a complex activity. Avoiding its inherent potential pitfalls and achieving a successful product is a challenge. This CR presents one approach to answering the question of how to achieve Engineering Excellence. We first investigated the root causes of NASA major failures as a basis for developing a proposed answer to the question of Excellence. The following discussions integrate a triad of Technical Understanding and Execution, Partnership with the Project, and Individual and Organizational Culture. The thesis is that you must focus on the whole process and its underlying culture, not just on the technical aspects. In addition to the engineering process, emphasis is given to the need and characteristics of a Learning Organization as a mechanism for changing the culture.

Summary of Results from Space Shuttle Main Engine Off-Nominal Testing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Horton, James F.; Megivern, Jeffrey M.; McNutt, Leslie M.

2011-01-01

This paper is a summary of Space Shuttle Main Engine (SSME) off-nominal testing that occurred during 2008 and 2009. During the last two years of planned SSME testing at Stennis Space Center, Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne worked with their NASA MSFC customer to systematically identify, develop, assess, and implement challenging test objectives in order to expand the knowledge of one of the world s most reliable and highly tested large rocket engine. The objectives successfully investigated three main areas of interest expanding engine performance margins, demonstrating system operational capabilities, and establishing ground work for new rocket engine technology. The testing gave the Space Shuttle Program new options to safely fly out the flight manifest and provided Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne and NASA new insight into the operational capabilities of the SSME, capabilities which can be used in assessing potential future applications of the RS-25 engine.

Prediction of engine exhaust concentrations downwind from the Delta-Thor Telsat-A launch of 9 November 1972

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kaufman, J. W.; Susko, M.; Hill, C. K.

1973-01-01

Results are presented of the downwind concentrations of engine exhaust by-products from the Delta-Thor Telsat-A vehicle launched from Cape Kennedy, Florida on November 9, 1972 (2014 EST). The meteorological conditions which existed are identified as well as the exhaust cloud rise and the results from the MSFC Multilayer Diffusion Model calculations. These predictions are compared to exhaust cloud sampled data acquired by the Langley Research Center personnel. Values of the surface level concentrations show that very little hydrochloric acid, carbon monoxide, or aluminum oxide reached the ground.

Venus Global Reference Atmospheric Model

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Justh, Hilary L.

2017-01-01

Venus Global Reference Atmospheric Model (Venus-GRAM) is an engineering-level atmospheric model developed by MSFC that is widely used for diverse mission applications including: Systems design; Performance analysis; Operations planning for aerobraking, Entry, Descent and Landing, and aerocapture; Is not a forecast model; Outputs include density, temperature, pressure, wind components, and chemical composition; Provides dispersions of thermodynamic parameters, winds, and density; Optional trajectory and auxiliary profile input files Has been used in multiple studies and proposals including NASA Engineering and Safety Center (NESC) Autonomous Aerobraking and various Discovery proposals; Released in 2005; Available at: https://software.nasa.gov/software/MFS-32314-1.

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 center is former astronaut Brewster Shaw (center), now a program official with the Boeing Co., the ISS prime contractor. 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. 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.

Technology Transfer External Metrics, Research, Success Stories, and Participation on Evaluation Team for the Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Trivoli, George W.

1996-01-01

This research report is divided into four sections. The first section is related to participation on the team that evaluated the proposals for the X-33 project and the Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV) during mid-May; prior to beginning the 1996 Summer Faculty Fellowship. The second section discusses the various meetings attended related to the technology evaluation process. The third section is related to various research and evaluation activities engaged in by this researcher. The final section discusses several success stories this researcher aided in preparing. Despite the fact that this researcher is not an engineer or science faculty, invaluable knowledge and experience have been gained at MSFC. Although related to the previous summer's research, the research has been new, varied, and challenging. This researcher was fortunate to have had maximum interaction with NASA colleague, David Cockrell. It would be a privilege and honor to continue a relationship with the Technology Transfer Office. In addition, we will attempt to aid in the establishment of a continuous formalized relationship between MSFC and Jacksonville State University. Dr. David Watts, Vice President for Academic Affairs, J.S.U., is interested in having the Technology Division cooperating with MSFC in sharing information and working tech transfer inquiries. The principal benefits gained by this researcher include the opportunity to conduct research in a non-academic, real world environment. In addition, the opportunity to be involved in aiding with the decision process for the choice of the next generation of space transportation system was a once in a lifetime experience. This researcher has gained enhanced respect and understanding of MSFC/NASA staff and facilities.

Tailoring Systems Engineering Processes in a Conceptual Design Environment: A Case Study at NASA Marshall Spaceflight Center's ACO

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mulqueen, John; Maples, C. Dauphne; Fabisinski, Leo, III

2012-01-01

This paper provides an overview of Systems Engineering as it is applied in a conceptual design space systems department at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Marshall Spaceflight Center (MSFC) Advanced Concepts Office (ACO). Engineering work performed in the NASA MFSC's ACO is targeted toward the Exploratory Research and Concepts Development life cycle stages, as defined in the International Council on Systems Engineering (INCOSE) System Engineering Handbook. This paper addresses three ACO Systems Engineering tools that correspond to three INCOSE Technical Processes: Stakeholder Requirements Definition, Requirements Analysis, and Integration, as well as one Project Process Risk Management. These processes are used to facilitate, streamline, and manage systems engineering processes tailored for the earliest two life cycle stages, which is the environment in which ACO engineers work. The role of systems engineers and systems engineering as performed in ACO is explored in this paper. The need for tailoring Systems Engineering processes, tools, and products in the ever-changing engineering services ACO provides to its customers is addressed.

Dual Nozzle Aerodynamic and Cooling Analysis Study.

DTIC Science & Technology

1981-02-27

program and to the aerodynamic model computer program. This pro - cedure was used to define two secondary nozzle contours for the baseline con - figuration...both the dual-throat and dual-expander con - cepts. Advanced analytical techniques were utilized to provide quantitative estimates of the bleed flow...preliminary heat transfer analysis of both con - cepts, and (5) engineering analysis of data from the NASA/MSFC hot-fire testing of a dual-throat

Space Processing Applications Rocket (SPAR) project SPAR 7

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Poorman, R. M.

1983-01-01

The postflight reports of each of the Principal Investigators of three selected science payloads are presented in addition to the engineering report as documented by the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). Pertinent portions of ground-based research leading to the ultimate selection of the flight sample composition are described including design, fabrication and testing. Containerless processing technology, containerless processing bubble dynamics, and comparative alloy solidification are the experiments discussed.

Space transportation booster engine thrust chamber technology, large scale injector

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schneider, J. A.

1993-01-01

The objective of the Large Scale Injector (LSI) program was to deliver a 21 inch diameter, 600,000 lbf thrust class injector to NASA/MSFC for hot fire testing. The hot fire test program would demonstrate the feasibility and integrity of the full scale injector, including combustion stability, chamber wall compatibility (thermal management), and injector performance. The 21 inch diameter injector was delivered in September of 1991.

Saturn Apollo Program

NASA Image and Video Library

1964-10-01

This photograph depicts a forward skirt being placed on the liquid oxygen tank for Saturn V S-IC (first) stage in the Manufacturing Engineering Laboratory at the Marshall Space Flight Center. Thirty-three feet in diameter, the fuel tanks 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.

CDRA-4EU Testing to Assess Increased Number of ISS Crew

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Peters, Warren T.; Knox, James C.

2017-01-01

The International Space Station (ISS) program is investigating methods to increase carbon dioxide (CO2) removal on ISS in order to support an increased number of astronauts at a future date. The Carbon Dioxide Removal Assembly - Engineering Unit (CDRA-4EU) system at NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) was tested at maximum fan settings to evaluate CO2 removal rate and power consumption at those settings.

Unshrouded Impeller Technology Development Status

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Droege, Alan R.; Williams, Robert W.; Garcia, Roberto

2000-01-01

To increase payload and decrease the cost of future Reusable Launch Vehicles (RLVs), engineers at NASA/MSFC and Boeing, Rocketdyne are developing unshrouded impeller technology for application to rocket turbopumps. An unshrouded two-stage high-pressure fuel pump is being developed to meet the performance objectives of a three-stage shrouded pump. The new pump will have reduced manufacturing costs and pump weight. The lower pump weight will allow for increased payload.

Functional Test on (TES) Thermal Enclosure System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1992-01-01

MSFC Test Engineer performing a functional test on the TES. The TES can be operated as a refrigerator, with a minimum set point temperature of 4.0 degrees C, or as an incubator, with a maximum set point temperature 40.0 degrees C of the set point. The TES can be set to maintain a constant temperature or programmed to change temperature settings over time, internal temperature recorded by a date logger.

Saturn Apollo Program

NASA Image and Video Library

1968-01-01

This cutaway drawing shows the S-IVB stage in its Saturn IB configuration. As a part of the Marshall Space Flight Center's (MSFC) "building block" approach to the Saturn development, the S-IVB stage was utilized in the Saturn IB launch vehicle as a second stage and, later, the Saturn V launch vehicle as a third stage. The stage was powered by a single J-2 engine, initially capable of 200,000 pounds of thrust.

Design and fabrication of an autonomous rendezvous and docking sensor using off-the-shelf hardware

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Grimm, Gary E.; Bryan, Thomas C.; Howard, Richard T.; Book, Michael L.

1991-01-01

NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) has developed and tested an engineering model of an automated rendezvous and docking sensor system composed of a video camera ringed with laser diodes at two wavelengths and a standard remote manipulator system target that has been modified with retro-reflective tape and 830 and 780 mm optical filters. TRW has provided additional engineering analysis, design, and manufacturing support, resulting in a robust, low cost, automated rendezvous and docking sensor design. We have addressed the issue of space qualification using off-the-shelf hardware components. We have also addressed the performance problems of increased signal to noise ratio, increased range, increased frame rate, graceful degradation through component redundancy, and improved range calibration. Next year, we will build a breadboard of this sensor. The phenomenology of the background scene of a target vehicle as viewed against earth and space backgrounds under various lighting conditions will be simulated using the TRW Dynamic Scene Generator Facility (DSGF). Solar illumination angles of the target vehicle and candidate docking target ranging from eclipse to full sun will be explored. The sensor will be transportable for testing at the MSFC Flight Robotics Laboratory (EB24) using the Dynamic Overhead Telerobotic Simulator (DOTS).

Around Marshall

NASA Image and Video Library

2002-05-17

In this photograph, students from all over the country gathered and discussed their Earth-to-Orbit (ETO) Design Challenge project at NASA Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. These students who are just "typical teens," have been spending their time tackling some of the same challenges NASA engineers face when designing propulsion systems at MSFC. The ETO Design Challenge is a hands-on educational program, targeted to middle school students, in which students are assigned a project engaging in related design challenges in their classrooms under the supervision of their teachers. The project is valuable because it can be used by any student, and any teacher, even those without technical backgrounds. Student in 12 states: Alabama, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Illinois, Missouri, Montana, New York, Ohio, Ternessee, Virginia, and Washington, are taking part in MSFC's Earth-to-Orbit program. NASA uses such programs to support educational excellence while participating in educational outreach programs through centers around the country. One of the students' teachers, Joanne Fluvog, commented, "the biggest change I've seen is in the students' motivation and their belief in their ability to think." Justin O'Connor and Jeff Alden, students of Lane Middle School in Portland, Oregon, participated in the ETO program and said being involved in a real engineering project has made them realize that "science is cool."

Earth-to-Orbit Education Program 'Makes Science Cool'

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2002-01-01

In this photograph, students from all over the country gathered and discussed their Earth-to-Orbit (ETO) Design Challenge project at NASA Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. These students who are just 'typical teens,' have been spending their time tackling some of the same challenges NASA engineers face when designing propulsion systems at MSFC. The ETO Design Challenge is a hands-on educational program, targeted to middle school students, in which students are assigned a project engaging in related design challenges in their classrooms under the supervision of their teachers. The project is valuable because it can be used by any student, and any teacher, even those without technical backgrounds. Student in 12 states: Alabama, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Illinois, Missouri, Montana, New York, Ohio, Ternessee, Virginia, and Washington, are taking part in MSFC's Earth-to-Orbit program. NASA uses such programs to support educational excellence while participating in educational outreach programs through centers around the country. One of the students' teachers, Joanne Fluvog, commented, 'the biggest change I've seen is in the students' motivation and their belief in their ability to think.' Justin O'Connor and Jeff Alden, students of Lane Middle School in Portland, Oregon, participated in the ETO program and said being involved in a real engineering project has made them realize that 'science is cool.'

Ottawa Sand for Mechanics of Granular Materials (MGM) Experiment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2000-01-01

What appear to be boulders fresh from a tumble down a mountain are really grains of Ottawa sand, a standard material used in civil engineering tests and also used in the Mechanics of Granular Materials (MGM) experiment. The craggy surface shows how sand grans have faces that can cause friction as they roll and slide against each other, or even causing sticking and form small voids between grains. This complex behavior can cause soil to behave like a liquid under certain conditions such as earthquakes or when powders are handled in industrial processes. MGM uses the microgravity of space to simulate this behavior under conditions that carnot be achieved in laboratory tests on Earth. MGM is shedding light on the behavior of fine-grain materials under low effective stresses. Applications include earthquake engineering, granular flow technologies (such as powder feed systems for pharmaceuticals and fertilizers), and terrestrial and planetary geology. Nine MGM specimens have flown on two Space Shuttle flights. Another three are scheduled to fly on STS-107. The principal investigator is Stein Sture of the University of Colorado at Boulder. These images are from an Electron Spectroscopy for Chemical Analysis (ESCA) study conducted by Dr. Binayak Panda of IITRI for Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). (Credit: NASA/MSFC)

Evaluation of Impinging Stream Vortex Chamber Concepts for Liquid Rocket Engine Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Trinh, Huu P.; Bullard, Brad; Kopicz, Charles; Michaels, Scott

2002-01-01

To pursue technology developments for future launch vehicles, NASA/Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) is examining vortex chamber concepts for liquid rocket engine applications. Past studies indicated that the vortex chamber schemes potentially have a number of advantages over conventional chamber methods. Due to the nature of the vortex flow, relatively cooler propellant streams tend to flow along the chamber wall. Hence, the thruster chamber can be operated without the need of any cooling techniques. This vortex flow also creates strong turbulence, which promotes the propellant mixing process. Consequently, the subject chamber concepts not only offer system simplicity, but also enhance the combustion performance. Test results have shown that chamber performance is markedly high even at a low chamber length-to-diameter ratio (LD). This incentive can be translated to a convenience in the thrust chamber packaging. Variations of the vortex chamber concepts have been introduced in the past few decades. These investigations include an ongoing work at Orbital Technologies Corporation (ORBITEC). By injecting the oxidizer tangentially at the chamber convergence and fuel axially at the chamber head end, Knuth et al. were able to keep the wall relatively cold. A recent investigation of the low L/D vortex chamber concept for gel propellants was conducted by Michaels. He used both triplet (two oxidizer orifices and one fuel orifice) and unlike impinging schemes to inject propellants tangentially along the chamber wall. Michaels called the subject injection scheme an Impinging Stream Vortex Chamber (ISVC). His preliminary tests showed that high performance, with an Isp efficiency of 9295, can be obtained. MSFC and the U. S. Army are jointly investigating an application of the ISVC concept for the cryogenic oxygen/hydrocarbon propellant system. This vortex chamber concept is currently tested with gel propellants at AMCOM at Redstone Arsenal, Alabama. A version of this concept for the liquid oxygen (LOX) hydrocarbon fuel (RP-1) system has been derived from the one for the gel propellant. An unlike impinging injector was employed to deliver the propellants to the chamber. MSFC is also conducting an alternative injection scheme, called the chasing injector, associated with this vortex chamber concept. In this injection technique, both propellant jets and their impingement point are in the same chamber cross-sectional plane. Long duration tests (approximately up to 15 seconds) will be conducted on the ISVC to study the thermal effects. This paper will report the progress of the subject efforts at NASA Marshall Space Flight Center. Thrust chamber performance and thermal wall compatibility will be evaluated. The chamber pressures, wall temperatures, and thrust will be measured as appropriate. The test data will be used to validate CFD models, which, in turn, will be used to design the optimum vortex chambers. Measurements in the previous tests showed that the chamber pressures vary significantly with radius. This is due to the existence of the vortices in the chamber flow field. Hence, the combustion efficiency may not be easily determined from chamber pressure. For this project, measured thrust data will be collected. The performance comparison will be in terms of specific impulse efficiencies. In addition to the thrust measurements, several pressure and temperature readings at various locations on the chamber head faceplate and the chamber wall will be made. The first injector and chamber were designed and fabricated based on the available data and experience gained during gel propellant system tests by the U.S. Army. The alternate injector for the ISVC was also fabricated. Hot-fire tests of the vortex chamber are about to start and are expected to complete in February of 2003 at the TS115 facility of MSFC.

Engineering evaluation of SSME dynamic data from engine tests and SSV flights

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1986-01-01

An engineering evaluation of dynamic data from SSME hot firing tests and SSV flights is summarized. The basic objective of the study is to provide analyses of vibration, strain and dynamic pressure measurements in support of MSFC performance and reliability improvement programs. A brief description of the SSME test program is given and a typical test evaluation cycle reviewed. Data banks generated to characterize SSME component dynamic characteristics are described and statistical analyses performed on these data base measurements are discussed. Analytical models applied to define the dynamic behavior of SSME components (such as turbopump bearing elements and the flight accelerometer safety cut-off system) are also summarized. Appendices are included to illustrate some typical tasks performed under this study.

Effect of engine shroud configuration on the static aerodynamic characteristics of a 0.00563 scale 142-inch diameter solid rocket booster (SA10F)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Johnson, J. D.; Braddock, W. F.

1974-01-01

A test of a 0.563 percent scale space shuttle Solid Rocket Booster (SRB) model, MSFC Model 449, was conducted in a trisonic wind tunnel. Test Mach numbers were 0.4, 0.6, 0.9, 1.2, 1.96, 3.48, 4.0, 4.45, and 4.96. Test angles-of-attack ranged from minus 10 degrees to 190 degrees. Test Reynolds numbers ranged from 3.0 million per foot to 8.6 million per foot. Test roll angles were 0, 11.25, 22.5, 45, and 90 degrees. In addition to the static stability evaluation of the primary SRB configuration, five parametric investigations were made: (1) effect of Reynolds number, (2) effect of engine shroud flare angle, (3) effect of engine shroud length, (4) effect of engine shroud strakes, and (5) effect of engine shroud strakes and trust vector control bottles.

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.

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.

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.

Enhancements to the Engine Data Interpretation System (EDIS)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hofmann, Martin O.

1993-01-01

The Engine Data Interpretation System (EDIS) expert system project assists the data review personnel at NASA/MSFC in performing post-test data analysis and engine diagnosis of the Space Shuttle Main Engine (SSME). EDIS uses knowledge of the engine, its components, and simple thermodynamic principles instead of, and in addition to, heuristic rules gathered from the engine experts. EDIS reasons in cooperation with human experts, following roughly the pattern of logic exhibited by human experts. EDIS concentrates on steady-state static faults, such as small leaks, and component degradations, such as pump efficiencies. The objective of this contract was to complete the set of engine component models, integrate heuristic rules into EDIS, integrate the Power Balance Model into EDIS, and investigate modification of the qualitative reasoning mechanisms to allow 'fuzzy' value classification. The results of this contract is an operational version of EDIS. EDIS will become a module of the Post-Test Diagnostic System (PTDS) and will, in this context, provide system-level diagnostic capabilities which integrate component-specific findings provided by other modules.

How to Boost Engineering Support Via Web 2.0 - Seeds for the Ares Project...and/or Yours?

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Scott, David W.

2010-01-01

The Mission Operations Laboratory (MOL) at Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) is responsible for Engineering Support capability for NASA s Ares launch system development. In pursuit of this, MOL is building the Ares Engineering and Operations Network (AEON), a web-based portal intended to provide a seamless interface to support and simplify two critical activities: a) Access and analyze Ares manufacturing, test, and flight performance data, with access to Shuttle data for comparison. b) Provide archive storage for engineering instrumentation data to support engineering design, development, and test. A mix of NASA-written and COTS software provides engineering analysis tools. A by-product of using a data portal to access and display data is access to collaborative tools inherent in a Web 2.0 environment. This paper discusses how Web 2.0 techniques, particularly social media, might be applied to the traditionally conservative and formal engineering support arena. A related paper by the author [1] considers use

Enhancements to the Engine Data Interpretation System (EDIS)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hofmann, Martin O.

1993-01-01

The Engine Data Interpretation System (EDIS) expert system project assists the data review personnel at NASA/MSFC in performing post-test data analysis and engine diagnosis of the Space Shuttle Main Engine (SSME). EDIS uses knowledge of the engine, its components, and simple thermodynamic principles instead of, and in addition to, heuristic rules gathered from the engine experts. EDIS reasons in cooperation with human experts, following roughly the pattern of logic exhibited by human experts. EDIS concentrates on steady-state static faults, such as small leaks, and component degradations, such as pump efficiencies. The objective of this contract was to complete the set of engine component models, integrate heuristic rules into EDIS, integrate the Power Balance Model into EDIS, and investigate modification of the qualitative reasoning mechanisms to allow 'fuzzy' value classification. The result of this contract is an operational version of EDIS. EDIS will become a module of the Post-Test Diagnostic System (PTDS) and will, in this context, provide system-level diagnostic capabilities which integrate component-specific findings provided by other modules.

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.

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.

Investigation of Space Based Solid State Coherent Lidar

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Amzajerdian, Farzin

2002-01-01

This report describes the work performed over the period of October 1, 1997 through March 31, 2001. Under this contract, UAH/CAO participated in defining and designing the SPAce Readiness Coherent Lidar Experiment (SPARCLE) mission, and developed the instrument's optical subsystem. This work was performed in collaborative fashion with NASA/MSFC engineers at both UAH/CAO and NASA/MSFC facilities. Earlier work by the UAH/CAO had produced a preliminary top-level system design for the Shuttle lidar instrument meeting the proposed mission performance requirements and the Space Shuttle Hitchhiker canister volume constraints. The UAH/CAO system design efforts had concentrated on the optical and mechanical designs of the instrument. The instrument electronics were also addressed, and the major electronic components and their interfaces defined. The instrument design concept was mainly based on the state of the transmitter and local oscillator laser development at NASA Langley Research Center and Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and utilized several lidar-related technologies that were either developed or evaluated by the NASA/MSFC and UAH/CAO scientists. UAH/CAO has developed a comprehensive coherent lidar numerical model capable of analyzing the performance of different instrument and mission concepts. This model uses the instrument configuration, atmospheric conditions and current velocity estimation theory to provide prediction of instrument performance during different phases of operation. This model can also optimize the design parameters of the instrument.

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.

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)

The Effect of Acoustic Disturbances on the Operation of the Space Shuttle Main Engine Fuel Flowmeter

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Marcu, Bogdan; Szabo, Roland; Dorney, Dan; Zoladz, Tom

2007-01-01

The Space Shuttle Main Engine (SSME) uses a turbine fuel flowmeter (FFM) in its Low Pressure Fuel Duct (LPFD) to measure liquid hydrogen flowrates during engine operation. The flowmeter is required to provide accurate and robust measurements of flow rates ranging from 10000 to 18000 GPM in an environment contaminated by duct vibration and duct internal acoustic disturbances. Errors exceeding 0.5% can have a significant impact on engine operation and mission completion. The accuracy of each sensor is monitored during hot-fire engine tests on the ground. Flow meters which do not meet requirements are not flown. Among other parameters, the device is screened for a specific behavior in which a small shift in the flow rate reading is registered during a period in which the actual fuel flow as measured by a facility meter does not change. Such behavior has been observed over the years for specific builds of the FFM and must be avoided or limited in magnitude in flight. Various analyses of the recorded data have been made prior to this report in an effort to understand the cause of the phenomenon; however, no conclusive cause for the shift in the instrument behavior has been found. The present report proposes an explanation of the phenomenon based on interactions between acoustic pressure disturbances in the duct and the wakes produced by the FFM flow straightener. Physical insight into the effects of acoustic plane wave disturbances was obtained using a simple analytical model. Based on that model, a series of three-dimensional unsteady viscous flow computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations were performed using the MSFC PHANTOM turbomachinery code. The code was customized to allow the FFM rotor speed to change at every time step according to the instantaneous fluid forces on the rotor, that, in turn, are affected by acoustic plane pressure waves propagating through the device. The results of the simulations show the variation in the rotation rate of the flowmeter due to the interaction of the flow straightener wakes and the upstream propagating acoustic waves. A detailed analysis of the acoustic disturbance effects is presented along with an assessment of the impact on measurement accuracy.

Advanced electric motor technology flux mapping

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Doane, George B., III; Campbell, Warren; Dean, Garvin

1993-01-01

Design of electric motors which fulfill the needs of Thrust Vector Control (TVC) actuators used in large rocket propelled launch vehicles is covered. To accomplish this end the methodology of design is laid out in some detail. In addition a point design of a motor to fulfill the requirements of a certain actuator specified by MSFC is accomplished and reported upon. In the course of this design great stress has been placed on ridding the actuator of internally generated heat. To conduct the heat out of the motor use is made of the unique properties of the in house MSFC designed driving electronics. This property is that as along as they are operated in a quasi-linear mode the electronics nullify the effects of armature inductance as far as the phase of the armature current versus the rotor position is concerned. Actually the additional inductance due to the extended end turns in this design is of benefit because in the shorted armature failure mode the armature current in the fault (caused by the rotor flux sweeping past the armature) is diminished at a given rotor speed when compared to a more conventional motor with lower inductance. The magnetic circuit is analyzed using electromagnetic finite element methods.

NASA's Space Launch System Takes Shape

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Askins, Bruce; Robinson, Kimberly F.

2017-01-01

Major hardware and software for NASA's Space Launch System (SLS) began rolling off assembly lines in 2016, setting the stage for critical testing in 2017 and the launch of a major new capability for deep space human exploration. SLS continues to pursue a 2018 first launch of Exploration Mission 1 (EM-1). At NASA's Michoud Assembly Facility near New Orleans, LA, Boeing completed welding of structural test and flight liquid hydrogen tanks, and engine sections. Test stands for core stage structural tests at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, AL. neared completion. The B2 test stand at NASA's Stennis Space Center, MS, completed major structural renovation to support core stage green run testing in 2018. Orbital ATK successfully test fired its second qualification solid rocket motor in the Utah desert and began casting the motor segments for EM-1. Aerojet Rocketdyne completed its series of test firings to adapt the heritage RS-25 engine to SLS performance requirements. Production is under way on the first five new engine controllers. NASA also signed a contract with Aerojet Rocketdyne for propulsion of the RL10 engines for the Exploration Upper Stage. United Launch Alliance delivered the structural test article for the Interim Cryogenic Propulsion Stage to MSFC for tests and construction was under way on the flight stage. Flight software testing at MSFC, including power quality and command and data handling, was completed. Substantial progress is planned for 2017. Liquid oxygen tank production will be completed at Michoud. Structural testing at Marshall will get under way. RS-25 hotfire testing will verify the new engine controllers. Core stage horizontal integration will begin. The core stage pathfinder mockup will arrive at the B2 test stand for fit checks and tests. EUS will complete preliminary design review. This paper will discuss the technical and programmatic successes and challenges of 2016 and look ahead to plans for 2017.

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. STA approaches Test Stand 4693, SLS LH2 test Stand, on way to Bldg. 4619

Overview of MSFC's Applied Fluid Dynamics Analysis Group Activities

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Garcia, Roberto; Griffin, Lisa; Williams, Robert

2002-01-01

This viewgraph report presents an overview of activities and accomplishments of NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center's Applied Fluid Dynamics Analysis Group. Expertise in this group focuses on high-fidelity fluids design and analysis with application to space shuttle propulsion and next generation launch technologies. Topics covered include: computational fluid dynamics research and goals, turbomachinery research and activities, nozzle research and activities, combustion devices, engine systems, MDA development and CFD process improvements.

High Head Unshrouded Impeller Pump Stage Technology

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Williams, Robert W.; Skelley, Stephen E.; Stewart, Eric T.; Droege, Alan R.; Prueger, George H.; Chen, Wei-Chung; Williams, Morgan; Turner, James E. (Technical Monitor)

2000-01-01

A team of engineers at NASA/MSFC and Boeing, Rocketdyne division, are developing unshrouded impeller technologies that will increase payload and decrease cost of future reusable launch vehicles. Using the latest analytical techniques and experimental data, a two-stage unshrouded fuel pump is being designed that will meet the performance requirements of a three-stage shrouded pump. Benefits of the new pump include lower manufacturing costs, reduced weight, and increased payload to orbit.

High Thermal Conductivity NARloy-Z-Diamond Composite Liner for Advanced Rocket Engines

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bhat, Biliyar; Greene, Sandra

2015-01-01

NARloy-Z (Cu-3Ag-0.5Zr) alloy is state-of-the-art combustion chamber liner material used in liquid propulsion engines such as the RS-68 and RS-25. The performance of future liquid propulsion systems can be improved significantly by increasing the heat transfer through the combustion chamber liner. Prior work1 done at NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) has shown that the thermal conductivity of NARloy-Z alloy can be improved significantly by embedding high thermal conductivity diamond particles in the alloy matrix to form NARloy-Z-diamond composite (fig. 1). NARloy-Z-diamond composite containing 40vol% diamond showed 69% higher thermal conductivity than NARloy-Z. It is 24% lighter than NARloy-Z and hence the density normalized thermal conductivity is 120% better. These attributes will improve the performance and life of the advanced rocket engines significantly. The research work consists of (a) developing design properties (thermal and mechanical) of NARloy-Z-D composite, (b) fabrication of net shape subscale combustion chamber liner, and (c) hot-fire testing of the liner to test performance. Initially, NARloy-Z-D composite slabs were made using the Field Assisted Sintering Technology (FAST) for the purpose of determining design properties. In the next step, a cylindrical shape was fabricated to demonstrate feasibility (fig. 3). The liner consists of six cylinders which are sintered separately and then stacked and diffusion bonded to make the liner (fig. 4). The liner will be heat treated, finish-machined, and assembled into a combustion chamber and hot-fire tested in the MSFC test facility (TF 115) to determine perform.

System for Anomaly and Failure Detection (SAFD) system development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Oreilly, D.

1992-01-01

This task specified developing the hardware and software necessary to implement the System for Anomaly and Failure Detection (SAFD) algorithm, developed under Technology Test Bed (TTB) Task 21, on the TTB engine stand. This effort involved building two units; one unit to be installed in the Block II Space Shuttle Main Engine (SSME) Hardware Simulation Lab (HSL) at Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC), and one unit to be installed at the TTB engine stand. Rocketdyne personnel from the HSL performed the task. The SAFD algorithm was developed as an improvement over the current redline system used in the Space Shuttle Main Engine Controller (SSMEC). Simulation tests and execution against previous hot fire tests demonstrated that the SAFD algorithm can detect engine failure as much as tens of seconds before the redline system recognized the failure. Although the current algorithm only operates during steady state conditions (engine not throttling), work is underway to expand the algorithm to work during transient condition.

Alternate Propulsion Subsystem Concepts Tripropellant Comparison Study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Levack, Daniel

1995-01-01

A study was conducted under MSFC contract NAS8-39210 to compare tripropellant and bipropellant engine configurations for the SSTO mission. The objective was to produce an 'apples-to-apples' comparison to isolate the effects of design implementation, designing company, year of design, or technologies included from the basic tripropellant/bipropellant comparison. Consequently, identical technologies were included (e.g., jet pumps) and the same design groundrules and practices were used. Engine power cycles were examined as were turbomachinery/preburner arrangements for each cycle. The bipropellant approach and two tripropellant approaches were separately optimized in terms of operating parameters: exit pressures, mixture ratios, thrust splits, etc. This briefing presents the results of the study including engine weights for both tripropellant and bipropellant engines; dry vehicle weight performance for a range of engine chamber pressures; discusses the basis for the results; examines vehicle performance due to engine cycles and the margin characteristics of various cycles; and identifies technologies with significant payoffs for this application.

Rocket Engine Health Management: Early Definition of Critical Flight Measurements

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Christenson, Rick L.; Nelson, Michael A.; Butas, John P.

2003-01-01

The NASA led Space Launch Initiative (SLI) program has established key requirements related to safety, reliability, launch availability and operations cost to be met by the next generation of reusable launch vehicles. Key to meeting these requirements will be an integrated vehicle health management ( M) system that includes sensors, harnesses, software, memory, and processors. Such a system must be integrated across all the vehicle subsystems and meet component, subsystem, and system requirements relative to fault detection, fault isolation, and false alarm rate. The purpose of this activity is to evolve techniques for defining critical flight engine system measurements-early within the definition of an engine health management system (EHMS). Two approaches, performance-based and failure mode-based, are integrated to provide a proposed set of measurements to be collected. This integrated approach is applied to MSFC s MC-1 engine. Early identification of measurements supports early identification of candidate sensor systems whose design and impacts to the engine components must be considered in engine design.

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

NASA Image and Video Library

2018-03-06

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. Members of MSFC Logistics Office and Move Team members gather for last minute instructions and safety briefing before off-loading STA hardware.

Tooling Foam for Structural Composite Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

DeLay, Tom; Smith, Brett H.; Ely, Kevin; MacArthur, Doug

1998-01-01

Tooling technology applications for composite structures fabrication have been expanded at MSFC's Productivity Enhancement Complex (PEC). Engineers from NASA/MSFC and Lockheed Martin Corporation have developed a tooling foam for use in composite materials processing and manufacturing that exhibits superior thermal and mechanical properties in comparison with other tooling foam materials. This tooling foam is also compatible with most preimpregnated composite resins such as epoxy, bismaleimide, phenolic and their associated cure cycles. MARCORE tooling foam has excellent processability for applications requiring either integral or removable tooling. It can also be tailored to meet the requirements for composite processing of parts with unlimited cross sectional area. A shelf life of at least six months is easily maintained when components are stored between 50F - 70F. The MARCORE tooling foam system is a two component urethane-modified polyisocyanurate, high density rigid foam with zero ozone depletion potential. This readily machineable, lightweight tooling foam is ideal for composite structures fabrication and is dimensionally stable at temperatures up to 350F and pressures of 100 psi.

Machanics of Granular Materials (MGM) Investigator

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2000-01-01

Key persornel in the Mechanics of Granular Materials (MGM) experiment include Khalid Alshibli, project scientist at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). Sand and soil grains have faces that can cause friction as they roll and slide against each other, or even cause sticking and form small voids between grains. This complex behavior can cause soil to behave like a liquid under certain conditions such as earthquakes or when powders are handled in industrial processes. MGM experiments aboard the Space Shuttle use the microgravity of space to simulate this behavior under conditions that cannot be achieved in laboratory tests on Earth. MGM is shedding light on the behavior of fine-grain materials under low effective stresses. Applications include earthquake engineering, granular flow technologies (such as powder feed systems for pharmaceuticals and fertilizers), and terrestrial and planetary geology. Nine MGM specimens have flown on two Space Shuttle flights. Another three are scheduled to fly on STS-107. The principal investigator is Stein Sture of the University of Colorado at Boulder. (Credit: MSFC).

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.

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.

The MSFC Solar Activity Future Estimation (MSAFE) Model

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Suggs, Ron

2017-01-01

The Natural Environments Branch of the Engineering Directorate at Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) provides solar cycle forecasts for NASA space flight programs and the aerospace community. These forecasts provide future statistical estimates of sunspot number, solar radio 10.7 cm flux (F10.7), and the geomagnetic planetary index, Ap, for input to various space environment models. For example, many thermosphere density computer models used in spacecraft operations, orbital lifetime analysis, and the planning of future spacecraft missions require as inputs the F10.7 and Ap. The solar forecast is updated each month by executing MSAFE using historical and the latest month's observed solar indices to provide estimates for the balance of the current solar cycle. The forecasted solar indices represent the 13-month smoothed values consisting of a best estimate value stated as a 50 percentile value along with approximate +/- 2 sigma values stated as 95 and 5 percentile statistical values. This presentation will give an overview of the MSAFE model and the forecast for the current solar cycle.

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.

Numerical Modeling of an Integrated Vehicle Fluids System Loop for Pressurizing a Cryogenic Tank

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

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

2017-01-01

This paper presents a numerical model of the pressurization loop of the Integrated Vehicle Fluids (IVF) system using the Generalized Fluid System Simulation Program (GFSSP). The IVF propulsion system, being developed by United Launch Alliance to reduce system weight and enhance reliability, uses boiloff propellants to drive thrusters for the reaction control system as well as to run internal combustion engines to develop power and drive compressors to pressurize propellant tanks. NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) conducted tests to verify the functioning of the IVF system using a flight-like tank. GFSSP, a finite volume based flow network analysis software developed at MSFC, has been used to support the test program. This paper presents the simulation of three different test series, comparison of numerical prediction and test data and a novel method of presenting data in a dimensionless form. The paper also presents a methodology of implementing a compressor map in a system level code.

Several Flame Balls Burning

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2003-01-01

The Structure of Flameballs at Low Lewis Numbers (SOFBALL) experiments aboard the space shuttle in 1997 a series of sturningly successful burns. This sequence was taken during STS-94, July 12, 1997, MET:10/08:18 (approximate). It was thought these extremely dim flameballs (1/20 the power of a kitchen match) could last up to 200 seconds -- in fact, they can last for at least 500 seconds. This has ramifications in fuel-spray design in combustion engines, as well as fire safety in space. The SOFBALL principal investigator was Paul Ronney, University of Southern California, Los Angeles. The experiment was part of the space research investigations conducted during the Microgravity Science Laboratory-1R mission (STS-94, July 1-17 1997). Advanced combustion experiments will be a part of investigations planned for the International Space Station. (925KB, 9-second MPEG spanning 10 minutes, screen 320 x 240 pixels; downlinked video, higher quality not available) A still JPG composite of this movie is available at http://mix.msfc.nasa.gov/ABSTRACTS/MSFC-0300186.html.

Flame Balls

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2003-01-01

The Structure of Flameballs at Low Lewis Numbers (SOFBALL) experiments aboard the space shuttle in 1997 a series of sturningly successful burns. This sequence was taken during STS-94, July 12, 1997, MET:10/08:18 (approximate). It was thought these extremely dim flameballs (1/20 the power of a kitchen match) could last up to 200 seconds -- in fact, they can last for at least 500 seconds. This has ramifications in fuel-spray design in combustion engines, as well as fire safety in space. The SOFBALL principal investigator was Paul Ronney, University of Southern California, Los Angeles. The experiment was part of the space research investigations conducted during the Microgravity Science Laboratory-1R mission (STS-94, July 1-17 1997). Advanced combustion experiments will be a part of investigations planned for the International Space Station. (563KB JPEG, 1798 x 1350 pixels; downlinked video, higher quality not available) The MPG from which this composite was made is available at http://mix.msfc.nasa.gov/ABSTRACTS/MSFC-0300187.html.

Around Marshall

NASA Image and Video Library

2004-02-01

Andy Jenkins, an engineer for the Lab on a Chip Applications Development program, helped build the Applications Development Unit (ADU-25), a one-of-a-kind facility for controlling and analyzing processes on chips with extreme accuracy. Pressure is used to cause fluids to travel through network of fluid pathways, or micro-channels, embossed on the chips through a process similar to the one used to print circuits on computer chips. To make customized chips for various applications, NASA has an agreement with the U.S. Army's Micro devices and Micro fabrication Laboratory at Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama, where NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) is located. The Marshall Center team is also collaborating with scientists at other NASA centers and at universities to develop custom chip designs for many applications, such as studying how fluidic systems work in spacecraft and identifying microbes in self-contained life support systems. Chips could even be designed for use on Earth, such as for detecting deadly microbes in heating and air systems. (NASA/MSFC/D.Stoffer)

Microgravity

NASA Image and Video Library

2000-07-01

Key persornel in the Mechanics of Granular Materials (MGM) experiment include Khalid Alshibli, project scientist at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). Sand and soil grains have faces that can cause friction as they roll and slide against each other, or even cause sticking and form small voids between grains. This complex behavior can cause soil to behave like a liquid under certain conditions such as earthquakes or when powders are handled in industrial processes. MGM experiments aboard the Space Shuttle use the microgravity of space to simulate this behavior under conditions that cannot be achieved in laboratory tests on Earth. MGM is shedding light on the behavior of fine-grain materials under low effective stresses. Applications include earthquake engineering, granular flow technologies (such as powder feed systems for pharmaceuticals and fertilizers), and terrestrial and planetary geology. Nine MGM specimens have flown on two Space Shuttle flights. Another three are scheduled to fly on STS-107. The principal investigator is Stein Sture of the University of Colorado at Boulder. (Credit: MSFC).

Around Marshall

NASA Image and Video Library

1961-12-22

At its founding, the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) inherited the Army’s Jupiter and Redstone test stands, but much larger facilities were needed for the giant stages of the Saturn V. From 1960 to 1964, the existing stands were remodeled and a sizable new test area was developed. The new comprehensive test complex for propulsion and structural dynamics was unique within the nation and the free world, and they remain so today because they were constructed with foresight to meet the future as well as on going needs. Construction of the S-IC Static test stand complex began in 1961 in the west test area of MSFC, and was completed in 1964. The S-IC static test stand was designed to develop and test the 138-ft long and 33-ft diameter Saturn V S-IC first stage, or booster stage, weighing in at 280,000 pounds. Required to hold down the brute force of a 7,500,000-pound thrust produced by 5 F-1 engines, the S-IC static test stand was designed and constructed with the strength of hundreds of tons of steel and 12,000,000 pounds of cement, planted down to bedrock 40 feet below ground level. The foundation walls, constructed with concrete and steel, are 4 feet thick. The base structure consists of four towers with 40-foot-thick walls extending upward 144 feet above ground level. The structure was topped by a crane with a 135-foot boom. With the boom in the upright position, the stand was given an overall height of 405 feet, placing it among the highest structures in Alabama at the time. Construction of the S-IC test stand came to a halt at the end of September as the determination was made that the Saturn booster size had to be increased. As a result, the stand had to be modified. With construction delayed, and pumps turned off, this photo, taken December 22, 1961, shows danger signs posted around the abandoned site with floods nearing the top. The flooding was caused by the disturbance of a natural spring months prior during the excavation of the site.

Around Marshall

NASA Image and Video Library

1962-03-15

At its founding, the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) inherited the Army’s Jupiter and Redstone test stands, but much larger facilities were needed for the giant stages of the Saturn V. From 1960 to 1964, the existing stands were remodeled and a sizable new test area was developed. The new comprehensive test complex for propulsion and structural dynamics was unique within the nation and the free world, and they remain so today because they were constructed with foresight to meet the future as well as on going needs. Construction of the S-IC Static test stand complex began in 1961 in the west test area of MSFC, and was completed in 1964. The S-IC static test stand was designed to develop and test the 138-ft long and 33-ft diameter Saturn V S-IC first stage, or booster stage, weighing in at 280,000 pounds. Required to hold down the brute force of a 7,500,000-pound thrust produced by 5 F-1 engines, the S-IC static test stand was designed and constructed with the strength of hundreds of tons of steel and 12,000,000 pounds of cement, planted down to bedrock 40 feet below ground level. The foundation walls, constructed with concrete and steel, are 4 feet thick. The base structure consists of four towers with 40-foot-thick walls extending upward 144 feet above ground level. The structure was topped by a crane with a 135-foot boom. With the boom in the upright position, the stand was given an overall height of 405 feet, placing it among the highest structures in Alabama at the time. Construction of the S-IC test stand came to a halt at the end of September as the determination was made that the Saturn booster size had to be increased. As a result, the stand had to be modified. With construction delayed, and pumps turned off, this photo, taken March 15, 1962, shows danger signs posted around the abandoned, flooded site. The flooding was caused by the disturbance of a natural spring months prior during the excavation of the site.

Around Marshall

NASA Image and Video Library

1961-12-04

At its founding, the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) inherited the Army’s Jupiter and Redstone test stands, but much larger facilities were needed for the giant stages of the Saturn V. From 1960 to 1964, the existing stands were remodeled and a sizable new test area was developed. The new comprehensive test complex for propulsion and structural dynamics was unique within the nation and the free world, and they remain so today because they were constructed with foresight to meet the future as well as on going needs. Construction of the S-IC Static test stand complex began in 1961 in the west test area of MSFC, and was completed in 1964. The S-IC static test stand was designed to develop and test the 138-ft long and 33-ft diameter Saturn V S-IC first stage, or booster stage, weighing in at 280,000 pounds. Required to hold down the brute force of a 7,500,000-pound thrust produced by 5 F-1 engines, the S-IC static test stand was designed and constructed with the strength of hundreds of tons of steel and 12,000,000 pounds of cement, planted down to bedrock 40 feet below ground level. The foundation walls, constructed with concrete and steel, are 4 feet thick. The base structure consists of four towers with 40-foot-thick walls extending upward 144 feet above ground level. The structure was topped by a crane with a 135-foot boom. With the boom in the upright position, the stand was given an overall height of 405 feet, placing it among the highest structures in Alabama at the time. Construction of the S-IC test stand came to a halt at the end of September as the determination was made that the Saturn booster size had to be increased. As a result, the stand had to be modified. With construction delayed, and pumps turned off, this photo, taken December 4, 1961, shows the abandoned site with floods at the 11 ft mark. The flooding was caused by the disturbance of a natural spring months prior during the excavation of the site.

Around Marshall

NASA Image and Video Library

1961-12-18

At its founding, the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) inherited the Army’s Jupiter and Redstone test stands, but much larger facilities were needed for the giant stages of the Saturn V. From 1960 to 1964, the existing stands were remodeled and a sizable new test area was developed. The new comprehensive test complex for propulsion and structural dynamics was unique within the nation and the free world, and they remain so today because they were constructed with foresight to meet the future as well as on going needs. Construction of the S-IC Static test stand complex began in 1961 in the west test area of MSFC, and was completed in 1964. The S-IC static test stand was designed to develop and test the 138-ft long and 33-ft diameter Saturn V S-IC first stage, or booster stage, weighing in at 280,000 pounds. Required to hold down the brute force of a 7,500,000-pound thrust produced by 5 F-1 engines, the S-IC static test stand was designed and constructed with the strength of hundreds of tons of steel and 12,000,000 pounds of cement, planted down to bedrock 40 feet below ground level. The foundation walls, constructed with concrete and steel, are 4 feet thick. The base structure consists of four towers with 40-foot-thick walls extending upward 144 feet above ground level. The structure was topped by a crane with a 135-foot boom. With the boom in the upright position, the stand was given an overall height of 405 feet, placing it among the highest structures in Alabama at the time. Construction of the S-IC test stand came to a halt at the end of September as the determination was made that the Saturn booster size had to be increased. As a result, the stand had to be modified. With construction delayed, and pumps turned off, this photo, taken December 18, 1961, shows the abandoned site entirely flooded. The flooding was caused by the disturbance of a natural spring months prior during the excavation of the site.

Around Marshall

NASA Image and Video Library

1961-12-11

At its founding, the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) inherited the Army’s Jupiter and Redstone test stands, but much larger facilities were needed for the giant stages of the Saturn V. From 1960 to 1964, the existing stands were remodeled and a sizable new test area was developed. The new comprehensive test complex for propulsion and structural dynamics was unique within the nation and the free world, and they remain so today because they were constructed with foresight to meet the future as well as on going needs. Construction of the S-IC Static test stand complex began in 1961 in the west test area of MSFC, and was completed in 1964. The S-IC static test stand was designed to develop and test the 138-ft long and 33-ft diameter Saturn V S-IC first stage, or booster stage, weighing in at 280,000 pounds. Required to hold down the brute force of a 7,500,000-pound thrust produced by 5 F-1 engines, the S-IC static test stand was designed and constructed with the strength of hundreds of tons of steel and 12,000,000 pounds of cement, planted down to bedrock 40 feet below ground level. The foundation walls, constructed with concrete and steel, are 4 feet thick. The base structure consists of four towers with 40-foot-thick walls extending upward 144 feet above ground level. The structure was topped by a crane with a 135-foot boom. With the boom in the upright position, the stand was given an overall height of 405 feet, placing it among the highest structures in Alabama at the time. Construction of the S-IC test stand came to a halt at the end of September as the determination was made that the Saturn booster size had to be increased. As a result, the stand had to be modified. With construction delayed, and pumps turned off, this photo, taken December 11, 1961, shows the abandoned site with floods above the 18 ft mark. The flooding was caused by the disturbance of a natural spring months prior during the excavation of the site.

Around Marshall

NASA Image and Video Library

1961-12-01

At its founding, the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) inherited the Army’s Jupiter and Redstone test stands, but much larger facilities were needed for the giant stages of the Saturn V. From 1960 to 1964, the existing stands were remodeled and a sizable new test area was developed. The new comprehensive test complex for propulsion and structural dynamics was unique within the nation and the free world, and they remain so today because they were constructed with foresight to meet the future as well as on going needs. Construction of the S-IC Static test stand complex began in 1961 in the west test area of MSFC, and was completed in 1964. The S-IC static test stand was designed to develop and test the 138-ft long and 33-ft diameter Saturn V S-IC first stage, or booster stage, weighing in at 280,000 pounds. Required to hold down the brute force of a 7,500,000-pound thrust produced by 5 F-1 engines, the S-IC static test stand was designed and constructed with the strength of hundreds of tons of steel and 12,000,000 pounds of cement, planted down to bedrock 40 feet below ground level. The foundation walls, constructed with concrete and steel, are 4 feet thick. The base structure consists of four towers with 40-foot-thick walls extending upward 144 feet above ground level. The structure was topped by a crane with a 135-foot boom. With the boom in the upright position, the stand was given an overall height of 405 feet, placing it among the highest structures in Alabama at the time. Construction of the S-IC test stand came to a halt at the end of September as the determination was made that the Saturn booster size had to be increased. As a result, the stand had to be modified. With construction delayed, and pumps turned off, this photo, taken December 1, 1961, shows the abandoned site with floods at the 6 ft mark. The flooding was caused by the disturbance of a natural spring months prior during the excavation of the site.

n/a

NASA Image and Video Library

1961-12-11

At its founding, the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) inherited the Army’s Jupiter and Redstone test stands, but much larger facilities were needed for the giant stages of the Saturn V. From 1960 to 1964, the existing stands were remodeled and a sizable new test area was developed. The new comprehensive test complex for propulsion and structural dynamics was unique within the nation and the free world, and they remain so today because they were constructed with foresight to meet the future as well as on going needs. Construction of the S-IC Static test stand complex began in 1961 in the west test area of MSFC, and was completed in 1964. The S-IC static test stand was designed to develop and test the 138-ft long and 33-ft diameter Saturn V S-IC first stage, or booster stage, weighing in at 280,000 pounds. Required to hold down the brute force of a 7,500,000-pound thrust produced by 5 F-1 engines, the S-IC static test stand was designed and constructed with the strength of hundreds of tons of steel and 12,000,000 pounds of cement, planted down to bedrock 40 feet below ground level. The foundation walls, constructed with concrete and steel, are 4 feet thick. The base structure consists of four towers with 40-foot-thick walls extending upward 144 feet above ground level. The structure was topped by a crane with a 135-foot boom. With the boom in the upright position, the stand was given an overall height of 405 feet, placing it among the highest structures in Alabama at the time. Construction of the S-IC test stand came to a halt at the end of September as the determination was made that the Saturn booster size had to be increased. As a result, the stand had to be modified. With construction delayed, and pumps turned off, this photo, taken December 11, 1961, shows the abandoned site with floods above the 18 ft mark. The flooding was caused by the disturbance of a natural spring months prior during the excavation of the site.

Around Marshall

NASA Image and Video Library

1961-12-08

At its founding, the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) inherited the Army’s Jupiter and Redstone test stands, but much larger facilities were needed for the giant stages of the Saturn V. From 1960 to 1964, the existing stands were remodeled and a sizable new test area was developed. The new comprehensive test complex for propulsion and structural dynamics was unique within the nation and the free world, and they remain so today because they were constructed with foresight to meet the future as well as on going needs. Construction of the S-IC Static test stand complex began in 1961 in the west test area of MSFC, and was completed in 1964. The S-IC static test stand was designed to develop and test the 138-ft long and 33-ft diameter Saturn V S-IC first stage, or booster stage, weighing in at 280,000 pounds. Required to hold down the brute force of a 7,500,000-pound thrust produced by 5 F-1 engines, the S-IC static test stand was designed and constructed with the strength of hundreds of tons of steel and 12,000,000 pounds of cement, planted down to bedrock 40 feet below ground level. The foundation walls, constructed with concrete and steel, are 4 feet thick. The base structure consists of four towers with 40-foot-thick walls extending upward 144 feet above ground level. The structure was topped by a crane with a 135-foot boom. With the boom in the upright position, the stand was given an overall height of 405 feet, placing it among the highest structures in Alabama at the time. Construction of the S-IC test stand came to a halt at the end of September as the determination was made that the Saturn booster size had to be increased. As a result, the stand had to be modified. With construction delayed, and pumps turned off, this photo, taken December 8, 1961, shows the abandoned site with floods at the 16 ft mark. The flooding was caused by the disturbance of a natural spring months prior during the excavation of the site.

Around Marshall

NASA Image and Video Library

1961-12-04

At its founding, the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) inherited the Army’s Jupiter and Redstone test stands, but much larger facilities were needed for the giant stages of the Saturn V. From 1960 to 1964, the existing stands were remodeled and a sizable new test area was developed. The new comprehensive test complex for propulsion and structural dynamics was unique within the nation and the free world, and they remain so today because they were constructed with foresight to meet the future as well as on going needs. Construction of the S-IC Static test stand complex began in 1961 in the west test area of MSFC, and was completed in 1964. The S-IC static test stand was designed to develop and test the 138-ft long and 33-ft diameter Saturn V S-IC first stage, or booster stage, weighing in at 280,000 pounds. Required to hold down the brute force of a 7,500,000-pound thrust produced by 5 F-1 engines, the S-IC static test stand was designed and constructed with the strength of hundreds of tons of steel and 12,000,000 pounds of cement, planted down to bedrock 40 feet below ground level. The foundation walls, constructed with concrete and steel, are 4 feet thick. The base structure consists of four towers with 40-foot-thick walls extending upward 144 feet above ground level. The structure was topped by a crane with a 135-foot boom. With the boom in the upright position, the stand was given an overall height of 405 feet, placing it among the highest structures in Alabama at the time. Construction of the S-IC test stand came to a halt at the end of September as the determination was made that the Saturn booster size had to be increased. As a result, the stand would have to be modified. With construction delayed, and pumps turned off, this photo, taken December 4, 1961, shows the abandoned site with floods at the 11 ft mark. The flooding was caused by the disturbance of a natural spring months prior during the excavation of the site.

Around Marshall

NASA Image and Video Library

1961-12-14

At its founding, the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) inherited the Army’s Jupiter and Redstone test stands, but much larger facilities were needed for the giant stages of the Saturn V. From 1960 to 1964, the existing stands were remodeled and a sizable new test area was developed. The new comprehensive test complex for propulsion and structural dynamics was unique within the nation and the free world, and they remain so today because they were constructed with foresight to meet the future as well as on going needs. Construction of the S-IC Static test stand complex began in 1961 in the west test area of MSFC, and was completed in 1964. The S-IC static test stand was designed to develop and test the 138-ft long and 33-ft diameter Saturn V S-IC first stage, or booster stage, weighing in at 280,000 pounds. Required to hold down the brute force of a 7,500,000-pound thrust produced by 5 F-1 engines, the S-IC static test stand was designed and constructed with the strength of hundreds of tons of steel and 12,000,000 pounds of cement, planted down to bedrock 40 feet below ground level. The foundation walls, constructed with concrete and steel, are 4 feet thick. The base structure consists of four towers with 40-foot-thick walls extending upward 144 feet above ground level. The structure was topped by a crane with a 135-foot boom. With the boom in the upright position, the stand was given an overall height of 405 feet, placing it among the highest structures in Alabama at the time. Construction of the S-IC test stand came to a halt at the end of September as the determination was made that the Saturn booster size had to be increased. As a result, the stand had to be modified. With construction delayed, and pumps turned off, this photo, taken December 14, 1961, shows the abandoned site entirely flooded. The flooding was caused by the disturbance of a natural spring months prior during the excavation of the site.

Around Marshall

NASA Image and Video Library

1962-02-02

At its founding, the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) inherited the Army’s Jupiter and Redstone test stands, but much larger facilities were needed for the giant stages of the Saturn V. From 1960 to 1964, the existing stands were remodeled and a sizable new test area was developed. The new comprehensive test complex for propulsion and structural dynamics was unique within the nation and the free world, and they remain so today because they were constructed with foresight to meet the future as well as on going needs. Construction of the S-IC Static test stand complex began in 1961 in the west test area of MSFC, and was completed in 1964. The S-IC static test stand was designed to develop and test the 138-ft long and 33-ft diameter Saturn V S-IC first stage, or booster stage, weighing in at 280,000 pounds. Required to hold down the brute force of a 7,500,000-pound thrust produced by 5 F-1 engines, the S-IC static test stand was designed and constructed with the strength of hundreds of tons of steel and 12,000,000 pounds of cement, planted down to bedrock 40 feet below ground level. The foundation walls, constructed with concrete and steel, are 4 feet thick. The base structure consists of four towers with 40-foot-thick walls extending upward 144 feet above ground level. The structure was topped by a crane with a 135-foot boom. With the boom in the upright position, the stand was given an overall height of 405 feet, placing it among the highest structures in Alabama at the time. Construction of the S-IC test stand came to a halt at the end of September as the determination was made that the Saturn booster size had to be increased. As a result, the stand had to be modified. With construction delayed, and pumps turned off, this photo, taken February 2, 1962, shows the abandoned flooded site. The flooding was caused by the disturbance of a natural spring months prior during the excavation of the site.

Predictive Evaluations of Oxygen-Rich Hydrocarbon Combustion Gas-Centered Swirl Coaxial Injectors using a Flamelet-Based 3-D CFD Simulation Approach

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Richardson, Brian R.; Braman, Kalem; West, Jeff

2016-01-01

NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) has embarked upon a joint project with the Air Force to improve the state-of-the-art of space application combustion device design and operational understanding. One goal of the project is to design, build and hot-fire test a 40,000 pound-thrust Oxygen/Rocket Propellant-2 (RP-2) Oxygen-Rich staged engine at MSFC. The overall project goals afford the opportunity to test multiple different injector designs and experimentally evaluate the any effect on the engine performance and combustion dynamics. To maximize the available test resources and benefits, pre-test, combusting flow, Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) analysis was performed on the individual injectors to guide the design. The results of the CFD analysis were used to design the injectors for specific, targeted fluid dynamic features and the analysis results also provided some predictive input for acoustic and thermal analysis of the main Thrust Chamber Assembly (TCA). MSFC has developed and demonstrated the ability to utilize a computationally efficient, flamelet-based combustion model to guide the pre-test design of single-element Gas Centered Swirl Coaxial (GCSC) injectors. Previous, Oxygen/RP-2 simulation models utilizing the Loci-STREAM flow solver, were validated using single injector test data from the EC-1 Air Force test facility. The simulation effort herein is an extension of the validated, CFD driven, single-injector design approach applied to single injectors which will be part of a larger engine array. Time-accurate, Three-Dimensional, CFD simulations were performed for five different classes of injector geometries. Simulations were performed to guide the design of the injector to achieve a variety of intended performance goals. For example, two GCSC injectors were designed to achieve stable hydrodynamic behavior of the propellant circuits while providing the largest thermal margin possible within the design envelope. While another injector was designed to purposefully create a hydrodynamic instability in the fuel supply circuit as predicted by the CFD analysis. Future multi-injector analysis and testing will indicate what if any changes occur in the predicted behavior for the single-element injector when the same injector geometry is placed in a multi-element array.

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.

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. STA enters West Test Area from intersection of Dodd and Saturn roads. Onlookers take photos with Historic Dynamic Test Stand in background.

Tailoring Enterprise Systems Engineering Policy for Project Scale and Complexity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cox, Renee I.; Thomas, L. Dale

2014-01-01

Space systems are characterized by varying degrees of scale and complexity. Accordingly, cost-effective implementation of systems engineering also varies depending on scale and complexity. Recognizing that systems engineering and integration happen everywhere and at all levels of a given system and that the life cycle is an integrated process necessary to mature a design, the National Aeronautic and Space Administration's (NASA's) Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) has developed a suite of customized implementation approaches based on project scale and complexity. While it may be argued that a top-level system engineering process is common to and indeed desirable across an enterprise for all space systems, implementation of that top-level process and the associated products developed as a result differ from system to system. The implementation approaches used for developing a scientific instrument necessarily differ from those used for a space station. .

Installation of TVC Actuators in a Two Axis Inertial Load Simulator Test Stand

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dziubanek, Adam

2013-01-01

This paper is about the installation of Space Shuttle Main Engines (SSME) actuators in the new Two Axis Inertial Load Simulator (ILS) at MSFC. The new test stand will support the core stage of the Space Launch System (SLS). Because of the unique geometry of the new test stand standard actuator installation procedures will not work. I have been asked to develop a design on how to install the actuators into the new test stand. After speaking with the engineers and technicians I have created a possible design solution. Using Pro Engineer design software and running my own stress calculations I have proven my design is feasible. I have learned how to calculate the stresses my design will see from this task. From the calculations I have learned I have over built the apparatus. I have also expanded my knowledge of Pro Engineer and was able to create a model of my idea.

Space Launch System Base Heating Test: Sub-Scale Rocket Engine/Motor Design, Development & Performance Analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mehta, Manish; Seaford, Mark; Kovarik, Brian; Dufrene, Aaron; Solly, Nathan

2014-01-01

ATA-002 Technical Team has successfully designed, developed, tested and assessed the SLS Pathfinder propulsion systems for the Main Base Heating Test Program. Major Outcomes of the Pathfinder Test Program: Reach 90% of full-scale chamber pressure Achieved all engine/motor design parameter requirements Reach steady plume flow behavior in less than 35 msec Steady chamber pressure for 60 to 100 msec during engine/motor operation Similar model engine/motor performance to full-scale SLS system Mitigated nozzle throat and combustor thermal erosion Test data shows good agreement with numerical prediction codes Next phase of the ATA-002 Test Program Design & development of the SLS OML for the Main Base Heating Test Tweak BSRM design to optimize performance Tweak CS-REM design to increase robustness MSFC Aerosciences and CUBRC have the capability to develop sub-scale propulsion systems to meet desired performance requirements for short-duration testing.

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.

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.

Saturn Apollo Program

NASA Image and Video Library

1960-06-15

The Saturn Project was approved on January 18, 1960 as a program of the highest national priority. The formal test program to prove out the clustered-booster concept was well underway. A series of static tests of the Saturn I booster (S-I stage) began June 3, 1960 at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). This photograph depicts the Saturn I S-I stage equipped with eight H-1 engines, being successfully test-fired for the duration of 121 seconds on June 15, 1960.

Ares Knowledge Capture: Summary and Key Themes Presentation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Coates, Ralph H.

2011-01-01

This report has been developed by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate (HEOMD) Risk Management team in close coordination with the MSFC Chief Engineers Office. This document provides a point-in-time, cumulative, summary of actionable key lessons learned derived from the design project. Lessons learned invariably address challenges and risks and the way in which these areas have been addressed. Accordingly the risk management thread is woven throughout the document.

Saturn Apollo Program

NASA Image and Video Library

1965-01-01

In one of the initial assembly steps for the first stage (S-IB stage) of the Saturn IB launch vehicle, workers at the Michoud Assembly Facility (MAF) near New Orleans, Louisiana, position a "Spider Beam" to the central liquid-oxygen tank of the S-IB stage. Developed by the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) and built by the Chrysler Corporation at MAF, the S-IB stage utilized eight H-1 engines to produce a combined thrust of 1,600,000 pounds.

Marshall Team Fires Recreated Goddard Rocket

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2003-01-01

In honor of the Centernial of Flight Celebration and commissioned by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), a team of engineers from Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) built a replica of the first liquid-fueled rocket. The original rocket, designed and built by rocket engineering pioneer Robert H. Goddard in 1926, opened the door to modern rocketry. Goddard's rocket reached an altitude of 41 feet while its flight lasted only 2.5 seconds. The Marshall design team's plan was to stay as close as possible to an authentic reconstruction of Goddard's rocket. The same propellants were used - liquid oxygen and gasoline - as available during Goddard's initial testing and firing. The team also tried to construct the replica using the original materials and design to the greatest extent possible. By purposely using less advanced techniques and materials than many that are available today, the team encountered numerous technical challenges in testing the functional hardware. There were no original blueprints or drawings, only photographs and notes. However, this faithful adherence to historical accuracy has allowed the team to experience many of the same challenges Goddard faced 77 years ago, and more fully appreciate the genius of this extraordinary man. In this photo, the replica is shown firing in the A-frame launch stand in near-flight configuration at MSFC's Test Area 116 during the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics 39th Joint Propulsion Conference on July 23, 2003.

Around Marshall

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-07-23

In honor of the Centernial of Flight Celebration and commissioned by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), a team of engineers from Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) built a replica of the first liquid-fueled rocket. The original rocket, designed and built by rocket engineering pioneer Robert H. Goddard in 1926, opened the door to modern rocketry. Goddard's rocket reached an altitude of 41 feet while its flight lasted only 2.5 seconds. The Marshall design team's plan was to stay as close as possible to an authentic reconstruction of Goddard's rocket. The same propellants were used - liquid oxygen and gasoline - as available during Goddard's initial testing and firing. The team also tried to construct the replica using the original materials and design to the greatest extent possible. By purposely using less advanced techniques and materials than many that are available today, the team encountered numerous technical challenges in testing the functional hardware. There were no original blueprints or drawings, only photographs and notes. However, this faithful adherence to historical accuracy has allowed the team to experience many of the same challenges Goddard faced 77 years ago, and more fully appreciate the genius of this extraordinary man. In this photo, the replica is shown firing in the A-frame launch stand in near-flight configuration at MSFC's Test Area 116 during the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics 39th Joint Propulsion Conference on July 23, 2003.

Saturn Apollo Program

NASA Image and Video Library

1963-05-10

The Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) played a crucial role in the development of the huge Saturn rockets that delivered humans to the moon in the 1960s. Many unique facilities existed at MSFC for the development and testing of the Saturn rockets. Affectionately nicknamed “The Arm Farm”, the Random Motion/ Lift-Off Simulator was one of those unique facilities. This facility was developed to test the swingarm mechanisms that were used to hold the rocket in position until lift-off. The Arm Farm provided the capability of testing the detachment and reconnection of various arms under brutally realistic conditions. The 18-acre facility consisted of more than a half dozen arm test positions and one position for testing access arms used by the Apollo astronauts. Each test position had two elements: a vehicle simulator for duplicating motions during countdown and launch; and a section duplicating the launch tower. The vehicle simulator duplicated the portion of the vehicle skin that contained the umbilical connections and personnel access hatches. Driven by a hydraulic servo system, the vehicle simulator produced relative motion between the vehicle and tower. On the Arm Farm, extreme environmental conditions (such as a launch scrub during an approaching Florida thunderstorm) could be simulated. The dramatic scenes that the Marshall engineers and technicians created at the Arm Farm permitted the gathering of crucial technical and engineering data to ensure a successful real time launch from the Kennedy Space Center.

Saturn Apollo Program

NASA Image and Video Library

1967-07-28

The Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) played a crucial role in the development of the huge Saturn rockets that delivered humans to the moon in the 1960s. Many unique facilities existed at MSFC for the development and testing of the Saturn rockets. Affectionately nicknamed “The Arm Farm”, the Random Motion/ Lift-Off Simulator was one of those unique facilities. This facility was developed to test the swingarm mechanisms that were used to hold the rocket in position until lift-off. The Arm Farm provided the capability of testing the detachment and reconnection of various arms under brutally realistic conditions. The 18-acre facility consisted of more than a half dozen arm test positions and one position for testing access arms used by the Apollo astronauts. Each test position had two elements: a vehicle simulator for duplicating motions during countdown and launch; and a section duplicating the launch tower. The vehicle simulator duplicated the portion of the vehicle skin that contained the umbilical connections and personnel access hatches. Driven by a hydraulic servo system, the vehicle simulator produced relative motion between the vehicle and tower. On the Arm Farm, extreme environmental conditions (such as a launch scrub during an approaching Florida thunderstorm) could be simulated. The dramatic scenes that the Marshall engineers and technicians created at the Arm Farm permitted the gathering of crucial technical and engineering data to ensure a successful real time launch from the Kennedy Space Center.

Overview of Fluid Dynamics Activities at the Marshall Space Flight Center

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Garcia, Roberto; Griffin, Lisa W.; Wang, Ten-See

1999-01-01

Since its inception 40 years ago, Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) has had the need to maintain and advance state-of-the-art flow analysis and cold-flow testing capability to support its roles and missions. This overview discusses the recent organizational changes that have occurred at MSFC with emphasis on the resulting three groups that form the core of fluid dynamics expertise at MSFC: the Fluid Physics and Dynamics Group, the Applied Fluid Dynamics Analysis Group, and the Experimental Fluid Dynamics Group. Recently completed activities discussed include the analysis and flow testing in support of the Fastrac engine design, the X-33 vehicle design, and the X34 propulsion system design. Ongoing activities include support of the RLV vehicle design, Liquid Fly Back Booster aerodynamic configuration definition, and RLV focused technologies development. Other ongoing activities discussed are efforts sponsored by the Center Director's Discretionary Fund (CDDF) to develop an advanced incompressible flow code and to develop optimization techniques. Recently initiated programs and their anticipated required fluid dynamics support are discussed. Based on recent experiences and on the anticipated program needs, required analytical and experimental technique improvements are presented. Due to anticipated budgetary constraints, there is a strong need to leverage activities and to pursue teaming arrangements in order to advance the state-of-the-art and to adequately support concept development. Throughout this overview there is discussion of the lessons learned and of the capabilities demonstrated and established in support of the hardware development programs.

Visit from JAXA to NASA MSFC: The Engines Element & Ideas for Collaboration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Greene, William D.

2013-01-01

System Design, Development, and Fabrication: Design, develop, and fabricate or procure MB-60 component hardware compliant with the imposed technical requirements and in sufficient quantities to fulfill the overall MB-60 development effort. System Development, Assembly, and Test: Manage the scope of the development, assembly, and test-related activities for MB-60 development. This scope includes engine-level development planning, engine assembly and disassembly, test planning, engine testing, inspection, anomaly resolution, and development of necessary ground support equipment and special test equipment. System Integration: Provide coordinated integration in the realms of engineering, safety, quality, and manufacturing disciplines across the scope of the MB-60 design and associated products development Safety and Mission Assurance, structural design, fracture control, materials and processes, thermal analysis. Systems Engineering and Analysis: Manage and perform Systems Engineering and Analysis to provide rigor and structure to the overall design and development effort for the MB-60. Milestone reviews, requirements management, system analysis, program management support Program Management: Manage, plan, and coordinate the activities across all portions of the MB-60 work scope by providing direction for program administration, business management, and supplier management.

Using Web 2.0 Techniques in NASA's Ares Engineering Operations Network (AEON) Environment - First Impressions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Scott, David W.

2010-01-01

The Mission Operations Laboratory (MOL) at Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) is responsible for Engineering Support capability for NASA s Ares rocket development and operations. In pursuit of this, MOL is building the Ares Engineering and Operations Network (AEON), a web-based portal to support and simplify two critical activities: Access and analyze Ares manufacturing, test, and flight performance data, with access to Shuttle data for comparison Establish and maintain collaborative communities within the Ares teams/subteams and with other projects, e.g., Space Shuttle, International Space Station (ISS). AEON seeks to provide a seamless interface to a) locally developed engineering applications and b) a Commercial-Off-The-Shelf (COTS) collaborative environment that includes Web 2.0 capabilities, e.g., blogging, wikis, and social networking. This paper discusses how Web 2.0 might be applied to the typically conservative engineering support arena, based on feedback from Integration, Verification, and Validation (IV&V) testing and on searching for their use in similar environments.