Launch Window Trade Analysis for the James Webb Space Telescope
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Yu, Wayne H.; Richon, Karen
2014-01-01
The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is a large-scale space telescope mission designed to study fundamental astrophysical questions ranging from the formation of the universe to the origin of planetary systems and the origins of life. JWSTs orbit design is a Libration Point Orbit (LPO) around the Sun-Earth/Moon (SEM) L2 point for a planned mission lifetime of 10.5 years. The launch readiness period for JWST is from Oct 1st, 2018 November 30th, 2018. This paper presents the first launch window analysis for the JWST observatory using finite-burn modeling; previous analysis assumed a single impulsive midcourse correction to achieve the mission orbit. The physical limitations of the JWST hardware stemming primarily from propulsion, communication and thermal requirements alongside updated mission design requirements result in significant launch window within the launch readiness period. Future plans are also discussed.
James Webb Space Telescope Launch Window Trade Analysis
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Yu, Wayne; Richon, Karen
2014-01-01
The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is a large-scale space telescope mission designed to study fundamental astrophysical questions ranging from the formation of the universe to the origin of planetary systems and the origins of life. JWSTs orbit design is a Libration Point Orbit (LPO) around the Sun-EarthMoon (SEM) L2 point for a planned mission lifetime of 10.5 years. The launch readiness period for JWST is from Oct 1st, 2018 November 30th, 2018. This paper presents the first launch window analysis for the JWST observatory using finite-burn modeling; previous analysis assumed a single impulsive midcourse correction to achieve the mission orbit. The physical limitations of the JWST hardware stemming primarily from propulsion, communication and thermal requirements alongside updated mission design requirements result in significant launch window within the launch readiness period. Future plans are also discussed.
Launch mission summary: INTELSAT 5 (F4) ATLAS/CENTAUR-58
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
1982-01-01
The launch vehicle, spacecraft, and mission are described. Information relative to launch windows, flight plan, trajectory, and radar and telemetry coverage are included with brief sequence of flight events.
Launch mission summary: Intelsat 5 (F3) Atlas/Centaur-55
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
1981-01-01
Intelsat 5 (F3) spacecraft, launch vehicle, and mission are described. Information relative to launch windows, flight plan, radar and telemetry coverage, selected trajectory information, and a brief sequence of flight events is provided.
Launch mission summary: INTELSAT 5(F1) ATLAS/CENTAUR-56
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
1981-01-01
The technology and capability of the INTELSAT 5 series satellites and the Atlas-Centaur launch vehicle are described. Data relative to launch windows, flight plans, radar, and telemetry are included along with selected trajectory information and a sequence of flight events.
Development of an expert planning system for OSSA
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Groundwater, B.; Lembeck, M. F.; Sarsfield, L.; Diaz, Alphonso
1988-01-01
This paper presents concepts related to preliminary work for the development of an expert planning system for NASA's Office for Space Science and Applications (OSSA). The expert system will function as a planner's decision aid in preparing mission plans encompassing sets of proposed OSSA space science initiatives. These plans in turn will be checked against budgetary and technical constraints and tested for constraint violations. Appropriate advice will be generated by the system for making modifications to the plans to bring them in line with the constraints. The OSSA Planning Expert System (OPES) has been designed to function as an integral part of the OSSA mission planning process. It will be able to suggest a best plan, be able to accept and check a user-suggested strawman plan, and should provide a quick response to user request and actions. OPES will be written in the C programming language and have a transparent user interface running under Windows 386 on a Compaq 386/20 machine. The system's sorted knowledge and inference procedures will model the expertise of human planners familiar with the OSSA planning domain. Given mission priorities and budget guidelines, the system first sets the launch dates for each mission. It will check to make sure that planetary launch windows and precursor mission relationships are not violated. Additional levels of constraints will then be considered, checking such things as the availability of a suitable launch vehicle, total mission launch mass required vs. the identified launch mass capability, and the total power required by the payload at its destination vs. the actual power available. System output will be in the form of Gantt charts, spreadsheet hardcopy, and other presentation quality materials detailing the resulting OSSA mission plan.
Launch mission summary: FLTSATCOM-D Atlas/Centaur-57
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
1980-01-01
The largest and heaviest spacecraft yet to be launched into geosynchronous orbit by an Atlas Centaur launch vehicle, FLTSATCOM D is part of a versatile military satellite communication system which includes terminals at Navy land bases, and on naval aircraft, ships, and submarines. The design and capabilities of the launch vehicle are described as well as those of the satellite. Information relative to launch windows, flight plan, radar and telemetry coverage, selected trajectory information is presented. A brief sequence of flight events is included.
Human Mars Mission: Launch Window from Earth Orbit. Pt. 1
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Young, Archie
1999-01-01
The determination of orbital window characteristics is of major importance in the analysis of human interplanetary missions and systems. The orbital launch window characteristics are directly involved in the selection of mission trajectories, the development of orbit operational concepts, and the design of orbital launch systems. The orbital launch window problem arises because of the dynamic nature of the relative geometry between outgoing (departure) asymptote of the hyperbolic escape trajectory and the earth parking orbit. The orientation of the escape hyperbola asymptotic relative to earth is a function of time. The required hyperbola energy level also varies with time. In addition, the inertial orientation of the parking orbit is a function of time because of the perturbations caused by the Earth's oblateness. Thus, a coplanar injection onto the escape hyperbola can be made only at a point in time when the outgoing escape asymptote is contained by the plane of parking orbit. Even though this condition may be planned as a nominal situation, it will not generally represent the more probable injection geometry. The general case of an escape injection maneuver performed at a time other than the coplanar time will involve both a path angle and plane change and, therefore, a DELTA V penalty. Usually, because of the DELTA V penalty the actual departure injection window is smaller in duration than that determined by energy requirement alone. This report contains the formulation, characteristics, and test cases for five different launch window modes for Earth orbit. These modes are: (1) One impulsive maneuver from a Highly Elliptical Orbit (HEO) (2) Two impulsive maneuvers from a Highly Elliptical Orbit (HEO) (3) One impulsive maneuver from a Low Earth Orbit (LEO) (4) Two impulsive maneuvers from LEO (5) Three impulsive maneuvers from LEO.
Human Exploration Missions Study Launch Window from Earth Orbit
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Young, Archie
2001-01-01
The determination of orbital launch window characteristics is of major importance in the analysis of human interplanetary missions and systems. The orbital launch window characteristics are directly involved in the selection of mission trajectories, the development of orbit operational concepts, and the design of orbital launch systems. The orbital launch window problem arises because of the dynamic nature of the relative geometry between outgoing (departure) asymptote of the hyperbolic escape trajectory and the earth parking orbit. The orientation of the escape hyperbola asymptotic relative to earth is a function of time. The required hyperbola energy level also varies with time. In addition, the inertial orientation of the parking orbit is a function of time because of the perturbations caused by the Earth's oblateness. Thus, a coplanar injection onto the escape hyperbola can be made only at a point in time when the outgoing escape asymptote is contained by the plane of parking orbit. Even though this condition may be planned as a nominal situation, it will not generally represent the more probable injection geometry. The general case of an escape injection maneuver performed at a time other than the coplanar time will involve both a path angle and plane change and, therefore, a Delta(V) penalty. Usually, because of the Delta(V) penalty the actual departure injection window is smaller in duration than that determined by energy requirement alone. This report contains the formulation, characteristics, and test cases for five different launch window modes for Earth orbit. These modes are: (1) One impulsive maneuver from a Low Earth Orbit (LEO), (2) Two impulsive maneuvers from LEO, (3) Three impulsive maneuvers from LEO, (4) One impulsive maneuvers from a Highly Elliptical Orbit (HEO), (5) Two impulsive maneuvers from a Highly Elliptical Orbit (HEO) The formulation of these five different launch window modes provides a rapid means of generating realistic parametric data for space exploration studies. Also the formulation provides vector and geometrical data sufficient for use as a good starting point in detail trajectory analysis based on calculus of variations, steepest descent, or parameter optimization program techniques.
Human Mars Mission: Launch Window from Earth Orbit. Pt. 1
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Young, Archie
1999-01-01
The determination of orbital window characteristics is of major importance in the analysis of human interplanetary missions and systems. The orbital launch window characteristics are directly involved in the selection of mission trajectories, the development of orbit operational concepts, and the design of orbital launch systems. The orbital launch window problem arises because of the dynamic nature of the relative geometry between outgoing (departure) asymptote of the hyperbolic escape trajectory and the earth parking orbit. The orientation of the escape hyperbola asymptotic relative to the earth is a function of time. The required hyperbola energy level also varies with time. In addition, the inertial orientation of the parking orbit is a function of time because of the perturbations caused by the Earth's oblateness. Thus, a coplanar injection onto the escape hyperbola can be made only at a point in time when the outgoing escape asymptote is contained by the plane of parking orbit. Even though this condition may be planned as a nominal situation, it will not generally represent the more probable injection geometry. The general case of an escape injection maneuver performed at a time other than the coplanar time will involve both a path angle and plane change and, therefore, a delta V penalty. Usually, because of the delta V penalty the actual departure injection window is smaller in duration than that determined by energy requirement alone. This report contains the formulation, characteristics, and test cases for five different launch window modes for Earth orbit. These modes are: 1) One impulsive maneuver from a Highly Elliptical Orbit (HEO); 2) Two impulsive maneuvers from a Highly Elliptical Orbit (HEO); 3) One impulsive maneuver from a Low Earth Orbit (LEO); 4) Two impulsive maneuvers form LEO; and 5) Three impulsive maneuvers form LEO. The formulation of these five different launch window modes provides a rapid means of generating realistic parametric data for space exploration studies. Also the formulation provides vector and geometrical data sufficient for use as a good starting point in detail trajectory analysis based on calculus of variations, steepest descent, or parameter optimization program techniques.
ASTP (SA-210) Launch vehicle operational flight trajectory. Part 3: Final documentation
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Carter, A. B.; Klug, G. W.; Williams, N. W.
1975-01-01
Trajectory data are presented for a nominal and two launch window trajectory simulations. These trajectories are designed to insert a manned Apollo spacecraft into a 150/167 km. (81/90 n. mi.) earth orbit inclined at 51.78 degrees for rendezvous with a Soyuz spacecraft, which will be orbiting at approximately 225 km. (121.5 n. mi.). The launch window allocation defined for this launch is 500 pounds of S-IVB stage propellant. The launch window opening trajectory simulation depicts the earliest launch time deviation from a planar flight launch which conforms to this constraint. The launch window closing trajectory simulation was developed for the more stringent Air Force Eastern Test Range (AFETR) flight azimuth restriction of 37.4 degrees east-of-north. These trajectories enclose a 12.09 minute launch window, pertinent features of which are provided in a tabulation. Planar flight data are included for mid-window reference.
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Sergeyevsky, A. B.; Snyder, G. C.
1981-01-01
Graphical data necessary for the preliminary design of ballistic missions to Saturn are provided. Contours of launch energy requirements as well as many other launch and Saturn arrival parameters, are presented in launch date/arrival date space for all launch opportunities from 1985 through 2005. In addition, an extensive text is included which explains mission design methods, from launch window development to Saturn probe and orbiter arrival design, utilizing the graphical data in this volume as well as numerous equations elating various parameters. This is the first of a planned series of mission design documents which will apply to all planets and some other bodies in the solar system.
STS-84 Atlantis on Pad 39-A after RSS roll back
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
1997-01-01
News media representatives watch and record as the Space Shuttle Atlantis in full launch configuration is revealed after the Rotating Service Structure (RSS) is rotated back at Launch Pad 39A. Rollback of the RSS is a major preflight milestone, typically occurring during the T-11-hour hold on L-1 (the day before launch). Atlantis and its crew of seven are in final preparations for liftoff on Mission STS-84, the sixth of nine planned dockings of the Space Shuttle with the Russian Space Station Mir. Launch is scheduled at about 4:08 a.m. during an approximately 7-minute launch window. The exact liftoff time will be determined about 90 minutes prior to launch, based on the most current location of Mir.
2010-04-04
NASA Administrator Charles Bolden looks out the window of Firing Room Four in the Launch Control Center during the launch of the space shuttle Discovery and the start of the STS-131 mission at NASA Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla. on Monday April 5, 2010. Discovery is carrying a multi-purpose logistics module filled with science racks for the laboratories aboard the station. The mission has three planned spacewalks, with work to include replacing an ammonia tank assembly, retrieving a Japanese experiment from the station’s exterior, and switching out a rate gyro assembly on the station’s truss structure. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
STS-121: Discovery L-1 Countdown Status Briefing
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
2006-01-01
Bruce Buckingham, NASA Public Affairs, introduces Jeff Spaulding, NASA Test Director; Debbie Hahn, STS-121 Payload Manager; and Kathy Winters, Shuttle Weather Officer. Spaulding gives his opening statement on this one day prior to the launching of the Space Shuttle Discovery. He discusses the following topics: 1) Launch of the Space Shuttle Discovery; 2) Weather; 3) Load over of onboard reactants; 4) Hold time for liquid hydrogen; 5) Stowage of Mid-deck completion; 6) Check-out of onboard and ground network systems; 7) Launch windows; 8) Mission duration; 9) Extravehicular (EVA) plans; 10) Space Shuttle landing day; and 11) Scrub turn-around plans. Hahn presents and discusses a short video of the STS-121 payload flow. Kathy Winters gives her weather forecast for launch. She then presents a slide presentation on the following weather conditions for the Space Shuttle Discovery: 1) STS-121 Tanking Forecast; 2) Launch Forecast; 3) SRB Recovery; 4) CONUS Launch; 5) TAL Launch; 6) 24 Hour Delay; 7) CONUS 24 Hour; 8) TAL 24 Hour; 9) 48 Hour Launch; 10) CONUS 48 Hour; and 11) TAL 48 Hour. The briefing ends with a question and answer period from the media.
2006-09-09
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Inside the Launch Control Center, KSC officials turn from their computers to watch through the broad windows the launch of Space Shuttle Atlantis on mission STS-115. Second from left is NASA Test Director Pete Nickolenko. Mission STS-115 is the 116th space shuttle flight, the 27th flight for orbiter Atlantis, and the 19th U.S. flight to the International Space Station. sts-115 is scheduled to last 11 days with a planned landing at KSC. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Schultz, Eric D.; Wilde, Paul D.
2013-09-01
For the International Space Station (ISS), it can take 6 to 24 hours to reliably catalog a newly disposed upper stage and up to 33 hours to plan and execute an avoidance maneuver. This creates a gap in the existing collision risk protection for newly launched vehicles, which covers the period when these launched objects are still under propulsive control; specifically, upper stage separation plus 100 minutes for most missions. This gap results in a vulnerability of the ISS from the end of current "Launch Collision Avoidance (COLA)" protection until approximately launch plus 56 hours.In order to help mitigate this gap, conjunction analyses are being developed that identify launch times when the disposed upper stage could violate safe separation distances from the ISS. Launch window cut-out times can be determined from the analysis and implemented to protect the ISS.The COLA Gap is considered to be a risk to ISS operations and vehicle safety. Methods can be used to mitigate the risk, but the criteria and process need to be established and developed in order to reduce operational disruptions and potential risk to ISS vehicle. New requirements and analytical methods can close the current COLA gap with minimal impact to typical launch windows for Geo-Transfer Orbit (GTO) and direct injection missions. Also, strategies can be established to produce common standards in the U.S. and the world to close the current Launch COLA gap.
14 CFR 1214.117 - Launch and orbit parameters for a standard launch.
Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR
2010-01-01
...) Launch at a time, selected by NASA, from a launch window of not less than 1 hour (a more restrictive launch window may be provided as an optional service). (b) For shared flights from KSC to the standard...
1998-01-22
STS-89 Mission Specialist Salizhan Sharipov of the Russian Space Agency, at left, waves as he and his flight surgeon, Alexander Kulev, complete the donning of Sharipov’s launch/entry suit in the Operations and Checkout (O&C) Building. In 1994, Sharipov graduated from Moscow State University with a degree in cartography. He and six fellow crew members will soon depart the O&C and head for Launch Pad 39A, where the Space Shuttle Endeavour will lift off during a launch window that opens at 9:43 p.m. EST, Jan. 22. STS-89 is the eighth of nine planned missions to dock the Space Shuttle with Russia's Mir space station
2010-04-05
201004050001hq (5 April 2010) --- NASA Administrator Charles Bolden looks out the window of Firing Room Four in the Launch Control Center during the launch of the space shuttle Discovery and the start of the STS-131 mission at NASA Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla. on April 5, 2010. Discovery is carrying a multi-purpose logistics module filled with science racks for the laboratories aboard the International Space Station. The mission has three planned spacewalks, with work to include replacing an ammonia tank assembly, retrieving a Japanese experiment from the station?s exterior, and switching out a rate gyro assembly on the station?s truss structure. Photo Credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls
1997-01-24
Space Systems/LORAL employees inspect solar panels for the GOES-K weather satellite in the Astrotech facility at Titusville, Fla., as they begin final testing of the imaging system, communications and power systems of the spacecraft. The GOES-K is the third spacecraft to be launched in the new advanced series of geostationary weather satellites for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The GOES-K is built for NASA and NOAA by Space Systems/LORAL of Palo Alto, Calif. The launch of the satellite from Launch Pad 36B at Cape Canaveral Air Station on an Atlas 1 rocket (AC-79) is currently planned for Apr. 24 at the opening of a launch window which extends from 1:56 to 3:19 a.m. EDT
1997-01-24
Space Systems/LORAL employees inspect solar panels for the GOES-K weather satellite in the Astrotech facility at Titusville, Fla., as they begin final testing of the imaging system, communications and power systems of the spacecraft. The GOES-K is the third spacecraft to be launched in the new advanced series of geostationary weather satellites for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The GOES-K is built for NASA and NOAA by Space Systems/LORAL of Palo Alto, Calif. The launch of the satellite from Launch Pad 36B at Cape Canaveral Air Station on an Atlas 1 rocket (AC-79) is currently planned for Apr. 24 at the opening of a launch window which extends from 1:56 to 3:19 a.m. EDT
1997-01-24
Space Systems/LORAL employees inspect solar panels for the GOES-K weather satellite in the Astrotech facility at Titusville, Fla., as they begin final testing of the imaging system, communications and power systems of the spacecraft. The GOES-K is the third spacecraft to be launched in the new advanced series of geostationary weather satellites for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The GOES-K is built for NASA and NOAA by Space Systems/LORAL of Palo Alto, Calif. The launch of the satellite from Launch Pad 36B at Cape Canaveral Air Station on an Atlas 1 rocket (AC-79) is currently planned for Apr. 24 at the opening of a launch window which extends from 1:56 to 3:19 a.m. EDT
GOES-K solar panel inspection at Astrotech
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
1997-01-01
Space Systems/LORAL employees inspect solar panels for the GOES-K weather satellite in the Astrotech facility at Titusville, Fla., as they begin final testing of the imaging system, communications and power systems of the spacecraft. The GOES-K is the third spacecraft to be launched in the new advanced series of geostationary weather satellites for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The GOES-K is built for NASA and NOAA by Space Systems/LORAL of Palo Alto, Calif. The launch of the satellite from Launch Pad 36B at Cape Canaveral Air Station on an Atlas 1 rocket (AC-79) is currently planned for Apr. 24 at the opening of a launch window which extends from 1:56 to 3:19 a.m. EDT.
1998-01-22
STS-89 Mission Specialist Bonnie Dunbar, Ph.D., smiles as she completes the donning of her launch/entry suit in the Operations and Checkout (O&C) Building. Dr. Dunbar completed her doctorate at the University of Houston in Texas. Her multi-disciplinary dissertation (materials science and physiology) involved evaluating the effects of simulated space flight on bone strength and fracture toughness. She and six fellow crew members will shortly depart the O&C and head for Launch Pad 39A, where the Space Shuttle Endeavour will lift off during a launch window that opens at 9:43 p.m. EST, Jan. 22. STS-89 is the eighth of nine planned missions to dock the Space Shuttle with Russia's Mir space station
2011-11-23
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At NASA Kennedy Space Center in Florida, media representatives taking the 21st Century Ground Systems tour appear to be the size of ants in this view from the top of the 355-foot-tall mobile launcher on Launch Pad 39B. Other stops on the tour include the Vehicle Assembly Building, a crawler-transporter parked on the crawlerway, and the Launch Control Center's Firing Room 1. These facilities and equipment will be used to prepare and launch NASA's new Orion spacecraft on the Space Launch System heavy-lift rocket. The tour was arranged as part of prelaunch media activities for the agency's Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) launch. Liftoff of MSL aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket from Space Launch Complex-41 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station is planned during a launch window which extends from 10:02 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. EST on Nov. 26. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/msl. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann
Preliminary flight trajectories for the Apollo Soyuz test project
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Brooks, J. D.
1973-01-01
Preliminary data are documented for a typical launch window opening, a typical in-plane case, and a typical launch window closing trajectory, not necessarily in the same daily launch window, for the Apollo Soyuz test project mission. The Soyuz will be launched first and the Apollo will be launched on the first opportunity, 7 hours 21 minutes later. If the Apollo is unable to be launched on the first opportunity, four additional opportunities are available at 30 hours 56 minutes, 54 hours 31 minutes, 78 hours 05 minutes, and 101 hours 40 minutes. If the Apollo cannot be launched in this time frame, no further attempt will be made to launch and rendezvous with the first Soyuz. Soyuz will then be deorbited; however, a second Soyuz was made available for the same purposes.
Computing Advances Enable More Efficient Buildings - Continuum Magazine |
-and to visualize and react to the data that's available to them," says Brackney. One example of to tell occupants when to open and close their windows. A screen shot of the Building Agent, showing it has been launched. One of the visualization tools is a floor plan that shows which parts of the
Lunar Ascent and Rendezvous Trajectory Design
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Sostaric, Ronald R.; Merriam, Robert S.
2008-01-01
The Lunar Lander Ascent Module (LLAM) will leave the lunar surface and actively rendezvous in lunar orbit with the Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV). For initial LLAM vehicle sizing efforts, a nominal trajectory, along with required delta-V and a few key sensitivities, is very useful. A nominal lunar ascent and rendezvous trajectory is shown, along with rationale and discussion of the trajectory shaping. Also included are ascent delta-V sensitivities to changes in target orbit and design thrust-to-weight of the vehicle. A sample launch window for a particular launch site has been completed and is included. The launch window shows that budgeting enough delta-V for two missed launch opportunities may be reasonable. A comparison between yaw steering and on-orbit plane change maneuvers is included. The comparison shows that for large plane changes, which are potentially necessary for an anytime return from mid-latitude locations, an on-orbit maneuver is much more efficient than ascent yaw steering. For a planned return, small amounts of yaw steering may be necessary during ascent and must be accounted for in the ascent delta-V budget. The delta-V cost of ascent yaw steering is shown, along with sensitivity to launch site latitude. Some discussion of off-nominal scenarios is also included. In particular, in the case of a failed Powered Descent Initiation burn, the requirements for subsequent rendezvous with the Orion vehicle are outlined.
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
2005-01-01
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. At Launch Complex 39B, technicians in Space Shuttle Discovery's payload bay perform a borescope inspection of the retract link assembly on the orbiter's main landing gear door. The inspection is a precautionary measure after a small crack was found in a retract link assembly on the right-hand main landing gear on orbiter Atlantis. An initial review of the closeout photos of the link assembly on Discovery did not reveal any cracks. Discovery is scheduled to return the Space Shuttle fleet to operational status on mission STS-114. This additional work does not impact the launch planning window of July 13-31.
STS-89 M.S. Andrew Thomas suits up
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
1998-01-01
STS-89 Mission Specialist Andrew Thomas, Ph.D., gives a 'thumbs up' as he completes the donning of his launch/entry suit in the Operations and Checkout (O&C) Building. In June 1995, he was named as payload commander for STS-77 and flew his first flight in space on Endeavour in May 1996. He and six fellow crew members will soon depart the O&C and head for Launch Pad 39A, where the Space Shuttle Endeavour will lift off during a launch window that opens at 9:43 p.m. EST, Jan. 22. STS-89 is the eighth of nine planned missions to dock the Space Shuttle with Russia's Mir space station, where Dr. Thomas will succeed David Wolf, M.D.
1997-07-01
The STS-94 crew walks out of the Operations and Checkout Building and heads for the Astrovan that will transport them to Launch Pad 39A as KSC employees show their support. Waving to the crowd and leading the way are Mission Commander James D. Halsell, Jr. and Pilot Susan L. Still. Behind Still is Mission Specialist Donald A.Thomas, followed by Mission Specialist Michael L. Gernhardt , Payload Commander Janice Voss, and Payload Specialists Roger K.Crouch and Gregory T. Linteris. During the scheduled 16-day Microgravity Science Laboratory-1 (MSL-1) mission, the Spacelab module will be used to test some of the hardware, facilities and procedures that are planned for use on the International Space Station while the flight crew conducts combustion, protein crystal growth and materials processing experiments. Also onboard is the Hitchhiker Cryogenic Flexible Diode (CRYOFD) experiment payload, which is attached to the right side of Columbia’s payload bay.The Space Shuttle Columbia is scheduled to lift off when the launch window opens at 1:50 p.m. EDT, July 1. The launch window was opened 47 minutes early to improve the opportunity to lift off before Florida summer rain showers reached the space center
Experience Gained From Launch and Early Orbit Support of the Rossi X-Ray Timing Explorer (RXTE)
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Fink, D. R.; Chapman, K. B.; Davis, W. S.; Hashmall, J. A.; Shulman, S. E.; Underwood, S. C.; Zsoldos, J. M.; Harman, R. R.
1996-01-01
this paper reports the results to date of early mission support provided by the personnel of the Goddard Space Flight Center Flight Dynamics Division (FDD) for the Rossi X-Ray Timing Explorer (RXTE) spacecraft. For this mission, the FDD supports onboard attitude determination and ephemeris propagation by supplying ground-based orbit and attitude solutions and calibration results. The first phase of that support was to provide launch window analyses. As the launch window was determined, acquisition attitudes were calculated and calibration slews were planned. postlaunch, these slews provided the basis for ground determined calibration. Ground determined calibration results are used to improve the accuracy of onboard solutions. The FDD is applying new calibration tools designed to facilitate use of the simultaneous, high-accuracy star observations from the two RXTE star trackers for ground attitude determination and calibration. An evaluation of the performance of these tools is presented. The FDD provides updates to the onboard star catalog based on preflight analysis and analysis of flight data. The in-flight results of the mission support in each area are summarized and compared with pre-mission expectations.
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
2005-01-01
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. At Launch Complex 39B, a technician in Space Shuttle Discovery's payload bay studies a photo of the retract link assembly on the orbiter's main landing gear door prior to conducting a borescope inspection. The inspection is a precautionary measure after a small crack was found in a retract link assembly on the right-hand main landing gear on orbiter Atlantis. An initial review of the closeout photos of the link assembly on Discovery did not reveal any cracks. Discovery is scheduled to return the Space Shuttle fleet to operational status on mission STS-114. This additional work does not impact the launch planning window of July 13-31.
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
2005-01-01
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. At Launch Complex 39B, technicians construct a platform in Space Shuttle Discovery's payload bay to support an upcoming borescope inspection of the retract link assembly on the orbiter's main landing gear door. The inspection is a precautionary measure after a small crack was found in a retract link assembly on the right-hand main landing gear on orbiter Atlantis. An initial review of the closeout photos of the link assembly on Discovery did not reveal any cracks. Discovery is scheduled to return the Space Shuttle fleet to operational status on mission STS-114. This additional work does not impact the launch planning window of July 13-31.
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
2005-01-01
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. At Launch Complex 39B, technicians construct a platform in Space Shuttle Discovery's payload bay to support an upcoming borescope inspection of the retract link assembly on the orbiter's main landing gear door. The inspection is a precautionary measure after a small crack was found in a retract link assembly on the right-hand main landing gear on orbiter Atlantis. An initial review of the closeout photos of the link assembly on Discovery did not reveal any cracks. Discovery is scheduled to return the Space Shuttle fleet to operational status on mission STS-114. This additional work does not impact the launch planning window of July 13-31.
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
2005-01-01
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. At Launch Complex 39B, technicians construct a platform in Space Shuttle Discovery's payload bay to support an upcoming borescope inspection of the retract link assembly on the orbiter's main landing gear door. The inspection is a precautionary measure after a small crack was found in a retract link assembly on the right-hand main landing gear on orbiter Atlantis. An initial review of the closeout photos of the link assembly on Discovery did not reveal any cracks. Discovery is scheduled to return the Space Shuttle fleet to operational status on mission STS-114. This additional work does not impact the launch planning window of July 13-31.
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
2005-01-01
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. At Launch Complex 39B, technicians in Space Shuttle Discovery's payload bay monitor the images received during a borescope inspection of the retract link assembly on the orbiter's main landing gear door. The inspection is a precautionary measure after a small crack was found in a retract link assembly on the right-hand main landing gear on orbiter Atlantis. An initial review of the closeout photos of the link assembly on Discovery did not reveal any cracks. Discovery is scheduled to return the Space Shuttle fleet to operational status on mission STS-114. This additional work does not impact the launch planning window of July 13-31.
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
2005-01-01
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. At Launch Complex 39B, a technician in Space Shuttle Discovery's payload bay performs a borescope inspection of the retract link assembly on the orbiter's main landing gear door. The inspection is a precautionary measure after a small crack was found in a retract link assembly on the right-hand main landing gear on orbiter Atlantis. An initial review of the closeout photos of the link assembly on Discovery did not reveal any cracks. Discovery is scheduled to return the Space Shuttle fleet to operational status on mission STS-114. This additional work does not impact the launch planning window of July 13-31.
2009-10-07
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Vehicle Assembly Building's High Bay 1 at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, workers supervise space shuttle Atlantis as it is positioned next to an external fuel tank, at left, and pair of solid rocket boosters secured to a mobile launcher platform. Next, Atlantis will be attached, completing the stacking operation. Rollout of the completed shuttle stack to Kennedy’s Launch Pad 39A, a significant milestone in launch processing activities, is planned for Oct. 13. Liftoff of Atlantis on its STS-129 mission to the International Space Station is targeted for 4:04 p.m. EST Nov. 12 during a 10-minute launch window. For information on the STS-129 mission and crew, visit http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts129/index.html. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller
2011-08-04
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- NASA's Juno spacecraft, enclosed in its payload fairing atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas V-551 launch vehicle, is nestled between the towers of the lightning protection system at Space Launch Complex 41 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. In the background is the Vertical Integration Facility where the rocket was stacked. Launch is planned during a launch window which extends from 11:34 a.m. to 12:43 p.m. EDT on Aug. 5. The solar-powered spacecraft will orbit Jupiter's poles 33 times to find out more about the gas giant's origins, structure, atmosphere and magnetosphere and investigate the existence of a solid planetary core. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., manages the Juno mission for the principal investigator, Scott Bolton, of Southwest Research Institute in San Antonio. The Juno mission is part of the New Frontiers Program managed at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala. Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Denver, built the spacecraft. Launch management for the mission is the responsibility of NASA's Launch Services Program at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. For more information, visit www.nasa.gov/juno. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett
A Geometric Analysis to Protect Manned Assets from Newly Launched Objects - Cola Gap Analysis
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Hametz, Mark E.; Beaver, Brian A.
2013-01-01
A safety risk was identified for the International Space Station (ISS) by The Aerospace Corporation, where the ISS would be unable to react to a conjunction with a newly launched object following the end of the launch Collision Avoidance (COLA) process. Once an object is launched, there is a finite period of time required to track, catalog, and evaluate that new object as part of standard onorbit COLA screening processes. Additionally, should a conjunction be identified, there is an additional period of time required to plan and execute a collision avoidance maneuver. While the computed prelaunch probability of collision with any object is extremely low, NASA/JSC has requested that all US launches take additional steps to protect the ISS during this "COLA gap" period. This paper details a geometric-based COLA gap analysis method developed by the NASA Launch Services Program to determine if launch window cutouts are required to mitigate this risk. Additionally, this paper presents the results of several missions where this process has been used operationally.
2011-11-25
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Rex Engelhardt, mission manager in NASA's Launch Services Program at the NASA Kennedy Space Center, speaks to a group of Tweetup participants at Kennedy's Press Site in Florida during prelaunch activities for the agency’s Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) launch. Following a series of briefings, participants will tour the center and get a close-up view of Space Launch Complex-41 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. The tweeters will share their experiences with followers through the social networking site Twitter. MSL's components include a car-sized rover, Curiosity, which has 10 science instruments designed to search for signs of life, including methane, and help determine if the gas is from a biological or geological source. Liftoff of MSL aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket from pad 41 is planned during a launch window which extends from 10:02 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. EST on Nov. 26. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/msl. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann
2011-11-25
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- On Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, lightning masts protect the 197-foot-tall United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket as it leaves behind the safety of the Vertical Integration Facility (VIF) at Space Launch Complex-41 to take its position on the pad's surface. Atop the rocket is NASA's Mars Science Laboratory (MSL), enclosed in its payload fairing. The rocket began its move from the VIF at 8 a.m. EST. Liftoff is planned during a launch window which extends from 10:02 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. EST on Nov. 26. MSL's components include a car-sized rover, Curiosity, which has 10 science instruments designed to search for signs of life, including methane, and help determine if the gas is from a biological or geological source. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/msl. Photo credit: NASA/Tony Gray
Launch window analysis of satellites in high eccentricity or large circular orbits
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Renard, M. L.; Bhate, S. K.; Sridharan, R.
1973-01-01
Numerical methods and computer programs for studying the stability and evolution of orbits of large eccentricity are presented. Methods for determining launch windows and target dates are developed. Mathematical models are prepared to analyze the characteristics of specific missions.
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Osgood, Cathy; Williams, Kevin; Gentry, Philip; Brownfield, Dana; Hallstrom, John; Stuit, Tim
2012-01-01
Orbit Software Suite is used to support a variety of NASA/DM (Dependable Multiprocessor) mission planning and analysis activities on the IPS (Intrusion Prevention System) platform. The suite of Orbit software tools (Orbit Design and Orbit Dynamics) resides on IPS/Linux workstations, and is used to perform mission design and analysis tasks corresponding to trajectory/ launch window, rendezvous, and proximity operations flight segments. A list of tools in Orbit Software Suite represents tool versions established during/after the Equipment Rehost-3 Project.
2011-11-25
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Ryan Bechtel, from the Department of Energy, speaks to a group of Tweetup participants at NASA Kennedy Space Center's Press Site in Florida during prelaunch activities for the agency’s Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) launch. Following a series of briefings, participants will tour the center and get a close-up view of Space Launch Complex-41 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. The tweeters will share their experiences with followers through the social networking site Twitter. MSL's components include a car-sized rover, Curiosity, which has 10 science instruments designed to search for signs of life, including methane, and help determine if the gas is from a biological or geological source. Liftoff of MSL aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket from pad 41 is planned during a launch window which extends from 10:02 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. EST on Nov. 26. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/msl. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann
2011-11-25
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Doug McCuistion, director of the Mars Exploration Program at NASA Headquarters, speaks to a group of Tweetup participants at NASA Kennedy Space Center's Press Site in Florida during prelaunch activities for the agency’s Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) launch. Following a series of briefings, participants will tour the center and get a close-up view of Space Launch Complex-41 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. The tweeters will share their experiences with followers through the social networking site Twitter. MSL's components include a car-sized rover, Curiosity, which has 10 science instruments designed to search for signs of life, including methane, and help determine if the gas is from a biological or geological source. Liftoff of MSL aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket from pad 41 is planned during a launch window which extends from 10:02 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. EST on Nov. 26. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/msl. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann
2011-11-25
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – David Blake, NASA principal investigator for the Chemistry and Mineralogy (CheMin) investigation by the Curiosity rover, demonstrates the experiment for the media in NASA Kennedy Space Center's Press Site auditorium in Florida during prelaunch activities for the agency’s Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) launch. CheMin is designed to analyze powdered rock and soil samples by identifying and quantifying their mineral content using X-ray diffraction, a first for a mission to Mars. The car-sized Martian rover, Curiosity, has 10 science instruments designed to search for signs of life, including methane, and help determine if the gas is from a biological or geological source. Liftoff of MSL aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket from Space Launch Complex-41 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station is planned during a launch window which extends from 10:02 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. EST on Nov. 26. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/msl. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett
2011-11-25
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – David Blake, NASA principal investigator for the Chemistry and Mineralogy (CheMin) investigation by the Curiosity rover, explains the experiment to the media in NASA Kennedy Space Center's Press Site auditorium in Florida during prelaunch activities for the agency’s Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) launch. CheMin is designed to analyze powdered rock and soil samples by identifying and quantifying their mineral content using X-ray diffraction, a first for a mission to Mars. The car-sized Martian rover, Curiosity, has 10 science instruments designed to search for signs of life, including methane, and help determine if the gas is from a biological or geological source. Liftoff of MSL aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket from Space Launch Complex-41 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station is planned during a launch window which extends from 10:02 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. EST on Nov. 26. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/msl. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett
50-Year Window to Establish a Space Faring Civilization
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Howe, A. Scott
2015-01-01
Humankind may only have a short window of 50 years to become a space-faring civilization, after which time the opportunity to do so may become too difficult or impractical to pursue. Current policies for space exploration and infrastructure development implicitly assume a gradualistic approach to technology, budgets, and mission execution -- the common thought has been that there will be plenty of time in humankind's future to become a space-based species, and whatever we are unable to accomplish will be borne by the generations that follow. However, considering natural events, available energy, and human tendencies, the timing to make the most effective effort to achieve multi-planet status might be now, before momentum is lost and we become distracted by Peak Oil and changing energy economies -- restarting a space program after such turmoil may be more difficult than would be practical without cheap, storable, high-energy density petroleum. "Space-faring civilization" is defined as an economically profitable space-based economy that demands the presence of humans off-world in order to sustain a high level of prosperity. An initial foothold for a space-based economy that would fit within the 50-year window might include Earth dependence on rare-earth elements or other hard-to-obtain minerals mined from moons or asteroids, or a permanent settlement on another planet. Using published sources, notional mass and energy requirements for a minimal self-sustaining Mars settlement is calculated, and the number of launch vehicles discussed. Setting the launch schedule to match that of current NASA projections, it could take more than 26 years of semi-annual launches to build up such a self-sustaining human settlement -- a cost and commitment that has not been acknowledged nor planned for. Considering the time required to establish a multi-planet species, this paper frames the required window of decision that, if not taken, could condemn the species to Earth subject to whatever natural or human-made calamities that endanger single-planet civilizations.
2013-02-08
VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- Media attend a prelaunch press conference at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California to discuss NASA's readiness to launch the Landsat Data Continuity Mission LDCM. From left are George Diller of NASA Public Affairs, LDCM program executive David Jarrett from NASA Headquarters, NASA Launch Director Omar Baez from Kennedy Space Center, United Launch Alliance Program Manager for NASA Missions Vernon Thorp, LDCM Project Manager Ken Schwer from Goddard Space Flight Center, and 1st Lt. Jennifer Kelley, launch weather officer for the 30th Operations Support Squadron at Vandenberg. Launch of LDCM aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket from Vandenberg's Space Launch Complex-3E is planned for Feb. 11 during a 48-minute launch window that opens at 10:02 a.m. PST, or 1:02 p.m. EST. LDCM is the eighth satellite in the Landsat Program series of Earth-observing missions and will continue the program’s critical role in monitoring, understanding and managing the resources needed for human sustainment, such as food, water and forests. NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., is responsible for LDCM project management. Orbital Sciences Corp. built the LDCM satellite. NASA's Launch Services Program at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida provides launch management. After launch and the initial checkout phase, the U. S. Geological Survey will take operational control of LDCM, and it will be renamed Landsat 8. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett
2011-11-25
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- On Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, one of three lightning masts, at left, protects the 197-foot-tall United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket as it rolls from the safety of the Vertical Integration Facility (VIF) at Space Launch Complex-41 to the pad's surface. Atop the rocket is NASA's Mars Science Laboratory (MSL), enclosed in its payload fairing. The rocket began its move from the VIF at 8 a.m. EST. Liftoff is planned during a launch window which extends from 10:02 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. EST on Nov. 26. MSL's components include a car-sized rover, Curiosity, which has 10 science instruments designed to search for signs of life, including methane, and help determine if the gas is from a biological or geological source. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/msl. Photo credit: NASA/Tony Gray
2008-04-03
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. --- On Pad 17-B at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, United Launch Alliance technicians check the list of activities completed on the mating of the nine solid rocket boosters to the Delta II rocket for the launch of NASA's Gamma-ray Large Area Space Telescope, or GLAST. The GLAST is a powerful space observatory that will explore the Universe's ultimate frontier, where nature harnesses forces and energies far beyond anything possible on Earth; probe some of science's deepest questions, such as what our Universe is made of, and search for new laws of physics; explain how black holes accelerate jets of material to nearly light speed; and help crack the mystery of stupendously powerful explosions known as gamma-ray bursts. Launch is currently planned in a window between 11:45 a.m. and 1:40 p.m. May 16. Photo credit: NASA/Troy Cryder
2011-11-25
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- A web of shadows stretches across the 197-foot-tall United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket as the early morning sun shines through a metal lightning mast (left) at Space Launch Complex 41 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. Atop the rocket is NASA's Mars Science Laboratory (MSL), enclosed in its payload fairing. The rocket rolled out of the Vertical Integration Facility at 8 a.m. EST and arrived at the pad at 8:40 a.m. Liftoff is planned during a launch window which extends from 10:02 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. EST on Nov. 26. MSL's components include a car-sized rover, Curiosity, which has 10 science instruments designed to search for signs of life, including methane, and help determine if the gas is from a biological or geological source. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/msl. Photo credit: NASA/Frankie Martin
Launch and Assembly Reliability Analysis for Human Space Exploration Missions
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Cates, Grant; Gelito, Justin; Stromgren, Chel; Cirillo, William; Goodliff, Kandyce
2012-01-01
NASA's future human space exploration strategy includes single and multi-launch missions to various destinations including cis-lunar space, near Earth objects such as asteroids, and ultimately Mars. Each campaign is being defined by Design Reference Missions (DRMs). Many of these missions are complex, requiring multiple launches and assembly of vehicles in orbit. Certain missions also have constrained departure windows to the destination. These factors raise concerns regarding the reliability of launching and assembling all required elements in time to support planned departure. This paper describes an integrated methodology for analyzing launch and assembly reliability in any single DRM or set of DRMs starting with flight hardware manufacturing and ending with final departure to the destination. A discrete event simulation is built for each DRM that includes the pertinent risk factors including, but not limited to: manufacturing completion; ground transportation; ground processing; launch countdown; ascent; rendezvous and docking, assembly, and orbital operations leading up to trans-destination-injection. Each reliability factor can be selectively activated or deactivated so that the most critical risk factors can be identified. This enables NASA to prioritize mitigation actions so as to improve mission success.
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Dunham, David W.; Guzman, Jose J.; Sharer, Peter J.; Friessen, Henry D.
2007-01-01
STEREO (Solar-TErestrial RElations Observatory) is the third mission in the Solar Terrestrial Probes program (STP) of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). STEREO is the first mission to utilize phasing loops and multiple lunar flybys to alter the trajectories of more than one satellite. This paper describes the launch computation methodology, the launch constraints, and the resulting nine launch windows that were prepared for STEREO. More details are provided for the window in late October 2006 that was actually used.
Launch COLA Gap Analysis for Protection of the International Space Station
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Jenkin, Alan B.; McVey, John P.; Peterson, Glenn E.; Sorge, Marlon E.
2013-08-01
For launch missions in general, a collision avoidance (COLA) gap exists between the end of the time interval covered by standard launch COLA screening and the time that other spacecraft can clear a collision with the newly launched objects. To address this issue for the International Space Station (ISS), a COLA gap analysis process has been developed. The first part of the process, nodal separation analysis, identifies launch dates and launch window opportunities when the orbit traces of a launched object and the ISS could cross during the COLA gap. The second and newest part of the analysis process, Monte Carlo conjunction probability analysis, is performed closer to the launch dates of concern to reopen some of the launch window opportunities that would be closed by nodal separation analysis alone. Both parts of the process are described and demonstrated on sample missions.
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
2004-01-01
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. A shipping container transporting part of the new Orbiter Boom Sensor System (OBSS) is delivered by truck to the Remote Manipulator System lab in the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB). Once the entire structure has arrived, the OBSS will be assembled and undergo final checkout and testing in the lab prior to being transferred to the Orbiter Processing Facility (OPF) for installation on Space Shuttle Discovery. The 50-foot-long OBSS will be attached to the Remote Manipulator System, or Shuttle arm, and is one of the new safety measures for Return to Flight, equipping the orbiter with cameras and laser systems to inspect the Shuttle's Thermal Protection System while in space. Discovery is slated to fly mission STS-114 once Space Shuttle launches resume. The launch planning window is May 12 to June 3, 2005.
2011-11-25
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Betina Pavri, systems engineer at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), speaks to a group of Tweetup participants at NASA Kennedy Space Center's Press Site in Florida during prelaunch activities for the agency’s Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) launch as Allen Chen, also a systems engineer at JPL, looks on, at left. Following a series of briefings, participants will tour the center and get a close-up view of Space Launch Complex-41 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. The tweeters will share their experiences with followers through the social networking site Twitter. MSL's components include a car-sized rover, Curiosity, which has 10 science instruments designed to search for signs of life, including methane, and help determine if the gas is from a biological or geological source. Liftoff of MSL aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket from pad 41 is planned during a launch window which extends from 10:02 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. EST on Nov. 26. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/msl. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann
Launching a Weather Balloon to check conditions for the THEMIS L
2002-01-01
A worker releases a weather balloon at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station weather station. The balloon is equipped with a radiosonde, an instrument that transmits measurements on atmospheric pressure, humidity, temperature and winds as it ascends. The data will be used to determine if conditions are acceptable for the launch of NASA's THEMIS mission. THEMIS, an acronym for Time History of Events and Macroscale Interactions during Substorms, consists of five identical probes that will track violent, colorful eruptions near the North Pole. This will be the largest number of scientific satellites NASA has ever launched into orbit aboard a single rocket. The THEMIS mission aims to unravel the mystery behind auroral substorms, an avalanche of magnetic energy powered by the solar wind that intensifies the northern and southern lights. The mission will investigate what causes auroras in the Earth’s atmosphere to dramatically change from slowly shimmering waves of light to wildly shifting streaks of bright color. Launch is planned from Pad 17-B in a window that extends from 6:01 to 6:19 p.m. EST.
Launching a Weather Balloon to check conditions for the THEMIS L
2002-01-01
A radiosonde, an instrument that transmits measurements on atmospheric pressure, humidity, temperature and winds, is prepared for use on a weather balloon at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station weather station. The data it returns will be used to determine if conditions are acceptable for the launch of NASA's THEMIS mission. THEMIS, an acronym for Time History of Events and Macroscale Interactions during Substorms, consists of five identical probes that will track violent, colorful eruptions near the North Pole. This will be the largest number of scientific satellites NASA has ever launched into orbit aboard a single rocket. The THEMIS mission aims to unravel the mystery behind auroral substorms, an avalanche of magnetic energy powered by the solar wind that intensifies the northern and southern lights. The mission will investigate what causes auroras in the Earth’s atmosphere to dramatically change from slowly shimmering waves of light to wildly shifting streaks of bright color. Launch is planned from Pad 17-B in a window that extends from 6:01 to 6:19 p.m. EST.
Launching a Weather Balloon to check conditions for the THEMIS L
2002-01-01
A weather balloon takes flight from the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station weather station. The balloon is equipped with a radiosonde, an instrument that transmits measurements on atmospheric pressure, humidity, temperature and winds as it ascends. The data will be used to determine if conditions are acceptable for the launch of NASA's THEMIS mission. THEMIS, an acronym for Time History of Events and Macroscale Interactions during Substorms, consists of five identical probes that will track violent, colorful eruptions near the North Pole. This will be the largest number of scientific satellites NASA has ever launched into orbit aboard a single rocket. The THEMIS mission aims to unravel the mystery behind auroral substorms, an avalanche of magnetic energy powered by the solar wind that intensifies the northern and southern lights. The mission will investigate what causes auroras in the Earth’s atmosphere to dramatically change from slowly shimmering waves of light to wildly shifting streaks of bright color. Launch is planned from Pad 17-B in a window that extends from 6:01 to 6:19 p.m. EST.
Launching a Weather Balloon to check conditions for the THEMIS L
2002-01-01
A weather balloon is prepared for release at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station weather station. The balloon is equipped with a radiosonde, an instrument that transmits measurements on atmospheric pressure, humidity, temperature and winds as it ascends. The data will be used to determine if conditions are acceptable for the launch of NASA's THEMIS mission. THEMIS, an acronym for Time History of Events and Macroscale Interactions during Substorms, consists of five identical probes that will track violent, colorful eruptions near the North Pole. This will be the largest number of scientific satellites NASA has ever launched into orbit aboard a single rocket. The THEMIS mission aims to unravel the mystery behind auroral substorms, an avalanche of magnetic energy powered by the solar wind that intensifies the northern and southern lights. The mission will investigate what causes auroras in the Earth’s atmosphere to dramatically change from slowly shimmering waves of light to wildly shifting streaks of bright color. Launch is planned from Pad 17-B in a window that extends from 6:01 to 6:19 p.m. EST.
2009-10-06
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Workers supervise the move of space shuttle Atlantis from its hangar, Orbiter Processing Facility 1, to the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The rollover began about 7 a.m. EDT and was complete at 8:25 a.m. when Atlantis was towed into the VAB's transfer aisle. Next, Atlantis will be lifted over a transom and lowered into the VAB's high bay 1, where it will be attached to its external fuel tank and solid rocket boosters. Rollout of the shuttle stack to Kennedy’s Launch Pad 39A, a significant milestone in launch processing activities, is planned for Oct. 13. Liftoff of Atlantis on its STS-129 mission to the International Space Station is targeted for 4:04 p.m. EST during a 10-minute launch window on Nov. 12. For information on the STS-129 mission and crew, visit http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts129/index.html. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller
Mission design for a ballistic slow flyby Comet Encke 1980
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Farquhar, R. W.; Mccarthy, D. K.; Muhonen, D. P.; Yeomans, D. K.
1974-01-01
Preliminary mission analyses for a proposed 1980 slow flyby (7-9 km/s) of comet Encke are presented. Among the topics covered are science objectives, Encke's physical activity and ephemeris accuracy, trajectory and launch-window analysis, terminal guidance, and spacecraft concepts. The nominal mission plan calls for a near-perihelion intercept with two spacecraft launched on a single launch vehicle. Both spacecraft will arrive at the same time, one passing within 500 km from Encke's nucleus on its sunward side, the other cutting through the tail region. By applying a small propulsive correction about three weeks after the encounter, it is possible to retarget both spacecraft for a second Encke intercept in 1984. The potential science return from the ballistic slow flyby is compared with other proposed mission modes for the 1980 Encke flyby mission, including the widely advocated slow flyby using solar-electric propulsion. It is shown that the ballistic slow flyby is superior in every respect.
Launch and Assembly Reliability Analysis for Mars Human Space Exploration Missions
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Cates, Grant R.; Stromgren, Chel; Cirillo, William M.; Goodliff, Kandyce E.
2013-01-01
NASA s long-range goal is focused upon human exploration of Mars. Missions to Mars will require campaigns of multiple launches to assemble Mars Transfer Vehicles in Earth orbit. Launch campaigns are subject to delays, launch vehicles can fail to place their payloads into the required orbit, and spacecraft may fail during the assembly process or while loitering prior to the Trans-Mars Injection (TMI) burn. Additionally, missions to Mars have constrained departure windows lasting approximately sixty days that repeat approximately every two years. Ensuring high reliability of launching and assembling all required elements in time to support the TMI window will be a key enabler to mission success. This paper describes an integrated methodology for analyzing and improving the reliability of the launch and assembly campaign phase. A discrete event simulation involves several pertinent risk factors including, but not limited to: manufacturing completion; transportation; ground processing; launch countdown; ascent; rendezvous and docking, assembly, and orbital operations leading up to TMI. The model accommodates varying numbers of launches, including the potential for spare launches. Having a spare launch capability provides significant improvement to mission success.
Launch Order, Launch Separation, and Loiter in the Constellation 1 1/2-Launch Solution
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Stromgren, Chel; Cates, Grant; Cirillo, William
2009-01-01
The NASA Constellation Program (CxP) is developing a two-element Earth-to-Orbit launch system to enable human exploration of the Moon. The first element, Ares I, is a human-rated system that consists of a first stage based on the Space Shuttle Program's solid rocket booster (SRB) and an upper stage that consists of a four-crew Orion capsule, a service module, and a Launch Escape System. The second element, Ares V, is a Saturn V-plus category launch system that consists of the core stage with a cluster of six RS-68B engines and augmented with two 5.5-segment SRBs, a Saturn-derived J-2X engine powering an Earth Departure Stage (EDS), and the lunar-lander vehicle payload, Altair. Initial plans called for the Ares V to be launched first, followed the next day by the Ares I. After the EDS performs the final portion of ascent and subsequent orbit circularization, the Orion spacecraft then performs a rendezvous and docks with the EDS and its Altair payload. Following checkout, the integrated stack loiters in low Earth orbit (LEO) until the appropriate Trans-Lunar Injection (TLI) window opportunity opens, at which time the EDS propels the integrated Orion Altair to the Moon. Successful completion of this 1 1/2-launch solution carries risks related to both the orbital lifetime of the assets and the probability of achieving the launch of the second vehicle within the orbital lifetime of the first. These risks, which are significant in terms of overall system design choices and probability of mission success, dictated a thorough reevaluation of the launch strategy, including the order of vehicle launch and the planned time period between launches. The goal of the effort described in this paper was to select a launch strategy that would result in the greatest possible expected system performance, while accounting for launch risks and the cost of increased orbital lifetime. Discrete Event Simulation (DES) model of the launch strategies was created to determine the probability of a second launch not occurring in a timely fashion (i.e., before the assets waiting in LEO expire). An overview of the launch strategy evaluation process is presented, along with results of specific cases that were analyzed. A high-level comparison of options is then presented, along with the conclusion derived from the analysis.
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
1990-01-01
Now that Voyager II has completed its grand tour of the solar system, all the planets in the solar system, with the exception of Pluto, have been studied. Even now, missions to return to Mercury, Venus, Mars Jupiter, and Saturn are currently flying or are planned. However, a mission to explore Pluto is not, at the present time, being considered seriously. The design problem presented to the students was very general, i.e., design an unmanned mission to Pluto with a launch window constraint of the years 2000 to 2010. All other characteristics of the mission, such as mission type (flyby, orbiter, lander, penetrator), scientific objectives and payload, and the propulsion system were to be determined by the design teams. The design studies exposed several general problems to be solved. Due to the extreme distance to Pluto (and a corresponding travel time in the range of 10 to 25 years), the spacecraft had to be lighter and more robust than current spacecraft designs. In addition, advanced propulsion concepts had to be considered. These included the new generation of launch vehicles and upper stages and nuclear electric propulsion. The probe design offered an abundance of synthesis and analysis problems. These included sizing trade studies, selection of subsystem components, analysis of spacecraft dynamics, stability and control, structural design and material selection, trajectory design, and selection of scientific equipment. Since the characteristics of the mission, excluding the launch window, were to be determined by the design teams, the solutions varied widely.
A Geometric Analysis to Protect Manned Assets from Newly Launched Objects - COLA Gap Analysis
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Hametz, Mark E.; Beaver, Brian A.
2012-01-01
A safety risk was identified for the International Space Station (ISS) by The Aerospace Corporation following the launch of GPS IIR-20 (March 24, 2009), when the spent upper stage of the launch vehicle unexpectedly crossed inside the ISS notification box shortly after launch. This event highlighted a 56-hour vulnerability period following the end of the launch Collision Avoidance (COLA) process where the ISS would be unable to react to a conjunction with a newly launched object. Current launch COLA processes screen each launched object across the launch window to determine if an object's nominal trajectory is predicted to pass within 200 km of the ISS (or any other manned/mannable object), resulting in a launch time closure. These launch COLA screens are performed from launch through separation plus I 00 minutes. Once the objects are in orbit, they are cataloged and evaluated as part of routine on-orbit conjunction assessment processes. However, as the GPS IIR-20 scenario illustrated, there is a vulnerability period in the time line between the end of launch COLA coverage and the beginning of standard on-orbit COLA assessment activities. The gap between existing launch and on-orbit COLA processes is driven by the time it takes to track and catalog a launched object, identify a conjunction, and plan and execute a collision avoidance maneuver. For the ISS, the total time required to accomplish an of these steps is 56 hours. To protect human lives, NASA/JSC has requested that an US launches take additional steps to protect the ISS during this "COLA gap" period. The uncertainty in the state of a spent upper stage can be quite large after all bums are complete and all remaining propellants are expelled to safe the stage. Simply extending the launch COLA process an additional 56 hours is not a viable option as the 3-sigma position uncertainty will far exceed the 200 km miss-distance criterion. Additionally, performing a probability of collision (Pc) analysis over this period is also not practical due to the limiting effects of these large orbit state uncertainties. An estimated upper bound for Pc for a typical spent upper stage if nominally aligned for a direct broadside collision with the ISS is only on the order of 10-6. For a smaller manned object such as a Soyuz capsule, the risk level decreases to an order of 10'8 . In comparison, the Air Force Range policy (AFI 91-217) for launch COLAs would only eliminate launch opportunities when conjunctions with objects exceed a Pc of 10'5 This paper demonstrates a conservative geometry-based methodology that may be used to determine if launch opportunities pose a threat to the ISS during the COLA gap period. The NASA Launch Services Program at Kennedy Space Center has developed this COLA gap analysis method and employed it fQr three NASA missions to identify potential ISS conjunctions and corresponding launch window closures during the 56-hour at-risk period. In the analysis, for each launch opportunity, the nominal trajectory of the spent upper stage and the orbit state of the ISS are propagated over the 56 hour period. Each time the upper stage crosses the orbit plane of the ISS, the relative radial and argument of latitude separations are calculated. A window cutout is identified if these separation differences fall within a mission-specific violation box, which is determined from the evaluation of a Monte Carlo dispersions analysis that quantifies the potential variation in the upper stage radial and argument of latitude differences. This paper details the results of these analyses and their impacts to each mission.
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
2004-01-01
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. A shipping container housing part of the new Orbiter Boom Sensor System (OBSS) is lifted from a truck into the Remote Manipulator System lab in the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB). Once the entire structure has arrived, the OBSS will be assembled and undergo final checkout and testing in the lab prior to being transferred to the Orbiter Processing Facility (OPF) for installation on Space Shuttle Discovery. The 50-foot- long OBSS will be attached to the Remote Manipulator System, or Shuttle arm, and is one of the new safety measures for Return to Flight, equipping the orbiter with cameras and laser systems to inspect the Shuttle's Thermal Protection System while in space. Discovery is slated to fly mission STS-114 once Space Shuttle launches resume. The launch planning window is May 12 to June 3, 2005.
Strategy for the IRAS all-sky survey
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Lundy, S. A.
1984-01-01
IRAS (the Infrared Astronomical Satellite) was launched on January 25, 1983 (January 26 GMT) with the primary purpose of performing an infrared survey of the entire celestial sphere. To ensure completeness and reliability, every point of sky was to be covered by a minimum of four separate scans of the telescope field-of-view, and as much as possible with six, with certain added timing constraints on the elapsed interval between scans. These strong requirements for sky coverage, combined with a restricted, rotating viewing-window, made extensive planning for the survey strategy, both pre-launch and during operations, a necessity. The result was that on November 21 (November 22 GMT), when the liquid helium required for cooling was depleted, 96 percent of the sky was covered to the minimum depth of four and 71 percent was coverd to depth six or more.
Strategic Implications of Human Exploration of Near-Earth Asteroids
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Drake, Bret G.
2011-01-01
The current United States Space Policy [1] as articulated by the White House and later confirmed by the Congress [2] calls for [t]he extension of the human presence from low-Earth orbit to other regions of space beyond low-Earth orbit will enable missions to the surface of the Moon and missions to deep space destinations such as near-Earth asteroids and Mars. Human exploration of the Moon and Mars has been the focus of numerous exhaustive studies and planning, but missions to Near-Earth Asteroids (NEAs) has, by comparison, garnered relatively little attention in terms of mission and systems planning. This paper examines the strategic implications of human exploration of NEAs and how they can fit into the overall exploration strategy. This paper specifically addresses how accessible NEAs are in terms of mission duration, technologies required, and overall architecture construct. Example mission architectures utilizing different propulsion technologies such as chemical, nuclear thermal, and solar electric propulsion were formulated to determine resulting figures of merit including number of NEAs accessible, time of flight, mission mass, number of departure windows, and length of the launch windows. These data, in conjunction with what we currently know about these potential exploration targets (or need to know in the future), provide key insights necessary for future mission and strategic planning.
2009-05-06
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – New windows are installed in the Launch Control Center's Firing Room 1 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The firing room will support the future Ares rocket launches as part of NASA's Constellation Program. Future astronauts will ride to orbit on Ares I, launched from Kennedy's Launch Pad 39B. The Launch Control Center firing rooms face the launch pads. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller
2009-05-06
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – New windows are installed in the Launch Control Center's Firing Room 1 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The firing room will support the future Ares rocket launches as part of NASA's Constellation Program. Future astronauts will ride to orbit on Ares I, launched from Kennedy's Launch Pad 39B. The Launch Control Center firing rooms face the launch pads. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller
2013-02-08
VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- Media attend a mission science briefing at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California in preparation for the launch of the Landsat Data Continuity Mission LDCM. From left are Rani Gran of NASA Public Affairs, LDCM project scientist Dr. Jim Irons from NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, senior scientist and co-chair of the Landsat Science Team U.S. Geological Survey Earth Resources Observation and Science EROS Center Dr. Thomas Loveland, Landsat scientist and president of Kass Green and Associates Kass Green, and senior research scientist Dr. Mike Wulder of the Landsat Science Team Canadian Forest Service, Natural Resources Canada. Launch of LDCM aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket from Vandenberg's Space Launch Complex-3E is planned for Feb. 11 during a 48-minute launch window that opens at 10:02 a.m. PST, or 1:02 p.m. EST. LDCM is the eighth satellite in the Landsat Program series of Earth-observing missions and will continue the program’s critical role in monitoring, understanding and managing the resources needed for human sustainment, such as food, water and forests. NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., is responsible for LDCM project management. Orbital Sciences Corp. built the LDCM satellite. NASA's Launch Services Program at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida provides launch management. After launch and the initial checkout phase, the U. S. Geological Survey will take operational control of LDCM, and it will be renamed Landsat 8. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett
Launch mission summary and sequence of events Telesat-F(anik-D1)/Delta-164
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
1982-01-01
The launch vehicle, spacecraft, and mission are summarized. Launch window information, vehicle telemetry coverage, real time data flow, telemetry coverage by station, selected trajectory information, and a brief sequence of flight events are included.
2011-11-26
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Participants of a NASA Tweetup pose for a group portrait at NASA Kennedy Space Center's Press Site in Florida during prelaunch activities for the agency’s Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) launch. Behind them, the countdown clock ticks off the seconds to launch. Participants in the Tweetup are given the opportunity to listen to agency briefings, tour locations on the center normally off limits to visitors, and get a close-up view of Space Launch Complex-41 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. The tweeters will share their experiences with followers through the social networking site Twitter. The MSL mission will pioneer precision landing technology and a sky-crane touchdown to place a car-sized rover, Curiosity, near the foot of a mountain inside Gale Crater on Aug. 6, 2012. During a nearly two-year prime mission after landing, the rover will investigate whether the region has ever offered conditions favorable for microbial life, including the chemical ingredients for life. Liftoff of MSL aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket from pad 41 is planned during a launch window which extends from 10:02 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. EST on Nov. 26. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/msl. Photo credit: NASA/Frankie Martin
2009-05-06
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – A technician works at installing a new window in the Launch Control Center's Firing Room 1 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The firing room will support the future Ares rocket launches as part of NASA's Constellation Program. Future astronauts will ride to orbit on Ares I, launched from Kennedy's Launch Pad 39B. The Launch Control Center firing rooms face the launch pads. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller
2011-11-26
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – NASA Deputy Administrator Lori Garver addresses the participants of a NASA Tweetup in a tent set up at NASA Kennedy Space Center's Press Site in Florida during prelaunch activities for the agency’s Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) launch. Participants in the Tweetup are given the opportunity to listen to agency briefings, tour locations on the center normally off limits to visitors, and get a close-up view of Space Launch Complex-41 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. The tweeters will share their experiences with followers through the social networking site Twitter. The MSL mission will pioneer precision landing technology and a sky-crane touchdown to place a car-sized rover, Curiosity, near the foot of a mountain inside Gale Crater on Aug. 6, 2012. During a nearly two-year prime mission after landing, the rover will investigate whether the region has ever offered conditions favorable for microbial life, including the chemical ingredients for life. Liftoff of MSL aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket from pad 41 is planned during a launch window which extends from 10:02 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. EST on Nov. 26. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/msl. Photo credit: NASA/Frankie Martin
2011-11-26
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – NASA Administrator Charles Bolden addresses the participants of a NASA Tweetup in a tent set up at NASA Kennedy Space Center's Press Site in Florida during prelaunch activities for the agency’s Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) launch. Participants in the Tweetup are given the opportunity to listen to agency briefings, tour locations on the center normally off limits to visitors, and get a close-up view of Space Launch Complex-41 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. The tweeters will share their experiences with followers through the social networking site Twitter. The MSL mission will pioneer precision landing technology and a sky-crane touchdown to place a car-sized rover, Curiosity, near the foot of a mountain inside Gale Crater on Aug. 6, 2012. During a nearly two-year prime mission after landing, the rover will investigate whether the region has ever offered conditions favorable for microbial life, including the chemical ingredients for life. Liftoff of MSL aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket from pad 41 is planned during a launch window which extends from 10:02 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. EST on Nov. 26. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/msl. Photo credit: NASA/Frankie Martin
2011-11-26
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Expedition 25 astronaut Doug Wheelock talks to the participants of a NASA Tweetup in a tent set up at NASA Kennedy Space Center's Press Site in Florida during prelaunch activities for the agency’s Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) launch. Participants in the Tweetup are given the opportunity to listen to agency briefings, tour locations on the center normally off limits to visitors, and get a close-up view of Space Launch Complex-41 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. The tweeters will share their experiences with followers through the social networking site Twitter. The MSL mission will pioneer precision landing technology and a sky-crane touchdown to place a car-sized rover, Curiosity, near the foot of a mountain inside Gale Crater on Aug. 6, 2012. During a nearly two-year prime mission after landing, the rover will investigate whether the region has ever offered conditions favorable for microbial life, including the chemical ingredients for life. Liftoff of MSL aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket from pad 41 is planned during a launch window which extends from 10:02 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. EST on Nov. 26. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/msl. Photo credit: NASA/Frankie Martin
2011-11-26
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – NASA Administrator Charles Bolden addresses the participants of a NASA Tweetup in a tent set up at NASA Kennedy Space Center's Press Site in Florida during prelaunch activities for the agency’s Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) launch. Participants in the Tweetup are given the opportunity to listen to agency briefings, tour locations on the center normally off limits to visitors, and get a close-up view of Space Launch Complex-41 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. The tweeters will share their experiences with followers through the social networking site Twitter. The MSL mission will pioneer precision landing technology and a sky-crane touchdown to place a car-sized rover, Curiosity, near the foot of a mountain inside Gale Crater on Aug. 6, 2012. During a nearly two-year prime mission after landing, the rover will investigate whether the region has ever offered conditions favorable for microbial life, including the chemical ingredients for life. Liftoff of MSL aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket from pad 41 is planned during a launch window which extends from 10:02 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. EST on Nov. 26. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/msl. Photo credit: NASA/Frankie Martin
2011-11-26
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – A Tweetup gets under way in a tent set up at NASA Kennedy Space Center's Press Site in Florida during prelaunch activities for the agency’s Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) launch. Participants in the Tweetup are given the opportunity to listen to agency briefings, tour locations on the center normally off limits to visitors, and get a close-up view of Space Launch Complex-41 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. The tweeters will share their experiences with followers through the social networking site Twitter. The MSL mission will pioneer precision landing technology and a sky-crane touchdown to place a car-sized rover, Curiosity, near the foot of a mountain inside Gale Crater on Aug. 6, 2012. During a nearly two-year prime mission after landing, the rover will investigate whether the region has ever offered conditions favorable for microbial life, including the chemical ingredients for life. Liftoff of MSL aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket from pad 41 is planned during a launch window which extends from 10:02 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. EST on Nov. 26. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/msl. Photo credit: NASA/Frankie Martin
2011-11-26
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Television personality Bill Nye the Science Guy talks to the participants of a NASA Tweetup in a tent set up at NASA Kennedy Space Center's Press Site in Florida during prelaunch activities for the agency’s Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) launch. Participants in the Tweetup are given the opportunity to listen to agency briefings, tour locations on the center normally off limits to visitors, and get a close-up view of Space Launch Complex-41 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. The tweeters will share their experiences with followers through the social networking site Twitter. The MSL mission will pioneer precision landing technology and a sky-crane touchdown to place a car-sized rover, Curiosity, near the foot of a mountain inside Gale Crater on Aug. 6, 2012. During a nearly two-year prime mission after landing, the rover will investigate whether the region has ever offered conditions favorable for microbial life, including the chemical ingredients for life. Liftoff of MSL aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket from pad 41 is planned during a launch window which extends from 10:02 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. EST on Nov. 26. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/msl. Photo credit: NASA/Frankie Martin
2011-11-26
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – NASA Tweetup participants hear a presentation by Expedition 25 astronaut Doug Wheelock in a tent set up at NASA Kennedy Space Center's Press Site in Florida during prelaunch activities for the agency’s Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) launch. Participants in the Tweetup are given the opportunity to listen to agency briefings, tour locations on the center normally off limits to visitors, and get a close-up view of Space Launch Complex-41 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. The tweeters will share their experiences with followers through the social networking site Twitter. The MSL mission will pioneer precision landing technology and a sky-crane touchdown to place a car-sized rover, Curiosity, near the foot of a mountain inside Gale Crater on Aug. 6, 2012. During a nearly two-year prime mission after landing, the rover will investigate whether the region has ever offered conditions favorable for microbial life, including the chemical ingredients for life. Liftoff of MSL aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket from pad 41 is planned during a launch window which extends from 10:02 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. EST on Nov. 26. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/msl. Photo credit: NASA/Frankie Martin
2011-11-26
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Television personality Bill Nye the Science Guy talks to the participants of a NASA Tweetup in a tent set up at NASA Kennedy Space Center's Press Site in Florida during prelaunch activities for the agency’s Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) launch. Participants in the Tweetup are given the opportunity to listen to agency briefings, tour locations on the center normally off limits to visitors, and get a close-up view of Space Launch Complex-41 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. The tweeters will share their experiences with followers through the social networking site Twitter. The MSL mission will pioneer precision landing technology and a sky-crane touchdown to place a car-sized rover, Curiosity, near the foot of a mountain inside Gale Crater on Aug. 6, 2012. During a nearly two-year prime mission after landing, the rover will investigate whether the region has ever offered conditions favorable for microbial life, including the chemical ingredients for life. Liftoff of MSL aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket from pad 41 is planned during a launch window which extends from 10:02 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. EST on Nov. 26. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/msl. Photo credit: NASA/Frankie Martin
2011-11-25
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Ashwin Vasavada, deputy project scientist for the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, speaks to a group of Tweetup participants at NASA Kennedy Space Center's Press Site in Florida during prelaunch activities for the agency’s MSL launch. Pan Conrad, deputy principal investigator for the Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) instrument on the Curiosity rover from NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, awaits her turn to speak, at right. Following a series of briefings, participants will tour the center and get a close-up view of Space Launch Complex-41 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. The tweeters will share their experiences with followers through the social networking site Twitter. MSL's components include a car-sized rover, Curiosity, which has 10 science instruments designed to search for signs of life, including methane, and help determine if the gas is from a biological or geological source. Liftoff of MSL aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket from pad 41 is planned during a launch window which extends from 10:02 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. EST on Nov. 26. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/msl. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann
2003-03-29
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - A worker makes the final launch preparations on the rover equipment deck (RED) for the Mars Exploration Rover 2 (MER-2). Set to launch in Spring 2003, the MER Mission will consist of two identical rovers designed to cover roughly 110 yards each Martian day over various terrain. The rovers will be identical to each other, but will land at different regions of Mars. Each rover will carry five scientific instruments that will allow it to search for evidence of liquid water that may have been present in the planet's past. The first rover has a launch window opening May 30, and the second rover a window opening June 25.
14. VIEW OF MST, FACING SOUTHEAST, AND LAUNCH PAD TAKEN ...
14. VIEW OF MST, FACING SOUTHEAST, AND LAUNCH PAD TAKEN FROM NORTHEAST PHOTO TOWER WITH WINDOW OPEN. FEATURES LEFT TO RIGHT: SOUTH TELEVISION CAMERA TOWER, SOUTHWEST PHOTO TOWER, LAUNCHER, UMBILICAL MAST, MST, AND OXIDIZER APRON. - Vandenberg Air Force Base, Space Launch Complex 3, Launch Pad 3 East, Napa & Alden Roads, Lompoc, Santa Barbara County, CA
1997-07-01
The Space Shuttle Columbia (STS-94) soared from Launch Pad 39A begirning its 16-day Microgravity Science Laboratory -1 (MSL-1) mission. The launch window was opened 47 minutes earlier than the originally scheduled time to improve the opportunity to lift off before Florida summer rain showers reached the space center. During the space flight, the MSL-1 was used to test some of the hardware, facilities and procedures that were planned for use on the International Space Station which were managed by scientists and engineers from the Marshall Space Flight Center, while the flight crew conducted combustion, protein crystal growth and materials processing experiments. Also onboard was the Hitchhiker Cryogenic Flexible Diode (CRYOFD) experiment payload, which was attached to the right side of Columbia's payload bay. These payloads had previously flown on the STS-83 mission in April, which was cut short after nearly four days because of indications of a faulty fuel cell. STS-94 was a reflight of that mission.
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
1980-01-01
A brief summary of the launch vehicle, spacecraft, and mission is contained. Information relative to launch windows, vehicle telemetry coverage, realtime data flow, telemetry coverage by station, selected trajectory information, and a brief sequence of flight events is also included.
2007-02-17
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- A weather balloon takes flight from the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station weather station. The balloon is equipped with a radiosonde, an instrument that transmits measurements on atmospheric pressure, humidity, temperature and winds as it ascends. The data will be used to determine if conditions are acceptable for the launch of NASA's THEMIS mission. THEMIS, an acronym for Time History of Events and Macroscale Interactions during Substorms, consists of five identical probes that will track violent, colorful eruptions near the North Pole. This will be the largest number of scientific satellites NASA has ever launched into orbit aboard a single rocket. The THEMIS mission aims to unravel the mystery behind auroral substorms, an avalanche of magnetic energy powered by the solar wind that intensifies the northern and southern lights. The mission will investigate what causes auroras in the Earth’s atmosphere to dramatically change from slowly shimmering waves of light to wildly shifting streaks of bright color. Launch is planned from Pad 17-B in a window that extends from 6:01 to 6:19 p.m. EST. Photo credit: NASA/George Shelton
2007-02-17
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- A worker prepares a weather balloon for release at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station weather station. The balloon is equipped with a radiosonde, an instrument that transmits measurements on atmospheric pressure, humidity, temperature and winds as it ascends. The data will be used to determine if conditions are acceptable for the launch of NASA's THEMIS mission. THEMIS, an acronym for Time History of Events and Macroscale Interactions during Substorms, consists of five identical probes that will track violent, colorful eruptions near the North Pole. This will be the largest number of scientific satellites NASA has ever launched into orbit aboard a single rocket. The THEMIS mission aims to unravel the mystery behind auroral substorms, an avalanche of magnetic energy powered by the solar wind that intensifies the northern and southern lights. The mission will investigate what causes auroras in the Earth’s atmosphere to dramatically change from slowly shimmering waves of light to wildly shifting streaks of bright color. Launch is planned from Pad 17-B in a window that extends from 6:01 to 6:19 p.m. EST. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett
2007-02-17
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- A worker prepares a weather balloon for release at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station weather station. The balloon is equipped with a radiosonde, an instrument that transmits measurements on atmospheric pressure, humidity, temperature and winds as it ascends. The data will be used to determine if conditions are acceptable for the launch of NASA's THEMIS mission. THEMIS, an acronym for Time History of Events and Macroscale Interactions during Substorms, consists of five identical probes that will track violent, colorful eruptions near the North Pole. This will be the largest number of scientific satellites NASA has ever launched into orbit aboard a single rocket. The THEMIS mission aims to unravel the mystery behind auroral substorms, an avalanche of magnetic energy powered by the solar wind that intensifies the northern and southern lights. The mission will investigate what causes auroras in the Earth’s atmosphere to dramatically change from slowly shimmering waves of light to wildly shifting streaks of bright color. Launch is planned from Pad 17-B in a window that extends from 6:01 to 6:19 p.m. EST. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett
2007-02-17
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- A worker prepares to release a weather balloon outside the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station weather station. The balloon is equipped with a radiosonde, an instrument that transmits measurements on atmospheric pressure, humidity, temperature and winds as it ascends. The data will be used to determine if conditions are acceptable for the launch of NASA's THEMIS mission. THEMIS, an acronym for Time History of Events and Macroscale Interactions during Substorms, consists of five identical probes that will track violent, colorful eruptions near the North Pole. This will be the largest number of scientific satellites NASA has ever launched into orbit aboard a single rocket. The THEMIS mission aims to unravel the mystery behind auroral substorms, an avalanche of magnetic energy powered by the solar wind that intensifies the northern and southern lights. The mission will investigate what causes auroras in the Earth’s atmosphere to dramatically change from slowly shimmering waves of light to wildly shifting streaks of bright color. Launch is planned from Pad 17-B in a window that extends from 6:01 to 6:19 p.m. EST. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett
2007-02-17
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- A weather balloon is prepared for release at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station weather station. The balloon is equipped with a radiosonde, an instrument that transmits measurements on atmospheric pressure, humidity, temperature and winds as it ascends. The data will be used to determine if conditions are acceptable for the launch of NASA's THEMIS mission. THEMIS, an acronym for Time History of Events and Macroscale Interactions during Substorms, consists of five identical probes that will track violent, colorful eruptions near the North Pole. This will be the largest number of scientific satellites NASA has ever launched into orbit aboard a single rocket. The THEMIS mission aims to unravel the mystery behind auroral substorms, an avalanche of magnetic energy powered by the solar wind that intensifies the northern and southern lights. The mission will investigate what causes auroras in the Earth’s atmosphere to dramatically change from slowly shimmering waves of light to wildly shifting streaks of bright color. Launch is planned from Pad 17-B in a window that extends from 6:01 to 6:19 p.m. EST. Photo credit: NASA/George Shelton
2007-02-17
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- A worker releases a weather balloon at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station weather station. The balloon is equipped with a radiosonde, an instrument that transmits measurements on atmospheric pressure, humidity, temperature and winds as it ascends. The data will be used to determine if conditions are acceptable for the launch of NASA's THEMIS mission. THEMIS, an acronym for Time History of Events and Macroscale Interactions during Substorms, consists of five identical probes that will track violent, colorful eruptions near the North Pole. This will be the largest number of scientific satellites NASA has ever launched into orbit aboard a single rocket. The THEMIS mission aims to unravel the mystery behind auroral substorms, an avalanche of magnetic energy powered by the solar wind that intensifies the northern and southern lights. The mission will investigate what causes auroras in the Earth’s atmosphere to dramatically change from slowly shimmering waves of light to wildly shifting streaks of bright color. Launch is planned from Pad 17-B in a window that extends from 6:01 to 6:19 p.m. EST. Photo credit: NASA/George Shelton
2007-02-17
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- A radiosonde, an instrument that transmits measurements on atmospheric pressure, humidity, temperature and winds, is prepared for use on a weather balloon at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station weather station. The data it returns will be used to determine if conditions are acceptable for the launch of NASA's THEMIS mission. THEMIS, an acronym for Time History of Events and Macroscale Interactions during Substorms, consists of five identical probes that will track violent, colorful eruptions near the North Pole. This will be the largest number of scientific satellites NASA has ever launched into orbit aboard a single rocket. The THEMIS mission aims to unravel the mystery behind auroral substorms, an avalanche of magnetic energy powered by the solar wind that intensifies the northern and southern lights. The mission will investigate what causes auroras in the Earth’s atmosphere to dramatically change from slowly shimmering waves of light to wildly shifting streaks of bright color. Launch is planned from Pad 17-B in a window that extends from 6:01 to 6:19 p.m. EST. Photo credit: NASA/George Shelton
2007-02-17
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Two weather balloons take flight from the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station weather station. Each balloon is equipped with a radiosonde, an instrument that transmits measurements on atmospheric pressure, humidity, temperature and winds as it ascends. The data will be used to determine if conditions are acceptable for the launch of NASA's THEMIS mission. THEMIS, an acronym for Time History of Events and Macroscale Interactions during Substorms, consists of five identical probes that will track violent, colorful eruptions near the North Pole. This will be the largest number of scientific satellites NASA has ever launched into orbit aboard a single rocket. The THEMIS mission aims to unravel the mystery behind auroral substorms, an avalanche of magnetic energy powered by the solar wind that intensifies the northern and southern lights. The mission will investigate what causes auroras in the Earth’s atmosphere to dramatically change from slowly shimmering waves of light to wildly shifting streaks of bright color. Launch is planned from Pad 17-B in a window that extends from 6:01 to 6:19 p.m. EST. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett
Launch of Space Shuttle Atlantis / STS-129 Mission
2009-11-16
STS129-S-056 (16 Nov. 2009) --- Members of the space shuttle launch team watch Space Shuttle Atlantis' launch through the newly installed windows of Firing Room 4 in the Launch Control Center at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Liftoff of Atlantis from Launch Pad 39A on its STS-129 mission to the International Space Station came at 2:28 p.m. (EST) Nov. 16, 2009.
2011-11-26
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Will.i.am, left, entertainer and member of The Black Eyed Peas, and former astronaut Leland Melvin, NASA associate administrator for Education, take part in a Tweetup at NASA Kennedy Space Center's Press Site in Florida during prelaunch activities for the agency’s Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) launch. Behind them glint the lights of the launch countdown clock. Participants in the Tweetup are given the opportunity to listen to agency briefings, tour locations on the center normally off limits to visitors, and get a close-up view of Space Launch Complex-41 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. The tweeters will share their experiences with followers through the social networking site Twitter. The MSL mission will pioneer precision landing technology and a sky-crane touchdown to place a car-sized rover, Curiosity, near the foot of a mountain inside Gale Crater on Aug. 6, 2012. During a nearly two-year prime mission after landing, the rover will investigate whether the region has ever offered conditions favorable for microbial life, including the chemical ingredients for life. Liftoff of MSL aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket from pad 41 is planned during a launch window which extends from 10:02 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. EST on Nov. 26. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/msl. Photo credit: NASA/Frankie Martin
JPL-20180406-INSIGHf-0001-InSight West Coast Launch
2018-04-06
NASA's InSight mission to Mars will be the first interplanetary launch from America's West Coast. It will launch from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. The launch window opens at 4:05 a.m. PDT and remains open for two hours. The launch period spans May 5 through June 8. Animations indicate how the launch will look to people on the ground in Santa Barbara, Los Angeles, and San Diego. A map shows the entire region in which the launch will be visible if skies are clear.
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
2004-01-01
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. Media tour the Orbiter Processing Facility (OPF) housing the Space Shuttle Discovery at KSC. During this event, they received the latest information on Discoverys processing and viewed workers preparing the vehicle for its safe return to flight scheduled for a launch planning window of March 2005. Kicking off the activities at the Press Site Auditorium, technical experts led two workshops addressing Reinforced Carbon- Carbon and vehicle instrumentation. Later, reporters toured the OPF to see work in progress on Discovery, including reinstallation of the Reinforced Carbon-Carbon panels on the Shuttle's wing leading edge, wiring inspections and instrumentation updates being completed for Return to Flight.
2004-07-23
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Media tour the Orbiter Processing Facility (OPF) housing the Space Shuttle Discovery at KSC. During this event, they received the latest information on Discovery’s processing and viewed workers preparing the vehicle for its safe return to flight scheduled for a launch planning window of March 2005. Kicking off the activities at the Press Site Auditorium, technical experts led two workshops addressing Reinforced Carbon-Carbon and vehicle instrumentation. Later, reporters toured the OPF to see work in progress on Discovery, including reinstallation of the Reinforced Carbon-Carbon panels on the Shuttle's wing leading edge, wiring inspections and instrumentation updates being completed for Return to Flight.
2008-07-11
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Orbiter Processing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, STS-125 Pilot Gregory C. Johnson examines the cockpit window on space shuttle Atlantis, checking for sharp edges. The inspection is part of the crew equipment interface test, which provides hands-on experience with hardware and equipment for the mission. Atlantis is targeted to launch Oct. 8 on the STS-125 mission to service the Hubble Space Telescope. The mission crew will perform history-making, on-orbit “surgery” on two important science instruments aboard the telescope. After capturing the telescope, two teams of spacewalking astronauts will perform the repairs during five planned spacewalks. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett
2008-07-11
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Orbiter Processing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, STS-125 Commander Scott Altman examines the cockpit window on space shuttle Atlantis. The inspection is part of the crew equipment interface test, which provides hands-on experience with hardware and equipment for the mission. Atlantis is targeted to launch Oct. 8 on the STS-125 mission to service the Hubble Space Telescope. The mission crew will perform history-making, on-orbit “surgery” on two important science instruments aboard the telescope. After capturing the telescope, two teams of spacewalking astronauts will perform the repairs during five planned spacewalks. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett
2008-07-11
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Orbiter Processing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, STS-125 Commander Scott Altman examines the cockpit window on space shuttle Atlantis, checking for sharp edges. The inspection is part of the crew equipment interface test, which provides hands-on experience with hardware and equipment for the mission. Atlantis is targeted to launch Oct. 8 on the STS-125 mission to service the Hubble Space Telescope. The mission crew will perform history-making, on-orbit “surgery” on two important science instruments aboard the telescope. After capturing the telescope, two teams of spacewalking astronauts will perform the repairs during five planned spacewalks. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett
2008-07-11
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Orbiter Processing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, STS-125 Pilot Gregory C. Johnson examines the cockpit window on space shuttle Atlantis, checking for sharp edges. The inspection is part of the crew equipment interface test, which provides hands-on experience with hardware and equipment for the mission. Atlantis is targeted to launch Oct. 8 on the STS-125 mission to service the Hubble Space Telescope. The mission crew will perform history-making, on-orbit “surgery” on two important science instruments aboard the telescope. After capturing the telescope, two teams of spacewalking astronauts will perform the repairs during five planned spacewalks. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett
2009-11-30
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – The Launch Control Center at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida is ready to support NASA's 21st century space program. The louvered windows installed during the Apollo era have been replaced with new, hurricane-rated window systems in the four firing rooms and vestibule areas between the firing rooms. To avoid operational impacts and protect the firing rooms from the elements, the new windows were installed on the outside of the original windows, enclosing the space formerly occupied by the louvers until the new windows were leak tested. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller
2009-11-30
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – The Launch Control Center at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida is ready to support NASA's 21st century space program. The louvered windows installed during the Apollo era have been replaced with new, hurricane-rated window systems in the four firing rooms and vestibule areas between the firing rooms. To avoid operational impacts and protect the firing rooms from the elements, the new windows were installed on the outside of the original windows, enclosing the space formerly occupied by the louvers until the new windows were leak tested. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller
2009-11-30
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – The Launch Control Center at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida is ready to support NASA's 21st century space program. The louvered windows installed during the Apollo era have been replaced with new, hurricane-rated window systems in the four firing rooms and vestibule areas between the firing rooms. To avoid operational impacts and protect the firing rooms from the elements, the new windows were installed on the outside of the original windows, enclosing the space formerly occupied by the louvers until the new windows were leak tested. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller
2009-11-30
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – The Launch Control Center at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida is ready to support NASA's 21st century space program. The louvered windows installed during the Apollo era have been replaced with new, hurricane-rated window systems in the four firing rooms and vestibule areas between the firing rooms. To avoid operational impacts and protect the firing rooms from the elements, the new windows were installed on the outside of the original windows, enclosing the space formerly occupied by the louvers until the new windows were leak tested. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller
STS-94 Mission Specialist Gernhardt in LC-39A White Room
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
1997-01-01
STS-94 Mission Specialist Michael L. Gernhardt prepares to enter the Space Shuttle Columbia at Launch Pad 39A in preparation for launch. He first flew in this capacity on STS-69. He has been a professional deep sea diver and engineer and holds a doctorate in bioengineering. Gernhardt will be in charge of the Blue shift and as flight engineer will operate and maintain the orbiter while Halsell and Still are asleep as members of the Red shift. He will also back them up on the flight deck during the ascent and re- entry phases of the mission. Gernhardt and six fellow crew members will lift off during a launch window that opens at 1:50 a.m. EDT, July 1. The launch window will open 47 minutes early to improve the opportunity to lift off before Florida summer rain showers reach the space center.
STS-94 Payload Specialist Linteris in LC-39A White Room
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
1997-01-01
STS-94 Payload Specialist Gregory T. Linteris prepares to enter the Space Shuttle Columbia at Launch Pad 39A in preparation for launch. He holds a doctorate in mechanical and aerospace engineering. Linteris has worked at the National Institute of Standards and Technology and is the Principal Investigator on a NASA microgravity combustion experiment. As a member of the Red team, Linteris will concentrate on three combustion experiments. Two of these experiments are housed in the Combustion Module. He will also be backing up crew members on the other Microgravity Science Laboratory-1 (MSL-1) investigations. He and six fellow crew members will lift off during a launch window that opens at 1:50 a.m. EDT, July 1. The launch window will open 47 minutes early to improve the opportunity to lift off before Florida summer rain showers reach the space center.
1997-07-01
STS-94 Payload Specialist Roger K. Crouch prepares to enter the Space Shuttle Columbia at Launch Pad 39A in preparation for launch. He is the Chief Scientist of the NASA Microgravity Space and Applications Division. He also has served as a Program Scientist for previous Spacelab microgravity missions and is an expert in semiconductor crystal growth. Since Crouch has more than 25 years of experience as a materials scientist, he will be concentrating on the five physics of materials processing experiments in the Middeck Glovebox Facility on the Blue shift. He will also share the workload with Thomas by monitoring the materials furnace experiments during this time. Crouch and six fellow crew members will lift off during a launch window that opens at 1:50 p.m. EDT, July 1. The launch window will open 47 minutes early to improve the opportunity to lift off before Florida summer rain showers reach the space center
Astronaut Virgil Grissom shown through window of open hatch on Gemini craft
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
1965-01-01
Astronaut Virgil I. Grissom, the command pilot of the Gemini-Titan 3 three orbit mission, is shown through the window of the open hatch on Gemini spacecraft in the white room on the mornining of the launch.
2003-04-04
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Workers prepare the shrouded Mars Exploration Rover 2 (MER-2) for mating to the lander. Set to launch in Spring 2003, the MER Mission consists of two identical rovers, landing at different regions of Mars, designed to cover roughly 110 yards each Martian day over various terrain. Each rover will carry five scientific instruments that will allow it to search for evidence of liquid water that may have been present in the planet's past. The first rover has a launch window opening May 30, and the second rover a window opening June 25.
2011-11-26
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – NASA Deputy Administrator Lori Garver addresses the participants of a NASA Tweetup in a tent set up at NASA Kennedy Space Center's Press Site in Florida during prelaunch activities for the agency’s Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) launch. Former astronaut Leland Melvin, NASA associate administrator for Education, looks on at left. Participants in the Tweetup are given the opportunity to listen to agency briefings, tour locations on the center normally off limits to visitors, and get a close-up view of Space Launch Complex-41 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. The tweeters will share their experiences with followers through the social networking site Twitter. The MSL mission will pioneer precision landing technology and a sky-crane touchdown to place a car-sized rover, Curiosity, near the foot of a mountain inside Gale Crater on Aug. 6, 2012. During a nearly two-year prime mission after landing, the rover will investigate whether the region has ever offered conditions favorable for microbial life, including the chemical ingredients for life. Liftoff of MSL aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket from pad 41 is planned during a launch window which extends from 10:02 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. EST on Nov. 26. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/msl. Photo credit: NASA/Frankie Martin
2011-11-25
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Leland Melvin, NASA associate administrator for Education; Clara Ma, student, NASA contest winner for naming Curiosity, Shawnee Mission East High School, Prairie Village, Kansas; Scott Anderson, teacher and science department chairman Da Vinci School for Science and the Arts, El Paso, Texas, take a moment pose for the camera before the start of an educational news conference to explore "Why Mars Excites and Inspires Us" in NASA Kennedy Space Center's Press Site auditorium in Florida during prelaunch activities for the agency’s Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) launch. MSL's car-sized Martian rover, Curiosity, has 10 science instruments designed to search for signs of life, including methane, and help determine if the gas is from a biological or geological source. Ma's entry was selected the winner from 9,000 entries in NASA's nationwide student contest to name the rover. At the time, she was a twelve-year-old sixth-grade student at the Sunflower Elementary school in Lenexa, Kansas. Liftoff of MSL aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket from Space Launch Complex-41 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station is planned during a launch window which extends from 10:02 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. EST on Nov. 26. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/msl. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett
2009-06-10
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – A new window is lowered toward the existing Firing Room windows in the Launch Control Center at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. New, hurricane-rated window systems for the four Firing Rooms and the vestibule areas between Firing Rooms 1 & 2 and Firing Rooms 3 & 4 are being installed. In order to avoid operational impacts the new windows are being installed on the outside of the existing windows, enclosing the space formerly occupied by the louvers. The old windows will remain in place until the new windows are completely installed and leak tested. This approach will continue to keep the firing rooms from being exposed to the elements. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller
2009-06-10
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – A new window is lowered toward the existing Firing Room windows in the Launch Control Center at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. New, hurricane-rated window systems for the four Firing Rooms and the vestibule areas between Firing Rooms 1 & 2 and Firing Rooms 3 & 4 are being installed. In order to avoid operational impacts the new windows are being installed on the outside of the existing windows, enclosing the space formerly occupied by the louvers. The old windows will remain in place until the new windows are completely installed and leak tested. This approach will continue to keep the firing rooms from being exposed to the elements. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller
2009-06-10
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Work continues on removing the louvers and replacing the windows on the Firing Room windows in the Launch Control Center at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. New, hurricane-rated window systems for the four Firing Rooms and the vestibule areas between Firing Rooms 1 & 2 and Firing Rooms 3 & 4 are being installed. In order to avoid operational impacts the new windows are being installed on the outside of the existing windows, enclosing the space formerly occupied by the louvers. The old windows will remain in place until the new windows are completely installed and leak tested. This approach will continue to keep the firing rooms from being exposed to the elements. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller
2009-06-10
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Alongside the Launch Control Center at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, a new window is prepared to be lifted up to the existing Firing Room windows. New, hurricane-rated window systems for the four Firing Rooms and the vestibule areas between Firing Rooms 1 & 2 and Firing Rooms 3 & 4 are being installed. In order to avoid operational impacts the new windows are being installed on the outside of the existing windows, enclosing the space formerly occupied by the louvers. The old windows will remain in place until the new windows are completely installed and leak tested. This approach will continue to keep the firing rooms from being exposed to the elements. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller
2009-06-10
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – A new window is raised toward the existing Firing Room windows in the Launch Control Center at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. New, hurricane-rated window systems for the four Firing Rooms and the vestibule areas between Firing Rooms 1 & 2 and Firing Rooms 3 & 4 are being installed. In order to avoid operational impacts the new windows are being installed on the outside of the existing windows, enclosing the space formerly occupied by the louvers. The old windows will remain in place until the new windows are completely installed and leak tested. This approach will continue to keep the firing rooms from being exposed to the elements. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller
2009-06-10
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Workers at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida secure a new window on the Firing Room in the Launch Control Center. New, hurricane-rated window systems for the four Firing Rooms and the vestibule areas between Firing Rooms 1 & 2 and Firing Rooms 3 & 4 are being installed. In order to avoid operational impacts the new windows are being installed on the outside of the existing windows, enclosing the space formerly occupied by the louvers. The old windows will remain in place until the new windows are completely installed and leak tested. This approach will continue to keep the firing rooms from being exposed to the elements. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller
Mission Design for the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Beckman, Mark
2007-01-01
The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) will be the first mission under NASA's Vision for Space Exploration. LRO will fly in a low 50 km mean altitude lunar polar orbit. LRO will utilize a direct minimum energy lunar transfer and have a launch window of three days every two weeks. The launch window is defined by lunar orbit beta angle at times of extreme lighting conditions. This paper will define the LRO launch window and the science and engineering constraints that drive it. After lunar orbit insertion, LRO will be placed into a commissioning orbit for up to 60 days. This commissioning orbit will be a low altitude quasi-frozen orbit that minimizes stationkeeping costs during commissioning phase. LRO will use a repeating stationkeeping cycle with a pair of maneuvers every lunar sidereal period. The stationkeeping algorithm will bound LRO altitude, maintain ground station contact during maneuvers, and equally distribute periselene between northern and southern hemispheres. Orbit determination for LRO will be at the 50 m level with updated lunar gravity models. This paper will address the quasi-frozen orbit design, stationkeeping algorithms and low lunar orbit determination.
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
1983-01-01
Press information on the STS-9/SPACELAB 1 mission is provided. Launch preparations, launch window, flight objectives, experiments, life sciences baseline data collection, SPACELAB 1 payload operations and control crew and specialists, and tracking and data management are among the topics explained.
2009-09-04
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – This aerial view shows NASA Kennedy Space Center's Launch Control Center at left and Vehicle Assembly Building at right. The Launch Control Center recently had installed new hurricane-rated window systems in the four Firing Rooms. Photo credit: NASA/Troy Cryder
2009-06-05
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, new, hurricane-rated window systems for the Launch Control Center's four Firing Rooms and the vestibule areas between Firing Rooms 1 & 2 and Firing Rooms 3 & 4 are being installed. In order to avoid operational impacts, the new windows are being installed on the outside of the existing windows, enclosing the space formerly occupied by the louvers, and the old windows will remain in place until the new windows are completely installed and leak tested. This approach will continue to keep the firing rooms from being exposed to the elements. Photo credit: NASA/Tim Jacobs
2009-06-05
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, new, hurricane-rated window systems for the Launch Control Center's four Firing Rooms and the vestibule areas between Firing Rooms 1 & 2 and Firing Rooms 3 & 4 are being installed. In order to avoid operational impacts, the new windows are being installed on the outside of the existing windows, enclosing the space formerly occupied by the louvers, and the old windows will remain in place until the new windows are completely installed and leak tested. This approach will continue to keep the firing rooms from being exposed to the elements. Photo credit: NASA/Tim Jacobs
2009-06-05
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, new, hurricane-rated window systems for the Launch Control Center's four Firing Rooms and the vestibule areas between Firing Rooms 1 & 2 and Firing Rooms 3 & 4 are being installed. In order to avoid operational impacts, the new windows are being installed on the outside of the existing windows, enclosing the space formerly occupied by the louvers, and the old windows will remain in place until the new windows are completely installed and leak tested. This approach will continue to keep the firing rooms from being exposed to the elements. Photo credit: NASA/Tim Jacobs
2009-06-05
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, new, hurricane-rated window systems for the Launch Control Center's four Firing Rooms and the vestibule areas between Firing Rooms 1 & 2 and Firing Rooms 3 & 4 are being installed. In order to avoid operational impacts, the new windows are being installed on the outside of the existing windows, enclosing the space formerly occupied by the louvers, and the old windows will remain in place until the new windows are completely installed and leak tested. This approach will continue to keep the firing rooms from being exposed to the elements. Photo credit: NASA/Tim Jacobs
2009-06-05
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, new, hurricane-rated window systems for the Launch Control Center's four Firing Rooms and the vestibule areas between Firing Rooms 1 & 2 and Firing Rooms 3 & 4 are being installed. In order to avoid operational impacts, the new windows are being installed on the outside of the existing windows, enclosing the space formerly occupied by the louvers, and the old windows will remain in place until the new windows are completely installed and leak tested. This approach will continue to keep the firing rooms from being exposed to the elements. Photo credit: NASA/Tim Jacobs
2009-06-05
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, new, hurricane-rated window systems for the Launch Control Center's four Firing Rooms and the vestibule areas between Firing Rooms 1 & 2 and Firing Rooms 3 & 4 are being installed. In order to avoid operational impacts, the new windows are being installed on the outside of the existing windows, enclosing the space formerly occupied by the louvers, and the old windows will remain in place until the new windows are completely installed and leak tested. This approach will continue to keep the firing rooms from being exposed to the elements. Photo credit: NASA/Tim Jacobs
Aerials of Orion on Launch Pad 37 from Helicopter
2014-12-04
This helicopter view of the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex shows the thousands of vehicles parked where guests gather to see the launch of the Orion Flight Test. The liftoff was postponed because of an issue related to fill and drain valves on the Delta IV Heavy rocket that teams could not troubleshoot by the time the launch window expired.
2001-01-04
The crated 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft rests safely inside the Spacecraft Assembly and Encapsulation Facility 2 (SAEF-2) located in the KSC Industrial Area. The spacecraft arrived at KSC’s Shuttle Landing Facility aboard an Air Force C-17 cargo airplane that brought it from Denver, Colo.., location of the Lockheed Martin plant where the spacecraft was built. In the SAEF, Odyssey will undergo final assembly and checkout. This includes installation of two of the three science instruments, integration of the three-panel solar array, and a spacecraft functional test. It will be fueled and then mated to an upper stage booster, the final activities before going to the launch pad. Launch is planned for April 7, 2001 the first day of a 21-day planetary window. Mars Odyssey will be inserted into an interplanetary trajectory by a Boeing Delta II launch vehicle from Pad A at Complex 17 at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla. The spacecraft will arrive at Mars on Oct. 20, 2001, for insertion into an initial elliptical capture orbit. Its final operational altitude will be a 250-mile-high, Sun-synchronous polar orbit. Mars Odyssey will spend two years mapping the planet's surface and measuring its environment
International Ultraviolet Explorer (IUE) satellite mission analysis
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Cook, R. A.; Griffin, J. H.
1975-01-01
The results are presented of the mission analysis performed by Computer Sciences Corporation (CSC) in support of the International Ultraviolet Explorer (IUE) satellite. The launch window is open for three separate periods (for a total time of 7 months) during the year extending from July 20, 1977, to July 20, 1978. The synchronous orbit shadow constraint limits the launch window to approximately 88 minutes per day. Apogee boost motor fuel was computed to be 455 pounds (206 kilograms) and on-station weight was 931 pounds (422 kilograms). The target orbit is elliptical synchronous, with eccentricity 0.272 and 24 hour period.
X-38 on B-52 Wing Pylon - View from Observation Window
1997-11-19
A unique, close-up view of the X-38 under the wing of NASA's B-52 mothership prior to launch of the lifting-body research vehicle. The photo was taken from the observation window of the B-52 bomber as it banked in flight.
2006-03-14
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Inside the Orbiter Processing Facility bay 3 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, workers attach an overhead crane to Discovery's robotic arm in the payload bay. The arm is being removed due to damage found on the arm after it was accidentally bumped by a bridge bucket in the payload bay. Ultrasound inspections revealed a small crack, measuring 1.25 inches by 0.015 inch deep. The arm will be sent back to the vendor for repair. The bucket was being used by technicians cleaning the area and was in the process of being stowed. A bridge bucket is a personnel transport device that is suspended from an overhead bridge that moves back and forth above the shuttle's mid-body. It allows workers to access the payload bay area without walking or standing on the payload bay floor or on the fixed platforms. Space Shuttle Discovery is scheduled for launch on mission STS-121 during a launch planning window of July 1-19. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett
2006-03-14
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Inside the Orbiter Processing Facility bay 3 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, workers lower Discovery's robotic arm onto a flat bed in a work area. The arm was removed from Discovery's payload bay. The arm was removed due to damage found on the arm after it was accidentally bumped by a bridge bucket in the payload bay. Ultrasound inspections revealed a small crack, measuring 1.25 inches by 0.015 inch deep. The arm will be sent back to the vendor for repair. The bucket was being used by technicians cleaning the area and was in the process of being stowed. A bridge bucket is a personnel transport device that is suspended from an overhead bridge that moves back and forth above the shuttle's mid-body. It allows workers to access the payload bay area without walking or standing on the payload bay floor or on the fixed platforms. Space Shuttle Discovery is scheduled for launch on mission STS-121 during a launch planning window of July 1-19. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett
2011-11-26
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – From left, Yves Lamothe, lead systems engineer for the 21st Century Ground Systems Program at NASA Kennedy Space Center; NASA Administrator Charles Bolden; Will.i.am, entertainer and member of The Black Eyed Peas; and former astronaut Leland Melvin, NASA associate administrator for Education, take part in a Tweetup at NASA Kennedy Space Center's Press Site in Florida during prelaunch activities for the agency’s Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) launch. Behind them, the countdown clock ticks off the seconds to launch. Participants in the Tweetup are given the opportunity to listen to agency briefings, tour locations on the center normally off limits to visitors, and get a close-up view of Space Launch Complex-41 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. The tweeters will share their experiences with followers through the social networking site Twitter. The MSL mission will pioneer precision landing technology and a sky-crane touchdown to place a car-sized rover, Curiosity, near the foot of a mountain inside Gale Crater on Aug. 6, 2012. During a nearly two-year prime mission after landing, the rover will investigate whether the region has ever offered conditions favorable for microbial life, including the chemical ingredients for life. Liftoff of MSL aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket from pad 41 is planned during a launch window which extends from 10:02 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. EST on Nov. 26. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/msl. Photo credit: NASA/Frankie Martin
Plan averaging for multicriteria navigation of sliding window IMRT and VMAT
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Craft, David, E-mail: dcraft@partners.org; Papp, Dávid; Unkelbach, Jan
2014-02-15
Purpose: To describe a method for combining sliding window plans [intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) or volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT)] for use in treatment plan averaging, which is needed for Pareto surface navigation based multicriteria treatment planning. Methods: The authors show that by taking an appropriately defined average of leaf trajectories of sliding window plans, the authors obtain a sliding window plan whose fluence map is the exact average of the fluence maps corresponding to the initial plans. In the case of static-beam IMRT, this also implies that the dose distribution of the averaged plan is the exact dosimetricmore » average of the initial plans. In VMAT delivery, the dose distribution of the averaged plan is a close approximation of the dosimetric average of the initial plans. Results: The authors demonstrate the method on three Pareto optimal VMAT plans created for a demanding paraspinal case, where the tumor surrounds the spinal cord. The results show that the leaf averaged plans yield dose distributions that approximate the dosimetric averages of the precomputed Pareto optimal plans well. Conclusions: The proposed method enables the navigation of deliverable Pareto optimal plans directly, i.e., interactive multicriteria exploration of deliverable sliding window IMRT and VMAT plans, eliminating the need for a sequencing step after navigation and hence the dose degradation that is caused by such a sequencing step.« less
2009-06-10
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Workers at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida carefully place a new window on the Firing Room in the Launch Control Center. New, hurricane-rated window systems for the four Firing Rooms and the vestibule areas between Firing Rooms 1 & 2 and Firing Rooms 3 & 4 are being installed. In order to avoid operational impacts the new windows are being installed on the outside of the existing windows, enclosing the space formerly occupied by the louvers. The old windows will remain in place until the new windows are completely installed and leak tested. This approach will continue to keep the firing rooms from being exposed to the elements. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller
2009-10-23
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – This aerial view of the Launch Control Center at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida shows the installation of new windows nearing completion. New, hurricane-rated window systems for the four Firing Rooms and the vestibule areas between Firing Rooms 1 and 2 and Firing Rooms 3 and 4 are being installed. In order to avoid operational impacts the new windows are being installed on the outside of the existing windows, enclosing the space formerly occupied by the louvers. The old windows will remain in place until the new windows are completely installed and leak tested. This approach will continue to keep the firing rooms from being exposed to the elements. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett
2001-08-09
KODIAK ISLAND, Alaska -- The PICSat and Starshine 3 (back) payloads wait for their launch aboard the Athena 1 launch vehicle at Kodiak Island, Alaska, as preparations to launch Kodiak Star proceed. The first orbital launch to take place from Alaska's Kodiak Launch Complex, Kodiak Star is scheduled to lift off on a Lockheed Martin Athena I launch vehicle on Sept. 17 during a two-hour window that extends from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. p.m. ADT. The payloads aboard include the Starshine 3, sponsored by NASA, and the PICOSat, PCSat and Sapphire, sponsored by the Department of Defense (DoD) Space Test Program.
2001-05-31
KODIAK ISLAND, Alaska -- Castor 120, the first stage of the Athena 1 launch vehicle, is raised off a truck at the launch pad at Kodiak Island, Alaska, as preparations to launch Kodiak Star proceed. The first orbital launch to take place from Alaska's Kodiak Launch Complex, Kodiak Star is scheduled to lift off on a Lockheed Martin Athena I launch vehicle on Sept. 17 during a two-hour window that extends from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. ADT. The payloads aboard include the Starshine 3, sponsored by NASA, and the PICOSat, PCSat and Sapphire, sponsored by the Department of Defense (DoD) Space Test Program.
2001-08-09
KODIAK ISLAND, Alaska -- The PCSat payload waits for its launch aboard the Athena 1 launch vehicle at Kodiak Island, Alaska, as preparations to launch Kodiak Star proceed. The first orbital launch to take place from Alaska's Kodiak Launch Complex, Kodiak Star is scheduled to lift off on a Lockheed Martin Athena I launch vehicle on Sept. 17 during a two-hour window that extends from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. p.m. ADT. The payloads aboard include the Starshine 3, sponsored by NASA, and the PICOSat, PCSat and Sapphire, sponsored by the Department of Defense (DoD) Space Test Program.
2001-07-31
KODIAK ISLAND, Alaska -- Technicians prepare the Starshine 3 payload for its launch aboard the Athena 1 launch vehicle at Kodiak Island, Alaska, as preparations to launch Kodiak Star proceed. The first orbital launch to take place from Alaska's Kodiak Launch Complex, Kodiak Star is scheduled to lift off on a Lockheed Martin Athena I launch vehicle on Sept. 17 during a two-hour window that extends from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. ADT. The payloads aboard include the Starshine 3, sponsored by NASA, and the PICOSat, PCSat and Sapphire, sponsored by the Department of Defense (DoD) Space Test Program.
2001-08-09
KODIAK ISLAND, Alaska -- Technicians prepare the PICSat payload for its launch aboard the Athena 1 launch vehicle at Kodiak Island, Alaska, as preparations to launch Kodiak Star proceed. The first orbital launch to take place from Alaska's Kodiak Launch Complex, Kodiak Star is scheduled to lift off on a Lockheed Martin Athena I launch vehicle on Sept. 17 during a two-hour window that extends from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. p.m. ADT. The payloads aboard include the Starshine 3, sponsored by NASA, and the PICOSat, PCSat and Sapphire, sponsored by the Department of Defense (DoD) Space Test Program.
2001-05-29
KODIAK ISLAND, Alaska -- A convoy of trucks transports the stages of an Athena launch vehicle and supporting launch equipment to the pad at Kodiak Island, Alaska, as preparations to launch the Kodiak Star continue. The first orbital launch to take place from Alaska's Kodiak Launch Complex, Kodiak Star is scheduled to lift off on a Lockheed Martin Athena I launch vehicle on Sept. 17 during a two-hour window that extends from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. ADT. The payloads aboard include the Starshine 3, sponsored by NASA, and the PICOSat, PCSat and Sapphire, sponsored by the Department of Defense (DoD) Space Test Program.
8. VIEW OF SLC3W CONTROL ROOM (ROOM 105) FROM ITS ...
8. VIEW OF SLC-3W CONTROL ROOM (ROOM 105) FROM ITS NORTHEAST CORNER. TELEMETRY ROOM VISIBLE THROUGH WINDOWS IN SOUTH WALL. - Vandenberg Air Force Base, Space Launch Complex 3, Launch Operations Building, Napa & Alden Roads, Lompoc, Santa Barbara County, CA
STS-94 Commander Halsell in LC-39A White Room
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
1997-01-01
STS-94 Mission Commander James D. Halsell, Jr., prepares to enter the Space Shuttle Columbia at Launch Pad 39A in preparation for launch. Halsell is on his fourth space flight, having served as commander of STS-83 and pilot of both STS-74 and STS-65. He is a lieutenant colonel in the Air Force and a former SR-71 Blackbird test pilot and holds masters degrees in management and space operations. Halsell will have responsibility for the success of the mission and will operate and maintain Columbia during the Red, or second shift. He will also assist with a materials science experiment and a protein crystal growth payload during the 16-day mission. Halsell and six fellow crew members will lift off during a launch window that opens at 1:50 a.m. EDT, July 1. The launch window will open 47 minutes early to improve the opportunity to lift off before Florida summer rain showers reach the space center.
2018-04-09
Mark Nurge, Ph.D., a physicist in the Applied Physics Lab with the Exploration Research and Technology Programs at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, looks at data during the first optical quality test on a full window stack that is ready for installation in the docking hatch of NASA's Orion spacecraft. The data from the tests will help improve the requirements for manufacturing tolerances on Orion's windows and verify how the window should perform in space. Orion is being prepared for its first integrated uncrewed flight atop NASA's Space Launch System rocket on Exploration Mission-1.
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Sergeyevsky, A. B.; Snyder, G. C.
1982-01-01
Graphical data necessary for the preliminary design of ballistic missions to Jupiter are provided. Contours of launch energy requirements, as well as many other launch and Jupiter arrival parameters, are presented in launch date/arrival date space for all launch opportunities from 1985 through 2005. In addition, an extensive text is included which explains mission design methods, from launch window development to Jupiter probe and orbiter arrival design, utilizing the graphical data in this volume as well as numerous equations relating various parameters.
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Sergeyevsky, A. B.; Snyder, G. C.; Cunniff, R. A.
1983-01-01
Graphical data necessary for the preliminary design of ballistic missions to Mars are provided. Contours of launch energy requirements, as well as many other launch and Mars arrival parameters, are presented in launch date/arrival date space for all launch opportunities from 1990 through 2005. In addition, an extensive text is included which explains mission design methods, from launch window development to Mars probe and orbiter arrival design, utilizing the graphical data as well as numerous equations relating various parameters.
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Sergeyevsky, A. B.; Yin, N. H.
1983-01-01
Graphical data necessary for the preliminary design of ballistic missions to Venus is presented. Contours of launch energy requirements, as well as many other launch and arrival parameters, are presented in launch data/arrival date space for all launch opportunities from 1991 through 2005. An extensive text is included which explains mission design methods, from launch window development to Venus probe and orbiter arrival design, utilizing the graphical data in this volume as well as numerous equations relating various parameters.
2001-05-31
KODIAK ISLAND, Alaska -- Technicians prepare the Athena I launch vehicle for flight at Kodiak Island, Alaska, as processing for the launch of Kodiak Star proceeds. The first orbital launch to take place from Alaska's Kodiak Launch Complex, Kodiak Star is scheduled to lift off on a Lockheed Martin Athena I launch vehicle on Sept. 17 during a two-hour window that extends from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. ADT. The payloads aboard include the Starshine 3, sponsored by NASA, and the PICOSat, PCSat and Sapphire, sponsored by the Department of Defense (DoD) Space Test Program.
2001-09-04
KODIAK ISLAND, Alaska -- At the Launch Service Structure, Kodiak Launch Complex (KLC), the fairing is lowered over the Kodiak Star spacecraft in preparation for launch. The first orbital launch to take place from KLC, Kodiak Star is scheduled to lift off on a Lockheed Martin Athena I launch vehicle on Sept. 17 during a two-hour window that extends from 5 p.m. ADT. The payloads aboard include the Starshine 3, sponsored by NASA, and the PICOSat, PCSat and Sapphire, sponsored by the Department of Defense (DoD) Space Test Program. KLC is the newest commercial launch complex in the United States, ideal for launch payloads requiring low-Earth polar or sun-synchronous orbits
2009-10-27
NASA's Ares I-X rocket is seen through the windows of Firing Room One of teh Launch Control Center (LCC) at the Kennedy Space Center as it launches from pad 39b in Cape Canaveral, Fla., Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2009. The flight test will provide NASA with an early opportunity to test and prove flight characteristics, hardware, facilities and ground operations associated with the Ares I. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
1973-01-01
The launch operations test and checkout plan is a planning document that establishes all launch site checkout activity, including the individual tests and sequence of testing required to fulfill the development center and KSC test and checkout requirements. This volume contains the launch vehicle test and checkout plan encompassing S-1B, S-4B, IU stage, and ground support equipment tests. The plan is based upon AS-208 flow utilizing a manned spacecraft, LUT 1, and launch pad 39B facilities.
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Kiran, B. S.; Singh, Satyendra; Negi, Kuldeep
The GSAT-12 spacecraft is providing Communication services from the INSAT/GSAT system in the Indian region. The spacecraft carries 12 extended C-band transponders. GSAT-12 was launched by ISRO’s PSLV from Sriharikota, into a sub-geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (sub-GTO) of 284 x 21000 km with inclination 18 deg. This Mission successfully accomplished combined optimization of launch vehicle and satellite capabilities to maximize operational life of the s/c. This paper describes mission analysis carried out for GSAT-12 comprising launch window, orbital events study and orbit raising maneuver strategies considering various Mission operational constraints. GSAT-12 is equipped with two earth sensors (ES), three gyroscopes and digital sun sensor. The launch window was generated considering mission requirement of minimum 45 minutes of ES data for calibration of gyros with Roll-sun-pointing orientation in T.O. Since the T.O. period was a rather short 6.1 hr, required pitch biases were worked out to meet the gyro-calibration requirement. A 440 N Liquid Apogee Motor (LAM) is used for orbit raising. The objective of the maneuver strategy is to achieve desired drift orbit satisfying mission constraints and minimizing propellant expenditure. In case of sub-GTO, the optimal strategy is to first perform an in-plane maneuver at perigee to raise the apogee to synchronous level and then perform combined maneuvers at the synchronous apogee to achieve desired drift orbit. The perigee burn opportunities were examined considering ground station visibility requirement for monitoring the burn. Two maneuver strategies were proposed: an optimal five-burn strategy with two perigee burns centered around perigee#5 and perigee#8 with partial ground station visibility and three apogee burns with dual station visibility, a near-optimal five-burn strategy with two off-perigee burns at perigee#5 and perigee#8 with single ground station visibility and three apogee burns with dual station visibility. The range vector profiles were studied in the s/c frame during LAM burn phases and accurate polarization predictions were provided to supporting ground stations. The near optimal strategy was selected for implementation in order to ensure full visibility during each LAM burn. Contingency maneuver plans were generated in preparation for specified Propulsion system related contingencies. Maneuver plans were generated considering 3-sigma dispersions in T.O. GSAT-12 is positioned at 83 deg East longitude. The estimated operational life is about 11 years which was realized through operationally optimal maneuver strategy selected from the detailed mission analysis.
Onboard Short Term Plan Viewer
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Hall, Tim; LeBlanc, Troy; Ulman, Brian; McDonald, Aaron; Gramm, Paul; Chang, Li-Min; Keerthi, Suman; Kivlovitz, Dov; Hadlock, Jason
2011-01-01
Onboard Short Term Plan Viewer (OSTPV) is a computer program for electronic display of mission plans and timelines, both aboard the International Space Station (ISS) and in ISS ground control stations located in several countries. OSTPV was specifically designed both (1) for use within the limited ISS computing environment and (2) to be compatible with computers used in ground control stations. OSTPV supplants a prior system in which, aboard the ISS, timelines were printed on paper and incorporated into files that also contained other paper documents. Hence, the introduction of OSTPV has both reduced the consumption of resources and saved time in updating plans and timelines. OSTPV accepts, as input, the mission timeline output of a legacy, print-oriented, UNIX-based program called "Consolidated Planning System" and converts the timeline information for display in an interactive, dynamic, Windows Web-based graphical user interface that is used by both the ISS crew and ground control teams in real time. OSTPV enables the ISS crew to electronically indicate execution of timeline steps, launch electronic procedures, and efficiently report to ground control teams on the statuses of ISS activities, all by use of laptop computers aboard the ISS.
2011-11-26
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – From left, former astronaut Leland Melvin, NASA associate administrator for Education; Will.i.am, entertainer and member of The Black Eyed Peas; and NASA Deputy Administrator Lori Garver share a light moment with the participants of a NASA Tweetup in a tent set up at NASA Kennedy Space Center's Press Site in Florida during prelaunch activities for the agency’s Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) launch. Participants in the Tweetup are given the opportunity to listen to agency briefings, tour locations on the center normally off limits to visitors, and get a close-up view of Space Launch Complex-41 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. The tweeters will share their experiences with followers through the social networking site Twitter. The MSL mission will pioneer precision landing technology and a sky-crane touchdown to place a car-sized rover, Curiosity, near the foot of a mountain inside Gale Crater on Aug. 6, 2012. During a nearly two-year prime mission after landing, the rover will investigate whether the region has ever offered conditions favorable for microbial life, including the chemical ingredients for life. Liftoff of MSL aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket from pad 41 is planned during a launch window which extends from 10:02 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. EST on Nov. 26. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/msl. Photo credit: NASA/Frankie Martin
2011-11-26
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Former astronaut Leland Melvin, NASA associate administrator for Education, takes part in a Tweetup in a tent set up at NASA Kennedy Space Center's Press Site in Florida during prelaunch activities for the agency’s Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) launch. Melvin flew on the space shuttle Atlantis' STS-122 mission in 2008 and STS-129 mission in 2009. Participants in the Tweetup are given the opportunity to listen to agency briefings, tour locations on the center normally off limits to visitors, and get a close-up view of Space Launch Complex-41 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. The tweeters will share their experiences with followers through the social networking site Twitter. The MSL mission will pioneer precision landing technology and a sky-crane touchdown to place a car-sized rover, Curiosity, near the foot of a mountain inside Gale Crater on Aug. 6, 2012. During a nearly two-year prime mission after landing, the rover will investigate whether the region has ever offered conditions favorable for microbial life, including the chemical ingredients for life. Liftoff of MSL aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket from pad 41 is planned during a launch window which extends from 10:02 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. EST on Nov. 26. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/msl. Photo credit: NASA/Frankie Martin
Sentinel-5 Precursor: First Copernicus Atmospheric Mission Ready for Launch
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
McMullan, Kevin; Nett, Herbert; Fehr, Thorsten; Ingmann, Paul
2016-08-01
Sentinel-5 Precursor (S-5P) will be the first of a series of atmospheric missions to be launched within the European Commission's Copernicus (former GMES) Programme. With the current launch window mid October - mid November 2016 and a nominal lifetime of 7 years S-5P is expected to provide continuity in the availability of global atmospheric data products between its predecessor missions SCIAMACHY (Envisat) and OMI (AURA) and the future Sentinel-4 and -5 series.S-5P will deliver unique data regarding the sources and sinks of trace gases with a focus on the lower Troposphere including the planet boundary layer. Due to its enhanced spatial, temporal and spectral sampling capabilities, as compared to its predecessors.The S-5P satellite will carry a single payload, TROPOMI (TROPOspheric Monitoring Instrument) which is jointly developed by The Netherlands and ESA. Covering spectral channels in the UV, visible, near- and short-wave infrared it will measure various key species including tropospheric/stratospheric ozone, NO2, SO2, CO, CH4, CH2O as well as cloud and aerosol parameters.The S-5P Project has successfully passed the Ground Segment Acceptance Review (GS-AR) and the satellite level Qualification Acceptance Review (QAR) in March and April 2016, respectively. Remaining pre-launch tasks focus on the detailed planning of Phase E1 activities and the training of the operations teams.
2011-11-25
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – An educational news conference to explore "Why Mars Excites and Inspires Us" begins in NASA Kennedy Space Center's Press Site auditorium in Florida during prelaunch activities for the agency’s Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) launch. Participants are, from left, Leland Melvin, NASA associate administrator for Education; Clara Ma, student, NASA contest winner for naming Curiosity, Shawnee Mission East High School, Prairie Village, Kansas; Scott Anderson, teacher and science department chairman, Da Vinci School for Science and the Arts, El Paso, Texas; Lauren Lyons, graduate student, Harvard University, FIRST robotics alumna; and Veronica McGregor, manager, Media Relations Office, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory. MSL's car-sized Martian rover, Curiosity, has 10 science instruments designed to search for signs of life, including methane, and help determine if the gas is from a biological or geological source. Ma's entry was selected the winner from 9,000 entries in NASA's nationwide student contest to name the rover. At the time, she was a twelve-year-old sixth-grade student at the Sunflower Elementary school in Lenexa, Kansas. Liftoff of MSL aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket from Space Launch Complex-41 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station is planned during a launch window which extends from 10:02 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. EST on Nov. 26. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/msl. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett
14 CFR 415.119 - Launch plans.
Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR
2010-01-01
... 14 Aeronautics and Space 4 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Launch plans. 415.119 Section 415.119... From a Non-Federal Launch Site § 415.119 Launch plans. An applicant's safety review document must contain the plans required by § 417.111 of this chapter, except for the countdown plan of § 417.111(l) of...
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
2003-01-01
January 28, 2003The Mars Exploration Rover -2 is moved to a workstand in the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility. Set to launch in 2003, the Mars. Exploration Rover Mission will consist of two identical rovers designed to cover roughly 110 yards (100 meters) each Martian day. Each rover will carry five scientific instruments that will allow it to search for evidence of liquid water that may have been present in the planet's past. The rovers will be identical to each other, but will land at different regions of Mars. The first rover has a launch window opening May 30, 2003, and the second rover a window opening June 25, 2003.2003-04-25
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Workers in the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility help guide the Mars Exploration Rover 1 (MER-1) as it is moved to the lander base petal for installation. The MER Mission consists of two identical rovers, landing at different regions of Mars, designed to cover roughly 110 yards each Martian day over various terrain. Each rover will carry five scientific instruments that will allow it to search for evidence of liquid water that may have been present in the planet's past. The first rover has a launch window opening June 5, and the second rover a window opening June 25. The rovers will be launched from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.
2003-04-04
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Workers in the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility examine the Mars Exploration Rover 2 (MER-2) as it is lowered onto the base petal of the lander. Set to launch in Spring 2003, the MER Mission consists of two identical rovers. Landing at different regions of Mars, they are designed to cover roughly 110 yards each Martian day over various terrain. Each rover will carry five scientific instruments that will allow it to search for evidence of liquid water that may have been present in the planet's past. The first rover has a launch window opening May 30, and the second rover a window opening June 25.
2003-04-25
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Workers in the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility guide the Mars Exploration Rover 1 (MER-1) as it is lowered onto the lander base petal for installation. The MER Mission consists of two identical rovers, landing at different regions of Mars, designed to cover roughly 110 yards each Martian day over various terrain. Each rover will carry five scientific instruments that will allow it to search for evidence of liquid water that may have been present in the planet's past. The first rover has a launch window opening June 5, and the second rover a window opening June 25. The rovers will be launched from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.
2003-04-04
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Workers in the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility check the Mars Exploration Rover 2 (MER-2) before it is lifted and moved to the lander where it will be mated to the base petal. Set to launch in Spring 2003, the MER Mission consists of two identical rovers, landing at different regions of Mars, designed to cover roughly 110 yards each Martian day over various terrain. Each rover will carry five scientific instruments that will allow it to search for evidence of liquid water that may have been present in the planet's past. The first rover has a launch window opening May 30, and the second rover a window opening June 25.
2003-04-25
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Workers in the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility guide the Mars Exploration Rover 1 (MER-1) as it is lowered onto the lander base petal for installation. The MER Mission consists of two identical rovers, landing at different regions of Mars, designed to cover roughly 110 yards each Martian day over various terrain. Each rover will carry five scientific instruments that will allow it to search for evidence of liquid water that may have been present in the planet's past. The first rover has a launch window opening June 5, and the second rover a window opening June 25. The rovers will be launched from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.
2003-04-04
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Workers in the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility release the overhead crane used to lower the Mars Exploration Rover 2 (MER-2) onto the base petal of the lander. Set to launch in Spring 2003, the MER Mission consists of two identical rovers. Landing at different regions of Mars, they are designed to cover roughly 110 yards each Martian day over various terrain. Each rover will carry five scientific instruments that will allow it to search for evidence of liquid water that may have been present in the planet's past. The first rover has a launch window opening May 30, and the second rover a window opening June 25.
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
2003-01-01
January 31, 2003In the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility, an overhead crane lowers the Mars Exploration Rover (MER) aeroshell toward a rotation stand. Set to launch in 2003, the MER Mission will consist of two identical rovers designed to cover roughly 110 yards (100 meters) each Martian day. Each rover will carry five scientific instruments that will allow it to search for evidence of liquid water that may have been present in the planet's past. The rovers will be identical to each other, but will land at different regions of Mars. The first rover has a launch window opening May 30, and the second rover a window opening June 25, 2003.2003-03-20
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. - The solar arrays on the Mars Exploration Rover-2 (MER-2) are fully opened during a test in the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility. Set to launch in Spring 2003, the MER Mission will consist of two identical rovers designed to cover roughly 110 yards each Martian day. Each rover will carry five scientific instruments that will allow it to search for evidence of liquid water that may have been present in the planet's past. The rovers will be identical to each other, but will land at different regions of Mars. The first rover has a launch window opening May 30, and the second rover a window opening June 25, 2003.
2003-04-02
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The Mars Exploration Rover 1 (MER-1) is seen in the foreground after the science boom was deployed. Set to launch in Spring 2003, the MER Mission will consist of two identical rovers designed to cover roughly 110 yards each Martian day over various terrain. Each rover will carry five scientific instruments that will allow it to search for evidence of liquid water that may have been present in the planet's past. The rovers will be identical to each other, but will land at different regions of Mars. The first rover has a launch window opening May 30, and the second rover a window opening June 25.
2003-01-28
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility, workers lift the cover from the Mars Exploration Rover -2. Set to launch in 2003, the Mars Exploration Rover Mission will consist of two identical rovers designed to cover roughly 110 yards (100 meters) each Martian day. Each rover will carry five scientific instruments that will allow it to search for evidence of liquid water that may have been present in the planet's past. The rovers will be identical to each other, but will land at different regions of Mars. The first rover has a launch window opening May 30, 2003, and the second rover a window opening June 25, 2003.
2003-03-29
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Workers gather around the Mars Exploration Rover 2 (MER-2) before flight stow of the solar panels, still extended. Set to launch in Spring 2003, the MER Mission will consist of two identical rovers designed to cover roughly 110 yards each Martian day over various terrain. The rovers will be identical to each other, but will land at different regions of Mars. Each rover will carry five scientific instruments that will allow it to search for evidence of liquid water that may have been present in the planet's past. The first rover has a launch window opening May 30, and the second rover a window opening June 25.
2003-01-31
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility, an overhead crane lifts the Mars Exploration Rover (MER) aeroshell for transfer to a rotation stand. Set to launch in 2003, the MER Mission will consist of two identical rovers designed to cover roughly 110 yards (100 meters) each Martian day. Each rover will carry five scientific instruments that will allow it to search for evidence of liquid water that may have been present in the planet's past. The rovers will be identical to each other, but will land at different regions of Mars. The first rover has a launch window opening May 30, and the second rover a window opening June 25, 2003.
2003-03-29
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Workers begin closing the solar panels on the Mars Exploration Rover 2 (MER-2) for flight stow. Set to launch in Spring 2003, the MER Mission will consist of two identical rovers designed to cover roughly 110 yards each Martian day over various terrain. The rovers will be identical to each other, but will land at different regions of Mars. Each rover will carry five scientific instruments that will allow it to search for evidence of liquid water that may have been present in the planet's past. The first rover has a launch window opening May 30, and the second rover a window opening June 25.
2003-02-04
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The aeroshell for Mars Exploration Rover 2 rests on a rotation stand in the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility. Set to launch in 2003, the MER Mission will consist of two identical rovers designed to cover roughly 110 yards each Martian day. Each rover will carry five scientific instruments that will allow it to search for evidence of liquid water that may have been present in the planet's past. The rovers will be identical to each other, but will land at different regions of Mars. The first rover has a launch window opening May 30, and the second rover a window opening June 25, 2003.
2003-01-31
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility, the Mars Exploration Rover (MER) aeroshell is being prepared for transfer to a rotation stand. Set to launch in 2003, the MER Mission will consist of two identical rovers designed to cover roughly 110 yards (100 meters) each Martian day. Each rover will carry five scientific instruments that will allow it to search for evidence of liquid water that may have been present in the planet's past. The rovers will be identical to each other, but will land at different regions of Mars. The first rover has a launch window opening May 30, and the second rover a window opening June 25, 2003.
2003-03-20
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The Mars Exploration Rover-2 (MER-2) is ready for solar array testing in the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility. Set to launch in Spring 2003, the MER Mission will consist of two identical rovers designed to cover roughly 110 yards each Martian day. Each rover will carry five scientific instruments that will allow it to search for evidence of liquid water that may have been present in the planet's past. The rovers will be identical to each other, but will land at different regions of Mars. The first rover has a launch window opening May 30, and the second rover a window opening June 25, 2003.
2003-03-21
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. - In the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility, the Mars Exploration Rover-2 (MER-2) is tested for mobility and maneuverability. Set to launch in Spring 2003, the MER Mission will consist of two identical rovers designed to cover roughly 110 yards each Martian day. Each rover will carry five scientific instruments that will allow it to search for evidence of liquid water that may have been present in the planet's past. The rovers will be identical to each other, but will land at different regions of Mars. The first rover has a launch window opening May 30, and the second rover a window opening June 25.
2003-01-31
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility, an overhead crane lowers the Mars Exploration Rover (MER) aeroshell toward a rotation stand. Set to launch in 2003, the MER Mission will consist of two identical rovers designed to cover roughly 110 yards (100 meters) each Martian day. Each rover will carry five scientific instruments that will allow it to search for evidence of liquid water that may have been present in the planet's past. The rovers will be identical to each other, but will land at different regions of Mars. The first rover has a launch window opening May 30, and the second rover a window opening June 25, 2003.
2003-02-06
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Technicians secure the aeroshell for Mars Exploration Rover 2 to a workstand in the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility. Set to launch in 2003, the MER Mission will consist of two identical rovers designed to cover roughly 110 yards each Martian day. Each rover will carry five scientific instruments that will allow it to search for evidence of liquid water that may have been present in the planet's past. The rovers will be identical to each other, but will land at different regions of Mars. The first rover has a launch window opening May 30, and the second rover, a window opening June 25, 2003.
2003-02-04
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The aeroshell for Mars Exploration Rover 2 rests on end after rotation in the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility. Set to launch in 2003, the MER Mission will consist of two identical rovers designed to cover roughly 110 yards each Martian day. Each rover will carry five scientific instruments that will allow it to search for evidence of liquid water that may have been present in the planet's past. The rovers will be identical to each other, but will land at different regions of Mars. The first rover has a launch window opening May 30, and the second rover a window opening June 25, 2003.
Mars Exploration Rover (MER) aeroshell
2003-01-31
In the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility, workers prepare the Mars Exploration Rover (MER) aeroshell for transfer to a rotation stand. Set to launch in 2003, the MER Mission will consist of two identical rovers designed to cover roughly 110 yards (100 meters) each Martian day. Each rover will carry five scientific instruments that will allow it to search for evidence of liquid water that may have been present in the planet's past. The rovers will be identical to each other, but will land at different regions of Mars. The first rover has a launch window opening May 30, and the second rover a window opening June 25, 2003.
2003-01-28
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The Mars Exploration Rover -2 is moved to a workstand in the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility. Set to launch in 2003, the Mars Exploration Rover Mission will consist of two identical rovers designed to cover roughly 110 yards (100 meters) each Martian day. Each rover will carry five scientific instruments that will allow it to search for evidence of liquid water that may have been present in the planet's past. The rovers will be identical to each other, but will land at different regions of Mars. The first rover has a launch window opening May 30, 2003, and the second rover a window opening June 25, 2003.
2003-01-31
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Workers in the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility help guide the Mars Exploration Rover (MER) aeroshell onto a rotation stand. Set to launch in 2003, the MER Mission will consist of two identical rovers designed to cover roughly 110 yards (100 meters) each Martian day. Each rover will carry five scientific instruments that will allow it to search for evidence of liquid water that may have been present in the planet's past. The rovers will be identical to each other, but will land at different regions of Mars. The first rover has a launch window opening May 30, and the second rover a window opening June 25, 2003.
2003-01-31
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Workers in the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility help guide the Mars Exploration Rover (MER) aeroshell as it is lowered toward a rotation stand. Set to launch in 2003, the MER Mission will consist of two identical rovers designed to cover roughly 110 yards (100 meters) each Martian day. Each rover will carry five scientific instruments that will allow it to search for evidence of liquid water that may have been present in the planet's past. The rovers will be identical to each other, but will land at different regions of Mars. The first rover has a launch window opening May 30, and the second rover a window opening June 25, 2003.
2003-01-28
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility, workers get ready to remove the plastic covering from the Mars Exploration Rover -2. Set to launch in 2003, the Mars Exploration Rover Mission will consist of two identical rovers designed to cover roughly 110 yards (100 meters) each Martian day. Each rover will carry five scientific instruments that will allow it to search for evidence of liquid water that may have been present in the planet's past. The rovers will be identical to each other, but will land at different regions of Mars. The first rover has a launch window opening May 30, 2003, and the second rover a window opening June 25, 2003.
2003-02-04
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - During processing, workers in the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility work on part of the aeroshell for Mars Exploration Rover 2. Set to launch in 2003, the MER Mission will consist of two identical rovers designed to cover roughly 110 yards each Martian day. Each rover will carry five scientific instruments that will allow it to search for evidence of liquid water that may have been present in the planet's past. The rovers will be identical to each other, but will land at different regions of Mars. The first rover has a launch window opening May 30, and the second rover a window opening June 25, 2003.
2003-03-21
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. - Workers in the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility check different parts of the Mars Exploration Rover-2 (MER-2) after testing the rover's mobility and maneuverability. Set to launch in Spring 2003, the MER Mission will consist of two identical rovers designed to cover roughly 110 yards each Martian day. Each rover will carry five scientific instruments that will allow it to search for evidence of liquid water that may have been present in the planet's past. The rovers will be identical to each other, but will land at different regions of Mars. The first rover has a launch window opening May 30, and the second rover a window opening June 25.
2003-04-02
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - A worker examines the Mars Exploration Rover 1 (MER-1) after the science boom was deployed. Set to launch in Spring 2003, the MER Mission will consist of two identical rovers designed to cover roughly 110 yards each Martian day over various terrain. Each rover will carry five scientific instruments that will allow it to search for evidence of liquid water that may have been present in the planet's past. The rovers will be identical to each other, but will land at different regions of Mars. The first rover has a launch window opening May 30, and the second rover a window opening June 25.
2003-03-29
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - A worker checks a component of the Mars Exploration Rover 2 (MER-2) before flight stow of the solar panels, still extended. Set to launch in Spring 2003, the MER Mission will consist of two identical rovers designed to cover roughly 110 yards each Martian day over various terrain. The rovers will be identical to each other, but will land at different regions of Mars. Each rover will carry five scientific instruments that will allow it to search for evidence of liquid water that may have been present in the planet's past. The first rover has a launch window opening May 30, and the second rover a window opening June 25.
2003-03-28
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility, the Mars Exploration Rover-2 (MER-2) rests on the base petal of its lander assembly. Set to launch in Spring 2003, the MER Mission will consist of two identical rovers designed to cover roughly 110 yards each Martian day over various terrain. Each rover will carry five scientific instruments that will allow it to search for evidence of liquid water that may have been present in the planet's past. The rovers will be identical to each other, but will land at different regions of Mars. The first rover has a launch window opening May 30, and the second rover, a window opening June 25.
2003-04-02
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - On the Mars Exploration Rover 1 (MER-1), the science boom, below the front petal, is deployed. Set to launch in Spring 2003, the MER Mission will consist of two identical rovers designed to cover roughly 110 yards each Martian day over various terrain. Each rover will carry five scientific instruments that will allow it to search for evidence of liquid water that may have been present in the planet's past. The rovers will be identical to each other, but will land at different regions of Mars. The first rover has a launch window opening May 30, and the second rover a window opening June 25.
2003-03-29
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Workers make additional checks of the Mars Exploration Rover 2 (MER-2) before flight stow of the solar panels, still extended. Set to launch in Spring 2003, the MER Mission will consist of two identical rovers designed to cover roughly 110 yards each Martian day over various terrain. The rovers will be identical to each other, but will land at different regions of Mars. Each rover will carry five scientific instruments that will allow it to search for evidence of liquid water that may have been present in the planet's past. The first rover has a launch window opening May 30, and the second rover a window opening June 25.
2003-01-28
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Workers in the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility move the Mars Exploration Rover -2 to a workstand in the high bay. Set to launch in 2003, the Mars Exploration Rover Mission will consist of two identical rovers designed to cover roughly 110 yards (100 meters) each Martian day. Each rover will carry five scientific instruments that will allow it to search for evidence of liquid water that may have been present in the planet's past. The rovers will be identical to each other, but will land at different regions of Mars. The first rover has a launch window opening May 30, 2003, and the second rover a window opening June 25, 2003.
2003-03-21
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. - In the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility, the Mars Exploration Rover-2 (MER-2) rolls over ramps to test its mobility and maneuverability. Set to launch in Spring 2003, the MER Mission will consist of two identical rovers designed to cover roughly 110 yards each Martian day over various terrain. Each rover will carry five scientific instruments that will allow it to search for evidence of liquid water that may have been present in the planet's past. The rovers will be identical to each other, but will land at different regions of Mars. The first rover has a launch window opening May 30, and the second rover a window opening June 25.
2003-03-29
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - After closing the solar panels for flight stow, workers examine the Mars Exploration Rover 2 (MER-2). Set to launch in Spring 2003, the MER Mission will consist of two identical rovers designed to cover roughly 110 yards each Martian day over various terrain. The rovers will be identical to each other, but will land at different regions of Mars. Each rover will carry five scientific instruments that will allow it to search for evidence of liquid water that may have been present in the planet's past. The first rover has a launch window opening May 30, and the second rover a window opening June 25.
14 CFR 420.59 - Launch site accident investigation plan.
Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR
2010-01-01
... 14 Aeronautics and Space 4 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Launch site accident investigation plan... Licensee § 420.59 Launch site accident investigation plan. (a) General. A licensee shall develop and implement a launch site accident investigation plan that contains the licensee's procedures for reporting...
14 CFR 420.59 - Launch site accident investigation plan.
Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR
2011-01-01
... 14 Aeronautics and Space 4 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Launch site accident investigation plan... Licensee § 420.59 Launch site accident investigation plan. (a) General. A licensee shall develop and implement a launch site accident investigation plan that contains the licensee's procedures for reporting...
2001-07-31
KODIAK ISLAND, Alaska -- Technicians prepare the Starshine 3 payload for its launch aboard the Athena 1 launch vehicle, while the payload fairing awaits processing, at Kodiak Island, Alaska, as preparations to launch Kodiak Star proceed. The first orbital launch to take place from Alaska's Kodiak Launch Complex, Kodiak Star is scheduled to lift off on a Lockheed Martin Athena I launch vehicle on Sept. 17 during a two-hour window that extends from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. ADT. The payloads aboard include the Starshine 3, sponsored by NASA, and the PICOSat, PCSat and Sapphire, sponsored by the Department of Defense (DoD) Space Test Program.
2001-09-05
KODIAK ISLAND, ALASKA - The Launch Service Structure, Kodiak Launch Complex (KLC), on Kodiak Island is viewed from a distance. Kodiak Star, the first launch to take place from KLC, is scheduled to lift off on a Lockheed Martin Athena I launch vehicle on Sept. 17 during a two-hour window that extends from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. p.m. ADT. The payloads aboard include the Starshine 3, sponsored by NASA, and the PICOSat, PCSat and Sapphire, sponsored by the Department of Defense (DoD) Space Test Program. KLC is the newest commercial launch complex in the United States, ideal for launch payloads requiring low-Earth polar or sun-synchronous orbits
2001-05-31
KODIAK ISLAND, Alaska -- Technicians inspect and secure Castor 120, the first stage of the Athena 1 launch vehicle, on the launch mount at Kodiak Island, Alaska, as processing for the launch of Kodiak Star proceeds. The first orbital launch to take place from Alaska's Kodiak Launch Complex, Kodiak Star is scheduled to lift off on a Lockheed Martin Athena I launch vehicle on Sept. 17 during a two-hour window that extends from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. ADT. The payloads aboard include the Starshine 3, sponsored by NASA, and the PICOSat, PCSat and Sapphire, sponsored by the Department of Defense (DoD) Space Test Program.
The 1975 report on active and planned spacecraft and experiments. [index
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Horowitz, R. (Editor); Davis, L. R. (Editor)
1975-01-01
Information is presented on current and planned spacecraft activity for various disciplines: astronomy, earth sciences, meteorology, planetary sciences, aeronomy, solar physics, and life sciences. For active orbiting spacecraft, the epoch date, orbit type, orbit period, apoasis, periapsis, and inclination are given along with the spacecraft weight, launch date, launch site, launch vehicle, and sponsoring agency. For each planned orbiting spacecraft, the orbit parameters, planned launch date, launch site, launch vehicle, spacecraft weight, and sponsoring agency are given.
2001-09-05
KODIAK ISLAND, ALASKA - A transporter moves the encapsulated Kodiak Star spacecraft into position in the Launch Service Structure, Kodiak Launch Complex (KLC), for final stacking for launch. The first launch to take place from KLC, Kodiak Star is scheduled to lift off on a Lockheed Martin Athena I launch vehicle on Sept. 17 during a two-hour window that extends from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. p.m. ADT. The payloads aboard include the Starshine 3, sponsored by NASA, and the PICOSat, PCSat and Sapphire, sponsored by the Department of Defense (DoD) Space Test Program. KLC is the newest commercial launch complex in the United States, ideal for launch payloads requiring low-Earth polar or sun-synchronous orbits
2001-09-04
KODIAK ISLAND, Alaska -- In the Launch Service Structure, Kodiak Launch Complex (KLC), workers check the fairing that is to be placed around the Kodiak Star spacecraft in preparation for launch. The first orbital launch to take place from KLC, Kodiak Star is scheduled to lift off on a Lockheed Martin Athena I launch vehicle on Sept. 17 during a two-hour window that extends from 5 p.m. ADT. The payloads aboard include the Starshine 3, sponsored by NASA, and the PICOSat, PCSat and Sapphire, sponsored by the Department of Defense (DoD) Space Test Program. KLC is the newest commercial launch complex in the United States, ideal for launch payloads requiring low-Earth polar or sun-synchronous orbits
2001-09-04
KODIAK ISLAND, Alaska -- Inside the Launch Service Structure, Kodiak Launch Complex (KLC), workers watch as the fairing (background) is lifted before encapsulating the Kodiak Star spacecraft in preparation for launch. The first orbital launch to take place from KLC, Kodiak Star is scheduled to lift off on a Lockheed Martin Athena I launch vehicle on Sept. 17 during a two-hour window that extends from 5 p.m. ADT. The payloads aboard include the Starshine 3, sponsored by NASA, and the PICOSat, PCSat and Sapphire, sponsored by the Department of Defense (DoD) Space Test Program. KLC is the newest commercial launch complex in the United States, ideal for launch payloads requiring low-Earth polar or sun-synchronous orbits
2001-09-04
KODIAK ISLAND, ALASKA - In the Launch Service Structure, Kodiak Launch Complex (KLC), the fairing is lowered over the Kodiak Star spacecraft in preparation for launch. The first launch to take place from KLC, Kodiak Star is scheduled to lift off on a Lockheed Martin Athena I launch vehicle on Sept. 17 during a two-hour window that extends from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. p.m. ADT. The payloads aboard include the Starshine 3, sponsored by NASA, and the PICOSat, PCSat and Sapphire, sponsored by the Department of Defense (DoD) Space Test Program. KLC is the newest commercial launch complex in the United States, ideal for launch payloads requiring low-Earth polar or sun-synchronous orbits
2001-09-04
KODIAK ISLAND, ALASKA - In the Launch Service Structure, Kodiak Launch Complex (KLC), the Kodiak Star spacecraft is ready for encapsulation in the fairing, as preparation for launch. The first launch to take place from KLC, Kodiak Star is scheduled to lift off on a Lockheed Martin Athena I launch vehicle on Sept. 17 during a two-hour window that extends from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. p.m. ADT. The payloads aboard include the Starshine 3, sponsored by NASA, and the PICOSat, PCSat and Sapphire, sponsored by the Department of Defense (DoD) Space Test Program. KLC is the newest commercial launch complex in the United States, ideal for launch payloads requiring low-Earth polar or sun-synchronous orbits
2009-10-27
NASA Ares I-X Launch Director Ed Mango, left, laughs as NASA Ares I-X Assistant Launch Director Pete Nickolenko looks out the window of Firing Room One of the Launch Control Center (LCC) at the Kennedy Space Center prior to the launch of the Ares I-X rocket from pad 39b at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla., Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2009. The flight test of Ares I-X will provide NASA with an early opportunity to test and prove flight characteristics, hardware, facilities and ground operations associated with the Ares I. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
2001-05-31
KODIAK ISLAND, Alaska -- Technicians install Orbis 21D Equipment Section Boost Motor, the second stage of the Athena 1 launch vehicle, at Kodiak Island, Alaska, as processing for the launch of Kodiak Star proceeds. The first orbital launch to take place from Alaska's Kodiak Launch Complex, Kodiak Star is scheduled to lift off on a Lockheed Martin Athena I launch vehicle on Sept. 17 during a two-hour window that extends from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. ADT. The payloads aboard include the Starshine 3, sponsored by NASA, and the PICOSat, PCSat and Sapphire, sponsored by the Department of Defense (DoD) Space Test Program.
2001-07-31
KODIAK ISLAND, Alaska -- Technicians prepare the Starshine 3 payload, while the payload fairing of the Athena 1 launch vehicle awaits servicing at Kodiak Island, Alaska, as preparations to launch Kodiak Star proceed. The first orbital launch to take place from Alaska's Kodiak Launch Complex, Kodiak Star is scheduled to lift off on a Lockheed Martin Athena I launch vehicle on Sept. 17 during a two-hour window that extends from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. ADT. The payloads aboard include the Starshine 3, sponsored by NASA, and the PICOSat, PCSat and Sapphire, sponsored by the Department of Defense (DoD) Space Test Program
2001-05-31
KODIAK ISLAND, Alaska -- Castor 120, the first stage of the Athena 1 launch vehicle, is lowered into place at Kodiak Island, Alaska, as preparations to launch Kodiak Star proceed. The first orbital launch to take place from Alaska's Kodiak Launch Complex, Kodiak Star is scheduled to lift off on a Lockheed Martin Athena I launch vehicle on Sept. 17 during a two-hour window that extends from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. ADT. The payloads aboard include the Starshine 3, sponsored by NASA, and the PICOSat, PCSat and Sapphire, sponsored by the Department of Defense (DoD) Space Test Program.
2001-05-31
KODIAK ISLAND, Alaska -- Trucks transporting Orbis 21D Equipment Section Boost Motor, the second stage of the Athena 1 launch vehicle, arrive at Kodiak Island, Alaska, as preparations to launch Kodiak Star proceed. The first orbital launch to take place from Alaska's Kodiak Launch Complex, Kodiak Star is scheduled to lift off on a Lockheed Martin Athena I launch vehicle on Sept. 17 during a two-hour window that extends from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. ADT. The payloads aboard include the Starshine 3, sponsored by NASA, and the PICOSat, PCSat and Sapphire, sponsored by the Department of Defense (DoD) Space Test Program.
2001-05-31
KODIAK ISLAND, Alaska -- Castor 120, the first stage of the Athena 1 launch vehicle, is lifted into a vertical position at Kodiak Island, Alaska, as preparations to launch Kodiak Star proceed. The first orbital launch to take place from Alaska's Kodiak Launch Complex, Kodiak Star is scheduled to lift off on a Lockheed Martin Athena I launch vehicle on Sept. 17 during a two-hour window that extends from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. ADT. The payloads aboard include the Starshine 3, sponsored by NASA, and the PICOSat, PCSat and Sapphire, sponsored by the Department of Defense (DoD) Space Test Program.
2001-05-31
KODIAK ISLAND, Alaska -- Technicians inspect Castor 120, the first stage of the Athena 1 launch vehicle, at Kodiak Island, Alaska, as preparations to launch Kodiak Star proceed. The first orbital launch to take place from Alaska's Kodiak Launch Complex, Kodiak Star is scheduled to lift off on a Lockheed Martin Athena I launch vehicle on Sept. 17 during a two-hour window that extends from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. ADT. The payloads aboard include the Starshine 3, sponsored by NASA, and the PICOSat, PCSat and Sapphire, sponsored by the Department of Defense (DoD) Space Test Program.
2018-04-09
The first optical quality testing on a full window stack that is ready for installation in the docking hatch of NASA's Orion spacecraft is underway inside a laboratory in the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building at the agency's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The test is being performed by a team from the center's Exploration Research and Technology Programs. The data from the tests will help improve the requirements for manufacturing tolerances on Orion's windows and verify how the window should perform in space. Orion is being prepared for its first integrated uncrewed flight atop NASA's Space Launch System rocket on Exploration Mission-1.
Non-numeric computation for high eccentricity orbits. [Earth satellite orbit perturbation
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Sridharan, R.; Renard, M. L.
1975-01-01
Geocentric orbits of large eccentricity (e = 0.9 to 0.95) are significantly perturbed in cislunar space by the sun and moon. The time-history of the height of perigee, subsequent to launch, is particularly critical. The determination of 'launch windows' is mostly concerned with preventing the height of perigee from falling below its low initial value before the mission lifetime has elapsed. Between the extremes of high accuracy digital integration of the equations of motion and of using an approximate, but very fast, stability criteria method, this paper is concerned with the developement of a method of intermediate complexity using non-numeric computation. The computer is used as the theory generator to generalize Lidov's theory using six osculating elements. Symbolic integration is completely automatized and the output is a set of condensed formulae well suited for repeated applications in launch window analysis. Examples of applications are given.
The role of the space station in earth science research
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Kaye, Jack A.
1999-01-22
The International Space Station (ISS) has the potential to be a valuable platform for earth science research. By virtue of its being in a mid-inclination orbit (51.5 deg.), ISS provides the opportunity for nadir viewing of nearly 3/4 of the Earth's surface, and allows viewing to high latitudes if limb-emission or occultation viewing techniques are used. ISS also provides the opportunity for viewing the Earth under a range of lighting conditions, unlike the polar sun-synchronous satellites that are used for many earth observing programs. The ISS is expected to have ample power and data handling capability to support Earth-viewing instruments,more » provide opportunities for external mounting and retrieval of instruments, and be in place for a sufficiently long period that long-term data records can be obtained. On the other hand, there are several questions related to contamination, orbital variations, pointing knowledge and stability, and viewing that are of concern in consideration of ISS for earth science applications. The existence of an optical quality window (the Window Observational Research Facility, or WORF), also provides the opportunity for Earth observations from inside the pressurized part of ISS. Current plans by NASA for earth science research from ISS are built around the Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment (SAGE III) instrument, planned for launch in 2002.« less
STS-47 Pilot Brown on OV-105's flight deck ten minutes after SSME cutoff
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
1992-01-01
STS-47 Pilot Curtis L. Brown, Jr, is photographed at Endeavour's, Orbiter Vehicle (OV) 105's, pilot station about ten minutes after space shuttle main engine (SSME) cutoff on launch day. Brown smiles from inside the launch and entry suit (LES) and launch and entry helmet (LEH). In the background are the flight mirror assembly silhouetted against forward window W5, control panels, and a checklist.
51. VIEW OF LORAL ADS 100A COMPUTERS LOCATED CENTRALLY ON ...
51. VIEW OF LORAL ADS 100A COMPUTERS LOCATED CENTRALLY ON NORTH WALL OF TELEMETRY ROOM (ROOM 106). SLC-3W CONTROL ROOM IS VISIBLE IN BACKGROUND THROUGH WINDOW IN NORTH WALL. - Vandenberg Air Force Base, Space Launch Complex 3, Launch Operations Building, Napa & Alden Roads, Lompoc, Santa Barbara County, CA
2001-08-08
KODIAK ISLAND, Alaska -- Technicians transport the Sapphire payload at Kodiak Island, Alaska, as preparations to launch Kodiak Star proceed. The first orbital launch to take place from Alaska's Kodiak Launch Complex, Kodiak Star is scheduled to lift off on a Lockheed Martin Athena I launch vehicle on Sept. 17 during a two-hour window that extends from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. p.m. ADT. The payloads aboard include the Starshine 3, sponsored by NASA, and the PICOSat, PCSat and Sapphire, sponsored by the Department of Defense (DoD) Space Test Program.
M-TeX and MIST Experiments Launched from Alaska
2017-12-08
Caption: Composite shot of all four rockets for the M-TeX and MIST experiments is made up of 30 second exposures. The rocket salvo began at 4:13 a.m. EST, Jan. 26, 2015, from the Poker Flat Research Range, Alaska. Credit: NASA/Jamie Adkins More info: The Mesosphere-Lower Thermosphere Turbulence Experiment, or M-TeX, and the Mesospheric Inversion-layer Stratified Turbulence, or MIST, experiment were successfully conducted the morning of Jan. 26, 2015, from the Poker Flat Research Range, Alaska. The first M-Tex rocket, a NASA Terrier-Improved Malemute sounding rocket, was launched at 4:13 a.m. EST and was followed one-minute later by the first MIST experiment payload on a NASA Terrier-Improved Orion. The second M-TeX payload was launched at 4:46 a.m. EST and also was followed one minute later by the second MIST payload. Preliminary data show that all four payloads worked as planned and the trimethyl aluminum, or TMA, vapor trails were seen at the various land-based observation sites in Alaska. A fifth rocket carrying the Auroral Spatial Structures Probe remains ready on the launch pad. The launch window for this experiment runs through Jan. 27. NASA image use policy. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission. Follow us on Twitter Like us on Facebook Find us on Instagram
2011-01-07
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Workers hang artwork in the second-floor lobby of the Propellants North Administrative and Maintenance Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The artwork was produced by Greg Lee, a graphics specialist with Abacus Technology Corp., and features a silhouette of a shuttle, one of the most recognizable American icons, rolling out to Launch Complex 39. Next to the artwork are recycled firing room windows from Kennedy's Launch Control Center. Launch controllers viewed every shuttle rollout and launch through those windows before they were repurposed. The environmentally friendly facility is slated to be NASA's second Platinum-rated by the U.S. Green Building Council's (USGBC) Leadership in Environmental and Energy Design (LEED) certification system. It will be the space agency's first net-zero facility, which means it will produce enough energy onsite from renewable sources to offset what it requires to operate. The facility consists of a two-story administrative building to house managers, mechanics and technicians who fuel spacecraft at Kennedy, and a single-story shop to store cryogenic fuel transfer equipment. Photo credit: NASA/Frankie Martin
1997-07-01
STS-94 Payload Specialist Roger K. Crouch is helped into his launch/entry suit by a suit technician in the Operations and Checkout (O&C) Building after the suit has been given a pressure test. He is the Chief Scientist of the NASA Microgravity Space and Applications Division. He also has served as a Program Scientist for previous Spacelab microgravity missions and is an expert in semiconductor crystal growth. Since Crouch has more than 25 years of experience as a materials scientist, he will be concentrating on the five physics of materials processing experiments in the Middeck Glovebox Facility on the Blue shift. He will also share the workload with Thomas by monitoring the materials furnace experiments during this time. Crouch and six fellow crew members will shortly depart the O&C and head for Launch Pad 39A, where the Space Shuttle Columbia will lift off during a launch window that opens at 1:50 p.m. EDT, July 1. The launch window was opened 47 minutes early to improve the opportunity to lift off before Florida summer rain showers reached the space center
1997-07-01
STS-94 Mission Specialist Donald A. Thomas smiles as a suit technician helps him into his launch/entry suit in the Operations and Checkout (O&C) Building. He has flown on STS-83, STS-70 and STS-65. He holds a doctorate in materials science and has been the Principal Investigator for a Space Shuttle crystal growth experiment. Because of his background in materials science, Thomas will be concentrating his efforts during the Red shift on the five experiments in this discipline in the Large Isothermal Furnace. He also will work on the ten materials science investigations in the Electromagnetic Containerless Processing Facility and four that will be measuring the effects of microgravity and motion in the orbiter on the experiments. Thomas and six fellow crew members will shortly depart the O&C and head for Launch Pad 39A, where the Space Shuttle Columbia will lift off during a launch window that opens at 1:50 p.m. EDT, July 1. The launch window was opened 47 minutes early to improve the opportunity to lift off before Florida summer rain showers reached the space center
Launch Window Analysis for the Magnetospheric Multiscale Mission
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Williams, Trevor W.
2012-01-01
The NASA Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) mission will fly four spinning spacecraft in formation in highly elliptical orbits to study the magnetosphere of the Earth. This paper describes the development of an MMS launch window tool that uses the orbitaveraged Variation of Parameter equations as the basis for a semi-analytic quantification of the dominant oblateness and lunisolar perturbation effects on the MMS orbit. This approach, coupled with a geometric interpretation of all of the MMS science and engineering constraints, allows a scan of 180(sup 2) = 32,400 different (RAAN, AOP) pairs to be carried out for a specified launch day in less than 10 s on a typical modern laptop. The resulting plot indicates the regions in (RAAN, AOP) space where each constraint is satisfied or violated: their intersection gives, in an easily interpreted graphical manner, the final solution space for the day considered. This tool, SWM76, is now used to provide launch conditions to the full fidelity (but far slower) MMS simulation code: very good agreement has been observed between the two methods.
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Pearson, Don; Hamm, Dustin; Kubena, Brian; Weaver, Jonathan K.
2010-01-01
An updated version of the Platform Independent Software Components for the Exploration of Space (PISCES) software library is available. A previous version was reported in Library for Developing Spacecraft-Mission-Planning Software (MSC-22983), NASA Tech Briefs, Vol. 25, No. 7 (July 2001), page 52. To recapitulate: This software provides for Web-based, collaborative development of computer programs for planning trajectories and trajectory- related aspects of spacecraft-mission design. The library was built using state-of-the-art object-oriented concepts and software-development methodologies. The components of PISCES include Java-language application programs arranged in a hierarchy of classes that facilitates the reuse of the components. As its full name suggests, the PISCES library affords platform-independence: The Java language makes it possible to use the classes and application programs with a Java virtual machine, which is available in most Web-browser programs. Another advantage is expandability: Object orientation facilitates expansion of the library through creation of a new class. Improvements in the library since the previous version include development of orbital-maneuver- planning and rendezvous-launch-window application programs, enhancement of capabilities for propagation of orbits, and development of a desktop user interface.
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
2004-01-01
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. Stephanie Stilson (right), NASA Vehicle Manager, briefs the media attending an informative workshop and tour of the Orbiter Processing Facility (OPF) housing the Space Shuttle Discovery at KSC. During this event, the media received the latest information on Discoverys processing and viewed workers preparing the vehicle for its safe return to flight scheduled for a launch planning window of March 2005. Kicking off the activities at the Press Site Auditorium, technical experts led two workshops addressing Reinforced Carbon- Carbon and vehicle instrumentation. During the tour of the OPF, reporters saw work in progress on Discovery, including reinstallation of the Reinforced Carbon-Carbon panels on the Shuttle's wing leading edge, wiring inspections and instrumentation updates being completed for Return to Flight.
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
2004-01-01
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. Stephanie Stilson (left), NASA Vehicle Manager, briefs the media attending an informative workshop and tour of the Orbiter Processing Facility (OPF) housing the Space Shuttle Discovery at KSC. During this event, the media received the latest information on Discoverys processing and viewed workers preparing the vehicle for its safe return to flight scheduled for a launch planning window of March 2005. Kicking off the activities at the Press Site Auditorium, technical experts led two workshops addressing Reinforced Carbon-Carbon and vehicle instrumentation. During the tour of the OPF, reporters saw work in progress on Discovery, including reinstallation of the Reinforced Carbon-Carbon panels on the Shuttle's wing leading edge, wiring inspections and instrumentation updates being completed for Return to Flight.
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
2004-01-01
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. Stephanie Stilson (left), NASA Vehicle Manager, briefs the media attending an informative workshop and tour of the Orbiter Processing Facility (OPF) housing the Space Shuttle Discovery at KSC. During this event, the media received the latest information on Discoverys processing and viewed workers preparing the vehicle for its safe return to flight scheduled for a launch planning window of March 2005. Kicking off the activities at the Press Site Auditorium, technical experts led two workshops addressing Reinforced Carbon-Carbon and vehicle instrumentation. During the tour of the OPF, reporters saw work in progress on Discovery, including reinstallation of the Reinforced Carbon-Carbon panels on the Shuttle's wing leading edge, wiring inspections and instrumentation updates being completed for Return to Flight.
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
2004-01-01
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. Stephanie Stilson (second from right), NASA Vehicle Manager, briefs the media attending an informative workshop and tour of the Orbiter Processing Facility (OPF) housing the Space Shuttle Discovery at KSC. During this event, the media received the latest information on Discoverys processing and viewed workers preparing the vehicle for its safe return to flight scheduled for a launch planning window of March 2005. Kicking off the activities at the Press Site Auditorium, technical experts led two workshops addressing Reinforced Carbon- Carbon and vehicle instrumentation. During the tour of the OPF, reporters saw work in progress on Discovery, including reinstallation of the Reinforced Carbon-Carbon panels on the Shuttle's wing leading edge, wiring inspections and instrumentation updates being completed for Return to Flight.
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
2004-01-01
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. Stephanie Stilson (center), NASA Vehicle Manager, briefs the media attending an informative workshop and tour of the Orbiter Processing Facility (OPF) housing the Space Shuttle Discovery at KSC. During this event, the media received the latest information on Discoverys processing and viewed workers preparing the vehicle for its safe return to flight scheduled for a launch planning window of March 2005. Kicking off the activities at the Press Site Auditorium, technical experts led two workshops addressing Reinforced Carbon- Carbon and vehicle instrumentation. During the tour of the OPF, reporters saw work in progress on Discovery, including reinstallation of the Reinforced Carbon-Carbon panels on the Shuttle's wing leading edge, wiring inspections and instrumentation updates being completed for Return to Flight.
2004-07-23
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Stephanie Stilson (left), NASA Vehicle Manager, briefs the media attending an informative workshop and tour of the Orbiter Processing Facility (OPF) housing the Space Shuttle Discovery at KSC. During this event, the media received the latest information on Discovery’s processing and viewed workers preparing the vehicle for its safe return to flight scheduled for a launch planning window of March 2005. Kicking off the activities at the Press Site Auditorium, technical experts led two workshops addressing Reinforced Carbon-Carbon and vehicle instrumentation. During the tour of the OPF, reporters saw work in progress on Discovery, including reinstallation of the Reinforced Carbon-Carbon panels on the Shuttle's wing leading edge, wiring inspections and instrumentation updates being completed for Return to Flight.
2004-07-23
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Stephanie Stilson (left), NASA Vehicle Manager, briefs the media attending an informative workshop and tour of the Orbiter Processing Facility (OPF) housing the Space Shuttle Discovery at KSC. During this event, the media received the latest information on Discovery’s processing and viewed workers preparing the vehicle for its safe return to flight scheduled for a launch planning window of March 2005. Kicking off the activities at the Press Site Auditorium, technical experts led two workshops addressing Reinforced Carbon-Carbon and vehicle instrumentation. During the tour of the OPF, reporters saw work in progress on Discovery, including reinstallation of the Reinforced Carbon-Carbon panels on the Shuttle's wing leading edge, wiring inspections and instrumentation updates being completed for Return to Flight.
2004-07-23
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Stephanie Stilson (second from right), NASA Vehicle Manager, briefs the media attending an informative workshop and tour of the Orbiter Processing Facility (OPF) housing the Space Shuttle Discovery at KSC. During this event, the media received the latest information on Discovery’s processing and viewed workers preparing the vehicle for its safe return to flight scheduled for a launch planning window of March 2005. Kicking off the activities at the Press Site Auditorium, technical experts led two workshops addressing Reinforced Carbon-Carbon and vehicle instrumentation. During the tour of the OPF, reporters saw work in progress on Discovery, including reinstallation of the Reinforced Carbon-Carbon panels on the Shuttle's wing leading edge, wiring inspections and instrumentation updates being completed for Return to Flight.
2004-07-23
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Stephanie Stilson (center), NASA Vehicle Manager, briefs the media attending an informative workshop and tour of the Orbiter Processing Facility (OPF) housing the Space Shuttle Discovery at KSC. During this event, the media received the latest information on Discovery’s processing and viewed workers preparing the vehicle for its safe return to flight scheduled for a launch planning window of March 2005. Kicking off the activities at the Press Site Auditorium, technical experts led two workshops addressing Reinforced Carbon-Carbon and vehicle instrumentation. During the tour of the OPF, reporters saw work in progress on Discovery, including reinstallation of the Reinforced Carbon-Carbon panels on the Shuttle's wing leading edge, wiring inspections and instrumentation updates being completed for Return to Flight.
2004-07-23
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Stephanie Stilson (right), NASA Vehicle Manager, briefs the media attending an informative workshop and tour of the Orbiter Processing Facility (OPF) housing the Space Shuttle Discovery at KSC. During this event, the media received the latest information on Discovery’s processing and viewed workers preparing the vehicle for its safe return to flight scheduled for a launch planning window of March 2005. Kicking off the activities at the Press Site Auditorium, technical experts led two workshops addressing Reinforced Carbon-Carbon and vehicle instrumentation. During the tour of the OPF, reporters saw work in progress on Discovery, including reinstallation of the Reinforced Carbon-Carbon panels on the Shuttle's wing leading edge, wiring inspections and instrumentation updates being completed for Return to Flight.
Three Orbital Burns to Molniya Orbit Via Shuttle_Centaur G Upper Stage
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Williams, Craig H.
2015-01-01
An unclassified analytical trajectory design, performance, and mission study was done for the 1982 to 1986 joint National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)-United States Air Force (USAF) Shuttle/Centaur G upper stage development program to send performance-demanding payloads to high orbits such as Molniya using an unconventional orbit transfer. This optimized three orbital burn transfer to Molniya orbit was compared to the then-baselined two burn transfer. The results of the three dimensional trajectory optimization performed include powered phase steering data and coast phase orbital element data. Time derivatives of the orbital elements as functions of thrust components were evaluated and used to explain the optimization's solution. Vehicle performance as a function of parking orbit inclination was given. Performance and orbital element data was provided for launch windows as functions of launch time. Ground track data was given for all burns and coasts including variation within the launch window. It was found that a Centaur with fully loaded propellant tanks could be flown from a 37 deg inclination low Earth parking orbit and achieve Molniya orbit with comparable performance to the baselined transfer which started from a 57 deg inclined orbit: 9,545 versus 9,552 lb of separated spacecraft weight, respectively. There was a significant reduction in the need for propellant launch time reserve for a 1 hr window: only 78 lb for the three burn transfer versus 320 lb for the two burn transfer. Conversely, this also meant that longer launch windows over more orbital revolutions could be done for the same amount of propellant reserve. There was no practical difference in ground tracking station or airborne assets needed to secure telemetric data, even though the geometric locations of the burns varied considerably. There was a significant adverse increase in total mission elapsed time for the three versus two burn transfer (12 vs. 1-1/4 hr), but could be accommodated by modest modifications to Centaur systems. Future applications were discussed. The three burn transfer was found to be a viable, arguably preferable, alternative to the two burn transfer.
Three Orbital Burns to Molniya Orbit via Shuttle Centaur G Upper Stage
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Williams, Craig H.
2014-01-01
An unclassified analytical trajectory design, performance, and mission study was done for the 1982-86 joint NASA-USAF Shuttle/Centaur G upper stage development program to send performance-demanding payloads to high orbits such as Molniya using an unconventional orbit transfer. This optimized three orbital burn transfer to Molniya orbit was compared to the then-baselined two burn transfer. The results of the three dimensional trajectory optimization performed include powered phase steering data and coast phase orbital element data. Time derivatives of the orbital elements as functions of thrust components were evaluated and used to explain the optimization's solution. Vehicle performance as a function of parking orbit inclination was given. Performance and orbital element data was provided for launch windows as functions of launch time. Ground track data was given for all burns and coasts including variation within the launch window. It was found that a Centaur with fully loaded propellant tanks could be flown from a 37deg inclination low Earth parking orbit and achieve Molniya orbit with comparable performance to the baselined transfer which started from a 57deg inclined orbit: 9,545 lb vs. 9,552 lb of separated spacecraft weight respectively. There was a significant reduction in the need for propellant launch time reserve for a one hour window: only 78 lb for the three burn transfer vs. 320 lb for the two burn transfer. Conversely, this also meant that longer launch windows over more orbital revolutions could be done for the same amount of propellant reserve. There was no practical difference in ground tracking station or airborne assets needed to secure telemetric data, even though the geometric locations of the burns varied considerably. There was a significant adverse increase in total mission elapsed time for the three vs. two burn transfer (12 vs. 11/4 hrs), but could be accommodated by modest modifications to Centaur systems. Future applications were discussed. The three burn transfer was found to be a viable, arguably preferable, alternative to the two burn transfer.
2003-03-20
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. - With cables released, this Mars Exploration Rover sits on the floor of the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility. Processing of the rovers, cruise stage, lander and heat shield elements is ongoing. Set to launch in 2003, the MER Mission will consist of two identical rovers designed to cover roughly 110 yards each Martian day. Each rover will carry five scientific instruments that will allow it to search for evidence of liquid water that may have been present in the planet's past. The rovers will be identical to each other, but will land at different regions of Mars. The first rover has a launch window opening May 30, and the second rover a window opening June 25, 2003.
2003-03-20
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. - With cables released, this Mars Exploration Rover (MER) sits on the floor of the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility. Processing of the rovers, cruise stage, lander and heat shield elements is ongoing. Set to launch in 2003, the MER Mission will consist of two identical rovers designed to cover roughly 110 yards each Martian day. Each rover will carry five scientific instruments that will allow it to search for evidence of liquid water that may have been present in the planet's past. The rovers will be identical to each other, but will land at different regions of Mars. The first rover has a launch window opening May 30, and the second rover a window opening June 25, 2003.
2003-03-20
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. - A worker in the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility makes adjustments on one of the Mars Exploration Rovers (MER). Processing of the rovers, cruise stage, lander and heat shield elements is ongoing. Set to launch in 2003, the MER Mission will consist of two identical rovers designed to cover roughly 110 yards each Martian day. Each rover will carry five scientific instruments that will allow it to search for evidence of liquid water that may have been present in the planet's past. The rovers will be identical to each other, but will land at different regions of Mars. The first rover has a launch window opening May 30, and the second rover a window opening June 25, 2003.
2003-03-28
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility, workers adjust the position of the Mars Exploration Rover-2 (MER-2) on the base petal of its lander assembly. Set to launch in Spring 2003, the MER Mission will consist of two identical rovers designed to cover roughly 110 yards each Martian day over various terrain. Each rover will carry five scientific instruments that will allow it to search for evidence of liquid water that may have been present in the planet's past. The rovers will be identical to each other, but will land at different regions of Mars. The first rover has a launch window opening May 30, and the second rover, a window opening June 25.
2003-03-21
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. - In the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility, the Mars Exploration Rover-2 (MER-2) has rotated. Atop the rover can be seen the cameras, mounted on a Pancam Mast Assembly (PMA). Set to launch in Spring 2003, the MER Mission will consist of two identical rovers designed to cover roughly 110 yards each Martian day. Each rover will carry five scientific instruments that will allow it to search for evidence of liquid water that may have been present in the planet's past. The rovers will be identical to each other, but will land at different regions of Mars. The first rover has a launch window opening May 30, and the second rover a window opening June 25.
2003-03-21
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. - In the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility, workers watch as the Mars Exploration Rover-2 (MER-2) rolls over ramps to test its mobility and maneuverability. Set to launch in Spring 2003, the MER Mission will consist of two identical rovers designed to cover roughly 110 yards each Martian day over various terrain. Each rover will carry five scientific instruments that will allow it to search for evidence of liquid water that may have been present in the planet's past. The rovers will be identical to each other, but will land at different regions of Mars. The first rover has a launch window opening May 30, and the second rover a window opening June 25.
2003-03-21
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. - In the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility, workers watch as the Mars Exploration Rover-2 (MER-2) rolls over ramps to test its mobility and maneuverability. Set to launch in Spring 2003, the MER Mission will consist of two identical rovers designed to cover roughly 110 yards each Martian day over various terrain. Each rover will carry five scientific instruments that will allow it to search for evidence of liquid water that may have been present in the planet's past. The rovers will be identical to each other, but will land at different regions of Mars. The first rover has a launch window opening May 30, and the second rover a window opening June 25.
2003-03-21
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. - In the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility, workers watch as the Mars Exploration Rover-2 (MER-2) rolls over ramps to test its mobility and maneuverability. Set to launch in Spring 2003, the MER Mission will consist of two identical rovers designed to cover roughly 110 yards each Martian day over various terrain. Each rover will carry five scientific instruments that will allow it to search for evidence of liquid water that may have been present in the planet's past. The rovers will be identical to each other, but will land at different regions of Mars. The first rover has a launch window opening May 30, and the second rover a window opening June 25.
2003-03-28
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility, workers move the Mars Exploration Rover-2 (MER-2) into position over the base petal of its lander assembly. Set to launch in Spring 2003, the MER Mission will consist of two identical rovers designed to cover roughly 110 yards each Martian day over various terrain. Each rover will carry five scientific instruments that will allow it to search for evidence of liquid water that may have been present in the planet's past. The rovers will be identical to each other, but will land at different regions of Mars. The first rover has a launch window opening May 30, and the second rover, a window opening June 25.
2003-03-28
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility, workers lower the Mars Exploration Rover-2 (MER-2) onto the base petal of its lander assembly. Set to launch in Spring 2003, the MER Mission will consist of two identical rovers designed to cover roughly 110 yards each Martian day over various terrain. Each rover will carry five scientific instruments that will allow it to search for evidence of liquid water that may have been present in the planet's past. The rovers will be identical to each other, but will land at different regions of Mars. The first rover has a launch window opening May 30, and the second rover, a window opening June 25.
2003-03-20
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. - Workers in the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility look over one of the Mars Exploration Rovers (MER). Processing of the rovers, cruise stage, lander and heat shield elements is ongoing. Set to launch in 2003, the MER Mission will consist of two identical rovers designed to cover roughly 110 yards each Martian day. Each rover will carry five scientific instruments that will allow it to search for evidence of liquid water that may have been present in the planet's past. The rovers will be identical to each other, but will land at different regions of Mars. The first rover has a launch window opening May 30, and the second rover a window opening June 25, 2003.
2003-03-20
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - One of the Mars Exploration Rovers (MER) sits on a stand in the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility. Processing of the rovers, cruise stage, lander and heat shield elements is ongoing. Set to launch in 2003, the MER Mission will consist of two identical rovers designed to cover roughly 110 yards each Martian day. Each rover will carry five scientific instruments that will allow it to search for evidence of liquid water that may have been present in the planet's past. The rovers will be identical to each other, but will land at different regions of Mars. The first rover has a launch window opening May 30, and the second rover a window opening June 25, 2003.
2003-03-28
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility, workers prepare the base petal of a lander assembly to receive the Mars Exploration Rover-2 (MER-2). Set to launch in Spring 2003, the MER Mission will consist of two identical rovers designed to cover roughly 110 yards each Martian day over various terrain. Each rover will carry five scientific instruments that will allow it to search for evidence of liquid water that may have been present in the planet's past. The rovers will be identical to each other, but will land at different regions of Mars. The first rover has a launch window opening May 30, and the second rover, a window opening June 25.
2003-02-04
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Shown are the Lander pedals for MER-1. These pedals fold up covering the Rover, which will be attached to the base pedal (not shown--empty spot in the center.) Set to launch in 2003, the MER Mission will consist of two identical rovers designed to cover roughly 110 yards each Martian day. Each rover will carry five scientific instruments that will allow it to search for evidence of liquid water that may have been present in the planet's past. The rovers will be identical to each other, but will land at different regions of Mars. The first rover has a launch window opening May 30, and the second rover a window opening June 25, 2003.
2003-01-28
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - After being cleaned up, the Mars Exploration Rover -2 is ready to be moved to a workstand in the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility. Set to launch in 2003, the Mars Exploration Rover Mission will consist of two identical rovers designed to cover roughly 110 yards (100 meters) each Martian day. Each rover will carry five scientific instruments that will allow it to search for evidence of liquid water that may have been present in the planet's past. The rovers will be identical to each other, but will land at different regions of Mars. The first rover has a launch window opening May 30, 2003, and the second rover a window opening June 25, 2003.
2003-03-28
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility, workers move the Mars Exploration Rover-2 (MER-2) towards the base petal of its lander assembly. Set to launch in Spring 2003, the MER Mission will consist of two identical rovers designed to cover roughly 110 yards each Martian day over various terrain. Each rover will carry five scientific instruments that will allow it to search for evidence of liquid water that may have been present in the planet's past. The rovers will be identical to each other, but will land at different regions of Mars. The first rover has a launch window opening May 30, and the second rover, a window opening June 25.
2003-01-31
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Suspended by an overhead crane in the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility, the Mars Exploration Rover (MER) aeroshell is guided by workers as it moves to a rotation stand. Set to launch in 2003, the MER Mission will consist of two identical rovers designed to cover roughly 110 yards (100 meters) each Martian day. Each rover will carry five scientific instruments that will allow it to search for evidence of liquid water that may have been present in the planet's past. The rovers will be identical to each other, but will land at different regions of Mars. The first rover has a launch window opening May 30, and the second rover a window opening June 25, 2003.
2001-09-05
KODIAK ISLAND, ALASKA - Inside the Launch Service Structure, Kodiak Launch Complex (KLC), the final stage of the Athena I launch vehicle, with the Kodiak Star spacecraft, is maneuvered into place. The first launch to take place from KLC, Kodiak Star is scheduled to lift off on a Lockheed Martin Athena I launch vehicle on Sept. 17 during a two-hour window that extends from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. p.m. ADT. The payloads aboard include the Starshine 3, sponsored by NASA, and the PICOSat, PCSat and Sapphire, sponsored by the Department of Defense (DoD) Space Test Program. KLC is the newest commercial launch complex in the United States, ideal for launch payloads requiring low-Earth polar or sun-synchronous orbits
Use of DES Modeling for Determining Launch Availability for SLS
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Watson, Michael; Staton, Eric; Cates, Grant; Finn, Ronald; Altino, Karen M.; Burns, K. Lee
2014-01-01
(1) NASA is developing a new heavy lift launch system for human and scientific exploration beyond Earth orbit comprising of the Space Launch System (SLS), Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle (MPCV), and Ground Systems Development and Operations (GSDO); (2) The desire of the system is to ensure a high confidence of successfully launching the exploration missions, especially those that require multiple launches, have a narrow Earth departure window, and high investment costs; and (3) This presentation discusses the process used by a Cross-Program team to develop the Exploration Systems Development (ESD) Launch Availability (LA) Technical Performance Measure (TPM) and allocate it to each of the Programs through the use of Discrete Event Simulations (DES).
2001-06-19
KODIAK ISLAND, Alaska -- Technicians lower the fueled Orbit Adjust Model (OAM), which navigates payloads into the correct orbit, onto Orbis 21D Equipment Section Boost Motor, the second stage of the Athena 1 launch vehicle, at the launch pad at Kodiak Island, Alaska, as preparations to launch Kodiak Star proceed. The first orbital launch to take place from Alaska's Kodiak Launch Complex, Kodiak Star is scheduled to lift off on a Lockheed Martin Athena I launch vehicle on Sept. 17 during a two-hour window that extends from 5 p.m. ADT. The payloads aboard include the Starshine 3, sponsored by NASA, and the PICOSat, PCSat and Sapphire, sponsored by the Department of Defense (DoD) Space Test Program.
2001-09-04
KODIAK ISLAND, ALASKA - In the Launch Service Structure, Kodiak Launch Complex (KLC), the Kodiak Star spacecraft is ready for encapsulation in the fairing seen at right, above. The first launch to take place from KLC, Kodiak Star is scheduled to lift off on a Lockheed Martin Athena I launch vehicle on Sept. 17 during a two-hour window that extends from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. p.m. ADT. The payloads aboard include the Starshine 3, sponsored by NASA, and the PICOSat, PCSat and Sapphire, sponsored by the Department of Defense (DoD) Space Test Program. KLC is the newest commercial launch complex in the United States, ideal for launch payloads requiring low-Earth polar or sun-synchronous orbits
2001-06-19
KODIAK ISLAND, Alaska -- The fueled Orbit Adjust Model (OAM), which navigates payloads into the correct orbit, is installed onto Orbis 21D Equipment Section Boost Motor, the second stage of the Athena 1 launch vehicle, at the launch pad at Kodiak Island, Alaska, as preparations to launch Kodiak Star proceed. The first orbital launch to take place from Alaska's Kodiak Launch Complex, Kodiak Star is scheduled to lift off on a Lockheed Martin Athena I launch vehicle on Sept. 17 during a two-hour window that extends from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. ADT. The payloads aboard include the Starshine 3, sponsored by NASA, and the PICOSat, PCSat and Sapphire, sponsored by the Department of Defense (DoD) Space Test Program.
1998-04-17
STS-90 Mission Specialist Kathryn (Kay) Hire is assisted by NASA and USA closeout crew members immediately preceding launch for the nearly 17-day Neurolab mission. Investigations during the Neurolab mission will focus on the effects of microgravity on the nervous system. Hire and six fellow crew members will shortly enter the orbiter at KSC's Launch Pad 39B, where the Space Shuttle Columbia will lift off during a launch window that opens at 2:19 p.m. EDT, April 17
1998-04-17
STS-90 Payload Specialist Jay Buckey, M.D., is assisted by NASA and USA closeout crew members immediately preceding launch for the nearly 17-day Neurolab mission. Investigations during the Neurolab mission will focus on the effects of microgravity on the nervous system. Buckey and six fellow crew members will shortly enter the orbiter at KSC's Launch Pad 39B, where the Space Shuttle Columbia will lift off during a launch window that opens at 2:19 p.m. EDT, April 17
STS-70 Commander Terence 'Tom' Henricks suits up
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
1995-01-01
STS-70 Commander Terence 'Tom' Henricks is donning his launch/entry suit in the Operations and Checkout Building with help from a suit technician. Henricks, who is about to make his third trip into space, and four crew members will depart shortly for Launch Pad 39B, where the Space Shuttle Discovery is undergoing final preparations for a liftoff scheduled during a two and a half hour launch window opening at 9:41 a.m. EDT.
STS-70 Mission Specialist Nancy Jane Currie suits up
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
1995-01-01
STS-70 Mission Specialist Nancy Jane Currie is donning her launch/entry suit in the Operations and Checkout Building with help from a suit technician. Currie has flown in space once before, on STS-57. Currie and four crew mates will depart shortly for Launch Pad 39B, where the Space Shuttle Discovery is undergoing final preparations for a liftoff scheduled during a two and a half hour launch window opening at 9:41 a.m. EDT.
2009-09-23
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – The mobile service tower on Launch Pad 17-B at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station rolls back to reveal the United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket that will launch the Space Tracking and Surveillance System - Demonstrator into orbit. It is being launched by NASA for the Missile Defense System. The hour-long launch window opens at 8 a.m. EDT today. The STSS Demo is a space-based sensor component of a layered Ballistic Missile Defense System designed for the overall mission of detecting, tracking and discriminating ballistic missiles. STSS is capable of tracking objects after boost phase and provides trajectory information to other sensors. Photo credit: NASA/Dimitri Gerondidakis
2001-05-29
KODIAK ISLAND, Alaska -- A special platform connects the barge with a ramp to allow Castor 120, the first stage of the Athena 1 launch vehicle, to safely move onto the dock at Kodiak Island, Alaska, as preparations to launch Kodiak Star proceed. The first orbital launch to take place from Alaska's Kodiak Launch Complex, Kodiak Star is scheduled to lift off on a Lockheed Martin Athena I launch vehicle on Sept. 17 during a two-hour window that extends from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. ADT. The payloads aboard include the Starshine 3, sponsored by NASA, and the PICOSat, PCSat and Sapphire, sponsored by the Department of Defense (DoD) Space Test Program.
2009-09-23
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – The mobile service tower on Launch Pad 17-B at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station has been rolled back to reveal the United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket ready to launch the Space Tracking and Surveillance System - Demonstrator into orbit. It is being launched by NASA for the Missile Defense System. The hour-long launch window opens at 8 a.m. EDT today. The STSS Demo is a space-based sensor component of a layered Ballistic Missile Defense System designed for the overall mission of detecting, tracking and discriminating ballistic missiles. STSS is capable of tracking objects after boost phase and provides trajectory information to other sensors. Photo credit: NASA/Dimitri Gerondidakis
2009-09-23
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – The mobile service tower on Launch Pad 17-B at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station has been rolled back to reveal the United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket that will launch the Space Tracking and Surveillance System - Demonstrator into orbit. It is being launched by NASA for the Missile Defense System. The hour-long launch window opens at 8 a.m. EDT today. The STSS Demo is a space-based sensor component of a layered Ballistic Missile Defense System designed for the overall mission of detecting, tracking and discriminating ballistic missiles. STSS is capable of tracking objects after boost phase and provides trajectory information to other sensors. Photo credit: NASA/Dimitri Gerondidakis
2001-05-29
KODIAK ISLAND, Alaska -- A boat moves a ramp into place that will allow Castor 120, the first stage of the Athena 1 launch vehicle, to safely move onto the dock at Kodiak Island, Alaska, as preparations to launch Kodiak Star proceed. The first orbital launch to take place from Alaska's Kodiak Launch Complex, Kodiak Star is scheduled to lift off on a Lockheed Martin Athena I launch vehicle on Sept. 17 during a two-hour window that extends from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. ADT. The payloads aboard include the Starshine 3, sponsored by NASA, and the PICOSat, PCSat and Sapphire, sponsored by the Department of Defense (DoD) Space Test Program.
1997-02-10
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The Rotating Service Structure has been retracted at KSC's Launch Pad 39A. Discovery, the orbiter for the STS-82 mission, is ready for the launch of the second Hubble Space Telescope service mission. The payload consists of the Near Infrared Camera and Multi-Object Spectrometer (NICMOS) that will be installed, Fine Guidance Sensor #1 (FGS-1), and the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (STIS) to be installed. The STS-82 will launch with a crew of seven at 3:54 a.m. EST, Feb. 11, 1997. The launch window is 65 minutes in duration. The Mission Commander for STS-82 is Ken Bowersox. The purpose of the mission is to upgrade the scientific capabilities, service or replace aging components on the Telescope, and provide a reboost to the optimum altitude.
2011-11-26
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – From left, Lars Perkins, chair of the Education and Public Outreach Committee of the NASA Advisory Council; former astronaut Leland Melvin, NASA associate administrator for Education; Will.i.am, entertainer and member of The Black Eyed Peas; and NASA Deputy Administrator Lori Garver talk to the participants of a NASA Tweetup in a tent set up at NASA Kennedy Space Center's Press Site in Florida during prelaunch activities for the agency’s Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) launch. Participants in the Tweetup are given the opportunity to listen to agency briefings, tour locations on the center normally off limits to visitors, and get a close-up view of Space Launch Complex-41 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. The tweeters will share their experiences with followers through the social networking site Twitter. The MSL mission will pioneer precision landing technology and a sky-crane touchdown to place a car-sized rover, Curiosity, near the foot of a mountain inside Gale Crater on Aug. 6, 2012. During a nearly two-year prime mission after landing, the rover will investigate whether the region has ever offered conditions favorable for microbial life, including the chemical ingredients for life. Liftoff of MSL aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket from pad 41 is planned during a launch window which extends from 10:02 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. EST on Nov. 26. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/msl. Photo credit: NASA/Frankie Martin
2011-11-25
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – An educational news conference to explore "Why Mars Excites and Inspires Us" is under way in NASA Kennedy Space Center's Press Site auditorium in Florida during prelaunch activities for the agency’s Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) launch. Participants are, from left, moderator George Diller, NASA Public Affairs, NASA Kennedy Space Center; Leland Melvin, NASA associate administrator for Education; Clara Ma, student, NASA contest winner for naming Curiosity, Shawnee Mission East High School, Prairie Village, Kansas; Scott Anderson, teacher and science department chairman, Da Vinci School for Science and the Arts, El Paso, Texas; Lauren Lyons, graduate student, Harvard University, FIRST robotics alumna; and Veronica McGregor, manager, Media Relations Office, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory. MSL's car-sized Martian rover, Curiosity, has 10 science instruments designed to search for signs of life, including methane, and help determine if the gas is from a biological or geological source. Ma's entry was selected the winner from 9,000 entries in NASA's nationwide student contest to name the rover. At the time, she was a twelve-year-old sixth-grade student at the Sunflower Elementary school in Lenexa, Kansas. Liftoff of MSL aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket from Space Launch Complex-41 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station is planned during a launch window which extends from 10:02 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. EST on Nov. 26. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/msl. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett
2006-02-18
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In NASA Kennedy Space Center's Orbiter Processing Facility bay 3, United Space Alliance shuttle technicians remove the hard cover from a window on Space Shuttle Discovery to enable STS-121 crew members to inspect the window from the cockpit. Launch of Space Shuttle Discovery on mission STS-121, the second return-to-flight mission, is scheduled no earlier than May.
Ambitious STS-7 mission to feature first landing at Kennedy
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Garrett, D.; Hess, M.; White, T.; Taylor, J.
1982-01-01
The STS-7 press briefing schedule, NASA select television schedule; launch preparations, countdown and liftoff; major countdown milestones; launch window; STS-7 flight sequence of events, landing timeline; STS-7 flight timeline; landing and post landing operations; flight objectives; Telesat's ANIK-C 2; PALAPA-B; STS-7 experiments; and spacecraft tracking and data network are presented.
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Foster, Stephen
2018-05-01
The close link between land use and groundwater has long been recognised, but not widely translated into integrated policy and management practices. Common understanding is needed to facilitate cross-sector dialogue on governance. The process of land-use planning advocated by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (UN-SDG) 15 for 2030, coupled with the launch of an independent global land-use monitoring initiative known as Land Matrix, appear to provide windows of opportunity for hydrogeologists to make specific proposals for the inclusion of groundwater protection needs in national land-use plans and the consideration of groundwater sustainability threats from major land deals and contracts. Ignoring the groundwater dimension in land-use management can result in high long-run costs for drinking-water supply and aquatic ecosystems. Thus, coordinated governance based on a coherent set of land-use sustainability criteria, aimed at enhancing both the food and groundwater harvest, is crucial for the future.
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Foster, Stephen
2018-06-01
The close link between land use and groundwater has long been recognised, but not widely translated into integrated policy and management practices. Common understanding is needed to facilitate cross-sector dialogue on governance. The process of land-use planning advocated by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (UN-SDG) 15 for 2030, coupled with the launch of an independent global land-use monitoring initiative known as Land Matrix, appear to provide windows of opportunity for hydrogeologists to make specific proposals for the inclusion of groundwater protection needs in national land-use plans and the consideration of groundwater sustainability threats from major land deals and contracts. Ignoring the groundwater dimension in land-use management can result in high long-run costs for drinking-water supply and aquatic ecosystems. Thus, coordinated governance based on a coherent set of land-use sustainability criteria, aimed at enhancing both the food and groundwater harvest, is crucial for the future.
Viking Mars launch set for August 11
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Panagakos, N.
1975-01-01
The 1975-1976 Viking Mars Mission is described in detail, from launch phase through landing and communications relay phase. The mission's scientific goals are outlined and the various Martian investigations are discussed. These investigations include: geological photomapping and seismology; high-resolution, stereoscopic horizon scanning; water vapor and thermal mapping; entry science; meteorology; atmospheric composition and atmospheric density; and, search for biological products. The configurations of the Titan 3/Centaur combined launch vehicles, the Viking orbiters, and the Viking landers are described; their subsystems and performance characteristics are discussed. Preflight operations, launch window, mission control, and the deep space tracking network are also presented.
2001-08-08
KODIAK ISLAND, Alaska -- The Sapphire payload is moved into position next to the Starshine 3 payload at Kodiak Island, Alaska, as preparations to launch Kodiak Star proceed. The first orbital launch to take place from Alaska's Kodiak Launch Complex, Kodiak Star is scheduled to lift off on a Lockheed Martin Athena I launch vehicle on Sept. 17 during a two-hour window that extends from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. p.m. ADT. The payloads aboard include the Starshine 3, sponsored by NASA, and the PICOSat, PCSat and Sapphire, sponsored by the Department of Defense (DoD) Space Test Program.
2001-07-19
KODIAK ISLAND, Alaska -- A technician performs final testing on Starshine 3 at the Naval Research Laboratory in Washington, D.C., to prepare for the launch of the Kodiak Star at Kodiak Island, Alaska. The first orbital launch to take place from Alaska's Kodiak Launch Complex, Kodiak Star is scheduled to lift off on a Lockheed Martin Athena I launch vehicle on Sept. 17 during a two-hour window that extends from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. ADT. The payloads aboard include the Starshine 3, sponsored by NASA, and the PICOSat, PCSat and Sapphire, sponsored by the Department of Defense (DoD) Space Test Program.
2001-07-19
KODIAK ISLAND, Alaska -- A technician performs final testing on Starshine 3 at the Naval Research Laboratory in Washington, D.C., to prepare for the launch of the Kodiak Star at Kodiak Island, Alaska. The first orbital launch to take place from Alaska's Kodiak Launch Complex, Kodiak Star is scheduled to lift off on a Lockheed Martin Athena I launch vehicle on Sept. 17 during a two-hour window that extends from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. ADT. The payloads aboard include the Starshine 3, sponsored by NASA, and the PICOSat, PCSat and Sapphire, sponsored by the Department of Defense (DoD) Space Test Program.
1998-04-17
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- STS-90 Payload Specialist James Pawelczyk, Ph.D., is assisted by NASA and United Space Alliance closeout crew members immediately preceding launch for the nearly 17-day Neurolab mission. Investigations during the Neurolab mission will focus on the effects of microgravity on the nervous system. Pawelczyk and six fellow crew members will shortly enter the orbiter at KSC's Launch Pad 39B, where the Space Shuttle Columbia will lift off during a launch window that opens at 2:19 p.m. EDT, April 17
1998-04-17
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- STS-90 Commander Richard Searfoss is assisted by NASA and USA closeout crew members immediately preceding launch for the nearly 17-day Neurolab mission. Investigations during the Neurolab mission will focus on the effects of microgravity on the nervous system. Searfoss and his six fellow crew members will shortly enter the orbiter at KSC's Launch Pad 39B, where the Space Shuttle Columbia will lift off during a launch window that opens at 2:19 p.m. EDT, April 17
1998-04-17
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- STS-90 Mission Specialist Richard Linnehan, D.V.M., is assisted by NASA and United Space Alliance closeout crew members immediately preceding launch for the nearly 17-day Neurolab mission. Investigations during the Neurolab mission will focus on the effects of microgravity on the nervous system. Linnehan and six fellow crew members will shortly enter the orbiter at KSC's Launch Pad 39B, where the Space Shuttle Columbia will lift off during a launch window that opens at 2:19 p.m. EDT, April 17
1998-04-17
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- STS-90 Pilot Scott Altman is assisted by NASA and United Space Alliance closeout crew members immediately preceding launch for the nearly 17-day Neurolab mission. Investigations during the Neurolab mission will focus on the effects of microgravity on the nervous system. Altman and six fellow crew members will shortly enter the orbiter at KSC's Launch Pad 39B, where the Space Shuttle Columbia will lift off during a launch window that opens at 2:19 p.m. EDT, April 17
STS-77 MS Andrew Thomas suits up
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
1996-01-01
STS-77 Mission Specialist Andrew S. W. Thomas finishes donning his launch/entry suit in the Operations and Checkout Building with assistance from a suit technician. A native of South Australia, the rookie astronaut joins a crew of five veterans on the fourth Shuttle flight of 1996. They will depart shortly for Launch Pad 39B, where the Space Shuttle Endeavour is undergoing final preparations for liftoff during a two-and-a-half hour launch window opening at 6:30 a.m. EDT, May 19.
14 CFR 415.41 - Accident investigation plan.
Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR
2010-01-01
... 14 Aeronautics and Space 4 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Accident investigation plan. 415.41 Section... Launch Range § 415.41 Accident investigation plan. An applicant must file an accident investigation plan... reporting and responding to launch accidents, launch incidents, or other mishaps, as defined by § 401.5 of...
14 CFR 415.41 - Accident investigation plan.
Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR
2011-01-01
... 14 Aeronautics and Space 4 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Accident investigation plan. 415.41 Section... Launch Range § 415.41 Accident investigation plan. An applicant must file an accident investigation plan... reporting and responding to launch accidents, launch incidents, or other mishaps, as defined by § 401.5 of...
2003-03-17
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility, workers align the Rover Equipment Deck (RED) on one of the Mars Exploration Rovers (MER) with the Warm Electronics Box (WEB). Processing of the rovers, plus cruise stage, lander and heat shield elements, is ongoing. Set to launch in 2003, the MER Mission will consist of two identical rovers designed to cover roughly 110 yards each Martian day. Each rover will carry five scientific instruments that will allow it to search for evidence of liquid water that may have been present in the planet's past. The rovers will be identical to each other, but will land at different regions of Mars. The first rover has a launch window opening May 30, and the second rover a window opening June 25, 2003.
2001-06-19
KODIAK ISLAND, Alaska -- Orbis 21D Equipment Section Boost Motor, the second stage of the Athena 1 launch vehicle, awaits the installation of the Orbit Adjust Model (OAM), which navigates the payloads into the correct orbit, at the launch pad at Kodiak Island, Alaska, as preparations to launch Kodiak Star proceed. The first orbital launch to take place from Alaska's Kodiak Launch Complex, Kodiak Star is scheduled to lift off on a Lockheed Martin Athena I launch vehicle on Sept. 17 during a two-hour window that extends from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. ADT. The payloads aboard include the Starshine 3, sponsored by NASA, and the PICOSat, PCSat and Sapphire, sponsored by the Department of Defense (DoD) Space Test Program.
1997-04-08
The Lockheed Martin Atlas 1 expendable launch vehicle (AC-79) which will carry the GOES-K advanced weather satellite undergoes a critical prelaunch test with its mobile service tower pulled back. The Wet Dress Rehearsal is a major prelaunch test designed to demonstrate, in part, the launch readiness of the vehicle and launch support equipment. AC-79 will be the final launch of an Atlas 1 rocket, a derivative of the original Atlas Centaur which had its first successful launch for NASA in 1963. Future launches of Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites (GOES) in the current series will be on Atlas II vehicles. The GOES satellites are owned and operated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA); NASA manages the design, development and launch of the spacecraft. The launch of AC-79 with the GOES-K is targeted for April 24 during a launch window which extends from 1:50-3:09 a.m. EDT
1997-04-08
The Lockheed Martin Atlas 1 expendable launch vehicle (AC-79) which will carry the GOES-K advanced weather satellite undergoes a critical prelaunch test with its mobile service tower pulled back. The Wet Dress Rehearsal is a major prelaunch test designed to demonstrate, in part, the launch readiness of the vehicle and launch support equipment. AC-79 will be the final launch of an Atlas 1 rocket, a derivative of the original Atlas Centaur which had its first successful launch for NASA in 1963. Future launches of Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites (GOES) in the current series will be on Atlas II vehicles. The GOES satellites are owned and operated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA); NASA manages the design, development and launch of the spacecraft. The launch of AC-79 with the GOES-K is targeted for April 24 during a launch window which extends from 1:50-3:09 a.m. EDT
1. GENERAL VIEW OF EAST AND NORTH SIDES OF NORTH ...
1. GENERAL VIEW OF EAST AND NORTH SIDES OF NORTH WING; NOTE PLYWOOD COVERED WINDOWS DUE TO EXPLOSION ON LAUNCH PAD A IN MARCH 1997 WITH FIERY RAIN OF SOLID ROCKET FUEL AND PROLONGED CONCUSSION WAVES; VIEW TO SOUTHWEST. - Cape Canaveral Air Station, Launch Complex 17, Facility 36001, East end of Lighthouse Road, Cape Canaveral, Brevard County, FL
2001-05-29
KODIAK ISLAND, Alaska -- The Orbis 21D Equipment Section Boost Motor, the second stage of the Athena 1 launch vehicle, waits for the first stage, Castor 120, to be towed up the steepest part of the road, as preparations to launch Kodiak Star proceed. The first orbital launch to take place from Alaska's Kodiak Launch Complex, Kodiak Star is scheduled to lift off on a Lockheed Martin Athena I launch vehicle on Sept. 17 during a two-hour window that extends from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. ADT. The payloads aboard include the Starshine 3, sponsored by NASA, and the PICOSat, PCSat and Sapphire, sponsored by the Department of Defense (DoD) Space Test Program.
2009-09-23
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – The mobile service tower on Launch Pad 17-B at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station has been rolled back as the countdown proceeds to launch of the United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket with the Space Tracking and Surveillance System - Demonstrator spacecraft aboard. It is being launched by NASA for the Missile Defense System. The hour-long launch window opens at 8 a.m. EDT today. The STSS Demo is a space-based sensor component of a layered Ballistic Missile Defense System designed for the overall mission of detecting, tracking and discriminating ballistic missiles. STSS is capable of tracking objects after boost phase and provides trajectory information to other sensors. Photo credit: NASA/Dimitri Gerondidakis
Study of wavefront error and polarization of a side mounted infrared window
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Liu, Jiaguo; Li, Lin; Hu, Xinqi; Yu, Xin
2008-03-01
The wavefront error and polarization of a side mounted infrared window made of ZnS are studied. The Infrared windows suffer from temperature gradient and stress during their launch process. Generally, the gradient in temperature changes the refractive index of the material whereas stress produces deformation and birefringence. In this paper, a thermal finite element analysis (FEA) of an IR window is presented. For this purpose, we employed an FEA program Ansys to obtain the time-varying temperature field. The deformation and stress of the window are derived from a structural FEA with the aerodynamic force and the temperature field previously obtained as being the loads. The deformation, temperature field, stress field, ray tracing and Jones Calculus are used to calculate the wavefront error and the change of polarization state.
2008-04-15
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In the Astrotech payload processing facility near NASA's Kennedy Space Center, General Dynamics technicians, sitting beneath the Gamma-ray Large Area Space Telescope, or GLAST, position a high-gain antenna under the spacecraft before it is installed. The GLAST is a powerful space observatory that will explore the universe's ultimate frontier, where nature harnesses forces and energies far beyond anything possible on Earth; probe some of science's deepest questions, such as what our universe is made of, and search for new laws of physics; explain how black holes accelerate jets of material to nearly light speed; and help crack the mystery of stupendously powerful explosions known as gamma-ray bursts. Launch is currently planned in a window between 11:45 a.m. and 1:40 p.m. EDT May 16. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett
2008-04-15
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In the Astrotech payload processing facility near NASA's Kennedy Space Center, General Dynamics technicians prepare the Gamma-ray Large Area Space Telescope, or GLAST, for the installation of its high-gain antenna. The GLAST is a powerful space observatory that will explore the universe's ultimate frontier, where nature harnesses forces and energies far beyond anything possible on Earth; probe some of science's deepest questions, such as what our universe is made of, and search for new laws of physics; explain how black holes accelerate jets of material to nearly light speed; and help crack the mystery of stupendously powerful explosions known as gamma-ray bursts. Launch is currently planned in a window between 11:45 a.m. and 1:40 p.m. EDT May 16. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett
2008-04-15
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In the Astrotech payload processing facility near NASA's Kennedy Space Center, General Dynamics technicians put the finishing touches on a high-gain antenna that will be installed on the Gamma-ray Large Area Space Telescope, or GLAST. The GLAST is a powerful space observatory that will explore the universe's ultimate frontier, where nature harnesses forces and energies far beyond anything possible on Earth; probe some of science's deepest questions, such as what our universe is made of, and search for new laws of physics; explain how black holes accelerate jets of material to nearly light speed; and help crack the mystery of stupendously powerful explosions known as gamma-ray bursts. Launch is currently planned in a window between 11:45 a.m. and 1:40 p.m. EDT May 16. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett
2008-04-15
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In the Astrotech payload processing facility near NASA's Kennedy Space Center, General Dynamics technicians prepare a high-gain antenna for installation on the Gamma-ray Large Area Space Telescope, or GLAST. The GLAST is a powerful space observatory that will explore the universe's ultimate frontier, where nature harnesses forces and energies far beyond anything possible on Earth; probe some of science's deepest questions, such as what our universe is made of, and search for new laws of physics; explain how black holes accelerate jets of material to nearly light speed; and help crack the mystery of stupendously powerful explosions known as gamma-ray bursts. Launch is currently planned in a window between 11:45 a.m. and 1:40 p.m. EDT May 16. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Russell, C. T.; Metzger, A.; Pieters, C.; Elphic, R. C.; McCord, T.; Head, J.; Abshire, J.; Philips, R.; Sykes, M.; A'Hearn, M.;
1994-01-01
After many years of development, solar electric propulsion is now a practical low cost alternative for many planetary missions. In response to the recent Discovery AO, we and a number of colleagues have examined the scientific return from a missioon to map the Moon and then rendezvous with a small body. In planning this mission, we found that solar electric propulsion was quite affordable under the Discovery guidelines, that many targets could be reached more rapidly with solar electric propulsion than chemical propulsion, that a large number of planetary bodies were accessible with modest propulsion systems, and that such missions were quite adaptable, with generous launch windows which minimized mission risks. Moreover, solar electric propulsion is ideally suited for large payloads requiring a large amount of power.
1997-02-10
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The White Room is seen at the upper left where the astronauts enter the Space Shuttle for flight. The Rotating Service Structure has been retracted at KSC's Launch Pad 39A. Discovery, the orbiter for the STS-82 mission, is ready for the launch of the second Hubble Space Telescope service mission. The payload consists of the Near Infrared Camera and Multi-Object Spectrometer (NICMOS) that will be installed, Fine Guidance Sensor #1 (FGS-1), and the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (STIS) to be installed. The STS-82 will launch with a crew of seven at 3:54 a.m. EST, Feb. 11, 1997. The launch window is 65 minutes in duration. The Mission Commander for STS-82 is Ken Bowersox. The purpose of the mission is to upgrade the scientific capabilities, service or replace aging components on the Telescope, and provide a reboost to the optimum altitude.
1997-02-07
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - At the KSC Launch Pad 39A, two members of the payload closeout crew check equipment as the doors are just about ready to be closed. The Payload inside the bay of Discovery, the orbiter for the STS-82 mission, is ready for the launch of the second Hubble Space Telescope service mission. The payload consists of the Near Infrared Camera and Multi-Object Spectrometer (NICMOS) that will be installed, Fine Guidance Sensor #1 (FGS-1), and the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (STIS) to be installed. The STS-82 will launch with a crew of seven at 3:54 a.m. EST, Feb. 11, 1997. The launch window is 65 minutes in duration. The Mission Commander for STS-82 is Ken Bowersox. The purpose of the mission is to upgrade the scientific capabilities, service or replace aging components on the Telescope and provide a reboost to the optimum altitude.
1997-02-07
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The Payload is seen inside of the Bay just before the doors are closed for flight at KSC's Launch Pad 39A. Discovery, the orbiter for the STS-82 mission, is ready for the launch of the second Hubble Space Telescope service mission. The payload consists of the Near Infrared Camera and Multi-Object Spectrometer (NICMOS) that will be installed, Fine Guidance Sensor #1 (FGS-1), and the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (STIS) to be installed. The STS-82 will launch with a crew of seven at 3:54 a.m. EST, Feb. 11, 1997. The launch window is 65 minutes in duration. The Mission Commander for STS-82 is Ken Bowersox. The purpose of the mission is to upgrade the scientific capabilities, service or replace aging components on the Telescope, and provide a reboost to the optimum altitude.
Deployable reconnaissance from a VTOL UAS in urban environments
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Barnett, Shane; Bird, John; Culhane, Andrew; Sharkasi, Adam; Reinholtz, Charles
2007-04-01
Reconnaissance collection in unknown or hostile environments can be a dangerous and life threatening task. To reduce this risk, the Unmanned Systems Group at Virginia Tech has produced a fully autonomous reconnaissance system able to provide live video reconnaissance from outside and inside unknown structures. This system consists of an autonomous helicopter which launches a small reconnaissance pod inside a building and an operator control unit (OCU) on a ground station. The helicopter is a modified Bergen Industrial Twin using a Rotomotion flight controller and can fly missions of up to one half hour. The mission planning OCU can control the helicopter remotely through teleoperation or fully autonomously by GPS waypoints. A forward facing camera and template matching aid in navigation by identifying the target building. Once the target structure is identified, vision algorithms will center the UAS adjacent to open windows or doorways. Tunable parameters in the vision algorithm account for varying launch distances and opening sizes. Launch of the reconnaissance pod may be initiated remotely through a human in the loop or autonomously. Compressed air propels the half pound stationary pod or the larger mobile pod into the open portals. Once inside the building, the reconnaissance pod will then transmit live video back to the helicopter. The helicopter acts as a repeater node for increased video range and simplification of communication back to the ground station.
Acoustic window planning for ultrasound acquisition.
Göbl, Rüdiger; Virga, Salvatore; Rackerseder, Julia; Frisch, Benjamin; Navab, Nassir; Hennersperger, Christoph
2017-06-01
Autonomous robotic ultrasound has recently gained considerable interest, especially for collaborative applications. Existing methods for acquisition trajectory planning are solely based on geometrical considerations, such as the pose of the transducer with respect to the patient surface. This work aims at establishing acoustic window planning to enable autonomous ultrasound acquisitions of anatomies with restricted acoustic windows, such as the liver or the heart. We propose a fully automatic approach for the planning of acquisition trajectories, which only requires information about the target region as well as existing tomographic imaging data, such as X-ray computed tomography. The framework integrates both geometrical and physics-based constraints to estimate the best ultrasound acquisition trajectories with respect to the available acoustic windows. We evaluate the developed method using virtual planning scenarios based on real patient data as well as for real robotic ultrasound acquisitions on a tissue-mimicking phantom. The proposed method yields superior image quality in comparison with a naive planning approach, while maintaining the necessary coverage of the target. We demonstrate that by taking image formation properties into account acquisition planning methods can outperform naive plannings. Furthermore, we show the need for such planning techniques, since naive approaches are not sufficient as they do not take the expected image quality into account.
Trajectory options for the DART mission
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Atchison, Justin A.; Ozimek, Martin T.; Kantsiper, Brian L.; Cheng, Andrew F.
2016-06-01
This study presents interplanetary trajectory options for the Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) spacecraft to reach the near Earth object, Didymos binary system, during its 2022 Earth conjunction. DART represents a component of a joint NASA-ESA mission to study near Earth object kinetic impact deflection. The DART trajectory must satisfy mission objectives for arrival timing, geometry, and lighting while minimizing launch vehicle and spacecraft propellant requirements. Chemical propulsion trajectories are feasible from two candidate launch windows in late 2020 and 2021. The 2020 trajectories are highly perturbed by Earth's orbit, requiring post-launch deep space maneuvers to retarget the Didymos system. Within these windows, opportunities exist for flybys of additional near Earth objects: Orpheus in 2021 or 2007 YJ in 2022. A second impact attempt, in the event that the first impact is unsuccessful, can be added at the expense of a shorter launch window and increased (∼3x) spacecraft ΔV . However, the second impact arrival geometry has poor lighting, high Earth ranges, and would require additional degrees of freedom for solar panel and/or antenna gimbals. A low-thrust spacecraft configuration increases the trajectory flexibility. A solar electric propulsion spacecraft could be affordably launched as a secondary spacecraft in an Earth orbit and spiral out to target the requisite interplanetary departure condition. A sample solar electric trajectory was constructed from an Earth geostationary transfer using a representative 1.5 kW thruster. The trajectory requires 9 months to depart Earth's sphere of influence, after which its interplanetary trajectory includes a flyby of Orpheus and a second Didymos impact attempt. The solar electric spacecraft implementation would impose additional bus design constraints, including large solar arrays that could pose challenges for terminal guidance. On the basis of this study, there are many feasible options for DART to meet its mission design objectives and enable this unique kinetic impact experiment.
Ten-year space launch technology plan
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
1992-01-01
This document is the response to the National Space Policy Directive-4 (NSPD-4), signed by the President on 10 Jul. 1991. Directive NSPD-4 calls upon the Department of Defense (DoD), the Department of Energy (DOE), and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to coordinate national space launch technology efforts and to jointly prepare a 10-year space launch technology plan. The nation's future in space rests on the strength of its national launch technology program. This plan documents our current launch technology efforts, plans for future initiatives in this arena, and the overarching philosophy that links these activities into an integrated national technology program.
STS-84 Commander Charles Precourt suits up
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
1997-01-01
STS-84 Commander Charles J. Precourt adjusts the helmet of his launch and entry suit during final prelaunch preparations in the Operations and Checkout Building. This is Precourts third space flight, but his first as commander. Precourt and six other crew members will depart shortly for Launch Pad 39A, where the Space Shuttle Atlantis awaits liftoff during an approximate 7-minute launch window which opens at about 4:08 a.m. This will be the sixth docking of the Space Shuttle with the Russian Space Station Mir. The exact liftoff time will be determined about 90 minutes prior to launch, based on the most current location of Mir.
Launching lunar missions from Space Station Freedom
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Friedlander, Alan; Young, Archie
1990-01-01
The relative orbital motion of Space Station Freedom and the moon places practical constraints on the timing of launch/return transfer trajectories. This paper describes the timing characteristics as well as the Delta-V variations over a representative cycle of launch/return opportunities. On average, the minimum-Delta-V transfer opportunities occur at intervals of 9 days. However, there is a significant nonuniform variation in this timing interval, as well as the minimum stay time at the moon, over the short cycle (51 days) and the long cycle (18.6 years). The advantage of three-impulse transfers for extending the launch window is also described.
1998-04-17
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- STS-90 Mission Specialist Dafydd (Dave) Williams, M.D., with the Canadian Space Agency is assisted by NASA and United Space Alliance closeout crew members immediately preceding launch for the nearly 17-day Neurolab mission. Investigations during the Neurolab mission will focus on the effects of microgravity on the nervous system. Seen behind Williams also in an orange launch and re-entry suit is Mission Specialist Richard Linnehan, D.V.M. Williams and six fellow crew members will shortly enter the orbiter at KSC's Launch Pad 39B, where the Space Shuttle Columbia will lift off during a launch window that opens at 2:19 p.m. EDT, April 17
MARS GLOBAL SURVEYOR LIGHTING TEST
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
1996-01-01
In KSC's Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility (PHSF), Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) workers are conducting a solar illumination test of the solar panels on the Mars Global Surveyor. The Surveyor is outfitted with two solar arrays, each featuring two panels, that provide electrical power for operating the spacecraft's electronic equipment and scientific instruments, as well as charging two nickel hydrogen batteries that provide power when the spacecraft is in the dark. For launch, the solar arrays will be folded against the side of the spacecraft. The Mars Global Surveyor is being prepared for launch aboard a Delta II expendable launch vehicle during a launch window opening Nov. 6.
2006-05-19
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Near Launch Pad 39B, wild pigs (at right) root for food near a stand of trees while Space Shuttle Discovery rolls out to the pad. The 4.2-mile journey from the Vehicle Assembly Building began at 12:45 p.m. EDT. The rollout is an important step before launch of Discovery on mission STS-121 to the International Space Station. Discovery's launch is targeted for July 1 in a launch window that extends to July 19. During the 12-day mission, Discovery's crew will test new hardware and techniques to improve shuttle safety, as well as deliver supplies and make repairs to the station. Photo credit: NASA/Ken Thornsley
2009-09-04
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – This aerial view shows NASA Kennedy Space Center's Launch Control Center with its new hurricane-rated window systems installed in the four Firing Rooms. Photo credit: NASA/Troy Cryder
Booster Test for Space Launch System Rocket
2016-06-26
The test area where the second and final qualification motor (QM-2) test for the Space Launch System’s booster is seen through the window of a camera bunker, Sunday, June 26, 2016, at Orbital ATK Propulsion Systems test facilities in Promontory, Utah. The test is scheduled for Tuesday, June 28 at 10:05 a.m. EDT (8:05 a.m. MDT). Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
STS-75 Mission Commander Andrew M. Allen suits up
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
1996-01-01
STS-75 Mission Commander Andrew M. Allen completes suitup activities in the Operations and Checkout Building. STS-75 will be Allen's third trip into space, his first as commander. Allen and an international crew will depart shortly for Launch Pad 39B, where the Space Shuttle Columbia awaits liftoff during a two-and- a-half-hour launch window opening at 3:18 p.m. EST.
2003-03-17
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. - In the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility, workers check alignment of the Rover Equipment Deck (RED) on one of the Mars Exploration Rovers (MER) with the Warm Electronics Box (WEB). Processing of the rovers, plus cruise stage, lander and heat shield elements, is ongoing. Set to launch in 2003, the MER Mission will consist of two identical rovers designed to cover roughly 110 yards each Martian day. Each rover will carry five scientific instruments that will allow it to search for evidence of liquid water that may have been present in the planet's past. The rovers will be identical to each other, but will land at different regions of Mars. The first rover has a launch window opening May 30, and the second rover a window opening June 25, 2003.
2003-03-17
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. - In the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility, the Rover Equipment Deck (RED) on one of the Mars Exploration Rovers (MER) is integrated to the Warm Electronics Box (WEB) on the WEB cart. Processing of the rovers, plus cruise stage, lander and heat shield elements, is ongoing. Set to launch in 2003, the MER Mission will consist of two identical rovers designed to cover roughly 110 yards each Martian day. Each rover will carry five scientific instruments that will allow it to search for evidence of liquid water that may have been present in the planet's past. The rovers will be identical to each other, but will land at different regions of Mars. The first rover has a launch window opening May 30, and the second rover a window opening June 25, 2003.
2003-03-17
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. - In the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility, the Rover Equipment Deck (RED) on one of the Mars Exploration Rovers (MER) is integrated to the Warm Electronics Box (WEB) on the WEB cart. Processing of the rovers, plus cruise stage, lander and heat shield elements, is ongoing. Set to launch in 2003, the MER Mission will consist of two identical rovers designed to cover roughly 110 yards each Martian day. Each rover will carry five scientific instruments that will allow it to search for evidence of liquid water that may have been present in the planet's past. The rovers will be identical to each other, but will land at different regions of Mars. The first rover has a launch window opening May 30, and the second rover a window opening June 25, 2003.
STS-67 Payload Specialists Durrance and Parise suit up
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
1995-01-01
In the Operations and Checkout Building, STS-67 Payload Specialists Samuel T. Durrance (left) and Ronald A. Parise have finished donning their launch/entry suits and chat with astronaut Joe Tanner while waiting for the rest of the crew. The two payload specialists -- who are both making their second trip into space -- and five fellow crew members will soon depart for Launch Pad 39A, where the Space Shuttle Endeavour is being readied for liftoff during a launch window opening at 1:37 a.m. EST, March 2.
2005-12-05
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The Lockheed Martin Atlas V rocket (center) undergoes a tanking test on Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. The rocket was fully fueled with liquid hydrogen, liquid oxygen and RP 1 kerosene fuel. Seen surrounding the rocket are lightning towers that support the catenary wire that provides lightning protection. The Atlas V is the launch vehicle for NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft, scheduled to launch during a 35-day window that opens Jan. 11, and fly through the Pluto system as early as summer 2015.
2005-12-05
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The Lockheed Martin Atlas V rocket (center) undergoes a tanking test on Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. The rocket was fully fueled with liquid hydrogen, liquid oxygen and RP 1 kerosene fuel. Seen surrounding the rocket are lightning towers that support the catenary wire that provides lightning protection. The Atlas V is the launch vehicle for NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft, scheduled to launch during a 35-day window that opens Jan. 11, and fly through the Pluto system as early as summer 2015.
2011-11-26
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – From left, Lars Perkins, chair of the Education and Public Outreach Committee of the NASA Advisory Council; Will.i.am, entertainer and member of the pop group The Black Eyed Peas; NASA Deputy Administrator Lori Garver; former astronaut Leland Melvin, NASA associate administrator for Education; and television personality Bill Nye the Science Guy share a light moment with the participants of a NASA Tweetup in a tent set up at NASA Kennedy Space Center's Press Site in Florida during prelaunch activities for the agency’s Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) launch. Participants in the Tweetup are given the opportunity to listen to agency briefings, tour locations on the center normally off limits to visitors, and get a close-up view of Space Launch Complex-41 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. The tweeters will share their experiences with followers through the social networking site Twitter. The MSL mission will pioneer precision landing technology and a sky-crane touchdown to place a car-sized rover, Curiosity, near the foot of a mountain inside Gale Crater on Aug. 6, 2012. During a nearly two-year prime mission after landing, the rover will investigate whether the region has ever offered conditions favorable for microbial life, including the chemical ingredients for life. Liftoff of MSL aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket from pad 41 is planned during a launch window which extends from 10:02 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. EST on Nov. 26. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/msl. Photo credit: NASA/Frankie Martin
Technicians prepare to erect the first stage of the Atlas II which will be used to launch GOES-L at
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
1999-01-01
At Launch Pad 36A on the Cape Canaveral Air Station, technicians prepare to erect the first stage of a Lockheed Martin Atlas II rocket which will be used to launch the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite-L (GOES-L). GOES-L is the latest in the current series of advanced geostationary weather satellites in service. Once in orbit, it will become GOES-11 and function as an on-orbit spare to be activated when one of the operational satellites needs to be replaced. Launch is scheduled for Saturday, May 15 at the opening of a launch window which extends from 2:23 to 4:41 a.m. EDT.
Launch pad lightning protection effectiveness
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Stahmann, James R.
1991-01-01
Using the striking distance theory that lightning leaders will strike the nearest grounded point on their last jump to earth corresponding to the striking distance, the probability of striking a point on a structure in the presence of other points can be estimated. The lightning strokes are divided into deciles having an average peak current and striking distance. The striking distances are used as radii from the points to generate windows of approach through which the leader must pass to reach a designated point. The projections of the windows on a horizontal plane as they are rotated through all possible angles of approach define an area that can be multiplied by the decile stroke density to arrive at the probability of strokes with the window average striking distance. The sum of all decile probabilities gives the cumulative probability for all strokes. The techniques can be applied to NASA-Kennedy launch pad structures to estimate the lightning protection effectiveness for the crane, gaseous oxygen vent arm, and other points. Streamers from sharp points on the structure provide protection for surfaces having large radii of curvature. The effects of nearby structures can also be estimated.
2018-04-09
Inside a laboratory in the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, Mark Nurge, Ph.D., at left, a physicist in the Applied Physics Lab with the center's Exploration Research and Technology Programs, and Bence Bartha, Ph.D., a specialist in non-destructive testing with URS Federal Services, are performing the first optical quality testing on a full window stack that is ready for installation in the docking hatch of NASA's Orion spacecraft. The data from the tests will help improve the requirements for manufacturing tolerances on Orion's windows and verify how the window should perform in space. Orion is being prepared for its first integrated uncrewed flight atop NASA's Space Launch System rocket on Exploration Mission-1.
Design and implementation of the flight dynamics system for COMS satellite mission operations
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Lee, Byoung-Sun; Hwang, Yoola; Kim, Hae-Yeon; Kim, Jaehoon
2011-04-01
The first Korean multi-mission geostationary Earth orbit satellite, Communications, Ocean, and Meteorological Satellite (COMS) was launched by an Ariane 5 launch vehicle in June 26, 2010. The COMS satellite has three payloads including Ka-band communications, Geostationary Ocean Color Imager, and Meteorological Imager. Although the COMS spacecraft bus is based on the Astrium Eurostar 3000 series, it has only one solar array to the south panel because all of the imaging sensors are located on the north panel. In order to maintain the spacecraft attitude with 5 wheels and 7 thrusters, COMS should perform twice a day wheel off-loading thruster firing operations, which affect on the satellite orbit. COMS flight dynamics system provides the general on-station functions such as orbit determination, orbit prediction, event prediction, station-keeping maneuver planning, station-relocation maneuver planning, and fuel accounting. All orbit related functions in flight dynamics system consider the orbital perturbations due to wheel off-loading operations. There are some specific flight dynamics functions to operate the spacecraft bus such as wheel off-loading management, oscillator updating management, and on-station attitude reacquisition management. In this paper, the design and implementation of the COMS flight dynamics system is presented. An object oriented analysis and design methodology is applied to the flight dynamics system design. Programming language C# within Microsoft .NET framework is used for the implementation of COMS flight dynamics system on Windows based personal computer.
1. GENERAL VIEW OF OBSERVATION BUNKERS TO THE EAST OF ...
1. GENERAL VIEW OF OBSERVATION BUNKERS TO THE EAST OF TEST STAND 1-A: IN FOREGROUND, BUILDING 8769, A TWO WINDOW DESIGN (NOT ON SITE PLAN); IN THE MIDDLE DISTANCE, BUILDING 8768, A ONE WINDOW DESIGN "OBSERVATION AND CAMERA BUILDING NO. 2" ON SITE PLAN; IN THE DISTANCE, AT FAR LEFT, BUILDING 8767, A FOUR WINDOW DESIGN "MASTER OBSERVATION AND CAMERA BUILDING NO. 1" ON SITE PLAN. - Edwards Air Force Base, Air Force Rocket Propulsion Laboratory, Observation Bunkers for Test Stand 1-A, Test Area 1-120, north end of Jupiter Boulevard, Boron, Kern County, CA
1969-07-16
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Members of the Kennedy Space Center government-industry team rise from their consoles within the Launch Control Center to watch the Apollo 11 liftoff through a window. Photo credit: NASA
1997-07-01
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. -- The Space Shuttle Columbia soars from Launch Pad 39A at 2:02 p.m. EDT July 1 to begin the 16-day STS-94 Microgravity Science Laboratory-1 (MSL-1) mission. The launch window was opened 47 minutes earlier than the originally scheduled time of 2:37 p.m. to improve the opportunity to lift off before Florida summer rain showers reached the space center. The crew members are Mission Commander James D. Halsell Jr.; Pilot Susan L. Still; Payload Commander Janice Voss; Mission Specialists Michael L.Gernhardt and Donald A. Thomas; and Payload Specialists Roger K. Crouch and Gregory T. Linteris. During the space flight, the MSL-1 will be used to test some of the hardware, facilities and procedures that are planned for use on the International Space Station while the flight crew conducts combustion, protein crystal growth and materials processing experiments. Also onboard is the Hitchhiker Cryogenic Flexible Diode (CRYOFD) experiment payload, which is attached to the right side of Columbia’s payload bay. These payloads had previously flown on the STS-83 mission in April, which was cut short after nearly four days because of indications of a faulty fuel cell. STS-94 is a reflight of that mission
1997-07-01
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. -- The Space Shuttle Columbia soars from Launch Pad 39A at 2:02 p.m. EDT July 1 to begin the 16-day STS-94 Microgravity Science Laboratory-1 (MSL-1) mission. The launch window was opened 47 minutes earlier than the originally scheduled time of 2:37 p.m. to improve the opportunity to lift off before Florida summer rain showers reached the space center. The crew members are Mission Commander James D. Halsell Jr.; Pilot Susan L. Still; Payload Commander Janice Voss; Mission Specialists Michael L.Gernhardt and Donald A. Thomas; and Payload Specialists Roger K. Crouch and Gregory T. Linteris. During the space flight, the MSL-1 will be used to test some of the hardware, facilities and procedures that are planned for use on the International Space Station while the flight crew conducts combustion, protein crystal growth and materials processing experiments. Also onboard is the Hitchhiker Cryogenic Flexible Diode (CRYOFD) experiment payload, which is attached to the right side of Columbia’s payload bay. These payloads had previously flown on the STS-83 mission in April, which was cut short after nearly four days because of indications of a faulty fuel cell. STS-94 is a reflight of that mission
1997-07-01
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. -- The Space Shuttle Columbia soars from Launch Pad 39A at 2:02 p.m. EDT July 1 to begin the 16-day STS-94 Microgravity Science Laboratory-1 (MSL-1) mission. The launch window was opened 47 minutes earlier than the originally scheduled time of 2:37 p.m. to improve the opportunity to lift off before Florida summer rain showers reached the space center. The crew members are Mission Commander James D. Halsell Jr.; Pilot Susan L. Still; Payload Commander Janice Voss; Mission Specialists Michael L.Gernhardt and Donald A. Thomas; and Payload Specialists Roger K. Crouch and Gregory T. Linteris. During the space flight, the MSL-1 will be used to test some of the hardware, facilities and procedures that are planned for use on the International Space Station while the flight crew conducts combustion, protein crystal growth and materials processing experiments. Also onboard is the Hitchhiker Cryogenic Flexible Diode (CRYOFD) experiment payload, which is attached to the right side of Columbia’s payload bay. These payloads had previously flown on the STS-83 mission in April, which was cut short after nearly four days because of indications of a faulty fuel cell. STS-94 is a reflight of that mission
1997-07-01
The Space Shuttle Columbia soars from Launch Pad 39A at 2:02 p.m. EDT July 1 to begin the 16-day STS-94 Microgravity Science Laboratory-1 (MSL-1) mission. The launch window was opened 47 minutes earlier than the originally scheduled time of 2:37 p.m. to improve the opportunity to lift off before Florida summer rain showers reached the space center. The crew members are Mission Commander James D. Halsell Jr.; Pilot Susan L. Still; Payload Commander Janice Voss; Mission Specialists Michael L.Gernhardt and Donald A. Thomas; and Payload Specialists Roger K. Crouch and Gregory T. Linteris. During the space flight, the MSL-1 will be used to test some of the hardware, facilities and procedures that are planned for use on the International Space Station while the flight crew conducts combustion, protein crystal growth and materials processing experiments. Also onboard is the Hitchhiker Cryogenic Flexible Diode (CRYOFD) experiment payload, which is attached to the right side of Columbia’s payload bay. These payloads had previously flown on the STS-83 mission in April, which was cut short after nearly four days because of indications of a faulty fuel cell. STS-94 is a reflight of that mission
1997-07-01
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. -- The Space Shuttle Columbia soars from Launch Pad 39A at 2:02 p.m. EDT July 1 to begin the 16-day STS-94 Microgravity Science Laboratory-1 (MSL-1) mission. The launch window was opened 47 minutes earlier than the originally scheduled time of 2:37 p.m. to improve the opportunity to lift off before Florida summer rain showers reached the space center. The crew members are Mission Commander James D. Halsell Jr.; Pilot Susan L. Still; Payload Commander Janice Voss; Mission Specialists Michael L.Gernhardt and Donald A. Thomas; and Payload Specialists Roger K. Crouch and Gregory T. Linteris. During the space flight, the MSL-1 will be used to test some of the hardware, facilities and procedures that are planned for use on the International Space Station while the flight crew conducts combustion, protein crystal growth and materials processing experiments. Also onboard is the Hitchhiker Cryogenic Flexible Diode (CRYOFD) experiment payload, which is attached to the right side of Columbia’s payload bay. These payloads had previously flown on the STS-83 mission in April, which was cut short after nearly four days because of indications of a faulty fuel cell. STS-94 is a reflight of that mission
1997-07-01
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. -- The Space Shuttle Columbia soars from Launch Pad 39A at 2:02 p.m. EDT July 1 to begin the 16-day STS-94 Microgravity Science Laboratory-1 (MSL-1) mission. The launch window was opened 47 minutes earlier than the originally scheduled time of 2:37 p.m. to improve the opportunity to lift off before Florida summer rain showers reached the space center. The crew members are Mission Commander James D. Halsell Jr.; Pilot Susan L. Still; Payload Commander Janice Voss; Mission Specialists Michael L.Gernhardt and Donald A. Thomas; and Payload Specialists Roger K. Crouch and Gregory T. Linteris. During the space flight, the MSL-1 will be used to test some of the hardware, facilities and procedures that are planned for use on the International Space Station while the flight crew conducts combustion, protein crystal growth and materials processing experiments. Also onboard is the Hitchhiker Cryogenic Flexible Diode (CRYOFD) experiment payload, which is attached to the right side of Columbia’s payload bay. These payloads had previously flown on the STS-83 mission in April, which was cut short after nearly four days because of indications of a faulty fuel cell. STS-94 is a reflight of that mission
1997-07-01
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. -- The Space Shuttle Columbia soars from Launch Pad 39A at 2:02 p.m. EDT July 1 to begin the 16-day STS-94 Microgravity Science Laboratory-1 (MSL-1) mission. The launch window was opened 47 minutes earlier than the originally scheduled time of 2:37 p.m. to improve the opportunity to lift off before Florida summer rain showers reached the space center. The crew members are Mission Commander James D. Halsell Jr.; Pilot Susan L. Still; Payload Commander Janice Voss; Mission Specialists Michael L.Gernhardt and Donald A. Thomas; and Payload Specialists Roger K. Crouch and Gregory T. Linteris. During the space flight, the MSL-1 will be used to test some of the hardware, facilities and procedures that are planned for use on the International Space Station while the flight crew conducts combustion, protein crystal growth and materials processing experiments. Also onboard is the Hitchhiker Cryogenic Flexible Diode (CRYOFD) experiment payload, which is attached to the right side of Columbia’s payload bay. These payloads had previously flown on the STS-83 mission in April, which was cut short after nearly four days because of indications of a faulty fuel cell. STS-94 is a reflight of that mission
1997-07-01
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. -- The Space Shuttle Columbia soars from Launch Pad 39A at 2:02 p.m. EDT July 1 to begin the 16-day STS-94 Microgravity Science Laboratory-1 (MSL-1) mission. The launch window was opened 47 minutes earlier than the originally scheduled time of 2:37 p.m. to improve the opportunity to lift off before Florida summer rain showers reached the space center. The crew members are Mission Commander James D. Halsell Jr.; Pilot Susan L. Still; Payload Commander Janice Voss; Mission Specialists Michael L.Gernhardt and Donald A. Thomas; and Payload Specialists Roger K. Crouch and Gregory T. Linteris. During the space flight, the MSL-1 will be used to test some of the hardware, facilities and procedures that are planned for use on the International Space Station while the flight crew conducts combustion, protein crystal growth and materials processing experiments. Also onboard is the Hitchhiker Cryogenic Flexible Diode (CRYOFD) experiment payload, which is attached to the right side of Columbia’s payload bay. These payloads had previously flown on the STS-83 mission in April, which was cut short after nearly four days because of indications of a faulty fuel cell. STS-94 is a reflight of that mission
1997-07-01
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. -- The Space Shuttle Columbia soars from Launch Pad 39A at 2:02 p.m. EDT July 1 to begin the 16-day STS-94 Microgravity Science Laboratory-1 (MSL-1) mission. The launch window was opened 47 minutes earlier than the originally scheduled time of 2:37 p.m. to improve the opportunity to lift off before Florida summer rain showers reached the space center. The crew members are Mission Commander James D. Halsell Jr.; Pilot Susan L. Still; Payload Commander Janice Voss; Mission Specialists Michael L.Gernhardt and Donald A. Thomas; and Payload Specialists Roger K. Crouch and Gregory T. Linteris. During the space flight, the MSL-1 will be used to test some of the hardware, facilities and procedures that are planned for use on the International Space Station while the flight crew conducts combustion, protein crystal growth and materials processing experiments. Also onboard is the Hitchhiker Cryogenic Flexible Diode (CRYOFD) experiment payload, which is attached to the right side of Columbia’s payload bay. These payloads had previously flown on the STS-83 mission in April, which was cut short after nearly four days because of indications of a faulty fuel cell. STS-94 is a reflight of that mission
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Foster, Cyrus; Jaroux, Belgacem A.
2012-01-01
The Trajectory Browser is a web-based tool developed at the NASA Ames Research Center to be used for the preliminary assessment of trajectories to small-bodies and planets and for providing relevant launch date, time-of-flight and V requirements. The site hosts a database of transfer trajectories from Earth to asteroids and planets for various types of missions such as rendezvous, sample return or flybys. A search engine allows the user to find trajectories meeting desired constraints on the launch window, mission duration and delta V capability, while a trajectory viewer tool allows the visualization of the heliocentric trajectory and the detailed mission itinerary. The anticipated user base of this tool consists primarily of scientists and engineers designing interplanetary missions in the context of pre-phase A studies, particularly for performing accessibility surveys to large populations of small-bodies. The educational potential of the website is also recognized for academia and the public with regards to trajectory design, a field that has generally been poorly understood by the public. The website is currently hosted on NASA-internal URL http://trajbrowser.arc.nasa.gov/ with plans for a public release as soon as development is complete.
2009-01-23
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In Orbiter Processing Facility bay 2 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, a worker inside space shuttle Endeavour checks the area where the new window will be installed. Endeavour is the designated launch vehicle for the STS-127 mission. The Japanese Experiment Module's Experiment Logistics Module-Exposed Section, or ELM-ES, is part of the payload on the mission, targeted for launch on May 15. Photo credit: NASA/Tim Jacobs
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
2005-01-01
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. In the transfer aisle of the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA Kennedy Space Center, In the transfer aisle of the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA Kennedy Space Center, orbiter technicians are hooking a restraining cable around the orbiter lifting slings aft drop leg adjustment hand wheel. This is performed prior to disconnecting the aft spreader beam from the sling (the portion suspended by the 175 ton crane on the left side of the photo), and also prior to taking the final hang angle measurement of the orbiter prior to lifting it over the transom into the high bay. It will be mated with the Solid Rocket Boosters and External Tank already stacked there on the Mobile Launcher Platform. Atlantis is the designated orbiter for Return to Flight mission STS-121. The lighted planning window for launch extends from Sept. 9 to Sept. 25.
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
2005-01-01
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. In the transfer aisle of the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA Kennedy Space Center, In the transfer aisle of the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA Kennedy Space Center, orbiter technicians are hooking a restraining cable around the orbiter lifting slings aft drop leg adjustment hand wheel. This is performed prior to disconnecting the aft spreader beam from the sling (the portion suspended by the 175 ton crane on the left side of the photo), and also prior to taking the final hang angle measurement of the orbiter prior to lifting it over the transom into the high bay. It will be mated with the Solid Rocket Boosters and External Tank already stacked there on the Mobile Launcher Platform. Atlantis is the designated orbiter for Return to Flight mission STS-121. The lighted planning window for launch extends from Sept. 9 to Sept. 25.
2008-04-15
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In the Astrotech payload processing facility near NASA's Kennedy Space Center, General Dynamics technicians, sitting beneath the Gamma-ray Large Area Space Telescope, or GLAST, carefully position a high-gain antenna under the spacecraft as they prepare to install it on the spacecraft. The GLAST is a powerful space observatory that will explore the universe's ultimate frontier, where nature harnesses forces and energies far beyond anything possible on Earth; probe some of science's deepest questions, such as what our universe is made of, and search for new laws of physics; explain how black holes accelerate jets of material to nearly light speed; and help crack the mystery of stupendously powerful explosions known as gamma-ray bursts. Launch is currently planned in a window between 11:45 a.m. and 1:40 p.m. EDT May 16. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett
2006-05-17
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The payload canister passes NASA's Vehicle Assembly Building and Launch Control Center on its way to Launch Pad 39B. Inside are the payloads for mission STS-121: the multi-purpose logistics module Leonardo, with supplies and equipment for the International Space Station; the lightweight multi-purpose experiment support structure carrier; and the integrated cargo carrier, with the mobile transporter reel assembly and a spare pump module. The payload will be transferred from the canister to Space Shuttle Discovery's payload bay at the pad. Discovery is scheduled to launch on mission STS-121 from Launch Pad 39B in a window that opens July 1 and extends to July 19. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett
2006-05-17
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The payload canister passes NASA's Vehicle Assembly Building and Launch Control Center on its way to Launch Pad 39B. Inside are the payloads for mission STS-121: the multi-purpose logistics module Leonardo, with supplies and equipment for the International Space Station; the lightweight multi-purpose experiment support structure carrier; and the integrated cargo carrier, with the mobile transporter reel assembly and a spare pump module. The payload will be transferred from the canister to Space Shuttle Discovery's payload bay at the pad. Discovery is scheduled to launch on mission STS-121 from Launch Pad 39B in a window that opens July 1 and extends to July 19. Photo credit: NASA/Troy Cryder
2006-05-17
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The payload canister passes NASA's Vehicle Assembly Building and Launch Control Center on its way to Launch Pad 39B. Inside are the payloads for mission STS-121: the multi-purpose logistics module Leonardo, with supplies and equipment for the International Space Station; the lightweight multi-purpose experiment support structure carrier; and the integrated cargo carrier, with the mobile transporter reel assembly and a spare pump module. The payload will be transferred from the canister to Space Shuttle Discovery's payload bay at the pad. Discovery is scheduled to launch on mission STS-121 from Launch Pad 39B in a window that opens July 1 and extends to July 19. Photo credit: NASA/George Shelton
2006-05-12
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The orbiter Discovery, on top of an orbiter transporter, heads toward NASA's Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) after leaving the Orbiter Processing Facility. The rollover to the VAB marks the start of the journey to the launch pad and, ultimately, launch. Once inside the VAB, Discovery will be raised to vertical and lifted up and over into high bay 3 for stacking with its redesigned external tank and twin solid rocket boosters. The rollout of Space Shuttle Discovery to Launch Pad 39B is expected in approximately a week. Launch of Discovery on mission STS-121 is scheduled to take place in a window extending July 1 to July 19. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann
2006-05-12
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The orbiter Discovery, on top of an orbiter transporter, rolls into NASA's Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) after leaving the Orbiter Processing Facility. The rollover to the VAB marks the start of the journey to the launch pad and, ultimately, launch. Once inside the VAB, Discovery will be raised to vertical and lifted up and over into high bay 3 for stacking with its redesigned external tank and twin solid rocket boosters. The rollout of Space Shuttle Discovery to Launch Pad 39B is expected in approximately a week. Launch of Discovery on mission STS-121 is scheduled to take place in a window extending July 1 to July 19. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann
1997-10-12
At Launch Complex 40 on Cape Canaveral Air Station, the Mobile Service Tower has been retracted away from the Titan IVB/Centaur carrying the Cassini spacecraft, marking a major milestone in the launch countdown sequence. Retraction of the structure began about an hour later than scheduled due to minor problems with ground support equipment. The launch vehicle, Cassini spacecraft and attached Centaur stage encased in a payload fairing, altogether stand about 183 feet tall; mounted at the base of the launch vehicle are two upgraded solid rocket motors. Liftoff of Cassini on the journey to Saturn and its moon Titan is slated to occur during a window opening at 4:55 a.m. EDT, Oct. 13, and extending through 7:15 a.m
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
2005-01-01
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. Workers in the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility maneuver the second half of the fairing toward the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (right) for installation. The fairing protects the spacecraft during launch and flight through the atmosphere. Once in space, it is jettisoned. Launch of the MRO aboard an Atlas V rocket will be from Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. The MRO is the next major step in Mars exploration and scheduled for launch from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in a window opening Aug. 10. The MRO is an important next step in fulfilling NASAs vision of space exploration and ultimately sending human explorers to Mars and beyond.
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
2005-01-01
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. Workers in the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility stand by as the first half of the fairing (left) is moved closer to the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (right) for installation. The fairing protects the spacecraft during launch and flight through the atmosphere. Once in space, it is jettisoned. Launch of the MRO aboard an Atlas V rocket will be from Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. The MRO is the next major step in Mars exploration and scheduled for launch from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in a window opening Aug. 10. The MRO is an important next step in fulfilling NASAs vision of space exploration and ultimately sending human explorers to Mars and beyond.
NASA Launches Rocket Into Active Auroras
2017-12-08
A test rocket is launched the night of Feb. 17 from the Poker Flat Research Range in Alaska. Test rockets are launched as part of the countdown to test out the radar tracking systems. NASA is launching five sounding rockets from the Poker Range into active auroras to explore the Earth's magnetic environment and its impact on Earth’s upper atmosphere and ionosphere. The launch window for the four remaining rockets runs through March 3. Credit: NASA/Terry Zaperach NASA image use policy. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission. Follow us on Twitter Like us on Facebook Find us on Instagram
The Aquarius Simulator and Cold-Sky Calibration
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Le Vine, David M.; Dinnat, Emmanuel P.; Abraham, Saji; deMatthaeis, Paolo; Wentz, Frank J.
2011-01-01
A numerical simulator has been developed to study remote sensing from space in the spectral window at 1.413 GHz (L-band), and it has been used to optimize the cold-sky calibration (CSC) for the Aquarius radiometers. The celestial sky is a common cold reference in microwave radiometry. It is currently being used by the Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity satellite, and it is planned that, after launch, the Aquarius/SAC-D observatory will periodically rotate to view "cold sky" as part of the calibration plan. Although radiation from the celestial sky is stable and relatively well known, it varies with location. In addition, radiation from the Earth below contributes to the measured signal through the antenna back lobes and also varies along the orbit. Both effects must be taken into account for a careful calibration. The numerical simulator has been used with the Aquarius configuration (antennas and orbit) to investigate these issues and determine optimum conditions for performing a CSC. This paper provides an overview of the simulator and the analysis leading to the selection of the optimum locations for a CSC.
Model Analyst’s Toolkit User Guide, Version 7.1.0
2015-08-01
Help > About) Environment details ( operating system ) metronome.log file, located in your MAT 7.1.0 installation folder Any log file that...requirements to run the Model Analyst’s Toolkit: Windows XP operating system (or higher) with Service Pack 2 and all critical Windows updates installed...application icon on your desktop Create a Quick Launch icon – Creates a MAT application icon on the taskbar for operating systems released
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
2005-01-01
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. At a radar site on North Merritt Island, Fla., north of the Haulover Canal, workers are assembling the dish for the 50-foot NASA C-band radar. The radar will be used for long-term Shuttle missions to track the launches and observe possible debris coming from the Shuttle. In the background is an existing 30-foot C-band Pathfinder radar whose use was demonstrated on the Delta Messenger launch. It will be used on the upcoming two Return to Flight missions. The launch window for the first Return to Flight mission, STS-114, is July 13 to July 31..
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
2005-01-01
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. Equipment is delivered for installation of another NASA C-band radar at a radar site on North Merritt Island, Fla. The 50-foot C-band radar will be used for long-term Shuttle missions to track the launches and observe possible debris coming from the Shuttle. In the background is an existing 30-foot C-band Pathfinder radar whose use was demonstrated on the Delta Messenger launch. It will be used on the upcoming two Return to Flight missions. The launch window for the first Return to Flight mission, STS-114, is July 13 to July 31.
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
2005-01-01
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. Preparing for Return to Flight, workers at KSC walk the grounds around Launch Pad 39B looking for Foreign Object Debris, or FOD. The pad was recently refurbished and any possible debris left behind must be removed from the area prior to launch. Foreign objects that are alien to flight systems may cause material damage or may make the system or equipment inoperable, unsafe or less efficient. The Return to Flight mission STS-114 aboard Space Shuttle Discovery will carry supplies and equipment to the International Space Station. Discovery is scheduled for launch in a window from May 15 to June 3.
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
2005-01-01
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. Preparing for Return to Flight, workers at KSC walk the grounds around Launch Pad 39B looking for Foreign Object Debris, or FOD. The pad was recently refurbished and any possible debris left behind must be removed from the area prior to launch. Foreign objects that are alien to flight systems may cause material damage or may make the system or equipment inoperable, unsafe or less efficient. The Return to Flight mission STS-114 aboard Space Shuttle Discovery will carry supplies and equipment to the International Space Station. Discovery is scheduled for launch in a window from May 15 to June 3.
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
2005-01-01
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. Preparing for Return to Flight, workers at KSC walk the grounds around Launch Pad 39B looking for Foreign Object Debris, or FOD. The pad was recently refurbished and any possible debris left behind must be removed from the area prior to launch. Foreign objects that are alien to flight systems may cause material damage or may make the system or equipment inoperable, unsafe or less efficient. The Return to Flight mission STS-114 aboard Space Shuttle Discovery will carry supplies and equipment to the International Space Station. Discovery is scheduled for launch in a window from May 15 to June 3.
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
2005-01-01
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. Equipment is delivered for installation of another NASA C-band radar at a radar site on North Merritt Island, Fla. The 50-foot C-band radar will be used for long-term Shuttle missions to track the launches and observe possible debris coming from the Shuttle. In the background is an existing 30-foot C-band Pathfinder radar whose use was demonstrated on the Delta Messenger launch. It will be used on the upcoming two Return to Flight missions. The launch window for the first Return to Flight mission, STS-114, is July 13 to July 31.
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
2005-01-01
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. At a radar site on North Merritt Island, Fla., north of the Haulover Canal, a 50-foot dish for NASAs C-band radar is being assembled. The radar will be used for long-term Shuttle missions to track the launches and observe possible debris coming from the Shuttle. At left is an existing 30-foot C-band Pathfinder radar whose use was demonstrated on the Delta Messenger launch. It will be used on the upcoming two Return to Flight missions. The launch window for the first Return to Flight mission, STS-114, is July 13 to July 31.
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
2005-01-01
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. Resting on an orbiter transporter in the transfer aisle of the Vehicle Assembly Building, the orbiter Discovery is being prepped for a lift to vertical and remate to a new External Tank, ET-121. The new tank and Solid Rocket Boosters are waiting in high bay 3. Discovery is expected roll back to the launch pad June 13 for Return to Flight mission STS-114. The launch window extends from July 13 to July 31.
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Haines, R. F.
1985-01-01
The question of the merits of placing windows on proposed future space stations is addressed. The use of windows for human visual capabilities is compared to using closed circuit television. Placement and field of view, as well as the number of windows is discussed.
1997-02-07
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The Payload is seen inside of the Bay just before the doors are closed for flight at Pad 39A, Kennedy Space Center, Fla. Discovery, the orbiter for STS-82 mission, is ready for the launch of the second Hubble Space Telescope service mission. The payload consists of the Near Infrared Camera and Multi-Object Spectrometer (NICMOS) that will be installed, Fine Guidance Sensor #1 (FGS-1), and the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (STIS) to be installed. The STS-82 will launch with a crew of seven at 3:54 a.m. EST, Feb. 11, 1997. The launch window is 65 minutes in duration. The Mission Commander for STS-82 is Ken Bowersox. The purpose of the mission is to upgrade the scientific capabilities, service or replace aging components on the Telescope, and provide a reboost to the optimum altitude.
ECRH launching scenario in FFHR-d1
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Yanagihara, Kota; Kubo, Shin; Shimozuma, Takashi; Yoshimura, Yasuo; Igami, Hiroe; Takahashi, Hiromi; Tsujimura, Tohru; Makino, Ryohhei
2016-10-01
ECRH is promising as a principal heating system in a prototype helical reactor FFHR-d1 where the heating power of 80 MW is required to bring the plasma parameter to break even condition. To generate the plasma and bring it to ignition condition in FFHR-d1, it is effective to heat the under/over-dense plasma with normal ECRH or Electron Bernstein Wave (EBW). Normal ECRH is well established but heating via EBW need sophisticated injection control. EBW can be excited via the O(ordinary)-X(extraordinary)-B(EBW) mode conversion process by launching the ordinary wave from the low field side to plasma cut-off layer with optimum injection angle, and the range of injection angle to get high OXB mode conversion rate is called OXB mode conversion window. Since the window position can change as the plasma parameter, it is necessary to optimize the injection angle so as to aim the window in response to the plasma parameters. Candidates of antenna positions are determined by optimum injection points on the plasma facing wall calculated by the injection angle. Given such picked up area, detailed analysis using ray-tracing calculations and engineering antenna design will be performed.
Demand-type gas supply system for rocket borne thin-window proportional counters
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Acton, L. W.; Caravalho, R.; Catura, R. C.; Joki, E. G.
1977-01-01
A simple closed loop control system has been developed to maintain the gas pressure in thin-window proportional counters during rocket flights. This system permits convenient external control of detector pressure and system flushing rate. The control system is activated at launch with the sealing of a reference volume at the existing system pressure. Inflight control to plus or minus 2 torr at a working pressure of 760 torr has been achieved on six rocket flights.
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
2005-01-01
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. During Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test (TCDT) activities at NASAs Kennedy Space Center, STS-114 Mission Specialist Andrew Thomas is ready to practice driving an M-113, an armored personnel carrier that is used for speedy departure from the launch pad in an emergency. The TCDT is held at KSC prior to each Space Shuttle flight. It provides the crew of each mission an opportunity to participate in simulated countdown activities. The test ends with a mock launch countdown culminating in a simulated main engine cutoff. The crew also spends time undergoing emergency egress training exercises at the launch pad. STS-114 is the first Return to Flight mission to the International Space Station. The launch window extends July 13 through July 31.
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
2005-01-01
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. During Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test (TCDT) activities at NASAs Kennedy Space Center, STS-114 Pilot James Kelly is ready to practice driving an M-113, an armored personnel carrier that is used for speedy departure from the launch pad in an emergency. The TCDT is held at KSC prior to each Space Shuttle flight. It provides the crew of each mission an opportunity to participate in simulated countdown activities. The test ends with a mock launch countdown culminating in a simulated main engine cutoff. The crew also spends time undergoing emergency egress training exercises at the launch pad. STS-114 is the first Return to Flight mission to the International Space Station. The launch window extends July 13 through July 31.
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
2005-01-01
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. During Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test (TCDT) activities at NASAs Kennedy Space Center, the STS-114 Mission Specialist Wendy Lawrence is getting ready to practice driving an M-113, an armored personnel carrier that is used for speedy departure from the launch pad in an emergency. The TCDT is held at KSC prior to each Space Shuttle flight. It provides the crew of each mission an opportunity to participate in simulated countdown activities. The test ends with a mock launch countdown culminating in a simulated main engine cutoff. The crew also spends time undergoing emergency egress training exercises at the launch pad. STS-114 is the first Return to Flight mission to the International Space Station. The launch window extends July 13 through July 31.
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
2005-01-01
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. During Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test (TCDT) activities at NASAs Kennedy Space Center, STS-114 Mission Specialist Stephen Robinson is getting ready to practice driving an M-113, an armored personnel carrier that is used for speedy departure from the launch pad in an emergency. The TCDT is held at KSC prior to each Space Shuttle flight. It provides the crew of each mission an opportunity to participate in simulated countdown activities. The test ends with a mock launch countdown culminating in a simulated main engine cutoff. The crew also spends time undergoing emergency egress training exercises at the launch pad. STS-114 is the first Return to Flight mission to the International Space Station. The launch window extends July 13 through July 31.
San Marco C-2 (San Marco-4) Post Launch Report No. 1
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
1974-01-01
The San Marco C-2 spacecraft, now designated San Marco-4, was successfully launched by a Scout vehicle from the San Marco Platform on 18 February 1974 at 6:05 a.m. EDT. The launch occurred 2 hours 50 minutes into the 3-hour window due co low cloud cover at the launch site. All spacecraft subsystems have been checked and are functioning normally. The protective caps for the two U.S. experiments were ejected and the Omegatron experiment activated on 19 February. The neutral mass spectrometer was activated as scheduled on 22 February after sufficient time to allow for spacecraft outgassing and to avoid the possibility of corona occurring. Both instruments are performing properly and worthwhile scientific data is being acquired.
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
2004-01-01
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. In the mobile service tower on Launch Pad 17-A, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Boeing technicians help guide the Swift spacecraft as it is lowered toward the Boeing Delta II launch vehicle for mating. Swift is scheduled to launch Nov. 17. The liftoff aboard a Boeing Delta II rocket is targeted at the opening of a one-hour launch window beginning at 12:09 p.m. EST. A first-of-its-kind multi-wavelength observatory dedicated to the study of gamma-ray burst (GRB) science, Swifts three instruments will work together to observe GRBs and afterglows in the gamma ray, X-ray, ultraviolet and optical wavebands. Gamma-ray bursts are distant, yet fleeting explosions that appear to signal the births of black holes.
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
2005-01-01
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. Workers in the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility make adjustments as they get ready to move the second half of the fairing (right) and install it with the first half around the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. The fairing protects the spacecraft during launch and flight through the atmosphere. Once in space, it is jettisoned. Launch of the MRO aboard an Atlas V rocket will be from Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. The MRO is the next major step in Mars exploration and scheduled for launch from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in a window opening Aug. 10. The MRO is an important next step in fulfilling NASAs vision of space exploration and ultimately sending human explorers to Mars and beyond.
Investigation on Improvements in Lightning Retest Criteria for Spacecraft
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Terseck, Alex; Trout, Dawn
2016-01-01
Spacecraft are generally protected from a direct strike by launch the vehicle and ground structures, but protocols to evaluate the impact of nearby strikes are not consistent. Often spacecraft rely on the launch vehicle constraints to trigger a retest, but launch vehicles can typically evaluate the impact of a strike within minutes while spacecraft evaluation times can be on the order of hours or even days. For launches at the Kennedy Space Center where lightning activity is among the highest in the United States, this evaluation related delay could be costly with the possibility of missing the launch window altogether. This paper evaluated available data from local lightning measurements systems and computer simulations to predict the coupled effect from various nearby strikes onto a typical payload umbilical. Recommendations are provided to reduce the typical trigger criteria and costly delays.
2006-08-08
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - STS-115 Mission Specialist Daniel Burbank is ready to practice driving the M-113 armored personnel carrier. The STS-115 crew are at NASA's Kennedy Space Center for Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test activities such as the M-113 training. They will also practice emergency egress from the launch pad and take part in a simulated launch countdown. Liftoff of mission STS-115 aboard Space Shuttle Atlantis is scheduled in a window beginning Aug. 27. Photo credit: NASA/Cory Huston
2006-08-08
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - STS-115 Pilot Christopher Ferguson is ready to practice driving the M-113 armored personnel carrier. The STS-115 crew are at NASA's Kennedy Space Center for Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test activities such as the M-113 training. They will also practice emergency egress from the launch pad and take part in a simulated launch countdown. Liftoff of mission STS-115 aboard Space Shuttle Atlantis is scheduled in a window beginning Aug. 27. Photo credit: NASA/Cory Huston
National space transportation systems planning
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Lucas, W. R.
1985-01-01
In the fall of 1984, the DOD and NASA had been asked to identify launch vehicle technologies which could be made available for use in 1995 to 2010. The results of the studies of the two groups were integrated, and a consumer report, dated December 1984, was forwarded to the President. Aspects of mission planning and analysis are discussed along with a combined mission model, future launch system requirements, a launch vehicle planning background, Shuttle derivative vehicle program options, payload modularization, launch vehicle technology implications, a new engine program for the mid-1990's. Future launch systems goals are to achieve an order of magnitude reduction in future launch cost and meet the lift requirements and launch rates. Attention is given to an advanced cryogenic engine, advanced LOX/hydrocarbon engine, advanced power systems, aerodynamics/flight mechanics, reentry/recovery systems, avionics/software, advanced manufacturing techniques, autonomous ground and mission operations, advanced structures/materials, and air breathing propulsion.
PROGRESS REPORT ON THE DSSTOX DATABASE NETWORK: NEWLY LAUNCHED WEBSITE, APPLICATIONS, FUTURE PLANS
Progress Report on the DSSTox Database Network: Newly Launched Website, Applications, Future Plans
Progress will be reported on development of the Distributed Structure-Searchable Toxicity (DSSTox) Database Network and the newly launched public website that coordinates and...
14 CFR 417.111 - Launch plans.
Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR
2012-01-01
... 14 Aeronautics and Space 4 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Launch plans. 417.111 Section 417.111 Aeronautics and Space COMMERCIAL SPACE TRANSPORTATION, FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF... that a launch operator will perform. (4) Trajectory and debris dispersion data. A description of the...
14 CFR 417.111 - Launch plans.
Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR
2013-01-01
... 14 Aeronautics and Space 4 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Launch plans. 417.111 Section 417.111 Aeronautics and Space COMMERCIAL SPACE TRANSPORTATION, FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF... that a launch operator will perform. (4) Trajectory and debris dispersion data. A description of the...
14 CFR 417.111 - Launch plans.
Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR
2014-01-01
... 14 Aeronautics and Space 4 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Launch plans. 417.111 Section 417.111 Aeronautics and Space COMMERCIAL SPACE TRANSPORTATION, FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF... that a launch operator will perform. (4) Trajectory and debris dispersion data. A description of the...
Energy Conservation in the Home. Performance Based Lesson Plans.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Alabama State Dept. of Education, Montgomery. Home Economics Service.
These ten performance-based lesson plans concentrate on tasks related to energy conservation in the home. They are (1) caulk cracks, holes, and joints; (2) apply weatherstripping to doors and windows; (3) add plastic/solar screen window covering; (4) arrange furniture for saving energy; (5) set heating/cooling thermostat; (6) replace faucet…
Schools Facing the Expiration of Windows XP
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Cavanagh, Sean
2013-01-01
Microsoft's plans to end support for Windows XP, believed to be the dominant computer operating system in K-12 education, could pose big technological and financial challenges for districts nationwide--issues that many school systems have yet to confront. The giant software company has made it clear for years that it plans to stop supporting XP…
Flight demonstrator concept for key technologies enabling future reusable launch vehicles
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Ishimoto, Shinji; Fujii, Kenji; Mori, Takeshi
2005-07-01
A research center in JAXA has recently started research on reusable launch vehicles according to its plan placing emphasis on advanced launch technology. It is planned to demonstrate key technologies using a rocket-powered winged vehicle, and concept studies on the flight demonstrator have been conducted. This paper describes the present research plan and introduces the most compact vehicle concept among some versions under consideration.
Fermi (Formerly GLAST) at Six Months
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Ritz, Steven M.
2009-01-01
The Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope, formerly called GLAST, is a mission to measure the cosmic gamma-ray flux in the energy range 20 MeV to more than 300 GeV, with supporting measurements for gamma-ray bursts from 8 keV to 30 MeV. In addition to breakthrough capabilities in energy coverage and localization, the very large field of view enables observations of 20% of the sky at any instant, and the entire sky on a timescale of a few hours. With its recent launch on 11 June 2008, Fermi now opens a new and important window on a wide variety of phenomena, including pulsars, black holes and active galactic nuclei, gamma-ray bursts, the origin of cosmic rays and supernova remnants, and searches for hypothetical new phenomena such as supersymmetric dark matter annihilations. In addition to early results and the science opportunities, this talk includes a description of the instruments and the mission status and plans.
Fermi (nee GLAST) at Six Months
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Ritz, Steve
2009-01-01
The Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope, formerly called GLAST, is a mission to measure the cosmic gamma-ray flux in the energy range 20 MeV to >300 GeV, with supporting measurements for gamma-ray bursts from 8 keV to 30 MeV. In addition to breakthrough capabilities in energy coverage and localization, the very large field of view enables observations of 20% of the sky at any instant, and the entire sky on a timescale of a few hours. With its recent launch on 11 June 2008, Fermi now opens a new and important window on a wide variety of phenomena, including pulsars, black holes and active galactic nuclei, gamma-ray bursts, the origin of cosmic rays and supernova remnants, and searches for hypothetical new phenomena such as supersymmetric dark matter annihilations. In addition to early results and the science opportunities, this talk includes a description of the instruments and the mission status and plans.
2007-08-04
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the Orbiter Processing Facility bay 3, STS-120 Commander Pamela A. Melroy sits in the orbiter Discovery to inspect the cockpit windows. The STS-120 crew is at Kennedy for a crew equipment interface test, or CEIT, which includes harness training, inspection of the thermal protection system and camera operation for planned extravehicular activities, or EVAs. The STS-120 mission will deliver the Harmony module, christened after a school contest, which will provide attachment points for European and Japanese laboratory modules on the International Space Station. Known in technical circles as Node 2, it is similar to the six-sided Unity module that links the U.S. and Russian sections of the station. Built in Italy for the United States, Harmony will be the first new U.S. pressurized component to be added. The STS-120 mission is targeted to launch on Oct. 20. Photo credit: NASA/George Shelton
2007-08-04
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the Orbiter Processing Facility bay 3, STS-120 Pilot George D. Zamka makes a close inspection of the cockpit window on the orbiter Discovery. Seated next to him is Commander Pamela A. Melroy. The STS-120 crew is at Kennedy for a crew equipment interface test, or CEIT, which includes harness training, inspection of the thermal protection system and camera operation for planned extravehicular activities, or EVAs. The STS-120 mission will deliver the Harmony module, christened after a school contest, which will provide attachment points for European and Japanese laboratory modules on the International Space Station. Known in technical circles as Node 2, it is similar to the six-sided Unity module that links the U.S. and Russian sections of the station. Built in Italy for the United States, Harmony will be the first new U.S. pressurized component to be added. The STS-120 mission is targeted to launch on Oct. 20. NASA/George Shelton
2007-08-04
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the Orbiter Processing Facility bay 3, STS-120 Commander Pamela A. Melroy makes a close inspection of the cockpit window on the orbiter Discovery. The STS-120 crew is at Kennedy for a crew equipment interface test, or CEIT, which includes harness training, inspection of the thermal protection system and camera operation for planned extravehicular activities, or EVAs. The STS-120 mission will deliver the Harmony module, christened after a school contest, which will provide attachment points for European and Japanese laboratory modules on the International Space Station. Known in technical circles as Node 2, it is similar to the six-sided Unity module that links the U.S. and Russian sections of the station. Built in Italy for the United States, Harmony will be the first new U.S. pressurized component to be added. The STS-120 mission is targeted to launch on Oct. 20. Photo credit: NASA/George Shelton
2007-08-04
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the Orbiter Processing Facility bay 3,STS-120 Commander Pamela A. Melroy sits in the orbiter Discovery to inspect the cockpit windows. The STS-120 crew is at Kennedy for a crew equipment interface test, or CEIT, which includes harness training, inspection of the thermal protection system and camera operation for planned extravehicular activities, or EVAs. The STS-120 mission will deliver the Harmony module, christened after a school contest, which will provide attachment points for European and Japanese laboratory modules on the International Space Station. Known in technical circles as Node 2, it is similar to the six-sided Unity module that links the U.S. and Russian sections of the station. Built in Italy for the United States, Harmony will be the first new U.S. pressurized component to be added. The STS-120 mission is targeted to launch on Oct. 20. Photo credit: NASA/George Shelton
2007-08-04
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the Orbiter Processing Facility bay 3, STS-120 Commander Pamela A. Melroy makes a close inspection of the cockpit window on the orbiter Discovery. The STS-120 crew is at Kennedy for a crew equipment interface test, or CEIT, which includes harness training, inspection of the thermal protection system and camera operation for planned extravehicular activities, or EVAs. The STS-120 mission will deliver the Harmony module, christened after a school contest, which will provide attachment points for European and Japanese laboratory modules on the International Space Station. Known in technical circles as Node 2, it is similar to the six-sided Unity module that links the U.S. and Russian sections of the station. Built in Italy for the United States, Harmony will be the first new U.S. pressurized component to be added. The STS-120 mission is targeted to launch on Oct. 20. Photo credit: NASA/George Shelton
STS-76 Payload Cmdr Ronald Sega suits up
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
1996-01-01
STS-76 Payload Commander Ronald M. Sega is donning his launch/entry suit in the Operations and Checkout Building with assistance from a suit technician. The third docking between the Russian Space Station Mir and the U.S. Space Shuttle marks the second trip into space for Sega, who recently served a five-month assignment in Russia as operations director for NASA activities there. Once suitup activities are completed the six-member STS-76 flight crew will depart for Launch Pad 39B, where the Space Shuttle Atlantis is undergoing final preparations for liftoff during an approximately seven-minute launch window opening around 3:13 a.m. EST, March 22.
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
2005-01-01
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. Preparing for Return to Flight, workers at KSC walk the grounds around Launch Pad 39B looking for and picking up Foreign Object Debris, or FOD. The pad was recently refurbished and any possible debris left behind must be removed from the area prior to launch. Foreign objects that are alien to flight systems may cause material damage or may make the system or equipment inoperable, unsafe or less efficient. The Return to Flight mission STS-114 aboard Space Shuttle Discovery will carry supplies and equipment to the International Space Station. Discovery is scheduled for launch in a window from May 15 to June 3.
1998-04-21
Processing activities for STS-91 continue in KSC's Orbiter Processing Facility Bay 2. Two Get Away Special (GAS) canisters are shown after their installation into Discovery's payload bay. At left is G-090, containing three educational experiments sponsored by Utah State University, and at right is G-743, an experiment sponsored by Broward Community College in Florida to test DNA exposed to cosmic radiation in a microgravity environment. STS-91 is scheduled to launch aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery for the ninth and final docking with the Russian Space Station Mir from KSC's Launch Pad 39A on June 2 with a launch window opening around 6:04 p.m. EDT
2005-12-01
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Inside NASA Kennedy Space Center’s Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility, workers push the newly arrived third stage, or upper stage for the New Horizons spacecraft, into position for uncovering. The third stage is a Boeing STAR 48 solid-propellant kick motor. The Atlas V is the launch vehicle for NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft, scheduled to launch from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla., during a 35-day window that opens Jan. 11 and fly through the Pluto system as early as summer 2015. New Horizons will be powered by a single radioisotope thermoelectric generator (RTG), provided by the Department of Energy, which will be installed shortly before launch.
2005-12-01
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Before dawn, the third stage, or upper stage for the New Horizons spacecraft, arrives at NASA Kennedy Space Center’s Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility. The third stage is a Boeing STAR 48 solid-propellant kick motor. The Atlas V is the launch vehicle for NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft, scheduled to launch from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla., during a 35-day window that opens Jan. 11 and fly through the Pluto system as early as summer 2015. New Horizons will be powered by a single radioisotope thermoelectric generator (RTG), provided by the Department of Energy, which will be installed shortly before launch.
2005-12-01
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The third stage, or upper stage for the New Horizons spacecraft, is moved toward the open door of NASA Kennedy Space Center’s Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility. The third stage is a Boeing STAR 48 solid-propellant kick motor. The Atlas V is the launch vehicle for NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft, scheduled to launch from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla., during a 35-day window that opens Jan. 11 and fly through the Pluto system as early as summer 2015. New Horizons will be powered by a single radioisotope thermoelectric generator (RTG), provided by the Department of Energy, which will be installed shortly before launch.
2005-12-01
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The third stage, or upper stage for the New Horizons spacecraft, is moved toward the open door of NASA Kennedy Space Center’s Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility. The third stage is a Boeing STAR 48 solid-propellant kick motor. The Atlas V is the launch vehicle for NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft, scheduled to launch from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla., during a 35-day window that opens Jan. 11 and fly through the Pluto system as early as summer 2015. New Horizons will be powered by a single radioisotope thermoelectric generator (RTG), provided by the Department of Energy, which will be installed shortly before launch.
2005-12-01
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Inside NASA Kennedy Space Center’s Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility, workers remove the protective cover from around the newly arrived third stage, or upper stage for the New Horizons spacecraft. The third stage is a Boeing STAR 48 solid-propellant kick motor. The Atlas V is the launch vehicle for NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft, scheduled to launch from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla., during a 35-day window that opens Jan. 11 and fly through the Pluto system as early as summer 2015. New Horizons will be powered by a single radioisotope thermoelectric generator (RTG), provided by the Department of Energy, which will be installed shortly before launch.
Processing activities for STS-91 continue in OPF Bay 2
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
1998-01-01
Processing activities for STS-91 continue in KSC's Orbiter Processing Facility Bay 2. Two Get Away Special (GAS) canisters are shown after their installation into Discovery's payload bay. At left is G-648, an Canadian Space Agency-sponsored study of manufactured organic thin film by the physical vapor transport method, and the can on the right contains commemorative flags to be flown during the mission. STS-91 is scheduled to launch aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery for the ninth and final docking with the Russian Space Station Mir from KSC's Launch Pad 39A on June 2 with a launch window opening around 6:04 p.m. EDT.
Window encapsulation in car industry by using the 50 {Omega} RF technology
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Bernard, J.P.; Barboteau, M.; Collet, L.
Throughout the world car industry has been using window encapsulation for a few years now. This technology is mainly used in production lines and is called RIM for polyurethane reaction injection moulding. This technology, however brings about some problems such as: glass breaking during mould closure, high production cost, systematic rough edges. The PSA Group (Peugeot-Citroen), a pioneer in this field, in collaboration with SAIREM has launched a new innovating process for window encapsulation by using the 50 {Omega} RF technology for gelling PVC Plastisol. The study was followed by an industrial prototype. Industrial equipment was then installed at WEBASTOmore » HEULIEZ for window encapsulation of the sunshine roof for the Citroen Xantia. The authors describe the principle of window encapsulation and the different existing processes. They describe the 50 {Omega} RF technology, an industrial installation and the constraints of this technology in order to get maximum efficiency. In the conclusion they present a technical and economical analysis of the different solutions for window encapsulation. They also present the advantages of the 50 {Omega} RF technology and the new opportunities it offers.« less
STS-75 Payload Specialist Umberto Guidoni suits up
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
1996-01-01
STS-75 Payload Specialist Umberto Guidoni (right) chats with fellow crew member Mission Specialist Claude Nicollier during suitup activities in the Operations and Checkout Building. Guidoni represents the Italian Space Agency and is one of three international crew members assigned to STS-75. He and six fellow crew members will depart shortly for Launch Pad 39B, where the Space Shuttle Columbia awaits liftoff during a two-and-a-half- hour launch window opening at 3:18 p.m. EST.
2006-04-30
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - On Launch Complex 37 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, the GOES-N spacecraft is lowered toward the second stage of the Boeing Delta IV rocket for mating. GOES-N is the latest in a series of Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites for NOAA and NASA, providing continuous monitoring necessary for intensive data analysis. GOES-N is scheduled to be launched May 18 in an hour-long window between 6:14 and 7:14 p.m. EDT. Photo credit: NASA/Charisse Nahser
2006-08-08
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - STS-115 Mission Specialist Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper is ready to practice driving the M-113 armored personnel carrier. Behind her is pilot Christopher Ferguson. The STS-115 crew are at NASA's Kennedy Space Center for Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test activities such as the M-113 training. They will also practice emergency egress from the launch pad and take part in a simulated launch countdown. Liftoff of mission STS-115 aboard Space Shuttle Atlantis is scheduled in a window beginning Aug. 27. Photo credit: NASA/Cory Huston
2005-12-01
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In NASA Kennedy Space Center’s Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility, Boeing workers attach a crane to the top of the cover surrounding the third stage, or upper stage, for the New Horizons spacecraft. The third stage is a Boeing STAR 48 solid-propellant kick motor. The launch vehicle for New Horizons is the Atlas V rocket, scheduled to launch from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla., during a 35-day window that opens Jan. 11, and fly through the Pluto system as early as summer 2015.
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
2005-01-01
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. In the transfer aisle of the Vehicle Assembly Building, workers attach the 175-ton bridge crane to the orbiter Discovery, which is resting on an orbiter transporter. The crane will lift Discovery to vertical for the remate to a new External Tank, ET-121. The new tank and Solid Rocket Boosters are waiting in high bay 3. Discovery is expected roll back to the launch pad June 13 for Return to Flight mission STS-114. The launch window extends from July 13 to July 31.
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
2005-01-01
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. In the transfer aisle of the Vehicle Assembly Building, workers attach the 175-ton bridge crane to the orbiter Discovery, which is resting on an orbiter transporter. The crane will lift Discovery to vertical for the remate to a new External Tank, ET-121. The new tank and Solid Rocket Boosters are waiting in high bay 3. Discovery is expected roll back to the launch pad June 13 for Return to Flight mission STS-114. The launch window extends from July 13 to July 31.
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
2005-01-01
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. In high bay 1 of the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASAs Kennedy Space Center, a crane is placed around the orbiter Discovery in preparation for lifting it into the transfer aisle. The orbiter is being demated from its External Tank (ET) and will be remated with another tank, ET-121. Discovery then is expected to be rolled back to the launch pad in mid-June for Return to Flight mission STS-114. The launch window extends from July 13 to July 31.
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
2005-01-01
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. Dozens of media are gathered at the slidewire basket landing area on Launch Pad 39B to interview and hear comments from the STS-114 crew: Mission Specialists Andrew Thomas, Wendy Lawrence and Stephen Robinson, Commander Eileen Collins, Mission Specialists Charles Camarda and Soichi Noguchi, and Pilot James Kelly. Noguchi is with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency. The TCDT is held at KSC prior to each Space Shuttle flight. It provides the crew of each mission an opportunity to participate in simulated countdown activities. The test ends with a mock launch countdown culminating in a simulated main engine cutoff. The crew also spends time undergoing emergency egress training exercises at the launch pad. STS-114 is designated the first Return to Flight mission, with a launch window extending from July 13 to July 31.
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
2005-01-01
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. Dozens of media are gathered at the slidewire basket landing area on Launch Pad 39B to interview and hear comments from the STS-114 crew: Mission Specialists Andrew Thomas, Wendy Lawrence and Stephen Robinson, Commander Eileen Collins, Mission Specialists Charles Camarda and Soichi Noguchi, and Pilot James Kelly. Noguchi is with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency. The TCDT is held at KSC prior to each Space Shuttle flight. It provides the crew of each mission an opportunity to participate in simulated countdown activities. The test ends with a mock launch countdown culminating in a simulated main engine cutoff. The crew also spends time undergoing emergency egress training exercises at the launch pad. STS-114 is designated the first Return to Flight mission, with a launch window extending from July 13 to July 31.
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
2005-01-01
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. During Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test (TCDT) activities at NASAs Kennedy Space Center, STS-114 Commander Eileen Collins gets ready to practice driving an M-113, an armored personnel carrier that is used for speedy departure from the launch pad in an emergency. Behind her is Capt. George Hoggard, who is astronaut rescue team leader. The TCDT is held at KSC prior to each Space Shuttle flight. It provides the crew of each mission an opportunity to participate in simulated countdown activities. The test ends with a mock launch countdown culminating in a simulated main engine cutoff. The crew also spends time undergoing emergency egress training exercises at the launch pad. STS-114 is the first Return to Flight mission to the International Space Station. The launch window extends July 13 through July 31.
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
2005-01-01
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. During Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test (TCDT) activities at NASAs Kennedy Space Center, STS-114 Mission Specialist Stephen Robinson (right) practices driving an M-113, an armored personnel carrier that is used for speedy departure from the launch pad in an emergency. At left is Capt. George Hoggard, who is astronaut rescue team leader. The TCDT is held at KSC prior to each Space Shuttle flight. It provides the crew of each mission an opportunity to participate in simulated countdown activities. The test ends with a mock launch countdown culminating in a simulated main engine cutoff. The crew also spends time undergoing emergency egress training exercises at the launch pad. STS-114 is the first Return to Flight mission to the International Space Station. The launch window extends July 13 through July 31.
2011-11-26
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At NASA Kennedy Space Center's Press Site in Florida, participants in NASA's Tweetup photograph the launch of the agency's Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) as the countdown clock ticks off the seconds. The tweeters will share their experiences with followers through the social networking site Twitter. The 197-foot-tall United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket lifted off Space Launch Complex-41 on neighboring Cape Canaveral Air Force Station at 10:02 a.m. EST at the opening of the launch window. MSL's components include a car-sized rover, Curiosity, which has 10 science instruments designed to search for signs of life, including methane, and help determine if the gas is from a biological or geological source. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/msl. Photo credit: NASA/Frankie Martin
Titan 4B/Centaur/Cassini prelaunch at LC 40
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
1997-01-01
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- At Launch Complex 40 on Cape Canaveral Air Station, the Mobile Service Tower has been retracted away from the Titan IVB/Centaur carrying the Cassini spacecraft, marking a major milestone in the launch countdown sequence. Retraction of the structure began about an hour later than scheduled due to minor problems with ground support equipment. The launch vehicle, Cassini spacecraft and attached Centaur stage encased in a payload fairing, altogether stand about 183 feet tall; mounted at the base of the launch vehicle are two upgraded solid rocket motors. Liftoff of Cassini on the journey to Saturn and its moon Titan is slated to occur during a window opening at 4:55 a.m. EDT, Oct. 13, and extending through 7:15 a.m.
SU-E-T-478: Sliding Window Multi-Criteria IMRT Optimization
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Craft, D; Papp, D; Unkelbach, J
2014-06-01
Purpose: To demonstrate a method for what-you-see-is-what-you-get multi-criteria Pareto surface navigation for step and shoot IMRT treatment planning. Methods: We show mathematically how multiple sliding window treatment plans can be averaged to yield a single plan whose dose distribution is the dosimetric average of the averaged plans. This is incorporated into the Pareto surface navigation based approach to treatment planning in such a way that as the user navigates the surface, the plans he/she is viewing are ready to be delivered (i.e. there is no extra ‘segment the plans’ step that often leads to unacceptable plan degradation in step andmore » shoot Pareto surface navigation). We also describe how the technique can be applied to VMAT. Briefly, sliding window VMAT plans are created such that MLC leaves paint out fluence maps every 15 degrees or so. These fluence map leaf trajectories are averaged in the same way the static beam IMRT ones are. Results: We show mathematically that fluence maps are exactly averaged using our leaf sweep averaging algorithm. Leaf transmission and output factor corrections effects, which are ignored in this work, can lead to small errors in terms of the dose distributions not being exactly averaged even though the fluence maps are. However, our demonstrations show that the dose distributions are almost exactly averaged as well. We demonstrate the technique both for IMRT and VMAT. Conclusions: By turning to sliding window delivery, we show that the problem of losing plan fidelity during the conversion of an idealized fluence map plan into a deliverable plan is remedied. This will allow for multicriteria optimization that avoids the pitfall that the planning has to be redone after the conversion into MLC segments due to plan quality decline. David Craft partially funded by RaySearch Laboratories.« less
14 CFR 431.41 - Communications plan.
Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR
2010-01-01
... 14 Aeronautics and Space 4 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Communications plan. 431.41 Section 431.41 Aeronautics and Space COMMERCIAL SPACE TRANSPORTATION, FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF... Launch and Reentry of a Reusable Launch Vehicle § 431.41 Communications plan. (a) An applicant shall...
Protection of Northern Chile as an ICOMOS/IAU ``Window to the Universe''
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Smith, Malcolm G.
2015-03-01
Over the last two decades, La Serena's population has increased by about 70 percent. A site description of the AURA Observatory in Chile as a ``Window to the Universe`` is now available on the recently-launched UNESCO-IAU Astronomical Heritage Web Portal, www.astronomicalheritage.net This can serve as an example of possible material for the Chilean authorities, should they wish to propose the dark skies over much of northern Chile for protection as a World Scientific Heritage site. Some of the steps involved are discussed briefly here.
Launch window analysis in a new perspective with examples of departures from Earth to Mars
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Thibodeau, J. R., III; Bond, V. R.
1972-01-01
Earth-departure windows are investigated for two round trip stopover missions to Mars. These are the 1981 inbound Venus swingby mission and the 1986 direct minimum-energy mission. The secular effects of planetary oblateness are used to predict the motion of the parking orbit. A procedure is developed for matching the motion of the parking orbit and the escape asymptote. Earth-departure velocity penalties, caused by orbital plane misalinement, are reduced by synchronizing the motion of the parking orbit and the escape trajectory.
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
1973-01-01
Two orbital test plans were prepared to verify one of the passive cryogenic storage tank/feedline candidate designs. One plan considered the orbital test article to be launched as a dedicated payload using an Atlas F burner launching configuration. The second plan proposed to launch the orbital test article as a secondary payload on the Titan E/Centaur proof flight. The secondary payload concept was pursued until January 1973, when work to build the hardware for this phase of the contract was terminated for lack of a sponsor for the flight. The dedicated payload launched on an Atlas F is described.
Pre-launch Performance Assessment of the VIIRS Ice Surface Temperature Algorithm
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Ip, J.; Hauss, B.
2008-12-01
The VIIRS Ice Surface Temperature (IST) environmental data product provides the surface temperature of sea-ice at VIIRS moderate resolution (750m) during both day and night. To predict the IST, the retrieval algorithm utilizes a split-window approach with Long-wave Infrared (LWIR) channels at 10.76 μm (M15) and 12.01 μm (M16) to correct for atmospheric water vapor. The split-window approach using these LWIR channels is AVHRR and MODIS heritage, where the MODIS formulation has a slightly modified functional form. The algorithm relies on the VIIRS Cloud Mask IP for identifying cloudy and ocean pixels, the VIIRS Ice Concentration IP for identifying ice pixels, and the VIIRS Aerosol Optical Thickness (AOT) IP for excluding pixels with AOT greater than 1.0. In this paper, we will report the pre-launch performance assessment of the IST retrieval. We have taken two separate approaches to perform this assessment, one based on global synthetic data and the other based on proxy data from Terra MODIS. Results of the split- window algorithm have been assessed by comparison either to synthetic "truth" or results of the MODIS retrieval. We will also show that the results of the assessment with proxy data are consistent with those obtained using the global synthetic data.
Solar orbiter/PHI full disk telescope entrance window mechanical mount
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Barandiaran, J.; Zuluaga, P.; Fernandez, A. B.; Vera, I.; Garranzo, D.; Nuñez, A.; Bastide, L.; Royo, M. T.; Alvarez, A.
2017-11-01
PHI is a diffraction limited, wavelength tunable, quasi-monochromatic, and polarization sensitive imager. These capabilities are needed to infer the magnetic field and line-of-sight (LOS) velocity of the region targeted by the spacecraft (spacecraft (S/C)). PHI will consist of two telescopes: The High Resolution Telescope (HRT)[1] and the Full Disk Telescope (FDT). The HRT and the FDT will view the Sun through entrance windows located in the S/C heat shield. These windows act as heat rejecting filters with a transmission band of about 30 nm width centered on the science wavelength, such that the total transmittance (integral over the filter curve weighted with solar spectrum, including white leakage plus transmission profile of the pass band) does not exceed 4% of the total energy falling onto the window [2][3]. The HREW filter has been designed by SELEX in the framework of an ESA led technology development activity under original ESTEC contract No. 20018/06/NL/CP[4], and extensions thereof. For FDT HREW SLEX will provide the windows and it coatings. The HREW consists of two parallel-plane substrate plates (window 1 & window 2)[5] made of SUPRASIL 300 with a central thickness of 9 mm and a wedge of 30 arcsec each. These two substrates are each coated on both sides with four different coatings. These coatings and the choice of SUPRASIL help to minimize the optical absorptivity in the substrate and to radiatively decouple the HREW, which is expected to run at high temperatures during perihelion passages, from the PHI instrument cavity. The temperature distribution of the HREW is driven by two main factors: the mechanical mounting of the substrates to the feedthrough, and the radiative environment within the heat-shield/feedthrough assembly. The mechanical mount must ensure the correct integration of both suprasil substrates in its correct position and minimize the loads in windows due to thermal induced deformations and launching vibration environment. All the subsystem must survive to a launching vibration environment and fulfill optical requirements in an environmental conditions according o its position in the external part of the spacecraft with a pressure of 0.0013Pa and a temperature -163°C
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
2005-01-01
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. In the waning twilight, the service structures on Launch Pad 39B (left) and the Mobile Launcher Platform carrying Space Shuttle Discovery glow with lights. The Shuttle began rollout to the pad at 2:04 p.m. EDT from the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASAs Kennedy Space Center, marking a major milestone in the Space Shuttle Programs Return to Flight. Launch of Discovery on its Return to Flight mission, STS-114, is targeted for May 15 with a launch window that extends to June 3. During its 12-day mission, Discoverys seven-person crew will test new hardware and techniques to improve Shuttle safety, as well as deliver supplies to the International Space Station.
Binary Colloidal Alloy Test Conducted on Mir
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Hoffmann, Monica I.; Ansari, Rafat R.
1999-01-01
Colloids are tiny (submicron) particles suspended in fluid. Paint, ink, and milk are examples of colloids found in everyday life. The Binary Colloidal Alloy Test (BCAT) is part of an extensive series of experiments planned to investigate the fundamental properties of colloids so that scientists can make colloids more useful for technological applications. Some of the colloids studied in BCAT are made of two different sized particles (binary colloidal alloys) that are very tiny, uniform plastic spheres. Under the proper conditions, these colloids can arrange themselves in a pattern to form crystals. These crystals may form the basis of new classes of light switches, displays, and optical devices. Windows made of liquid crystals are already in the marketplace. These windows change their appearance from transparent to opaque when a weak electric current is applied. In the future, if the colloidal crystals can be made to control the passage of light through them, such products could be made much more cheaply. These experiments require the microgravity environment of space because good quality crystals are difficult to produce on Earth because of sedimentation and convection in the fluid. The BCAT experiment hardware included two separate modules for two different experiments. The "Slow Growth" hardware consisted of a 35-mm camera with a 250- exposure photo film cartridge. The camera was aimed toward the sample module, which contained 10 separate colloid samples. A rack of small lights provided backlighting for the photographs. The BCAT hardware was launched on the shuttle and was operated aboard the Russian space station Mir by American astronauts John Blaha and David Wolf (launched September 1996 and returned January 1997; reflown September 1997 and returned January 1998). To begin the experiment, one of these astronauts would mix the samples to disperse the colloidal particles and break up any crystals that might have already formed. Once the samples were mixed and the experiment was powered on, the hardware operated autonomously, taking photos of the colloidal samples over a 90-day period.
The Fermi Large Area Telescope: Optimizing and Then Re-Optimizing the Science Return
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Atwood, W. B.
2012-01-01
The general concepts of how to do gamma-ray observations in space were well established and vetted by the early 1990's. In particular, the success of EGRET onboard the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory whetted the appetite for a more ambitious follow on. In parallel, advances in high-energy particle detection, spurred on by plans for the Superconducting Super Collider, provided an unprecedented opportunity for space-based detectors. The GLAST concept, now Fermi-LAT, was born at SLAC in May of 1992 and the instrument was subsequently developed by an international collaboration from France, Italy, Japan, Sweden and the United States. An overview of the original design optimization of the LAT instrument, done with the goal of imposing as few limits as possible on its applications in space, is discussed (along with some of the trials and tribulations of construction along the way to launch!). Now with over 3 years of science operations experience, the lessons-learned will be reviewed and assessed against the expectations. Finally, the ongoing re-optimization of the instrument and plans for how to extend the LAT's science window into the future are discussed.
Distribution of a Generic Mission Planning and Scheduling Toolkit for Astronomical Spacecraft
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Kleiner, Steven C.
1998-01-01
This 2-year report describes the progress made to date on the project to package and distribute the planning and scheduling toolkit for the SWAS astronomical spacecraft. SWAS was scheduled to be launched on a Pegasus XL vehicle in fall 1995. Three separate failures in the launch vehicle have delayed the SWAS launch. The researchers have used this time to continue developing scheduling algorithms and GUI design. SWAS is expected to be launched this year.
Replacement Windows Define the Newly Renovated Fiterman Hall.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Ladesich, Jim
2000-01-01
Explores the planning and testing involved in successfully replacing windows in a corporate office building converted into an academic building. Inspection procedures and performance testing are examined. (GR)
(abstract) A Low-Cost Mission to 2060 Chiron Based on the Pluto Fast Flyby
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Stern, S. A.; Salvo, C. G.; Wallace, R. A.; Weinstein, S. S.; Weissman, P. R.
1994-01-01
The Pluto Fast Flyby-based mission to Chiron described in this paper is a low cost, scientifically rewarding, focused mission in the outer solar system. The proposed mission will make a flyby of 2060 Chiron, an active 'comet' with over 10(sup 4) times the mass of Halley, and an eccentric, Saturn-crossing orbit which ranges from 8.5 to 19 AU. This mission concept achieves the flyby 4.2 years after launch on a direct trajectory from Earth, is independent of Jupiter launch windows, and fits within Discovery cost guidelines. This mission offers the scientific opportunity to examine a class of object left unsampled by the trail-blazing Mariners, Pioneers, Voyagers, and missions to Halley. Spacecraft reconnaissance of Chiron addresses unique objectives relating to cometary science, other small bodies, the structure of quasi-bound atmospheres on modest-sized bodies, and the origin of primitive bodies and the giant planets. Owing to Chiron's large size (180
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
2005-01-01
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. During Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test (TCDT) activities at NASAs Kennedy Space Center, STS-114 Commander Eileen Collins takes her turn at driving an M-113, an armored personnel carrier that is used for speedy departure from the launch pad in an emergency. Standing behind her is Capt. George Hoggard, who is astronaut rescue team leader. On the left is KSC videographer Glen Benson. The TCDT is held at KSC prior to each Space Shuttle flight. It provides the crew of each mission an opportunity to participate in simulated countdown activities. The test ends with a mock launch countdown culminating in a simulated main engine cutoff. The crew also spends time undergoing emergency egress training exercises at the launch pad. STS-114 is the first Return to Flight mission to the International Space Station. The launch window extends July 13 through July 31.
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
2005-01-01
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. During Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test (TCDT) activities at NASAs Kennedy Space Center, STS-114 Mission Specialist Soichi Noguchi drives an M- 113, an armored personnel carrier that is used for speedy departure from the launch pad in an emergency. Behind him at left is Capt. George Hoggard, who is astronaut rescue team leader. Noguchi is with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency. The TCDT is held at KSC prior to each Space Shuttle flight. It provides the crew of each mission an opportunity to participate in simulated countdown activities. The test ends with a mock launch countdown culminating in a simulated main engine cutoff. The crew also spends time undergoing emergency egress training exercises at the launch pad. STS-114 is the first Return to Flight mission to the International Space Station. The launch window extends July 13 through July 31.
1997-10-14
At Launch Complex 40 on Cape Canaveral Air Station, the Mobile Service Tower has been retracted away from the Titan IVB/Centaur carrying the Cassini spacecraft and its attached Huygens probe. This is the second launch attempt for the Saturn-bound mission; a first try Oct. 13 was scrubbed primarily due to concerns about upper level wind conditions. Liftoff Oct. 15 is set to occur during a launch window opening at 4:43 a.m. EDT and extending until 7:03 a.m. Clearly visible in this view are the 66-foot-tall, 17-foot-wide payload fairing atop the vehicle, in which Cassini and the attached Centaur stage are encased, the two-stage liquid propellant core vehicle, and the twin 112-foot long solid rocket motor upgrades (SRMUs) straddling the core vehicle. It is the SRMUs which ignite first to begin the launch sequence
A panoramic view of the Space Station Processing Facility with Unity connecting module
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
1998-01-01
In this panoramic view of the Space Station Processing Facility (SSPF) can be seen (left to right) Unity connecting module, the Rack Insertion Device and the first Multi-Purpose Launch Module, the Leonardo. Windows at the right above Leonardo allow visitors on tour to watch the activities in the SSPF. The Unity, scheduled to be launched on STS-88 in December 1998, will be mated to the Russian-built Zarya control module which will already be in orbit. STS-88 will be the first Space Shuttle launch for the International Space Station. The Italian-built MPLM, scheduled to be launched on STS-100 on Dec. 2, 1999, will be carried in the payload bay of the Shuttle orbiter, and will provide storage and additional work space for up to two astronauts when docked to the International Space Station.
STS-75 Payload Commander Franklin R. Chang-Diaz suits up
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
1996-01-01
STS-75 Payload Commander Franklin R. Chang-Diaz (center) chats with Johnson Space Center officials Olan Bertrand (left) and David Leestma (right) during suitup activities in the Operations and Checkout Building. Born in Costa Rica, Chang-Diaz joined NASA in 1980. He has already completed four spaceflights and logged more than 656 hours on-orbit. He and six fellow crew members will depart shortly for Launch Pad 39B, where the Space Shuttle Columbia awaits liftoff during a two-and-a-half-hour launch window opening at 3:18 p.m. EST.
STS-91 Commander Charles Precourt participates in CEIT
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
1998-01-01
STS-91 Commander Charles Precourt inspects the windows of the cockpit from inside of the orbiter Discovery during the Crew Equipment Interface Test, or CEIT, in KSC's Orbiter Processing Facility Bay 2. During CEIT, the crew have an opportunity to get a hands-on look at the payloads with which they'll be working on- orbit. The STS-91 crew are scheduled to launch aboard the Shuttle Discovery for the ninth and final docking with the Russian Space Station Mir from KSC's Launch Pad 39A on May 28 at 8:05 EDT.
1997-04-02
Yesterday, NASA decided to postpone for 24-hours the launch of Columbia on mission STS-83 due to a requirement to add additional thermal insulation to water coolant lines in the orbiter's payload bay. The water coolant lines are seen here winding their way around the window on the left. Managers determined that the lines, which cool various electronics on the orbiter, were not properly insulated and could possibly freeze during Columbia's 16-days in space. Columbia's launch is now set for 2:00 p.m. EST on Friday, April 4, 1997
Business Plan for the Southwest Regional Spaceport: Executive Summary
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
1997-01-01
A proposal for a commercial, full-service launch, tracking, and recovery complex for Reusable Launch Vehicles in New Mexico is presented. Vision, mission, business definition, competitive advantages, and business approach are formulated. Management plan and team structure are detailed, and anticipated market is described. Finance and marketing plans are presented. Financial analysis is performed.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Reynolds, Ronald F.
1984-01-01
Describes the basic components of a space telescope that will be launched during a 1986 space shuttle mission. These components include a wide field/planetary camera, faint object spectroscope, high-resolution spectrograph, high-speed photometer, faint object camera, and fine guidance sensors. Data to be collected from these instruments are…
Commercial Space Port Planning in Texas
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Bell, L.; Looke, B.
2002-01-01
The Texas Legislature is providing funding to support research and planning activities aimed at creating a commercial spaceport in the state. These monies have been allocated to regional Spaceport Development Corporations that have been established in three countries containing candidate site locations: Willacy County (in South Texas); Brazoria County (East Texas); and Pecos County (West Texas). This program is being sponsored and coordinated by the Texas Aerospace Commission (TAC). The Sasakawa International Center for Space Architecture (SICSA) at the University of Houston is providing research, planning and design support to TAC and is a member of each of the three regional development teams. Planning must carefully consider special support requirements and operational characteristics of all prospective launch systems along with geographic, infrastructure and environmental factors at each site. Two of the candidate sites are in coastal areas; a priority for certain launch service providers; whereas the third inland site is more attractive to others. Candidate launch systems include winged horizontal takeoff air-launch vehicles, vertical multi-stage reusable launch vehicles, and expendable sub-orbital surrounding rockets. Important research and planning activities include environmental impact assessments, analyses of overflight hazards, investigations of economic impacts and business plan development. The results of these activities will guide master plan development for each site, including: a physical plan (site layout, infrastructure improvements and facility construction); and a strategic plan (user agreements, licenses, finance sources and participants). Commercial spaceport development demands compliance with stringent FAA regulations established by the Office of Commercial Space Transportation (OCST) which exceed minimum standards allowed for U.S. Government spaceport facilities. Key among these requirements are 15,000 ft. radius on-site clear zones separating launch areas form inhabited facilities, and extremely conservative flight risk restrictions associated with launch trajectories over populated areas. Unless modified, the flight risk criteria currently mandated will prevent virtually all new U.S. commercial spaceport operating license proposals from being approved. Commercial spaceport development also presents significant financing challenges. New launch service companies typically lack substantial economic resources needed for infrastructure construction such as long horizontal runways, launch platforms and vehicle assembly and payload integration facilities. Outside investment sources much be identified, with supplementary revenues potentially derived from space tourism and ancillary public service uses. Texas spaceport planning sponsors, participants and advocates recognize that such a development warrants the necessary investment. It will support the advancement and services of new generations of launch systems vitally needed to reduce the high costs of space access. It will afford new state-wide, regional and local economic development opportunities that promote business investments, create jobs and expand infrastructure resources. It will also support a wide spectrum of educational objectives by including and serving academic programs at all levels. Regardless which site is ultimately selected, all Texas regions and public interests in general will benefit.
Strategic Mobility 21: ICODES Extension Technical Plan
2006-09-30
re-planning tasks in a dynamically changing decision- making environment (Figure 2). The internal ontology is divided into logical domains that can...another web browser window opens. This window is divided into two sections. One section displays a graphical representation of the conveyance and its...referenced objects with attributes that can be reasoned about by the TRANSWAY agents. Context is provided by an internal ontology that is divided into
FLOOR PLAN Dyess Air Force Base, Atlas F Missle ...
FLOOR PLAN - Dyess Air Force Base, Atlas F Missle Site S-8, Launch Control Center (LCC), Approximately 3 miles east of Winters, 500 feet southwest of Highway 17700, northwest of Launch Facility, Winters, Runnels County, TX
STS-78 Mission Specialist Charles E. Brady suits up
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
1996-01-01
STS-78 Mission Specialist Charles E. Brady Jr. is donning his launch/entry suit in the Operations and Checkout Building. A spaceflight rookie, Brady was selected by NASA to join the astronaut corps in March 1992; he is a medical doctor who also is a commander in the U.S. Navy. Along with six fellow crew members, he will depart the O&C in a short while and head for Launch Pad 39B, where the Space Shuttle Columbia awaits liftoff during a two-and-a-half hour launch window opening at 10:49 a.m. EDT, June 20. STS-78 will be an extended duration flight during which extensive research will be conducted in the Life and Microgravity Spacelab (LMS) located in the payload bay.
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
2005-01-01
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. In the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility, technicians inspect the solar panels for the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) during an electromagnetic interference verification test. If no interference is found during the test, the Shallow Radar Antenna (SHARAD) will be installed on the spacecraft. The spacecraft is undergoing multiple mechanical assembly operations and electrical tests to verify its readiness for launch. The MRO was built by Lockheed Martin for NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California. It is the next major step in Mars exploration and scheduled for launch from Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in a window opening Aug. 10. The MRO is an important next step in fulfilling NASAs vision of space exploration and ultimately sending human explorers to Mars and beyond.
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
2005-01-01
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. Space Shuttle Discovery lingers at the foot of Launch Pad 39B in the evening twilight. First motion from the Vehicle Assembly Building was at 2:04 p.m. EDT April 6, and the Shuttle was hard down on the pad at 1:16 a.m. EDT April 7. The Shuttle sits atop a Mobile Launcher Platform transported by a Crawler-Transporter underneath. Launch of Discovery on its Return to Flight mission, STS-114, is targeted for May 15 with a launch window that extends to June 3. During its 12-day mission, Discoverys seven-member crew will test new hardware and techniques to improve Shuttle safety, as well as deliver supplies to the International Space Station. Photo courtesy of Scott Andrews.
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
1997-01-01
The Rotating Service Structure has been retracted at Pad 39A. Discovery, the Space Shuttle for STS-82 Mission is ready for the launch of the second Hubble Space Telescope service mission. The payload consists of the Near Infrared Camera and Multi-Object Spectrometer (NICMOS) Which will be installed, the Fine Guidance Sensor #1 (FGS-1) and the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (STIS) which will be installed. STS-82 will launch with a crew of seven at 3:54 a.m. February 11, 1997. The launch window is 65 minutes. The Mission Commander for STS-82 is Ken Bowersox. The purpose of the mission is to upgrade the scientific capabilities, service or replace aging components on the Telescope and provide a reboost to the optimum altitude.
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
2005-01-01
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. Space Shuttle launch director Michael Leinbach (right) and assistant launch director Doug Lyons support an External Tank (ET) tanking test at Launch Pad 39B from the Launch Control Center. The tanking test is designed to evaluate how the tank, orbiter, solid rocket boosters and ground systems perform under 'cryo-load,' when the tank is filled with the two ultra-low-temperature propellants. The tank filling and draining portion of the test takes about 11 hours. The test also includes a simulated countdown through the hold at T-31 seconds. The test is being conducted to troubleshoot two issues identified by a tanking test held on April 14. Data is being collected to analyze the liquid hydrogen sensors that gave intermittent readings and the liquid hydrogen pressurization relief valve that cycled more times than standard. The tanking tests are part of preparations for Space Shuttle Discovery's Return to Flight mission, STS-114, to the International Space Station. The launch window extends from July 13 through July 31.
2014-10-13
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Inside the Launch Abort System Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, preparations are underway to remove the window covers on Orion before the fourth and final Ogive panel is installed around the spacecraft and Launch Abort System. The Ogive panels will smooth the airflow over the conical spacecraft to limit sound and vibration, which will make for a much smoother ride for the astronauts who will ride inside Orion in the future. The work marked the final major assembly steps for the spacecraft before it is transported to Space Launch Complex 37 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in November. Orion is the exploration spacecraft designed to carry astronauts to destinations not yet explored by humans, including an asteroid and Mars. It will have emergency abort capability, sustain the crew during space travel and provide safe re-entry from deep space return velocities. The first unpiloted flight test of Orion is scheduled to launch in December 2014 atop a United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy rocket, and in 2018 on NASA’s Space Launch System rocket. For more information, visit www.nasa.gov/orion. Photo credit: Ben Smegelsky
2014-10-13
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Inside the Launch Abort System Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, a window cover has been carefully removed from the Orion spacecraft before the fourth and final Ogive panel is installed around the spacecraft and Launch Abort System. The Ogive panels will smooth the airflow over the conical spacecraft to limit sound and vibration, which will make for a much smoother ride for the astronauts who will ride inside Orion in the future. The work marked the final major assembly steps for the spacecraft before it is transported to Space Launch Complex 37 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in November. Orion is the exploration spacecraft designed to carry astronauts to destinations not yet explored by humans, including an asteroid and Mars. It will have emergency abort capability, sustain the crew during space travel and provide safe re-entry from deep space return velocities. The first unpiloted flight test of Orion is scheduled to launch in December 2014 atop a United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy rocket, and in 2018 on NASA’s Space Launch System rocket. For more information, visit www.nasa.gov/orion. Photo credit: Ben Smegelsky
2014-10-13
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Inside the Launch Abort System Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, a technician carefully removes the window covers on Orion before the fourth and final Ogive panel is installed around the spacecraft and Launch Abort System. The Ogive panels will smooth the airflow over the conical spacecraft to limit sound and vibration, which will make for a much smoother ride for the astronauts who will ride inside Orion in the future. The work marked the final major assembly steps for the spacecraft before it is transported to Space Launch Complex 37 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in November. Orion is the exploration spacecraft designed to carry astronauts to destinations not yet explored by humans, including an asteroid and Mars. It will have emergency abort capability, sustain the crew during space travel and provide safe re-entry from deep space return velocities. The first unpiloted flight test of Orion is scheduled to launch in December 2014 atop a United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy rocket, and in 2018 on NASA’s Space Launch System rocket. For more information, visit www.nasa.gov/orion. Photo credit: Ben Smegelsky
1998-12-04
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. -- As the Space Shuttle Endeavour lifts off from Launch Pad 39A on Mission STS-88, several fish believed to be mullet (at center left) "launch" themselves out of the water from one of the waterways around the pad. Liftoff of the first U.S. mission dedicated to the assembly of the International Space Station was at 3:35:34 a.m. EST on Dec. 4. During the nearly 12-day mission, the six-member crew will mate in space the first two elements of the International Space Station the already-orbiting Zarya control module with the Unity connecting module carried by Endeavour. Crew members are Commander Robert D. Cabana, Pilot Frederick W. "Rick" Sturckow, and Mission Specialists Nancy J. Currie, Jerry L. Ross, James H. Newman and Sergei Konstantinovich Krikalev, a Russian cosmonaut. This was the second launch attempt for STS-88. The first one on Dec. 3 was scrubbed when launch controllers, following an assessment of a suspect hydraulic system, were unable to resume the countdown clock in time to launch within the remaining launch window
14. NORTHWEST PARLOR, SHOWING BAY WINDOW AND DRYWALLED ENTRY TO ...
14. NORTHWEST PARLOR, SHOWING BAY WINDOW AND DRYWALLED ENTRY TO ADJACENT PARLOR. ROOM 2, HIRSHEN TRUMBO SECOND FLOOR PLAN. VIEW TO NORTH. - Davis-Byrne Building, 2134-2140 Dwight Way, Berkeley, Alameda County, CA
Pre-Launch Performance Assessment of the VIIRS Land Surface Temperature Environmental Data Record
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Hauss, B.; Ip, J.; Agravante, H.
2009-12-01
The Visible/Infrared Imager Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) Land Surface Temperature (LST) Environmental Data Record (EDR) provides the surface temperature of land surface including coastal and inland-water pixels at VIIRS moderate resolution (750m) during both day and night. To predict the LST under optimal conditions, the retrieval algorithm utilizes a dual split-window approach with both Short-wave Infrared (SWIR) channels at 3.70 µm (M12) and 4.05 µm (M13), and Long-wave Infrared (LWIR) channels at 10.76 µm (M15) and 12.01 µm (M16) to correct for atmospheric water vapor. Under less optimal conditions, the algorithm uses a fallback split-window approach with M15 and M16 channels. By comparison, the MODIS generalized split-window algorithm only uses the LWIR bands in the retrieval of surface temperature because of the concern for both solar contamination and large emissivity variations in the SWIR bands. In this paper, we assess whether these concerns are real and whether there is an impact on the precision and accuracy of the LST retrieval. The algorithm relies on the VIIRS Cloud Mask IP for identifying cloudy and ocean pixels, the VIIRS Surface Type EDR for identifying the IGBP land cover type for the pixels, and the VIIRS Aerosol Optical Thickness (AOT) IP for excluding pixels with AOT greater than 1.0. In this paper, we will report the pre-launch performance assessment of the LST EDR based on global synthetic data and proxy data from Terra MODIS. Results of both the split-window and dual split-window algorithms will be assessed by comparison either to synthetic "truth" or results of the MODIS retrieval. We will also show that the results of the assessment with proxy data are consistent with those obtained using the global synthetic data.
2007-02-16
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- At Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, the Delta II rocket with the THEMIS spacecraft atop awaits launch on Pad 17-B. Friday's launch attempt was scrubbed due to upper-level wind violation. The launch window is 6:01 p.m. to 6:19 p.m. EST on Saturday. THEMIS, an acronym for Time History of Events and Macroscale Interactions during Substorms, consists of five identical probes that will track violent, colorful eruptions near the North Pole. This will be the largest number of scientific satellites NASA has ever launched into orbit aboard a single rocket. The THEMIS mission aims to unravel the mystery behind auroral substorms, an avalanche of magnetic energy powered by the solar wind that intensifies the northern and southern lights. The mission will investigate what causes auroras in the Earth’s atmosphere to dramatically change from slowly shimmering waves of light to wildly shifting streaks of bright color. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
2005-01-01
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. During Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test (TCDT) activities at NASAs Kennedy Space Center, STS-114 Mission Specialist Charles Camarda is getting ready to practice driving an M-113, an armored personnel carrier that is used for speedy departure from the launch pad in an emergency. Behind him are Mission Specialist Stephen Robinson and Capt. George Hoggard, who is astronaut rescue team leader, and, at right, Commander Eileen Collins. The TCDT is held at KSC prior to each Space Shuttle flight. It provides the crew of each mission an opportunity to participate in simulated countdown activities. The test ends with a mock launch countdown culminating in a simulated main engine cutoff. The crew also spends time undergoing emergency egress training exercises at the launch pad. STS-114 is the first Return to Flight mission to the International Space Station. The launch window extends July 13 through July 31.
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
2005-01-01
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. During Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test (TCDT) activities at NASAs Kennedy Space Center, STS-114 Mission Specialist Soichi Noguchi is ready to practice driving an M-113, an armored personnel carrier that is used for speedy departure from the launch pad in an emergency. Behind him at left is Capt. George Hoggard, who is astronaut rescue team leader. Noguchi is with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency.The TCDT is held at KSC prior to each Space Shuttle flight. It provides the crew of each mission an opportunity to participate in simulated countdown activities. The test ends with a mock launch countdown culminating in a simulated main engine cutoff. The crew also spends time undergoing emergency egress training exercises at the launch pad. STS-114 is the first Return to Flight mission to the International Space Station. The launch window extends July 13 through July 31.
Cassini Orbiter and Huygens Probe aboard the Titan IV
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
1997-01-01
At Launch Complex 40 on Cape Canaveral Air Station, the Mobile Service Tower has been retracted away from the Titan IVB/Centaur carrying the Cassini spacecraft, marking a major milestone in the launch countdown sequence. Retraction of the structure began about an hour later than scheduled due to minor problems with ground support equipment. The launch vehicle, Cassini spacecraft and attached Centaur stage encased in a payload fairing, altogether stand about 183 feet tall; mounted at the base of the launch vehicle are two upgraded solid rocket motors. Liftoff of Cassini on the journey to Saturn and its moon Titan is slated to occur during a window opening at 4:55 a.m. EDT, Oct. 13, and extending through 7:15 a.m.
The Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the U.S. contribution to the Cassini mission for NASA's Office of Space Science.1998-05-26
Technicians supervise the closure of Discovery's payload bay doors from the Payload Changout Room at Launch Pad 39A as preparations for the STS-91 launch continue. STS-91 is scheduled to be launched on June 2 with a launch window opening around 6:10 p.m. EDT. The mission will feature the ninth Shuttle docking with the Russian Space Station Mir, the first Mir docking for Discovery, the conclusion of Phase I of the joint U.S.-Russian International Space Station Program, and the first flight of the new Space Shuttle super lightweight external tank. The STS-91 flight crew includes Commander Charles Precourt; Pilot Dominic Gorie; and Mission Specialists Wendy B. Lawrence; Franklin Chang-Diaz, Ph.D.; Janet Kavandi, Ph.D.; and Valery Ryumin, with the Russian Space Agency. Andrew Thomas, Ph.D., will be returning to Earth with the crew after living more than four months aboard Mir
1998-05-26
Technicians supervise the closure of Discovery's payload bay doors from the Payload Changout Room at Launch Pad 39A as preparations for the STS-91 launch continue. STS-91 is scheduled to be launched on June 2 with a launch window opening around 6:10 p.m. EDT. The mission will feature the ninth Shuttle docking with the Russian Space Station Mir, the first Mir docking for Discovery, the conclusion of Phase I of the joint U.S.-Russian International Space Station Program, and the first flight of the new Space Shuttle super lightweight external tank. The STS-91 flight crew includes Commander Charles Precourt; Pilot Dominic Gorie; and Mission Specialists Wendy B. Lawrence; Franklin Chang-Diaz, Ph.D.; Janet Kavandi, Ph.D.; and Valery Ryumin, with the Russian Space Agency. Andrew Thomas, Ph.D., will be returning to Earth with the crew after living more than four months aboard Mir
Wall-ablative laser-driven in-tube accelerator
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Sasoh, Akihiro; Suzuki, Shingo; Matsuda, Atsushi
2008-05-01
The laser-driven in-tube accelerator in which the propellant is supplied from laser-ablated gas from the tube wall was developed. Proof-of concept demonstrations of vertical launch were successfully done. The device had a 25mm X 25mm square cross-section; two opposing walls were made of polyacetal and acted as the propellant, the other two acrylic window with guide grooves to the projectile. The upper end of the launch tube was connected to a vacuum chamber of an inner volume of 0.8 m2, in which the initial pressure was set to lower than 20 Pa. With plugging the bottom end of the launch tube, a momentum coupling coefficient exceeding 2.5 mN/W was obtained. Even with the bottom end connected to the same vacuum chamber through a different duct, the projectile was vertical launched successfully, obtaining 0.14 mN/W.
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
2005-01-01
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. At the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Skid Strip, workers inside a Russian Antonov AH-124-100 cargo airplane roll out the booster segment for a Lockheed Martin Atlas V. The Atlas V, designated AV-007, is the launch vehicle for the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO). The MRO is designed for a series of global mapping, regional survey and targeted observations from a near-polar, low-altitude Mars orbit. These observations will be unprecedented in terms of the spatial resolution and coverage achieved by the orbiters instruments as they observe the atmosphere and surface of Mars while probing its shallow subsurface as part of a follow the water strategy. The orbiter is undergoing environmental tests in facilities at Lockheed Martin Space Systems in Denver, Colo., and is on schedule for a launch window that begins Aug. 10. Launch will be from Launch Pad 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.
2013-11-18
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Dr. Jim Green, director of the Planetary Science Division at NASA Headquarters, participates in a post-launch news conference in NASA's Press Site TV auditorium following the successful launch of NASA’s Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN, or MAVEN, spacecraft. Launch was on schedule at 1:28 p.m. EST Nov. 18 at the opening of a two-hour launch window. After a 10-month journey to the Red Planet, MAVEN will study its upper atmosphere in unprecedented detail from orbit above the planet. Built by Lockheed Martin in Littleton, Colo., MAVEN will arrive at Mars in September 2014 and will be inserted into an elliptical orbit with a high point of 3,900 miles, swooping down to as close as 93 miles above the planet's surface. For more information, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/maven/main/index.html. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Jacobs, Paula
2009-01-01
Peter Pistorino says there is a name for the way he thinks a school district should launch an energy conservation initiative: an "envelope" approach. The term refers to looking at the outside package of a structure to check for inefficiencies: Examine the observable, external sources of energy loss such as the doors, windows, insulation,…
1998-05-26
The Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS) experiment and four Get Away Special (GAS) payload canisters are secure in Discovery's payload bay shortly before the payload bay doors are closed for the flight of STS-91 at Launch Pad 39A. Launch is planned for June 2 with a window opening around 6:10 p.m. EDT. The AMS experiment is the first of a new generation of space-based experiments which will use particles, instead of light, to study the Universe and will search for both antimatter and "dark matter," as well as measure normal matter cosmic and gamma rays. The GAS Program, initiated to provide extremely low-cost access to space, is managed by the Shuttle Small Payloads Project at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. Eight GAS experiments will be conducted on STS-91. The mission will also feature the ninth Shuttle docking with the Russian Space Station Mir, the first Mir docking for Discovery, the conclusion of Phase I of the joint U.S.-Russian International Space Station Program, and the first flight of the new Space Shuttle super lightweight external tank. The STS-91 flight crew includes Commander Charles Precourt; Pilot Dominic Gorie; and Mission Specialists Wendy B. Lawrence; Franklin Chang-Diaz, Ph.D.; Janet Kavandi, Ph.D.; and Valery Ryumin, with the Russian Space Agency. Andrew Thomas, Ph.D., will be returning to Earth with the crew after living more than four months aboard Mir
1998-05-26
A SPACEHAB Single Module (top) and the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS) experiment are secure in Discovery's payload bay shortly before the payload bay doors are closed for the flight of STS-91 at Launch Pad 39A. Launch is planned for June 2 with a window opening around 6:10 p.m. EDT. The single SPACEHAB module houses experiments to be performed by the astronauts and serves as a cargo carrier for items to be transferred to and from the Russian Space Station Mir. The AMS experiment is the first of a new generation of space-based experiments which will use particles, instead of light, to study the Universe and will search for both antimatter and "dark matter," as well as measure normal matter cosmic and gamma rays. STS-91 will also feature the ninth Shuttle docking with the Russian Space Station Mir, the first Mir docking for Discovery, the conclusion of Phase I of the joint U.S.-Russian International Space Station Program, and the first flight of the new Space Shuttle super lightweight external tank. The STS-91 flight crew includes Commander Charles Precourt; Pilot Dominic Gorie; and Mission Specialists Wendy B. Lawrence; Franklin Chang-Diaz, Ph.D.; Janet Kavandi, Ph.D.; and Valery Ryumin, with the Russian Space Agency. Andrew Thomas, Ph.D., will be returning to Earth with the crew after living more than four months aboard Mir
The Unitary Plan Wind Tunnel(UPWT) Test 1891 Space Launch System
2014-10-15
Stage Separation Test of the Space Launch System(SLS) in the Langley Unitary Plan Wind Tunnel (UPWT). The model used High Pressure air blown through the solid rocket boosters. (SRB) to simulate the booster separation motors (BSM) firing.
The Unitary Plan Wind Tunnel(UPWT) Test 1891 Space Launch System
2014-10-14
Stage Separation Test of the Space Launch System(SLS) in the Langley Unitary Plan Wind Tunnel (UPWT). The model used High Pressure air blown through the solid rocket boosters. (SRB) to simulate the booster separation motors (BSM) firing.
Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Galileo Mission (Tier 2)
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
1989-01-01
This Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) addresses the proposed action of completing the preparation and operation of the Galileo spacecraft, including its planned launch on the Space Transportation System (STS) Shuttle in October 1989, and the alternative of canceling further work on the mission. The Tier 1 (program level) EIS (NASA 1988a) considered the Titan IV launch vehicle as an alternative booster stage for launch in May 1991 or later. The May 1991 Venus launch opportunity is considered a planetary back-up for the Magellan (Venus Radar Mapper) mission, the Galileo mission, and the Ulysses mission. Plans were underway to enable the use of a Titan IV launch vehicle for the planetary back-up. However, in November 1988, the U.S. Air Force, which procures the Titan IV for NASA, notified NASA that it could not provide a Titan IV vehicle for the May 1991 launch opportunity due to high priority Department of Defense requirements. Consequently, NASA terminated all mission planning for the Titan IV planetary back-up. A minimum of 3 years is required to implement mission-specific modifications to the basic Titan IV launch configuration; therefore, insufficient time is available to use a Titan IV vehicle in May 1991. Thus, the Titan IV launch vehicle is no longer a feasible alternative to the STS/Inertial Upper Stage (IUS) for the May 1991 launch opportunity.
11 Foot Unitary Plan Tunnel Facility Optical Improvement Large Window Analysis
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Hawke, Veronica M.
2015-01-01
The test section of the 11 by 11-foot Unitary Plan Transonic Wind Tunnel (11-foot UPWT) may receive an upgrade of larger optical windows on both the North and South sides. These new larger windows will provide better access for optical imaging of test article flow phenomena including surface and off body flow characteristics. The installation of these new larger windows will likely produce a change to the aerodynamic characteristics of the flow in the Test Section. In an effort understand the effect of this change, a computational model was employed to predict the flows through the slotted walls, in the test section and around the model before and after the tunnel modification. This report documents the solid CAD model that was created and the inviscid computational analysis that was completed as a preliminary estimate of the effect of the changes.
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Bacon, Jack
2006-01-01
This viewgraph presentation reviews many aspects of spaceflight. There are many pictures of the International Space Station. Some of the topics covered in this review are: Have you ever wondered why we have launch windows? Or why the attitude of the Space Station changes? The half-day seminar answers some of the many questions about why and how we fly in space. Topics in the course were: What's so valuable about micro gravity? How do we get to micro G so close to a huge gravity well like the Earth? How come such a big rocket gets so little payload to space? Why do we have daily launch windows, and why are they so short? What's the beta angle, why does it change so strangely, and why do we care so much about it? Why do we have launch seasons for the Shuttle? Why can't we just launch any old day? Why do we see the station some days, not on others, and at different times and directions? Why do we keep changing the attitude of the Space Station? What are the certified attitudes of the station, and why did we pick these few? Why do we keep changing the altitude of the Space Station among these three? What's the difference between Power Balance, Energy Balance, and Depth-of-Discharge? Where does all the uncertainty come from in our orbit predictions for phasing, collisions, communications coverage, etc? Why do we usually reboost only on days that we do attitude changes? What's F(10.7), what does it do, why do we care, and why does it vary so much? Why do we care about orbital phasing of the ISS? Can't we just do phasing with the arriving vehicles? Why is the Space Station built the way it is? What's Sun Slicer? (or Night Glider, or Dual Angle, or (coming soon!) Mixmaster, or Outrigger, or...) What's a BGA, and what is BGA conditioning all about? What's a Control Moment Gyroscope, and what does it do? What's a desat? Why is it more trouble now than it used to be? How much orbital debris is there, and how dangerous is it? Why aren't we more worried about meteor storms? What is atomic Oxygen? Where does it come from, and why is it a nuisance? What's a gravity gradient attitude, and why don't we use it? How come we see things like phantom torques and phantom spikes and other things that Shuttles and stations and capsules have never seen? and How are all these topics affecting our assembly plans for this year and through the life of station?
Low-E Storm Windows Gain Acceptance as a Home Weatherization Measure
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Gilbride, Theresa L.; Cort, Katherine A.
This article for Home Energy Magazine describes work by the U.S. Department of Energy to develop low-emissivity storm windows as an energy efficiency-retrofit option for existing homes. The article describes the low-emissivity invisible silver metal coatings on the glass, which reflect heat back into the home in winter or back outside in summer and the benefits of low-e storm windows including insulation, air sealing, noise blocking, protection of antique windows, etc. The article also describes Pacific Northwest National Laboratory's efforts on behalf of DOE to overcome market barriers to adoption of the technology, including performance validation studies in the PNNLmore » Lab Homes, cost effectiveness analysis, production of reports, brochures, how-to guides on low-e storm window installation for the Building America Solution Center, and a video posted on YouTube. PNNL's efforts were reviewed by the Pacific Northwest Regional Technical Forum (RTF), which serves as the advisory board to the Pacific Northwest Electric Power Planning Council and Bonneville Power Administration. In late July 2015, the RTF approved the low-e storm window measure’s savings and specifications, a critical step in integrating low-e storm windows into energy-efficiency planning and utility weatherization and incentive programs. PNNL estimates that more than 90 million homes in the United States with single-pane or low-performing double-pane windows would benefit from the technology. Low-e storm windows are suitable not only for private residences but also for small commercial buildings, historic properties, and facilities that house residents, such as nursing homes, dormitories, and in-patient facilities. To further assist in the market transformation of low-e storm windows and other high-efficiency window attachments, DOE helped found the window Attachment Energy Rating Council (AERC) in 2015. AERC is an independent, public interest, non-profit organization whose mission is to rate, label, and certify the performance of window attachments.« less
STS-98 crew takes part in Multi-Equipment Interface Test.
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
2000-01-01
In the Space Station Processing Facility, STS-98 Mission Specialist Thomas D. Jones (Ph.D.) gets a closeup view of the cover on the window of the U.S. Lab Destiny. Along with Commander Kenneth D. Cockrell and Pilot Mark Polansky, Jones is taking part in a Multi-Equipment Interface Test (MEIT) on this significant element of the International Space Station. During the STS-98 mission, the crew will install the Lab on the station during a series of three space walks. The mission will provide the station with science research facilities and expand its power, life support and control capabilities. The U.S. Laboratory Module continues a long tradition of microgravity materials research, first conducted by Skylab and later Shuttle and Spacelab missions. Destiny is expected to be a major feature in future research, providing facilities for biotechnology, fluid physics, combustion, and life sciences research. The Lab is planned for launch aboard Space Shuttle Atlantis on the sixth ISS flight, currently targeted no earlier than Aug. 19, 2000.
ERTS-1, a new window on our planet
Williams, Richard S.; Carter, William Douglas
1976-01-01
The launch, on July 23, 1972, of the first Earth Resources Technology Satellite (ERTS-1) by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration was a major step forward in extending man 's ability to inventory the Earth 's resources and to evaluate objectively his impact upon the environment. ERTS spacecraft represent the first step in merging space and remote-sensing technologies into a system for inventorying and managing the Earth 's resources. Examples presented in this book demonstrate ERTS ' vast potential for inventorying resources, monitoring environmental conditions, and measuring changes. Such information is essential for the full evaluation of the Federal lands and determining their future use, as well as for improved planning of overall land use throughout the United States and the world. Ten bureaus of the U.S. Department of Interior have roles in the ERTS project. Nearly all of these participating bureaus are represented in almost 100 papers included in this book. Chapter 3 is entitled ' Applications to Water Resources ' and contains 23 separate sections. (Woodard-USGS)
2004-08-23
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The Remote Manipulator System (RMS), also known as the Canadian robotic arm, for the orbiter Discovery has arrived at KSC’s Vehicle Assembly Building Lab. Seen on the left end is the shoulder pitch joint. The wrist and shoulder joints on the RMS allow the basic structure of the arm to maneuver similar to a human arm. The RMS is used to deploy and retrieve payloads, provide a mobile extension ladder or foot restraints for crew members during extravehicular activities; and to aid the flight crew members in viewing surfaces of the orbiter or payloads through a television camera on the RMS. The arm is also serving as the base for the new Orbiter Boom Sensor System (OBSS), one of the safety measures for Return to Flight, equipping the Shuttle with cameras and laser systems to inspect the Shuttle’s Thermal Protection System while in space. Discovery is scheduled for a launch planning window of March 2005 on mission STS-114.
2007-08-04
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the Orbiter Processing Facility bay 3, STS-120 Pilot George D. Zamka makes a close inspection of the cockpit window on the orbiter Discovery. Seated next to him is Commander Pamela A. Melroy. The STS-120 crew is at Kennedy for a crew equipment interface test, or CEIT, which includes harness training, inspection of the thermal protection system and camera operation for planned extravehicular activities, or EVAs. The STS-120 mission will deliver the Harmony module, christened after a school contest, which will provide attachment points for European and Japanese laboratory modules on the International Space Station. Known in technical circles as Node 2, it is similar to the six-sided Unity module that links the U.S. and Russian sections of the station. Built in Italy for the United States, Harmony will be the first new U.S. pressurized component to be added. The STS-120 mission is targeted to launch on Oct. 20. Photo credit: NASA/George Shelton
IN2 Profile: Polyceed Electrochromic Window Technology Expected to Lower Energy Costs
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Tenent, Rob; Achour, Maha
Through the Wells Fargo Innovation Incubator (IN²) program, Polyceed will validate their electrochromic window technology. The technology is expected to provide customers with 75% lower cost than conventional dynamic windows and offer small residences $200 a year of cost savings for energy consumption. The IN² program launched in October 2014 and is part of Wells Fargo’s 2020 Environmental Commitment to provide $100 million to environmentally-focused nonprofits and universities. The goal is to create an ecosystem that fosters and accelerates the commercialization of promising commercial buildings technologies that can provide scalable solutions to reduce the energy impact of buildings. According tomore » the Department of Energy, nearly 40 percent of energy consumption in the U.S. today comes from buildings at an estimated cost of $413 billion.« less
Ocean Observations with EOS/MODIS: Algorithm Development and Post Launch Studies
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Gordon, Howard R.; Conboy, Barbara (Technical Monitor)
1999-01-01
This separation has been logical thus far; however, as launch of AM-1 approaches, it must be recognized that many of these activities will shift emphasis from algorithm development to validation. For example, the second, third, and fifth bullets will become almost totally validation-focussed activities in the post-launch era, providing the core of our experimental validation effort. Work under the first bullet will continue into the post-launch time frame, driven in part by algorithm deficiencies revealed as a result of validation activities. Prior to the start of the 1999 fiscal year (FY99) we were requested to prepare a brief plan for our FY99 activities. This plan is included as Appendix 1. The present report describes the progress made on our planned activities.
A space exploration strategy that promotes international and commercial participation
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Arney, Dale C.; Wilhite, Alan W.; Chai, Patrick R.; Jones, Christopher A.
2014-01-01
NASA has created a plan to implement the Flexible Path strategy, which utilizes a heavy lift launch vehicle to deliver crew and cargo to orbit. In this plan, NASA would develop much of the transportation architecture (launch vehicle, crew capsule, and in-space propulsion), leaving the other in-space elements open to commercial and international partnerships. This paper presents a space exploration strategy that reverses that philosophy, where commercial and international launch vehicles provide launch services. Utilizing a propellant depot to aggregate propellant on orbit, smaller launch vehicles are capable of delivering all of the mass necessary for space exploration. This strategy has benefits to the architecture in terms of cost, schedule, and reliability.
NASA's Next Generation Launch Technology Program - Strategy and Plans
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Hueter, Uwe
2003-01-01
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration established a new program office, Next Generation Launch Technology (NGLT) Program Office, last year to pursue technologies for future space launch systems. NGLT will fund research in key technology areas such as propulsion, launch vehicles, operations and system analyses. NGLT is part of NASA s Integrated Space Technology Plan. The NGLT Program is sponsored by NASA s Office of Aerospace Technology and is part of the Space Launch Initiative theme that includes both NGLT and Orbital Space Plane. NGLT will focus on technology development to increase safety and reliability and reduce overall costs associated with building, flying and maintaining the nation s next-generations of space launch vehicles. These investments will be guided by systems engineering and analysis with a focus on the needs of National customers.
Trajectory Design for the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Dichmann, Donald J.; Parker, Joel J. K.; Williams, Trevor W.; Mendelsohn, Chad R.
2014-01-01
The Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) is a National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) mission, scheduled to be launched in 2017. TESS will travel in a highly eccentric orbit around Earth, with initial perigee radius near 17 Earth radii (Re) and apogee radius near 59 Re. The orbit period is near 2:1 resonance with the Moon, with apogee nearly 90 degrees out-of-phase with the Moon, in a configuration that has been shown to be operationally stable. TESS will execute phasing loops followed by a lunar flyby, with a final maneuver to achieve 2:1 resonance with the Moon. The goals of a resonant orbit with long-term stability, short eclipses and limited oscillations of perigee present significant challenges to the trajectory design. To rapidly assess launch opportunities, we adapted the Schematics Window Methodology (SWM76) launch window analysis tool to assess the TESS mission constraints. To understand the long-term dynamics of such a resonant orbit in the Earth-Moon system we employed Dynamical Systems Theory in the Circular Restricted 3-Body Problem (CR3BP). For precise trajectory analysis we use a high-fidelity model and multiple shooting in the General Mission Analysis Tool (GMAT) to optimize the maneuver delta-V and meet mission constraints. Finally we describe how the techniques we have developed can be applied to missions with similar requirements. Keywords: resonant orbit, stability, lunar flyby, phasing loops, trajectory optimization
Shang, Jianyu; Deng, Zhihong; Fu, Mengyin; Wang, Shunting
2016-06-16
Traditional artillery guidance can significantly improve the attack accuracy and overall combat efficiency of projectiles, which makes it more adaptable to the information warfare of the future. Obviously, the accurate measurement of artillery spin rate, which has long been regarded as a daunting task, is the basis of precise guidance and control. Magnetoresistive (MR) sensors can be applied to spin rate measurement, especially in the high-spin and high-g projectile launch environment. In this paper, based on the theory of a MR sensor measuring spin rate, the mathematical relationship model between the frequency of MR sensor output and projectile spin rate was established through a fundamental derivation. By analyzing the characteristics of MR sensor output whose frequency varies with time, this paper proposed the Chirp z-Transform (CZT) time-frequency (TF) domain analysis method based on the rolling window of a Blackman window function (BCZT) which can accurately extract the projectile spin rate. To put it into practice, BCZT was applied to measure the spin rate of 155 mm artillery projectile. After extracting the spin rate, the impact that launch rotational angular velocity and aspect angle have on the extraction accuracy of the spin rate was analyzed. Simulation results show that the BCZT TF domain analysis method can effectively and accurately measure the projectile spin rate, especially in a high-spin and high-g projectile launch environment.
14 CFR 417.17 - Launch reporting requirements and launch specific updates.
Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR
2010-01-01
... by the terms of the launch operator's license. A launch operator must file any change to the... information: (i) Payload information required by § 415.59 of this chapter; and (ii) Flight information, including the launch vehicle, planned flight path, staging and impact locations, and any on-orbit activity...
14 CFR 417.17 - Launch reporting requirements and launch specific updates.
Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR
2014-01-01
... by the terms of the launch operator's license. A launch operator must file any change to the... information: (i) Payload information required by § 415.59 of this chapter; and (ii) Flight information, including the launch vehicle, planned flight path, staging and impact locations, and any on-orbit activity...
14 CFR 417.17 - Launch reporting requirements and launch specific updates.
Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR
2013-01-01
... by the terms of the launch operator's license. A launch operator must file any change to the... information: (i) Payload information required by § 415.59 of this chapter; and (ii) Flight information, including the launch vehicle, planned flight path, staging and impact locations, and any on-orbit activity...
14 CFR 417.17 - Launch reporting requirements and launch specific updates.
Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR
2011-01-01
... by the terms of the launch operator's license. A launch operator must file any change to the... information: (i) Payload information required by § 415.59 of this chapter; and (ii) Flight information, including the launch vehicle, planned flight path, staging and impact locations, and any on-orbit activity...
14 CFR 417.17 - Launch reporting requirements and launch specific updates.
Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR
2012-01-01
... by the terms of the launch operator's license. A launch operator must file any change to the... information: (i) Payload information required by § 415.59 of this chapter; and (ii) Flight information, including the launch vehicle, planned flight path, staging and impact locations, and any on-orbit activity...
14 CFR 417.111 - Launch plans.
Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR
2011-01-01
... 14 Aeronautics and Space 4 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Launch plans. 417.111 Section 417.111 Aeronautics and Space COMMERCIAL SPACE TRANSPORTATION, FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF... rocket must meet the requirements of paragraph (b) of this section and provide the following data: (i...
2006-05-24
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The mobile service tower on Launch Complex 37 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station rolls back to reveal the Boeing Delta IV rocket that will launch the GOES-N satellite into orbit. GOES-N is the latest in a series of Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites for NOAA and NASA. A geostationary orbit is one in which a satellite remains in the same position with respect to the rotating Earth. Thus, the satellite hovers continuously over one position on the Earth's surface, appearing stationary. As a result, GOES provide a constant vigil for the atmospheric "triggers" for severe weather conditions such as tornadoes, flash floods, hail storms, and hurricanes. GOES-N is scheduled for launch May 24 in an hour-long window between 6:11 and 7:11 p.m. EDT. Photo credit: NASA/George Shelton
2006-05-24
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Before sunrise, a Boeing Delta IV rocket stands ready to launch the GOES-N satellite at Launch Complex 37 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. GOES-N is the latest in a series of Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites for NOAA and NASA. A geostationary orbit is one in which a satellite remains in the same position with respect to the rotating Earth. Thus, the satellite hovers continuously over one position on the Earth's surface, appearing stationary. As a result, GOES provide a constant vigil for the atmospheric "triggers" for severe weather conditions such as tornadoes, flash floods, hail storms, and hurricanes. GOES-N is scheduled for launch May 24 in an hour-long window between 6:11 and 7:11 p.m. EDT. Photo credit: NASA/George Shelton
2006-05-24
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - As the sun rises, a Boeing Delta IV rocket stands ready to launch the GOES-N satellite at Launch Complex 37 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. GOES-N is the latest in a series of Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites for NOAA and NASA. A geostationary orbit is one in which a satellite remains in the same position with respect to the rotating Earth. Thus, the satellite hovers continuously over one position on the Earth's surface, appearing stationary. As a result, GOES provide a constant vigil for the atmospheric "triggers" for severe weather conditions such as tornadoes, flash floods, hail storms, and hurricanes. GOES-N is scheduled for launch May 24 in an hour-long window between 6:11 and 7:11 p.m. EDT. Photo credit: NASA/George Shelton
1990-04-24
Through the large window panes of Firing Room 1, KSC launch team members reap the rewards of their work with a glimpse of the space shuttle Discovery soaring into the sky. Discovery was launched for the tenth time at 8:34 a.m. EDT on April 24 beginning the five-day STS-31 mission to deploy the Hubble Space Telescope. A ray of morning sunlight highlights the red and white stripes of Old Glory hanging high in the Firing Room. Launch team members overcame a last minute challenge in the STS-31 countdown when software detected a main propulsion system valve was out of position. The situation was quickly corrected and verified by the team from consoles in the Firing Room and the countdown was returned in a matter of minutes. Photo credit: NASA
1990-04-24
Through the large window panes of Firing Room 1, KSC launch team members reap the rewards of their work with a glimpse of the space shuttle Discovery soaring into the sky. Discovery was launched for the tenth time at 8:34 a.m. EDT on April 24 beginning the five-day STS-31 mission to deploy the Hubble Space Telescope. A ray of morning sunlight highlights the red and white stripes of Old Glory hanging high in the Firing Room. Launch team members overcame a last minute challenge in the STS-31 countdown when software detected a main propulsion system valve was out of position. The situation was quickly corrected and verified by the team from consoles in the Firing Room and the countdown was returned in a matter of minutes. Photo credit: NASA
1997-10-10
At Launch Complex 40 on Cape Canaveral Air Station, workers are installing three Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generators (RTGs) on the Cassini spacecraft. RTGs are lightweight, compact spacecraft electrical power systems that have flown successfully on 23 previous U.S. missions over the past 37 years. These generators produce power by converting heat into electrical energy; the heat is provided by the natural radioactive decay of plutonium-238 dioxide, a non-weapons-grade material. RTGs enable spacecraft to operate at significant distances from the Sun where solar power systems would not be feasible. Cassini will travel two billion miles to reach Saturn and another 1.1 billion miles while in orbit around Saturn. Cassini is undergoing final preparations for liftoff on a Titan IVB/Centaur launch vehicle, with the launch window opening at 4:55 a.m. EDT, Oct. 13
1997-10-10
At Launch Complex 40 on Cape Canaveral Air Station, workers are installing three Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generators (RTGs) on the Cassini spacecraft. RTGs are lightweight, compact spacecraft electrical power systems that have flown successfully on 23 previous U.S. missions over the past 37 years. These generators produce power by converting heat into electrical energy; the heat is provided by the natural radioactive decay of plutonium-238 dioxide, a non-weapons-grade material. RTGs enable spacecraft to operate at significant distances from the Sun where solar power systems would not be feasible. Cassini will travel two billion miles to reach Saturn and another 1.1 billion miles while in orbit around Saturn. Cassini is undergoing final preparations for liftoff on a Titan IVB/Centaur launch vehicle, with the launch window opening at 4:55 a.m. EDT, Oct. 13
1997-10-10
At Launch Complex 40 on Cape Canaveral Air Station, workers are installing three Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generators (RTGs) on the Cassini spacecraft. RTGs are lightweight, compact spacecraft electrical power systems that have flown successfully on 23 previous U.S. missions over the past 37 years. These generators produce power by converting heat into electrical energy; the heat is provided by the natural radioactive decay of plutonium-238 dioxide, a non-weapons-grade material. RTGs enable spacecraft to operate at significant distances from the Sun where solar power systems would not be feasible. Cassini will travel two billion miles to reach Saturn and another 1.1 billion miles while in orbit around Saturn. Cassini is undergoing final preparations for liftoff on a Titan IVB/Centaur launch vehicle, with the launch window opening at 4:55 a.m. EDT, Oct. 13
1997-10-10
At Launch Complex 40 on Cape Canaveral Air Station, workers are installing three Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generators (RTGs) on the Cassini spacecraft. RTGs are lightweight, compact spacecraft electrical power systems that have flown successfully on 23 previous U.S. missions over the past 37 years. These generators produce power by converting heat into electrical energy; the heat is provided by the natural radioactive decay of plutonium-238 dioxide, a non-weapons-grade material. RTGs enable spacecraft to operate at significant distances from the Sun where solar power systems would not be feasible. Cassini will travel two billion miles to reach Saturn and another 1.1 billion miles while in orbit around Saturn. Cassini is undergoing final preparations for liftoff on a Titan IVB/Centaur launch vehicle, with the launch window opening at 4:55 a.m. EDT, Oct. 13