NASA Successfully Launches Suborbital Rocket from Wallops with Student Experiments

NASA Image and Video Library

2015-06-25

NASA successfully launched a NASA Terrier-Improved Orion suborbital sounding rocket carrying student experiments with the RockOn/RockSat-C programs at 6 a.m., today More than 200 middle school and university students and instructors participating in Rocket Week at Wallops were on hand to witness the launch. Through RockOn and RockSat-C students are learning and applying skills required to develop experiments for suborbital rocket flight. In addition, middle school educators through the Wallops Rocket Academy for Teachers (WRATS) are learning about applying rocketry basics in their curriculum. The payload flew to an altitude of 71.4 miles and descended by parachute into the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Wallops. Payload recovery is in progress. The next launch from NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility is a Black Brant IX suborbital sounding rocket currently scheduled between 6 and 10 a.m., July 7. For more information on NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility, visit: www.nasa.gov/wallops 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

Student experimenters successfully launch suborbital rocket from NASA Wallops

NASA Image and Video Library

2015-06-25

NASA successfully launched a NASA Terrier-Improved Orion suborbital sounding rocket carrying student experiments with the RockOn/RockSat-C programs at 6 a.m., today. More than 200 middle school and university students and instructors participating in Rocket Week at Wallops were on hand to witness the launch. Through RockOn and RockSat-C students are learning and applying skills required to develop experiments for suborbital rocket flight. In addition, middle school educators through the Wallops Rocket Academy for Teachers (WRATS) are learning about applying rocketry basics in their curriculum. The payload flew to an altitude of 71.4 miles and descended by parachute into the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Wallops. Payload recovery is in progress. The next launch from NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility is a Black Brant IX suborbital sounding rocket currently scheduled between 6 and 10 a.m., July 7. Credits: NASA Wallops Optics Lab 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 NASA Sounding Rocket Program and space sciences.

PubMed

Gurkin, L W

1992-10-01

High altitude suborbital rockets (sounding rockets) have been extensively used for space science research in the post-World War II period; the NASA Sounding Rocket Program has been on-going since the inception of the Agency and supports all space science disciplines. In recent years, sounding rockets have been utilized to provide a low gravity environment for materials processing research, particularly in the commercial sector. Sounding rockets offer unique features as a low gravity flight platform. Quick response and low cost combine to provide more frequent spaceflight opportunities. Suborbital spacecraft design practice has achieved a high level of sophistication which optimizes the limited available flight times. High data-rate telemetry, real-time ground up-link command and down-link video data are routinely used in sounding rocket payloads. Standard, off-the-shelf, active control systems are available which limit payload body rates such that the gravitational environment remains less than 10(-4) g during the control period. Operational launch vehicles are available which can provide up to 7 minutes of experiment time for experiment weights up to 270 kg. Standard payload recovery systems allow soft impact retrieval of payloads. When launched from White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico, payloads can be retrieved and returned to the launch site within hours.

The NASA Sounding Rocket Program and space sciences

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gurkin, L. W.

1992-01-01

High altitude suborbital rockets (sounding rockets) have been extensively used for space science research in the post-World War II period; the NASA Sounding Rocket Program has been on-going since the inception of the Agency and supports all space science disciplines. In recent years, sounding rockets have been utilized to provide a low gravity environment for materials processing research, particularly in the commercial sector. Sounding rockets offer unique features as a low gravity flight platform. Quick response and low cost combine to provide more frequent spaceflight opportunities. Suborbital spacecraft design practice has achieved a high level of sophistication which optimizes the limited available flight times. High data-rate telemetry, real-time ground up-link command and down-link video data are routinely used in sounding rocket payloads. Standard, off-the-shelf, active control systems are available which limit payload body rates such that the gravitational environment remains less than 10(-4) g during the control period. Operational launch vehicles are available which can provide up to 7 minutes of experiment time for experiment weights up to 270 kg. Standard payload recovery systems allow soft impact retrieval of payloads. When launched from White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico, payloads can be retrieved and returned to the launch site within hours.

Introduction to Orbital Sciences Corporation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1991-01-01

A general overview of the Orbital Sciences Corporation (OSC) is presented. The following topics are covered: (1) manpower, facilities, and financial growth; (2) organization and management team; (3) the Space Data Division organization; (4) the Chandler facility; (5) Space Data-Products and Services; (6) space transportation systems; (7) spacecraft and space support systems; (8) turn-key suborbital launch services and support systems; and (9) OSC suborbital booster performance.

Life Sciences Research and Development Opportunities During Suborbital Space Flight

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Davis, Jeffrey R.

2010-01-01

Suborbital space platforms provide a unique opportunity for Space Life Sciences in the next few years. The opportunities include: physiological characterization of the first few minutes of space flight; evaluation of a wide-variety of medical conditions during periods of hyper and hypo-gravity through physiological monitoring; and evaluation of new biomedical and environmental health technologies under hyper and hypo-gravity conditions

Opportunities for research in space life sciences aboard commercial suborbital flights.

PubMed

Wagner, Erika B; Charles, John B; Cuttino, Charles Marsh

2009-11-01

The emergence of commercial suborbital spaceflight offers a wide range of new research and development opportunities for those in the space life sciences. Large numbers of diverse flyers, frequent re-flights, and flexible operations provide a fertile ground for both basic and applied science, as well as technology demonstrations. This commentary explores some of the unique features available to the space life science community and encourages engagement with commercial developers and operators during the design phase to help optimize platform designs and operations for future research.

The New Commercial Suborbital Vehicles: An Opportunity for Scientific and Microgravity Research

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moro-Aguilar, Rafael

2014-11-01

As of 2013, a number of companies had announced their intention to start flying suborbital vehicles, capable of transporting people to high altitudes out of any airport or launch site, on a commercial and regular basis. According to several studies, a market for suborbital "space tourism" exists. Another very promising application of suborbital flight is scientific research. The present paper provides an overview of the potential of commercial suborbital flight for science, including microgravity research. Suborbital flight provides a much-needed intermediate-duration opportunity between research performed in Earth orbit and more affordable but shorter duration alternatives, such as drop towers and zero-g parabolic flights. Moreover, suborbital flight will be less expensive and more frequent than both orbital flight and sounding rockets, and it has the capability to fly into sub-orbit the researcher together with the payload, and thus enable on-site interaction with the experiment. In the United States, both the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and a number of private institutions have already shown interest in conducting scientific experiments, particularly microgravity research, aboard these new platforms. Researchers who intend to participate in future suborbital flights as payload specialists will need training, given the physical challenges posed by the flight. Finally, suborbital researchers may also want to have a basic knowledge of the legal status that will apply to them as passengers of such flights.

The NASA Suborbital Program: A status review

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Teeter, R.; Reynolds, B.

1983-01-01

The status of the NASA suborbital program is reviewed and its importance to astrophysical and geophysical programs is assessed. A survey of past scientific and developmental accomplishments, an examination of the trends in program costs, and an analysis of current and future program roles are included. The technical disciplines examined are primarily those of astronomy/astrophysics/solar physics and magnetospheric/ionospheric/ atmospheric physics.

Growing Minority Student Interest in Earth and Space Science with Suborbital and Space-related Investigations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Austin, S. A.

2009-12-01

This presentation describes the transformative impact of student involvement in suborbital and Cubesat investigations under the MECSAT program umbrella at Medgar Evers College (MEC). The programs evolved from MUSPIN, a NASA program serving minority institutions. The MUSPIN program supported student internships for the MESSENGER and New Horizons missions at the Applied Physics Lab at John Hopkins University. The success of this program motivated the formation of smaller-scale programs at MEC to engage a wider group of minority students using an institutional context. The programs include an student-instrument BalloonSAT project, ozone investigations using sounding vehicles and a recently initiated Cubesat program involving other colleges in the City University of New York (CUNY). The science objectives range from investigations of atmospheric profiles, e.g. temperature, humidity, pressure, and CO2 to ozone profiles in rural and urban areas including comparisons with Aura instrument retrievals to ionospheric scintillation experiments for the Cubesat project. Through workshops and faculty collaborations, the evolving programs have mushroomed to include the development of parallel programs with faculty and students at other minority institutions both within and external to CUNY. The interdisciplinary context of these programs has stimulated student interest in Earth and Space Science and includes the use of best practices in retention and pipelining of underrepresented minority students in STEM disciplines. Through curriculum integration initiatives, secondary impacts are also observed supported by student blogs, social networking sites, etc.. The program continues to evolve including related student internships at Goddard Space Flight Center and the development of a CUNY-wide interdisciplinary team of faculty targeting research opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students in Atmospheric Science, Space Weather, Remote Sensing and Astrobiology primarily for Cubesat and related vehicles. The Cubesat extension benefits from specifications developed by Stanford University and California Polytechnical State University which provides low-profile, entry-level access for student-based science and engineering investigations in low-earth orbits and the availability of Commercial-Off-The-Shelf components including a Cubesat kit developed by Pumpkin, Inc. The programs have also benefited from partnerships with other universities including Montana State University, University of Vermont, University of Rhode Island and Cornell University. The programs are presently supported by funding from NSF Geoscience, the New York State Space Grant Consortium and a National Space Grant Minority Serving Institution Partnership award.

Earth Adventure: Virtual Globe-based Suborbital Atmospheric Greenhouse Gases Exploration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wei, Y.; Landolt, K.; Boyer, A.; Santhana Vannan, S. K.; Wei, Z.; Wang, E.

2016-12-01

The Earth Venture Suborbital (EVS) mission is an important component of NASA's Earth System Science Pathfinder program that aims at making substantial advances in Earth system science through measurements from suborbital platforms and modeling researches. For example, the Carbon in Arctic Reservoirs Vulnerability Experiment (CARVE) project of EVS-1 collected measurements of greenhouse gases (GHG) on local to regional scales in the Alaskan Arctic. The Atmospheric Carbon and Transport - America (ACT-America) project of EVS-2 will provide advanced, high-resolution measurements of atmospheric profiles and horizontal gradients of CO2 and CH4.As the long-term archival center for CARVE and the future ACT-America data, the Oak Ridge National Laboratory Distributed Active Archive Center (ORNL DAAC) has been developing a versatile data management system for CARVE data to maximize their usability. One of these efforts is the virtual globe-based Suborbital Atmospheric GHG Exploration application. It leverages Google Earth to simulate the 185 flights flew by the C-23 Sherpa aircraft in 2012-2015 for the CARVE project. Based on Google Earth's 3D modeling capability and the precise coordinates, altitude, pitch, roll, and heading info of the aircraft recorded in every second during each flight, the application provides users accurate and vivid simulation of flight experiences, with an active 3D visualization of a C-23 Sherpa aircraft in view. This application provides dynamic visualization of GHG, including CO2, CO, H2O, and CH4 captured during the flights, at the same pace of the flight simulation in Google Earth. Photos taken during those flights are also properly displayed along the flight paths. In the future, this application will be extended to incorporate more complicated GHG measurements (e.g. vertical profiles) from the ACT-America project. This application leverages virtual globe technology to provide users an integrated framework to interactively explore information about GHG measurements and to link scientific measurements to the rich virtual planet environment provided by Google Earth. Positive feedbacks have been received from users. It provides a good example of extending basic data visualization into a knowledge discovery experience and maximizing the usability of Earth science observations.

A High School Research-Oriented Academy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Adkins, J.

2011-12-01

For the past several years Deer Valley High School (Antioch, CA) has hosted a science research academy (DVSRA). This academy has promoted original student primary research in engineering, behavior science, astronomy and physics topics and initiated the school's first entries into science fair and directed a number of students into science careers. During the previous school year the Antioch Unified School District has supported the expansion of the academy into a general research academy encompassing all areas of science and humanities, a move into a new building, purchase of a new planetarium and the development of a collegiate academy model making it easier to integrate the academy into the larger school's academic program. The presentation will discuss the design of the academy and the involvement of students in projects connected to the Teachers in Space Suborbital Flight Opportunity program, NASA's WISE, Mars Global Surveyor, Spitzer, and other missions.

The ISS flight of Richard Garriott: a template for medicine and science investigation on future spaceflight participant missions.

PubMed

Jennings, Richard T; Garriott, Owen K; Bogomolov, Valery V; Pochuev, Vladimir I; Morgun, Valery V; Garriott, Richard A

2010-02-01

A total of eight commercial spaceflight participants have launched to the International Space Station (ISS) on Soyuz vehicles. Based on an older mean age compared to career astronauts and an increased prevalence of medical conditions, spaceflight participants have provided the opportunity to learn about the effect of space travel on crewmembers with medical problems. The 12-d Soyuz TMA-13/12 ISS flight of spaceflight participant Richard Garriott included medical factors that required preflight intervention, risk mitigation strategies, and provided the opportunity for medical study on-orbit. Equally important, Mr. Garriott conducted extensive medical, scientific, and educational payload operations during the flight. These included 7 medical experiments and a total of 15 scientific projects such as protein crystal growth, Earth observations/photography, educational projects with schools, and amateur radio. The medical studies included the effect of microgravity on immune function, sleep, bone loss, corneal refractive surgery, low back pain, motion perception, and intraocular pressure. The overall mission success resulted from non-bureaucratic agility in mission planning, cooperation with investigators from NASA, ISS, International Partners, and the Korean Aerospace Research Institute, in-flight support and leadership from a team with spaceflight and Capcom experience, and overall mission support from the ISS program. This article focuses on science opportunities that suborbital and orbital spaceflight participant flights offer and suggests that the science program on Richard Garriott's flight be considered a model for future orbital and suborbital missions. The medical challenges are presented in a companion article.

Flight project data book, 1991

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1991-01-01

The Office of Space Science and Applications (OSSA) is responsible for planning, directing, executing, and evaluating that part of the overall NASA program that has as its goal the use of the unique characteristics of the space environment to conduct a scientific study of the universe, to solve practical problems on Earth, and to provide the scientific research foundation for expanding human presence beyond Earth into the solar system. OSSA manages the development of NASA's flight instrumentation for space science and applications including free flying spacecraft, Shuttle and Space Station payloads, and the suborbital sounding rockets, balloons, and aircraft programs. A summary is provided of future flight missions, including those approved and currently under development and those which appear in the OSSA strategic plan.

New Platforms for Suborbital Astronomical Observations and In Situ Atmospheric Measurements: Spacecraft, Instruments, and Facilities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rodway, K.; DeForest, C. E.; Diller, J.; Vilas, F.; Sollitt, L. S.; Reyes, M. F.; Filo, A. S.; Anderson, E.

2014-12-01

Suborbital astronomical observations have over 50 years' history using NASA's sounding rockets and experimental space planes. The new commercial space industry is developing suborbital reusable launch vehicles (sRLV's) to provide low-cost, flexible, and frequent access to space at ~100 km altitude. In the case of XCOR Aerospace's Lynx spacecraft, the vehicle design and capabilities work well for hosting specially designed experiments that can be flown with a human-tended researcher or alone with the pilot on a customized mission. Some of the first-generation instruments and facilities that will conduct solar observations on dedicated Lynx science missions include the SwRI Solar Instrument Pointing Platform (SSIPP) and Atsa Suborbital Observatory, as well as KickSat sprites, which are picosatellites for in situ atmospheric and solar phenomena measurements. The SSIPP is a demonstration two-stage pointed solar observatory that operates inside the Lynx cockpit. The coarse pointing stage includes the pilot in the feedback loop, and the fine stage stabilizes the solar image to achieve arcsecond class pointing. SSIPP is a stepping-stone to future external instruments that can operate with larger apertures and shorter wavelengths in the solar atmosphere. The Planetary Science Institute's Atsa Suborbital Observatory combines the strengths of ground-based observatories and space-based observing to create a facility where a telescope is maintained and used interchangeably with either in-house facility instruments or user-provided instruments. The Atsa prototype is a proof of concept, hand-guided camera that mounts on the interior of the Lynx cockpit to test target acquisition and tracking for human-operated suborbital astronomy. KickSat sprites are mass-producible, one inch printed circuit boards (PCBs) populated by programmable off the shelf microprocessors and radios for real time data transmission. The sprite PCBs can integrate chip-based radiometers, magnetometers, accelerometers, etc. This low-cost, customizable platform provides researchers the ability to design immediately responsive, repeatable, high resolution experiments.

The SLICE, CHESS, and SISTINE Ultraviolet Spectrographs: Rocket-Borne Instrumentation Supporting Future Astrophysics Missions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

France, Kevin; Hoadley, Keri; Fleming, Brian T.; Kane, Robert; Nell, Nicholas; Beasley, Matthew; Green, James C.

2016-03-01

NASA’s suborbital program provides an opportunity to conduct unique science experiments above Earth’s atmosphere and is a pipeline for the technology and personnel essential to future space astrophysics, heliophysics, and atmospheric science missions. In this paper, we describe three astronomy payloads developed (or in development) by the Ultraviolet Rocket Group at the University of Colorado. These far-ultraviolet (UV) (100-160nm) spectrographic instruments are used to study a range of scientific topics, from gas in the interstellar medium (accessing diagnostics of material spanning five orders of magnitude in temperature in a single observation) to the energetic radiation environment of nearby exoplanetary systems. The three instruments, Suborbital Local Interstellar Cloud Experiment (SLICE), Colorado High-resolution Echelle Stellar Spectrograph (CHESS), and Suborbital Imaging Spectrograph for Transition region Irradiance from Nearby Exoplanet host stars (SISTINE) form a progression of instrument designs and component-level technology maturation. SLICE is a pathfinder instrument for the development of new data handling, storage, and telemetry techniques. CHESS and SISTINE are testbeds for technology and instrument design enabling high-resolution (R>105) point source spectroscopy and high throughput imaging spectroscopy, respectively, in support of future Explorer, Probe, and Flagship-class missions. The CHESS and SISTINE payloads support the development and flight testing of large-format photon-counting detectors and advanced optical coatings: NASA’s top two technology priorities for enabling a future flagship observatory (e.g. the LUVOIR Surveyor concept) that offers factors of ˜50-100 gain in UV spectroscopy capability over the Hubble Space Telescope. We present the design, component level laboratory characterization, and flight results for these instruments.

NASA's Suborbital Missions Teach Engineering and Technology: Goddard Space Flight Center's Wallops Flight Facility

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Winterton, Joyce L.

2016-01-01

A 50 minute-workshop based on NASA publicly available information will be conducted at the International Technology and Engineering Educator Association annual conference. Attendees will include middle and high school teachers and university teacher educators. Engineering and technology are essential to NASA's suborbital missions including sounding rockets, scientific balloon and airborne science. The attendees will learn how to include NASA information on these missions in their teaching.

Computational model for simulation small testing launcher, technical solution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chelaru, Teodor-Viorel; Cristian, Barbu; Chelaru, Adrian

2014-12-01

The purpose of this paper is to present some aspects regarding the computational model and technical solutions for multistage suborbital launcher for testing (SLT) used to test spatial equipment and scientific measurements. The computational model consists in numerical simulation of SLT evolution for different start conditions. The launcher model presented will be with six degrees of freedom (6DOF) and variable mass. The results analysed will be the flight parameters and ballistic performances. The discussions area will focus around the technical possibility to realize a small multi-stage launcher, by recycling military rocket motors. From technical point of view, the paper is focused on national project "Suborbital Launcher for Testing" (SLT), which is based on hybrid propulsion and control systems, obtained through an original design. Therefore, while classical suborbital sounding rockets are unguided and they use as propulsion solid fuel motor having an uncontrolled ballistic flight, SLT project is introducing a different approach, by proposing the creation of a guided suborbital launcher, which is basically a satellite launcher at a smaller scale, containing its main subsystems. This is why the project itself can be considered an intermediary step in the development of a wider range of launching systems based on hybrid propulsion technology, which may have a major impact in the future European launchers programs. SLT project, as it is shown in the title, has two major objectives: first, a short term objective, which consists in obtaining a suborbital launching system which will be able to go into service in a predictable period of time, and a long term objective that consists in the development and testing of some unconventional sub-systems which will be integrated later in the satellite launcher as a part of the European space program. This is why the technical content of the project must be carried out beyond the range of the existing suborbital vehicle programs towards the current technological necessities in the space field, especially the European one.

Computational model for simulation small testing launcher, technical solution

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

Chelaru, Teodor-Viorel, E-mail: teodor.chelaru@upb.ro; Cristian, Barbu, E-mail: barbucr@mta.ro; Chelaru, Adrian, E-mail: achelaru@incas.ro

The purpose of this paper is to present some aspects regarding the computational model and technical solutions for multistage suborbital launcher for testing (SLT) used to test spatial equipment and scientific measurements. The computational model consists in numerical simulation of SLT evolution for different start conditions. The launcher model presented will be with six degrees of freedom (6DOF) and variable mass. The results analysed will be the flight parameters and ballistic performances. The discussions area will focus around the technical possibility to realize a small multi-stage launcher, by recycling military rocket motors. From technical point of view, the paper ismore » focused on national project 'Suborbital Launcher for Testing' (SLT), which is based on hybrid propulsion and control systems, obtained through an original design. Therefore, while classical suborbital sounding rockets are unguided and they use as propulsion solid fuel motor having an uncontrolled ballistic flight, SLT project is introducing a different approach, by proposing the creation of a guided suborbital launcher, which is basically a satellite launcher at a smaller scale, containing its main subsystems. This is why the project itself can be considered an intermediary step in the development of a wider range of launching systems based on hybrid propulsion technology, which may have a major impact in the future European launchers programs. SLT project, as it is shown in the title, has two major objectives: first, a short term objective, which consists in obtaining a suborbital launching system which will be able to go into service in a predictable period of time, and a long term objective that consists in the development and testing of some unconventional sub-systems which will be integrated later in the satellite launcher as a part of the European space program. This is why the technical content of the project must be carried out beyond the range of the existing suborbital vehicle programs towards the current technological necessities in the space field, especially the European one.« less

Pushing the Boundaries of X-ray Grating Spectroscopy in a Suborbital Rocket

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

McEntaffer, Randall L.; DeRoo, Casey; Schultz, Ted; Zhang, William W.; Murray, Neil J.; O'Dell, Stephen; Cash, Webster

2013-01-01

Developments in grating spectroscopy are paramount for meeting the soft X-ray science goals of future NASA X-ray Observatories. While developments in the laboratory setting have verified the technical feasibility of using off-plane reflection gratings to reach this goal, flight heritage is a key step in the development process toward large missions. To this end we have developed a design for a suborbital rocket payload employing an Off-Plane X-ray Grating Spectrometer. This spectrometer utilizes slumped glass Wolter-1 optics, an array of gratings, and a CCD camera. We discuss the unique capabilities of this design, the expected performance, the science return, and the perceived impact to future missions.

A Sub-Orbital Platform for Flight Tests of Small Space Capsules

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pereira, P. Moraes A. L., Jr.; Silva, C. R.; Villas Bôas, D. J.; Corrêa, F., Jr.; Miyoshi, J. H.; Loures da Costa, L. E.

2002-01-01

In the development of a small recoverable space capsule, flight tests using sub-orbital rockets are considered. For this test series, a platform for aerodynamic and thermal measurements as also for qualification tests of onboard sub-systems and equipment was specified and is actually under development. This platform, known as SARA Suborbital, is specified to withstand a sub-orbital flight with the high performance sounding rocket VS40 and to be recovered at the sea. To perform the testing program, a flight trajectory with adequate aeroballistic parameters, as for instance high velocities in dense atmosphere and average re-entry velocity, is considered. The testing program includes measurements of aerodynamic pressures and thermal characteristics, three- axis acceleration, acoustic pressure level inside the platform and vibration environment. Beside this, tests to characterise the performance of the data acquisition and transmission system, the micro-gravity environment and to qualify the recovery system will be carried out. During the return flight, the dynamics of parachutes deployment and platform water impact, as also rescue procedures will also be observed. The present article shows the concept of the platform, describes in detail the experiments, and concludes with a discussion on the flight trajectory and recovery procedure.

The Effects of Training on Anxiety and Task Performance in Simulated Suborbital Spaceflight.

PubMed

Blue, Rebecca S; Bonato, Frederick; Seaton, Kimberly; Bubka, Andrea; Vardiman, Johnené L; Mathers, Charles; Castleberry, Tarah L; Vanderploeg, James M

2017-07-01

In commercial spaceflight, anxiety could become mission-impacting, causing negative experiences or endangering the flight itself. We studied layperson response to four varied-length training programs (ranging from 1 h-2 d of preparation) prior to centrifuge simulation of launch and re-entry acceleration profiles expected during suborbital spaceflight. We examined subject task execution, evaluating performance in high-stress conditions. We sought to identify any trends in demographics, hemodynamics, or similar factors in subjects with the highest anxiety or poorest tolerance of the experience. Volunteers participated in one of four centrifuge training programs of varied complexity and duration, culminating in two simulated suborbital spaceflights. At most, subjects underwent seven centrifuge runs over 2 d, including two +Gz runs (peak +3.5 Gz, Run 2) and two +Gx runs (peak +6.0 Gx, Run 4) followed by three runs approximating suborbital spaceflight profiles (combined +Gx and +Gz, peak +6.0 Gx and +4.0 Gz). Two cohorts also received dedicated anxiety-mitigation training. Subjects were evaluated on their performance on various tasks, including a simulated emergency. Participating in 2-7 centrifuge exposures were 148 subjects (105 men, 43 women, age range 19-72 yr, mean 39.4 ± 13.2 yr, body mass index range 17.3-38.1, mean 25.1 ± 3.7). There were 10 subjects who withdrew or limited their G exposure; history of motion sickness was associated with opting out. Shorter length training programs were associated with elevated hemodynamic responses. Single-directional G training did not significantly improve tolerance. Training programs appear best when high fidelity and sequential exposures may improve tolerance of physical/psychological flight stressors. The studied variables did not predict anxiety-related responses to these centrifuge profiles.Blue RS, Bonato F, Seaton K, Bubka A, Vardiman JL, Mathers C, Castleberry TL, Vanderploeg JM. The effects of training on anxiety and task performance in simulated suborbital spaceflight. Aerosp Med Hum Perform. 2017; 88(7):641-650.

Conference on Medical Results of the First U.S. Manned Suborbital Space Flight

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1961-01-01

This document is a compilation of papers presented at a Conference on the Medical Results of the First U.S. Manned Suborbital Space Flight. This conference was held by the NASA, in cooperation with the National Institutes of Health and the National Academy of Sciences, at the U.S. Department of State Auditorium on June 6, 1961. The papers were prepared by representatives of the NASA Space Task Group in collaboration with personnel from various Department of Defense medical installations, the University of Pennsylvania, and McDonnell Aircraft Corporation.

Low Noise Camera for Suborbital Science Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hyde, David; Robertson, Bryan; Holloway, Todd

2015-01-01

Low-cost, commercial-off-the-shelf- (COTS-) based science cameras are intended for lab use only and are not suitable for flight deployment as they are difficult to ruggedize and repackage into instruments. Also, COTS implementation may not be suitable since mission science objectives are tied to specific measurement requirements, and often require performance beyond that required by the commercial market. Custom camera development for each application is cost prohibitive for the International Space Station (ISS) or midrange science payloads due to nonrecurring expenses ($2,000 K) for ground-up camera electronics design. While each new science mission has a different suite of requirements for camera performance (detector noise, speed of image acquisition, charge-coupled device (CCD) size, operation temperature, packaging, etc.), the analog-to-digital conversion, power supply, and communications can be standardized to accommodate many different applications. The low noise camera for suborbital applications is a rugged standard camera platform that can accommodate a range of detector types and science requirements for use in inexpensive to mid range payloads supporting Earth science, solar physics, robotic vision, or astronomy experiments. Cameras developed on this platform have demonstrated the performance found in custom flight cameras at a price per camera more than an order of magnitude lower.

The Fastrack Suborbital Platform for Microgravity Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Levine, H. G.; Ball, J. E.; Shultz, D.; Odyssey, A.; Wells, H. W.; Soler, R. R.; Albino, S.; Meshberger, R. J.; Murdoch, T.

2009-01-01

The FASTRACK suborbital experiment platform has been developed to provide a capability for utilizing 2.5-5 minute microgravity flight opportunities anticipated from the commercial suborbital fleet (currently in development) for science investigations, technology development and hardware testing. It also provides "express rack" functionality to deliver payloads to ISS. FASTRACK fits within a 24" x 24" x 36" (61 cm x 61 cm x 91.4 cm) envelope and is capable of supporting either two single Middeck Locker Equivalents (MLE) or one double MLE configuration. Its overall mass is 300 lbs (136 kg), of which 160 lbs (72 kg) is reserved for experiments. FASTRACK operates using 28 VDC power or batteries. A support drawer located at the bottom of the structure contains all ancillary electrical equipment (including batteries, a conditioned power system and a data collection system) as well as a front panel that contains all switches (including remote cut-off), breakers and warning LEDs.

MUSIC Successfully Launched from NASA Wallops

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-12-08

The Multiple User Suborbital Instrument Carrier or MUSIC payload was successfully launched at 9:50 a.m. today on a Terrier-Improved Malemute suborbital sounding rocket from NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility. The payload flew to approximately 115 miles apogee and preliminary analysis shows good data was received. Payload recovery is in progress. The next launch from Wallops is between 7 and 10 a.m. EST, Monday, March 7. Three space technology payloads will be carried on a Terrier-Improved Orion suborbital sounding rocket. Credit: NASA/Wallops/Allison Stancil 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

Overview of the Nasa/science Mission Directorate University Student Instrument Project (usip)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pierce, D. L.

2016-12-01

These are incredible times of space and Earth science discovery related to the Earth system, our Sun, the planets, and the universe. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Science Mission Directorate (SMD) provides authentic student-led hands-on flight research projects as a component part of the NASA's science program. The goal of the Undergraduate Student Instrument Project (USIP) is to enable student-led scientific and technology investigations, while also providing crucial hands-on training opportunities for the Nation's future researchers. SMD, working with NASA's Office of Education (OE), the Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD) and its Centers (GSFC/WFF and AFRC), is actively advancing the vision for student flight research using NASA's suborbital and small spacecraft platforms. Recently proposed and selected USIP projects will open up opportunities for undergraduate researchers in conducting science and developing space technologies. The paper will present an overview of USIP, results of USIP-I, and the status of current USIP-II projects that NASA is sponsoring and expects to fly in the near future.

Flight programs and X-ray optics development at MSFC

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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

The X-ray astronomy group at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) is developing electroformed nickel/cobalt x-ray optics for suborbital and orbital experiments. Suborbital instruments include the Focusing X-ray Solar Imager (FOXSI) and Micro-X sounding rocket experiments and the HEROES balloon payload. Our current orbital program is the fabrication of mirror modules for the Astronomical Roentgen Telescope (ART) to be launched on board the Russian-German Spectrum Roentgen Gamma Mission (SRG). A second component of our work is the development of fabrication techniques and optical metrology to improve the angular resolution of thin-shell optics to the arcsecond-level.

Flight Programs and X-ray Optics Development at MSFC

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

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

2012-01-01

The X-ray astronomy group at the Marshall Space Flight Center is developing electroformed nickel/cobalt x-ray optics for suborbital and orbital experiments. Suborbital instruments include the Focusing X-ray Solar Imager (FOXSI) and Micro-X sounding rocket experiments and the HERO balloon payload. Our current orbital program is the fabrication of a series of mirror modules for the Astronomical Roentgen Telescope (ART) to be launched on board the Russian-German Spectrum Roentgen Gamma Mission (SRG.) The details and status of these various programs are presented. A second component of our work is the development of fabrication techniques and optical metrology to improve the angular resolution of thin shell optics to the arcsecond-level. The status of these x-ray optics technology developments is also presented.

Solar and airglow measurements aboard the two suborbital flights NASA 36.098 and 36.107

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Woods, Thomas N.

1994-01-01

This suborbital program, involving the University of Colorado (CU), National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), University of California at Berkeley (UCB), and Boston University (BU), has resulted in two rocket flights from the White Sands Missile Range, one in 1992 and one in 1993 as NASA 36.098 and 36.107 respectively. The rocket payload includes five solar instruments and one airglow instrument from CU/NCAR and one solar instrument and two airglow instruments from UCB/BU. This report discusses results on solar radiation measurements and the study of thermospheric airglow, namely the photoelectron excited emissions from N2 and O, for the CU/NCAR program.

The Undergraduate Student Instrument Project (USIP) - building the STEM workforce by providing exciting, multi-disciplinary, student-led suborbital flight projects.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dingwall, B. J.

2015-12-01

NASA's Science Mission Directorate (SMD) recognizes that suborbital carriers play a vital role in training our country's future science and technology leaders. SMD created the Undergraduate Student Instrument Project (USIP) to offer students the opportunity to design, build, and fly instruments on NASA's unique suborbital research platforms. This paper explores the projects, the impact, and the lessons learned of USIP. USIP required undergraduate teams to design, build, and fly a scientific instrument in 18 months or less. Students were required to form collaborative multidisciplinary teams to design, develop and build their instrument. Teams quickly learned that success required skills often overlooked in an academic environment. Teams quickly learned to share technical information in a clear and concise manner that could be understood by other disciplines. The aggressive schedule required team members to hold each other accountable for progress while maintaining team unity. Unanticipated problems and technical issues led students to a deeper understanding of the need for schedule and cost reserves. Students exited the program with a far deeper understanding of project management and team dynamics. Through the process of designing and building an instrument that will enable new research transforms students from textbook learners to developers of new knowledge. The initial USIP project funded 10 undergraduate teams that flew a broad range of scientific instruments on scientific balloons, sounding rockets, commercial rockets and aircraft. Students were required to prepare for and conduct the major reviews that are an integral part of systems development. Each project conducted a Preliminary Design Review, Critical Design Review and Mission Readiness review for NASA officials and flight platform providers. By preparing and presenting their designs to technical experts, the students developed a deeper understanding of the technical and programmatic project pieces that were necessary for success. A student survey was conducted to assess the impact of USIP. Over 90% of students reported a significant improvement in their technical and project management skills. Perhaps more importantly, 88% of students reported that they have a far better appreciation for the value of multi-disciplinary teams.

Flight Project Data Book

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1992-01-01

The Office of Space Science and Applications (OSSA) is responsible for the overall planning, directing, executing, and evaluating that part of the overall NASA program that has the goal of using the unique characteristics of the space environment to conduct a scientific study of the universe, to understand how the Earth works as an integrated system, to solve practical problems on Earth, and to provide the scientific and technological research foundation for expanding human presence beyond Earth orbit into the solar system. OSSA guides its program toward leadership through its pursuit of excellence across the full spectrum of disciplines. OSSA pursues these goals through an integrated program of ground-based laboratory research and experimentation, suborbital flight of instruments on airplanes, balloons, and sounding rockets; flight of instruments and the conduct of research on the Shuttle/Spacelab system and on Space Station Freedom; and development and flight of automated Earth-orbiting and interplanetary spacecraft. The OSSA program is conducted with the participation and support of other Government agencies and facilities, universities throughout the United States, the aerospace contractor community, and all of NASA's nine Centers. In addition, OSSA operates with substantial international participation in many aspects of our Space Science and Applications Program. OSSA's programs currently in operation, those approved for development, and those planned for future missions are described.

78 FR 40196 - National Environmental Policy Act; Sounding Rockets Program; Poker Flat Research Range

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-07-03

...; Sounding Rockets Program; Poker Flat Research Range AGENCY: National Aeronautics and Space Administration... Sounding Rockets Program (SRP) at Poker Flat Research Range (PFRR), Alaska. SUMMARY: Pursuant to the... government agencies, and educational institutions have conducted suborbital rocket launches from the PFRR...

Suborbital Science Program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vachon, Jacques; Curry, Robert E.

2010-01-01

Program Objectives: 1) Satellite Calibration and Validation: Provide methods to perform the cal/val requirements for Earth Observing System satellites. 2) New Sensor Development: Provide methods to reduce risk for new sensor concepts and algorithm development prior to committing sensors to operations. 3) Process Studies: Facilitate the acquisition of high spatial/temporal resolution focused measurements that are required to understand small atmospheric and surface structures which generate powerful Earth system effects. 4) Airborne Networking: Develop disruption-tolerant networking to enable integrated multiple scale measurements of critical environmental features. Dryden Capabilities include: a) Aeronautics history of aircraft developments and milestones. b) Extensive history and experience in instrument integration. c) Extensive history and experience in aircraft modifications. d) Strong background in international deployments. e) Long history of reliable and dependable execution of projects. f) Varied aircraft types providing different capabilities, performance and duration.

77 FR 61642 - National Environmental Policy Act; Sounding Rockets Program; Poker Flat Research Range

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-10-10

...; Sounding Rockets Program; Poker Flat Research Range AGENCY: National Aeronautics and Space Administration... Sounding Rockets Program (SRP) at Poker Flat Research Range (PFRR), Alaska. SUMMARY: Pursuant to the... educational institutions have conducted suborbital rocket launches from the PFRR. While the PFRR is owned and...

Earth Science Capability Demonstration Project

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cobleigh, Brent

2006-01-01

A viewgraph presentation reviewing the Earth Science Capability Demonstration Project is shown. The contents include: 1) ESCD Project; 2) Available Flight Assets; 3) Ikhana Procurement; 4) GCS Layout; 5) Baseline Predator B Architecture; 6) Ikhana Architecture; 7) UAV Capability Assessment; 8) The Big Picture; 9) NASA/NOAA UAV Demo (5/05 to 9/05); 10) NASA/USFS Western States Fire Mission (8/06); and 11) Suborbital Telepresence.

Smallsats, Cubesats and Scientific Exploration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stofan, E. R.

2015-12-01

Smallsats (including Cubesats) have taken off in the aerospace research community - moving beyond simple tools for undergraduate and graduate students and into the mainstream of science research. Cubesats started the "smallsat" trend back in the late 1990's early 2000's, with the first Cubesats launching in 2003. NASA anticipates a number of future benefits from small satellite missions, including lower costs, more rapid development, higher risk tolerance, and lower barriers to entry for universities and small businesses. The Agency's Space Technology Mission Directorate is currently addressing technology gaps in small satellite platforms, while the Science Mission Directorate pursues miniaturization of science instruments. Launch opportunities are managed through the Cubesat Launch Initiative, and the Agency manages these projects as sub-orbital payloads with little program overhead. In this session we bring together scientists and technologists to discuss the current state of the smallsat field. We explore ideas for new investments, new instruments, or new applications that NASA should be investing in to expand the utility of smallsats. We discuss the status of a NASA-directed NRC study on the utility of small satellites. Looking to the future, what does NASA need to invest in now, to enable high impact ("decadal survey" level) science with smallsats? How do we push the envelope? We anticipate smallsats will contribute significantly to a more robust exploration and science program for NASA and the country.

Relevance of the futron/zogby survey conclusions to the current space tourism industry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ziliotto, Véronique

2010-06-01

Thanks to recent technological achievements such as Burt Rutan's SpaceShipOne in 2004, Bigelow's Genesis I in July 2006 and Genesis II in July 2007 and the success of space adventures' flights to the ISS, space tourism is leaving the realm of science-fiction. It is now becoming increasingly familiar to the general public and even recognized by institutional bodies. The Futron/Zogby survey, revised in 2006 and completed with the 2006. Adventurers survey constitutes a good basis to understanding the characteristics of the nascent suborbital market and the profile of the potential customers for both suborbital and orbital travel. The previsions of these studies will be contrasted with recent market and customers' data that was not available at the time.

NASA launches student experiments from Wallops

NASA Image and Video Library

2015-08-12

NASA launched a Terrier-Improved Malemute suborbital sounding rocket carrying the RockSat-X payload with university and community college student experiments at 6:04 a.m. EDT Wednesday, Aug. 12, from NASA’s Wallops Flight Facilityin Virginia. More than 60 students and instructors from across the continental United States, Hawaii and Puerto Rico were on hand to witness the launch of their experiments. The payload flew to an altitude of about 97 miles and descended via parachute into the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Wallops. Payload recovery operations began after lift-off. Developed by students from seven higher education programs, the experiments flew through the RockSat-X program in conjunction with the Colorado Space Grant Consortium. Participating institutions in this flight are the University of Colorado, Boulder; Northwest Nazarene University, Nampa, Idaho; the University of Puerto Rico; the University of Nebraska, Lincoln; Virginia Tech University, Blacksburg; Capitol Technology University, Laurel, Maryland; and University of Hawai'i Community Colleges at the Honolulu, Kapi'olani, Kaua'i, and Windward campuses. The next launch scheduled from Wallops is a NASA Black Brant IX suborbital sounding rocket carrying several technology development instruments. The launch is scheduled between 7 and 7:41 p.m. Sept. 29. The backup launch days are Sept. 30 through Oct. 12. 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 future of human spaceflight.

PubMed

Reichert, M

2001-01-01

After the Apollo Moon program, the international space station represents a further milestone of humankind in space, International follow-on programs like a manned return to the Moon and a first manned Mars Mission can be considered as the next logical step. More and more attention is also paid to the topic of future space tourism in Earth orbit, which is currently under investigation in the USA, Japan and Europe due to its multibillion dollar market potential and high acceptance in society. The wide variety of experience, gained within the space station program, should be used in order to achieve time and cost savings for future manned programs. Different strategies and roadmaps are investigated for space tourism and human missions to the Moon and Mars, based on a comprehensive systems analysis approach. By using DLR's software tool FAST (Fast Assessment of Space Technologies), different scenarios will be defined, optimised and finally evaluated with respect to mission architecture, required technologies, total costs and program duration. This includes trajectory analysis, spacecraft design on subsystem level, operations and life cycle cost analysis. For space tourism, an expected evolutionary roadmap will be described which is initiated by short suborbital tourism and ends with visionary designs like the Space Hotel Berlin and the Space Hotel Europe concept. Furthermore the potential space tourism market, its economic meaning as well as the expected range of the costs of a space ticket (e.g. $50,000 for a suborbital flight) will be analysed and quantified. For human missions to the Moon and Mars, an international 20 year program for the first decades of the next millennium is proposed, which requires about $2.5 Billion per year for a manned return to the Moon program and about $2.6 Billion per year for the first 3 manned Mars missions. This is about the annual budget, which is currently spend by the USA only for the operations of its Space Shuttle fleet which generally proofs the affordability of such ambitious programs after the build-up of the International Space Station, when corresponding budget might become again available. c 2001. Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

Testing the MODIS Satellite Retrieval of Aerosol Fine-Mode Fraction

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Anderson, Theodore L.; Wu, Yonghua; Chu, D. Allen; Schmid, Beat; Redemann, Jens; Dubovik, Oleg

2005-01-01

Satellite retrievals of the fine-mode fraction (FMF) of midvisible aerosol optical depth, tau, are potentially valuable for constraining chemical transport models and for assessing the global distribution of anthropogenic aerosols. Here we compare satellite retrievals of FMF from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) to suborbital data on the submicrometer fraction (SMF) of tau. SMF is a closely related parameter that is directly measurable by in situ techniques. The primary suborbital method uses in situ profiling of SMF combined with airborne Sun photometry both to validate the in situ estimate of ambient extinction and to take into account the aerosol above the highest flight level. This method is independent of the satellite retrieval and has well-known accuracy but entails considerable logistical and technical difficulties. An alternate method uses Sun photometer measurements near the surface and an empirical relation between SMF and the Angstrom exponent, A, a measure of the wavelength dependence of optical depth or extinction. Eleven primary and fifteen alternate comparisons are examined involving varying mixtures of dust, sea salt, and pollution in the vicinity of Korea and Japan. MODIS ocean retrievals of FMF are shown to be systematically higher than suborbital estimates of SMF by about 0.2. The most significant cause of this discrepancy involves the relationship between 5 and fine-mode partitioning; in situ measurements indicate a systematically different relationship from what is assumed in the satellite retrievals. Based on these findings, we recommend: (1) satellite programs should concentrate on retrieving and validating since an excellent validation program is in place for doing this, and (2) suborbital measurements should be used to derive relationships between A and fine-mode partitioning to allow interpretation of the satellite data in terms of fine-mode aerosol optical depth.

14 CFR 437.67 - Tracking a reusable suborbital rocket.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 14 Aeronautics and Space 4 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Tracking a reusable suborbital rocket. 437... a reusable suborbital rocket. A permittee must— (a) During permitted flight, measure in real time the position and velocity of its reusable suborbital rocket; and (b) Provide position and velocity...

14 CFR 437.67 - Tracking a reusable suborbital rocket.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 14 Aeronautics and Space 4 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Tracking a reusable suborbital rocket. 437... a reusable suborbital rocket. A permittee must— (a) During permitted flight, measure in real time the position and velocity of its reusable suborbital rocket; and (b) Provide position and velocity...

14 CFR 437.67 - Tracking a reusable suborbital rocket.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 14 Aeronautics and Space 4 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Tracking a reusable suborbital rocket. 437... a reusable suborbital rocket. A permittee must— (a) During permitted flight, measure in real time the position and velocity of its reusable suborbital rocket; and (b) Provide position and velocity...

14 CFR 437.67 - Tracking a reusable suborbital rocket.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 14 Aeronautics and Space 4 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Tracking a reusable suborbital rocket. 437... a reusable suborbital rocket. A permittee must— (a) During permitted flight, measure in real time the position and velocity of its reusable suborbital rocket; and (b) Provide position and velocity...

14 CFR 437.67 - Tracking a reusable suborbital rocket.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 14 Aeronautics and Space 4 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Tracking a reusable suborbital rocket. 437... a reusable suborbital rocket. A permittee must— (a) During permitted flight, measure in real time the position and velocity of its reusable suborbital rocket; and (b) Provide position and velocity...

Flight Opportunities: Space Technology Mission Directorate

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Van Dijk, Alexander

2016-01-01

Flight Opportunities enables maturation of new space technologies by funding access to commercially available space-relevant test environments. The program also supports capability development in the commercial suborbital and orbital small satellite launcher markets.

Suborbital Safety Technical Committee- Summary of Proposed Standards & Guidelines

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Quinn, Andy; Atencia Yepez, Amaya; Klicker, Michael; Howard, Diane; Verstraeten, Joram; Other Suborbital Safety TC Members

2013-09-01

There are currently no international safety standards and guidelines to assist designers, operators and authorities in the suborbital domain. There is a launch licensing regime in the United States (US) to assist the forerunners of the suborbital domain however this does not provide a safety approval for the vehicle against set standards or does not have an acceptable level of safety to achieve in terms of design or operation. In Europe a certification framework may be implemented however this (or any regulatory framework) is not in place as yet. This paper summarises the 5 tasks thus far completed by the International Association for the Advancement of Space Safety (IAASS) Suborbital Safety Technical Committee (SS TC) in terms of deriving standards and guidelines for the suborbital domain. The SS TC comprises members from the suborbital industry (US and European vehicle designers), safety experts, legal experts, medical/training experts, prospective spaceport operators and members from the US and European authorities (though these members cannot directly steer the standards and guidelines - they can merely review them for interest and comment on non-policy aspects). The SS TC has been divided into three working groups (WG): Regulatory WG, Technical WG and Operations WG. The 5 tasks that are summarised in this paper include: Regulatory WG - (Task 1) Clarify and promote regulatory framework for suborbital flights (including discussions on Space Law 'v' Air Law for suborbital domain); Technical WG - (Task 1) Defining & Alignment (globally) of Safety Criteria for Suborbital domain using industry best practices, (Task 2) Software/complex hardware certification for suborbital flights; Operations WG - (Task 1) Flight Crew and Spaceflight Participant Medical and Training Standards & Guidelines for suborbital flight, (Task 2) Spaceport Safety Management System. This paper also details the next set of standards and guidelines that will be derived by the SS TC. The paper concludes that these and future IAASS suborbital safety standards and guidelines are needed now and should beconsidered by the industry players before the first commercial flights expected late 2013/early 2014.

Dysrhythmias in Laypersons During Centrifuge-Simulated Suborbital Spaceflight.

PubMed

Suresh, Rahul; Blue, Rebecca S; Mathers, Charles H; Castleberry, Tarah L; Vanderploeg, James M

2017-11-01

There are limited data on cardiac dysrhythmias in laypersons during hypergravity exposure. We report layperson electrocardiograph (ECG) findings and tolerance of dysrhythmias during centrifuge-simulated suborbital spaceflight. Volunteers participated in varied-length centrifuge training programs of 2-7 centrifuge runs over 0.5-2 d, culminating in two simulated suborbital spaceflights of combined +Gz and +Gx (peak +4.0 Gz, +6.0 Gx, duration 5 s). Monitors recorded pre- and post-run mean arterial blood pressure (MAP), 6-s average heart rate (HR) collected at prespecified points during exposures, documented dysrhythmias observed on continuous 3-lead ECG, self-reported symptoms, and objective signs of intolerance on real-time video monitoring. Participating in the study were 148 subjects (43 women). Documented dysrhythmias included sinus pause (N = 5), couplet premature ventricular contractions (N = 4), bigeminy (N = 3), accelerated idioventricular rhythm (N = 1), and relative bradycardia (RB, defined as a transient HR drop of >20 bpm; N = 63). None were associated with subjective symptoms or objective signs of acceleration intolerance. Episodes of RB occurred only during +Gx exposures. Subjects had a higher post-run vs. pre-run MAP after all exposures, but demonstrated no difference in pre- and post-run HR. RB was more common in men, younger individuals, and subjects experiencing more centrifuge runs. Dysrhythmias in laypersons undergoing simulated suborbital spaceflight were well tolerated, though RB was frequently noted during short-duration +Gx exposure. No subjects demonstrated associated symptoms or objective hemodynamic sequelae from these events. Even so, heightened caution remains warranted when monitoring dysrhythmias in laypersons with significant cardiopulmonary disease or taking medications that modulate cardiac conduction.Suresh R, Blue RS, Mathers CH, Castleberry TL, Vanderploeg JM. Dysrhythmias in laypersons during centrifuge-stimulated suborbital spaceflight. Aerosp Med Hum Perform. 2017; 88(11):1008-1015.

New Suborbital Flight Opportunities and Funding

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saltman, Alexander

2013-07-01

New opportunities for suborbital research are on the horizon. Reusable suborbital vehicles will offer immediate and routine space access for scientific payloads, provide access to altitudes around 100 kilometers, create opportunities for low-cost monitoring of upper atmospheric phenomena, as well as small scale solar observation. Reduced operational cost and quick turn-around will enable equipment to be flown opportunistically, in response to specific solar activity, or in continuous test and improvement cycles. Suborbital test flights will also provide opportunities to test prospective satellite instruments in an extended microgravity environment before being launched to orbit, raising the technology readiness level (TRL) of flight hardware and reducing the risk of anomalies during missions. I discuss the capabilities of emerging suborbital vehicles, payload and integration requirements, and funding opportunities for suborbital flights at NASA.

Research Opportunities on board Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Attenborough, S.; Pomerantz, W.; Stephens, K.

2013-09-01

Virgin Galactic is building the world's first commercial spaceline. Our suborbital spaceflight system, pictured in Figure 1, consists of two vehicles: WhiteKnightTwo (WK2) and SpaceShipTwo (SS2). WhiteKnightTwo is a four-engine, dual-fuselage jet aircraft capable of high-altitude heavy lift missions, including, but not limited to fulfilling its role as a mothership for SpaceShipTwo, an air-launched, suborbital spaceplane capable of routinely reaching an apogee up to 110 kilometers. In conjunction, these two vehicles allow access to space and to regions of the atmosphere ranging from the troposphere to the thermosphere; additionally, they provide extended periods of microgravity in a reliable and affordable way. SpaceShipTwo, with a payload capacity of up to 1,300 lbs. (~600 kg), features payload mounting interfaces that are compatible with standard architectures such as NASA Space Shuttle Middeck Lockers, Cargo Transfer Bags, and server racks, in addition to custom structures. With the standard interface, payloads are allowed access to the large 17 inch diameter cabin windows for external observations. Each dedicated research flight will be accompanied by a Virgin Galactic Flight Test Engineer, providing an opportunity for limited in-flight interaction. In addition, tended payloads - a flight that includes the researcher and his or her payload - are also an option. At a price point that is highly competitive with parabolic aircraft and sounding rockets and significantly cheaper than orbital flights, SpaceShipTwo is a unique platform that can provide frequent and repeatable research opportunities. Suborbital flights on SpaceShipTwo offer researchers several minutes of microgravity time and views of the external environment in the upper atmosphere and in outer space. In addition to serving as an important research platform in and of itself, SpaceShipTwo also offers researchers a means to test, iterate, and calibrate experiments designed for orbital platforms, including the International Space Station as well as LauncherOne, Virgin Galactic's dedicated launch vehicle for small (~500 lbs. / ~225 kg) satellites. Flights on SpaceShipTwo can be booked directly through Virgin Galactic. Various funding sources may be available for the research, including through NASA programs such as the Flight Opportunities Program, Game Changing Development Program, or Research Opportunities in Space and Earth Science (ROSES). More information about the SpaceShipTwo research platform, including a detailed Payload User's Guide, can be found at our website: http://www.virgingalactic.com/research.

REVEAL: Software Documentation and Platform Migration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wilson, Michael A.; Veibell, Victoir T.

2011-01-01

The Research Environment for Vehicle Embedded Analysis on Linux (REVEAL) is reconfigurable data acquisition software designed for network-distributed test and measurement applications. In development since 2001, it has been successfully demonstrated in support of a number of actual missions within NASA's Suborbital Science Program. Improvements to software configuration control were needed to properly support both an ongoing transition to operational status and continued evolution of REVEAL capabilities. For this reason the project described in this report targets REVEAL software source documentation and deployment of the software on a small set of hardware platforms different from what is currently used in the baseline system implementation. This presentation specifically describes the actions taken over a ten week period by two undergraduate student interns and serves as an overview of the content of the final report for that internship.

Space Technology Demo at NASA Wallops

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-12-08

A Black Brant IX suborbital sounding rocket is launched at 7:07 p.m., Wednesday October 7, 2015. (NASA Photo/A. Stancil) A Black Brant IX suborbital rocket was launched from NASA's Wallops Flight Facility. The launch occurred at 7:07 p.m. The primary purpose of the flight was to test the performance of the second-stage Black Brant motor. Preliminary indications are that the motor performed as planned. Preliminary data analysis of the technology experiments (vapor tracer deployments) on the payload is in progress. 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

Space Technology Demo at NASA Wallops

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-12-08

A Black Brant IX suborbital sounding rocket is launched at 7:07 p.m., Wednesday October 7, 2015. (NASA Photo/T. Zaperach) A Black Brant IX suborbital rocket was launched from NASA's Wallops Flight Facility. The launch occurred at 7:07 p.m. The primary purpose of the flight was to test the performance of the second-stage Black Brant motor. Preliminary indications are that the motor performed as planned. Preliminary data analysis of the technology experiments (vapor tracer deployments) on the payload is in progress. 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

Corrigendum to "Monte Carlo simulations of the secondary neutron ambient and effective dose equivalent rates from surface to suborbital altitudes and low Earth orbit".

PubMed

El-Jaby, Samy

2016-06-01

A recent paper published in Life Sciences in Space Research (El-Jaby and Richardson, 2015) presented estimates of the secondary neutron ambient and effective dose equivalent rates, in air, from surface altitudes up to suborbital altitudes and low Earth orbit. These estimates were based on MCNPX (LANL, 2011) (Monte Carlo N-Particle eXtended) radiation transport simulations of galactic cosmic radiation passing through Earth's atmosphere. During a recent review of the input decks used for these simulations, a systematic error was discovered that is addressed here. After reassessment, the neutron ambient and effective dose equivalent rates estimated are found to be 10 to 15% different, though, the essence of the conclusions drawn remains unchanged. Crown Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Rockets Launched from NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility

NASA Image and Video Library

2015-02-24

NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility supported the successful launch of three Terrier-Oriole suborbital rockets for the Department of Defense between 2:30 and 2:31 a.m. today, Feb. 24, from NASA’s launch range on the Eastern Shore of Virginia. The next launch from the Wallops Flight Facility is a NASA Terrier-Improved Malemute suborbital sounding rocket between 6 and 9 a.m. on March 27. The rocket will be carrying the Rocksat-X payload carrying university student developed experiments. Credit: NASA/Alison Stancil 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 virtual mission approach: Empowering earth and space science missions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hansen, Elaine

1993-08-01

Future Earth and Space Science missions will address increasingly broad and complex scientific issues. To accomplish this task, we will need to acquire and coordinate data sets from a number of different instrumetns, to make coordinated observations of a given phenomenon, and to coordinate the operation of the many individual instruments making these observations. These instruments will need to be used together as a single ``Virtual Mission.'' This coordinated approach is complicated in that these scientific instruments will generally be on different platforms, in different orbits, from different control centers, at different institutions, and report to different user groups. Before this Virtual Mission approach can be implemented, techniques need to be developed to enable separate instruments to work together harmoniously, to execute observing sequences in a synchronized manner, and to be managed by the Virtual Mission authority during times of these coordinated activities. Enabling technologies include object-oriented designed approaches, extended operations management concepts and distributed computing techniques. Once these technologies are developed and the Virtual Mission concept is available, we believe the concept will provide NASA's Science Program with a new, ``go-as-you-pay,'' flexible, and resilient way of accomplishing its science observing program. The concept will foster the use of smaller and lower cost satellites. It will enable the fleet of scientific satellites to evolve in directions that best meet prevailing science needs. It will empower scientists by enabling them to mix and match various combinations of in-space, ground, and suborbital instruments - combinations which can be called up quickly in response to new events or discoveries. And, it will enable small groups such as universities, Space Grant colleges, and small businesses to participate significantly in the program by developing small components of this evolving scientific fleet.

External Payload Carrier (XPC) - A Novel Platform for Suborbital Research

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schallhorn, Paul; Groves, Curtis; Tatro, Charles; Kutter, Bernard; Szatkowski, Gerald; Bulk, Tim; Pitchford, Brian

2010-01-01

ULA, SAS, and NASA LSP are examining a new platform for suborbital research utilizing the Atlas V Launch Vehicle. The new platform, XPC, fills a new niche within the suborbital realm Large Heavy Lift (approximately 1200 cubic feet, 5000 lb payload). It will not compete with the commercial suborbital launch sector. The XPC will utilize excess performance on Atlas V missions. The Preliminary Design phase is recently underway. The XPC team is soliciting input from potential users.

Ecological Forecasting Project Management with Examples

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Skiles, J. W.; Schmidt, Cindy; Estes, Maury; Turner, Woody

2017-01-01

Once scientists publish results of their projects and studies, all too often they end up on the shelf and are not otherwise used. The NASA Earth Science Division established its Applied Sciences Program (ASP) to apply research findings to help solve and manage real-world problems and needs. ASP-funded projects generally produce decision support systems for operational applications which are expected to last beyond the end of the NASA funding. Because of NASAs unique perspective of looking down on the Earth from space, ASP studies involve the use of remotely sensed information consisting of satellite data and imagery as well as information from sub-orbital platforms. ASP regularly solicits Earth science proposals that address one or more focus areas; disasters mitigation, ecological forecasting, health and air quality, and water resources. Reporting requirements for ASP-funded projects are different from those typical for research grants from NASA and other granting agencies, requiring management approaches different from other programs. This presentation will address the foregoing in some detail and give examples of three ASP-funded ecological forecasting projects that include: 1) the detection and survey of chimpanzee habitat in Africa from space, 2) harmful algal blooms (HABs) in the California Current System affecting aquaculture facilities and marine mammal populations, and 3) a call for the public to identify North America wildlife in Wisconsin using trail camera photos. Contact information to propose to ASP solicitations for those PIs interested is also provided.

Space Technology Demo at NASA Wallops

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-12-08

A vapor cloud is seen after launch of a Black Brant IX suborbital sounding rocket, launched at 7:07 p.m., Wednesday October 7, 2015. (NASA Photo/J. Adkins) A Black Brant IX suborbital rocket was launched from NASA's Wallops Flight Facility. The launch occurred at 7:07 p.m. The primary purpose of the flight was to test the performance of the second-stage Black Brant motor. Preliminary indications are that the motor performed as planned. Preliminary data analysis of the technology experiments (vapor tracer deployments) on the payload is in progress. 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

Low gravity investigations in suborbital rockets

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wessling, Francis C.; Lundquist, Charles A.

1990-01-01

Two series of suborbital rocket missions are outlined which are intended to support materials and biotechnology investigations under microgravity conditions and enhance commercial rocket activity. The Consort series of missions employs the two-stage Starfire I rocket and recovery systems as well as a payload of three sealed or vented cylindrical sections. The Consort 1 and 2 missions are described which successfully supported six classes of experiments each. The Joust program is the second series of rocket missions, and the Prospector rocket is employed to provide comparable payload masses with twice as much microgravity time as the Consort series. The Joust and Consort missions provide 6-8 and 13-15 mins, respectively, of microgravity flight to support such experiments as polymer processing, scientific apparatus testing, and electrodeposition.

14 CFR 437.95 - Inspection of additional reusable suborbital rockets.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... AVIATION ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION LICENSING EXPERIMENTAL PERMITS Terms and Conditions of an Experimental Permit § 437.95 Inspection of additional reusable suborbital rockets. A permittee may launch or reenter additional reusable suborbital rockets of the same design under the permit after...

14 CFR 437.95 - Inspection of additional reusable suborbital rockets.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... AVIATION ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION LICENSING EXPERIMENTAL PERMITS Terms and Conditions of an Experimental Permit § 437.95 Inspection of additional reusable suborbital rockets. A permittee may launch or reenter additional reusable suborbital rockets of the same design under the permit after...

14 CFR 437.95 - Inspection of additional reusable suborbital rockets.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... AVIATION ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION LICENSING EXPERIMENTAL PERMITS Terms and Conditions of an Experimental Permit § 437.95 Inspection of additional reusable suborbital rockets. A permittee may launch or reenter additional reusable suborbital rockets of the same design under the permit after...

14 CFR 437.95 - Inspection of additional reusable suborbital rockets.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... AVIATION ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION LICENSING EXPERIMENTAL PERMITS Terms and Conditions of an Experimental Permit § 437.95 Inspection of additional reusable suborbital rockets. A permittee may launch or reenter additional reusable suborbital rockets of the same design under the permit after...

14 CFR 437.95 - Inspection of additional reusable suborbital rockets.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... AVIATION ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION LICENSING EXPERIMENTAL PERMITS Terms and Conditions of an Experimental Permit § 437.95 Inspection of additional reusable suborbital rockets. A permittee may launch or reenter additional reusable suborbital rockets of the same design under the permit after...

14 CFR 437.3 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... suborbital rocket to the effects of altitude, velocity, acceleration, or burn duration that exceed a level or... area, that a reusable suborbital rocket's instantaneous impact point may not traverse. Key flight... permitted flights may take place. Permitted vehicle means a reusable suborbital rocket operated by a launch...

14 CFR 437.3 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... suborbital rocket to the effects of altitude, velocity, acceleration, or burn duration that exceed a level or... area, that a reusable suborbital rocket's instantaneous impact point may not traverse. Key flight... permitted flights may take place. Permitted vehicle means a reusable suborbital rocket operated by a launch...

14 CFR 437.3 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... suborbital rocket to the effects of altitude, velocity, acceleration, or burn duration that exceed a level or... area, that a reusable suborbital rocket's instantaneous impact point may not traverse. Key flight... permitted flights may take place. Permitted vehicle means a reusable suborbital rocket operated by a launch...

14 CFR 437.3 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... suborbital rocket to the effects of altitude, velocity, acceleration, or burn duration that exceed a level or... area, that a reusable suborbital rocket's instantaneous impact point may not traverse. Key flight... permitted flights may take place. Permitted vehicle means a reusable suborbital rocket operated by a launch...

14 CFR 437.3 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... suborbital rocket to the effects of altitude, velocity, acceleration, or burn duration that exceed a level or... area, that a reusable suborbital rocket's instantaneous impact point may not traverse. Key flight... permitted flights may take place. Permitted vehicle means a reusable suborbital rocket operated by a launch...

78 FR 69741 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Requests for Comments; Clearance of Renewed Approval of...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-11-20

... Permits for Reusable Suborbital Rockets AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT. ACTION: Notice... Number: 2120-0722. Title: Experimental Permits for Reusable Suborbital Rockets. Form Numbers: There are... experimental permits for reusable suborbital rockets to authorize launches for the purpose of research and...

78 FR 51807 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Requests for Comments; Clearance of Renewed Approval of...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-08-21

... Permits for Reusable Suborbital Rockets AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT. ACTION: Notice... INFORMATION: OMB Control Number: 2120-0722. Title: Experimental Permits for Reusable Suborbital Rockets. Form... experimental permits for reusable suborbital rockets to authorize launches for the purpose of research and...

The Advantages, Potentials and Safety of VTOL Suborbital Space Tourism Operations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ridzuan Zakaria, N.; Nasrun, N.; Abu, J.; Jusoh, A.; Azim, L.; Said, A.; Ishak, S.; Rafidi Zakaria, N.

2012-01-01

Suborbital space tourism offers short-time zero gravity and Earth view from space to its customers, and a package that can offer the longest duration of zero- gravity and the most exciting Earth view from space to its customer can be considered a better one than the others. To increase the duration of zero gravity time involves the design and engineering of the suborbital vehicles, but to improve the view of Earth from space aboard a suborbital vehicle, involves more than just the design and engineering of the vehicle, but more on the location of where the vehicle operates. So far, most of the proposed operations of suborbital space tourism vehicles involve a flight to above 80km and less than 120km and taking-off and landing at the same location. Therefore, the operational location of the suborbital vehicle clearly determines the view of earth from space that will be available to its passengers. The proposed operational locations or spaceports usually are existing airports such as the airport at Curacao Island in the Caribbean or spaceport specially built at locations with economic interests such as Spaceport America in New Mexico or an airport that is going to be built, such as SpaceportSEA in Selangor, Malaysia. Suborbital vehicles operating from these spaceports can only offer limited views of Earth from space which is only few thousand kilometers of land or sea around their spaceports, and a clear view of only few hundred kilometers of land or sea directly below them, even though the views can be enhanced by the application of optical devices. Therefore, the view of some exotic locations such as a colorful coral reef, and phenomena such as a smoking volcano on Earth which may be very exciting when viewed from space will not be available on these suborbital tourism packages. The only possible way for the passengers of a suborbital vehicle to view such exotic locations and phenomena is by flying above or near them, and since it will not be economic and will be more risky for a suborbital vehicle to fly above such objects after taking off from a spaceport far away from the object, and later returning to the spaceport, the way to go is to have the operation of the suborbital vehicle near the exotic locations. Unfortunately, some exotic locations such as a tropical archipelago in the middle of a clear blue ocean or a permanent icecap on a mountain range with variety of vegetation around it due to differences in height may not have suitable runway to function as spaceport, and for such reason, VTOL (vertical take-off and landing) capability for suborbital tourism vehicle may be worth considered. VTOL suborbital space tourism vehicle may not operate from a remote uneconomical location even though the location is near an exotic viewing target, but such vehicle may operate from a luxury super yacht that can sail to exotic locations around the world, and during the journey, the passengers can be trained and prepared for the flight of their life. Such is an advantage and potential of VTOL suborbital space tourism vehicle, but VTOL operation can be more complex than a conventional operation and therefore will increase the risk of operation, and for this reason the safety issue for such operation is very significant. This paper explores and discusses some advantages and potentials of VTOL suborbital space tourism operations and safety issues related to them. It also describes a couple of proposed concepts of VTOL suborbital tourism vehicles and potential exotic locations on Earth to be viewed from such vehicles.

14 CFR 437.31 - Verification of operating area containment and key flight-safety event limitations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

...(a) to contain its reusable suborbital rocket's instantaneous impact point within an operating area... limits on the ability of the reusable suborbital rocket to leave the operating area; or (2) Abort... requirements of § 437.59 to conduct any key flight-safety event so that the reusable suborbital rocket's...

14 CFR 437.31 - Verification of operating area containment and key flight-safety event limitations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

...(a) to contain its reusable suborbital rocket's instantaneous impact point within an operating area... limits on the ability of the reusable suborbital rocket to leave the operating area; or (2) Abort... requirements of § 437.59 to conduct any key flight-safety event so that the reusable suborbital rocket's...

14 CFR 437.31 - Verification of operating area containment and key flight-safety event limitations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

...(a) to contain its reusable suborbital rocket's instantaneous impact point within an operating area... limits on the ability of the reusable suborbital rocket to leave the operating area; or (2) Abort... requirements of § 437.59 to conduct any key flight-safety event so that the reusable suborbital rocket's...

14 CFR 437.31 - Verification of operating area containment and key flight-safety event limitations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

...(a) to contain its reusable suborbital rocket's instantaneous impact point within an operating area... limits on the ability of the reusable suborbital rocket to leave the operating area; or (2) Abort... requirements of § 437.59 to conduct any key flight-safety event so that the reusable suborbital rocket's...

14 CFR 437.31 - Verification of operating area containment and key flight-safety event limitations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

...(a) to contain its reusable suborbital rocket's instantaneous impact point within an operating area... limits on the ability of the reusable suborbital rocket to leave the operating area; or (2) Abort... requirements of § 437.59 to conduct any key flight-safety event so that the reusable suborbital rocket's...

Pre-flight sensorimotor adaptation protocols for suborbital flight.

PubMed

Shelhamer, Mark; Beaton, Kara

2012-01-01

Commercial suborbital flights, which include 3-5 minutes of 0 g between hyper-g launch and landing phases, will present suborbital passengers with a challenging sensorimotor experience. Based on the results of neurovestibular research in parabolic and orbital flight, and the anticipated wide range of fitness and experience levels of suborbital passengers, neurovestibular disturbances are likely to be problematic in this environment. Pre-flight adaptation protocols might alleviate some of these issues. Therefore, we describe a set of sensorimotor tests to evaluate passengers before suborbital flight, including assessment of the angular vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR), ocular skew and disconjugate torsion, subjective visual vertical, and roll vection. Performance on these tests can be examined for correlations with in-flight experience, such as motion sickness, disorientation, and visual disturbances, based on questionnaires and cabin video recordings. Through an understanding of sensorimotor adaptation to parabolic and orbital flight, obtained from many previous studies, we can then suggest appropriate pre-flight adaptation procedures.

[Doctor, may I travel in space? Aeromedical considerations regarding commercial suborbital space flights].

PubMed

Haerkens, Marck H T M; Simons, Ries; Kuipers, André

2011-01-01

Within a few years, the first commercial operators will start flying passengers on suborbital flights to the verge of space. Medical data on the effects of space journeys on humans have mainly been provided by professional astronauts. There is very little research into the aeromedical consequences of suborbital flights for the health of untrained passengers. Low air pressure and oxygen tension can be compensated for by pressurising the spacecraft or pressure suit. Rapid changes in gravitational (G-)force pose ultimate challenges to cardiovascular adaptation mechanisms. Zero-gravity and G-force may cause motion sickness. Vibrations and noise during the flight may disturb communication between passengers and crew. In addition, the psychological impact of a suborbital flight should not be underestimated. There are currently no legal requirements available for medical examinations for commercial suborbital flights, but it seems justifiable to establish conditions for potential passengers' states of health.

14 CFR Appendix D to Part 420 - Impact Dispersion Areas and Casualty Expectancy Estimate for an Unguided Suborbital Launch Vehicle

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... launch of an unguided suborbital launch vehicle remains at acceptable levels. (2) An applicant shall base... flights of an unguided suborbital launch vehicle launched at an 84 degree elevation. (2) An applicant... 100 nm are required at no greater than 1° × 1° latitude/longitude grid coordinates. (c) Overflight...

77 FR 14855 - Notice of Availability and Request for Comment on the Draft Environmental Assessment (EA) for the...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-03-13

... Reusable Suborbital Rockets at the Mojave Air and Space Port AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA... of SpaceShipTwo Reusable Suborbital Rockets at the Mojave Air and Space Port. The Draft EA was... licenses to operate SpaceShipTwo Reusable Suborbital Rockets and WhiteKnightTwo carrier aircraft at the...

The NASA Space Communications Data Networking Architecture

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Israel, David J.; Hooke, Adrian J.; Freeman, Kenneth; Rush, John J.

2006-01-01

The NASA Space Communications Architecture Working Group (SCAWG) has recently been developing an integrated agency-wide space communications architecture in order to provide the necessary communication and navigation capabilities to support NASA's new Exploration and Science Programs. A critical element of the space communications architecture is the end-to-end Data Networking Architecture, which must provide a wide range of services required for missions ranging from planetary rovers to human spaceflight, and from sub-orbital space to deep space. Requirements for a higher degree of user autonomy and interoperability between a variety of elements must be accommodated within an architecture that necessarily features minimum operational complexity. The architecture must also be scalable and evolvable to meet mission needs for the next 25 years. This paper will describe the recommended NASA Data Networking Architecture, present some of the rationale for the recommendations, and will illustrate an application of the architecture to example NASA missions.

REVEAL: Software Documentation and Platform Migration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wilson, Michael A.; Veibell, Victoir T.; Freudinger, Lawrence C.

2008-01-01

The Research Environment for Vehicle Embedded Analysis on Linux (REVEAL) is reconfigurable data acquisition software designed for network-distributed test and measurement applications. In development since 2001, it has been successfully demonstrated in support of a number of actual missions within NASA s Suborbital Science Program. Improvements to software configuration control were needed to properly support both an ongoing transition to operational status and continued evolution of REVEAL capabilities. For this reason the project described in this report targets REVEAL software source documentation and deployment of the software on a small set of hardware platforms different from what is currently used in the baseline system implementation. This report specifically describes the actions taken over a ten week period by two undergraduate student interns and serves as a final report for that internship. The topics discussed include: the documentation of REVEAL source code; the migration of REVEAL to other platforms; and an end-to-end field test that successfully validates the efforts.

Development of the DL/H-1 full pressure suit for private spaceflight

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

León, Pablo de; Harris, Gary L.

2010-06-01

The objective of this paper is to detail the need for full pressure suits to protect spaceflight participants during the experimental phases of flight testing of new space vehicles. It also details the objectives, historical background, basis for design, problems encountered by the designers and final development of the DL/H-1 full pressure suit. It will include justification for its use and results of the initial tests in the high altitude chamber and spacecraft simulator at the J.D. Odegard School of Aerospace Sciences at the University of North Dakota. For the test flights of early commercial space vehicles and tourist suborbital spacecrafts, emergency protection from the rarified air of the upper atmosphere and the vacuum of low Earth orbit almost certainly will be a requirement. Suborbital vehicles could be operating in "space equivalent conditions" for as long as 30 min to as much as several hours. In the case of cabin pressure loss, without personal protection, catastrophic loss of crew and vehicle could result. This paper explains the different steps taken by the authors who designed and built a preflight hardware pressure suit that can meet the physiological and comfort requirements of the tourist suborbital industry and the early commercial private spaceflight community. The suborbital tourist and commercial spaceflight industry have unique problems confronting the pressure suit builder such as unpressurized comfort, reasonable expense, unique sizing of the general population, decompression complications of persons not fitting a past military physiology profile and equipment weight issues. In addition, the lack of a certifying agency or guidance from international or national aviation authorities has created the opportunity for the emerging civilian pressure suit industry to create a new safety standard by which it can regulate itself in the same way the recreational SCUBA diving industry has since the late 1950s.

Suborbital Telepresence and Over-the-Horizon Networking

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Freudinger, Lawrence C.

2007-01-01

A viewgraph presentation describing the suborbital telepresence project utilizing in-flight network computing is shown. The topics include: 1) Motivation; 2) Suborbital Telepresence and Global Test Range; 3) Tropical Composition, Cloud, and Climate Coupling Experiment (TC4); 4) Data Sets for TC4 Real-time Monitoring; 5) TC-4 Notional Architecture; 6) An Application Integration View; 7) Telepresence: Architectural Framework; and 8) Disruption Tolerant Networks.

Neurovestibular Considerations for Sub-Orbital Space Flight: A Framework for Future Investigation

PubMed Central

Karmali, Faisal; Shelhamer, Mark

2013-01-01

Commercial sub-orbital operators will soon offer the excitement of traveling to space to thousands of people. Based on previous experience in space flight and parabolic flight, sensorimotor disruptions in eye movements, postural stability, and motor coordination are likely in these travelers. Here we propose a framework for developing strategies to overcome these sensorimotor disruptions. We delineate how approaches should differ from those applied to orbital flight and between sub-orbital passengers and pilots based on differing frequency of flights and mission objectives. Sensorimotor adaptation is one strategy for overcoming disruptions; an important question is whether it occurs quickly enough to be of use during periods of reduced and enhanced gravity lasting less than five minutes. Data are presented showing that sensorimotor adaptation of the pitch vestibulo-ocular reflex during parabolic flight takes a few consecutive days of flying to overcome an initial disruption. We conclude with recommendations for operators and researchers to improve safety and comfort during sub-orbital operations. We recommend using parabolic flight as a tool for pre-adapting sub-orbital passengers, along with further research into the required quantity and timing of these pre-adaptation flights and the tasks conducted during these flights. Likewise, for sub-orbital pilots, we recommend emphasizing recency of experience. PMID:20555165

Highlights from the First Ever Demographic Study of Solar Physics, Space Physics, and Upper Atmospheric Physics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moldwin, M.; Morrow, C. A.; White, S. C.; Ivie, R.

2014-12-01

Members of the Education & Workforce Working Group and the American Institute of Physics (AIP) conducted the first ever National Demographic Survey of working professionals for the 2012 National Academy of Sciences Solar and Space Physics Decadal Survey to learn about the demographics of this sub-field of space science. The instrument contained questions for participants on: the type of workplace; basic demographic information regarding gender and minority status, educational pathways (discipline of undergrad degree, field of their PhD), how their undergraduate and graduate student researchers are funded, participation in NSF and NASA funded spaceflight missions and suborbital programs, and barriers to career advancement. Using contact data bases from AGU, the American Astronomical Society's Solar Physics Division (AAS-SPD), attendees of NOAA's Space Weather Week and proposal submissions to NSF's Atmospheric, Geospace Science Division, the AIP's Statistical Research Center cross correlated and culled these data bases resulting in 2776 unique email addresses of US based working professionals. The survey received 1305 responses (51%) and generated 125 pages of single space answers to a number of open-ended questions. This talk will summarize the highlights of this first-ever demographic survey including findings extracted from the open-ended responses regarding barriers to career advancement which showed significant gender differences.

NASA Precision Landing Technologies Completes Initial Flight Tests on Vertical Testbed Rocket

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-04-19

This 2-minute, 40-second video shows how over the past 5 weeks, NASA and Masten Space Systems teams have prepared for and conducted sub-orbital rocket flight tests of next-generation lander navigation technology through the CoOperative Blending of Autonomous Landing Technologies (COBALT) project. The COBALT payload was integrated onto Masten’s rocket, Xodiac. The Xodiac vehicle used the Global Positioning System (GPS) for navigation during this first campaign, which was intentional to verify and refine COBALT system performance. The joint teams conducted numerous ground verification tests, made modifications in the process, practiced and refined operations’ procedures, conducted three tether tests, and have now flown two successful free flights. This successful, collaborative campaign has provided the COBALT and Xodiac teams with the valuable performance data needed to refine the systems and prepare them for the second flight test campaign this summer when the COBALT system will navigate the Xodiac rocket to a precision landing. The technologies within COBALT provide a spacecraft with knowledge during entry, descent, and landing that enables it to precisely navigate and softly land close to surface locations that have been previously too risky to target with current capabilities. The technologies will enable future exploration destinations on Mars, the moon, Europa, and other planets and moons. The two primary navigation components within COBALT include the Langley Research Center’s Navigation Doppler Lidar, which provides ultra-precise velocity and line-of-sight range measurements, and Jet Propulsion Laboratory’s Lander Vision System (LVS), which provides navigation estimates relative to an existing surface map. The integrated system is being flight tested onboard a Masten suborbital rocket vehicle called Xodiac. The COBALT project is led by the Johnson Space Center, with funding provided through the Game Changing Development, Flight Opportunities program, and Advanced Exploration Systems programs. Based at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, CA, the Flight Opportunities program funds technology development flight tests on commercial suborbital space providers of which Masten is a vendor. The program has previously tested the LVS on the Masten rocket and validated the technology for the Mars 2020 rover.

14 CFR 437.57 - Operating area containment.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... containment. (a) During each permitted flight, a permittee must contain its reusable suborbital rocket's..., railway traffic, or waterborne vessel traffic. (c) The FAA may prohibit a reusable suborbital rocket's...

14 CFR 437.57 - Operating area containment.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... containment. (a) During each permitted flight, a permittee must contain its reusable suborbital rocket's..., railway traffic, or waterborne vessel traffic. (c) The FAA may prohibit a reusable suborbital rocket's...

14 CFR 437.57 - Operating area containment.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... containment. (a) During each permitted flight, a permittee must contain its reusable suborbital rocket's..., railway traffic, or waterborne vessel traffic. (c) The FAA may prohibit a reusable suborbital rocket's...

14 CFR 437.57 - Operating area containment.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... containment. (a) During each permitted flight, a permittee must contain its reusable suborbital rocket's..., railway traffic, or waterborne vessel traffic. (c) The FAA may prohibit a reusable suborbital rocket's...

14 CFR 437.57 - Operating area containment.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... containment. (a) During each permitted flight, a permittee must contain its reusable suborbital rocket's..., railway traffic, or waterborne vessel traffic. (c) The FAA may prohibit a reusable suborbital rocket's...

The NASA/NSERC Student Airborne Research Program Land Focus Group - a Paid Training Program in Multi-Disciplinary STEM Research for Terrestrial Remote Sensing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kefauver, S. C.; Ustin, S.; Davey, S. W.; Furey, B. J.; Gartner, A.; Kurzweil, D.; Siebach, K. L.; Slawsky, L.; Snyder, E.; Trammell, J.; Young, J.; Schaller, E.; Shetter, R. E.

2011-12-01

The Student Airborne Research Program (SARP) of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the National Suborbital Education and Research Center (NSERC) is a unique six week multidisciplinary paid training program which directly integrates students into the forefront of airborne remote sensing science. Students were briefly trained with one week of lectures and laboratory exercises and then immediately incorporated into ongoing research projects which benefit from access to the DC-8 airborne platform and the MODIS-ASTER Airborne Simulator (MASTER) sensor. Students were split into three major topical categories of Land, Ocean, and Air for the data collection and project portions of the program. This poster details the techniques and structure used for the student integration into ongoing research, professional development, hypothesis building and results as developed by the professor and mentor of the Land focus group. Upon assignment to the Land group, students were issued official research field protocols and split into four field specialty groups with additional specialty reading assignments. In the field each group spent more time in their respective specialty, but also participated in all field techniques through pairings with UC Davis research team members using midday rotations. After the field campaign, each specialty group then gave summary presentations on the techniques, preliminary results, and significance to overall group objectives of their specialty. Then students were required to submit project proposals within the bounds of Land airborne remote sensing science and encouraging, but not requiring the use of the field campaign data. These proposals are then reviewed by the professor and mentor and students are met with one by one to discuss the skills of each student and objectives of the proposed research project. The students then work under the supervision of the mentor and benefit again from professor feedback in a formal practice presentation session. At the end of the six week program, students present to all SARP program focus groups, mentors, professors, and, in addition, NSERC and NASA airborne science and education program directors and personnel.

Feasibility of a low-cost sounding rockoon platform

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Okninski, Adam; Raurell, Daniel Sors; Mitre, Alberto Rodriguez

2016-10-01

This paper presents the results of analyses and simulations for the design of a small sounding platform, dedicated to conducting scientific atmospheric research and capable of reaching the von Kármán line by means of a rocket launched from it. While recent private initiatives have opted for the air launch concept to send small payloads to Low Earth Orbit, several historical projects considered the use of balloons as the first stage of orbital and suborbital platforms, known as rockoons. Both of these approaches enable the minimization of drag losses. This paper addresses the issue of utilizing stratospheric balloons as launch platforms to conduct sub-orbital rocket flights. Research and simulations have been conducted to demonstrate these capabilities and feasibility. A small sounding solid propulsion rocket using commercially-off-the-shelf hardware is proposed. Its configuration and design are analyzed with special attention given to the propulsion system and its possible mission-orientated optimization. The cost effectiveness of this approach is discussed. Performance calculation outcomes are shown. Additionally, sensitivity study results for different design parameters are given. Minimum mass rocket configurations for various payload requirements are presented. The ultimate aim is to enhance low-cost experimentation maintaining high mobility of the system and simplicity of operations. An easier and more affordable access to a space-like environment can be achieved with this system, thus allowing for widespread outreach of space science and technology knowledge. This project is based on earlier experience of the authors in LEEM Association of the Technical University of Madrid and the Polish Small Sounding Rocket Program developed at the Institute of Aviation and Warsaw University of Technology in Poland.

14 CFR 440.3 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... for the launch or reentry of a reusable suborbital rocket. Permitted activity means the launch or reentry of a reusable suborbital rocket conducted under a permit issued by the FAA. Property damage means...

14 CFR 440.3 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... for the launch or reentry of a reusable suborbital rocket. Permitted activity means the launch or reentry of a reusable suborbital rocket conducted under a permit issued by the FAA. Property damage means...

14 CFR 440.3 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... for the launch or reentry of a reusable suborbital rocket. Permitted activity means the launch or reentry of a reusable suborbital rocket conducted under a permit issued by the FAA. Property damage means...

14 CFR 437.7 - Scope of an experimental permit.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... experimental permit. An experimental permit authorizes launch or reentry of a reusable suborbital rocket. The... return the reusable suborbital rocket to a safe condition after it lands or impacts. ...

14 CFR 437.7 - Scope of an experimental permit.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... experimental permit. An experimental permit authorizes launch or reentry of a reusable suborbital rocket. The... return the reusable suborbital rocket to a safe condition after it lands or impacts. ...

14 CFR 437.7 - Scope of an experimental permit.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... experimental permit. An experimental permit authorizes launch or reentry of a reusable suborbital rocket. The... return the reusable suborbital rocket to a safe condition after it lands or impacts. ...

14 CFR 437.7 - Scope of an experimental permit.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... experimental permit. An experimental permit authorizes launch or reentry of a reusable suborbital rocket. The... return the reusable suborbital rocket to a safe condition after it lands or impacts. ...

14 CFR 437.7 - Scope of an experimental permit.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... experimental permit. An experimental permit authorizes launch or reentry of a reusable suborbital rocket. The... return the reusable suborbital rocket to a safe condition after it lands or impacts. ...

14 CFR 417.121 - Safety critical preflight operations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... must satisfy the requirements of § 417.307(b). (i) Unguided suborbital rocket preflight operations. For the launch of an unguided suborbital rocket, in addition to meeting the other requirements of this...

14 CFR 417.121 - Safety critical preflight operations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... must satisfy the requirements of § 417.307(b). (i) Unguided suborbital rocket preflight operations. For the launch of an unguided suborbital rocket, in addition to meeting the other requirements of this...

14 CFR 417.121 - Safety critical preflight operations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... must satisfy the requirements of § 417.307(b). (i) Unguided suborbital rocket preflight operations. For the launch of an unguided suborbital rocket, in addition to meeting the other requirements of this...

14 CFR 417.121 - Safety critical preflight operations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... must satisfy the requirements of § 417.307(b). (i) Unguided suborbital rocket preflight operations. For the launch of an unguided suborbital rocket, in addition to meeting the other requirements of this...

14 CFR 417.121 - Safety critical preflight operations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... must satisfy the requirements of § 417.307(b). (i) Unguided suborbital rocket preflight operations. For the launch of an unguided suborbital rocket, in addition to meeting the other requirements of this...

Progress update on a 2015 USIP interdisciplinary undergraduate student microgravity experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dove, A.; Colwell, J. E.; Brisset, J.; Kirstein, J.; Brightwell, K.; Hayden, R.; Jorges, J.; Schwartzberg, D.; Strange, J.; Yates, A.

2016-12-01

Our team was selected by the 2016 USIP program to build, fly, and analyze the results from a granular dynamics experiment that will fly in 2017 on a suborbital flight. The experiment will be designed to test technology and enable science relevant to low-gravity planetary objects, such as asteroids, comets, and small moons. Following on the success of previous NASA Flight Opportunities Program (FOP) and Undergraduate Student Instrumentation Project (USIP) projects, however, the primary driver of the project is to enable undergraduate student participation in the entire lifetime of a science and technology development project. Our mentoring team consists of faculty, postdoctoral researchers, and graduate students, who have experience with the past USIP program and similar projects, as well as with mentoring undergraduate students. The undergraduate team includes a diversity of major disciplines, including physics, mechanical/aerospace engineering, electrical engineering, business (accounting), and marketing. Each team member has specific project tasks, as outlined in the proposal, and all members will also help develop and participate in outreach events. In additional to their project roles, students will also be responsible for presentations and milestones, such as design reviews. Through these reviews and the outreach events, all team members have the chance to develop their technical and non-technical communication skills. Previous experience with the NASA USIP program demonstrated that students achieve significant growth through these projects -gaining a better understanding of the entire lifecycle of a project, and, likely more importantly, how to work with a diverse team. In this talk, we will discuss the status of the project, and present student impressions and thoughts on the project thus far.

The Balloon Experimental Twin Telescope for Infrared Interferometry (BETTII): Spatially Resolved Spectroscopy in the Far-Infrared

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rinehart, Stephen

2009-01-01

Astronomical studies at infrared wavelengths have dramatically improved our understanding of the universe, and observations with Spitzer, the upcoming Herschel mission, and SOFIA will continue to provide exciting new discoveries. The relatively low angular resolution of these missions, however, is insufficient to resolve the physical scale on which mid-to far-infrared emission arises, resulting in source and structure ambiguities that limit our ability to answer key science questions. Interferometry enables high angular resolution at these wavelengths - a powerful tool for scientific discovery. We will build the Balloon Experimental Twin Telescope for Infrared Interferometry (BETTII), an eight-meter baseline Michelson stellar interferometer to fly on a high-altitude balloon. BETTII's spectral-spatial capability, provided by an instrument using double-Fourier techniques, will address key questions about the nature of disks in young star clusters and active galactic nuclei and the envelopes of evolved stars. BETTII will also lay the technological groundwork for future space interferometers and for suborbital programs optimized for studying extrasolar planets.

High Altitude Balloons as a Platform for Space Radiation Belt Science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mazzino, L.; Buttenschoen, A.; Farr, Q.; Hodgson, C.; Johnson, W.; Mann, I. R.; Rae, J.; University of Alberta High Altitude Balloons (UA-HAB)

2011-12-01

The goals of the University of Alberta High Altitude Balloons Program (UA-HAB) are to i) use low cost balloons to address space radiation science, and ii) to utilise the excitement of "space mission" involvement to promote and facilitate the recruitment of undergraduate and graduate students in physics, engineering, and atmospheric sciences to pursue careers in space science and engineering. The University of Alberta High Altitude Balloons (UA-HAB) is a unique opportunity for University of Alberta students (undergraduate and graduate) to engage in the hands-on design, development, build, test and flight of a payload to operate on a high altitude balloon at around 30km altitude. The program development, including formal design and acceptance tests, reports and reviews, mirror those required in the development of an orbital satellite mission. This enables the students to gain a unique insight into how space missions are flown. UA-HAB is a one and half year program that offers a gateway into a high-altitude balloon mission through hands on experience, and builds skills for students who may be attracted to participate in future space missions in their careers. This early education will provide students with the experience necessary to better assess opportunities for pursuing a career in space science. Balloons offer a low-cost alternative to other suborbital platforms which can be used to address radiation belt science goals. In particular, the participants of this program have written grant proposal to secure funds for this project, have launched several 'weather balloon missions', and have designed, built, tested, and launched their particle detector called "Maple Leaf Particle Detector". This detector was focussed on monitoring cosmic rays and space radiation using shielded Geiger tubes, and was flown as one of the payloads from the institutions participating in the High Altitude Student Platform (HASP), organized by the Louisiana State University and the Louisiana Space Consortium (LaSpace), and sponsored by NASA. The HASP platform was launched from Fort Sumner, New Mexico, and to an altitude of about 36kilometers with flight durations of 15 to 20 hours using a small volume, low pressure balloon. The main objectives of the program, the challenges involved in developing it, and the major achievements and outcomes will be discussed. Future opportunities for the use of high altitude balloons for solar-terrestrial science, such as the diagnosis of radiation belt loss through the flight of alternative X-ray scintillator payloads, on short duration weather balloon flights will also be discussed. The UA-HAB project is undertaken with the financial support of the Canadian Space Agency.

Occupational exposure to ionizing radiation for crews of suborbital spacecraft : questions & answers.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2013-12-01

Crewmembers on future suborbital commercial spaceflights will be occupationally exposed to ionizing radiation, principally from galactic cosmic radiation. On infrequent occasions, the sun or thunderstorms may also contribute significantly to the ioni...

FASTRACK (TM): Parabolic and Suborbital Experiment Support Facility

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Richards, Stephanie E. (Compiler); Levine, Howard G.; Romero, V.

2016-01-01

FASTRACK was developed by NASA Kennedy Space Center and Space Florida to provide capabilities to conduct frequent, affordable, and responsive flight opportunities for reduced gravity experiments, technology development, and hardware testing on suborbital vehicles and parabolic flights.

14 CFR 437.53 - Pre-flight and post-flight operations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... operations and systems in preparing a reusable suborbital rocket for flight at a launch site in the United States and returning the reusable suborbital rocket and any support equipment to a safe condition after...

14 CFR 437.53 - Pre-flight and post-flight operations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... operations and systems in preparing a reusable suborbital rocket for flight at a launch site in the United States and returning the reusable suborbital rocket and any support equipment to a safe condition after...

14 CFR 437.53 - Pre-flight and post-flight operations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... operations and systems in preparing a reusable suborbital rocket for flight at a launch site in the United States and returning the reusable suborbital rocket and any support equipment to a safe condition after...

14 CFR 437.53 - Pre-flight and post-flight operations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... operations and systems in preparing a reusable suborbital rocket for flight at a launch site in the United States and returning the reusable suborbital rocket and any support equipment to a safe condition after...

14 CFR 437.53 - Pre-flight and post-flight operations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... operations and systems in preparing a reusable suborbital rocket for flight at a launch site in the United States and returning the reusable suborbital rocket and any support equipment to a safe condition after...

History of suborbital spaceflight: medical and performance issues.

PubMed

Campbell, Mark R; Garbino, Alejandro

2011-04-01

The development of manned sub-orbital commercial space vehicles is rapidly occurring and flight testing followed by operational flights will soon begin. The experience of manned suborbital spaceflight at the designated altitude (100 km/62.14 mi) is very limited--two Mercury-Redstone flights, two X-15 flights, one inadvertent Soyuz launch abort, and three recent SpaceShipOne flights, with only 15 min of critical flight time each. All indications were that the sequence of acceleration-weightlessness-deceleration was well tolerated with minimal neurovestibular dysfunction. However, there are some indications that distraction and spatial disorientation did occur. Vertigo on transition from the boost phase to weightlessness was reported on most high-altitude X-15 flights. +Gz tolerance to re-entry deceleration forces (as high as 6 + Gz) after 4 min of weightlessness is still unknown. Only further suborbital spaceflight experience will clarify if pilot performance will be affected.

Liability and Insurance for Suborbital Flights

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Masson-Zwaan, T.

2012-01-01

This paper analyzes and compares liability and liability insurance in the fields of aviation and spaceflight in order to propose solutions for a liability regime and insurance options for suborbital flights. Suborbital flights can be said to take place in the grey zone between air and space, between air law and space law, as well as between aviation insurance and space insurance. In terms of liability, the paper discusses air law and space law provisions in the fields of second and third party liability for damage to passengers and 'innocent bystanders' respectively, touching upon international treaties, national law and EU law, and on insurance to cover those risks. Although the insurance market is currently not ready to provide tailor-made products for operators of suborbital flights, it is expected to adapt rapidly once such flights will become reality. A hybrid approach will provide the best solution in the medium term.

NASA's Earth Science Flight Program overview

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Neeck, Steven P.; Volz, Stephen M.

2011-11-01

NASA's Earth Science Division (ESD) conducts pioneering work in Earth system science, the interdisciplinary view of Earth that explores the interaction among the atmosphere, oceans, ice sheets, land surface interior, and life itself that has enabled scientists to measure global and climate changes and to inform decisions by governments, organizations, and people in the United States and around the world. The ESD makes the data collected and results generated by its missions accessible to other agencies and organizations to improve the products and services they provide, including air quality indices, disaster management, agricultural yield projections, and aviation safety. In addition to four missions now in development and 14 currently operating on-orbit, the ESD is now developing the first tier of missions recommended by the 2007 Earth Science Decadal Survey and is conducting engineering studies and technology development for the second tier. Furthermore, NASA's ESD is planning implementation of a set of climate continuity missions to assure availability of key data sets needed for climate science and applications. These include a replacement for the Orbiting Carbon Observatory (OCO), OCO-2, planned for launch in 2013; refurbishment of the SAGE III atmospheric chemistry instrument to be hosted by the International Space Station (ISS) as early as 2014; and the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment Follow-On (GRACE FO) mission scheduled for launch in 2016. The new Earth Venture (EV) class of missions is a series of uncoupled, low to moderate cost, small to medium-sized, competitively selected, full orbital missions, instruments for orbital missions of opportunity, and sub-orbital projects.

Space weather biological and systems effects for suborbital flights

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2008-10-31

The Aerospace Corporation was tasked to assess the impacts of space weather on both RLVs and ELVs operating at suborbital altitudes from launch sites located in the low (equatorial regions), middle, and high latitudes. The present report presents a b...

14 CFR 420.5 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 14 Aeronautics and Space 4 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Definitions. 420.5 Section 420.5 Aeronautics and Space COMMERCIAL SPACE TRANSPORTATION, FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF... suborbital launch vehicle means a suborbital rocket that employs an active guidance system. Hazard class...

The Design and Operation of Suborbital Low Cost and Low Risk Vehicle to the Edge of Space (SOLVES)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ridzuan Zakaria, Norul; Nasrun, Nasri; Rashidy Zulkifi, Mohd; Izmir Yamin, Mohd; Othman, Jamaludin; Rafidi Zakaria, Norul

2013-09-01

Inclusive in the planning of Spaceport Malaysia are 2 local suborbital vehicles development. One of the vehicles is called SOLVES or Suborbital Low Cost and Low Risk Vehicle to the Edge of Space. The emphasis on the design and operation of SOLVES is green and robotic technology, where both green technology and robotic technology are used to protect the environment and enhance safety. As SOLVES climbs, its center of gravity stabilizes and remains at the bottom as its propellant being used until it depletes, due to the position of the vehicle's passenger cabin and its engines at its lower end. It will reach 80km from sea level generally known as "the edge of space" due to its momentum although its propellant will be depleted at a lower altitude. As the suborbital vehicle descends tail first, its wings automatically extend and rotate at horizontal axes perpendicular to the fuselage. These naturally and passively rotating wings ensure controlled low velocity and stable descend of the vehicle. The passenger cabin also rotates automatically at a steady low speed at the centerline of its fuselage as it descends, caused naturally by the lift force, enabling its passengers a surrounding 360 degrees view. SOLVES is steered automatically to its landing point by an electrical propulsion system with a vectoring nozzle. The electrical propulsion minimizes space and weight and is free of pollution and noise. Its electrical power comes from a battery aided by power generated by the naturally rotating wings. When the vehicle lands, it is in the safest mode as its propellant is depleted and its center of gravity remains at the bottom of its cabin. The cabin, being located at the bottom of the fuselage, enables very convenient, rapid and safe entry and exit of its passengers. SOLVES will be a robotic suborbital vehicle with green technology. The vehicle will carry 4 passengers and each passenger will be trained to land the vehicle manually if the fully automated landing system fails and therefore it will be engineered for simple operation by trained passengers. However, for certification by aviation authorities the vehicle may be operational with 3 passengers and a pilot. A specific operation considered for SOLVES is navaloperation where the suborbital vehicle will be operating from a seaborne spaceport, probably a superyacht with spacepad for the vertical launching and landing of the vehicle. Such naval operation enables the vehicle to fly above exotic locations reachable by sea. SOLVES is also planned for further development into reusable rocket booster to carry small suborbiter to 160km from sea level, enables the passengers aboard the suborbiter to experience longer zero gravity time and more effective suborbital flight.

Airborne Measurements in Support of the NASA Atmospheric Carbon and Transport - America (ACT-America) Mission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Meadows, Byron; Davis, Ken; Barrick, John; Browell, Edward; Chen, Gao; Dobler, Jeremy; Fried, Alan; Lauvaux, Thomas; Lin, Bing; McGill, Matt;

75 FR 20874 - Agency Information Collection Activity Seeking OMB Approval

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-04-21

... to issue Experimental Permits for reusable suborbital rockets to authorize launches for the purpose... Suborbital Rockets. Type of Request: Extension without change of a currently approved collection. OMB Control... FAA's new authority to issue Experimental Permits for reusable [[Page 20875

Earth Science Microwave Remote Sensing at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kim, Edward; Busalacchi, Antonio J. (Technical Monitor)

2000-01-01

The Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) was established as NASA's first space flight center in 1959. Its 12,000 personnel are active in the Earth and space sciences, astronomy, space physics, tracking and communications. GSFC's mission is to expand our knowledge of the Earth and its environment, the solar system, and the universe through observations from space. The main Goddard campus is located in Greenbelt, Maryland, USA, just north of Washington, D.C. The Wallops Flight Facility (operational since 1945), located on the Atlantic coast of Virginia was consolidated with the Goddard Space Flight Center in 1982. Wallops is now NASA's principal facility for management and implementation of suborbital research programs, and supports a wide variety of airborne science missions as well. As the lead Center for NASA's Earth Science Enterprise (ESE)--a long-term, coordinated research effort to study the Earth as a global environmental system--GSFC scientists and engineers are involved in a wide range of Earth Science remote sensing activities. Their activities range from basic geoscience research to the development of instruments and technology for space missions, as well as the associated Calibration/Validation (Cal/Val) work. The shear breadth of work in these areas precludes an exhaustive description here. Rather, this article presents selected brief overviews of microwave-related Earth Science applications and the ground-based, airborne, and space instruments that are in service, under development, or otherwise significantly involving GSFC. Likewise, contributing authors are acknowledged for each section, but the results and projects they describe represent the cumulative efforts of many persons at GSFC as well as at collaborating institutions. For further information, readers are encouraged to consult the listed websites and references.

Recent Advancements in Atmospheric Measurements Made from NASA Airborne Science Platforms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schill, S.; Bennett, J.; Edmond, K.; Finch, P.; Rainer, S.; Schaller, E. L.; Stith, E.; Van Gilst, D.; Webster, A.; Yang, M. Y.

2017-12-01

Techniques for making atmospheric measurements are as wide-ranging as the atmosphere is complex. From in situ measurements made by land, sea, or air, to remote sensing data collected by satellites orbiting the Earth, atmospheric measurements have been paramount in advancing the combined understanding of our planet. To date, many of these advancements have been enabled by NASA Airborne Science platforms, which provide unique opportunities to make these measurements in remote regions, and to compare them with an ever-increasing archive of remote satellite data. Here, we discuss recent advances and current capabilities of the National Suborbital Research Center (NSRC) which provides comprehensive instrumentation and data system support on a variety of NASA airborne research platforms. Application of these methods to a number of diverse science missions, as well as upcoming project opportunities, will also be discussed.

Operations of Suborbital Research Platforms to Obtain Remote Sensing Data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hines, Dennis O.

2014-01-01

The Armstrong Flight Research Center (AFRC) operates six highly modified aircraft in support the NASA science mission.These include two ER-2 aircraft, a DC-8, a G-III, and two Global Hawks. The NASA science missions demands that these aircraft be deployed around the globe while carrying a variety of science instruments. The ER-2 reconnaissance aircraft provides routine access to altitudes over 70,000 ft (20km) for large payloads and with an endurance of over 10hours. Recently the ER-2s have conducted convective storm research missions in the mid-western United States and supported the development of new instruments. The DC-8 is a four-engine jetliner that operates for up to 12 hours ataltitudes that range from the surface to 42,000 ft (13 km). Although its flight envelope is equivalent to conventional.

Sub-orbital commercial human spaceflight and informed consent.

PubMed

Carminati, Maria-Vittoria; Griffith, Doug; Campbell, Mark R

2011-02-01

Commercial spaceflight is expected to rapidly develop in the near future. This will begin with sub-orbital missions and then progress to orbital flights. Technical informed consent of spaceflight participants is required by the commercial spaceflight operator for regulatory purposes. Additionally, though not required by regulation, the aerospace medicine professional involved in the medical screening of both spaceflight participants and crewmembers will be asked to assist operators in obtaining medical informed consent for liability purposes. The various federal and state regulations regarding informed consent for sub-orbital commercial spaceflight are evolving and are unfamiliar to most aerospace medical professionals and are reviewed and discussed.

National Reconnaissance Almanac

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-01-01

Germany. 1945 Mar. 19: The German V-2 program was abandoned, leaving rocket technology for capture by Allied forces. 1946 Apr. 16: The U.S. Army...first launched captured German V-2 rocket at White Sands, New Mexico during missile testing. May 2: RAND report, “Preliminary Design of Experimental...first human in space. May 5: LCDR Alan Shepard became first American in space during a brief sub-orbital flight. Aug. 30: USAF launched Corona

Suborbital commercial spaceflight crewmember medical issues.

PubMed

2011-04-01

As directed by the Council of the Aerospace Medical Association, the Commercial Spaceflight Working Group has developed the following position paper concerning medical issues for commercial suborbital spaceflight crewmembers. This position paper has been approved by the AsMA Council to become a policy of the AsMA.

NASA Successfully Conducts Wallops Rocket Launch with Technology Experiments

NASA Image and Video Library

2015-07-07

NASA successfully launched a NASA Black Brant IX suborbital sounding rocket carrying two space technology demonstration projects at 6:15 a.m. today. The rocket carried the SOAREX-8 Exo-Brake Flight Test from NASA’s Ames Research Center in California and the Radial Core Heat Spreader from NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Ohio. Preliminary analysis shows that data was received on both projects. The payload flew to an altitude of 206 miles and impacted in the Atlantic Ocean approximately 10 minutes after launch. The payload will not be recovered. The flight was conducted through NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate. The next launch from NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility is a Terrier-Improved Malemute suborbital sounding rocket early in the morning on August 11 carrying the RockSat-X university student payload. For more information on NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility, visit: www.nasa.gov/wallops 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

Advanced Cosmic Ray Composition Experiment for Space Station (ACCESS)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wilson, Thomas L.; Wefel, John P.

1999-01-01

In 1994 the first high-energy particle physics experiment for the Space Station, the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS), was selected by NASA's Administrator as a joint collaboration with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). The AMS program was chartered to place a magnetic spectrometer in Earth orbit and search for cosmic antimatter. A natural consequence of this decision was that NASA would begin to explore cost-effective ways through which the design and implementation of AMS might benefit other promising payload experiments which were evolving from the Office of Space Science. The first such experiment to come forward was ACCESS in 1996. It was proposed as a new mission concept in space physics to place a cosmic-ray experiment of weight, volume, and geometry similar to the AMS on the ISS, and replace the latter as its successor when the AMS is returned to Earth. This was to be an extension of NASA's sub-orbital balloon program, with balloon payloads serving as the precursor flights and heritage for ACCESS. The balloon programs have always been a cost-effective NASA resource since the particle physics instrumentation for balloon and space applications are directly related. The next step was to expand the process, pooling together expertise from various NASA centers and universities while opening up definition of the ACCESS science goals to the international community through the standard practice of peer-review. This process is still on-going and the Accommodation Study presented here will discuss the baseline definition of ACCESS as we understand it today. Further detail on the history, scope, and background of the study is provided in Appendix A.

Scientific and Technical Publishing at Goddard Space Flight Center in Fiscal Year 1994

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1994-01-01

This publication is a compilation of scientific and technical material that was researched, written, prepared, and disseminated by the Center's scientists and engineers during FY94. It is presented in numerical order of the GSFC author's sponsoring technical directorate; i.e., Code 300 is the Office of Flight Assurance, Code 400 is the Flight Projects Directorate, Code 500 is the Mission Operations and Data Systems Directorate, Code 600 is the Space Sciences Directorate, Code 700 is the Engineering Directorate, Code 800 is the Suborbital Projects and Operations Directorate, and Code 900 is the Earth Sciences Directorate. The publication database contains publication or presentation title, author(s), document type, sponsor, and organizational code. This is the second annual compilation for the Center.

14 CFR 420.19 - Launch site location review-general.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... site, at least one type of expendable or reusable launch vehicle can be flown from the launch point... × 10−6). (2) Types of launch vehicles include orbital expendable launch vehicles, guided sub-orbital expendable launch vehicles, unguided sub-orbital expendable launch vehicles, and reusable launch vehicles...

14 CFR 437.59 - Key flight-safety event limitations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... suborbital rocket's instantaneous impact point, including its expected dispersion, is over an unpopulated or... rocket engine, (2) Any staging event, or (3) Any envelope expansion. (b) A permittee must conduct each reusable suborbital rocket flight so that the reentry impact point does not loiter over a populated area. ...

14 CFR 437.21 - General.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... associated with proposed reusable suborbital rocket launches or reentries. The information provided by an... rocket must demonstrate compliance with §§ 460.5, 460.7, 460.11, 460.13, 460.15, 460.17, 460.51 and 460... suborbital rocket, safety system, process, service, or personnel for which the FAA has issued a safety...

14 CFR 437.59 - Key flight-safety event limitations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... suborbital rocket's instantaneous impact point, including its expected dispersion, is over an unpopulated or... rocket engine, (2) Any staging event, or (3) Any envelope expansion. (b) A permittee must conduct each reusable suborbital rocket flight so that the reentry impact point does not loiter over a populated area. ...

14 CFR 437.59 - Key flight-safety event limitations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... suborbital rocket's instantaneous impact point, including its expected dispersion, is over an unpopulated or... rocket engine, (2) Any staging event, or (3) Any envelope expansion. (b) A permittee must conduct each reusable suborbital rocket flight so that the reentry impact point does not loiter over a populated area. ...

14 CFR 437.21 - General.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... associated with proposed reusable suborbital rocket launches or reentries. The information provided by an... rocket must demonstrate compliance with §§ 460.5, 460.7, 460.11, 460.13, 460.15, 460.17, 460.51 and 460... suborbital rocket, safety system, process, service, or personnel for which the FAA has issued a safety...

14 CFR 437.21 - General.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... associated with proposed reusable suborbital rocket launches or reentries. The information provided by an... rocket must demonstrate compliance with §§ 460.5, 460.7, 460.11, 460.13, 460.15, 460.17, 460.51 and 460... suborbital rocket, safety system, process, service, or personnel for which the FAA has issued a safety...

14 CFR 437.21 - General.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... associated with proposed reusable suborbital rocket launches or reentries. The information provided by an... rocket must demonstrate compliance with §§ 460.5, 460.7, 460.11, 460.13, 460.15, 460.17, 460.51 and 460... suborbital rocket, safety system, process, service, or personnel for which the FAA has issued a safety...

14 CFR 437.59 - Key flight-safety event limitations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... suborbital rocket's instantaneous impact point, including its expected dispersion, is over an unpopulated or... rocket engine, (2) Any staging event, or (3) Any envelope expansion. (b) A permittee must conduct each reusable suborbital rocket flight so that the reentry impact point does not loiter over a populated area. ...

14 CFR 437.59 - Key flight-safety event limitations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... suborbital rocket's instantaneous impact point, including its expected dispersion, is over an unpopulated or... rocket engine, (2) Any staging event, or (3) Any envelope expansion. (b) A permittee must conduct each reusable suborbital rocket flight so that the reentry impact point does not loiter over a populated area. ...

14 CFR 437.21 - General.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... associated with proposed reusable suborbital rocket launches or reentries. The information provided by an... rocket must demonstrate compliance with §§ 460.5, 460.7, 460.11, 460.13, 460.15, 460.17, 460.51 and 460... suborbital rocket, safety system, process, service, or personnel for which the FAA has issued a safety...

KSC-2012-5907

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-10-19

VAN HORN, Texas – Blue Origin’s pusher escape system rockets its New Shepard crew capsule away from a simulated propulsion module launch pad at the company's West Texas launch site, demonstrating a key safety system for both suborbital and orbital flights. The pad escape test took the company's suborbital crew capsule to an altitude of 2,307 feet during the flight test before descending safely by parachute to a soft landing 1,630 feet away. The pusher escape system was designed and developed by Blue Origin to allow crew escape in the event of an emergency during any phase of ascent for its suborbital New Shepard system. As part of an incremental development program, the results of this test will shape the design of the escape system for the company's orbital biconic-shaped Space Vehicle. The system is expected to enable full reusability of the launch vehicle, which is different from NASA's previous launch escape systems that would pull a spacecraft away from its rocket before reaching orbit. The test was part of Blue Origin's work supporting its funded Space Act Agreement with NASA during Commercial Crew Development Round 2 CCDev2). Through initiatives like CCDev2, NASA is fostering the development of a U.S. commercial crew space transportation capability with the goal of achieving safe, reliable and cost-effective access to and from the International Space Station and low-Earth orbit. After the capability is matured and available to the government and other customers, NASA could contract to purchase commercial services to meet its station crew transportation needs. For more information, visit www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew. Image credit: Blue Origin

HEASARC - The High Energy Astrophysics Science Archive Research Center

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smale, Alan P.

2011-01-01

The High Energy Astrophysics Science Archive Research Center (HEASARC) is NASA's archive for high-energy astrophysics and cosmic microwave background (CMB) data, supporting the broad science goals of NASA's Physics of the Cosmos theme. It provides vital scientific infrastructure to the community by standardizing science data formats and analysis programs, providing open access to NASA resources, and implementing powerful archive interfaces. Over the next five years the HEASARC will ingest observations from up to 12 operating missions, while serving data from these and over 30 archival missions to the community. The HEASARC archive presently contains over 37 TB of data, and will contain over 60 TB by the end of 2014. The HEASARC continues to secure major cost savings for NASA missions, providing a reusable mission-independent framework for reducing, analyzing, and archiving data. This approach was recognized in the NRC Portals to the Universe report (2007) as one of the HEASARC's great strengths. This poster describes the past and current activities of the HEASARC and our anticipated developments in coming years. These include preparations to support upcoming high energy missions (NuSTAR, Astro-H, GEMS) and ground-based and sub-orbital CMB experiments, as well as continued support of missions currently operating (Chandra, Fermi, RXTE, Suzaku, Swift, XMM-Newton and INTEGRAL). In 2012 the HEASARC (which now includes LAMBDA) will support the final nine-year WMAP data release. The HEASARC is also upgrading its archive querying and retrieval software with the new Xamin system in early release - and building on opportunities afforded by the growth of the Virtual Observatory and recent developments in virtual environments and cloud computing.

On-Board Entry Trajectory Planning Expanded to Sub-orbital Flight

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lu, Ping; Shen, Zuojun

2003-01-01

A methodology for on-board planning of sub-orbital entry trajectories is developed. The algorithm is able to generate in a time frame consistent with on-board environment a three-degree-of-freedom (3DOF) feasible entry trajectory, given the boundary conditions and vehicle modeling. This trajectory is then tracked by feedback guidance laws which issue guidance commands. The current trajectory planning algorithm complements the recently developed method for on-board 3DOF entry trajectory generation for orbital missions, and provides full-envelope autonomous adaptive entry guidance capability. The algorithm is validated and verified by extensive high fidelity simulations using a sub-orbital reusable launch vehicle model and difficult mission scenarios including failures and aborts.

14 CFR 417.125 - Launch of an unguided suborbital launch vehicle.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... elevation angle setting that ensures the rocket will not fly uprange. A launch operator must set the... throughout each stage of powered flight. A caliber, for a rocket configuration, is defined as the distance... rocket configuration. (f) Tracking. A launch operator must track the flight of an unguided suborbital...

14 CFR 417.125 - Launch of an unguided suborbital launch vehicle.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... elevation angle setting that ensures the rocket will not fly uprange. A launch operator must set the... throughout each stage of powered flight. A caliber, for a rocket configuration, is defined as the distance... rocket configuration. (f) Tracking. A launch operator must track the flight of an unguided suborbital...

14 CFR 437.71 - Flight rules.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... rocket-powered flight, a permittee must confirm that all systems and operations necessary to ensure that... endanger the public. (c) A permittee may not operate a reusable suborbital rocket in a careless or reckless... operate a reusable suborbital rocket in areas designated in a Notice to Airmen under § 91.137, § 91.138...

14 CFR 437.71 - Flight rules.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... rocket-powered flight, a permittee must confirm that all systems and operations necessary to ensure that... endanger the public. (c) A permittee may not operate a reusable suborbital rocket in a careless or reckless... operate a reusable suborbital rocket in areas designated in a Notice to Airmen under § 91.137, § 91.138...

14 CFR 437.71 - Flight rules.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... rocket-powered flight, a permittee must confirm that all systems and operations necessary to ensure that... endanger the public. (c) A permittee may not operate a reusable suborbital rocket in a careless or reckless... operate a reusable suborbital rocket in areas designated in a Notice to Airmen under § 91.137, § 91.138...

14 CFR 437.71 - Flight rules.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... rocket-powered flight, a permittee must confirm that all systems and operations necessary to ensure that... endanger the public. (c) A permittee may not operate a reusable suborbital rocket in a careless or reckless... operate a reusable suborbital rocket in areas designated in a Notice to Airmen under § 91.137, § 91.138...

14 CFR 417.125 - Launch of an unguided suborbital launch vehicle.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... elevation angle setting that ensures the rocket will not fly uprange. A launch operator must set the... throughout each stage of powered flight. A caliber, for a rocket configuration, is defined as the distance... rocket configuration. (f) Tracking. A launch operator must track the flight of an unguided suborbital...

14 CFR 417.125 - Launch of an unguided suborbital launch vehicle.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... elevation angle setting that ensures the rocket will not fly uprange. A launch operator must set the... throughout each stage of powered flight. A caliber, for a rocket configuration, is defined as the distance... rocket configuration. (f) Tracking. A launch operator must track the flight of an unguided suborbital...

14 CFR 437.71 - Flight rules.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... rocket-powered flight, a permittee must confirm that all systems and operations necessary to ensure that... endanger the public. (c) A permittee may not operate a reusable suborbital rocket in a careless or reckless... operate a reusable suborbital rocket in areas designated in a Notice to Airmen under § 91.137, § 91.138...

14 CFR 417.125 - Launch of an unguided suborbital launch vehicle.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... elevation angle setting that ensures the rocket will not fly uprange. A launch operator must set the... throughout each stage of powered flight. A caliber, for a rocket configuration, is defined as the distance... rocket configuration. (f) Tracking. A launch operator must track the flight of an unguided suborbital...

Preparation of composite materials in space. Volume 2: Technical report

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Steurer, W. H.; Kaye, S.

1973-01-01

A study to define promising materials, significant processing criteria, and the related processing techniques and apparatus for the preparation of composite materials in space was conducted. The study also established a program for zero gravity experiments and the required developmental efforts. The following composite types were considered: (1) metal-base fiber and particle composites, including cemented compacts, (2) controlled density metals, comprising plain and reinforced metal foams, and (3) unidirectionally solidified eutectic alloys. A program of suborbital and orbital experiments for the 1972 to 1978 time period was established to identify materials, processes, and required experiment equipment.

SCORPIUS, A New Generation of Responsive, Low Cost Expendable Launch Vehicles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Conger, R. E.; Chakroborty, S. P.; Wertz, J. R.

2002-01-01

The Scorpius vehicle family extends from one and two stage sub-orbital vehicles for target and science applications to small, medium and heavy lift orbital vehicles. These new liquid fueled vehicles have LEO and GTO capabilities. Microcosm and the Scorpius Space Launch Company (SSLC) are well into the development of this all-new generation of expendable launch vehicles to support commercial and government missions. This paper presents the projected performance of the family of vehicles, status of the development program and projected launch service prices. The paper will discuss the new low cost ablative engines and low cost pressure-fed LOX/Jet-A propulsion systems. Schedules, payload volumes, dispensers, attach fittings, and planned dual manifest capabilities will be presented. The unique configuration of the wide base first stage allows fairings that may extend beyond the current 4-meters. The Scorpius family is designed to facilitate encapsulated payloads and launch-on-demand. The implications of these new operational procedures will be addressed, including the techniques that will be used to drive down the cost of access to space while improving reliability. The Scorpius family of low cost vehicles addresses the full range of payloads from 700 lbs. in the Sprite Mini-Lift to over 50,000 lbs. to LEO in the Heavy-Lift, and over 18,000 lbs. to GTO. Two sub-orbital vehicles have been developed and successfully launched, with the latest vehicle (SR-XM) launched in March of 2001 from White Sands Missile Range. Development of the family of vehicles commenced in 1993 under contracts with the Air Force Research Laboratory Space Vehicle Directorate after a number of years of independent studies and system engineering. The Sprite Mini-Lift Small Expendable Launch Vehicle (SELV) that utilizes the SR-XM technologies is planned for an initial launch in mid 2005 with larger, scaled-up vehicles to follow.

Engaging College Students at Two-year Campuses in Aerospace Research

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dirienzo, William

2018-01-01

College students at two-year campuses have unique challenges to their learning and are often "nontraditional" students, including first-generation and/or returning adult students. They have little or no exposure to research, related to science and aerospace or otherwise, and so they do not think of these fields as possible careers or understand how the disciplines operate. Exposing these students to real research projects, especially ones that include rocket payloads, have a dramatic effect on the interests and academic success of students. Projects such as these can be quite large and expensive, perhaps prohibitively so for small institutions. We engaged a group of these students through the RockOn and RockSat programs lead by the Colorado Space Grant Consortium, which are programs for postsecondary students to access space with relatively easy access and low cost. The student team designed, built, and flew a scientific payload on a suborbital sounding rocket launched at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. The experiment sent E. coli DNA samples into space to assess the damage and measured the radiation exposure with and without radiation shielding, and assessed the samples for DNA damage upon their return. We report on the process and the effects on the students as part of their experience.

Regulating private human suborbital flight at the international and European level: Tendencies and suggestions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Masson-Zwaan, Tanja; Moro-Aguilar, Rafael

2013-12-01

In the context of the FAST20XX project (Future High-Altitude High-Speed Transport) that started in 2009 under the 7th Framework Programme of the European Union (EU), the authors reexamined the legal status of private human suborbital flight, and researched whether it might be regulated as aviation or as spaceflight. International space law is ambiguous as to accommodating suborbital activities. While some provisions of the UN outer space treaties would seem to exclude them, generally there is not any explicit condition in terms of reaching orbit as a requirement for application. International air law presents equal difficulties in dealing with this activity. The classic definition of "aircraft" as contained in the Annexes to the Chicago Convention does not really encompass the kind of rocket-powered vehicles that are envisaged here. As a result, it is unclear whether the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS), the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), or both could be involved in an eventual international regulation of suborbital flight. In the absence of a uniform international regime, each state has the sovereign right to regulate human suborbital flights operating within its airspace. So far, two practical solutions have been realised or proposed, and will be analyzed. On the one hand, the USA granted power for regulation and licensing over private human suborbital flight to the Office of Commercial Space Transportation of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA/AST). Subsequent regulations by the FAA have set out a series of requirements for companies that want to operate these flights, enabling a market to develop. On the other side of the Atlantic, both the European Space Agency (ESA) and a group of representatives of the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) of the European Union (EU) seem to rather regard this activity as aviation, potentially subject to the regulation and certification competences of EASA, although recent developments may indicate a changed view. Due to these differences, it is uncertain when this activity will be considered aviation and when it will be considered as spaceflight. However, the characterization as either of these has important consequences for the industry and for a stable regulatory landscape. In the longer term, from an international and a European perspective, the best solution for regulation may be to create a sui generis legal regime specifically addressing the particular nature of suborbital flight. Suborbital transportation is neither aviation nor spaceflight; it is rather something in between. A new legal regime would be able to combine notions of both air and space law, in order to overcome and resolve the current deficiencies of each discipline.

Fixed-Base Simulator Studies of the Ability of the Human Pilot to Provide Energy Management Along Abort and Deep-Space Entry Trajectories

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Young, J. W.; Goode, M. W.

1962-01-01

A simulation study has been made to determine a pilot's ability to control a low L/D vehicle to a desired point on the earth with initial conditions ranging from parabolic orbits to abort conditions along the boost phase of a deep-space mission. The program was conducted to develop procedures which would allow the pilot to perform the energy management functions required while avoiding the high deceleration or skipout region and to determine the information display required to aid the pilot in flying these procedures. The abort conditions studied extend from a region of relatively high flight-path angles at suborbital velocities while leaving the atmosphere to a region between orbital and near-escape velocity outside the atmosphere. The conditions studied included guidance from suborbital and superorbital aborts as well as guidance following return from a deepspace mission. In this paper, the role of the human pilot?s ability to combine safe return abort procedures with guidance procedures has been investigated. The range capability from various abort and entry conditions is also presented.

14 CFR 417.233 - Analysis for an unguided suborbital launch vehicle flown with a wind weighting safety system.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... vehicle flown with a wind weighting safety system. 417.233 Section 417.233 Aeronautics and Space... with a wind weighting safety system. For each launch of an unguided suborbital launch vehicle flown with a wind weighting safety system, in addition to the other requirements in this subpart outlined in...

14 CFR 417.233 - Analysis for an unguided suborbital launch vehicle flown with a wind weighting safety system.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... vehicle flown with a wind weighting safety system. 417.233 Section 417.233 Aeronautics and Space... with a wind weighting safety system. For each launch of an unguided suborbital launch vehicle flown with a wind weighting safety system, in addition to the other requirements in this subpart outlined in...

14 CFR 417.233 - Analysis for an unguided suborbital launch vehicle flown with a wind weighting safety system.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... vehicle flown with a wind weighting safety system. 417.233 Section 417.233 Aeronautics and Space... with a wind weighting safety system. For each launch of an unguided suborbital launch vehicle flown with a wind weighting safety system, in addition to the other requirements in this subpart outlined in...

14 CFR 417.233 - Analysis for an unguided suborbital launch vehicle flown with a wind weighting safety system.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... vehicle flown with a wind weighting safety system. 417.233 Section 417.233 Aeronautics and Space... with a wind weighting safety system. For each launch of an unguided suborbital launch vehicle flown with a wind weighting safety system, in addition to the other requirements in this subpart outlined in...

14 CFR 417.233 - Analysis for an unguided suborbital launch vehicle flown with a wind weighting safety system.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... vehicle flown with a wind weighting safety system. 417.233 Section 417.233 Aeronautics and Space... with a wind weighting safety system. For each launch of an unguided suborbital launch vehicle flown with a wind weighting safety system, in addition to the other requirements in this subpart outlined in...

Sub-orbital commercial Human space flight and informed consent in the United States

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carminati, Maria-Vittoria « Giugi »; Griffith, Doug; Campbell, Mark R.

2013-12-01

Commercial space flight is expected to rapidly develop in the near future. This will begin with sub-orbital missions and then progress to orbital flights. In the United States, technical informed consent of space flight participants is required by the commercial space flight operator for regulatory purposes. Additionally, though not required by U.S. regulation, the aerospace medicine professional involved in the medical screening of both space flight participants and crewmembers will be asked to assist operators in obtaining medical informed consent for liability purposes. The various US federal and state regulations regarding informed consent for sub-orbital commercial space flight are evolving and are unfamiliar to most aerospace medical professionals and are reviewed and discussed.

KSC-08pd2578

NASA Image and Video Library

2008-08-29

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Technicians in the Life Science Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center work on the FASTRACK Space Experiment Platform. The rack is designed to support two standard lockers that fit inside the space shuttle's crew middeck. It is being developed jointly by Kennedy and Space Florida to facilitate NASA and commercial use of reusable U.S. suborbital flight vehicles currently under development. FASTRACK will enable investigators to test experiments, apparatus and analytical techniques in hardware compatible with the International Space Station, and to perform science that can be carried out during the reduced gravity available for brief periods during aircraft parabolas. Flight testing of the FASTRACK will be performed on four consecutive days between September 9-12 from Ellington Field near NASA's Johnson Space Center, Houston. Photo credit: NASA/Troy Cryder

KSC-08pd2576

NASA Image and Video Library

2008-08-29

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Technicians in the Life Science Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center work on the FASTRACK Space Experiment Platform. The rack is designed to support two standard lockers that fit inside the space shuttle's crew middeck. It is being developed jointly by Kennedy and Space Florida to facilitate NASA and commercial use of reusable U.S. suborbital flight vehicles currently under development. FASTRACK will enable investigators to test experiments, apparatus and analytical techniques in hardware compatible with the International Space Station, and to perform science that can be carried out during the reduced gravity available for brief periods during aircraft parabolas. Flight testing of the FASTRACK will be performed on four consecutive days between September 9-12 from Ellington Field near NASA's Johnson Space Center, Houston. Photo credit: NASA/Troy Cryder

KSC-08pd2577

NASA Image and Video Library

2008-08-29

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – A technician in the Life Science Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center works on the FASTRACK Space Experiment Platform. The rack is designed to support two standard lockers that fit inside the space shuttle's crew middeck. It is being developed jointly by Kennedy and Space Florida to facilitate NASA and commercial use of reusable U.S. suborbital flight vehicles currently under development. FASTRACK will enable investigators to test experiments, apparatus and analytical techniques in hardware compatible with the International Space Station, and to perform science that can be carried out during the reduced gravity available for brief periods during aircraft parabolas. Flight testing of the FASTRACK will be performed on four consecutive days between September 9-12 from Ellington Field near NASA's Johnson Space Center, Houston. Photo credit: NASA/Troy Cryder

Ensuring Credibility of NASA's Earth Science Data (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maiden, M. E.; Ramapriyan, H. K.; Mitchell, A. E.; Berrick, S. W.; Walter, J.; Murphy, K. J.

2013-12-01

The summary description of the Fall 2013 AGU session on 'Data Curation, Credibility, Preservation Implementation, and Data Rescue to Enable Multi-Source Science' identifies four attributes needed to ensure credibility in Earth science data records. NASA's Earth Science Data Systems Program has been working on all four of these attributes: transparency, completeness, permanence, and ease of access and use, by focusing on them and upon improving our practices of them, over many years. As far as transparency or openness, NASA was in the forefront of free and open sharing of data and associated information for Earth observations. The US data policy requires such openness, but allows for the recoup of the marginal cost of distribution of government data and information - but making the data available with no such charge greatly increases their usage in scientific studies and the resultant analyses hasten our collective understanding of the Earth system. NASA's currently available Earth observations comprise primarily those obtained from satellite-borne instruments, suborbital campaigns, and field investigations. These data are complex and must be accompanied by rich metadata and documentation to be understandable. To enable completeness, NASA utilizes standards for data format, metadata content, and required documentation for any data that are ingested into our distributed Earth Observing System Data and Information System, or EOSDIS. NASA is moving to a new metadata paradigm, primarily to enable a fuller description of data quality and fit-for-purpose attributes. This paradigm offers structured approaches for storing quality measures in metadata that include elements such as Positional Accuracy, Lineage and Cloud Cover. NASA exercises validation processes for the Earth Science Data Systems Program to ensure users of EOSDIS have a predictable level of confidence in data as well as assessing the data viability for usage and application. The Earth Science Data Systems Program has been improving its data management practices for over twenty years to assure permanence of data utility through reliable preservation of bits, readability, understandability, usability and reproducibility of results. While NASA has focused on the Earth System Science research community as the primary data user community, broad interest in the data due to climate change and how it is affecting people everywhere (e.g. sea level rise) by environmental managers, public policymakers and citizen scientists has led the Program to respond with new tools and ways to improve ease of access and use of the data. NASA's standard Earth observation data will soon be buttressed with the long tail of federally-funded research data created or analyzed by grantees, in response to John Holdren's OSTP Memorandum to federal departments and agencies entitled 'Increasing Access to the Results of Federally-Funded Scientific Research'. We fully expect that NASA's Earth Science Data Systems Program will be able to work with our grantees to comply early, and flexibly improve the openness of this source of scientific data to a best practice for NASA and the grantees

Acquisition of a Biomedical Database of Acute Responses to Space Flight during Commercial Personal Suborbital Flights

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Charles, John B.; Richard, Elizabeth E.

2010-01-01

There is currently too little reproducible data for a scientifically valid understanding of the initial responses of a diverse human population to weightlessness and other space flight factors. Astronauts on orbital space flights to date have been extremely healthy and fit, unlike the general human population. Data collection opportunities during the earliest phases of space flights to date, when the most dynamic responses may occur in response to abrupt transitions in acceleration loads, have been limited by operational restrictions on our ability to encumber the astronauts with even minimal monitoring instrumentation. The era of commercial personal suborbital space flights promises the availability of a large (perhaps hundreds per year), diverse population of potential participants with a vested interest in their own responses to space flight factors, and a number of flight providers interested in documenting and demonstrating the attractiveness and safety of the experience they are offering. Voluntary participation by even a fraction of the flying population in a uniform set of unobtrusive biomedical data collections would provide a database enabling statistical analyses of a variety of acute responses to a standardized space flight environment. This will benefit both the space life sciences discipline and the general state of human knowledge.

The Extended Duration Sounding Rocket (EDSR): Low Cost Science and Technology Missions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cruddace, R. G.; Chakrabarti, S.; Cash, W.; Eberspeaker, P.; Figer, D.; Figueroa, O.; Harris, W.; Kowalski, M.; Maddox, R.; Martin, C.; McCammon, D.; Nordsieck, K.; Polidan, R.; Sanders, W.; Wilkinson, E.; Asrat

2011-12-01

The 50-year old NASA sounding rocket (SR) program has been successful in launching scientific payloads into space frequently and at low cost with a 85% success rate. In 2008 the NASA Astrophysics Sounding Rocket Assessment Team (ASRAT), set up to review the future course of the SR program, made four major recommendations, one of which now called Extended Duration Sounding Rocket (EDSR). ASRAT recommended a system capable of launching science payloads (up to 420 kg) into low Earth orbit frequently (1/yr) at low cost, with a mission duration of approximately 30 days. Payload selection would be based on meritorious high-value science that can be performed by migrating sub-orbital payloads to orbit. Establishment of this capability is a essential for NASA as it strives to advance technical readiness and lower costs for risk averse Explorers and flagship missions in its pursuit of a balanced and sustainable program and achieve big science goals within a limited fiscal environment. The development of a new generation of small, low-cost launch vehicles (SLV), primarily the SpaceX Falcon 1 and the Orbital Sciences Minotaur I has made this concept conceivable. The NASA Wallops Flight Facility (WFF)conducted a detailed engineering concept study, aimed at defining the technical characteristics of all phases of a mission, from design, procurement, assembly, test, integration and mission operations. The work was led by Dr. Raymond Cruddace, a veteran of the SR program and the prime mover of the EDSR concept. The team investigated details such as, the "FAA licensed contract" for launch service procurement, with WFF and NASA SMD being responsible for mission assurance which results in a factor of two cost savings over the current approach. These and other creative solutions resulted in a proof-of-concept Class D mission design that could have a sustained launch rate of at least 1/yr, a mission duration of up to about 3 months, and a total cost of $25-30 million for each mission. The payload includes a pointing system with arc second precision, a command and data system which can be configured to meet the unique requirements of a particular mission, and a solar cell-battery power system. Anticipating the tremendous need of access to space, Cruddace and his team included a capability of inclusion of a number of smaller secondary instruments, ranging in size from CubeSats to instruments weighing up to 100 lb. These secondary payloads could be ejected as needed by P-PODs. In this talk, we will summarize EDSR, a legacy of Ray Cruddace.

The Combined Release and Radiation Effects Satellite program (CRRES): A unique series of scientific experiments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1991-01-01

CRRES is a program to study the space environment which surrounds Earth and the effects of space radiation on modern satellite electronic systems. The satellite will carry an array of active experiments including chemical releases and a complement of sophisticated scientific instruments to accomplish these objectives. Other chemical release active experiments will be performed with suborbital rocket probes. These chemical releases will paint the magnetic and electric fields in Earthspace with clouds of glowing ions. Earthspace will be a laboratory, and the releases will be studied with an extensive network of ground-, aircraft-, and satellite-based diagnostic instruments.

LIFTOFF - MERCURY-REDSTONE (MR)-2 - CAPE

NASA Image and Video Library

1961-01-31

S63-22731 (31 Jan. 1961) --- The launch of the Mercury-Redstone 2 (MR-2) suborbital mission from Cape Canaveral, Florida, on Jan. 31, 1961. Onboard the spacecraft was ?Ham?, a 37-pound chimpanzee. Despite an over-acceleration factor, the flight was considered to be successful. Following recovery Ham appeared to be in good physiological condition, but sometime later when he was shown the Mercury spacecraft it was visually apparent that he had no further interest in cooperating with the spaceflight program. Photo credit: NASA

A measurement of the energy spectra of cosmic rays from 20 to 1000 GeV per AMU

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gregory, John C.; Smith, Arthur

1994-01-01

During the report period the BUGS-4 instrument was completed, and the maiden voyage took place on 29 September from Fort Sumner, New Mexico. The successful flight of a large spherical drift chamber is a unique first for the sub-orbital balloon program. Unfortunately the instrument was consumed by fire after striking a power line during landing. However, while at float altitude, circa 24 hours of data were telemetered. The pre-flight preparations, and flight operations are described.

SPARTAN high resolution solar studies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bruner, Marilyn E.

1993-01-01

This report summarizes the work performed on Contract NAS5-29739, a sub-orbital research program directed toward the study of the geometry of and physical conditions in matter found in the upper layers of the solar atmosphere. The report describes a new sounding rocket payload developed under the contract, presents a guide to the contents of semiannual reports submitted during the contract, discusses the results of the first flight of the payload and the progress on scientific analysis. A bibliography of papers and publications is included.

Development and Flight-testing of Astronomical Instrumentation for Future NASA Astrophysics Missions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

France, Kevin

We propose a four year suborbital research program to continue the University of Colorado's efforts in the development and flight testing of instrument designs and critical path technologies for ultraviolet spectroscopy in support of future NASA Explorer, Probe-, and Flagship-class missions. This proposal builds on our existing program of high-resolution spectroscopy for the 100 - 160 nm bandpass with the development of a new high-efficiency imaging spectrograph operating in the same band. The ultimate goal of the University of Colorado ultraviolet rocket program is to develop the technical capabilities to enable a future, highly multiplexed ultraviolet spectrograph (with both high-resolution and imaging spectroscopy modes), e.g., an analog to the successful HST-STIS instrument, with an order-of-magnitude higher efficiency. We do this in the framework of a university led program where undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral training is paramount and cutting edge science investigations support our baseline technology development program. In the proposed effort, we will optimize our high-resolution (R > 100,000) echelle spectrograph payload (CHESS) with the first science flight of a new, large-format CCD array provided by our collaborators at JPL and Arizona State University. We will launch CHESS to study our local interstellar environment with spectral resolving power and bandpass that cannot be achieved with any suite of current or planned space missions. In parallel with the proposed science flights of CHESS, we will design, calibrate, and launch a new high-throughput imaging spectrograph (SISTINE); the first sub-arcsecond imaging, medium spectral resolution (R = 10,000), spectrograph ever flown with spectral coverage over the entire 100 - 160 nm bandpass. SISTINE incorporates several novel optical technologies that were highlighted as major hardware drivers for NASA's next large ultraviolet/optical/near-IR observatory by the 2014 Cosmic Origins Technology Report, including advanced mirror coatings with high broadband reflectivity (including > 20% efficiency gains below 115 nm), the first demonstration and flight test of these coatings on a shaped 0.5-meter telescope, and large-format, high-QE photon counting detectors. SISTINE will be launched to study the energetic radiation environment in the habitable zones around nearby low-mass exoplanet host stars, systems that are the top priority in NASA's search for the signatures of biological activity in the coming decade. SISTINE addresses the highest science priority in the 2010 Astronomy and Astrophysics Decadal Survey and is a crucial step towards meeting NASA's technology needs for future space observatories.

The Balloon-borne Large Aperture Submillimeter Telescope: BLAST

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Truch, Matthew D. P.; Ade, P. A. R.; Bock, J. J.; Chapin, E. L.; Chung, J.; Devlin, M. J.; Dicker, S.; Griffin, M.; Gundersen, J. O.; Halpern, M.; Hargrave, P. C.; Hughes, D. H.; Klein, J.; MacTavish, C. J.; Marsden, G.; Martin, P. G.; Martin, T. G.; Mauskopf, P.; Netterfield, C. B.; Olmi, L.; Pascale, E.; Patanchon, G.; Rex, M.; Scott, D.; Semisch, C.; Thomas, N. E.; Tucker, C.; Tucker, G. S.; Viero, M. P.; Wiebe, D. V.

2009-01-01

The Balloon-borne Large Aperture Submillimeter Telescope (BLAST) is a suborbital surveying experiment designed to study the evolutionary history and processes of star formation in local galaxies (including the Milky Way) and galaxies at cosmological distances. The BLAST continuum camera, which consists of 270 detectors distributed between three arrays, observes simultaneously in broadband (30%) spectral windows at 250, 350, and 500 microns. The optical design is based on a 2 m diameter telescope, providing a diffraction-limited resolution of 30" at 250 microns. The gondola pointing system enables raster mapping of arbitrary geometry, with a repeatable positional accuracy of 30"; postflight pointing reconstruction to <5" rms is achieved. The onboard telescope control software permits autonomous execution of a preselected set of maps, with the option of manual override. On this poster, we describe the primary characteristics and measured in-flight performance of BLAST. BLAST performed a test flight in 2003 and has since made two scientifically productive long-duration balloon flights: a 100 hour flight from ESRANGE (Kiruna), Sweden to Victoria Island, northern Canada in 2005 June; and a 250 hour, circumpolar flight from McMurdo Station, Antarctica in 2006 December. The BLAST collaboration acknowledges the support of NASA through grants NAG5-12785, NAG5-13301, and NNGO-6GI11G, the Canadian Space Agency (CSA), the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC), Canada's Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC), the Canada Foundation for Innovation, the Ontario Innovation Trust, the Puerto Rico Space Grant Consortium, the Fondo Institucional para la Investigacion of the University of Puerto Rico, and the National Science Foundation Office of Polar Programs.

KSC-08pd2581

NASA Image and Video Library

2008-08-29

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Experiments are placed inside the FASTRACK Space Experiment Platform viewed in the Life Science Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center. The space experiment rack is under development for flight aboard NASA's first commercially-provided research flights on Zero Gravity Corporation's reduced gravity aircraft. It is being developed jointly by Kennedy and Space Florida to facilitate NASA and commercial use of reusable U.S. suborbital flight vehicles currently under development. FASTRACK will enable investigators to test experiments, apparatus and analytical techniques in hardware compatible with the International Space Station, and to perform science that can be carried out during the reduced gravity available for brief periods during aircraft parabolas. Flight testing of the FASTRACK will be performed on four consecutive days between September 9-12 from Ellington Field near NASA's Johnson Space Center, Houston. Photo credit: NASA/Troy Cryder

KSC-08pd2580

NASA Image and Video Library

2008-08-29

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Experiments are placed inside the FASTRACK Space Experiment Platform viewed in the Life Science Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center. The space experiment rack is under development for flight aboard NASA's first commercially-provided research flights on Zero Gravity Corporation's reduced gravity aircraft. It is being developed jointly by Kennedy and Space Florida to facilitate NASA and commercial use of reusable U.S. suborbital flight vehicles currently under development. FASTRACK will enable investigators to test experiments, apparatus and analytical techniques in hardware compatible with the International Space Station, and to perform science that can be carried out during the reduced gravity available for brief periods during aircraft parabolas. Flight testing of the FASTRACK will be performed on four consecutive days between September 9-12 from Ellington Field near NASA's Johnson Space Center, Houston. Photo credit: NASA/Troy Cryder

Suborbital Applications in Astronomy and Astrophysics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Unwin, Steve; Werner, Mike; Goldsmith, Paul

2012-01-01

Suborbital flights providing access to zero-g in a space environment - Demonstrating new technologies in a relevant environment. - Flight testing of individual elements of a constellation. - Raising the TRL of critical technologies for subsystems on future large missions High-altitude balloons (up to 10 kg payload) -Access to near-space for wavelengths not observable from the ground. -Raising the TRL of critical technologies for subsystems on future large missions. -UV Detector testing.

Quasi-Optical Filter Development and Characterization for Far-IR Astronomical Applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stewart, Kenneth

Mid-infrared through microwave filters, beamsplitters, and polarizers are a crucial supporting technology for NASA’s space astronomy, astrophysics, and earth science programs. Building upon our successful production of mid-infrared, far-infrared, millimeter, and microwave bandpass and lowpass filters, we propose to investigate aspects of their optical performance that are still not well understood and have yet to be addressed by other researchers. Specifically, we wish to understand and mitigate unexplained high-frequency leaks found to degrade or invalidate spectroscopic data from flight instruments such as Herschel/PACS, SHARC II, GISMO, and ACT, but not predicted by numerical simulations. A complete understanding will improve accuracy and sensitivity, and will enable the mass and volume of cryogenic baffling to be appropriately matched to the physically achievable quasioptical filter response, thereby reducing the cost of future far-infrared missions. The development and experimental validation of this modeling capability will enable optimization of system performance as well as reduce risks to the schedule and end science products for all future space and suborbital missions that use quasioptical filters. The outcome of this work will be critical in achieving the exacting background-limited bolometric detector performance specifications of future far-infrared and submillimeter space instruments. This program will allow us to apply our unique in-house numerical simulation software and develop enhanced layer alignment, filter fabrication, and testing techniques for the first time to address these issues: (1) enhance filter performance, (2) simplify the optical architecture of future instruments by improving our understanding of high-frequency leaks, and (3) produce filters which minimize or eliminate these important effects. With our state-ofthe-art modeling, fabrication, and testing facilities and expertise, established in previous projects, we are uniquely positioned to tackle this development.

The future of human spaceflight

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reichert, M.

2001-08-01

After the Apollo Moon program, the international space station represents a further milestone of humankind in space. International follow-on programs like a manned return to the Moon and a first manned Mars Mission can be considered as the next logical step. More and more attention is also paid to the topic of future space tourism in Earth orbit, which is currently under investigation in the USA, Japan and Europe due to its multibillion dollar market potential and high acceptance in society. The wide variety of experience, gained within the space station program, should be used in order to achieve time and cost savings for future manned programs. Different strategies and roadmaps are investigated for space tourism and human missions to the Moon and Mars, based on a comprehensive systems analysis approach. By using DLR's software tool FAST ( Fast Assessment of Space Technologies), different scenarios will be defined, optimised and finally evaluated with respect to mission architecture, required technologies, total costs and program duration. This includes trajectory analysis, spacecraft design on subsystem level, operations and life cycle cost analysis. For space tourism, an expected evolutionary roadmap will be described which is initiated by short suborbital tourism and ends with visionary designs like the Space Hotel Berlin and the Space Hotel Europe concept. Furthermore the potential space tourism market, its economic meaning as well as the expected range of the costs of a space ticket (e.g. 50,000 for a suborbital flight) will be analysed and quantified. For human missions to the Moon and Mars, an international 20 year program for the first decades of the next millennium is proposed, which requires about 2.5 Billion per year for a manned return to the Moon program and about $2.6 Billion per year for the first 3 manned Mars missions. This is about the annual budget, which is currently spend by the USA only for the operations of its Space Shuttle fleet which generally proofs the affordability of such ambitious programs after the build-up of the International Space Station, when corresponding budget might become again available.

The Atsa Suborbital Observatory: An Observatory for a Commercial Suborbital Spacecraft

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vilas, F.; Sollitt, L. S.

2012-12-01

The advantages of astronomical observations made above Earth's atmosphere have long been understood: free access to spectral regions inaccessible from Earth (e.g., UV) or affected by the atmosphere's content (e.g., IR). Most robotic, space-based telescopes maintain large angular separation between the Sun and an observational target in order to avoid accidental damage to instruments from the Sun. For most astronomical targets, this possibility is easily avoided by waiting until objects are visible away from the Sun. For the Solar System objects inside Earth's orbit, this is never the case. Suborbital astronomical observations have over 50 years' history using NASA's sounding rockets and experimental space planes. Commercial suborbital spacecraft are largely expected to go to ~100 km altitude above Earth, providing a limited amount of time for astronomical observations. The unique scientific advantage to these observations is the ability to point close to the Sun: if a suborbital spacecraft accidentally turns too close to the Sun and fries an instrument, it is easy to land the spacecraft and repair the hardware for the next flight. Objects uniquely observed during the short observing window include inner-Earth asteroids, Mercury, Venus, and Sun-grazing comets. Both open-FOV and target-specific observations are possible. Despite many space probes to the inner Solar System, scientific questions remain. These include inner-Earth asteroid size and bulk density informing Solar System evolution studies and efforts to develop methods of mitigation against imminent impactors to Earth; chemistry and dynamics of Venus' atmosphere addressing physical phenomena such as greenhouse effect, atmospheric super-rotation and global resurfacing on Venus. With the Atsa Suborbital Observatory, we combine the strengths of both ground-based observatories and space-based observing to create a facility where a telescope is maintained and used interchangeably with both in-house facility instruments or user-provided instruments. Rapid turnaround will depend only on flight frequency. Data are stored on-board for retrieval when the spacecraft lands. We provide robust instrumentation that can survive suborbital spaceflight, assessment of the feasibility of the requested observations, rigorous scripting of the telescope operation, integration of the telescope plus instrument in a provider spacecraft, and periodic preventive maintenance for the telescope and instrument suite. XCOR Aerospace's Lynx III spacecraft is the best candidate vehicle to host a suborbital astronomical observatory. Unlike other similar vehicles, the Lynx will operate with only 1 or 2 people onboard (the pilot and an operator), allowing for each mission to be totally dedicated to the observation (no tourists will be bumping about; no other experiments will affect spacecraft pointing). A stable platform, the Lynx can point to an accuracy of ± 0.5o. Fine pointing is done by the telescope system. Best of all, the Lynx has a dorsal pod that opens directly to space. For astronomical observations, the best window is NO window. Currently, we plan to deploy a 20" diameter telescope in the Lynx III dorsal pod. XCOR Aerospace has the goal of eventually maintaining a Lynx flight frequency capability of 4 times/day. As with any observatory, Atsa will be available for observations by the community at large.

FAST20XX: Achievements On European Suborbital Space Flight

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mack, A.; Steelant, J.; Adirim, H.; Lentsch, A.; Marini, M.; Pilz, N.

2011-05-01

In Europe, the EC co-funded project FAST20XX aims at exploring the borderline between aviation and space by investigating suborbital vehicles. The main focus is the identification and mastering of critical technologies for such vehicles rather than the vehicle development itself. Besides the objectives and overall layout of the project, the paper addresses also the progress made during the first period of the project. Two vehicle concepts are considered. A first one is a space vehicle launched from an airplane providing a low-energy ballistic flight experience using hybrid propulsion. The second is a vertically starting two-stage rocket space vehicle system concept taken as a basis to identify the conditions and constraints experienced during high- energy suborbital ultra-fast transport. The paper mainly discusses the two actual reference vehicles and the technical aspects of prerequisites for commercial operation including safety, human spaceflight, business cases, environmental and legal issues.

Stream network analysis and geomorphic flood plain mapping from orbital and suborbital remote sensing imagery application to flood hazard studies in central Texas

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Baker, V. R. (Principal Investigator); Holz, R. K.; Hulke, S. D.; Patton, P. C.; Penteado, M. M.

1975-01-01

The author has identified the following significant results. Development of a quantitative hydrogeomorphic approach to flood hazard evaluation was hindered by (1) problems of resolution and definition of the morphometric parameters which have hydrologic significance, and (2) mechanical difficulties in creating the necessary volume of data for meaningful analysis. Measures of network resolution such as drainage density and basin Shreve magnitude indicated that large scale topographic maps offered greater resolution than small scale suborbital imagery and orbital imagery. The disparity in network resolution capabilities between orbital and suborbital imagery formats depends on factors such as rock type, vegetation, and land use. The problem of morphometric data analysis was approached by developing a computer-assisted method for network analysis. The system allows rapid identification of network properties which can then be related to measures of flood response.

Sub-orbital flights, a starting point for space tourism

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gaubatz, William A.

2002-07-01

While there is a growing awareness and interest by the general public in space travel neither the market nor the infrastructure exist to make a commercial space tourism business an attractive risk venture. In addition there is much to be learned about how the general public will respond to space flights and what physiological and psychological needs must be met to ensure a pleasurable as well as adventurous experience. Sub-orbital flights offer an incremental approach to develop the market and the infrastructure, demonstrate the safety of space flight, obtain real flight information regarding the needs of general public passengers and demonstrate the profitability of space tourism. This paper will summarize some of the system, operations, and financial aspects of creating a sub-orbital space tourism business as a stepping-stone to public space travel. A sample business case will be reviewed and impacts of markets, operations and vehicle costs and lifetimes will be assessed.

A suborbital IMU test mission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lawman, Adam; Straub, Jeremy; Kerlin, Scott

2015-05-01

This paper presents work conducted in preparation for a suborbital test flight to test an inertial measurement unit's (IMU's) ability to serve as a position determination mechanism in a GPS-denied environment. Because the IMU could potentially be used at several points during flight, it is not guaranteed that a GPS fix can be used to reset the IMU after the stresses of launch. Due to this, the specific goal of this work is to characterize whether a rocket launch disrupts the IMU-based position knowledge to the extent that it is unusable. This paper discusses preparations for a sub-orbital launch mission to this end. It include a description of the hardware and software used. A discussion of the data logging mechanism and the onboard and post-flight processing which is required to compare the GPS fixes and IMU-generated positions is also presented. Finally, the utility of an IMU capable of maintaining position awareness during launch is discussed.

NASA Space Biology Plant Research for 2010-2020

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Levine, H. G.; Tomko, D. L.; Porterfield, D. M.

2012-01-01

The U.S. National Research Council (NRC) recently published "Recapturing a Future for Space Exploration: Life and Physical Sciences Research for a New Era" (http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record id=13048), and NASA completed a Space Biology Science Plan to develop a strategy for implementing its recommendations ( http://www.nasa.gov/exploration/library/esmd documents.html). The most important recommendations of the NRC report on plant biology in space were that NASA should: (1) investigate the roles of microbial-plant systems in long-term bioregenerative life support systems, and (2) establish a robust spaceflight program of research analyzing plant growth and physiological responses to the multiple stimuli encountered in spaceflight environments. These efforts should take advantage of recently emerged analytical technologies (genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics) and apply modern cellular and molecular approaches in the development of a vigorous flight-based and ground-based research program. This talk will describe NASA's strategy and plans for implementing these NRC Plant Space Biology recommendations. New research capabilities for Plant Biology, optimized by providing state-of-the-art automated technology and analytical techniques to maximize scientific return, will be described. Flight experiments will use the most appropriate platform to achieve science results (e.g., ISS, free flyers, sub-orbital flights) and NASA will work closely with its international partners and other U.S. agencies to achieve its objectives. One of NASA's highest priorities in Space Biology is the development research capabilities for use on the International Space Station and other flight platforms for studying multiple generations of large plants. NASA will issue recurring NASA Research Announcements (NRAs) that include a rapid turn-around model to more fully engage the biology community in designing experiments to respond to the NRC recommendations. In doing so, NASA's Space Biology research will optimize ISS research utilization, develop and demonstrate technology and hardware that will enable new science, and contribute to the base of fundamental knowledge that will facilitate development of new tools for human space exploration and Earth applications. By taking these steps, NASA will energize the Space Biology user community and advance our knowledge of the effect of the space flight environment on living systems.

Goddard's Astrophysics Science Divsion Annual Report 2014

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Weaver, Kimberly (Editor); Reddy, Francis (Editor); Tyler, Pat (Editor)

2015-01-01

The Astrophysics Science Division (ASD, Code 660) is one of the world's largest and most diverse astronomical organizations. Space flight missions are conceived, built and launched to observe the entire range of the electromagnetic spectrum, from gamma rays to centimeter waves. In addition, experiments are flown to gather data on high-energy cosmic rays, and plans are being made to detect gravitational radiation from space-borne missions. To enable these missions, we have vigorous programs of instrument and detector development. Division scientists also carry out preparatory theoretical work and subsequent data analysis and modeling. In addition to space flight missions, we have a vibrant suborbital program with numerous sounding rocket and balloon payloads in development or operation. The ASD is organized into five labs: the Astroparticle Physics Lab, the X-ray Astrophysics Lab, the Gravitational Astrophysics Lab, the Observational Cosmology Lab, and the Exoplanets and Stellar Astrophysics Lab. The High Energy Astrophysics Science Archive Research Center (HEASARC) is an Office at the Division level. Approximately 400 scientists and engineers work in ASD. Of these, 80 are civil servant scientists, while the rest are resident university-based scientists, contractors, postdoctoral fellows, graduate students, and administrative staff. We currently operate the Swift Explorer mission and the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope. In addition, we provide data archiving and operational support for the XMM mission (jointly with ESA) and the Suzaku mission (with JAXA). We are also a partner with Caltech on the NuSTAR mission. The Hubble Space Telescope Project is headquartered at Goddard, and ASD provides Project Scientists to oversee operations at the Space Telescope Science Institute. Projects in development include the Neutron Interior Composition Explorer (NICER) mission, an X-ray timing experiment for the International Space Station; the Transiting Exoplanet Sky Survey (TESS) Explorer mission, in collaboration with MIT (Ricker, PI); the Soft X-ray Spectrometer (SXS) for the Astro-H mission in collaboration with JAXA, and the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). The Wide-Field Infrared Survey Telescope (WFIRST), the highest ranked mission in the 2010 decadal survey, is in a pre-phase A study, and we are supplying study scientists for that mission.

The High Altitude MMIC Sounding Radiometer on the GLOBAL HAWK: From Technology Development to Science Discovery

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brown, Shannon; Denning, Richard; Lambrigtsen, Bjorn; Lim, Boon; Tanabe, Jordan; Tanner, Alan

2013-01-01

This paper presents results from the High Altitude MMIC Sounding Radiometer (HAMSR) during three recent field campaigns on the Global Hawk Unmanned Ariel Vehicles (UAV), focusing on the enabling technology that led to unprecedented observations of significant weather phenomenon, such as thermodynamic evolution of the tropical cyclone core during rapid intensification and the high resolution three dimensional mapping of several atmospheric river events. HAMSR is a 25 channel cross-track scanning microwave sounder with channels near the 60 and 118 GHz oxygen lines and the 183 GHz water vapor line. HAMSR was originally designed and built at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory as a technology demonstrator in 1998. Subsequent to this, HAMSR participated in three NASA hurricane field campaigns, CAMEX-4, TCSP and NAMMA. Beginning in 2008, HAMSR was extensively upgraded to deploy on the NASA Global Hawk (GH) platform and serve as an asset to the NASA sub-orbital program. HAMSR has participated on the Global Hawk during the 2010 Genesis and Rapid Intensification (GRIP) campaign, the 2011 Winter Storms and Atmospheric Rivers (WISPAR) campaign and is currently participating in the NASA Ventures Hurricane and Severe Storm Sentinel (HS3) campaign (2011-2015).

The astrophysics program at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pellerin, C. J.

1990-01-01

Three broad themes characterize the goals of the Astrophysics Division at NASA. These are obtaining an understanding of the origin and evolution of the universe, the fundamental laws of physics, and the birth and evolutionary cycle of galaxies, stars, planets and life. These goals are pursued through contemporaneous observations across the electromagnetic spectrum with high sensitivity and resolution. The strategy to accomplish these goals is fourfold: the establishment of long term space based observatories implemented through the Great Observatories program; attainment of crucial bridging and supporting measurements visa missions of intermediate and small scope conducted within the Explorer, Spacelab, and Space Station Attached Payload Programs; enhancement of scientific access to results of space based research activities through an integrated data system; and development and maintenance of the scientific/technical base for space astrophysics programs through the research and analysis and suborbital programs. The near term activities supporting the first two objectives are discussed.

Study and Development of a Sub-Orbital Re-Entry Demonstrator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Savino, R.

The Italian and European Space Agencies are supporting a research programme, developed in Campania region by a cluster of industries, research institutes and universities, on a low-cost re-entry capsule, able to return payloads from the ISS to Earth and/or to perform short-duration scientific missions in Low Earth Orbit (LEO). The ballistic capsule is characterized by a deployable, disposable "umbrella-like" heat shield that allows relatively small dimensions at launch and a sufficient exposed surface area in re-entry conditions, reducing the ballistic coefficient and leading to acceptable heat fluxes, mechanical loads and final descent velocity. ESA is supporting a preliminary study to develop a flight demonstrator of the capsule to be embarked as a secondary payload onboard a sub-orbital sounding rocket. The deployable thermal protection system concept may be applied to future science and robotic exploration mission requiring planetary entry and, possibly also to missions in the framework of Human Space flight, requiring planetary entry or re-entry. The technology offers also an interesting potential for aerobraking, aerocapture and for de-orbiting. This paper summarizes the results of these activities, which are being more and more refined as the work proceeds, including the definition and analysis of the mission scenario, the aerodynamic, aerothermodynamic, mechanical and structural analyses and the technical definition of avionics, instrumentation and main subsystems.

Suborbital missions: The Joust

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ferguson, Bruce W.

1991-01-01

Joust 1 will carry a payload of 10 experiments. The experiments in the payload module will be mated with a service module containing accelerometers, avionics, a low gravity rate control system, and battery packs. This suborbital mission will last approximately 21 minutes, providing at least 13 minutes of microgravity time. The experiments are as follow: study into polymer membrane processes; polymer curing; plasma particle generation; automated generic bioprocessing apparatus; biomodule; thin films; materials dispersion apparatus; foam formation; electrodeposition process; and powdered materials processing.

Utilizing Advanced Vibration Isolation Technology to Enable Microgravity Science Operations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Alhorn, Dean Carl

1999-01-01

Microgravity scientific research is performed in space to determine the effects of gravity upon experiments. Until recently, experiments had to accept the environment aboard various carriers: reduced-gravity aircraft, sub-orbital payloads, Space Shuttle, and Mir. If the environment is unacceptable, then most scientists would rather not expend the resources without the assurance of true microgravity conditions. This is currently the case on the International Space Station, because the ambient acceleration environment will exceed desirable levels. For this reason, the g-LIMIT (Glovebox Integrated Microgravity Isolation Technology) system is currently being developed to provide a quiescent acceleration environment for scientific operations. This sub-rack isolation system will provide a generic interface for a variety of experiments for the Microgravity Science Glovebox. This paper describes the motivation for developing of the g-LIMIT system, presents the design concept and details some of the advanced technologies utilized in the g-LIMIT flight design.

KSC-08pd2575

NASA Image and Video Library

2008-08-29

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Life Science Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, a space experiment rack is under development for flight aboard NASA's first commercially-provided research flights on Zero Gravity Corporation's reduced gravity aircraft. Known as the FASTRACK Space Experiment Platform, the rack is designed to support two standard lockers that fit inside the space shuttle's crew middeck. It is being developed jointly by Kennedy and Space Florida to facilitate NASA and commercial use of reusable U.S. suborbital flight vehicles currently under development. FASTRACK will enable investigators to test experiments, apparatus and analytical techniques in hardware compatible with the International Space Station, and to perform science that can be carried out during the reduced gravity available for brief periods during aircraft parabolas. Flight testing of the FASTRACK will be performed on four consecutive days between September 9-12 from Ellington Field near NASA's Johnson Space Center, Houston. Photo credit: NASA/Troy Cryder

KSC-08pd2579

NASA Image and Video Library

2008-08-29

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Life Science Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, this space experiment rack is under development for flight aboard NASA's first commercially-provided research flights on Zero Gravity Corporation's reduced gravity aircraft. Known as the FASTRACK Space Experiment Platform, the rack is designed to support two standard lockers that fit inside the space shuttle's crew middeck. It is being developed jointly by Kennedy and Space Florida to facilitate NASA and commercial use of reusable U.S. suborbital flight vehicles currently under development. FASTRACK will enable investigators to test experiments, apparatus and analytical techniques in hardware compatible with the International Space Station, and to perform science that can be carried out during the reduced gravity available for brief periods during aircraft parabolas. Flight testing of the FASTRACK will be performed on four consecutive days between September 9-12 from Ellington Field near NASA's Johnson Space Center, Houston. Photo credit: NASA/Troy Cryder

Coordinated Field Campaigns in Chesapeake Bay and Gulf of Mexico

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mannino, Antonio; Novak, Michael; Tzortziou, Maria A.

2015-01-01

NASA's GEOstationary Coastal and Air Pollution Events (GEO-CAPE) mission concept recommended by the U.S. National Research Council (2007) focuses on measurements of atmospheric trace gases and aerosols and aquatic coastal ecology and biogeochemistry from geostationary orbit (35,786 km altitude). Two GEO-CAPE-sponsored multi-investigator ship-based field campaigns were conducted to coincide with the NASA Earth Venture Suborbital project DISCOVER-AQ (Deriving Information on Surface conditions from Column and Vertically Resolved Observations Relevant to Air Quality) field campaigns: (1) Chesapeake Bay in July 2011 and (2) northwestern Gulf of Mexico in September 2013. Goal: to evaluate whether GEO-CAPE coastal mission measurement and instrument requirements are optimized to address science objectives while minimizing ocean color satellite sensor complexity, size and cost - critical mission risk reduction activities. NASA continues to support science studies related to the analysis of data collected as part of these coordinated field campaigns and smaller efforts.

WCSC environmental process improvement study and demonstration program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pawlick, Joseph F., Jr.; Severo, Orlando C.

1993-01-01

CSTAR's objective to develop commercial infrastructure is multi-faceted and includes diverse elements of the orbital and suborbital missions. Goals to this eight-month project with the WCSC are aimed at simplifying the environmental assessment, approval, and licensing process for commercial users. Included in this overarching set of goals are two specific processes: (1) air pollution control, and (2) the environmental assessment mechanism. Resolution of the potentially user unfriendly aspects of these environmentally sensitive criteria are readily transferable to other ranges where commercial space activity will be supported.

Some special values of vertices of trees on the suborbital graphs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deǧer, A. H.; Akbaba, Ü.

2018-01-01

In the present study, the action of a congruence subgroup of S L(2, Z) on ℚ ^ is examined. From this action and its properties, vertices of paths of minimal length on the suborbital graph Fu,N give rise to some special sequence values, that are alternate sequences such as identity, Fibonacci and Lucas sequences. These types of vertices also give rise to special continued fractions, hence from recurrence relations for continued fractions, values of these vertices and values of special sequences were associated.

Arcus: the x-ray grating spectrometer explorer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smith, R. K.; Abraham, M. H.; Allured, R.; Bautz, M.; Bookbinder, J.; Bregman, J. N.; Brenneman, L.; Brickhouse, N. S.; Burrows, D. N.; Burwitz, V.; Carvalho, R.; Cheimets, P. N.; Costantini, E.; Dawson, S.; DeRoo, C.; Falcone, A.; Foster, A. R.; Grant, C. E.; Heilmann, R. K.; Hertz, E.; Hine, B.; Huenemoerder, D.; Kaastra, J. S.; Madsen, K. K.; McEntaffer, R. L.; Miller, E. D.; Miller, J.; Morse, E.; Mushotzky, R.; Nandra, K.; Nowak, M.; Paerels, F.; Petre, R.; Plice, L.; Poppenhaeger, K.; Ptak, A.; Reid, P.; Sanders, J.; Schattenburg, M. L.; Schulz, N.; Smale, A.; Temi, P.; Valencic, L.; Walker, S.; Willingale, R.; Wilms, J.; Wolk, S. J.

2016-07-01

Arcus will be proposed to the NASA Explorer program as a free-flying satellite mission that will enable high-resolution soft X-ray spectroscopy (8-50) with unprecedented sensitivity - effective areas of >500 sq cm and spectral resolution >2500. The Arcus key science goals are (1) to determine how baryons cycle in and out of galaxies by measuring the effects of structure formation imprinted upon the hot gas that is predicted to lie in extended halos around galaxies, groups, and clusters, (2) to determine how black holes influence their surroundings by tracing the propagation of out-flowing mass, energy and momentum from the vicinity of the black hole out to large scales and (3) to understand how accretion forms and evolves stars and circumstellar disks by observing hot infalling and outflowing gas in these systems. Arcus relies upon grazing-incidence silicon pore X-ray optics with the same 12m focal length (achieved using an extendable optical bench) that will be used for the ESA Athena mission. The focused X-rays from these optics will then be diffracted by high-efficiency off-plane reflection gratings that have already been demonstrated on sub-orbital rocket flights, imaging the results with flight-proven CCD detectors and electronics. The power and telemetry requirements on the spacecraft are modest. The majority of mission operations will not be complex, as most observations will be long ( 100 ksec), uninterrupted, and pre-planned, although there will be limited capabilities to observe targets of opportunity, such as tidal disruption events or supernovae with a 3-5 day turnaround. After the end of prime science, we plan to allow guest observations to maximize the science return of Arcus to the community.

Arcus: The X-Ray Grating Spectrometer Explorer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smith, R. K.; Abraham, M. H.; Allured, R.; Bautz, M.; Bookbinder, J.; Bregman, J. N.; Brenneman, L.; Brickhouse, N. S.; Burrows, D. N.; Burwitz, V.;

SPECIAL COLLOQUIUM : Building a Commercial Space Launch System and the Role of Space Tourism in the Future (exceptionally on Tuesday)

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

Whitehorn, Will

The talk will explore a little of the history of space launch systems and rocketry, will explain why commercial space tourism did not take off after Apollo, and what is happening right now with commercial space systems such as Virgin's, utilising advances in aerospace technology not exploited by conventional ground-based rocket systems. I will then explain the Virgin Galactic technology, its business plan as a US-regulated space tourism company, and the nature of its applications. I will then go on to say a little of how our system can be utilised for sub-orbital space science based on a commercial business plan

SPECIAL COLLOQUIUM : Building a Commercial Space Launch System and the Role of Space Tourism in the Future (exceptionally on Tuesday)

ScienceCinema

Whitehorn, Will

2017-12-15

The talk will explore a little of the history of space launch systems and rocketry, will explain why commercial space tourism did not take off after Apollo, and what is happening right now with commercial space systems such as Virgin's, utilising advances in aerospace technology not exploited by conventional ground-based rocket systems. I will then explain the Virgin Galactic technology, its business plan as a US-regulated space tourism company, and the nature of its applications. I will then go on to say a little of how our system can be utilised for sub-orbital space science based on a commercial business plan

Space America's commercial space program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Macleod, N. H.

1984-01-01

Space America prepared a private sector land observing space system which includes a sensor system with eight spectral channels configured for stereoscopic data acquisition of four stereo pairs, a spacecraft bus with active three-axis stabilization, a ground station for data acquisition, preprocessing and retransmission. The land observing system is a component of Space America's end-to-end system for Earth resources management, monitoring and exploration. In the context of the Federal Government's program of commercialization of the US land remote sensing program, Space America's space system is characteristic of US industry's use of advanced technology and of commercial, entrepreneurial management. Well before the issuance of the Request for Proposals for Transfer of the United States Land Remote Sensing Program to the Private Sector by the US Department of Commerce, Space Services, Inc., the managing venturer of Space America, used private funds to develop and manage its sub-orbital launch of its Conestoga launch vehicle.

The XP spaceplane: A near term multi-purpose suborbital RLV

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lauer, Charles J.

2007-06-01

This paper will describe the history, technology and design features of the XP spaceplane being developed by Rocketplane Ltd. in Oklahoma. The XP is a four seat fighter-sized spaceplane that uses turbojets for takeoff and landing and a liquid oxygen/kerosene rocket engine for main propulsion during its ascent to a 100 km apogee suborbital space flight. The XP is intended to serve a variety of markets including suborbital tourist flights, intermediate duration microgravity research, remote sensing, astronomy, and microsatellite launch missions. Changes in vehicle configuration and flight profile for serving each of these markets will be described. The prototype XP will have its rollout ceremony at the end of 2007 and will begin test flights in early 2008. Commercial space flight operations are expected to begin in fall 2008 with tourist flights and microgravity research flights being the early customer base. The spaceplane's flight systems, safety systems, and operating procedures will be reviewed. In addition, key elements of the Rocketplane business and financial model will be discussed.

Astrium suborbital spaceplane project: Demand analysis of suborbital space tourism

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Le Goff, Thierry; Moreau, Antoine

2013-12-01

ASTRIUM is preparing the development of a safe and passenger friendly Suborbital Spaceplane, taking off and landing from a standard runway, powered by turbofans and using a rocket engine of proven design to reach 100 km altitude. This vehicle will be able to carry paying passengers to the edge of space and return them safely to their starting point. As a very new potentially adjacent B2C market, Astrium had decided at the beginning of this project to first conduct a full market analysis with the support of a worldwide survey based Research Company (IPSOS) in order to assess reality and credibility of this market. Two campaigns have been done, the first one in 2007 and the second one in 2010 after the international financial crisis. Last one has been also the opportunity to optimize quality of models by focusing in Asia region. This article describes the methodology used for this survey and unveils some results in term of size of this market and typology of the customers.

The Suborbital Particle Aggregation and Collision Experiment (SPACE): studying the collision behavior of submillimeter-sized dust aggregates on the suborbital rocket flight REXUS 12.

PubMed

Brisset, Julie; Heißelmann, Daniel; Kothe, Stefan; Weidling, René; Blum, Jürgen

2013-09-01

The Suborbital Particle Aggregation and Collision Experiment (SPACE) is a novel approach to study the collision properties of submillimeter-sized, highly porous dust aggregates. The experiment was designed, built, and carried out to increase our knowledge about the processes dominating the first phase of planet formation. During this phase, the growth of planetary precursors occurs by agglomeration of micrometer-sized dust grains into aggregates of at least millimeters to centimeters in size. However, the formation of larger bodies from the so-formed building blocks is not yet fully understood. Recent numerical models on dust growth lack a particular support by experimental studies in the size range of submillimeters, because these particles are predicted to collide at very gentle relative velocities of below 1 cm/s that can only be achieved in a reduced-gravity environment. The SPACE experiment investigates the collision behavior of an ensemble of silicate-dust aggregates inside several evacuated glass containers which are being agitated by a shaker to induce the desired collisions at chosen velocities. The dust aggregates are being observed by a high-speed camera, allowing for the determination of the collision properties of the protoplanetary dust analog material. The data obtained from the suborbital flight with the REXUS (Rocket Experiments for University Students) 12 rocket will be directly implemented into a state-of-the-art dust growth and collision model.

The 20-20-20 Airships NASA Centennial Challenge

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kiessling, Alina; Diaz, Ernesto; Miller, Sarah; Rhodes, Jason; Ortega, Sam; Hall, Jeffrey L.; Friedl, Randy; Booth, Jeff

2015-01-01

A NASA Centennial Challenge; (www.nasa.gov/challenges) is in development to spur innovation in stratospheric airships as a science platform. We anticipate a multi-million dollar class prize for the first organization to fly a powered airship that remains stationary at 20km (65,000 ft) altitude for over 20 hours with a 20kg payload. The design must be scalable to longer flights with more massive payloads.In NASA's constrained budget environment, there are few opportunities for space missions in astronomy and Earth science, and these have very long lead times. We believe that airships (powered, maneuverable, lighter-than-air vehicles) could offer significant gains in observing time, sky and ground coverage, data downlink capability, and continuity of observations over existing suborbital options at competitive prices. This technology would also have broad commercial applications including communications and asset tracking. We seek to spur private industry (or non-profit institutions, including Universities) to demonstrate the capability for sustained airship flights as astronomy and Earth science platforms. This poster will introduce the challenge in development and provide details of who to contact for more information.

The 20-20-20 Airship Challenge

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kiessling, Alina; Diaz, Ernesto; Miller, Sarah; Rhodes, Jason

2014-06-01

A NASA Centennial Challenge; (http://www.nasa.gov/directorates/spacetech/centennial_challenges/index.html) is in development to spur innovation in stratospheric airships as a science platform. We anticipate a million dollar class prize for the first organization to fly a powered airship that remains stationary at 20km (65,000 ft) altitude for over 20 hours with a 20kg payload. The design must be scalable to longer flights with more massive payloads.In NASA’s constrained budget environment, there are few opportunities for space missions in astronomy and Earth science, and these have very long lead times. We believe that airships (powered, maneuverable, lighter-than-air vehicles) could offer significant gains in observing time, sky and ground coverage, data downlink capability, and continuity of observations over existing suborbital options at competitive prices. We seek to spur private industry (or non-profit institutions, including FFRDCs and Universities) to demonstrate the capability for sustained airship flights as astronomy and Earth science platforms. This poster will introduce the challenge in development and provide details of who to contact for more information.

Advanced Cosmic-Ray Composition Experiment for Space Station (ACCESS): ACCESS Accommodation Study Report

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wilson, Thomas L. (Editor); Wefel, John P. (Editor)

1999-01-01

In 1994 NASA Administrator selected the first high-energy particle physics experiment for the Space Station, the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS), to place a magnetic spectrometer in Earth orbit and search for cosmic antimatter. A natural consequence of this decision was that NASA would begin to explore cost-effective ways through which the design and implementation of AMS might benefit other promising payload experiments. The first such experiment to come forward was Advanced Cosmic-Ray Composition Experiment for Space Station (ACCESS) in 1996. It was proposed as a new mission concept in space physics to attach a cosmic-ray experiment of weight, volume, and geometry similar to the AMS on the International Space Station (ISS), and replace the latter as its successor when the AMS is returned to Earth. This was to be an extension of NASA's suborbital balloon program, with balloon payloads serving as the precursor flights and heritage for ACCESS. The balloon programs have always been a cost-effective NASA resource since the particle physics instrumentation for balloon and space applications are directly related. The next step was to expand the process, pooling together expertise from various NASA centers and universities while opening up definition of the ACCESS science goals to the international community through the standard practice of peer review. This process is still ongoing, and the accommodation study presented here will discuss the baseline definition of ACCESS as we understand it today.

Upper-Stage Flight Experiment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Anderson, W. E.; Boxwell, R.; Crockett, D. V.; Ross, R.; Lewis, T.; McNeal, C.; Verdarame, K.

1999-01-01

For propulsion applications that require that the propellants are storable for long periods, have a high density impulse, and are environmentally clean and non-toxic, the best choice is a combination of high-concentration hydrogen peroxide (High Test Peroxide, or HTP) and a liquid hydrocarbon (LHC) fuel. The HTP/LHC combination is suitable for low-cost launch vehicles, space taxi and space maneuvering vehicles, and kick stages. Orbital Sciences Corporation is under contract with the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center in cooperation with the Air Force Research Lab to design, develop and demonstrate a new low-cost liquid upper stage based on HTP and JP-8. The Upper Stage Flight Experiment (USFE) focuses on key technologies necessary to demonstrate the operation of an inherently simple propulsion system with an innovative, state-of-the-art structure. Two key low-cost vehicle elements will be demonstrated - a 10,000 lbf thrust engine and an integrated composite tank structure. The suborbital flight test of the USFE is scheduled for 2001. Preceding the flight tests are two major series of ground tests at NASA Stennis Space Center and a subscale tank development program to identify compatible composite materials and to verify their compatibility over long periods of time. The ground tests include a thrust chamber development test series and an integrated stage test. This paper summarizes the results from the first phase of the thrust chamber development tests and the results to date from the tank material compatibility tests. Engine and tank configurations that meet the goals of the program are described.

Palmetto Academy: Undergraduates Exploring and Communicating the Multidisciplinary Nature of STEM

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hall, C.; Ali, A.; Runyon, C. J.; Colgan, M. W.

2012-12-01

One of the pillars of the US economy is a well-trained Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) workforce (National Academy of Sciences, 2007). The number of students choosing to study science and engineering has taken a dramatic decline. The percentage of those degrees conferred in SC was substantially lower than the national average and the percentage of those occupations within the SC workforce also falls below the national average, supporting the need for engaging and educational STEM programs. The NASA South Carolina Space Grant Consortium's Palmetto Research Academy (PRA) program is an immersive and integrated multidisciplinary exposure and training for undergraduate students with various backgrounds and career aspirations of critical importance to the Nation. This program offers exciting and inspiring hands-on research experiences that are aligned with NASA missions. The PRA advances NASA's research interest in areas such as aeronautics, biomedical science, sun-earth connections, planetary and Earth science. The PRA helps to develop the STEM workforce in STEM disciplines, a necessity in South Carolina. In addition, the PRA incorporates an education/outreach component, where the students engage secondary educators and students in NASA scientific and technical expertise. In 2012, the PRA had 10 research projects across the state in disciplines of mechanical and chemical engineering, bioengineering, chemistry, biogeooptical sciences, physics and astronomy and biomedical sciences. 18 undergraduates and 2 technical college students participated in authentic hands-on research mentored by leading scientists and engineers throughout the state. Examples projects include: A) Development of a series of astronomical telescopes to be mounted on a commercial human-tended suborbital rockets. The students built the instrument, including the power system and the mechanical interface, and performed function and fit testing on the XCOR Aerospace Lynx vehicle mock-up. B) Mechanical modeling and statistical analysis to understand effects of radiation exposure on the joints of astronauts. The students characterized the effect of radiation on porcine cartilage biomechanics and biosynthesis through nano and microscale soft tissue mechanical testing, histological staining, and tissue biological assay techniques. C) Spectroscopy and derivation of water quality parameters from satellite visible/near-infrared (VIR) spectral radiometry. The student analyzed data, which provided frequent spatial information critical to the understanding of biogeochemical processes of interest to climate studies. The student conducted an intensive sampling campaign aboard a research vessel measuring biogeooptical properties and developed bio-optical models using NASA's MODIS sensor aboard the Aqua satellite to characterize water quality parameters (phytoplankton, suspended sediment, and dissolved organic matter). The student outreach project centered around the NASA Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity Rover. The PRA interns organized an event with several general astronomy and Mars/Curiosity planetarium shows, space-related games, and a viewing of the landing for over 50 elementary-middle school students, their parents, and numerous undergraduates. The results and the opportunities provided by PRA will be discussed.

Point-to-point sub-orbital space tourism: Some initial considerations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Webber, Derek

2010-06-01

Several public statements have been made about the possible, or even likely, extension of initial sub-orbital space tourism operations to encompass point-to-point travel. It is the purpose of this paper to explore some of the basic considerations for such a plan, in order to understand both its merits and its problems. The paper will discuss a range of perspectives, from basic physics to market segmentation, from ground segment logistics to spacecraft design considerations. It is important that these initial considerations are grasped before more detailed planning and design takes place.

Inter-agency Working Group for Airborne Data and Telemetry Systems (IWGADTS)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Webster, Chris; Freudinger, Lawrence; Sorenson, Carl; Myers, Jeff; Sullivan, Don; Oolman, Larry

2009-01-01

The Interagency Coordinating Committee for Airborne Geosciences Research and Applications (ICCAGRA) was established to improve cooperation and communication among agencies sponsoring airborne platforms and instruments for research and applications, and to serve as a resource for senior level management on airborne geosciences issues. The Interagency Working Group for Airborne Data and Telecommunications Systems (IWGADTS) is a subgroup to ICCAGRA for the purpose of developing recommendations leading to increased interoperability among airborne platforms and instrument payloads, producing increased synergy among research programs with similar goals, and enabling the suborbital layer of the Global Earth Observing System of Systems.

Liquid booster engine reuse - A recovery system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Von Eckroth, Wulf; Rohrkaste, Gary R.; Delurgio, Phillip R.

1991-01-01

The paper presents the design of a recovery system for a suborbital payload of an Atlas E rocket. This program utilizes off-the-shelf and previously qualified avionics, flotation, and decelerator systems. A brief history of liquid-engine recoveries is presented first, then the system design utilizing two self-contained structurally-identical pods diametrically mounted to the thrust section is outlined. A mortar-deployed drogue and the main parachute are described, and experimental procedures are considered. Data obtained from one tricluster drop employing a cylindrical test vehicle and helicopter is analyzed, and a satisfactory load balance between the parachutes is observed.

The HEASARC in the 2020s

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smale, Alan P.

2018-06-01

The High Energy Astrophysics Science Archive Research Center (HEASARC) is NASA's primary archive for high energy astrophysics and cosmic microwave background (CMB) data, supporting the broad science goals of NASA's Physics of the Cosmos theme. It provides vital scientific infrastructure to the community by standardizing science data formats and analysis programs, providing open access to NASA resources, and implementing powerful archive interfaces. These enable multimission studies of key astronomical targets, and deliver a major cost savings to NASA and proposing mission teams in terms of a reusable science infrastructure, as well as a time savings to the astronomical community through not having to learn a new analysis system for each new mission. The HEASARC archive holdings are currently in excess of 100 TB, supporting seven active missions (Chandra, Fermi, INTEGRAL, NICER, NuSTAR, Swift, and XMM-Newton), and providing continuing access to data from over 40 missions that are no longer in operation. HEASARC scientists are also engaged with the upcoming IXPE and XARM missions, and with many other Probe, Explorer, SmallSat, and CubeSat proposing teams. Within the HEASARC, the LAMBDA CMB thematic archive provides a permanent archive for NASA mission data from WMAP, COBE, IRAS, SWAS, and a wide selection of suborbital missions and experiments, and hosts many other CMB-related datasets, tools, and resources. In this talk I will summarize the current activities of the HEASARC and our plans for the coming decade. In addition to mission support, we will expand our software and user interfaces to provide astronomers with new capabilities to access and analyze HEASARC data, and continue to work with our Virtual Observatory partners to develop and implement standards to enable improved interrogation and analysis of data regardless of wavelength regime, mission, or archive boundaries. The future looks bright for high energy astrophysics, and the HEASARC looks forward to continuing its central role in the community.

Centrifuge-simulated suborbital spaceflight in subjects with cardiac implanted devices.

PubMed

Blue, Rebecca S; Reyes, David P; Castleberry, Tarah L; Vanderploeg, James M

2015-04-01

Future commercial spaceflight participants (SFPs) with conditions requiring personal medical devices represent a unique challenge. The behavior under stress of cardiac implanted devices (CIDs) such as pacemakers is of special concern. No known data currently exist on how such devices may react to the stresses of spaceflight. We examined the responses of two volunteer subjects with CIDs to G forces in a centrifuge to evaluate how similar potential commercial SFPs might tolerate the forces of spaceflight. Two subjects, 75- and 79-yr-old men with histories of atrial fibrillation and implanted dual-lead, rate-responsive pacemakers, underwent seven centrifuge runs over 2 d. Day 1 consisted of two +Gz runs (peak = +3.5 Gz, run 2) and two +Gx runs (peak = +6.0 Gx, run 4). Day 2 consisted of three runs approximating suborbital spaceflight profiles (combined +Gx/+Gz). Data collected included blood pressures, electrocardiograms, pulse oximetry, neurovestibular exams, and postrun questionnaires regarding motion sickness, disorientation, greyout, and other symptoms. Despite both subjects' significant medical histories, neither had abnormal physiological responses. Post-spin analysis demonstrated no lead displacement, damage, or malfunction of either CID. Potential risks to SFPs with CIDs include increased arrhythmogenesis, lead displacement, and device damage. There are no known prior studies of individuals with CIDs exposed to accelerations anticipated during the dynamic phases of suborbital spaceflight. These cases demonstrate that even individuals with significant medical histories and implanted devices can tolerate the acceleration exposures of commercial spaceflight. Further investigation will determine which personal medical devices present significant risks during suborbital flight and beyond.

-----SPACE TRANSPORTATION

NASA Image and Video Library

1998-10-07

This photograph depicts an air-breathing rocket engine prototype in the test bay at the General Applied Science Lab facility in Ronkonkoma, New York. Air-breathing engines, known as rocket based, combined-cycle engines, get their initial take-off power from specially designed rockets, called air-augmented rockets, that boost performance about 15 percent over conventional rockets. When the vehicle's velocity reaches twice the speed of sound, the rockets are turned off and the engine relies totally on oxygen in the atmosphere to burn hydrogen fuel, as opposed to a rocket that must carry its own oxygen, thus reducing weight and flight costs. Once the vehicle has accelerated to about 10 times the speed of sound, the engine converts to a conventional rocket-powered system to propel the craft into orbit or sustain it to suborbital flight speed. NASA's Advanced Space Transportation Program at Marshall Space Flight Center, along with several industry partners and collegiate forces, is developing this technology to make space transportation affordable for everyone from business travelers to tourists. The goal is to reduce launch costs from today's price tag of $10,000 per pound to only hundreds of dollars per pound. NASA's series of hypersonic flight demonstrators currently include three air-breathing vehicles: the X-43A, X-43B and X-43C.

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

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rocker, Marvin; Nesman, Thomas E.

1998-01-01

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

Post-flight trajectory reconstruction of suborbital free-flyers using GPS raw data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ivchenko, N.; Yuan, Y.; Linden, E.

2017-08-01

This paper describes the reconstruction of postflight trajectories of suborbital free flying units by using logged GPS raw data. We took the reconstruction as a global least squares optimization problem, using both the pseudo-range and Doppler observables, and solved it by using the trust-region-reflective algorithm, which enabled navigational solutions of high accuracy. The code tracking was implemented with a large number of correlators and least squares curve fitting, in order to improve the precision of the code start times, while a more conventional phased lock loop was used for Doppler tracking. We proposed a weighting scheme to account for fast signal strength variation due to free-flier fast rotation, and a penalty for jerk to achieve a smooth solution. We applied these methods to flight data of two suborbital free flying units launched on REXUS 12 sounding rocket, reconstructing the trajectory, receiver clock error and wind up rates. The trajectory exhibits a parabola with the apogee around 80 km, and the velocity profile shows the details of payloadwobbling. The wind up rates obtained match the measurements from onboard angular rate sensors.

Parts Quality Management: Direct Part Marking via Data Matrix Symbols for Mission Assurance

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Moss, Chantrice

2013-01-01

A United States Government Accountability Office (GAO) review of twelve NASA programs found widespread parts quality problems contributing to significant cost overruns, schedule delays, and reduced system reliability. Direct part-marking with Data Matrix symbols could significantly improve the quality of inventory control and parts lifecycle management. This paper examines the feasibility of using 15 marking technologies for use in future NASA programs. A structural analysis is based on marked material type, operational environment (e.g., ground, suborbital, orbital), durability of marks, ease of operation, reliability, and affordability. A cost-benefits analysis considers marking technology (data plates, label printing, direct part marking) and marking types (two-dimensional machine-readable, human-readable). Previous NASA parts marking efforts and historical cost data are accounted for, including in-house vs. outsourced marking. Some marking methods are still under development. While this paper focuses on NASA programs, results may be applicable to a variety of industrial environments.

Fluid Vessel Quantity using Non-Invasive PZT Technology Flight Volume Measurements Under Zero G Analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Garofalo, Anthony A.

2013-01-01

The purpose of the project is to perform analysis of data using the Systems Engineering Educational Discovery (SEED) program data from 2011 and 2012 Fluid Vessel Quantity using Non-Invasive PZT Technology flight volume measurements under Zero G conditions (parabolic Plane flight data). Also experimental planning and lab work for future sub-orbital experiments to use the NASA PZT technology for fluid volume measurement. Along with conducting data analysis of flight data, I also did a variety of other tasks. I provided the lab with detailed technical drawings, experimented with 3d printers, made changes to the liquid nitrogen skid schematics, and learned how to weld. I also programmed microcontrollers to interact with various sensors and helped with other things going on around the lab.

Biosputniks: The use by the Soviet Union and Russia of dogs, monkeys and other animals in the exploration of space, 1949-93

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harvey, B.

1993-10-01

The Soviet Union used animals in the exploration of space from 1949 onwards. Russia has continued the use of animals in the exploration of space with the launch on 30 December 1992 of Bion-10 (Cosmos 2229). Animals in the space program is an important theme in the Soviet exploration of space. The use of animals in the exploration of space has four main phases: (1) Suborbital missions 1949-1959; (2) Preparation for man's first flight into space 1960-1; (3) Preparation for man's flight to the Moon 1968-1970; (4) The international biomedical program 1962- . Each is dealt with in turn. The use of animals or biological specimens on board manned orbital space stations is not discussed.

Scientific and technological results from the Consort rocket program.

PubMed

Naumann, R J

1995-12-01

The Consort suborbital rocket program was initiated to allow industrial researchers working through the various NASA Centers for Commercial Development of Space to have ready access to 6 to 7 min of microgravity environment for the purpose of trying out new ideas and for testing apparatus being developed for longer duration Shuttle flights. The 6 Consort flights have provided a wealth of experimental data, some of which has not been published in the open literature. The purpose of this paper is to document the experiments that have been flown and what has been learned. A fairly extensive bibliography of the published results has been included, and the investigator team responsible for the various experiments has been included so that interested parties may contact the various investigators directly for more details.

Fluid Vessel Quantity Using Non-invasive PZT Technology Flight Volume Measurements Under Zero G Analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Garofalo, Anthony A

2013-01-01

The purpose of the project is to perform analysis of data using the Systems Engineering Educational Discovery (SEED) program data from 2011 and 2012 Fluid Vessel Quantity using Non-Invasive PZT Technology flight volume measurements under Zero G conditions (parabolic Plane flight data). Also experimental planning and lab work for future sub-orbital experiments to use the NASA PZT technology for fluid volume measurement. Along with conducting data analysis of flight data, I also did a variety of other tasks. I provided the lab with detailed technical drawings, experimented with 3d printers, made changes to the liquid nitrogen skid schematics, and learned how to weld. I also programmed microcontrollers to interact with various sensors and helped with other things going on around the lab.

Two new species of Oxynoemacheilus from the Tigris drainage in Iraqi Kurdistan (Teleostei: Nemacheilidae).

PubMed

Freyhof, Jörg; Abdullah, Younis Sabir

2017-03-02

Two new species of Oxynoemacheilus are described from the Sirvan River drainage in Iraqi Kurdistan. Oxynoemacheilus gyndes, new species, is distinguished by having a very short lateral line, reaching behind the pectoral-fin base, no scales except on the posteriormost part of the caudal peduncle, a slightly emarginate caudal fin and no suborbital groove in males. Oxynoemacheilus hanae, new species, is distinguished by having a midlateral row of elongated blotches, isolated patches of dark-brown spots or blotches on lower flank, a deeply emarginate caudal fin and a suborbital groove in males.

The Combined Release and Radiation Effects Satellite (CRRES) program: A unique series of scientific experiments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Reasoner, David L.; Mccook, Morgan W. (Editor); Vaughan, William W. (Editor)

1990-01-01

The Defense Department and NASA have joined in a program to study the space environment which surrounds the earth and the effects of space radiation on modern satellite electronic systems. The Combined Release and Radiation Effects Satellite (CRRES) will carry an array of active experiments including chemical releases and a complement of sophisticated scientific instruments to accomplish these objectives. Other chemical release active experiments will be performed with sub-orbital rocket probes. The chemical releases will 'paint' the magnetic and electric fields of earthspace with clouds of glowing ions. Earthspace will be a laboratory, and the releases will be studied with an extensive network of ground-, aircraft-, and satellite-based diagnostic instruments. Some of the topics discussed include the following: the effects of earthspace; the need for active experiments; types of chemical releases; the CRRES program schedule; international support and coordinated studies; photographing chemical releases; information on locating chemical releases for observation by the amateur; and CRRES as a program.

The Combined Release and Radiation Effects Satellite (CRRES) program: A unique series of scientific experiments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reasoner, David L.; McCook, Morgan W.; Vaughan, William W.

The Defense Department and NASA have joined in a program to study the space environment which surrounds the earth and the effects of space radiation on modern satellite electronic systems. The Combined Release and Radiation Effects Satellite (CRRES) will carry an array of active experiments including chemical releases and a complement of sophisticated scientific instruments to accomplish these objectives. Other chemical release active experiments will be performed with sub-orbital rocket probes. The chemical releases will 'paint' the magnetic and electric fields of earthspace with clouds of glowing ions. Earthspace will be a laboratory, and the releases will be studied with an extensive network of ground-, aircraft-, and satellite-based diagnostic instruments. Some of the topics discussed include the following: the effects of earthspace; the need for active experiments; types of chemical releases; the CRRES program schedule; international support and coordinated studies; photographing chemical releases; information on locating chemical releases for observation by the amateur; and CRRES as a program.

Monte Carlo simulations of the secondary neutron ambient and effective dose equivalent rates from surface to suborbital altitudes and low Earth orbit

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

El-Jaby, Samy; Richardson, Richard B.

2015-07-01

Occupational exposures from ionizing radiation are currently regulated for airline travel (<20 km) and for missions to low-Earth orbit (∼300-400 km). Aircrew typically receive between 1 and 6 mSv of occupational dose annually, while aboard the International Space Station, the area radiation dose equivalent measured over just 168 days was 106 mSv at solar minimum conditions. It is anticipated that space tourism vehicles will reach suborbital altitudes of approximately 100 km and, therefore, the annual occupational dose to flight crew during repeated transits is expected to fall somewhere between those observed for aircrew and astronauts. Unfortunately, measurements of the radiation environment at the high altitudes reached by suborbital vehicles are sparse, and modelling efforts have been similarly limited. In this paper, preliminary MCNPX radiation transport code simulations are developed of the secondary neutron flux profile in air from surface altitudes up to low Earth orbit at solar minimum conditions and excluding the effects of spacecraft shielding. These secondary neutrons are produced by galactic cosmic radiation interacting with Earth's atmosphere and are among the sources of radiation that can pose a health risk. Associated estimates of the operational neutron ambient dose equivalent, used for radiation protection purposes, and the neutron effective dose equivalent that is typically used for estimates of stochastic health risks, are provided in air. Simulations show that the neutron radiation dose rates received at suborbital altitudes are comparable to those experienced by aircrew flying at 7 to 14 km. We also show that the total neutron dose rate tails off beyond the Pfotzer maximum on ascension from surface up to low Earth orbit.

Monte Carlo simulations of the secondary neutron ambient and effective dose equivalent rates from surface to suborbital altitudes and low Earth orbit.

PubMed

El-Jaby, Samy; Richardson, Richard B

2015-07-01

Occupational exposures from ionizing radiation are currently regulated for airline travel (<20 km) and for missions to low-Earth orbit (∼300-400 km). Aircrew typically receive between 1 and 6 mSv of occupational dose annually, while aboard the International Space Station, the area radiation dose equivalent measured over just 168 days was 106 mSv at solar minimum conditions. It is anticipated that space tourism vehicles will reach suborbital altitudes of approximately 100 km and, therefore, the annual occupational dose to flight crew during repeated transits is expected to fall somewhere between those observed for aircrew and astronauts. Unfortunately, measurements of the radiation environment at the high altitudes reached by suborbital vehicles are sparse, and modelling efforts have been similarly limited. In this paper, preliminary MCNPX radiation transport code simulations are developed of the secondary neutron flux profile in air from surface altitudes up to low Earth orbit at solar minimum conditions and excluding the effects of spacecraft shielding. These secondary neutrons are produced by galactic cosmic radiation interacting with Earth's atmosphere and are among the sources of radiation that can pose a health risk. Associated estimates of the operational neutron ambient dose equivalent, used for radiation protection purposes, and the neutron effective dose equivalent that is typically used for estimates of stochastic health risks, are provided in air. Simulations show that the neutron radiation dose rates received at suborbital altitudes are comparable to those experienced by aircrew flying at 7 to 14 km. We also show that the total neutron dose rate tails off beyond the Pfotzer maximum on ascension from surface up to low Earth orbit. Crown Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

University of Virginia suborbital infrared sensing experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Holland, Stephen; Nunnally, Clayton; Armstrong, Sarah; Laufer, Gabriel

2002-03-01

An Orion sounding rocket launched from Wallops Flight Facility carried a University of Virginia payload to an altitude of 47 km and returned infrared measurements of the Earth's upper atmosphere and video images of the ocean. The payload launch was the result of a three-year undergraduate design project by a multi-disciplinary student group from the University of Virginia and James Madison University. As part of a new multi-year design course, undergraduate students designed, built, tested, and participated in the launch of a suborbital platform from which atmospheric remote sensors and other scientific experiments could operate. The first launch included a simplified atmospheric measurement system intended to demonstrate full system operation and remote sensing capabilities during suborbital flight. A thermoelectrically cooled HgCdTe infrared detector, with peak sensitivity at 10 micrometers , measured upwelling radiation and a small camera and VCR system, aligned with the infrared sensor, provided a ground reference. Additionally, a simple orientation sensor, consisting of three photodiodes, equipped with red, green, and blue light with dichroic filters, was tested. Temperature measurements of the upper atmosphere were successfully obtained during the flight. Video images were successfully recorded on-board the payload and proved a valuable tool in the data analysis process. The photodiode system, intended as a replacement for the camera and VCR system, functioned well, despite low signal amplification. This fully integrated and flight tested payload will serve as a platform for future atmospheric sensing experiments. It is currently being modified for a second suborbital flight that will incorporate a gas filter correlation radiometry (GFCR) instrument to measure the distribution of stratospheric methane and imaging capabilities to record the chlorophyll distribution in the Metompkin Bay as an indicator of pollution runoff.

The Space Physics of Life: Searching for Biosignatures on Habitable Icy Worlds Affected by Space Weathering

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cooper, John F.

2006-01-01

Accessible surfaces of the most likely astrobiological habitats (Mars, Europa, Titan) in the solar system beyond Earth are exposed to various chemical and hydrologic weathering processes directly or indirectly induced by interaction with the overlying space environment. These processes can be both beneficial, through provision of chemical compounds and energy, and destructive, through chemical dissociation or burial, to detectable presence of biosignatures. Orbital, suborbital, and surface platforms carrying astrobiological instrumentation must survive, and preferably exploit, space environment interactions to reach these habitats and search for evidence of life or its precursors. Experience from Mars suggests that any detection of biosignatures must be accompanied by characterization of the local chemical environment and energy sources including irradiation by solar ultraviolet photons and energetic particles from the space environment. Orbital and suborbital surveys of surface chemistry and astrobiological potential in the context of the space environment should precede targeted in-situ measurements to maximize probability of biosignature detection through site selection. The Space Physics of Life (SPOL) investigation has recently been proposed to the NASA Astrobiology Institute and is briefly described in this presentation. SPOL is the astrobiologically relevant study of the interactions and relationships of potentially? or previously inhabited, bodies of the solar system with the surrounding environments. This requires an interdisciplinary effort in space physics, planetary science, and radiation biology. The proposed investigation addresses the search for habitable environments, chemical resources to support life, and techniques for detection of organic and inorganic signs of life in the context of the space environment.

NASA Plan for Increasing Access to the Results of Scientific Research

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2014-01-01

This plan is issued in response to the Executive Office of the President's February 22, 2013, Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) Memorandum for the Heads of Executive Departments and Agencies, "Increasing Access to the Results of Federally Funded Scientific Research." Through this memorandum, OSTP directed all agencies with more than $100 million in annual research and development expenditures to prepare a plan for improving the public's access to the results of federally funded research. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) invests on the order of $3 billion annually in fundamental and applied research and technology development1 across a broad range of topics, including space and Earth sciences, life and physical sciences, human health, aeronautics, and technology. Promoting the full and open sharing of data with research communities, private industry, academia, and the general public is one of NASA's longstanding core values. For example, NASA's space and suborbital mission personnel routinely process, archive, and distribute their data to researchers around the globe. This plan expands the breadth of NASA's open-access culture to include data and publications for all of the scientific research that the Agency sponsors.

External Payload Carrier (XPC) A Suborbital Research Platform

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schallhorn, Paul; Tatro, Chuck; Kutter, Bernard; Szatkowski, Gerald; Stopnitzky, Ben; Bulk, Tim

2011-01-01

This slide presentation details the concept of an External Payload Carrier (XPC), that can fly on ann unused Solid Rocket Booster (SRB) location on the Atlas V rocket to suborbital environment. The XPC can be used anytime there is sufficient excess lift capability available. The dimensions and possible uses of the XPC are reviewed. The completed Phase 1 study reviewed 57 variations, and arrived at three viable configurations, identified design baselines, subsystems and preliminary testing requirements. Phase II effort is planned to produce the preliminary design (i.e., PDR level), Systems Requirements Document (SRD), identify flight candidates, develop schedule and funding profiles, and identify the risk-reduction activities.

Suborbital spaceplane optimization using non-stationary Gaussian processes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dufour, Robin; de Muelenaere, Julien; Elham, Ali

2014-10-01

This paper presents multidisciplinary design optimization of a sub-orbital spaceplane. The optimization includes three disciplines: the aerodynamics, the structure and the trajectory. An Adjoint Euler code is used to calculate the aerodynamic lift and drag of the vehicle as well as their derivatives with respect to the design variables. A new surrogate model has been developed based on a non-stationary Gaussian process. That model was used to estimate the aerodynamic characteristics of the vehicle during the trajectory optimization. The trajectory of thevehicle has been optimized together with its geometry in order to maximize the amount of payload that can be carried by the spaceplane.

KSC-07pd0923

NASA Image and Video Library

2007-04-17

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The media swarm around Pilot Rick Svetkoff after his test flight of the Starfighter F-104, in the background. The aircraft is taking part in a series of pathfinder test missions from the space shuttle runway. Two flights will generate test data to validate sonic boom assumptions about the potential impacts of suborbital and orbital commercial spaceflight from the facility. NASA is assessing the environmental impact of such flights. Starfighters Inc. of Clearwater, Fla., will perform the flights to help in assessing suborbital space launch trajectories from the runway and paving the way for future commercial space tourism and research flights from the facility. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

KSC-07pd0889

NASA Image and Video Library

2007-04-16

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Pilot Rick Svetkoff taxis a Starfighter F-104 down the runway on the Shuttle Landing Facility at Kennedy Space Center. The aircraft will take part in a series of pathfinder test missions from the space shuttle runway. Two flights will generate test data to validate sonic boom assumptions about the potential impacts of suborbital and orbital commercial spaceflight from the facility. NASA is assessing the environmental impact of such flights. Starfighters Inc. of Clearwater, Fla., will perform the flights to help in assessing suborbital space launch trajectories from the runway and paving the way for future commercial space tourism and research flights from the facility. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

KSC-07pd0916

NASA Image and Video Library

2007-04-17

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- After returning from a test flight, pilot Rick Svetkoff climbs out of the cockpit of the Starfighter F-104. The aircraft is taking part in a series of pathfinder test missions from the space shuttle runway. Two flights will generate test data to validate sonic boom assumptions about the potential impacts of suborbital and orbital commercial spaceflight from the facility. NASA is assessing the environmental impact of such flights. Starfighters Inc. of Clearwater, Fla., will perform the flights to help in assessing suborbital space launch trajectories from the runway and paving the way for future commercial space tourism and research flights from the facility. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

KSC-07pd0913

NASA Image and Video Library

2007-04-17

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The Starfighter F-104 approaches the runway at the KSC Shuttle Landing Facility for a landing after its test flight. The aircraft is taking part in a series of pathfinder test missions from the space shuttle runway. Two flights will generate test data to validate sonic boom assumptions about the potential impacts of suborbital and orbital commercial spaceflight from the facility. NASA is assessing the environmental impact of such flights. Starfighters Inc. of Clearwater, Fla., will perform the flights to help in assessing suborbital space launch trajectories from the runway and paving the way for future commercial space tourism and research flights from the facility. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

KSC-07pd0917

NASA Image and Video Library

2007-04-17

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Bill Parsons (left), director of Kennedy Space Center, greets pilot Rick Svetkoff after a test flight of the Starfighter F-104. The aircraft is taking part in a series of pathfinder test missions from the space shuttle runway. Two flights will generate test data to validate sonic boom assumptions about the potential impacts of suborbital and orbital commercial spaceflight from the facility. NASA is assessing the environmental impact of such flights. Starfighters Inc. of Clearwater, Fla., will perform the flights to help in assessing suborbital space launch trajectories from the runway and paving the way for future commercial space tourism and research flights from the facility. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

KSC-07pd0914

NASA Image and Video Library

2007-04-17

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The Starfighter F-104 lands on the runway at the KSC Shuttle Landing Facility after its test flight. The aircraft is taking part in a series of pathfinder test missions from the space shuttle runway. Two flights will generate test data to validate sonic boom assumptions about the potential impacts of suborbital and orbital commercial spaceflight from the facility. NASA is assessing the environmental impact of such flights. Starfighters Inc. of Clearwater, Fla., will perform the flights to help in assessing suborbital space launch trajectories from the runway and paving the way for future commercial space tourism and research flights from the facility. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

KSC-07pd0888

NASA Image and Video Library

2007-04-16

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- A Starfighter F-104 piloted by Rick Svetkoff lands on the Shuttle Landing Facility at Kennedy Space Center. The aircraft will take part in a series of pathfinder test missions from the space shuttle runway. Two flights will generate test data to validate sonic boom assumptions about the potential impacts of suborbital and orbital commercial spaceflight from the facility. NASA is assessing the environmental impact of such flights. Starfighters Inc. of Clearwater, Fla., will perform the flights to help in assessing suborbital space launch trajectories from the runway and paving the way for future commercial space tourism and research flights from the facility. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

KSC-07pd0887

NASA Image and Video Library

2007-04-16

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- A Starfighter F-104 piloted by Rick Svetkoff approaches the Shuttle Landing Facility at Kennedy Space Center. The aircraft will take part in a series of pathfinder test missions from the space shuttle runway. Two flights will generate test data to validate sonic boom assumptions about the potential impacts of suborbital and orbital commercial spaceflight from the facility. NASA is assessing the environmental impact of such flights. Starfighters Inc. of Clearwater, Fla., will perform the flights to help in assessing suborbital space launch trajectories from the runway and paving the way for future commercial space tourism and research flights from the facility. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

KSC-07pd0908

NASA Image and Video Library

2007-04-17

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- On the KSC Shuttle Landing Facility, pilot Rick Svetkoff settles into the cockpit of the Starfighter F-104. The aircraft is taking part in a series of pathfinder test missions from the space shuttle runway. Two flights will generate test data to validate sonic boom assumptions about the potential impacts of suborbital and orbital commercial spaceflight from the facility. NASA is assessing the environmental impact of such flights. Starfighters Inc. of Clearwater, Fla., will perform the flights to help in assessing suborbital space launch trajectories from the runway and paving the way for future commercial space tourism and research flights from the facility. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

Correlating Distal, Medial and Proximal Ejecta Transport/Emplacement From Oblique Cosmic Impact On North American Continental Ice Sheet At MIS20 ( 786 ka) Via Suborbital Analysis (SA).

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harris, T. H. S.; Davais, M. E.

2017-12-01

Several elements of the 786 ka Australasian (AA) tektite imprint bear close scrutinyin order to locate the parent impact site or structure. The unique Carolina bays unit geologic formation is indicated as a large "medial" ejecta blanket from a large cosmic impact during a period containing 786 ka. Coincidence? Kg-scale sub-spherical hollow splash form AA tektites implies prolonged atmospheric blow out-scale momentum current with a core of sub-parallel or divergent flow volume having essentially zero turbulence. This would allow for plasma entrainment and heating of target mass at prolonged low dynamic pressure during outflow, where adiabatic expansion could deliver both semi-solid Muong Nong-type and inviscid melts above the atmosphere for gentle release upon rarefaction in vacuum. Within a large atmospheric blow-out scale momentum current, target mass becomes entrained at the speed of adiabatic outflow. 10+ km/s ejecta entrainment yields inter-hemispheric emplacement from launch per governing suborbital mechanics, without question. Oblique impact into a thick ice sheet explains reduced excavation volume and shearing disruption in the form of hypersonic steam plasma scouring. Adiabatic expansion would be immediately available to accelerate and further heat proto-tektite target mass. With shock no longer the sole transport engine, kg-scale splash forms and tektite speeds above the post-shock vaporization velocity of quartz are explained by expansion of shocked ice, in agreement with the observed imprint. The 6 Carolina bay shapes or "Davias Archetypes" are reproducible using conic perturbation in Suborbital Analysis, conforming to a formative mechanism of suborbital transport and ballistic emplacement: "Suborbital Obstruction Shadowing" needs only 3 parts in 10,000 of VEL variation around a circular EL-AZ-VEL launch cone, before considering re-entry effects. Transport energy of the Carolina bay sand, calculated using the 3.5 to 4 km/s launch VEL required for its indicated transport, must account for inefficiency of entrained transport. Roughly 1600 cubic kilometers of Carolina bays sand must have taken 10 to 1000 times more energy to transport than the entire Chixulub event yield. Imagery by M. E. Davias of Cintos.org, S.E. Nebraska (top) and Bennettsville, South Carolina (bottom).

KSC-2011-3326

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-05-05

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Invited guests enjoy the program presented at a celebration at Complex 5/6 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. The celebration was held at the launch site of the first U.S. manned spaceflight May 5, 1961, to mark the 50th anniversary of the flight. Fifty years ago, astronaut Alan Shepard lifted off inside the Mercury capsule, "Freedom 7," atop an 82-foot-tall Mercury-Redstone rocket at 9:34 a.m. EST, sending him on a remarkably successful, 15-minute suborbital flight. The event was attended by more than 200 workers from the original Mercury program and included a re-creation of Shepard's flight and recovery, as well as a tribute to his contributions as a moonwalker on the Apollo 14 lunar mission. For more information, visit www.nasa.gov/topics/history/milestones/index.html. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

Overview of Lidar Contributions to the Atmospheric Carbon and Transport - America (ACT-America) Program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Davis, K. J.; Meadows, B.; Barrick, J. D. W.; Bell, E.; Browell, E. V.; Campbell, J. F.; DiGangi, J. P.; Chen, G.; Dobler, J. T.; Fan, T. F.; Feng, S.; Fried, A.; Kooi, S. A.; Lauvaux, T.; Lin, B.; McGill, M. J.; Miles, N.; Nehrir, A. R.; Obland, M. D.; O'Dell, C.; Pal, S.; Pauly, R.; Sweeney, C.; Yang, M. Y.

2017-12-01

The Atmospheric Carbon and Transport - America (ACT-America) is an Earth Venture Suborbital -2 (EVS-2) mission sponsored by the Earth Science Division of NASA's Science Mission Directorate. A major objective is to enhance our knowledge of the sources/sinks and transport of atmospheric CO2 through the application of remote and in situ airborne measurements of CO2 and other atmospheric properties on spatial and temporal scales not previously available to the science community. ACT-America consists of five campaigns to measure regional carbon and evaluate transport under various meteorological conditions in three regional areas of the Continental United States. Three of the five campaigns, summer 2016, winter 2017, and fall 2017, have taken place. Data have been collected during these campaigns using 2 airborne platforms (NASA Wallops' C-130 and NASA Langley's B-200) with in-situ instruments on both aircraft and three lidar systems on the C-130, along with instrumented towers and coordinated under flights with the Orbiting Carbon Observatory (OCO-2) satellite. The lidar systems include the Harris Corp. Multi-Frequency Fiber Laser Lidar (MFLL), the NASA Langley ASCENDS CarbonHawk Experiment Simulator (ACES) and the Goddard Cloud Physics Laboratory (CPL). The airborne lidars provide unique data that complement the more traditional in situ sensors. Lidar CO2 measurements provide integrated views of spatial variations of partial columns of atmospheric CO2 which can be adjusted to the column of scientific interest by changing flight altitudes. Lidar backscatter data provide detailed views of atmospheric layers, including the atmospheric boundary layer, residual layers, and cloud layers. The combination of these two lidars provide a far more comprehensive view of atmospheric structure and CO2 content than can be achieved with in situ measurements alone. This presentation provides an overview of the application of these three lidar systems toward achieving ACT-America's scientific objectives.

Overview Of Suborbital Human Transportation Concept Alpha

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Adirim, H.; Pilz, N.; Marini, M.; Hendrick, P.; Schmid, M.; Behr, R.; Barth, T.; Tarfeld, F.; Wiegand, A.; Charbonnier, D.; Haya Ramos, R.; Steeland, J.; Mack, A.

2011-05-01

Within the EC co-funded project FAST20XX (Future high-Altitude high-Speed Transport 20XX), the European suborbital passenger transportation system concept ALPHA (Airplane Launched PHoenix Aircraft), which shall be based to a maximum extent on existing technologies and capabilities, is currently being investigated as collaborative project by a European consortium under coordination of ESA. The ALPHA concept incorporates an air-launch from a carrier aircraft, which shall be used as first stage. The ALPHA vehicle shall be capable of transporting up to four passengers plus one pilot to an altitude of at least 100 km. The ALPHA vehicle is a down-scaled version of the suborbital space transportation concept Hopper, which was already deeply investigated within the European FESTIP System Study and the German ASTRA program including the successfully flown experimental landing demonstrator Phoenix. This approach has allowed the use of existing aerodynamic vehicle data and has led to the adaptation of the external Hopper/Phoenix configuration for ALPHA. In FESTIP and ASTRA, the Hopper configuration showed sufficient stability margins. Due to the geometric similarity of the ALPHA and Hopper vehicles, a trimable and flyable configuration could be derived by means of ALPHA flight trajectory calculations. In its current configuration, the ALPHA vehicle has a length of ca. 9 m and a gross take-off mass of ca. 3.5 Mg. The launch, staging and separation of ALPHA shall be performed either as internal air-launch from the cargo bay of the carrier aircraft, as under-wing air-launch or as towed air-launch. After separation from the carrier aircraft, the ALPHA vehicle ignites its onboard rocket propulsion system. Since conventional liquid and solid propulsion did not seem suitable for ALPHA due to Their high cost, limited safety and toxicity, a low-cost, “green” and non-hazardous hybrid propulsion system based on liquid nitrous oxide in combination with a solid polymer fuel was selected as baseline ALPHA propulsion. The general feasibility of hybrid propulsion for suborbital vehicle application with this propellant combination was already successfully demonstrated in the first reusable and privately-funded manned launch vehicle SpaceShipOne and consequently represents the solution with the lowest development risk for the investigated application. Due to the huge success of SpaceShipOne, the same type of hybrid propulsion is foreseen for Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo. ALPHA vehicle guidance will preferably be fully autonomous during the entire mission flight profile. The required technology for autonomous vehicle guidance can be adapted from the European RLV demonstrator Phoenix, which successfully demonstrated automated landing when it was dropped three times by a helicopter and landed precisely after a GPS-guided glide. This paper outlines the current status of the technology development work for ALPHA and has a special focus on aerodynamic and aerothermodynamic aspects of the concept.

Open-system coral ages reveal persistent suborbital sea-level cycles.

PubMed

Thompson, William G; Goldstein, Steven L

2005-04-15

Sea level is a sensitive index of global climate that has been linked to Earth's orbital variations, with a minimum periodicity of about 21,000 years. Although there is ample evidence for climate oscillations that are too frequent to be explained by orbital forcing, suborbital-frequency sea-level change has been difficult to resolve, primarily because of problems with uranium/thorium coral dating. Here we use a new approach that corrects coral ages for the frequently observed open-system behavior of uranium-series nuclides, substantially improving the resolution of sea-level reconstruction. This curve reveals persistent sea-level oscillations that are too frequent to be explained exclusively by orbital forcing.

Project Hermes 'Use of Smartphones for Receiving Telemetry and Commanding a Satellite'

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Maharaja, Rishabh (Principal Investigator)

2016-01-01

TCPIP protocols can be applied for satellite command, control, and data transfer. Project Hermes was an experiment set-up to test the use of the TCPIP protocol for communicating with a space bound payload. The idea was successfully demonstrated on high altitude balloon flights and on a sub-orbital sounding rocket launched from NASAs Wallops Flight Facility. TCPIP protocols can be applied for satellite command, control, and data transfer. Project Hermes was an experiment set-up to test the use of the TCPIP protocol for communicating with a space bound payload. The idea was successfully demonstrated on high altitude balloon flights and on a sub-orbital sounding rocket launched from NASAs Wallops Flight Facility.

Capture-ejector satellites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Macconochie, I. O.; Eldred, C. H.; Martin, J. A.

1983-01-01

A satellite in the form of a large rotating rim which can be used to boost spacecraft from low-Earth orbit to higher orbits is described. The rim rotates in the plane of its orbit such that the lower portion of the rim is traveling at suborbital velocity, while the upper portion is travelling at greater than orbital velocity. Ascending spacecraft or payloads arrive at the lowest portion of the rim at suborbital velocities, where the payloads are released on a trajectory for higher orbits; descending payloads employ the reverse procedure. Electric thrusters placed on the rim maintain rim rotational speed and altitude. From the standpoint of currently known materials, the capture-ejector concept may be useful for relatively small velocity increments.

KSC-07pd0904

NASA Image and Video Library

2007-04-17

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- On the KSC Shuttle Landing Facility, a Starfighter F-104 aircraft is being prepared for test flights. Behind the plane is Dave Waldrop, co-pilot. The aircraft is taking part in a series of pathfinder test missions from the space shuttle runway. Two flights will generate test data to validate sonic boom assumptions about the potential impacts of suborbital and orbital commercial spaceflight from the facility. NASA is assessing the environmental impact of such flights. Starfighters Inc. of Clearwater, Fla., will perform the flights to help in assessing suborbital space launch trajectories from the runway and paving the way for future commercial space tourism and research flights from the facility. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

KSC-07pd0906

NASA Image and Video Library

2007-04-17

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- On the KSC Shuttle Landing Facility, pilot Rick Svetkoff (left) and co-pilot Dave Waldrop are ready to climb into the cockpit of the Starfighter F-104. The aircraft is taking part in a series of pathfinder test missions from the space shuttle runway. Two flights will generate test data to validate sonic boom assumptions about the potential impacts of suborbital and orbital commercial spaceflight from the facility. NASA is assessing the environmental impact of such flights. Starfighters Inc. of Clearwater, Fla., will perform the flights to help in assessing suborbital space launch trajectories from the runway and paving the way for future commercial space tourism and research flights from the facility. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

KSC-07pd0905

NASA Image and Video Library

2007-04-17

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- On the KSC Shuttle Landing Facility, a Starfighter F-104 aircraft is being prepared for test flights. Ready to climb into the cockpit is the pilot, Rick Svetkoff. The aircraft is taking part in a series of pathfinder test missions from the space shuttle runway. Two flights will generate test data to validate sonic boom assumptions about the potential impacts of suborbital and orbital commercial spaceflight from the facility. NASA is assessing the environmental impact of such flights. Starfighters Inc. of Clearwater, Fla., will perform the flights to help in assessing suborbital space launch trajectories from the runway and paving the way for future commercial space tourism and research flights from the facility. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

KSC-07pd0918

NASA Image and Video Library

2007-04-17

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Bill Parsons (left), director of Kennedy Space Center, greets pilot Rick Svetkoff and co-pilot Dave Waldrop after a test flight of the Starfighter F-104. The aircraft is taking part in a series of pathfinder test missions from the space shuttle runway. Two flights will generate test data to validate sonic boom assumptions about the potential impacts of suborbital and orbital commercial spaceflight from the facility. NASA is assessing the environmental impact of such flights. Starfighters Inc. of Clearwater, Fla., will perform the flights to help in assessing suborbital space launch trajectories from the runway and paving the way for future commercial space tourism and research flights from the facility. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

KSC-07pd0915

NASA Image and Video Library

2007-04-17

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The Starfighter F-104 comes to a stop on the KSC Shuttle Landing Facility after its test flight. The pilot is Rick Svetkoff; the co-pilot is Dave Waldrop.The aircraft is taking part in a series of pathfinder test missions from the space shuttle runway. Two flights will generate test data to validate sonic boom assumptions about the potential impacts of suborbital and orbital commercial spaceflight from the facility. NASA is assessing the environmental impact of such flights. Starfighters Inc. of Clearwater, Fla., will perform the flights to help in assessing suborbital space launch trajectories from the runway and paving the way for future commercial space tourism and research flights from the facility. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

KSC-07pd0909

NASA Image and Video Library

2007-04-17

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- On the KSC Shuttle Landing Facility, the Starfighter F-104 starts to taxi to the runway. The pilot is Rick Svetkoff; the co-pilot is Dave Waldrop. The aircraft is taking part in a series of pathfinder test missions from the space shuttle runway. Two flights will generate test data to validate sonic boom assumptions about the potential impacts of suborbital and orbital commercial spaceflight from the facility. NASA is assessing the environmental impact of such flights. Starfighters Inc. of Clearwater, Fla., will perform the flights to help in assessing suborbital space launch trajectories from the runway and paving the way for future commercial space tourism and research flights from the facility. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

KSC-07pd0910

NASA Image and Video Library

2007-04-17

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- From the KSC Shuttle Landing Facility, the Starfighter F-104 picks up speed on the runway for takeoff. The pilot is Rick Svetkoff; the co-pilot is Dave Waldrop. The aircraft is taking part in a series of pathfinder test missions from the space shuttle runway. Two flights will generate test data to validate sonic boom assumptions about the potential impacts of suborbital and orbital commercial spaceflight from the facility. NASA is assessing the environmental impact of such flights. Starfighters Inc. of Clearwater, Fla., will perform the flights to help in assessing suborbital space launch trajectories from the runway and paving the way for future commercial space tourism and research flights from the facility. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

KSC-07pd0911

NASA Image and Video Library

2007-04-17

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The Starfighter F-104 is airborne after taking off from the KSC Shuttle Landing Facility. The pilot is Rick Svetkoff; the co-pilot is Dave Waldrop. The aircraft is taking part in a series of pathfinder test missions from the space shuttle runway. Two flights will generate test data to validate sonic boom assumptions about the potential impacts of suborbital and orbital commercial spaceflight from the facility. NASA is assessing the environmental impact of such flights. Starfighters Inc. of Clearwater, Fla., will perform the flights to help in assessing suborbital space launch trajectories from the runway and paving the way for future commercial space tourism and research flights from the facility. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

KSC-07pd0907

NASA Image and Video Library

2007-04-17

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- On the KSC Shuttle Landing Facility, pilot Rick Svetkoff (left) climbs toward the cockpit of the Starfighter F-104 while co-pilot Dave Waldrop settles in his seat. The aircraft is taking part in a series of pathfinder test missions from the space shuttle runway. Two flights will generate test data to validate sonic boom assumptions about the potential impacts of suborbital and orbital commercial spaceflight from the facility. NASA is assessing the environmental impact of such flights. Starfighters Inc. of Clearwater, Fla., will perform the flights to help in assessing suborbital space launch trajectories from the runway and paving the way for future commercial space tourism and research flights from the facility. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

KSC-07pd0912

NASA Image and Video Library

2007-04-17

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The Starfighter F-104 banks for a turn after taking off from the KSC Shuttle Landing Facility. The pilot is Rick Svetkoff; the co-pilot is Dave Waldrop. The aircraft is taking part in a series of pathfinder test missions from the space shuttle runway. Two flights will generate test data to validate sonic boom assumptions about the potential impacts of suborbital and orbital commercial spaceflight from the facility. NASA is assessing the environmental impact of such flights. Starfighters Inc. of Clearwater, Fla., will perform the flights to help in assessing suborbital space launch trajectories from the runway and paving the way for future commercial space tourism and research flights from the facility. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

Direct Aerosol Radiative Forcing Based on Combined A-Train Observations: Towards All-sky Estimates and Attribution to Aerosol Type

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Redemann, Jens; Shinozuka, Y.; Kacenelenbogen, M.; Russell, P.; Vaughan, M.; Ferrare, R.; Hostetler, C.; Rogers, R.; Burton, S.; Livingston, J.;

Parts quality management: Direct part marking of data matrix symbol for mission assurance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moss, Chantrice; Chakrabarti, Suman; Scott, David W.

A United States Government Accountability Office (GAO) review of twelve NASA programs found widespread parts quality problems contributing to significant cost overruns, schedule delays, and reduced system reliability. Direct part marking with Data Matrix symbols could significantly improve the quality of inventory control and parts lifecycle management. This paper examines the feasibility of using direct part marking technologies for use in future NASA programs. A structural analysis is based on marked material type, operational environment (e.g., ground, suborbital, Low Earth Orbit), durability of marks, ease of operation, reliability, and affordability. A cost-benefits analysis considers marking technology (label printing, data plates, and direct part marking) and marking types (two-dimensional machine-readable, human-readable). Previous NASA parts marking efforts and historical cost data are accounted for, including in-house vs. outsourced marking. Some marking methods are still under development. While this paper focuses on NASA programs, results may be applicable to a variety of industrial environments.

Parts Quality Management: Direct Part Marking of Data Matrix Symbol for Mission Assurance

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Moss, Chantrice; Chakrabarti, Suman; Scott, David W.

2013-01-01

A United States Government Accountability Office (GAO) review of twelve NASA programs found widespread parts quality problems contributing to significant cost overruns, schedule delays, and reduced system reliability. Direct part marking with Data Matrix symbols could significantly improve the quality of inventory control and parts lifecycle management. This paper examines the feasibility of using direct part marking technologies for use in future NASA programs. A structural analysis is based on marked material type, operational environment (e.g., ground, suborbital, Low Earth Orbit), durability of marks, ease of operation, reliability, and affordability. A cost-benefits analysis considers marking technology (label printing, data plates, and direct part marking) and marking types (two-dimensional machine-readable, human-readable). Previous NASA parts marking efforts and historical cost data are accounted for, including inhouse vs. outsourced marking. Some marking methods are still under development. While this paper focuses on NASA programs, results may be applicable to a variety of industrial environments.

Innovative approaches to exoplanet detection and characterization: Notes from the Nov 10-13 Keck Institute for Space Studies workshop

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Young, Eliot; Traub, Wesley; Unwin, Stephen; Stapelfeldt, Karl

2010-05-01

A four-day workshop was convened on November 10-13, 2009 by the Keck Institute for Space Studies and JPL to consider innovative approaches to detecting and characterizing exoplanets and planetary systems. The program and many of the presentations can be found online: . We present some of the observational strategies discussed in this workshop and summarize some of the issues associated with them. In particular, we will highlight some of the advantages and shortcomings of suborbital and orbital (e.g., ESPA rings) observing platforms in the context of exoplanet detection and characterization.

Ares I-X: First Flight of a New Era

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Davis, Stephen R.; Askins, Bruce R.

2010-01-01

Since 2005, NASA s Constellation Program has been designing, building, and testing the next generation of launch and space vehicles to carry humans beyond low-Earth orbit (LEO). The Ares Projects at Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) are developing the Ares I crew launch vehicle and Ares V cargo launch vehicle. On October 28, 2009, the first development flight test of the Ares I crew launch vehicle, Ares I-X, lifted off from a launch pad at Kennedy Space Center (KSC) on successful suborbital flight. Basing exploration launch vehicle designs on Ares I-X information puts NASA one step closer to full-up "test as you fly," a best practice in vehicle design. Although the final Constellation Program architecture is under review, the Ares I-X data and experience in vehicle design and operations can be applied to any launch vehicle. This paper presents the mission background as well as results and lessons learned from the flight.

From Mercury to Apollo: astronaut Alan Shepard reflects on life support and other space issues [interview by Winston Huff].

PubMed

Shepard, A

1995-01-01

Alan Shepard was one of the original Mercury astronauts. He became the first American in space on May 5, 1961, in the Freedom 7 capsule, during a 15 minute suborbital trip reaching 115 miles altitude and 302 miles down the Atlantic tracking range. Grounded by an inner ear problem, he served as Chief of the Astronaut Office for several years. After an operation to correct the problem, he commanded the Apollo 14 moon mission in 1971. He retired as a Rear Admiral in 1974. Here, Alan Shepard offers his views on life support comedies and tragedies, going back to the moon, future drivers of the manned space flight program, the benefits of the space program, joint NASA and Russia missions, how his NASA experience affected his personal life, and the profitability of working with NASA.

Ups and downs of space tourism development in 60 years from moon register to spaceshiptwo CRASH

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chang, Yi-Wei; Chern, Jeng-Shing

2016-10-01

In human imagination, dreams and expectations, the sequence of ;space tourism; has most likely been Moon tourism, Earth orbital tourism and then suborbital tourism. But the sequence in actual development is the reverse: first Earth suborbital tourism, then orbital tourism, and finally Moon tourism. In 1954, three years before the successful launch of the first human artificial satellite, the world's oldest travel company, Thomas Cook in Britain, initiated the ;Moon Register.; Enthusiasts could sign an option for a commercial trip to the Moon and the company guaranteed to provide tickets at the earliest possible date. Sixty years later on 31st October 2014, the first SpaceShip Two (SS2) of Virgin Galactic developed for commercial suborbital space tourism (SST) and scientific research crashed at the Mojave Desert in California during test flight. Although the first privately paid space tourist had traveled to the International Space Station in 2001, this was only for millionaires and not the general public. In 2004, although SpaceShipOne won the Ansari X prize and shed the first light on SST, the commercial SST operations originally planned to be realized in 2008 are now long overdue. The SS2 has been just one of the reusable suborbital launch vehicles developed for SST and other purposes, with others including the Lynx, Spaceplane and Dream Chaser. However a tragedy in which the SS2 crashed and caused the sacrifice of one senior test pilot alerted tourists that the long overdue of SST might still be a few years away. The purposes of this paper are to review and discuss the ups and downs of space tourism development in the 60 years from 1954 to 2014, and to look forward to get more clear future from the unveiling of second SS2 on 19th February 2016 and the continuous development of Lynx Mark I. However in any case, there are still many constraints including economy.

SubTec-7 Gives New Technologies a Flight Test

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-12-08

NASA successfully launched the SubTec-7 payload on a Black Brant IX suborbital sounding rocket at 5:45 a.m. EDT, May 16, from the NASA's Wallops Flight Facility. The payload flew to an altitude of about 154 miles before descending by parachute and landing in the Atlantic Ocean. SubTec-7 provided a flight test for more than 20 technologies to improve sounding rocket and spacecraft capabilities. Good data was received during the flight. The payload has been recovered. Credit: NASA/Wallops 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 20-20-20 Airships NASA Centennial Challenge

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kiessling, Alina; Diaz, Ernesto; Rhodes, Jason; Ortega, Sam; Eberly, Eric

2015-08-01

A 2013 Keck Institute for Space Studies (KISS) study examined airships as a possible platform for Earth and space science. Airships, lighter than air, powered, maneuverable vehicles, could offer significant gains in observing time, sky and ground coverage, data downlink capability, and continuity of observations over existing suborbital options at competitive prices. The KISS study recommended three courses of action to spur the development and use of airships as a science platform. One of those recommendations was that a prize competition be developed to demonstrate a stratospheric airship. Consequently, we have been developing a NASA Centennial Challenge; (www.nasa.gov/challenges) to spur innovation in stratospheric airships as a science platform. We anticipate a multi-million dollar class prize for the first organization to fly a powered airship that remains stationary at 20km (65,000 ft) altitude for over 20 hours with a 20kg payload. The design must be scalable to longer flights with more massive payloads. A second prize tier, for a 20km flight lasting 200 hours with a 200kg payload would incentivize a further step toward a scientifically compelling and viable new platform. This technology would also have broad commercial applications including communications, asset tracking, and surveillance. Via the 20-20-20 Centennial Challenge, we are seeking to spur private industry (or non-profit institutions, including Universities) to demonstrate the capability for sustained airship flights as astronomy and Earth science platforms.

History of San Marco

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Caporale, A. J.

1968-01-01

A brief history is reported of the first San Marco project, a joint program of the United States and Italy. The Project was a three phase effort to investigate upper air density and associated ionosphere phenomena. The initial phase included the design and development of the spacecraft, the experiments, the launch complex, and a series of suborbital flights, from Wallops Island. The second phase, consisting of designing, fabricating, and testing a spacecraft for the first orbital mission, culminated in an orbital launch also from Wallops Island. The third phase consisted of further refining the experiments and spacecraft instrumentation and of establishing a full-bore scout complex in Kenya. The launch of San Marco B, in April 1967, from this complex into an equatorial orbit, concluded the initial San Marco effort.

Astronaut Alan Shepard is rescued by helicopter at end of MR-3 flight

NASA Image and Video Library

1961-05-05

S88-31376 (5 May 1961) --- Astronaut Alan B. Shepard Jr., pilot of the Mercury-Redstone 3 (MR-3) suborbital spaceflight, is retrieved by a helicopter from the USS Lake Champlain during recovery operations in the western Atlantic Ocean. Shepard and the Mercury spacecraft designated the ?Freedom 7? (floating in water below) were flown to the deck of the recovery ship within 11 minutes of splashdown. MR-3 was the United States? first manned space mission. The spacecraft attained a maximum speed of 5,180 miles per hour, reached an altitude of 116 1/2 statute miles, and landed 302 statute miles downrange from Cape Canaveral, Florida. The suborbital mission lasted 15 minutes and 22 seconds. Photo credit: NASA or National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Point-to-point people with purpose—Exploring the possibility of a commercial traveler market for point-to-point suborbital space transportation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Webber, Derek

2013-12-01

An argument was made at the First Arcachon Conference on Private Human Access to Space in 2008 [1] that some systematic market research should be conducted into potential market segments for point-to-point suborbital space transportation (PtP), in order to understand whether a commercial market exists which might augment possible government use for such a vehicle. The cargo market potential was subsequently addressed via desk research, and the results, which resulted in a pessimistic business case outlook, were presented in [2]. The same desk research approach is now used in this paper to address the potential business and wealthy individual passenger traveler market segment ("point-to-point people with purpose"). The results, with the assumed ticket pricing, are not encouraging.

KSC-07pd0921

NASA Image and Video Library

2007-04-17

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- After a test flight of the Starfighter F-104, Jim Ball, KSC Spaceport Development manager, addresses the media. Behind him are Pilot Rick Svetkoff; Al Wassel, a representative from the FAA Office of Commercial Space; and Bill Parsons, director of Kennedy Space Center. The aircraft is taking part in a series of pathfinder test missions from the space shuttle runway. Two flights will generate test data to validate sonic boom assumptions about the potential impacts of suborbital and orbital commercial spaceflight from the facility. NASA is assessing the environmental impact of such flights. Starfighters Inc. of Clearwater, Fla., will perform the flights to help in assessing suborbital space launch trajectories from the runway and paving the way for future commercial space tourism and research flights from the facility. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

KSC-07pd0922

NASA Image and Video Library

2007-04-17

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- After a test flight of the Starfighter F-104, Pilot Rick Svetkoff addresses the media on the KSC Shuttle Landing Facility. Behind him are Al Wassel (left), a representative from the FAA Office of Commercial Space, and (right) Bill Parsons, director of Kennedy Space Center. The aircraft is taking part in a series of pathfinder test missions from the space shuttle runway. Two flights will generate test data to validate sonic boom assumptions about the potential impacts of suborbital and orbital commercial spaceflight from the facility. NASA is assessing the environmental impact of such flights. Starfighters Inc. of Clearwater, Fla., will perform the flights to help in assessing suborbital space launch trajectories from the runway and paving the way for future commercial space tourism and research flights from the facility. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

In Case You Missed It...

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-12-08

NASA successfully launched the RockSat-X education payload on a Terrier-Improved Malemute suborbital sounding rocket at 7:33:30 a.m. EDT Aug. 17 from the Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. Students from eight community colleges and universities from across the United States participated in the RockSat-X project.The payload carrying the experiments flew to an altitude of 95 miles. Data was received from most of the student experiments. However, the payload was not recovered as planned. NASA will investigate the anomaly. Credit: NASA/Wallops/A. Stancil 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

Zero Gravity Flights as the Most Effective Embryonic Operation for Planned Commercial Spaceport

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abu Samah, Shamsul Kamar; Ridzuan Zakaria, Norul; Nasrun, Nasri; Abu, Jalaluddin; Muszaphar Shukor, Dato'Sheikh

2013-09-01

From the experience gained by the management team of Spaceport Malaysia, a popular service that can be provided by a planned commercial spaceport in a country without existing space travel infrastructure are zero gravity flights. Zero gravity flights range from parabolic flights using aerobatic airplane to suborbital flights using rockets, and in the near future using suborbital rocketplanes. Therefore, zero gravity flights can be operated from a certified runway or planned for operation at a future commercial spaceport. With such range of operation, zero gravity flights provide a natural link between a low cost operation of small airplane to exclusive high profile operation of suborbital rocketplane, and this attracts the attention of individuals and organizations that are planning for the establishment of a commercial spaceport. This is the approach chosen by the planners and developers of Spaceport Malaysia. A significant factor in zero gravity flight is the zero gravity time, the period where the payload onboard the airplane or rocketplane will experience zero gravity. Based on the momentum of the airplane or rocketplane, the zero gravity time may vary from few seconds to few minutes and that determines the quality of the zero gravity flight. To achieve zero gravity, the airplane or rocketplane will fly with a steady velocity for a significant time as a gravity control flight, accelerate upwards with an angle producing hypergravity and perform parabolic flight with natural momentum producing zero gravity and followed by dive that will result in another hypergravity flight. 2 zero gravity platforms being considered for operation at and by Spaceport Malaysia are F-5E Tiger II and Airbus A300, since both platforms have been successfully used by a partner of Spaceport Malaysia in performing zero gravity flights. An F-5E fighter jet owned by Royal Malaysian Air Force is being planned to be converted into a zero gravity platform to be operated at and by Spaceport Malaysia. Based on recorded zero gravity flights of the fighter jet, an F-5E will be able to produce 45 seconds of zero gravity time, long enough for effective zero gravity experiments. An A300 in operation in Europe is also being considered to be operated bySpaceport Malaysia. Even though this airplane can only produce less than half the zero gravity time produced by F-5E, the A300 has the advantage off passengers to experience zero gravity. Both zero gravity platforms have been promoting Spaceport Malaysia project and suborbital flights to be operational at the spaceport as both zero gravity flights and suborbital flights attract the interest from similar and preferred operators and markets. Therefore based on Spaceport Malaysia as a case study, zero gravity flights are the most effective embryonic operation for a planned commercial spaceport.

-----SPACE TRANSPORTATION

NASA Image and Video Library

2000-05-01

This photograph depicts an air-breathing rocket engine that completed an hour or 3,600 seconds of testing at the General Applied Sciences Laboratory in Ronkonkoma, New York. Referred to as ARGO by its design team, the engine is named after the mythological Greek ship that bore Jason and the Argonauts on their epic voyage of discovery. Air-breathing engines, known as rocket based, combined-cycle engines, get their initial take-off power from specially designed rockets, called air-augmented rockets, that boost performance about 15 percent over conventional rockets. When the vehicle's velocity reaches twice the speed of sound, the rockets are turned off and the engine relies totally on oxygen in the atmosphere to burn hydrogen fuel, as opposed to a rocket that must carry its own oxygen, thus reducing weight and flight costs. Once the vehicle has accelerated to about 10 times the speed of sound, the engine converts to a conventional rocket-powered system to propel the craft into orbit or sustain it to suborbital flight speed. NASA's Advanced SpaceTransportation Program at Marshall Space Flight Center, along with several industry partners and collegiate forces, is developing this technology to make space transportation affordable for everyone from business travelers to tourists. The goal is to reduce launch costs from today's price tag of $10,000 per pound to only hundreds of dollars per pound. NASA's series of hypersonic flight demonstrators currently include three air-breathing vehicles: the X-43A, X-43B and X-43C.

Air-Breathing Rocket Engine Test

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2000-01-01

This photograph depicts an air-breathing rocket engine that completed an hour or 3,600 seconds of testing at the General Applied Sciences Laboratory in Ronkonkoma, New York. Referred to as ARGO by its design team, the engine is named after the mythological Greek ship that bore Jason and the Argonauts on their epic voyage of discovery. Air-breathing engines, known as rocket based, combined-cycle engines, get their initial take-off power from specially designed rockets, called air-augmented rockets, that boost performance about 15 percent over conventional rockets. When the vehicle's velocity reaches twice the speed of sound, the rockets are turned off and the engine relies totally on oxygen in the atmosphere to burn hydrogen fuel, as opposed to a rocket that must carry its own oxygen, thus reducing weight and flight costs. Once the vehicle has accelerated to about 10 times the speed of sound, the engine converts to a conventional rocket-powered system to propel the craft into orbit or sustain it to suborbital flight speed. NASA's Advanced SpaceTransportation Program at Marshall Space Flight Center, along with several industry partners and collegiate forces, is developing this technology to make space transportation affordable for everyone from business travelers to tourists. The goal is to reduce launch costs from today's price tag of $10,000 per pound to only hundreds of dollars per pound. NASA's series of hypersonic flight demonstrators currently include three air-breathing vehicles: the X-43A, X-43B and X-43C.

Direct Aerosol Radiative Forcing from Combined A-Train Observations - Preliminary Comparisons with AeroCom Models and Pathways to Observationally Based All-sky Estimates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Redemann, J.; Livingston, J. M.; Shinozuka, Y.; Kacenelenbogen, M. S.; Russell, P. B.; LeBlanc, S. E.; Vaughan, M.; Ferrare, R. A.; Hostetler, C. A.; Rogers, R. R.; Burton, S. P.; Torres, O.; Remer, L. A.; Stier, P.; Schutgens, N.

2014-12-01

We describe a technique for combining CALIOP aerosol backscatter, MODIS spectral AOD (aerosol optical depth), and OMI AAOD (absorption aerosol optical depth) retrievals for the purpose of estimating full spectral sets of aerosol radiative properties, and ultimately for calculating the 3-D distribution of direct aerosol radiative forcing. We present results using one year of data collected in 2007 and show comparisons of the aerosol radiative property estimates to collocated AERONET retrievals. Use of the recently released MODIS Collection 6 data for aerosol optical depths derived with the dark target and deep blue algorithms has extended the coverage of the multi-sensor estimates towards higher latitudes. Initial calculations of seasonal clear-sky aerosol radiative forcing based on our multi-sensor aerosol retrievals compare well with over-ocean and top of the atmosphere IPCC-2007 model-based results, and with more recent assessments in the "Climate Change Science Program Report: Atmospheric Aerosol Properties and Climate Impacts" (2009). For the first time, we present comparisons of our multi-sensor aerosol direct radiative forcing estimates to values derived from a subset of models that participated in the latest AeroCom initiative. We discuss the major challenges that exist in extending our clear-sky results to all-sky conditions. On the basis of comparisons to suborbital measurements, we present some of the limitations of the MODIS and CALIOP retrievals in the presence of adjacent or underlying clouds. Strategies for meeting these challenges are discussed.

Capability 9.2 Mobility

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zakrasjek, June

2005-01-01

Modern operational concepts require significant bandwidths and multipoint communication capabilities. Provide voice, video and data communications among vehicles moving along the surface, vehicles in suborbital transport or reconnaissance, surface elements, and home planet facilities.

Suborbital Reusable Launch Vehicles as an Opportunity to Consolidate and Calibrate Ground Based and Satellite Instruments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Papadopoulos, K.

2014-12-01

XCOR Aerospace, a commercial space company, is planning to provide frequent, low cost access to near-Earth space on the Lynx suborbital Reusable Launch Vehicle (sRLV). Measurements in the external vacuum environment can be made and can launch from most runways on a limited lead time. Lynx can operate as a platform to perform suborbital in situ measurements and remote sensing to supplement models and simulations with new data points. These measurements can serve as a quantitative link to existing instruments and be used as a basis to calibrate detectors on spacecraft. Easier access to suborbital data can improve the longevity and cohesiveness of spacecraft and ground-based resources. A study of how these measurements can be made on Lynx sRLV will be presented. At the boundary between terrestrial and space weather, measurements from instruments on Lynx can help develop algorithms to optimize the consolidation of ground and satellite based data as well as assimilate global models with new data points. For example, current tides and the equatorial electrojet, essential to understanding the Thermosphere-Ionosphere system, can be measured in situ frequently and on short notice. Furthermore, a negative-ion spectrometer and a Faraday cup, can take measurements of the D-region ion composition. A differential GPS receiver can infer the spatial gradient of ionospheric electron density. Instruments and optics on spacecraft degrade over time, leading to calibration drift. Lynx can be a cost effective platform for deploying a reference instrument to calibrate satellites with a frequent and fast turnaround and a successful return of the instrument. A calibrated reference instrument on Lynx can make collocated observations as another instrument and corrections are made for the latter, thus ensuring data consistency and mission longevity. Aboard a sRLV, atmospheric conditions that distort remotely sensed data (ground and spacecraft based) can be measured in situ. Moreover, an active instrument can be deployed in a sRLV under a satellite track, and serve as a "standard candle" for instruments on satellites. Yearly calibrations of the Solar Extreme Ultraviolet Experiment (SEE) instrument aboard the TIMED orbiter using sounding rockets depict the necessity of calibrations and illustrates calibration frequency.

The Earth Observing System Microwave Limb Sounder (EOS MLS) on the Aura Satellite

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Waters, Joe W.; Froidevaux, Lucien; Harwood, Robert S.; Jarnot, Robert F.; Pickett, Herbert M.; Read, William G.; Siegel, Peter H.; Cofield, Richard E.; Filipiak, Mark J.; Flower, Dennis A.;

14 CFR 437.91 - For-hire prohibition.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 14 Aeronautics and Space 4 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false For-hire prohibition. 437.91 Section 437.91 Aeronautics and Space COMMERCIAL SPACE TRANSPORTATION, FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF... suborbital rocket. ...

14 CFR 437.91 - For-hire prohibition.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 14 Aeronautics and Space 4 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false For-hire prohibition. 437.91 Section 437.91 Aeronautics and Space COMMERCIAL SPACE TRANSPORTATION, FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF... suborbital rocket. ...

Early Rockets

NASA Image and Video Library

1959-05-18

A squirrel monkey, Able, is being ready for placement into a capsule for a preflight test of Jupiter, AM-18 mission. AM-18 was launched on May 28, 1959 and also carried a rhesus monkey, Baker, into suborbit.

14 CFR 437.33 - Landing and impact locations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... each location for nominal landing or any contingency abort landing of the reusable suborbital rocket, and each location for any nominal or contingency impact or landing of a component of that rocket...

14 CFR 437.33 - Landing and impact locations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... each location for nominal landing or any contingency abort landing of the reusable suborbital rocket, and each location for any nominal or contingency impact or landing of a component of that rocket...

14 CFR 437.33 - Landing and impact locations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... each location for nominal landing or any contingency abort landing of the reusable suborbital rocket, and each location for any nominal or contingency impact or landing of a component of that rocket...

14 CFR 437.33 - Landing and impact locations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... each location for nominal landing or any contingency abort landing of the reusable suborbital rocket, and each location for any nominal or contingency impact or landing of a component of that rocket...

14 CFR 437.33 - Landing and impact locations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... each location for nominal landing or any contingency abort landing of the reusable suborbital rocket, and each location for any nominal or contingency impact or landing of a component of that rocket...

KSC-2011-3330

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-05-05

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- More than 200 workers from the original Mercury program pose for a group photo in front of a replica of a Mercury-Redstone rocket during a celebration at Complex 5/6 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. The celebration was held at the launch site of the first U.S. manned spaceflight May 5, 1961, to mark the 50th anniversary of the flight. Fifty years ago, astronaut Alan Shepard lifted off inside the Mercury capsule, "Freedom 7," atop an 82-foot-tall Mercury-Redstone rocket at 9:34 a.m. EST, sending him on a remarkably successful, 15-minute suborbital flight. The event was attended by more than 200 workers from the original Mercury program and included a re-creation of Shepard's flight and recovery, as well as a tribute to his contributions as a moonwalker on the Apollo 14 lunar mission. For more information, visit www.nasa.gov/topics/history/milestones/index.html. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

KSC-07pd0920

NASA Image and Video Library

2007-04-17

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- After a test flight of the Starfighter F-104, Al Wassel, a representative from the FAA Office of Commercial Space, addresses the media on the KSC Shuttle Landing Facility. At left is the F-104 pilot, Rick Svetkoff. At right is Bill Parsons, director of Kennedy Space Center. The aircraft is taking part in a series of pathfinder test missions from the space shuttle runway. Two flights will generate test data to validate sonic boom assumptions about the potential impacts of suborbital and orbital commercial spaceflight from the facility. NASA is assessing the environmental impact of such flights. Starfighters Inc. of Clearwater, Fla., will perform the flights to help in assessing suborbital space launch trajectories from the runway and paving the way for future commercial space tourism and research flights from the facility. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

KSC-07pd0919

NASA Image and Video Library

2007-04-17

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Bill Parsons, director of Kennedy Space Center, addresses the media at the KSC Shuttle Landing Facility after a test flight of the Starfighter F-104. Behind Parsons, at left, is the pilot Rick Svetkoff. At right is Al Wassel, a representative from the FAA Office of Commercial Space. The aircraft is taking part in a series of pathfinder test missions from the space shuttle runway. Two flights will generate test data to validate sonic boom assumptions about the potential impacts of suborbital and orbital commercial spaceflight from the facility. NASA is assessing the environmental impact of such flights. Starfighters Inc. of Clearwater, Fla., will perform the flights to help in assessing suborbital space launch trajectories from the runway and paving the way for future commercial space tourism and research flights from the facility. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

Centrifuge-Simulated Suborbital Spaceflight in a Subject with Cardiac Malformation.

PubMed

Blue, Rebecca S; Blacher, Eric; Castleberry, Tarah L; Vanderploeg, James M

2015-11-01

Commercial spaceflight participants (SFPs) will introduce new medical challenges to the aerospace community, with unique medical conditions never before exposed to the space environment. This is a case report regarding the response of a subject with multiple cardiac malformations, including aortic insufficiency, pulmonary atresia, pulmonary valve replacement, ventricular septal defect (post-repair), and pulmonary artery stenosis (post-dilation), to centrifuge acceleration simulating suborbital flight. A 23-yr-old man with a history of multiple congenital cardiac malformations underwent seven centrifuge runs over 2 d. Day 1 consisted of two +G(z) runs (peak = +3.5 G(z), run 2) and two +G(x) runs (peak = +6.0 G(x), run 4). Day 2 consisted of three runs approximating suborbital spaceflight profiles (combined +G(x) and +G(z)). Data collected included blood pressure, electrocardiogram, pulse oximetry, neurovestibular exams, and post-run questionnaires regarding motion sickness, disorientation, greyout, and other symptoms. Despite the subject's significant medical history, he tolerated the acceleration profiles well and demonstrated no significant abnormal physiological responses. Potential risks to SFPs with aortic insufficiency, artificial heart valves, or valvular insufficiency include lower +G(z) tolerance, earlier symptom onset, and ineffective mitigation strategies such as anti-G straining maneuvers. There are no prior studies of prolonged accelerations approximating spaceflight in such individuals. This case demonstrates tolerance of acceleration profiles in an otherwise young and healthy individual with significant cardiac malformations, suggesting that such conditions may not necessarily preclude participation in commercial spaceflight.

Preflight screening techniques for centrifuge-simulated suborbital spaceflight.

PubMed

Pattarini, James M; Blue, Rebecca S; Castleberry, Tarah L; Vanderploeg, James M

2014-12-01

Historically, space has been the venue of the healthy individual. With the advent of commercial spaceflight, we face the novel prospect of routinely exposing spaceflight participants (SPFs) with multiple comorbidities to the space environment. Preflight screening procedures must be developed to identify those individuals at increased risk during flight. We examined the responses of volunteers to centrifuge accelerations mimicking commercial suborbital spaceflight profiles to evaluate how potential SFPs might tolerate such forces. We evaluated our screening process for medical approval of subjects for centrifuge participation for applicability to commercial spaceflight operations. All registered subjects completed a medical questionnaire, physical examination, and electrocardiogram. Subjects with identified concerns including cardiopulmonary disease, hypertension, and diabetes were required to provide documentation of their conditions. There were 335 subjects who registered for the study, 124 who completed all prescreening, and 86 subjects who participated in centrifuge trials. Due to prior medical history, five subjects were disqualified, most commonly for psychiatric reasons or uncontrolled medical conditions. Of the subjects approved, four individuals experienced abnormal physiological responses to centrifuge profiles, including one back strain and three with anxiety reactions. The screening methods used were judged to be sufficient to identify individuals physically capable of tolerating simulated suborbital flight. Improved methods will be needed to identify susceptibility to anxiety reactions. While severe or uncontrolled disease was excluded, many subjects successfully participated in centrifuge trials despite medical histories of disease that are disqualifying under historical spaceflight screening regimes. Such screening techniques are applicable for use in future commercial spaceflight operations.

The SERTS-97 Rocket Experiment on Study Activity on the Sun: Flight 36.167-GS on 1997 November 18

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Swartz, Marvin; Condor, Charles E.; Davila, Joseph M.; Haas, J. Patrick; Jordan, Stuart D.; Linard, David L.; Miko, Joseph J.; Nash, I. Carol; Novello, Joseph; Payne, Leslie J.;

Launch of the MR-2 spacecraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1963-01-01

Launching of the Mercury-Redstone 2 (MR-3) spacecraft from Cape Canaveral on a suborbital mission. Onboard the craft was Ham, a 37-pound chimpanzee. Despite an over-acceleration factor, the flight was considered to be successful.

14 CFR 437.75 - Mishap reporting, responding, and investigating.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... value, (vii) A description of any hazardous materials involved in the event, whether on the reusable suborbital rocket or on the ground, (viii) Action taken by any person to contain the consequences of the...

14 CFR 437.75 - Mishap reporting, responding, and investigating.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... value, (vii) A description of any hazardous materials involved in the event, whether on the reusable suborbital rocket or on the ground, (viii) Action taken by any person to contain the consequences of the...

14 CFR 437.75 - Mishap reporting, responding, and investigating.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... value, (vii) A description of any hazardous materials involved in the event, whether on the reusable suborbital rocket or on the ground, (viii) Action taken by any person to contain the consequences of the...

14 CFR 437.61 - Landing and impact locations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... locations. For a nominal or any contingency abort landing of a reusable suborbital rocket, or for any nominal or contingency impact or landing of a component of that rocket, a permittee must use a location...

14 CFR 437.61 - Landing and impact locations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... locations. For a nominal or any contingency abort landing of a reusable suborbital rocket, or for any nominal or contingency impact or landing of a component of that rocket, a permittee must use a location...

14 CFR 437.61 - Landing and impact locations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... locations. For a nominal or any contingency abort landing of a reusable suborbital rocket, or for any nominal or contingency impact or landing of a component of that rocket, a permittee must use a location...

14 CFR 437.61 - Landing and impact locations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... locations. For a nominal or any contingency abort landing of a reusable suborbital rocket, or for any nominal or contingency impact or landing of a component of that rocket, a permittee must use a location...

14 CFR 437.61 - Landing and impact locations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... locations. For a nominal or any contingency abort landing of a reusable suborbital rocket, or for any nominal or contingency impact or landing of a component of that rocket, a permittee must use a location...

Launch of Mercury-Redstone vehicle 2 on Jan. 21, 1961

NASA Image and Video Library

1961-08-10

S61-01942 (31 Jan. 1961) --- Launch of the Mercury-Redstone 2 (MR-2) vehicle on Jan. 31, 1961. The 16-minute suborbital flight carried biomedical test subject chimpanzee (Ham) aboard. Photo credit: NASA

Guidance for medical screening of commercial aerospace passengers : final report.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2006-01-01

This document provides general guidance for operators of manned commercial aerospace flights (suborbital and orbital) in the medical assessment of prospective passengers. : This guidance is designed to identify those individuals who have medical cond...

AST commercial human space flight biomedical data collection

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2007-02-01

Recommendations are made for specific biomedical data, equipment, and a database that will increase the knowledge and understanding of how short duration, suborbital space flight missions with brief exposure to microgravity affects the human body. Th...

14 CFR 437.25 - Flight test plan.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 14 Aeronautics and Space 4 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Flight test plan. 437.25 Section 437.25 Aeronautics and Space COMMERCIAL SPACE TRANSPORTATION, FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF... reusable suborbital rocket. Operational Safety Documentation ...

14 CFR 437.25 - Flight test plan.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 14 Aeronautics and Space 4 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Flight test plan. 437.25 Section 437.25 Aeronautics and Space COMMERCIAL SPACE TRANSPORTATION, FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF... reusable suborbital rocket. Operational Safety Documentation ...

Potential climate impact of black carbon emitted by rockets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ross, Martin; Mills, Michael; Toohey, Darin

2010-12-01

A new type of hydrocarbon rocket engine is expected to power a fleet of suborbital rockets for commercial and scientific purposes in coming decades. A global climate model predicts that emissions from a fleet of 1000 launches per year of suborbital rockets would create a persistent layer of black carbon particles in the northern stratosphere that could cause potentially significant changes in the global atmospheric circulation and distributions of ozone and temperature. Tropical stratospheric ozone abundances are predicted to change as much as 1%, while polar ozone changes by up to 6%. Polar surface temperatures change as much as one degree K regionally with significant impacts on polar sea ice fractions. After one decade of continuous launches, globally averaged radiative forcing from the black carbon would exceed the forcing from the emitted CO2 by a factor of about 105 and would be comparable to the radiative forcing estimated from current subsonic aviation.

Public Risk Criteria and Rationale for Commercial Launch and Reentry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wilde, P. D.

2012-01-01

This paper summarizes the rationale for risk criteria intended to protect the public during commercial spaceflight, including launch, reentry, and suborbital missions. The recommended approach includes: (1) safety goals to guide periodic updates of the quantitative collective risk limits if warranted based on the quantity of launch and reentry missions; the demonstrated safety record and benefits provided; technological capabilities and maturity of the industry; and contemporary attitudes about the risks from commercial space transportation; (2) separate limits on the risks from each type of mission with explicit definitions of the extent of launch and reentry missions; and (3) quantitative risk limits consistent with the safety goals. For current conditions, the author's recommends (a) maximum of 1E-6 probability of casualty per-mission (b) a maximum of 100E-6 expected casualties per-mission, and (c) equal per-mission risk limits for orbital and suborbital launches, as well as controlled and uncontrolled reentries.

More Than the Sum of the Parts: Satellite Aerosol Remote Sensing, and Its Relationship to Sub-Orbital Measurements and Models

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kahn, Ralph

2016-01-01

Space-borne instruments are providing increasing amounts of data relating to global aerosol spectral optical depth, horizontal and vertical distribution, and very loose, but spatially and temporally extensive, constraints on particle micro-physical properties. The data sets, and many of the underlying techniques, are evolving rapidly. They represent a vast amount of information, potentially useful to the AAAR community. However, there are also issues, some quite subtle, that scientific users must take into consideration. This tutorial will provide one view of the answers to the following four questions: 1) What satellite-derived aerosol products are available? 2) What are their strengths and limitations? 3) How are they being used now? 4) How might they be used in conjunction with each other, with sub-orbital measurements, and with models to address cutting-edge aerosol questions?

Visual field shape and foraging ecology in diurnal raptors.

PubMed

Potier, Simon; Duriez, Olivier; Cunningham, Gregory B; Bonhomme, Vincent; O'Rourke, Colleen; Fernández-Juricic, Esteban; Bonadonna, Francesco

2018-05-18

Birds, particularly raptors, are believed to forage primarily using visual cues. However, raptor foraging tactics are highly diverse - from chasing mobile prey to scavenging - which may reflect adaptations of their visual systems. To investigate this, we studied the visual field configuration of 15 species of diurnal Accipitriformes that differ in such tactics, first focusing on the binocular field and blind area by using a single traits approach, and then exploring the shape of the binocular field with morphometric approaches. While the maximum binocular field width did not differ in species of different foraging tactics, the overall shape of their binocular fields did. In particular, raptors chasing terrestrial prey (ground predators) had a more protruding binocular field and a wider blind area above the head than did raptors chasing aerial or aquatic prey and obligate scavengers. Ground predators that forage on mammals from above have a wide but short bill - which increases ingestion rate - and large suborbital ridge to avoid sun glare. This may explain the protruding binocular field and the wide blind area above the head. By contrast, species from the two other groups have long but narrow bills used to pluck, flake or tear food and may need large visual coverage (and reduced suborbital ridges) to increase their foraging efficiency ( e.g. using large visual coverage to follow the escaping prey in three dimensions or detect conspecifics). We propose that binocular field shape is associated with bill and suborbital ridge shape and, ultimately, foraging strategies. © 2018. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

On use of hybrid rocket propulsion for suborbital vehicles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Okninski, Adam

2018-04-01

While the majority of operating suborbital rockets use solid rocket propulsion, recent advancements in the field of hybrid rocket motors lead to renewed interest in their use in sounding rockets. This paper presents results of optimisation of sounding rockets using hybrid propulsion. An overview of vehicles under development during the last decade, as well as heritage systems is provided. Different propellant combinations are discussed and their performance assessment is given. While Liquid Oxygen, Nitrous Oxide and Nitric Acid have been widely tested with various solid fuels in flight, Hydrogen Peroxide remains an oxidiser with very limited sounding rocket applications. The benefits of hybrid propulsion for sounding rockets are given. In case of hybrid rocket motors the thrust curve can be optimised for each flight, using a flow regulator, depending on the payload and mission. Results of studies concerning the optimal burn duration and nozzle selection are given. Specific considerations are provided for the Polish ILR-33 "Amber" sounding rocket. Low regression rates, which up to date were viewed as a drawback of hybrid propulsion may be used to the benefit of maximising rocket performance if small solid rocket boosters are used during the initial flight period. While increased interest in hybrid propulsion is present, no up-to-date reference concerning use of hybrid rocket propulsion for sounding rockets is available. The ultimate goal of the paper is to provide insight into the sensitivity of different design parameters on performance of hybrid sounding rockets and delve into the potential and challenges of using hybrid rocket technology for expendable suborbital applications.

X-34 Experimental Aeroheating at Mach 6 and 10

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Berry, Scott A.; Horvath, Thomas J.; DiFulvio, Michael; Glass, Christopher; Merski, N. Ronald

1998-01-01

Critical technologies are being developed to support the goals of the NASA Office of Aeronautics and Space Transportation Technology Access to Space initiative for next-generation reusable space transportation systems. From the perspective of aerothermodynamic performance throughout the flight trajectory, the Reusable Launch Vehicle program incorporates conceptual analysis, ground-based testing, and computational fluid dynamics to provide flyable suborbital flight demonstrator vehicles. This report provides an overview of the hypersonic aeroheating wind tunnel test program conducted at the NASA Langley Research Center in support of one of these vehicles, the X-34 small reusable technology demonstrator program. Global surface heat transfer images, surface streamline patterns, and shock shapes were measured on 0.0153- and 0.0183-scale models of proposed X-34 flight vehicles at Mach 6 and 10 in air. The primary parametrics that were investigated include angles-of-attack from 0 to 35 deg. and freestream unit Reynolds numbers from 0.5 to 8 million per foot (which was sufficient to produce laminar, transitional, and turbulent heating data), both with and without control surface deflections. Comparisons of the experimental data to computational predictions are included, along with a discussion of the implications of some of the experimental flow features for the flight vehicle.

X-33 Reusable Launch Vehicle Demonstrator, Spaceport and Range

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Letchworth, Gary F.

2011-01-01

The X-33 was a suborbital reusable spaceplane demonstrator, in development from 1996 to early 2001. The intent of the demonstrator was to lower the risk of building and operating a full-scale reusable vehicle fleet. Reusable spaceplanes offered the potential to lower the cost of access to space by an order of magnitude, compared with conventional expendable launch vehicles. Although a cryogenic tank failure during testing ultimately led to the end of the effort, the X-33 team celebrated many successes during the development. This paper summarizes some of the accomplishments and milestones of this X-vehicle program, from the perspective of an engineer who was a member of the team throughout the development. X-33 Program accomplishments include rapid, flight hardware design, subsystem testing and fabrication, aerospike engine development and testing, Flight Operations Center and Operations Control Center ground systems design and construction, rapid Environmental Impact Statement NEPA process approval, Range development and flight plan approval for test flights, and full-scale system concept design and refinement. Lessons from the X-33 Program may have potential application to new RLV and other aerospace systems being developed a decade later.

Accessing space: A catalogue of process, equipment and resources for commercial users

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1988-01-01

This catalogue, produced by NASA's Office of Commercial Programs, provides a broad source of information for the commercial developer interested in the areas of microgravity research and remote sensing. Methods for accessing space for research are reviewed including the shuttle, expendable launch vehicles, suborbital sounding rockets, experimental aircraft, and drop towers and other ground-based facilities. Procedures for using these vehicles and facilities are described along with funding options to pay for their use. Experiment apparatus and carriers for microgravity research are also described. A separate directory of resources and services is also included which contains a listing of transportation products and services, a listing of businesses and industries which provide space-related services and products, and a listing of the NASA and CCDS (Center for the Commercial Development of Space) points of contact.

KSC-2011-3332

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-05-05

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Invited guests attending a celebration at Complex 5/6 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida tour the blockhouse. The celebration was held at the launch site of the first U.S. manned spaceflight May 5, 1961, to mark the 50th anniversary of the flight. Fifty years ago, astronaut Alan Shepard lifted off inside the Mercury capsule, "Freedom 7," atop an 82-foot-tall Mercury-Redstone rocket at 9:34 a.m. EST, sending him on a remarkably successful, 15-minute suborbital flight. The event was attended by more than 200 workers from the original Mercury program and included a re-creation of Shepard's flight and recovery, as well as a tribute to his contributions as a moonwalker on the Apollo 14 lunar mission. For more information, visit www.nasa.gov/topics/history/milestones/index.html. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

KSC-2011-3322

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-05-05

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Invited guests and media representatives attend a celebration at Complex 5/6 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. The celebration was held at the launch site of the first U.S. manned spaceflight May 5, 1961, to mark the 50th anniversary of the flight. Fifty years ago, astronaut Alan Shepard lifted off inside the Mercury capsule, "Freedom 7," atop an 82-foot-tall Mercury-Redstone rocket at 9:34 a.m. EST, sending him on a remarkably successful, 15-minute suborbital flight. The event was attended by more than 200 workers from the original Mercury program and included a re-creation of Shepard's flight and recovery, as well as a tribute to his contributions as a moonwalker on the Apollo 14 lunar mission. For more information, visit www.nasa.gov/topics/history/milestones/index.html. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

KSC-2011-3314

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-05-05

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Mercury astronaut Scott Carpenter participates in a celebration at Complex 5/6 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. The celebration was held at the launch site of the first U.S. manned spaceflight May 5, 1961, to mark the 50th anniversary of the flight. Fifty years ago, astronaut Alan Shepard lifted off inside the Mercury capsule, "Freedom 7," atop an 82-foot-tall Mercury-Redstone rocket at 9:34 a.m. EST, sending him on a remarkably successful, 15-minute suborbital flight. The event was attended by more than 200 workers from the original Mercury program and included a re-creation of Shepard's flight and recovery, as well as a tribute to his contributions as a moonwalker on the Apollo 14 lunar mission. For more information, visit www.nasa.gov/topics/history/milestones/index.html. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

KSC-2011-3316

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-05-05

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Invited guests attend a celebration at Complex 5/6 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. The celebration was held at the launch site of the first U.S. manned spaceflight May 5, 1961, to mark the 50th anniversary of the flight. Fifty years ago, astronaut Alan Shepard lifted off inside the Mercury capsule, "Freedom 7," atop an 82-foot-tall Mercury-Redstone rocket at 9:34 a.m. EST, sending him on a remarkably successful, 15-minute suborbital flight. The event was attended by more than 200 workers from the original Mercury program and included a re-creation of Shepard's flight and recovery, as well as a tribute to his contributions as a moonwalker on the Apollo 14 lunar mission. For more information, visit www.nasa.gov/topics/history/milestones/index.html. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

KSC-2011-3328

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-05-05

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- NASA Administrator Charlie Bolden addresses the audience during a celebration at Complex 5/6 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. The celebration was held at the launch site of the first U.S. manned spaceflight May 5, 1961, to mark the 50th anniversary of the flight. Fifty years ago, astronaut Alan Shepard lifted off inside the Mercury capsule, "Freedom 7," atop an 82-foot-tall Mercury-Redstone rocket at 9:34 a.m. EST, sending him on a remarkably successful, 15-minute suborbital flight. The event was attended by more than 200 workers from the original Mercury program and included a re-creation of Shepard's flight and recovery, as well as a tribute to his contributions as a moonwalker on the Apollo 14 lunar mission. For more information, visit www.nasa.gov/topics/history/milestones/index.html. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

KSC-2011-3320

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-05-05

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Invited guests of all ages attend a celebration at Complex 5/6 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. The celebration was held at the launch site of the first U.S. manned spaceflight May 5, 1961, to mark the 50th anniversary of the flight. Fifty years ago, astronaut Alan Shepard lifted off inside the Mercury capsule, "Freedom 7," atop an 82-foot-tall Mercury-Redstone rocket at 9:34 a.m. EST, sending him on a remarkably successful, 15-minute suborbital flight. The event was attended by more than 200 workers from the original Mercury program and included a re-creation of Shepard's flight and recovery, as well as a tribute to his contributions as a moonwalker on the Apollo 14 lunar mission. For more information, visit www.nasa.gov/topics/history/milestones/index.html. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

Shape Analysis and Deployment of the ExaVolt Antenna

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baginski, Frank; Zhao, Kaiyu; Furer, Joshua; Landay, Justin; Bailoor, Shantanu; Gorham, Peter; Varner, Gary; Miki, Christian; Hill, Brian; Schoorlemmer, Harm; Nguyen, Liem; Romero-Wolf, Andrew; Liewer, Kurt; Sauder, Jonathan; Brakke, Kenneth; Beatty, Jim; Connolly, Amy; Allison, Patrick; Pfendner, Carl; Dailey, Brian; Fairbrother, Debra; Said, Magdi; Lang, Steven; Young, Leyland

The ExaVolt Antenna (EVA) is the next generation balloon-borne ultra-high energy (UHE) particle observatory under development for NASA’s suborbital super-pressure balloon program in Antarctica. Unlike a typical mission where the balloon lifts a gondola that carries the primary scientific instrument, the EVA mission is a first-of-its-kind in that the balloon itself is part of the science instrument. Specifically, a toroidal RF reflector is mounted onto the outside surface of a superpressure balloon (SPB) and a feed antenna is suspended inside the balloon, creating a high-gain antenna system with a synoptic view of the Antarctic ice sheet. The EVA mission presents a number of technical challenges. For example, can a stowed feed antenna be inserted through an opening in the top-plate? Can the feed antenna be deployed during the ascent? Once float altitude is achieved, how might small shape changes in the balloon shape affect the antenna performance over the life of the EVA mission? The EVA team utilized a combination of testing with a 1/20-scale physical model, mathematical modeling and numerical simulations to probe these and related questions. While the problems are challenging, they are solvable with current technology and expertise. Experiments with a 1/20-scale EVA physical model outline a pathway for inserting a stowed feed into a SPB. Analysis indicates the EVA system will ascend, deploy and assume a stable configuration at float altitude. Nominal shape changes in an Antarctic SPB are sufficiently small to allow the use of the surface of the balloon as a high-gain reflector.

Monitoring Exchange of CO2 - A KISS Workshop Report 2009

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Miller, Charles; Wennberg, Paul

2009-01-01

The problem and context: Can top-down estimates of carbon dioxide (CO2) fluxes resolve the anthropogenic emissions of China, India, the United States, and the European Union with an accuracy of +/-10% or better?The workshop "Monitoring Exchange of Carbon Dioxide" was convened at the Keck Institute for Space Studies in Pasadena, California in February 2010 to address this question. The Workshop brought together an international, interdisciplinary group of 24 experts in carbon cycle science, remote sensing, emissions inventory estimation, and inverse modeling. The participants reviewed the potential of space-based and sub-orbital observational and modeling approaches to monitor anthropogenic CO2 emissions in the presence of much larger natural fluxes from the exchange of CO2 between the land, atmosphere, and ocean. This particular challenge was motivated in part by the NRC Report "Verifying Greenhouse Gas Emissions" [Pacala et al., 2010]. This workshop report includes several recommendations for improvements to observing strategies and modeling frameworks for optimal and cost-effective monitoring of carbon exchange

The Off-plane Grating Rocket Experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Donovan, Benjamin

2018-01-01

The next generation of X-ray spectrometers necessitate significant increases in both resolution and effective area to achieve the science goals set forth in the 2010 Decadal Survey and the 2013 Astrophysics Roadmap. The Off-plane Grating Rocket Experiment (OGRE), an X-ray spectroscopy suborbital rocket payload currently scheduled for launch in Q3 2020, will serve as a testbed for several key technologies which can help achieve the desired performance increases of future spectrometers. OGRE will be the first instrument to fly mono-crystalline silicon X-ray mirrors developed at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. The payload will also utilize an array of off-plane gratings manufactured at The Pennsylvania State University. Additionally, the focal plane will be populated with an array of four electron-multiplying CCDs developed by the Open University and XCAM Ltd. With these key technologies, OGRE hopes to achieve the highest resolution on-sky soft X-ray spectrum to date. We discuss the optical design, expected performance, and the current status of the payload.

Design and maintainability considerations regarding the effects of suborbital flights on composite constructed vehicles

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2010-08-13

The Aerospace Corporation was tasked by the Volpe National Transportation Systems Center to provide technical support to the Federal Aviation Administration, Office of Commercial Space Transportation (FAA/AST), in developing guidance for AST and indu...

CASIS Fact Sheet: Hardware and Facilities

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Solomon, Michael R.; Romero, Vergel

2016-01-01

Vencore is a proven information solutions, engineering, and analytics company that helps our customers solve their most complex challenges. For more than 40 years, we have designed, developed and delivered mission-critical solutions as our customers' trusted partner. The Engineering Services Contract, or ESC, provides engineering and design services to the NASA organizations engaged in development of new technologies at the Kennedy Space Center. Vencore is the ESC prime contractor, with teammates that include Stinger Ghaffarian Technologies, Sierra Lobo, Nelson Engineering, EASi, and Craig Technologies. The Vencore team designs and develops systems and equipment to be used for the processing of space launch vehicles, spacecraft, and payloads. We perform flight systems engineering for spaceflight hardware and software; develop technologies that serve NASA's mission requirements and operations needs for the future. Our Flight Payload Support (FPS) team at Kennedy Space Center (KSC) provides engineering, development, and certification services as well as payload integration and management services to NASA and commercial customers. Our main objective is to assist principal investigators (PIs) integrate their science experiments into payload hardware for research aboard the International Space Station (ISS), commercial spacecraft, suborbital vehicles, parabolic flight aircrafts, and ground-based studies. Vencore's FPS team is AS9100 certified and a recognized implementation partner for the Center for Advancement of Science in Space (CASIS

VUV Testing of Science Cameras at MSFC: QE Measurement of the CLASP Flight Cameras

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Champey, Patrick; Kobayashi, Ken; Winebarger, Amy; Cirtain, Jonathan; Hyde, David; Robertson, Bryan; Beabout, Brent; Beabout, Dyana; Stewart, Mike

2015-01-01

The NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) has developed a science camera suitable for sub-orbital missions for observations in the UV, EUV and soft X-ray. Six cameras were built and tested for the Chromospheric Lyman-Alpha Spectro-Polarimeter (CLASP), a joint National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ) and MSFC sounding rocket mission. The CLASP camera design includes a frame-transfer e2v CCD57-10 512x512 detector, dual channel analog readout electronics and an internally mounted cold block. At the flight operating temperature of -20 C, the CLASP cameras achieved the low-noise performance requirements (less than or equal to 25 e- read noise and greater than or equal to 10 e-/sec/pix dark current), in addition to maintaining a stable gain of approximately equal to 2.0 e-/DN. The e2v CCD57-10 detectors were coated with Lumogen-E to improve quantum efficiency (QE) at the Lyman- wavelength. A vacuum ultra-violet (VUV) monochromator and a NIST calibrated photodiode were employed to measure the QE of each camera. Four flight-like cameras were tested in a high-vacuum chamber, which was configured to operate several tests intended to verify the QE, gain, read noise, dark current and residual non-linearity of the CCD. We present and discuss the QE measurements performed on the CLASP cameras. We also discuss the high-vacuum system outfitted for testing of UV and EUV science cameras at MSFC.

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

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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

2015-08-01

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

Opportunities for Geoscience Research Onboard Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pomerantz, W.; Beerer, I.; Stephens, K.; Griffith, J.; Persall, W.; Tizard, J.

2012-12-01

Virgin Galactic has developed a reusable spaceplane, called SpaceShipTwo (SS2), designed to make routine voyages into suborbital space. SS2 is air-launched from a jet aircraft at an altitude of 50,000 ft. before igniting its rocket motor engine. The vehicle reaches a maximum apogee as high as 110 km before gliding to a conventional runway landing. With the ability to fly multiple times per week, SS2 will be capable of providing routine access to a rarely sampled and poorly understood region of the atmosphere and ionosphere, making it a valuable platform for geoscience research. With a payload capacity up to 1300 lbs., SS2 provides access to space and the upper atmosphere for substantially larger payloads than sounding rockets and at a dramatically lower cost than orbital satellites. The main cabin provides as much as 500 cubic ft. of useable volume in a shirt-sleeve environment and payload mounting interfaces that are compatible with standard architectures, such as Middeck Lockers, Cargo Transfer Bags, and server racks. A flight test engineer will be available on board to operate payloads during flight. In the future, SS2 will also offer a variety of external payload mounting locations, enabling researchers to make frequent in situ measurements in the mesosphere (50-90 km), lower thermosphere (above 80 km), and lower ionosphere (above 60 km). SS2 may also offer optical quality windows, allowing optical investigations from main cabin payloads. Researchers will have access to their payloads until just hours before flight and within three hours post-flight. While commercial operations will begin out of Spaceport America in New Mexico, SS2 may eventually be able to launch from a variety of geographic locations. Funding to develop and fly payloads for SS2 is currently available through many NASA programs including the Flight Opportunities Program and the Game Changing Development Program. Virgin Galactic expects the SS2 research platform to enable significant progress in atmospheric chemistry and dynamics, climate science, space weather, numerical weather predictions, and many other fields of geoscience.

Point-to-point Commercial Space Transportation in the National Aviation System Final Report.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2010-03-10

The advent of suborbital transport brings promise of point-to-point (PTP) long distance transportation as a revolutionary mode of air transportation. In 2008, the International Space University (ISU) of Strasbourg, France, published a report1 documen...

Mercury Project

NASA Image and Video Library

1960-01-21

The Little Joe launch vehicle for the LJ1 mission on the launch pad at the wallops Flight Facility, Wallops Island, Virginia, on January 21, 1960. This mission achieved the suborbital Mercury cupsule test, testing of the escape system, and biomedical tests by using a monkey, named Miss Sam.

Mercury Project

NASA Image and Video Library

1959-04-27

Astronaut Virgil I. "Gus" Grissom, one of the original seven astronauts for Mercury Project selected by NASA on April 27, 1959. The MR-4 mission, boosted by the Mercury-Redstone vehicle, made the second marned suborbital flight. The capsule, Liberty Bell 7, sank into the sea after the splashdown.

Mercury Project

NASA Image and Video Library

1963-09-09

Astronaut Alan B. Shepard, one of the original seven astronauts for Mercury Project selected by NASA on April 27, 1959. The Freedom 7 spacecraft boosted by Mercury-Redstone vehicle for the MR-3 mission made the first marned suborbital flight and Astronaut Shepard became the first American in space.

Sustained Accelerated Idioventricular Rhythm in a Centrifuge-Simulated Suborbital Spaceflight.

PubMed

Suresh, Rahul; Blue, Rebecca S; Mathers, Charles; Castleberry, Tarah L; Vanderploeg, James M

2017-08-01

Hypergravitational exposures during human centrifugation are known to provoke dysrhythmias, including sinus dysrhythmias/tachycardias, premature atrial/ventricular contractions, and even atrial fibrillations or flutter patterns. However, events are generally short-lived and resolve rapidly after cessation of acceleration. This case report describes a prolonged ectopic ventricular rhythm in response to high G exposure. A previously healthy 30-yr-old man voluntarily participated in centrifuge trials as a part of a larger study, experiencing a total of 7 centrifuge runs over 48 h. Day 1 consisted of two +Gz runs (peak +3.5 Gz, run 2) and two +Gx runs (peak +6.0 Gx, run 4). Day 2 consisted of three runs approximating suborbital spaceflight profiles (combined +Gx and +Gz). Hemodynamic data collected included blood pressure, heart rate, and continuous three-lead electrocardiogram. Following the final acceleration exposure of the last Day 2 run (peak +4.5 Gx and +4.0 Gz combined, resultant +6.0 G), during a period of idle resting centrifuge activity (resultant vector +1.4 G), the subject demonstrated a marked change in his three-lead electrocardiogram from normal sinus rhythm to a wide-complex ectopic ventricular rhythm at a rate of 91-95 bpm, consistent with an accelerated idioventricular rhythm (AIVR). This rhythm was sustained for 2 m, 24 s before reversion to normal sinus. The subject reported no adverse symptoms during this time. While prolonged, the dysrhythmia was asymptomatic and self-limited. AIVR is likely a physiological response to acceleration and can be managed conservatively. Vigilance is needed to ensure that AIVR is correctly distinguished from other, malignant rhythms to avoid inappropriate treatment and negative operational impacts.Suresh R, Blue RS, Mathers C, Castleberry TL, Vanderploeg JM. Sustained accelerated idioventricular rhythm in a centrifuge-simulated suborbital spaceflight. Aerosp Med Hum Perform. 2017; 88(8):789-793.

Commercial spaceflight participant G-force tolerance during centrifuge-simulated suborbital flight.

PubMed

Blue, Rebecca S; Riccitello, Jon M; Tizard, Julia; Hamilton, Richard J; Vanderploeg, James M

2012-10-01

Medical knowledge of the human body in microgravity and hypergravity is based upon studies of healthy individuals well-conditioned for such environments. Little data exist regarding the effects of spaceflight on untrained commercial passengers. We examined the responses of potential spaceflight participants (SFP) to centrifuge G-force exposure. There were 77 individuals (65 men, 12 women), 22-88 yr old, who underwent 6 centrifuge runs over 48 h. Day 1 consisted of two +Gz runs (peak = 3.5+Gz, run 2) and two +Gx runs (peak = 6.0+Gx, run 4). Day 2 consisted of two runs approximating a suborbital spaceflight profile. Data included blood pressure, electrocardiogram, and postrun questionnaires regarding motion sickness, disorientation, greyout, and other symptoms. Of the 77 participants, average age was 50.4 +/- 12.7 yr. Average heart rate (HR) varied by sex and direction of G-exposure (+Gz: F 150 +/- 19, M 123 +/- 27; +Gx: F 135 +/- 30, M 110 +/- 27). Age and peak HR were inversely related (HR < 120 bpm: 60.2 +/- 12.2 yr, HR > 120: 47.1 +/- 10.9 yr). HR during peak G-exposure for the final run was associated with post-run imbalance (no imbalance: HR 126 +/- 26, imbalance: HR 145 +/- 21); no other significant hemodynamic change, sex, or age variation was associated with imbalance. Age and greyout were inversely associated; there was no association between greyout and vital sign change, sex, or G-force magnitude. Baseline/pretrial mean arterial pressure (MAP) was not associated with any symptoms. The results suggest that most individuals with well-controlled medical conditions can withstand acceleration forces involved in launch/landing profiles of commercial spaceflight vehicles. Further investigation will help refine which conditions present significant risk during suborbital flight and beyond.

LITTLE JOE 2 - LAUNCH VEHICLES - VA

NASA Image and Video Library

1961-04-13

G61-00030 (4 Nov. 1959) --- Launch of Little Joe-2 from Wallops Island carrying Mercury spacecraft test article. The suborbital test flight of the Mercury capsule was to test the escape system. Vehicle functioned perfectly, but escape rocket ignited several seconds too late. Photo credit: NASA

77 FR 19739 - Notice of Intent to Grant Partially Exclusive License

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-04-02

... NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION [Notice 12-024] Notice of Intent to Grant Partially Exclusive License AGENCY: National Aeronautics and Space Administration. ACTION: Notice of Intent to Grant... limited to suborbital and orbital aviation and aerospace applications. The patent rights in these...

14 CFR 415.109 - Launch description.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 14 Aeronautics and Space 4 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Launch description. 415.109 Section 415.109 Aeronautics and Space COMMERCIAL SPACE TRANSPORTATION, FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF... hazardous material; and (v) For an unguided suborbital launch vehicle, the location of the rocket's center...

14 CFR 415.109 - Launch description.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 14 Aeronautics and Space 4 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Launch description. 415.109 Section 415.109 Aeronautics and Space COMMERCIAL SPACE TRANSPORTATION, FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF... hazardous material; and (v) For an unguided suborbital launch vehicle, the location of the rocket's center...

EC/LSS thermal control system study for the space shuttle

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Howell, H. R.

1972-01-01

The results of a parametric weight analysis of heat rejection systems for the space shuttle orbiter are presented. Integrating the suborbital heat rejection system with the overall heat rejection system design and the possible use of a common system for both on-orbit and suborbital operations require an overall system and parametric analyses applicable to all mission phases. The concept of equivalent weights, with weight penalties assigned for power, induced aircraft drag and radiator area is used to determine weight estimates for the following candidate systems: vapor cycle refrigeration, gas cycle refrigeration, radiators (space and atmospheric convectors), expendable heat sinks, and ram air. The orbiter power penalty, ram air penalty, and radiator weight penalty are analyzed. The vapor compression system and an expendable fluid system utilizing a multifluid spraying flash evaporator are selected as the two most promising systems. These are used for maximum on-orbit heat rejection in combination with or as a supplement to a space radiator.

Open-Loop Performance of COBALT Precision Landing Payload on a Commercial Sub-Orbital Rocket

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Restrepo, Carolina I.; Carson, John M., III; Amzajerdian, Farzin; Seubert, Carl R.; Lovelace, Ronney S.; McCarthy, Megan M.; Tse, Teming; Stelling, Richard; Collins, Steven M.

2018-01-01

An open-loop flight test campaign of the NASA COBALT (CoOperative Blending of Autonomous Landing Technologies) platform was conducted onboard the Masten Xodiac suborbital rocket testbed. The COBALT platform integrates NASA Guidance, Navigation and Control (GN&C) sensing technologies for autonomous, precise soft landing, including the Navigation Doppler Lidar (NDL) velocity and range sensor and the Lander Vision System (LVS) Terrain Relative Navigation (TRN) system. A specialized navigation filter running onboard COBALT fuses the NDL and LVS data in real time to produce a navigation solution that is independent of GPS and suitable for future, autonomous, planetary, landing systems. COBALT was a passive payload during the open loop tests. COBALT's sensors were actively taking data and processing it in real time, but the Xodiac rocket flew with its own GPS-navigation system as a risk reduction activity in the maturation of the technologies towards space flight. A future closed-loop test campaign is planned where the COBALT navigation solution will be used to fly its host vehicle.

Thermal Management Design for the X-33 Lifting Body

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bouslog, S.; Mammano, J.; Strauss, B.

1998-01-01

The X-33 Advantage Technology Demonstrator offers a rare and exciting opportunity in Thermal Protection System development. The experimental program incorporates the latest design innovation in re-useable, low life cycle cost, and highly dependable Thermal Protection materials and constructions into both ground based and flight test vehicle validations. The unique attributes of the X-33 demonstrator for design application validation for the full scale Reusable Launch Vehicle, (RLV), are represented by both the configuration of the stand-off aeroshell, and the extreme exposures of sub-orbital hypersonic re-entry simulation. There are several challenges of producing a sub-orbital prototype demonstrator of Single Stage to Orbit/Reusable Launch Vehicle (SSTO/RLV) operations. An aggressive schedule with budgetary constraints precludes the opportunity for an extensive verification and qualification program of vehicle flight hardware. However, taking advantage of off the shelf components with proven technologies reduces some of the requirements for additional testing. The effects of scale on thermal heating rates must also be taken into account during trajectory design and analysis. Described in this document are the unique Thermal Protection System (TPS) design opportunities that are available with the lifting body configuration of the X-33. The two principal objectives for the TPS are to shield the primary airframe structure from excessive thermal loads and to provide an aerodynamic mold line surface. With the relatively benign aeroheating capability of the lifting body, an integrated stand-off aeroshell design with minimal weight and reduced procurement and operational costs is allowed. This paper summarizes the design objectives of the X-33 TPS, the flight test requirements driven configuration, and design benefits. Comparisons are made of the X-33 flight profiles and Space Shuttle Orbiter, and lifting body Reusable Launch Vehicle aerothermal environments. The X-33 TPS is based on a design to cost configuration concept. Only RLV critical technologies are verified to conform to cost and schedule restrictions. The one-off prototype vehicle configuration has evolved to minimize the tooling costs by reducing the number of unique components. Low cost approaches such as a composite/blanket leeward aeroshell and the use of Shuttle technology are implemented where applicable. The success of the X-33 will overcome the ballistic re-entry TPS mindset. The X-33 TPS is tailored to an aircraft type mission while maintaining sufficient operational margins. The flight test program for the X-33 will demonstrate that TPS for the RLV is not simply a surface insulation but rather an integrated aeroshell system.

KSC-2011-3323

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-05-05

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Lieutenant General Susan J. Helms, commander of the 14th Air Force and former astronaut, addresses the audience at a celebration at Complex 5/6 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. The celebration was held at the launch site of the first U.S. manned spaceflight May 5, 1961, to mark the 50th anniversary of the flight. Fifty years ago, astronaut Alan Shepard lifted off inside the Mercury capsule, "Freedom 7," atop an 82-foot-tall Mercury-Redstone rocket at 9:34 a.m. EST, sending him on a remarkably successful, 15-minute suborbital flight. The event was attended by more than 200 workers from the original Mercury program and included a re-creation of Shepard's flight and recovery, as well as a tribute to his contributions as a moonwalker on the Apollo 14 lunar mission. For more information, visit www.nasa.gov/topics/history/milestones/index.html. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

KSC-2011-3315

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-05-05

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Kennedy Space Center Director and former astronaut Bob Cabana addresses the audience at a celebration at Complex 5/6 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. The celebration was held at the launch site of the first U.S. manned spaceflight May 5, 1961, to mark the 50th anniversary of the flight. Fifty years ago, astronaut Alan Shepard lifted off inside the Mercury capsule, "Freedom 7," atop an 82-foot-tall Mercury-Redstone rocket at 9:34 a.m. EST, sending him on a remarkably successful, 15-minute suborbital flight. The event was attended by more than 200 workers from the original Mercury program and included a re-creation of Shepard's flight and recovery, as well as a tribute to his contributions as a moonwalker on the Apollo 14 lunar mission. For more information, visit www.nasa.gov/topics/history/milestones/index.html. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

KSC-2011-3331

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-05-05

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- During a celebration at Complex 5/6 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, Mercury astronaut Scott Carpenter greets Calvin Fowler, the launch conductor for Carpenter's Mercury-Atlas 7 mission on May 24, 1962. The celebration was held at the launch site of the first U.S. manned spaceflight May 5, 1961, to mark the 50th anniversary of the flight. Fifty years ago, astronaut Alan Shepard lifted off inside the Mercury capsule, "Freedom 7," atop an 82-foot-tall Mercury-Redstone rocket at 9:34 a.m. EST, sending him on a remarkably successful, 15-minute suborbital flight. The event was attended by more than 200 workers from the original Mercury program and included a re-creation of Shepard's flight and recovery, as well as a tribute to his contributions as a moonwalker on the Apollo 14 lunar mission. For more information, visit www.nasa.gov/topics/history/milestones/index.html. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

KSC-2011-3324

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-05-05

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Kennedy Space Center Director and former astronaut Bob Cabana addresses the audience at a celebration at Complex 5/6 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. The celebration was held at the launch site of the first U.S. manned spaceflight May 5, 1961, to mark the 50th anniversary of the flight. Fifty years ago, astronaut Alan Shepard lifted off inside the Mercury capsule, "Freedom 7," atop an 82-foot-tall Mercury-Redstone rocket at 9:34 a.m. EST, sending him on a remarkably successful, 15-minute suborbital flight. The event was attended by more than 200 workers from the original Mercury program and included a re-creation of Shepard's flight and recovery, as well as a tribute to his contributions as a moonwalker on the Apollo 14 lunar mission. For more information, visit www.nasa.gov/topics/history/milestones/index.html. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

KSC-2011-3327

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-05-05

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Invited guests enjoy a tribute to astronaut Alan Shepard during a celebration at Complex 5/6 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. The celebration was held at the launch site of the first U.S. manned spaceflight May 5, 1961, to mark the 50th anniversary of the flight. Fifty years ago, astronaut Alan Shepard lifted off inside the Mercury capsule, "Freedom 7," atop an 82-foot-tall Mercury-Redstone rocket at 9:34 a.m. EST, sending him on a remarkably successful, 15-minute suborbital flight. The event was attended by more than 200 workers from the original Mercury program and included a re-creation of Shepard's flight and recovery, as well as a tribute to his contributions as a moonwalker on the Apollo 14 lunar mission. For more information, visit www.nasa.gov/topics/history/milestones/index.html. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

KSC-2011-3334

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-05-05

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Bob Moser, former chief test conductor for the Mercury-Redstone launches, tours the blockhouse at Complex 5/6 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. The celebration was held at the launch site of the first U.S. manned spaceflight May 5, 1961, to mark the 50th anniversary of the flight. Fifty years ago, astronaut Alan Shepard lifted off inside the Mercury capsule, "Freedom 7," atop an 82-foot-tall Mercury-Redstone rocket at 9:34 a.m. EST, sending him on a remarkably successful, 15-minute suborbital flight. The event was attended by more than 200 workers from the original Mercury program and included a re-creation of Shepard's flight and recovery, as well as a tribute to his contributions as a moonwalker on the Apollo 14 lunar mission. For more information, visit www.nasa.gov/topics/history/milestones/index.html. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

KSC-2011-3321

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-05-05

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- The U.S. flag waves proudly in front of a replica of a Mercury-Redstone rocket at Complex 5/6 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. A celebration was held at the launch site of the first U.S. manned spaceflight May 5, 1961, to mark the 50th anniversary of the flight. Fifty years ago, astronaut Alan Shepard lifted off inside the Mercury capsule, "Freedom 7," atop an 82-foot-tall Mercury-Redstone rocket at 9:34 a.m. EST, sending him on a remarkably successful, 15-minute suborbital flight. The event was attended by more than 200 workers from the original Mercury program and included a re-creation of Shepard's flight and recovery, as well as a tribute to his contributions as a moonwalker on the Apollo 14 lunar mission. For more information, visit www.nasa.gov/topics/history/milestones/index.html. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

John H Glenn Jr.

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-02-17

Mercury astronaut John Glenn speaks during the "On Shoulders of Giants" program celebrating 50 years of Americans in orbit, an era which began with Glenn's MA-6 mission on Feb. 20, 1962. The event was conducted in the Rocket Garden at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida a few miles from the launch pad where Glenn and Scott Carpenter took flight in Mercury spacecraft. Glenn's launch aboard an Atlas rocket took with it the hopes of an entire nation and ushered in a new era of space travel that eventually led to Americans walking on the moon by the end of the 1960s. Glenn soon was followed into orbit by Scott Carpenter, Walter Schirra and Gordon Cooper. Their fellow Mercury astronauts Alan Shepard and Virgil "Gus" Grissom flew earlier suborbital flights. Deke Slayton, a member of NASA's original Mercury 7 astronauts, was grounded by a medical condition until the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project in 1975.

KSC-2011-3325

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-05-05

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- NBC reporter Jay Barbree introduces Alice Wackermann, Julie Jenkins and Laura Churchley, daughters of astronaut Alan Shepard, to the audience at a celebration at Complex 5/6 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. The celebration was held at the launch site of the first U.S. manned spaceflight May 5, 1961, to mark the 50th anniversary of the flight. Fifty years ago, astronaut Alan Shepard lifted off inside the Mercury capsule, "Freedom 7," atop an 82-foot-tall Mercury-Redstone rocket at 9:34 a.m. EST, sending him on a remarkably successful, 15-minute suborbital flight. The event was attended by more than 200 workers from the original Mercury program and included a re-creation of Shepard's flight and recovery, as well as a tribute to his contributions as a moonwalker on the Apollo 14 lunar mission. For more information, visit www.nasa.gov/topics/history/milestones/index.html. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

KSC-2011-3318

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-05-05

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- From left, NBC reporter Jay Barbree and Alice Wackermann, Julie Jenkins (at microphone) and Laura Churchley, daughters of astronaut Alan Shepard, participate in a celebration at Complex 5/6 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. The celebration was held at the launch site of the first U.S. manned spaceflight May 5, 1961, to mark the 50th anniversary of the flight. Fifty years ago, astronaut Alan Shepard lifted off inside the Mercury capsule, "Freedom 7," atop an 82-foot-tall Mercury-Redstone rocket at 9:34 a.m. EST, sending him on a remarkably successful, 15-minute suborbital flight. The event was attended by more than 200 workers from the original Mercury program and included a re-creation of Shepard's flight and recovery, as well as a tribute to his contributions as a moonwalker on the Apollo 14 lunar mission. For more information, visit www.nasa.gov/topics/history/milestones/index.html. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

KSC-2011-3319

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-05-05

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- From left, Mercury astronaut Scott Carpenter and Alice Wackermann and Julie Jenkins, daughters of astronaut Alan Shepard, enjoy a tribute to Shepard during a celebration at Complex 5/6 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. The celebration was held at the launch site of the first U.S. manned spaceflight May 5, 1961, to mark the 50th anniversary of the flight. Fifty years ago, astronaut Alan Shepard lifted off inside the Mercury capsule, "Freedom 7," atop an 82-foot-tall Mercury-Redstone rocket at 9:34 a.m. EST, sending him on a remarkably successful, 15-minute suborbital flight. The event was attended by more than 200 workers from the original Mercury program and included a re-creation of Shepard's flight and recovery, as well as a tribute to his contributions as a moonwalker on the Apollo 14 lunar mission. For more information, visit www.nasa.gov/topics/history/milestones/index.html. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

Mercury Project

NASA Image and Video Library

1960-01-21

The launch of the Little Joe booster for the LJ1B mission on the launch pad from the wallops Flight Facility, Wallops Island, Virginia, on January 21, 1960. This mission achieved the suborbital Mercury capsule test, testing of the escape system, and biomedical tests by using a monkey, named Miss Sam.

A reference time scale for Site U1385 (Shackleton Site) on the SW Iberian Margin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hodell, D.; Lourens, L.; Crowhurst, S.; Konijnendijk, T.; Tjallingii, R.; Jiménez-Espejo, F.; Skinner, L.; Tzedakis, P. C.; Abrantes, Fatima; Acton, Gary D.; Alvarez Zarikian, Carlos A.; Bahr, André; Balestra, Barbara; Barranco, Estefanìa Llave; Carrara, Gabriela; Ducassou, Emmanuelle; Flood, Roger D.; Flores, José-Abel; Furota, Satoshi; Grimalt, Joan; Grunert, Patrick; Hernández-Molina, Javier; Kim, Jin Kyoung; Krissek, Lawrence A.; Kuroda, Junichiro; Li, Baohua; Lofi, Johanna; Margari, Vasiliki; Martrat, Belen; Miller, Madeline D.; Nanayama, Futoshi; Nishida, Naohisa; Richter, Carl; Rodrigues, Teresa; Rodríguez-Tovar, Francisco J.; Roque, Ana Cristina Freixo; Sanchez Goñi, Maria F.; Sierro Sánchez, Francisco J.; Singh, Arun D.; Sloss, Craig R.; Stow, Dorrik A. V.; Takashimizu, Yasuhiro; Tzanova, Alexandrina; Voelker, Antje; Xuan, Chuang; Williams, Trevor

2015-10-01

We produced a composite depth scale and chronology for Site U1385 on the SW Iberian Margin. Using log(Ca/Ti) measured by core scanning XRF at 1-cm resolution in all holes, a composite section was constructed to 166.5 meter composite depth (mcd) that corrects for stretching and squeezing in each core. Oxygen isotopes of benthic foraminifera were correlated to a stacked δ18O reference signal (LR04) to produce an oxygen isotope stratigraphy and age model. Variations in sediment color contain very strong precession signals at Site U1385, and the amplitude modulation of these cycles provides a powerful tool for developing an orbitally-tuned age model. We tuned the U1385 record by correlating peaks in L* to the local summer insolation maxima at 37°N. The benthic δ18O record of Site U1385, when placed on the tuned age model, generally agrees with other time scales within their respective chronologic uncertainties. The age model is transferred to down-core data to produce a continuous time series of log(Ca/Ti) that reflect relative changes of biogenic carbonate and detrital sediment. Biogenic carbonate increases during interglacial and interstadial climate states and decreases during glacial and stadial periods. Much of the variance in the log(Ca/Ti) is explained by a linear combination of orbital frequencies (precession, tilt and eccentricity), whereas the residual signal reflects suborbital climate variability. The strong correlation between suborbital log(Ca/Ti) variability and Greenland temperature over the last glacial cycle at Site U1385 suggests that this signal can be used as a proxy for millennial-scale climate variability over the past 1.5 Ma. Millennial climate variability, as expressed by log(Ca/Ti) at Site U1385, was a persistent feature of glacial climates over the past 1.5 Ma, including glacial periods of the early Pleistocene ('41-kyr world') when boundary conditions differed significantly from those of the late Pleistocene ('100-kyr world'). Suborbital variability was suppressed during interglacial stages and enhanced during glacial periods, especially when benthic δ18O surpassed 3.3-3.5‰. Each glacial inception was marked by appearance of strong millennial variability and each deglaciation was preceded by a terminal stadial event. Suborbital variability may be a symptomatic feature of glacial climate or, alternatively, may play a more active role in the inception and/or termination of glacial cycles.

Stellar Atmospheric Modelling for the ACCESS Program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morris, Matthew; Kaiser, Mary Elizabeth; Bohlin, Ralph; Kurucz, Robert; ACCESS Team

2018-01-01

A goal of the ACCESS program (Absolute Color Calibration Experiment for Standard Stars) is to enable greater discrimination between theoretical astrophysical models and observations, where the comparison is limited by systematic errors associated with the relative flux calibration of the targets. To achieve these goals, ACCESS has been designed as a sub-orbital rocket borne payload and ground calibration program, to establish absolute flux calibration of stellar targets at <1 % precision, with a resolving power of 500 across the 0.35 to 1.7 micron bandpass.In order to obtain higher resolution spectroscopy in the optical and near-infrared range than either the ACCESS payload or CALSPEC observations provide, the ACCESS team has conducted a multi-instrument observing program at Apache Point Observatory. Using these calibrated high resolution spectra in addition to the HST/CALSPEC data, we have generated stellar atmosphere models for ACCESS flight candidates, as well as a selection of A and G stars from the CALSPEC database. Stellar atmosphere models were generated using Atlas 9 and Atlas 12 Kurucz stellar atmosphere software. The effective temperature, log(g), metallicity, and redenning were varied and the chi-squared statistic was minimized to obtain a best-fit model. A comparison of these models and the results from interpolation between grids of existing models will be presented. The impact of the flexibility of the Atlas 12 input parameters (e.g. solar metallicity fraction, abundances, microturbulent velocity) is being explored.

Astronaut Alan B. Shepard has his blood pressure and temperature checked

NASA Image and Video Library

1961-01-01

S61-02740 (5 May 1961) --- Astronaut Alan B. Shepard Jr. has his heart rate checked prior to his Mercury-Redstone 3 (MR-3) mission, the first American manned suborbital spaceflight. The attending physician is Dr. William K. Douglas. Photo credit: NASA or National Aeronautics and Space Administration

76 FR 30232 - Office of Commercial Space Transportation Safety Approval Performance Criteria

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-05-24

... DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Federal Aviation Administration Office of Commercial Space... levels associated with suborbital space flight. The reduced gravity levels are: --0.00 g 0.05 g for 17... Division (AST-200), FAA Office of Commercial Space Transportation (AST), 800 Independence Avenue, SW., Room...

Report on the Effects of Parachutes on Risk Mitigation to Third Party Property and Individuals

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1993-03-01

This report looks at what research has been done to evaluate the public's risk by descent of a payload from its orbital or suborbital flight. Compared is the difference in risk between a parachute descent and that in free fall. The research indicates...

14 CFR 440.11 - Duration of coverage for licensed launch, including suborbital launch, or permitted activities...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... LICENSING FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY Financial Responsibility for Licensed and Permitted Activities § 440.11...; modifications. (a) Insurance coverage required under § 440.9, or other form of financial responsibility, shall... licensed launch or permitted activities is sufficiently small that financial responsibility is no longer...

Launch of Little Joe I-B from Wallops Island

NASA Image and Video Library

1960-01-21

B60-00364 (4 Nov. 1959) --- Launch of Little Joe-2 from Wallops Island carrying Mercury spacecraft test article. The suborbital test flight of the Mercury capsule was to test the escape system. Vehicle functioned perfectly, but escape rocket ignited several seconds too late. Photo credit: NASA

Astronaut Alan B. Shepard has his blood pressure and temperature checked

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1961-01-01

Astronaut Alan B. Shepard has a thermometer in his mouth to check his temperature checked prior to his Mercury-Redstone 3 (MR-3) mission, the first American manned suborbital space flight (02739); Shepard has his heart rate checked. The attending physician is Dr. William K. Douglas (02740).

High Speed, Low Cost Telemetry Access from Space Development Update on Programmable Ultra Lightweight System Adaptable Radio (PULSAR)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Simms, William Herbert, III; Varnavas, Kosta; Eberly, Eric

2014-01-01

Software Defined Radio (SDR) technology has been proven in the commercial sector since the early 1990's. Today's rapid advancement in mobile telephone reliability and power management capabilities exemplifies the effectiveness of the SDR technology for the modern communications market. In contrast, the foundations of transponder technology presently qualified for satellite applications were developed during the early space program of the 1960's. Conventional transponders are built to a specific platform and must be redesigned for every new bus while the SDR is adaptive in nature and can fit numerous applications with no hardware modifications. A SDR uses a minimum amount of analog / Radio Frequency (RF) components to up/down-convert the RF signal to/from a digital format. Once the signal is digitized, all processing is performed using hardware or software logic. Typical SDR digital processes include; filtering, modulation, up/down converting and demodulation. NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) Programmable Ultra Lightweight System Adaptable Radio (PULSAR) leverages existing MSFC SDR designs and commercial sector enhanced capabilities to provide a path to a radiation tolerant SDR transponder. These innovations (1) reduce the cost of NASA Low Earth Orbit (LEO) and Deep Space standard transponders, (2) decrease power requirements, and (3) commensurately reduce volume. A second pay-off is the increased SDR flexibility by allowing the same hardware to implement multiple transponder types simply by altering hardware logic - no change of hardware is required - all of which will ultimately be accomplished in orbit. Development of SDR technology for space applications will provide a highly capable, low cost transponder to programs of all sizes. The MSFC PULSAR Project results in a Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 7 low-cost telemetry system available to Smallsat and CubeSat missions, as well as other platforms. This paper documents the continued development and verification/validation of the MSFC SDR, called PULSAR, which contributes to advancing the state-of-the-art in transponder design - directly applicable to the SmallSat and CubeSat communities. This paper focuses on lessons learned on the first sub-orbital flight (high altitude balloon) and the follow-on steps taken to validate PULSAR. A sounding rocket launch, currently planned for 03/2015, will further expose PULSAR to the high dynamics of sub-orbital flights. Future opportunities for orbiting satellite incorporation reside in the small satellite missions (FASTSat, CubeSat. etc.).

Developing hybrid near-space technologies for affordable access to suborbital space

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Badders, Brian David

High power rockets and high altitude balloons are two near-space technologies that could be combined in order to provide access to the mesosphere and, eventually, suborbital space. This "rockoon" technology has been used by several large budget space programs before being abandoned in favor of even more expensive, albeit more accurate, ground launch systems. With the increased development of nano-satellites and atmospheric sensors, combined with rising interest in global atmospheric data, there is an increase in desire for affordable access to extreme altitudes that does not necessarily require the precision of ground launches. Development of hybrid near-space technologies for access to over 200k ft. on a small budget brings many challenges within engineering, systems integration, cost analysis, market analysis, and business planning. This research includes the design and simulation testing of all the systems needed for a safe and reusable launch system, the cost analysis for initial production, the development of a business plan, and the development of a marketing plan. This project has both engineering and scientific significance in that it can prove the space readiness of new technologies, raise their technology readiness levels (TRLs), expedite the development process, and also provide new data to the scientific community. It also has the ability to stimulate university involvement in the aerospace industry and help to inspire the next generation of workers in the space sector. Previous development of high altitude balloon/high power rocket hybrid systems have been undertaken by government funded military programs or large aerospace corporations with varying degrees of success. However, there has yet to be a successful flight with this type of system which provides access to the upper mesosphere in a university setting. This project will aim to design and analyze a viable system while testing the engineering process under challenging budgetary constraints. The technical, engineering, and systems integration challenges that will be investigated are rocket design, launch platform design, communications, ignition systems, recovery systems, and stabilization methods. This will be done using rocket performance simulation software, computer-aided design software, and computational fluid dynamic analysis software. The business planning is also an important part of this research. Through detailed market analysis, the needs for the proposed product/services being developed will be assessed. Through the combination of detailed cost analysis and the market needs, the economic viability of this launch system will be determined.

Initial Results from the Miniature Imager for Neutral Ionospheric Atoms and Magnetospheric Electrons (MINI-ME) on the FASTSAT Spacecraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Collier, Michael R.; Rowland, Douglas; Keller, John W.; Chornay, Dennis; Khazanov, George; Herrero, Federico; Moore, Thomas E.; Kujawski, Joseph; Casas, Joseph C.; Wilson, Gordon

2011-01-01

The MINI-ME instrument is a collaborative effort between NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) and the U.S. Naval Academy, funded solely through GSFC Internal Research and Development (IRAD) awards. It detects neutral atoms from about 10 eV to about 700 eV (in 30 energy steps) in its current operating configuration with an approximately 10 degree by 360 degree field-of-view, divided into six sectors. The instrument was delivered on August 3, 2009 to Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) for integration with the FASTSAT-HSV01 small spacecraft bus developed by MSFC and a commercial partner, one of six Space Experiment Review Board (SERB) experiments on FASTSAT and one of three GSFC instruments (PISA and TTI being the other two). The FASTSAT spacecraft was launched on November 21, 2010 from Kodiak, Alaska on a Minotaur IV as a secondary payload and inserted into a 650 km, 72 degree inclination orbit, very nearly circular. MINI-ME has been collecting science data, as spacecraft resources would permit, in "optimal science mode" since January 20, 2011. In this presentation, we report initial science results including the potential first observations of neutral molecular ionospheric outflow. At the time of this abstract, we have identified 15 possible molecular outflow events. All these events occur between about 65 and 82 degrees geomagnetic latitude and most map to the auroral oval. The MINI-ME results provide an excellent framework for interpretation of the MILENA data, two instruments almost identical to MINI-ME that will launch on the VISIONS suborbital mission

Performance characterization of UV science cameras developed for the Chromospheric Lyman-Alpha Spectro-Polarimeter (CLASP)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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

2014-07-01

The NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) has developed a science camera suitable for sub-orbital missions for observations in the UV, EUV and soft X-ray. Six cameras will be built and tested for flight with the Chromospheric Lyman-Alpha Spectro-Polarimeter (CLASP), a joint National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ) and MSFC sounding rocket mission. The goal of the CLASP mission is to observe the scattering polarization in Lyman-α and to detect the Hanle effect in the line core. Due to the nature of Lyman-α polarizationin the chromosphere, strict measurement sensitivity requirements are imposed on the CLASP polarimeter and spectrograph systems; science requirements for polarization measurements of Q/I and U/I are 0.1% in the line core. CLASP is a dual-beam spectro-polarimeter, which uses a continuously rotating waveplate as a polarization modulator, while the waveplate motor driver outputs trigger pulses to synchronize the exposures. The CCDs are operated in frame-transfer mode; the trigger pulse initiates the frame transfer, effectively ending the ongoing exposure and starting the next. The strict requirement of 0.1% polarization accuracy is met by using frame-transfer cameras to maximize the duty cycle in order to minimize photon noise. The CLASP cameras were designed to operate with ≤ 10 e-/pixel/second dark current, ≤ 25 e- read noise, a gain of 2.0 +- 0.5 and ≤ 1.0% residual non-linearity. We present the results of the performance characterization study performed on the CLASP prototype camera; dark current, read noise, camera gain and residual non-linearity.

Initial Results from the Miniature Imager for Neutral Ionospheric atoms and Magnetospheric Electrons (MINI-ME) on the FASTSAT Spacecraft

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Collier, M. R.; Rowland, D. E.; Keller, J. W.; Chornay, D. J.; Khazanov, G. V.; Herrero, F.; Moore, T. E.; Kujawski, J. T.; Casas, J. C.; Wilson, G. R.

2011-12-01

The MINI-ME instrument is a collaborative effort between NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) and the U.S. Naval Academy, funded solely through GSFC Internal Research and Development (IRAD) awards. It detects neutral atoms from about 10 eV to about 700 eV (in 30 energy steps) in its current operating configuration with an approximately 10 degree by 360 degree field-of-view, divided into six sectors. The instrument was delivered on August 3, 2009 to Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) for integration with the FASTSAT-HSV01 small spacecraft bus developed by MSFC and a commercial partner, one of six Space Experiments Review Board (SERB) experiments on FASTSAT and one of three GSFC instruments (PISA and TTI being the other two). The FASTSAT spacecraft was launched on November 21, 2010 from Kodiak, Alaska on a Minotaur IV as a secondary payload and inserted into a 650 km, 72 degree inclination orbit, very nearly circular. MINI-ME has been collecting science data, as spacecraft resources would permit, in "optimal science mode" since January 20, 2011. In this presentation, we report initial science results including the potential first observations of neutral molecular ionospheric outflow. At the time of this abstract, we have identified 15 possible molecular outflow events. All these events occur between about 65 and 82 degrees geomagnetic latitude and most map to the auroral oval. The MINI-ME results provide an excellent framework for interpretation of the MILENA data, two instruments almost identical to MINI-ME that will launch on the VISIONS suborbital mission (PI: Douglas Rowland).

Pushing the Boundaries of Suborbital Soft X-ray Spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McEntaffer, Randall

There are two primary objectives for this investigation. First, we propose to launch a preexisting payload to perform scientific investigations. Second, we propose to build a new payload which will integrate and demonstrate key technologies vital to future X-ray observatories. These efforts will train graduate students and prepare junior researchers to be major contributors to the next suite of NASA missions. We propose to increase the ability of gratings to obtain high resolution at energies below 1 keV. The concept that will be developed in this proposed investigation will be capable of meeting the requirements of future X-ray observatories. In addition, the design could be utilized effectively on smaller, Explorer class missions as pathfinders to the larger observatories while providing important scientific insights along the way. For this investigation, we propose to fly two separate, but related, rocket payloads. The first payload, christened OGRESS, has already been constructed and successfully flown three times. OGRESS is optimized to observe diffuse X-ray sources with a wire-grid collimating optic, parallel groove sinusoidal gratings, and Gaseous Electron Multiplier (GEM) detectors and is capable of attaining high resolution of E/dE ~ 25-80 in the 1/4 keV band. OGRESS will take high resolution spectra of the Vela Supernova Remnant (SNR) in the 1/4 keV band. This flight will provide the highest resolution spectra yet taken of Vela in this band and will produce a PhD thesis. The second payload, OGRE, will demonstrate key technologies necessary for the next X-ray observatory and provide even higher resolution of E/dE ~ 1000-2000 between 0.2 1.0 keV. To improve upon the resolution of OGRESS, OGRE will integrate several key technologies which have already been developed in a laboratory setting, but have not been flight proven. OGRE will use a modified Wolter telescope made from slumped glass to provide a smaller focus and increase throughput. Slumped glass optics are planned for every future large X-ray mission and flight-proving the design is extremely important. The gratings will be radially grooved and blazed to reduce grating aberrations and to focus the spectrum to one side of zero-order. Gratings of this type have been well developed by the IXO Off- Plane X-ray Grating Spectrometer concept study, but have not been flight proven. The spectrum will be focused onto high spatial resolution CCD detectors. OGRE will draw heavily from the heritage gained from OGRESS. OGRE will observe Capella. Due to its high flux and spectral line density, Capella is an ideal target for showcasing the resolution capabilities of our instrument. As an important calibration target, our improved resolution measurements will be extremely helpful for many future X-ray observations. OGRESS has already provided three thesis projects for past graduate students. The upgrades and flights proposed here will produce at least two more PhD theses. This program in hands-on training of young scientists in the techniques of instrumental X-ray astronomy has proven very successful over nearly three decades, leading to high rates of launch, publication, graduation, and flight qualification of instrumental PI's. It will also provide full experiment cycle experience - design, fabrication, tolerancing, assembly, flight-qualification, calibration, integration, launch, and data analysis - with reflection gratings, GEM and CCD detectors, and other technologies suitable for adaptation to NASA's major missions. The University of Iowa and University of Colorado programs in suborbital X-ray astronomy represent an exciting mix of compelling science, cutting- edge technology development, and training of young scientists.

14 CFR 440.11 - Duration of coverage for licensed launch, including suborbital launch, or permitted activities...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 14 Aeronautics and Space 4 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Duration of coverage for licensed launch... Space COMMERCIAL SPACE TRANSPORTATION, FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION... attach when a licensed launch or permitted activity starts, and remain in full force and effect as...

14 CFR 440.11 - Duration of coverage for licensed launch, including suborbital launch, or permitted activities...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 14 Aeronautics and Space 4 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Duration of coverage for licensed launch... Space COMMERCIAL SPACE TRANSPORTATION, FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION... attach when a licensed launch or permitted activity starts, and remain in full force and effect as...

14 CFR 440.11 - Duration of coverage for licensed launch, including suborbital launch, or permitted activities...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 14 Aeronautics and Space 4 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Duration of coverage for licensed launch... Space COMMERCIAL SPACE TRANSPORTATION, FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION... attach when a licensed launch or permitted activity starts, and remain in full force and effect as...

Occupational Exposure to Ionizing Radiation for Crews of Suborbital Spacecraft: Questions and Answers

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-12-01

the Van Allen belts to be of concern. Ionizing radiation consists of subatomic particles that, on interacting with an atom, can cause the atom to...What is ionizing radiation? Ionizing radiation refers to subatomic particles that, on interacting with an atom, can directly or indirectly cause the

14 CFR 413.3 - Who must obtain a license or permit.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 14 Aeronautics and Space 4 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Who must obtain a license or permit. 413.3 Section 413.3 Aeronautics and Space COMMERCIAL SPACE TRANSPORTATION, FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION... reenter a reusable suborbital rocket under part 437 of this chapter. [Doc. No. FAA-2006-24197, 72 FR 17017...

14 CFR Appendix D to Part 420 - Impact Dispersion Areas and Casualty Expectancy Estimate for an Unguided Suborbital Launch Vehicle

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

...”. ER19Oc00.119 where: k { {1, 2, 3, . . . , n} Ac = casualty area (from table D-1) Ak = populated area Nk = population in Ak Table D-1—Effective Casualty Area (Ac) vs. Impact Range Impact range (nm) Effective casualty...

14 CFR Appendix D to Part 420 - Impact Dispersion Areas and Casualty Expectancy Estimate for an Unguided Suborbital Launch Vehicle

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

...”. ER19Oc00.119 where: k { {1, 2, 3, . . . , n} Ac = casualty area (from table D-1) Ak = populated area Nk = population in Ak Table D-1—Effective Casualty Area (Ac) vs. Impact Range Impact range (nm) Effective casualty...

14 CFR Appendix D to Part 420 - Impact Dispersion Areas and Casualty Expectancy Estimate for an Unguided Suborbital Launch Vehicle

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

...”. ER19Oc00.119 where: k { {1, 2, 3, . . . , n} Ac = casualty area (from table D-1) Ak = populated area Nk = population in Ak Table D-1—Effective Casualty Area (Ac) vs. Impact Range Impact range (nm) Effective casualty...

Rhesus Monkey - Miss Sam - Fiberglass Couch - Little Joe (LJ)-1B Flight - Prep

NASA Image and Video Library

1959-12-04

B59-00828 (21 Jan. 1959) --- The test subject, a rhesus monkey named Miss Sam, is seen encased in a model of the Mercury fiberglass contour couch. She is being placed in a container for the Little Joe 1B suborbital test flight of the Mercury Capsule. Photo credit: NASA

Reducing the Uncertainties in Direct Aerosol Radiative Forcing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kahn, Ralph A.

2011-01-01

Airborne particles, which include desert and soil dust, wildfire smoke, sea salt, volcanic ash, black carbon, natural and anthropogenic sulfate, nitrate, and organic aerosol, affect Earth's climate, in part by reflecting and absorbing sunlight. This paper reviews current status, and evaluates future prospects for reducing the uncertainty aerosols contribute to the energy budget of Earth, which at present represents a leading factor limiting the quality of climate predictions. Information from satellites is critical for this work, because they provide frequent, global coverage of the diverse and variable atmospheric aerosol load. Both aerosol amount and type must be determined. Satellites are very close to measuring aerosol amount at the level-of-accuracy needed, but aerosol type, especially how bright the airborne particles are, cannot be constrained adequately by current techniques. However, satellite instruments can map out aerosol air mass type, which is a qualitative classification rather than a quantitative measurement, and targeted suborbital measurements can provide the required particle property detail. So combining satellite and suborbital measurements, and then using this combination to constrain climate models, will produce a major advance in climate prediction.

Significant Climate Changes Caused by Soot Emitted From Rockets in the Stratosphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mills, M. J.; Ross, M.; Toohey, D. W.

2010-12-01

A new type of hydrocarbon rocket engine with a larger soot emission index than current kerosene rockets is expected to power a fleet of suborbital rockets for commercial and scientific purposes in coming decades. At projected launch rates, emissions from these rockets will create a persistent soot layer in the northern middle stratosphere that would disproportionally affect the Earth’s atmosphere and cryosphere. A global climate model predicts that thermal forcing in the rocket soot layer will cause significant changes in the global atmospheric circulation and distributions of ozone and temperature. Tropical ozone columns decline as much as 1%, while polar ozone columns increase by up to 6%. Polar surface temperatures rise one Kelvin regionally and polar summer sea ice fractions shrink between 5 - 15%. After 20 years of suborbital rocket fleet operation, globally averaged radiative forcing (RF) from rocket soot exceeds the RF from rocket CO_{2} by six orders of magnitude, but remains small, comparable to the global RF from aviation. The response of the climate system is surprising given the small forcing, and should be investigated further with different climate models.

New Worlds Airship

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harness, Anthony; Cash, Webster; Shipley, Ann; Glassman, Tiffany; Warwick, Steve

2013-09-01

We review the progress on the New Worlds Airship project, which has the eventual goal of suborbitally mapping the Alpha Centauri planetary system into the Habitable Zone. This project consists of a telescope viewing a star that is occulted by a starshade suspended from an airship. The starshade suppresses the starlight such that fainter planetary objects near the star are revealed. A visual sensor is used to determine the position of the starshade and keep the telescope within the starshade's shadow. In the first attempt to demonstrate starshades through astronomical observations, we have built a precision line of sight position indicator and flew it on a Zeppelin in October (2012). Since the airship provider went out of business we have been redesigning the project to use Vertical Takeoff Vertical Landing rockets instead. These Suborbital Reusable Launch Vehicles will serve as a starshade platform and test bed for further development of the visual sensor. We have completed ground tests of starshades on dry lakebeds and have shown excellent contrast. We are now attempting to use starshades on hilltops to occult stars and perform high contrast imaging of outer planetary systems such as the debris disk around Fomalhaut.

COBALT Flight Demonstrations Fuse Technologies

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-06-07

This 5-minute, 50-second video shows how the CoOperative Blending of Autonomous Landing Technologies (COBALT) system pairs new landing sensor technologies that promise to yield the highest precision navigation solution ever tested for NASA space landing applications. The technologies included a navigation doppler lidar (NDL), which provides ultra-precise velocity and line-of-sight range measurements, and the Lander Vision System (LVS), which provides terrain-relative navigation. Through flight campaigns conducted in March and April 2017 aboard Masten Space Systems' Xodiac, a rocket-powered vertical takeoff, vertical landing (VTVL) platform, the COBALT system was flight tested to collect sensor performance data for NDL and LVS and to check the integration and communication between COBALT and the rocket. The flight tests provided excellent performance data for both sensors, as well as valuable information on the integrated performance with the rocket that will be used for subsequent COBALT modifications prior to follow-on flight tests. Based at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, CA, the Flight Opportunities program funds technology development flight tests on commercial suborbital space providers of which Masten is a vendor. The program has previously tested the LVS on the Masten rocket and validated the technology for the Mars 2020 rover.

Growth properties of protoplanetary dust in a long-term microgravity experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brisset, Julie; Kothe, Stefan; Weidling, Rene; Heisselmann, Daniel; Blum, Juergen

2014-11-01

In the very first steps of the formation of a new planetary system, dust agglomerates and grows inside the protoplanetary disk that rotates around the newly formed star. In this disk, collisions between the dust particles, induced by interactions with the surrounding gas, lead to sticking. Aggregates start growing until their sizes and relative velocities are high enough for collisions to result in bouncing or fragmentation. As part of a series of microgravity experiments aiming at the investigation of the transitions between sticking, bouncing and fragmentation of colliding dust aggregates, the Suborbital Particle and Aggregation Experiment (SPACE) was designed, built and operated both at the drop tower in Bremen (August 2011) and on the REXUS 12 suborbital rocket (March 2012). The SPACE experiment allowed for the observation of collisions between aggregates of sizes of a few 100 µm that were composed of SiO2, a commonly used protoplanetary dust analog material. At velocities below 10 cm/s, clusters composed of a high number of aggregates (more than 10^4) formed and grew to sizes of up to 5 mm. The analysis of these collisions delivered valuable input to a current dust collision model, which maps the outcome of collisions depending on the aggregate sizes and their relative velocities. The sticking probability of sub-mm-sized dust aggregates could directly be measured during the suborbital rocket flight, over a velocity range covering the transition between the sticking and bouncing regimes. In addition, the evolution of clusters formed from sub-mm-sized aggregates during the different experiments could be observed and some of their intrinsic properties derived. The measured characteristics were the cluster fractal dimensions, the tensile strength of their outer aggregate layer and the effective surface energy of their constituents. Threshold energies for cluster restructuring and fragmentation could also be determined. All these cluster properties are important input parameters for molecular dynamics or numerical simulations investigating the behavior of macroscopic clusters (>1 mm in size) in protoplanetary disks.

Stratospheric Balloon Platforms for Near Space Access

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dewey, R. G.

2012-12-01

For over five decades, high altitude aerospace balloon platforms have provided a unique vantage point for space and geophysical research by exposing scientific instrument packages and experiments to space-like conditions above 99% of Earth's atmosphere. Reaching altitudes in excess of 30 km for durations ranging from hours to weeks, high altitude balloons offer longer flight durations than both traditional sounding rockets and emerging suborbital reusable launch vehicles. For instruments and experiments requiring access to high altitudes, engineered balloon systems provide a timely, responsive, flexible, and cost-effective vehicle for reaching near space conditions. Moreover, high altitude balloon platforms serve as an early means of testing and validating hardware bound for suborbital or orbital space without imposing space vehicle qualifications and certification requirements on hardware in development. From float altitudes above 30 km visible obscuration of the sky is greatly reduced and telescopes and other sensors function in an orbit-like environment, but in 1g. Down-facing sensors can take long-exposure atmospheric measurements and images of Earth's surface from oblique and nadir perspectives. Payload support subsystems such as telemetry equipment and command, control, and communication (C3) interfaces can also be tested and operationally verified in this space-analog environment. For scientific payloads requiring over-flight of specific areas of interests, such as an active volcano or forest region, advanced mission planning software allows flight trajectories to be accurately modeled. Using both line-of-sight and satellite-based communication systems, payloads can be tracked and controlled throughout the entire mission duration. Under NASA's Flight Opportunities Program, NSC can provide a range of high altitude flight options to support space and geophysical research: High Altitude Shuttle System (HASS) - A balloon-borne semi-autonomous glider carries payloads to high altitude and returns them safely to pre-selected landing sites, supporting quick recovery, refurbishment, and re-flight. Small Balloon System (SBS) - Controls payload interfaces via a standardized avionics system. Using a parachute for recovery, the SBS is well suited for small satellite and spacecraft subsystem developers wanting to raise their Technology Readiness Level (TRL) in an operationally relevant environment. Provides flexibility for scientific payloads requiring externally mounted equipment, such as telescopes and antennas. Nano Balloon System (NBS) - For smaller payloads (~CubeSats) with minimal C3 requirements, the Nano Balloon System (NBS) operates under less restrictive flight regulations with increased operational flexibility. The NBS is well suited for payload providers seeking a quick, simple, and cost effective solution for operating small ~passive payloads in near space. High altitude balloon systems offer the payload provider and experimenter a unique and flexible platform for geophysical and space research. Though new launch vehicles continue to expand access to suborbital and orbital space, recent improvements in high altitude balloon technology and operations provide a cost effective alternative to access space-like conditions.

Certification and safety aspects relating to the transport of passengers on high altitude balloons in Europe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schoenmaker, Annelie

2014-07-01

High-altitude balloons typically fly between 25 and 50 km in altitude, which, while below the Karman line of 100 km, is yet far above the altitudes typically flown by aircraft. For example, the highest-flying commercial aircraft - the Concorde - had a maximum cruising altitude of only 18 km. zero2infinity, a Spanish company, is currently developing a pressurized pod named “bloon” which will be capable of lifting six people, including two pilot crew members and four paying passengers, to an altitude of 36 km through the use of high-altitude balloons. The boundary between Airspace and Outer Space has never been legally defined, mostly because of the lack of activities taking place between the altitude where airplanes fly and the lowest orbiting spacecraft. High-altitude balloons do fly at these in-between altitudes and the prospect of commercializing access to these parts of the stratosphere poses some questions in a new light. Given the relatively low altitude at which they fly, it may well be that these types of balloons would be considered to operate exclusively within air space. However, given the technology involved in crewed high altitude balloon flights, which is more similar to spacecraft engineering than to traditional hot-air or gas ballooning, it is necessary to evaluate the various legal regimes, codes, and regulations that would apply to such flights, especially regarding licenses and liabilities. For high altitude balloon flights commencing in Europe, the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) would very likely be the competent certification or licensing agency for these flights, although there would likely be input from various national aviation authorities as well. However, because the European Commission (EC) has not yet issued regulations regarding commercial spaceflight, particularly the use of high altitude balloons, new rules and regulations governing such flights may still need to be drafted and promulgated. With the development of suborbital passenger vehicles such as bloon, Spaceplane as well as SpaceShipTwo (which is British-owned) this is clearly the appropriate time for the EC or other competent institutions to issue regulations regarding suborbital passenger flight. Rules and regulations regarding suborbital passenger transport such as liability and waivers to protect third parties, governments, and operators, need to be addressed by the European Union (EU) as a whole or at least by national or regional governments wishing to attract suborbital passenger flights to their territory. After all, it would be in Europe's financial and other interests to create and foster a favorable legal and commercial environment for the aerospace business within the borders of the EU.

CHIMPANZEE HAM - POST MERCURY-REDSTONE (MR)-2 FLIGHT

NASA Image and Video Library

1963-01-01

S63-18198 (31 Jan. 1961) --- Closeup view of the chimpanzee "Ham", the live test subject for the Mercury-Redstone 2 (MR-2) test flight, following his successful recovery from the Atlantic. The 420-statute mile suborbital MR-2 flight by the 37-pound primate was a significant accomplishment on the American route toward manned spaceflight. Photo credit: NASA

14 CFR Appendix A to Part 440 - Information Requirements for Obtaining a Maximum Probable Loss Determination for Licensed or...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... Requirements for Licensed Launch, Including Suborbital Launch I. General Information A. Mission description. 1.... Orbit altitudes (apogee and perigee). 2. Flight sequence. 3. Staging events and the time for each event... shall cover the range of launch trajectories, inclinations and orbits for which authorization is sought...

14 CFR Appendix A to Part 440 - Information Requirements for Obtaining a Maximum Probable Loss Determination for Licensed or...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... Requirements for Licensed Launch, Including Suborbital Launch I. General Information A. Mission description. 1.... Orbit altitudes (apogee and perigee). 2. Flight sequence. 3. Staging events and the time for each event... shall cover the range of launch trajectories, inclinations and orbits for which authorization is sought...

14 CFR Appendix A to Part 440 - Information Requirements for Obtaining a Maximum Probable Loss Determination for Licensed or...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... Requirements for Licensed Launch, Including Suborbital Launch I. General Information A. Mission description. 1.... Orbit altitudes (apogee and perigee). 2. Flight sequence. 3. Staging events and the time for each event... shall cover the range of launch trajectories, inclinations and orbits for which authorization is sought...

14 CFR Appendix A to Part 440 - Information Requirements for Obtaining a Maximum Probable Loss Determination for Licensed or...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... Requirements for Licensed Launch, Including Suborbital Launch I. General Information A. Mission description. 1.... Orbit altitudes (apogee and perigee). 2. Flight sequence. 3. Staging events and the time for each event... shall cover the range of launch trajectories, inclinations and orbits for which authorization is sought...

14 CFR 420.23 - Launch site location review-flight corridor.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... this part, to contain debris with a ballistic coefficient of ≥ 3 pounds per square foot, from any non... that its proposed method provides an equivalent level of safety to that required by appendix A or B of... of ≥ 3 pounds per square foot, from any non-nominal flight of a guided sub-orbital expendable launch...

Low-g measurements by NASA

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chassay, Roger P.; Schwaniger, Arthur

1990-01-01

NASA has utilized low-g accelerometers on a variety of flights for over ten years. These flights have included aircraft parabolas, suborbital trajectories, and orbital missions. This large quantity of data has undergone only limited in-depth analyses. Highlights of this low-g data are presented along with brief discussion of the instruments used and the circumstances of the data collection.

Performance Characterization of UV Science Cameras Developed for the Chromospheric Lyman-Alpha Spectro-Polarimeter (CLASP)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Champey, Patrick; Kobayashi, Ken; Winebarger, Amy; Cirtin, Jonathan; Hyde, David; Robertson, Bryan; Beabout, Brent; Beabout, Dyana; Stewart, Mike

2014-01-01

The NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) has developed a science camera suitable for sub-orbital missions for observations in the UV, EUV and soft X-ray. Six cameras will be built and tested for flight with the Chromospheric Lyman-Alpha Spectro-Polarimeter (CLASP), a joint National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ) and MSFC sounding rocket mission. The goal of the CLASP mission is to observe the scattering polarization in Lyman-alpha and to detect the Hanle effect in the line core. Due to the nature of Lyman-alpha polarization in the chromosphere, strict measurement sensitivity requirements are imposed on the CLASP polarimeter and spectrograph systems; science requirements for polarization measurements of Q/I and U/I are 0.1% in the line core. CLASP is a dual-beam spectro-polarimeter, which uses a continuously rotating waveplate as a polarization modulator, while the waveplate motor driver outputs trigger pulses to synchronize the exposures. The CCDs are operated in frame-transfer mode; the trigger pulse initiates the frame transfer, effectively ending the ongoing exposure and starting the next. The strict requirement of 0.1% polarization accuracy is met by using frame-transfer cameras to maximize the duty cycle in order to minimize photon noise. Coating the e2v CCD57-10 512x512 detectors with Lumogen-E coating allows for a relatively high (30%) quantum efficiency at the Lyman-$\\alpha$ line. The CLASP cameras were designed to operate with =10 e- /pixel/second dark current, = 25 e- read noise, a gain of 2.0 and =0.1% residual non-linearity. We present the results of the performance characterization study performed on the CLASP prototype camera; dark current, read noise, camera gain and residual non-linearity.

Performance Characterization of UV Science Cameras Developed for the Chromospheric Lyman-Alpha Spectro-Polarimeter

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

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

2014-01-01

The NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) has developed a science camera suitable for sub-orbital missions for observations in the UV, EUV and soft X-ray. Six cameras will be built and tested for flight with the Chromospheric Lyman-Alpha Spectro-Polarimeter (CLASP), a joint National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ) and MSFC sounding rocket mission. The goal of the CLASP mission is to observe the scattering polarization in Lyman-alpha and to detect the Hanle effect in the line core. Due to the nature of Lyman-alpha polarization in the chromosphere, strict measurement sensitivity requirements are imposed on the CLASP polarimeter and spectrograph systems; science requirements for polarization measurements of Q/I and U/I are 0.1 percent in the line core. CLASP is a dual-beam spectro-polarimeter, which uses a continuously rotating waveplate as a polarization modulator, while the waveplate motor driver outputs trigger pulses to synchronize the exposures. The CCDs are operated in frame-transfer mode; the trigger pulse initiates the frame transfer, effectively ending the ongoing exposure and starting the next. The strict requirement of 0.1 percent polarization accuracy is met by using frame-transfer cameras to maximize the duty cycle in order to minimize photon noise. Coating the e2v CCD57-10 512x512 detectors with Lumogen-E coating allows for a relatively high (30 percent) quantum efficiency at the Lyman-alpha line. The CLASP cameras were designed to operate with 10 e-/pixel/second dark current, 25 e- read noise, a gain of 2.0 +/- 0.5 and 1.0 percent residual non-linearity. We present the results of the performance characterization study performed on the CLASP prototype camera; dark current, read noise, camera gain and residual non-linearity.

KSC-2011-3317

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-05-05

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- From left, Mercury astronaut Scott Carpenter; Kennedy Space Center Director and former astronaut Bob Cabana; Lieutenant General Susan J. Helms, commander of the 14th Air Force and former astronaut; and NASA Administrator Charlie Bolden participate in a celebration at Complex 5/6 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. The celebration was held at the launch site of the first U.S. manned spaceflight May 5, 1961, to mark the 50th anniversary of the flight. Fifty years ago, astronaut Alan Shepard lifted off inside the Mercury capsule, "Freedom 7," atop an 82-foot-tall Mercury-Redstone rocket at 9:34 a.m. EST, sending him on a remarkably successful, 15-minute suborbital flight. The event was attended by more than 200 workers from the original Mercury program and included a re-creation of Shepard's flight and recovery, as well as a tribute to his contributions as a moonwalker on the Apollo 14 lunar mission. For more information, visit www.nasa.gov/topics/history/milestones/index.html. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

KSC-2012-1509

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-02-18

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. --A crowd looks on during the "On Shoulders of Giants" program celebrating 50 years of Americans in orbit, an era which began with John Glenn's MA-6 mission on Feb. 20, 1962. The event was conducted in the Rocket Garden at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida a few miles from the launch pad where Glenn and Scott Carpenter took flight in Mercury spacecraft. Glenn's launch aboard an Atlas rocket took with it the hopes of an entire nation and ushered in a new era of space travel that eventually led to Americans walking on the moon by the end of the 1960s. Glenn soon was followed into orbit by Scott Carpenter, Walter Schirra and Gordon Cooper. Their fellow Mercury astronauts Alan Shepard and Virgil "Gus" Grissom flew earlier suborbital flights. Deke Slayton, a member of NASA's original Mercury 7 astronauts, was grounded by a medical condition until the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project in 1975. Photo credit: Kim Shiflett

KSC-2012-1508

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-02-18

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- A crowd looks on during the "On Shoulders of Giants" program celebrating 50 years of Americans in orbit, an era which began with John Glenn's MA-6 mission on Feb. 20, 1962. The event was conducted in the Rocket Garden at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida a few miles from the launch pad where Glenn and Scott Carpenter took flight in Mercury spacecraft. Glenn's launch aboard an Atlas rocket took with it the hopes of an entire nation and ushered in a new era of space travel that eventually led to Americans walking on the moon by the end of the 1960s. Glenn soon was followed into orbit by Scott Carpenter, Walter Schirra and Gordon Cooper. Their fellow Mercury astronauts Alan Shepard and Virgil "Gus" Grissom flew earlier suborbital flights. Deke Slayton, a member of NASA's original Mercury 7 astronauts, was grounded by a medical condition until the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project in 1975. Photo credit: Kim Shiflett

KSC-2012-1512

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-02-18

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. --Mercury astronaut John Glenn speaks during the "On Shoulders of Giants" program celebrating 50 years of Americans in orbit, an era which began with Glenn's MA-6 mission on Feb. 20, 1962. The event was conducted in the Rocket Garden at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida a few miles from the launch pad where Glenn and Scott Carpenter took flight in Mercury spacecraft. Glenn's launch aboard an Atlas rocket took with it the hopes of an entire nation and ushered in a new era of space travel that eventually led to Americans walking on the moon by the end of the 1960s. Glenn soon was followed into orbit by Scott Carpenter, Walter Schirra and Gordon Cooper. Their fellow Mercury astronauts Alan Shepard and Virgil "Gus" Grissom flew earlier suborbital flights. Deke Slayton, a member of NASA's original Mercury 7 astronauts, was grounded by a medical condition until the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project in 1975. Photo credit: Kim Shiflett

KSC-2012-1490

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-02-18

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Mercury astronaut John Glenn speaks during the "On Shoulders of Giants" program celebrating 50 years of Americans in orbit, an era which began with Glenn's MA-6 mission on Feb. 20, 1962. The event was conducted in the Rocket Garden at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida a few miles from the launch pad where Glenn and Scott Carpenter took flight in Mercury spacecraft. Glenn's launch aboard an Atlas rocket took with it the hopes of an entire nation and ushered in a new era of space travel that eventually led to Americans walking on the moon by the end of the 1960s. Glenn soon was followed into orbit by Scott Carpenter, Walter Schirra and Gordon Cooper. Their fellow Mercury astronauts Alan Shepard and Virgil "Gus" Grissom flew earlier suborbital flights. Deke Slayton, a member of NASA's original Mercury 7 astronauts, was grounded by a medical condition until the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project in 1975. Photo credit: Kim Shiflett

KSC-2012-1505

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-02-18

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- John Zarella makes remarks during the "On Shoulders of Giants" program celebrating 50 years of Americans in orbit, an era which began with John Glenn's MA-6 mission on Feb. 20, 1962. The event was conducted in the Rocket Garden at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida a few miles from the launch pad where Glenn and Scott Carpenter took flight in Mercury spacecraft. Glenn's launch aboard an Atlas rocket took with it the hopes of an entire nation and ushered in a new era of space travel that eventually led to Americans walking on the moon by the end of the 1960s. Glenn soon was followed into orbit by Scott Carpenter, Walter Schirra and Gordon Cooper. Their fellow Mercury astronauts Alan Shepard and Virgil "Gus" Grissom flew earlier suborbital flights. Deke Slayton, a member of NASA's original Mercury 7 astronauts, was grounded by a medical condition until the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project in 1975. Photo credit: Kim Shiflett

KSC-2012-1491

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-02-18

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Mercury astronaut John Glenn speaks during the "On Shoulders of Giants" program celebrating 50 years of Americans in orbit, an era which began with Glenn's MA-6 mission on Feb. 20, 1962. The event was conducted in the Rocket Garden at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida a few miles from the launch pad where Glenn and Scott Carpenter took flight in Mercury spacecraft. Glenn's launch aboard an Atlas rocket took with it the hopes of an entire nation and ushered in a new era of space travel that eventually led to Americans walking on the moon by the end of the 1960s. Glenn soon was followed into orbit by Scott Carpenter, Walter Schirra and Gordon Cooper. Their fellow Mercury astronauts Alan Shepard and Virgil "Gus" Grissom flew earlier suborbital flights. Deke Slayton, a member of NASA's original Mercury 7 astronauts, was grounded by a medical condition until the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project in 1975. Photo credit: Kim Shiflett

KSC-2012-1513

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-02-18

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. --Mercury astronaut Scott Carpenter speaks during the "On Shoulders of Giants" program celebrating 50 years of Americans in orbit, an era which began with John Glenn's MA-6 mission on Feb. 20, 1962. The event was conducted in the Rocket Garden at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida a few miles from the launch pad where Glenn and Scott Carpenter took flight in Mercury spacecraft. Glenn's launch aboard an Atlas rocket took with it the hopes of an entire nation and ushered in a new era of space travel that eventually led to Americans walking on the moon by the end of the 1960s. Glenn soon was followed into orbit by Scott Carpenter, Walter Schirra and Gordon Cooper. Their fellow Mercury astronauts Alan Shepard and Virgil "Gus" Grissom flew earlier suborbital flights. Deke Slayton, a member of NASA's original Mercury 7 astronauts, was grounded by a medical condition until the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project in 1975. Photo credit: Kim Shiflett

KSC-2012-1500

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-02-18

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Mercury astronaut Scott Carpenter, center, prepares to ride in the Corvette parade following the "On Shoulders of Giants" program celebrating 50 years of Americans in orbit, an era which began with Glenn's MA-6 mission on Feb. 20, 1962. The event was conducted in the Rocket Garden at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida a few miles from the launch pad where Glenn and Carpenter took flight in Mercury spacecraft. Glenn's launch aboard an Atlas rocket took with it the hopes of an entire nation and ushered in a new era of space travel that eventually led to Americans walking on the moon by the end of the 1960s. Glenn soon was followed into orbit by Scott Carpenter, Walter Schirra and Gordon Cooper. Their fellow Mercury astronauts Alan Shepard and Virgil "Gus" Grissom flew earlier suborbital flights. Deke Slayton, a member of NASA's original Mercury 7 astronauts, was grounded by a medical condition until the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project in 1975. Photo credit: Kim Shiflett

KSC-2012-1511

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-02-18

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Mercury astronaut John Glenn speaks during the "On Shoulders of Giants" program celebrating 50 years of Americans in orbit, an era which began with Glenn's MA-6 mission on Feb. 20, 1962. The event was conducted in the Rocket Garden at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida a few miles from the launch pad where Glenn and Scott Carpenter took flight in Mercury spacecraft. Glenn's launch aboard an Atlas rocket took with it the hopes of an entire nation and ushered in a new era of space travel that eventually led to Americans walking on the moon by the end of the 1960s. Glenn soon was followed into orbit by Scott Carpenter, Walter Schirra and Gordon Cooper. Their fellow Mercury astronauts Alan Shepard and Virgil "Gus" Grissom flew earlier suborbital flights. Deke Slayton, a member of NASA's original Mercury 7 astronauts, was grounded by a medical condition until the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project in 1975. Photo credit: Kim Shiflett

KSC-2012-1496

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-02-18

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Mercury astronaut Scott Carpenter speaks during the "On Shoulders of Giants" program celebrating 50 years of Americans in orbit, an era which began with John Glenn's MA-6 mission on Feb. 20, 1962. The event was conducted in the Rocket Garden at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida a few miles from the launch pad where Glenn and Scott Carpenter took flight in Mercury spacecraft. Glenn's launch aboard an Atlas rocket took with it the hopes of an entire nation and ushered in a new era of space travel that eventually led to Americans walking on the moon by the end of the 1960s. Glenn soon was followed into orbit by Scott Carpenter, Walter Schirra and Gordon Cooper. Their fellow Mercury astronauts Alan Shepard and Virgil "Gus" Grissom flew earlier suborbital flights. Deke Slayton, a member of NASA's original Mercury 7 astronauts, was grounded by a medical condition until the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project in 1975. Photo credit: Kim Shiflett

KSC-2012-1483

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-02-18

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Mercury astronaut Scott Carpenter listens to remarks during the "On Shoulders of Giants" program celebrating 50 years of Americans in orbit, an era which began with John Glenn's MA-6 mission on Feb. 20, 1962. The event was conducted in the Rocket Garden at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida a few miles from the launch pad where Glenn and Scott Carpenter took flight in Mercury spacecraft. Glenn's launch aboard an Atlas rocket took with it the hopes of an entire nation and ushered in a new era of space travel that eventually led to Americans walking on the moon by the end of the 1960s. Glenn soon was followed into orbit by Scott Carpenter, Walter Schirra and Gordon Cooper. Their fellow Mercury astronauts Alan Shepard and Virgil "Gus" Grissom flew earlier suborbital flights. Deke Slayton, a member of NASA's original Mercury 7 astronauts, was grounded by a medical condition until the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project in 1975. Photo credit: Kim Shiflett

KSC-2012-1482

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-02-18

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. --Mercury astronaut John Glenn listens to remarks during the "On Shoulders of Giants" program celebrating 50 years of Americans in orbit, an era which began with Glenn's MA-6 mission on Feb. 20, 1962. The event was conducted in the Rocket Garden at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida a few miles from the launch pad where Glenn and Scott Carpenter took flight in Mercury spacecraft. Glenn's launch aboard an Atlas rocket took with it the hopes of an entire nation and ushered in a new era of space travel that eventually led to Americans walking on the moon by the end of the 1960s. Glenn soon was followed into orbit by Scott Carpenter, Walter Schirra and Gordon Cooper. Their fellow Mercury astronauts Alan Shepard and Virgil "Gus" Grissom flew earlier suborbital flights. Deke Slayton, a member of NASA's original Mercury 7 astronauts, was grounded by a medical condition until the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project in 1975. Photo credit: Kim Shiflett

Virtual Energetic Particle Observatory for the Heliospheric Data Environment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cooper, J. F.; Armstrong, T. P.; Hill, M. E.; Lal, N.; McGuire, R. E.; McKibben, R. B.; Narock, T. W.; Szabo, A.; Tranquille, C.

2007-01-01

The heliosphere is pervaded by interplanetary energetic particles, traditionally also called cosmic rays, from solar, internal heliospheric, and galactic sources. The particles species of interest to heliophysics extend from plasma energies to the GeV energies of galactic cosmic rays still measurably affected by heliospheric modulation and the still higher energies contributing to atmospheric ionization. The NASA and international Heliospheric Network of operational and legacy spacecraft measures interplanetary fluxes of these particles. Spatial coverage extends from the inner heliosphere and geospace to the heliosheath boundary region now being traversed by Voyager 1 and soon by Voyager 2. Science objectives include investigation of solar flare and coronal mass ejection events, acceleration and transport of interplanetary particles within the inner heliosphere, cosmic ray interactions with planetary surfaces and atmospheres, sources of suprathermal and anomalous cosmic ray ions in the outer heliosphere, and solar cycle modulation of galactic cosmic rays. The Virtual Energetic Particle Observatory (VEPO) will improve access and usability of selected spacecraft and sub-orbital NASA heliospheric energetic particle data sets as a newly approved effort within the evolving heliophysics virtual observatory environment. In this presentation, we will describe current VEPO science requirements, our initial priorities and an overview of our strategy to implement VEPO rapidly and at minimal cost by working within the high-level framework of the Virtual Heliospheric Observatory (VHO). VEPO will also leverage existing data services of NASA's Space Physics Data Facility and other existing capabilities of the U.S. and international heliospheric research communities.

NASA's commercial research plans and opportunities

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Arnold, Ray J.

1992-01-01

One of the primary goals of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) commercial space development plan is to encourage the development of space-based products and markets, along with the infrastructure and transportation that will support those products and markets. A three phased program has been instituted to carry out this program. The first phase utilizes government grants through the Centers for the Commercial Development of Space (CCDS) for space-related, industry driven research; the development of a technology data base; and the development of commercial space transportation and infrastructure. The second phase includes the development of these technologies by industry for new commercial markets, and features unique industry/government collaborations such as Joint Endeavor Agreements. The final phase will feature technical applications actually brought to the marketplace. The government's role will be to support industry required infrastructure to encourage start-up markets and industries through follow-on development agreements such as the Space Systems Development Agreement. The Office of Commercial Programs has an aggressive flight program underway on the Space Shuttle, suborbital rockets, orbital expendable launch vehicles, and the Commercial Middeck Accommodation Module with SPACEHAB Inc. The Office of Commercial Program's has been allocated 35 percent of the U.S. share of the Space Station Freedom resources for 1997 utilization. A utilization plan has been developed with the Centers for the Commercial Development of Space and has identified eleven materials processing and biotechnology payloads occupying 5 double racks in the pressurized module as well as two payloads external to the module in materials exposure and environment monitoring. The Office of Commercial Programs will rely on the Space Station Freedom to provide the long duration laboratory component for space-based commercial research.

NASA's commercial research plans and opportunities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arnold, Ray J.

One of the primary goals of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) commercial space development plan is to encourage the development of space-based products and markets, along with the infrastructure and transportation that will support those products and markets. A three phased program has been instituted to carry out this program. The first phase utilizes government grants through the Centers for the Commercial Development of Space (CCDS) for space-related, industry driven research; the development of a technology data base; and the development of commercial space transportation and infrastructure. The second phase includes the development of these technologies by industry for new commercial markets, and features unique industry/government collaborations such as Joint Endeavor Agreements. The final phase will feature technical applications actually brought to the marketplace. The government's role will be to support industry required infrastructure to encourage start-up markets and industries through follow-on development agreements such as the Space Systems Development Agreement. The Office of Commercial Programs has an aggressive flight program underway on the Space Shuttle, suborbital rockets, orbital expendable launch vehicles, and the Commercial Middeck Accommodation Module with SPACEHAB Inc. The Office of Commercial Program's has been allocated 35 percent of the U.S. share of the Space Station Freedom resources for 1997 utilization. A utilization plan has been developed with the Centers for the Commercial Development of Space and has identified eleven materials processing and biotechnology payloads occupying 5 double racks in the pressurized module as well as two payloads external to the module in materials exposure and environment monitoring. The Office of Commercial Programs will rely on the Space Station Freedom to provide the long duration laboratory component for space-based commercial research.

Recovery - Mercury-Redstone (MR)-2 - Loaded on Ship - Chimp "Ham"

NASA Image and Video Library

1961-01-31

S61-00199 (31 Jan. 1961) --- Recovery personnel aboard the USS Donner remove ?Ham?, a 37-pound chimpanzee, from a Mercury-Redstone spacecraft following the successful Mercury-Redstone 2 (MR-2) suborbital flight from Cape Canaveral, Florida. The primate's 420-statute mile MR-2 flight was a significant accomplishment on the American route toward manned spaceflight. Photo credit: NASA

Results of the Second U.S. Manned Suborbital Space Flight, July 21, 1961

DTIC Science & Technology

1961-07-21

Alpha - ketoglutaric ...... Neg. Neg. Neg. Neg . .............................. Isocitric ............... 0 to 10...M.: An Accurate Method for the Determination of Blood Urea Nitrogen by Direct Nesslerization. Jour. Biol. Chem., vol. 143, 1942, pp. 531-544. Calcium ...DIEHL, H., and FI.LINGBOE, J. L.: Indicator for Titration of Calcium in Presence of Magnesium With Disodium. Dihy- drogen Ethylene

Design, construction, test and field support of a containerless payload package for rocket flight. [electromagnetic heating and confinement

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1977-01-01

The performance of a device for electromagnetically heating and positioning containerless melts during space processing was evaluated during a 360 second 0-g suborbital sounding rocket flight. Components of the electromagnetic containerless processing package (ECPP), its operation, and interface with the rocket are described along with flight and qualification tests results.

14 CFR Appendix C to Part 417 - Flight Safety Analysis Methodologies and Products for an Unguided Suborbital Launch Vehicle Flown...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... operator clearly and convincingly demonstrates that an alternative approach provides an equivalent level of... firing times of the stages, fuel flow rates, contributions from the wind weighting safety system employed... each stage of flight. (iv) Thrust as a function of time. (v) Propellant weight as a function of time...

14 CFR Appendix C to Part 417 - Flight Safety Analysis Methodologies and Products for an Unguided Suborbital Launch Vehicle Flown...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... operator clearly and convincingly demonstrates that an alternative approach provides an equivalent level of... firing times of the stages, fuel flow rates, contributions from the wind weighting safety system employed... each stage of flight. (iv) Thrust as a function of time. (v) Propellant weight as a function of time...

14 CFR Appendix C to Part 417 - Flight Safety Analysis Methodologies and Products for an Unguided Suborbital Launch Vehicle Flown...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... operator clearly and convincingly demonstrates that an alternative approach provides an equivalent level of... firing times of the stages, fuel flow rates, contributions from the wind weighting safety system employed... each stage of flight. (iv) Thrust as a function of time. (v) Propellant weight as a function of time...

14 CFR Appendix C to Part 417 - Flight Safety Analysis Methodologies and Products for an Unguided Suborbital Launch Vehicle Flown...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... operator clearly and convincingly demonstrates that an alternative approach provides an equivalent level of... firing times of the stages, fuel flow rates, contributions from the wind weighting safety system employed... each stage of flight. (iv) Thrust as a function of time. (v) Propellant weight as a function of time...

14 CFR Appendix C to Part 417 - Flight Safety Analysis Methodologies and Products for an Unguided Suborbital Launch Vehicle Flown...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... operator clearly and convincingly demonstrates that an alternative approach provides an equivalent level of... firing times of the stages, fuel flow rates, contributions from the wind weighting safety system employed... each stage of flight. (iv) Thrust as a function of time. (v) Propellant weight as a function of time...

Aerosol-Cloud Interactions in the South-East Atlantic: Knowledge Gaps, Planned Observations to Address Them, and Implications for Global Climate Change Modeling

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Redemann, Jens; Wood, R.; Zuidema, P.; Haywood, J.; Luna, B.; Abel, S.

2015-01-01

Southern Africa produces almost a third of the Earth's biomass burning (BB) aerosol particles, yet the fate of these particles and their influence on regional and global climate is poorly understood. Particles lofted into the mid-troposphere are transported westward over the South-East (SE) Atlantic, home to one of the three permanent subtropical Stratocumulus (Sc) cloud decks in the world. The stratocumulus "climate radiators" are critical to the regional and global climate system. They interact with dense layers of BB aerosols that initially overlay the cloud deck, but later subside and are mixed into the clouds. These interactions include adjustments to aerosol-induced solar heating and microphysical effects. As emphasized in the latest IPCC report, the global representation of these aerosol-cloud interaction processes in climate models is one of the largest uncertainty in estimates of future climate. Hence, new observations over the SE Atlantic have significant implications for global climate change scenarios. We discuss the current knowledge of aerosol and cloud property distributions based on satellite observations and sparse suborbital sampling, and describe planned field campaigns in the region. Specifically, we describe the scientific objectives and implementation of the following four synergistic, international research activities aimed at providing a process-level understanding of aerosol-cloud interactions over the SE Atlantic: 1) ORACLES (Observations of Aerosols above Clouds and their interactions), a five-year investigation between 2015 and 2019 with three Intensive Observation Periods (IOP), recently funded by the NASA Earth-Venture Suborbital Program, 2) CLARIFY-2016 (Cloud-Aerosol-Radiation Interactions and Forcing: Year 2016), a comprehensive observational and modeling programme funded by the UK's Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), and supported by the UK Met Office. 3) LASIC (Layered Atlantic Smoke Interactions with Clouds), a funded deployment of the DOE (Department of Energy) ARM Mobile Facility (AMF1) to Ascension Island, nominally for April 1 2016 - March 31 2017, and 4) ONFIRE (Observations of Fire's Impact on the southeast Atlantic Region), a proposed deployment of the NCAR C-130 aircraft to Sao Tome Island in 2017.

Space tourism: from earth orbit to the moon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Collins, P.

Travel to and from the lunar surface has been known to be feasible since it was first achieved 34 years ago. Since that time there has been enormous progress in related engineering fields such as rocket propulsion, materials and avionics, and about 1 billion has been spent on lunar science and engineering research. Consequently there are no fundamental technical problems facing the development of lunar tourism - only business and investment problems. The outstanding problem is to reduce the cost of launch to low Earth orbit. Recently there has been major progress towards overturning the myth that launch costs are high because of physical limits. Several "X Prize" competitor vehicles currently in test-flight are expected to be able to perform sub-orbital flights at approximately 1/1,000 of the cost of Alan Shepard's similar flight in 1961. This activity could have started 30 years ago if space agencies had had economic rather than political objectives. A further encouraging factor is that the demand for space tourism seems potentially limitless. Starting with sub-orbital flights and growing through orbital activities, travel to the Moon will offer further unique attractions. In every human culture there is immense interest in the Moon arising from millennia of myths. In addition, bird-like flying sports, first described by Robert Heinlein, will become another powerful demand factor. Roundtrips of 1 to 2 weeks are very convenient for travel companies; and the radiation environment will permit visitors several days of surface activity without significant health risks. The paper also discusses economic aspects of lunar tourism, including the benefits it will have for those on Earth. Lunar economic development based on tourism will have much in common with economic development on Earth based on tourism: starting from the fact that many people spontaneously wish to visit popular places, companies in the tourism industry invest to sell a growing range of services to ever more customers, thereby creating a major new hubs of economic activity and wealth. In the same way as trade with the "New World" enriched the "Old World" of Europe as well as emigrants themselves, the contribution of tourism to the economic development of the Moon will also create wealth on Earth, and open numerous opportunities for innovation.

PASH2: Land-Ocean correlation of long Quaternary records from the southern hemisphere on orbital and sub-orbital timescales

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stuut, J.-B. W.; Kershaw, A. P.

2009-04-01

With this presentation we want to draw attention to PASH2, which is an INQUA-funded project to bring together scientists studying palaeoenvironmental conditions on the three austral continents and Antarctica throughout the Quaternary. The major objectives of the project are: 1) to assess the present state of knowledge on the nature and location of land and ocean records covering at least the last 40,000 years and determine and explain regional and temporal trends (in relation to tectonic, atmospheric and oceanographic and human influences), cyclicity (in relation to orbital and ice-volume forcing) and millennial-scale variability (in relation to ENSO, the Indian Ocean dipole, Heinrich events, Bond ‘cycles', human impacts etc). 2) to identify critical gaps or areas of uncertainty and encourage and facilitate development of research proposals to fill them, particularly through involvement of the International Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) and the Continental Drilling Program (CDP). 3) to encourage and facilitate closer collaboration between marine and terrestrial researchers especially in examination of land and marine climate proxies within the same sediment cores, 4) to generate and compile a potentially exciting data set amenable to modelling as a means of better understanding controls over southern hemisphere and global climate change.

Behavioral health: the propaedeutic requirement.

PubMed

Brady, Joseph V

2005-06-01

Concern about the behavioral effects of spaceflight can be traced back a half century to the earliest preparatory bioastronautics experiments in the mid-1 950s. A central focus of the first primate suborbital flights, as well as the orbital chimpanzee pretest flights of Project Mercury, was the effects of such stressful ventures on the learned performances of these space behavioral health pioneers. The hiatus in spaceflight behavioral health experimental investments that followed these early initiatives began with the advent of the 'human astronaut' era of the mid-1960s, and has dominated the last several decades. Contemporary concerns in this regard have most recently been articulated by a turn-of-the-century Committee of the Institute of Medicine, National Academy of Sciences, providing a visionary view of space medicine during travel beyond Earth orbit. This 2-yr study focused on those most complex behavioral health interactions involving humans in extreme, isolated, and confined microsocieties-areas that have not received the necessary level of attention. The evident behavioral health issues raised by the prospect of long-duration exploratory missions beyond Earth orbit, including performance and general living conditions, recovery and support systems, and the screening, selection, and training of candidate participants are reviewed and discussed.

MERCURY-ATLAS (MA)-2 - LIFTOFF - CAPE

NASA Image and Video Library

1961-02-21

S61-01226 (21 Feb. 1961) --- Launch of the unmanned Mercury-Atlas 2 (MA-2) vehicle for a suborbital test flight of the Mercury capsule. The upper part of Atlas is stengthened by an eight-inch wide stainless steel band. The capsule was recovered less than one hour after launch. The altitude was 108 miles. Speed was 13,000 mph. Recovered 1,425 miles downrange. Photo credit: NASA

Global Gravity Wave Variances from Aura MLS: Characteristics and Interpretation

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-12-01

slight longitudinal variations, with secondary high- latitude peaks occurring over Greenland and Europe . As the QBO changes to the westerly phase, the...equatorial GW temperature variances from suborbital data (e.g., Eck- ermann et al. 1995). The extratropical wave variances are generally larger in the...emanating from tropopause altitudes, presumably radiated from tropospheric jet stream in- stabilities associated with baroclinic storm systems that

Value of Responsive Launch Safety Toolsets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Devoid, Wayne E.

2013-09-01

This paper will discuss the advantages and disadvantages of all-in-one risk assessment toolsets as they are applied to a wide variety of orbital, suborbital, lander, and unmanned vehicles. Toolsets like APT's SafeLab and Horizon, that are designed from the ground up specifically to address ever- changing vehicle and mission parameters, reduce the need for additional software development costs for launch ranges and vehicle manufacturers.

Results of the First US Manned Orbital Space Flight

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1962-01-01

The results of the first United States manned orbital space flight conducted on February 20, 1962 are presented. The prelaunch activities, spacecraft description, flight operations, flight data, and postflight analyses presented form a continuation of the information previously published for the two United States manned suborbital space flights conducted on May 5, 1961, and July 21, 1961, respectively, by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

Mercury Project

NASA Image and Video Library

1961-01-01

Ham, a three-year-old chimpanzee, in the spacesuit he would wear for the second Mercury- Redstone (MR-2) suborbital test flight in January, 1961. NASA used chimpanzees and other primates to test the Mercury capsule before launching the fisrt American astronaut, Alan Shepard, in May 1961. The Mercury capsule rode atop a modified Redstone rocket, developed by Dr. Wernher von Braun and the German Rocket Team in Huntsville, Alabama.

Ham in Spacesuit

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1961-01-01

Ham, a three-year-old chimpanzee, in the spacesuit he would wear for the second Mercury- Redstone (MR-2) suborbital test flight in January, 1961. NASA used chimpanzees and other primates to test the Mercury capsule before launching the fisrt American astronaut, Alan Shepard, in May 1961. The Mercury capsule rode atop a modified Redstone rocket, developed by Dr. Wernher von Braun and the German Rocket Team in Huntsville, Alabama.

Establishing a Regulatory Framework for the Development & Operations of Sub-Orbital & Orbital Aircraft (SOA) in the EU

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marciacq, Jean-Bruno; Tomasello, Filippo; Erdelyi, Zsuzsanna; Gerhard, Michael

2013-09-01

The Treaty of the European Union allows for the development of common policies for all sectors of transport, including aviation, and its safety. To this end, the European legislator established in 2002 the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), located in Cologne, Germany, and gave it responsibility for the regulation of aviation safety, successively encompassing airworthiness, air operations and Flight Crew Licensing (FCL), Air Traffic Management (ATM), Air Navigation Systems (ANS), as well as Aerodromes (ADR).The Annexes 6 and 8 of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) to the Chicago Convention define an aircraft as "any machine that can derive support in the atmosphere from the reactions of the air other than the reactions of the air against the earth's surface". The aerodynamic lift generated during the atmospheric part of the flight is commonly used to sustain and control the vehicle, that is to take-off, climb, pull-up, perform manoeuvres, fly back to the airport and land. Thus, Sub- orbital and Orbital Aircraft (SOA) are considered to be aircraft, as opposed to rockets which are symmetrical bodies not generating lift, and solely sustained by their rocket engine(s).Consequently, the regulation of SOA airworthiness, their crew, operations, insertion into the traffic and utilisation of aerodromes would in principle fall under the remit of EASA, which would have to fulfil its role of protection of the European citizens in relation to civil suborbital and orbital flights, that is to certify SOAs and their operations before they would be operated for Commercial Transport in the EU.Since EASA was first contacted by potential applicants in 2007, many projects have developed and the context has evolved. Thus, this paper intends to update the approach initially proposed at the 3rd IAASS in Rome in October 2008 and complemented at the 4th IAASS in Huntsville in May 2010 to accommodate sub-orbital and orbital aircraft into the EU regulatory system, and to establish a consistent regulatory framework to allow safe and environmentally controlled operations of SOA in Europe. For further legal and technical details, please refer to the corresponding IAASS-published papers.

Commercial Spacewalking: Designing an EVA Qualification Program for Space Tourism

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gast, Matthew A.

2010-01-01

In the near future, accessibility to space will be opened to anyone with the means and the desire to experience the weightlessness of microgravity, and to look out upon both the curvature of the Earth and the blackness of space, from the protected, shirt-sleeved environment of a commercial spacecraft. Initial forays will be short-duration, suborbital flights, but the experience and expertise of half a century of spaceflight will soon produce commercial vehicles capable of achieving low Earth orbit. Even with the commercial space industry still in its infancy, and manned orbital flight a number of years away, there is little doubt that there will one day be a feasible and viable market for those courageous enough to venture outside the vehicle and into the void, wearing nothing but a spacesuit, armed with nothing but preflight training. What that Extravehicular Activity (EVA) preflight training entails, however, is something that has yet to be defined. A number of significant factors will influence the composition of a commercial EVA training program, but a fundamental question remains: 'what minimum training guidelines must be met to ensure a safe and successful commercial spacewalk?' Utilizing the experience gained through the development of NASA's Skills program - designed to qualify NASA and International Partner astronauts for EVA aboard the International Space Station - this paper identifies the attributes and training objectives essential to the safe conduct of an EVA, and attempts to conceptually design a comprehensive training methodology meant to represent an acceptable qualification standard.

X-33/RLV System Health Management/Vehicle Health Management

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mouyos, William; Wangu, Srimal

1998-01-01

To reduce operations costs, Reusable Launch Vehicles (RLVS) must include highly reliable robust subsystems which are designed for simple repair access with a simplified servicing infrastructure, and which incorporate expedited decision-making about faults and anomalies. A key component for the Single Stage To Orbit (SSTO) RLV system used to meet these objectives is System Health Management (SHM). SHM incorporates Vehicle Health Management (VHM), ground processing associated with the vehicle fleet (GVHM), and Ground Infrastructure Health Management (GIHM). The primary objective of SHM is to provide an automated and paperless health decision, maintenance, and logistics system. Sanders, a Lockheed Martin Company, is leading the design, development, and integration of the SHM system for RLV and for X-33 (a sub-scale, sub-orbit Advanced Technology Demonstrator). Many critical technologies are necessary to make SHM (and more specifically VHM) practical, reliable, and cost effective. This paper will present the X-33 SHM design which forms the baseline for the RLV SHM, and it will discuss applications of advanced technologies to future RLVs. In addition, this paper will describe a Virtual Design Environment (VDE) which is being developed for RLV. This VDE will allow for system design engineering, as well as program management teams, to accurately and efficiently evaluate system designs, analyze the behavior of current systems, and predict the feasibility of making smooth and cost-efficient transitions from older technologies to newer ones. The RLV SHM design methodology will reduce program costs, decrease total program life-cycle time, and ultimately increase mission success.

The contributions and future direction of Program Science in HIV/STI prevention.

PubMed

Becker, Marissa; Mishra, Sharmistha; Aral, Sevgi; Bhattacharjee, Parinita; Lorway, Rob; Green, Kalada; Anthony, John; Isac, Shajy; Emmanuel, Faran; Musyoki, Helgar; Lazarus, Lisa; Thompson, Laura H; Cheuk, Eve; Blanchard, James F

2018-01-01

Program Science is an iterative, multi-phase research and program framework where programs drive the scientific inquiry, and both program and science are aligned towards a collective goal of improving population health. To achieve this, Program Science involves the systematic application of theoretical and empirical knowledge to optimize the scale, quality and impact of public health programs. Program Science tools and approaches developed for strategic planning, program implementation, and program management and evaluation have been incorporated into HIV and sexually transmitted infection prevention programs in Kenya, Nigeria, India, and the United States. In this paper, we highlight key scientific contributions that emerged from the growing application of Program Science in the field of HIV and STI prevention, and conclude by proposing future directions for Program Science.

NASA Launches Parachute Test Platform from Wallops

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-10-04

NASA tested a parachute platform during the flight of a Terrier-Black Brant IX suborbital sounding rocket on Oct. 4, from the agency’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. The rocket carried the Advanced Supersonic Parachute Inflation Research Experiment (ASPIRE) from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif. The mission will evaluate the performance of the ASPIRE payload, which is designed to test parachute systems in a low-density, supersonic environment.

APOLLO/SATURN (A/S) 201 - LAUNCH - CAPE

NASA Image and Video Library

1966-02-26

A/S 201 was launched from the Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 34 at 11:12 a.m., 02/26/1966. The instrumented Apollo Command and Service Module, and, a spacecraft Lunar Excursion Module Adapter, was successfully launched on the unmanned suborbital mission by the Saturn 1B to check spacecraft launch vehicle mechanical compatibility and to test the spacecraft heat shield in a high-velocity re-entry mode. CAPE KENNEDY, FL

Heroes and Legends Exhibit

NASA Image and Video Library

2016-11-07

Inside the Heroes and Legends attraction at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, this display includes the spacesuit worn by astronaut Gus Grissom during his Mercury 4 suborbital flight of July 21, 1961. The new facility looks back to the pioneering efforts of Mercury, Gemini and Apollo. It sets the stage by providing the background and context for space exploration and the legendary men and women who pioneered the nation's journey into space.

Data Sorting and Orbit Determination of Tethered Satellite Systems

DTIC Science & Technology

2004-03-01

9 March 04 Dr. Steven Tragesser (Cha irman) date //signed// 9 March 04 Dr. William...appreciation to my faculty advisor, Dr. Steven Tragesser , for his guidance and support throughout the course of this thesis effort. The insight and experience...applied to a TSS, under the right conditions it may appear as if one of the end masses is on a suborbital trajectory with the Earth ( Lovell et al., 2000:1

Implanted medical devices in the radiation environment of commercial spaceflight.

PubMed

Reyes, David P; McClure, Steven S; Chancellor, Jeffery C; Blue, Rebecca S; Castleberry, Tarah L; Vanderploeg, James M

2014-11-01

Some commercial spaceflight participants (SFPs) may have medical conditions that require implanted medical devices (IMDs), such as cardiac pacemakers, defibrillators, insulin pumps, or similar electronic devices. The effect of space radiation on the function of IMDs is unknown. This review will identify known effects of terrestrial and aviation electromagnetic interference (EMI) and radiation on IMDs in order to provide insight into the potential effects of radiation exposures in the space environment. A systematic literature review was conducted on available literature on human studies involving the effects of EMI as well as diagnostic and therapeutic radiation on IMDs. The literature review identified potential transient effects from EMI and diagnostic radiation levels as low as 10 mGy on IMDs. High-energy, therapeutic, ionizing radiation can cause more permanent device malfunctions at doses as low as 40 mGy. Radiation doses from suborbital flight altitudes and durations are anticipated to be less than those experienced during an average round-trip, cross-country airline flight and are unlikely to result in significant detriment, though longer, orbital flights may expose SFPs to doses potentially harmful to IMD function. Individuals with IMDs should experience few, if any, radiation-related device malfunctions during suborbital flight, but could have problems with radiation exposures associated with longer, orbital flights.

Potential Climate and Ozone Impacts From Hybrid Rocket Engine Emissions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ross, M.

2009-12-01

Hybrid rocket engines that use N2O as an oxidizer and a solid hydrocarbon (such as rubber) as a fuel are relatively new. Little is known about the composition of such hybrid engine emissions. General principles and visual inspection of hybrid plumes suggest significant soot and possibly NO emissions. Understanding hybrid rocket emissions is important because of the possibility that a fleet of hybrid powered suborbital rockets will be flying on the order of 1000 flights per year by 2020. The annual stratospheric emission for these rockets would be about 10 kilotons, equal to present day solid rocket motor (SRM) emissions. We present a preliminary analysis of the magnitude of (1) the radiative forcing from soot emissions and (2) the ozone depletion from soot and NO emissions associated with such a fleet of suborbital hybrid rockets. Because the details of the composition of hybrid emissions are unknown, it is not clear if the ozone depletion caused by these hybrid rockets would be more or less than the ozone depletion from SRMs. We also consider the climate implications associated with the N2O production and use requirements for hybrid rockets. Finally, we identify the most important data collection and modeling needs that are required to reliably assess the complete range of environmental impacts of a fleet of hybrid rockets.

Strong coupling of Asian Monsoon and Antarctic climates on sub-orbital timescales

PubMed Central

Chen, Shitao; Wang, Yongjin; Cheng, Hai; Edwards, R. Lawrence; Wang, Xianfeng; Kong, Xinggong; Liu, Dianbing

2016-01-01

There is increasing evidence that millennial-scale climate variability played an active role on orbital-scale climate changes, but the mechanism for this remains unclear. A 230Th-dated stalagmite δ18O record between 88 and 22 thousand years (ka) ago from Yongxing Cave in central China characterizes changes in Asian monsoon (AM) strength. After removing the 65°N insolation signal from our record, the δ18O residue is strongly anti-phased with Antarctic temperature variability on sub-orbital timescales during the Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 3. Furthermore, once the ice volume signal from Antarctic ice core records were removed and extrapolated back to the last two glacial-interglacial cycles, we observe a linear relationship for both short- and long-duration events between Asian and Antarctic climate changes. This provides the robust evidence of a link between northern and southern hemisphere climates that operates through changes in atmospheric circulation. We find that the weakest monsoon closely associated with the warmest Antarctic event always occurred during the Terminations. This finding, along with similar shifts in the opal flux record, suggests that millennial-scale events play a key role in driving the deglaciation through positive feedbacks associated with enhanced upwelling and increasing CO2. PMID:27605015

Eyjafjallajokull Volcano Plume Particle-Type Characterization from Space-Based Multi-angle Imaging

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kahn, Ralph A.; Limbacher, James

2012-01-01

The Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR) Research Aerosol algorithm makes it possible to study individual aerosol plumes in considerable detail. From the MISR data for two optically thick, near-source plumes from the spring 2010 eruption of the Eyjafjallaj kull volcano, we map aerosol optical depth (AOD) gradients and changing aerosol particle types with this algorithm; several days downwind, we identify the occurrence of volcanic ash particles and retrieve AOD, demonstrating the extent and the limits of ash detection and mapping capability with the multi-angle, multi-spectral imaging data. Retrieved volcanic plume AOD and particle microphysical properties are distinct from background values near-source, as well as for overwater cases several days downwind. The results also provide some indication that as they evolve, plume particles brighten, and average particle size decreases. Such detailed mapping offers context for suborbital plume observations having much more limited sampling. The MISR Standard aerosol product identified similar trends in plume properties as the Research algorithm, though with much smaller differences compared to background, and it does not resolve plume structure. Better optical analogs of non-spherical volcanic ash, and coincident suborbital data to validate the satellite retrieval results, are the factors most important for further advancing the remote sensing of volcanic ash plumes from space.

NASA Tech Briefs, December 2009

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2009-01-01

Topics include: A Deep Space Network Portable Radio Science Receiver; Detecting Phase Boundaries in Hard-Sphere Suspensions; Low-Complexity Lossless and Near-Lossless Data Compression Technique for Multispectral Imagery; Very-Long-Distance Remote Hearing and Vibrometry; Using GPS to Detect Imminent Tsunamis; Stream Flow Prediction by Remote Sensing and Genetic Programming; Pilotless Frame Synchronization Using LDPC Code Constraints; Radiometer on a Chip; Measuring Luminescence Lifetime With Help of a DSP; Modulation Based on Probability Density Functions; Ku Telemetry Modulator for Suborbital Vehicles; Photonic Links for High-Performance Arraying of Antennas; Reconfigurable, Bi-Directional Flexfet Level Shifter for Low-Power, Rad-Hard Integration; Hardware-Efficient Monitoring of I/O Signals; Video System for Viewing From a Remote or Windowless Cockpit; Spacesuit Data Display and Management System; IEEE 1394 Hub With Fault Containment; Compact, Miniature MMIC Receiver Modules for an MMIC Array Spectrograph; Waveguide Transition for Submillimeter-Wave MMICs; Magnetic-Field-Tunable Superconducting Rectifier; Bonded Invar Clip Removal Using Foil Heaters; Fabricating Radial Groove Gratings Using Projection Photolithography; Gratings Fabricated on Flat Surfaces and Reproduced on Non-Flat Substrates; Method for Measuring the Volume-Scattering Function of Water; Method of Heating a Foam-Based Catalyst Bed; Small Deflection Energy Analyzer for Energy and Angular Distributions; Polymeric Bladder for Storing Liquid Oxygen; Pyrotechnic Simulator/Stray-Voltage Detector; Inventions Utilizing Microfluidics and Colloidal Particles; RuO2 Thermometer for Ultra-Low Temperatures; Ultra-Compact, High-Resolution LADAR System for 3D Imaging; Dual-Channel Multi-Purpose Telescope; Objective Lens Optimized for Wavefront Delivery, Pupil Imaging, and Pupil Ghosting; CMOS Camera Array With Onboard Memory; Quickly Approximating the Distance Between Two Objects; Processing Images of Craters for Spacecraft Navigation; Adaptive Morphological Feature-Based Object Classifier for a Color Imaging System; Rover Slip Validation and Prediction Algorithm; Safety and Quality Training Simulator; Supply-Chain Optimization Template; Algorithm for Computing Particle/Surface Interactions; Cryogenic Pupil Alignment Test Architecture for Aberrated Pupil Images; and Thermal Transport Model for Heat Sink Design.

Balloon Program Wraps up in Antarctica, Heading to New Zealand

NASA Image and Video Library

2015-02-02

Caption: A NASA Super Pressure Balloon with the COSI payload is ready for launch from McMurdo, Antarctica. Credit: NASA More info: NASA’s globetrotting Balloon Program Office is wrapping up its 2014-2015 Antarctic campaign while prepping for an around-the-world flight launching out of Wanaka, New Zealand, in March. After 16 days, 12 hours, and 56 minutes of flight, operators successfully conducted a planned flight termination of the Suborbital Polarimeter for Inflation Dust and the Epoch of Reionization (SPIDER) mission Saturday, Jan. 18, the final mission of the campaign. Other flights in the 2014-2015 Antarctic campaign included the Antarctic Impulsive Transient Antenna (ANITA-III) mission as well as the Compton Spectrometer and Imager (COSI) payload flown on the developmental Super Pressure Balloon (SPB). ANITA-III successfully wrapped up Jan. 9 after 22 days, 9 hours, and 14 minutes of flight. Flight controllers terminated the COSI flight 43 hours into the mission after detecting a small gas leak in the balloon. Crews are now working to recover all three instruments from different locations across the continent. The 6,480-pound SPIDER payload is stationary at a position about 290 miles from the United Kingdom’s Sky Blu Logistics Facility in Antarctica. The 4,601 pound ANITA-III payload, located about 100 miles from Australia’s Davis Station, and the 2,866 pound COSI payload, located about 340 miles from the United States McMurdo Station both had numerous key components recovered in the past few days. Beginning in late January, the Balloon Program Office will deploy a team to Wanaka, New Zealand, to begin preparations for an SPB flight, scheduled to launch in March. The Program Office seeks to fly the SPB more than 100 days, which would shatter the current flight duration record of 55 days, 1 hour, and 34 minutes for a large scientific balloon. “We’re looking forward to the New Zealand campaign and hopefully a history-making flight with the Super Pressure Balloon,” said Debbie Fairbrother, NASA’s Balloon Program Office Chief. Most scientific balloons see altitude variances based on temperature changes in the atmosphere at night and during the day. The SPB is capable of missions on the order of 100 days or more at constant float altitudes due to the pressurization of the balloon. “Stable, long-duration flights at near-space altitudes above more than 99 percent of the atmosphere are highly desirable in the science community, and we’re ready to deliver,” said Fairbrother. In addition to the SPB flight in March, the Balloon Program Office has 10 more balloon missions planned through September 2015 to include scheduled test flights of the Low-Density Supersonic Decelerator, which is testing new technologies for landing larger, heavier payloads on Mars. NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility manages the agency’s Scientific Balloon Program with 10 to 15 flights each year from launch sites worldwide. The balloons are massive in volume; the average-sized balloon could hold the volume of nearly 200 blimps. Previous work on balloons have contributed to confirming the Big Bang Theory. For more information on NASA’s Scientific Balloon Program, see: sites.wff.nasa.gov/code820/index.html 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

Teacher Research Programs Participation Improves Student Achievement in Science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dubner, J.

2009-12-01

Research experience programs engage teachers in the hands-on practice of science. Program advocates assert that program participation enhances teachers’ skills in communicating science to students. We have measured the impact of New York City public high school science teacher participation in Columbia University’s Summer Research Program for Science Teachers on their students’ academic performance in science. In the year prior to program entry, students of participating and non-participating teachers passed a New York State Regents science examination at the same rate. In years three and four following program entry, participating teachers’ students passed Regents science exams at a higher rate (p = 0.049) than non-participating teachers’ students. Other program benefits include decreased teacher attrition from classroom teaching and school cost savings.

High-efficiency UV/optical/NIR detectors for large aperture telescopes and UV explorer missions: development of and field observations with delta-doped arrays

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nikzad, Shouleh; Jewell, April D.; Hoenk, Michael E.; Jones, Todd J.; Hennessy, John; Goodsall, Tim; Carver, Alexander G.; Shapiro, Charles; Cheng, Samuel R.; Hamden, Erika T.; Kyne, Gillian; Martin, D. Christopher; Schiminovich, David; Scowen, Paul; France, Kevin; McCandliss, Stephan; Lupu, Roxana E.

2017-07-01

Exciting concepts are under development for flagship, probe class, explorer class, and suborbital class NASA missions in the ultraviolet/optical spectral range. These missions will depend on high-performance silicon detector arrays being delivered affordably and in high numbers. To that end, we have advanced delta-doping technology to high-throughput and high-yield wafer-scale processing, encompassing a multitude of state-of-the-art silicon-based detector formats and designs. We have embarked on a number of field observations, instrument integrations, and independent evaluations of delta-doped arrays. We present recent data and innovations from JPL's Advanced Detectors and Systems Program, including two-dimensional doping technology, JPL's end-to-end postfabrication processing of high-performance UV/optical/NIR arrays and advanced coatings for detectors. While this paper is primarily intended to provide an overview of past work, developments are identified and discussed throughout. Additionally, we present examples of past, in-progress, and planned observations and deployments of delta-doped arrays.

KSC-2012-1479

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-02-18

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Astronaut Steve Robinson of STS-95, left, Cal Fowler, Launch test director during Mercury, U.S. Rep. Bill Posey, U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson and Kennedy Space Center Director Bob Cabana listen to remarks during the "On Shoulders of Giants" program celebrating 50 years of Americans in orbit, an era which began with John Glenn's MA-6 mission on Feb. 20, 1962. The event was conducted in the Rocket Garden at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida a few miles from the launch pad where Glenn and Scott Carpenter took flight in Mercury spacecraft. Glenn's launch aboard an Atlas rocket took with it the hopes of an entire nation and ushered in a new era of space travel that eventually led to Americans walking on the moon by the end of the 1960s. Glenn soon was followed into orbit by Scott Carpenter, Walter Schirra and Gordon Cooper. Their fellow Mercury astronauts Alan Shepard and Virgil "Gus" Grissom flew earlier suborbital flights. Deke Slayton, a member of NASA's original Mercury 7 astronauts, was grounded by a medical condition until the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project in 1975. Photo credit: Kim Shiflett

KSC-2012-1480

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-02-18

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. --Kennedy Space Center Director Bob Cabana makes remarks during the "On Shoulders of Giants" program celebrating 50 years of Americans in orbit, an era which began with John Glenn's MA-6 mission on Feb. 20, 1962. Looking on are U.S. Rep. Bill Posey, left, and event MC John Zarella. The event was conducted in the Rocket Garden at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida a few miles from the launch pad where Glenn and Scott Carpenter took flight in Mercury spacecraft. Glenn's launch aboard an Atlas rocket took with it the hopes of an entire nation and ushered in a new era of space travel that eventually led to Americans walking on the moon by the end of the 1960s. Glenn soon was followed into orbit by Scott Carpenter, Walter Schirra and Gordon Cooper. Their fellow Mercury astronauts Alan Shepard and Virgil "Gus" Grissom flew earlier suborbital flights. Deke Slayton, a member of NASA's original Mercury 7 astronauts, was grounded by a medical condition until the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project in 1975. Photo credit: Kim Shiflett

Commercial suborbital space tourism-proposal on passenger's medical selection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kluge, Götz; Stern, Claudia; Trammer, Martin; Chaudhuri, Indra; Tuschy, Peter; Gerzer, Rupert

2013-12-01

Commercial human spaceflight has excellent economic and technical perspectives in the next decades. Passengers will be persons from a general population differing from culture, age, gender and health status. They all will have to withstand physical loads of spaceflight such as acceleration and deceleration forces, microgravity, vibration, noise and radiation. There is a necessity to mitigate all negative impacts on the passengers' health. Besides precautionary measures in construction and equipment, a diligent medical selection and pre-flight training is recommended. To ensure an easy and at the same time qualified selection procedure, it is necessary to define medical selection criteria and training methods. As experiences with suborbital spaceflight of private passengers are still few we recommend to implement in the beginning of this new era maximum safety standards. Having performed a satisfactory number of successful flights, some of the selection criteria and training sessions might be loosened or modified. This judicious approach is in the interest of the spaceflight participants as well as of the providing companies. As a guideline we propose a four step approach that allows a quick decision concerning the fitness of participants to fly as well as an intensive preparation of the passengers. For the first two steps positive experiences from medical screening and examination of professional pilots can be utilised. According to JAR-FCL 3 (Joint Aviation Requirements-Flight Crew Licensing, Chapter 3) a questionnaire with medical interview targeting the medical background of the respective person and including no-go criteria provides a first estimation for applicants and medical examiners whether there will be a chance to be accepted as a passenger. The second step of selection comprises the physical examination of the applicant adjusted to the professional pilot's examination procedure. As the physical challenges of the suborbital flight will exceed the impact of general aviation, the standardized diagnostic programme should be purposefully extended. The third part of the selection consists of an intensive training programme, preparing the passengers for the upcoming challenges. In detail this training should comprise lectures about aerospace physiology, countermeasures to g-forces and motion sickness, emergency practices (e.g. rapid decompression or hypoxia) and a centrifuge ride with g-forces adapted to the respective flight profile. An altitude chamber flight, hypoxia experience and participation in a Zero-G-Flight might also be included optionally. The fourth step of the evaluation is caused by a possible delay between medical examination and launch. In the interval, the health status might have changed and serious illnesses might have developed. So, a short re-evaluation should be performed 7-14 days before take-off. A brief check-out procedure for medical re-evaluation of passenger's health status is recommended. As launch of suborbital spaceflights will take place all over the world at so called "Spaceports", the development of standards for medical examinations and the training programmes as well as a mutual acceptance of the participating medical test and training centres will be very helpful for development of this industry. Joint recommendations for the emergency equipment of commercial spaceships will also have to be developed.

The Effect of a Zoo-Based Experiential Academic Science Program on High School Students' Math and Science Achievement and Perceptions of School Climate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mulkerrin, Elizabeth A.

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of an 11th-grade and 12th-grade zoo-based academic high school experiential science program compared to a same school-district school-based academic high school experiential science program on students' pretest and posttest science, math, and reading achievement, and student perceptions of program relevance, rigor, and relationships. Science coursework delivery site served as the study's independent variable for the two naturally formed groups representing students (n = 18) who completed a zoo-based experiential academic high school science program and students (n = 18) who completed a school-based experiential academic high school science program. Students in the first group, a zoo-based experiential academic high school science program, completed real world, hands-on projects at the zoo while students in the second group, those students who completed a school-based experiential academic high school science program, completed real world, simulated projects in the classroom. These groups comprised the two research arms of the study. Both groups of students were selected from the same school district. The study's two dependent variables were achievement and school climate. Achievement was analyzed using norm-referenced 11th-grade pretest PLAN and 12th-grade posttest ACT test composite scores. Null hypotheses were rejected in the direction of improved test scores for both science program groups---students who completed the zoo-based experiential academic high school science program (p < .001) and students who completed the school-based experiential academic high school science program (p < .001). The posttest-posttest ACT test composite score comparison was not statistically different ( p = .93) indicating program equipoise for students enrolled in both science programs. No overall weighted grade point average score improvement was observed for students in either science group, however, null hypotheses were rejected in the direction of improved science grade point average scores for 11th-grade (p < .01) and 12th-grade (p = .01) students who completed the zoo-based experiential academic high school science program. Null hypotheses were not rejected for between group posttest science grade point average scores and school district criterion reference math and reading test scores. Finally, students who completed the zoo-based experiential academic high school science program had statistically improved pretest-posttest perceptions of program relationship scores (p < .05) and compared to students who completed the school-based experiential academic high school science program had statistically greater posttest perceptions of program relevance (p < .001), perceptions of program rigor (p < .001), and perceptions of program relationships (p < .001).

Analysis of Suborbital Launch Trajectories for Satellite Delivery

DTIC Science & Technology

1991-12-01

4 3. Specialty areas related to trajectory ition ............... 6 I 4. Comparison of a two stage launch vehicle versus a SSTO ...the point where a Single-Stage-To- Orbit ( SSTO ) vehicle may be practical. The flight characteristics of a hypersonic SSTO vehicle would allow a...a two stage launch vehicle versus a SSTO vehicle to de-3 termine the ideal staging velocity (14:4-5). 3 Several studies have been presented that

Model Analysis of Tropospheric Aerosol Variability and Sources over the North Atlantic During NAAMES 2015-2016

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Liu, Hongyu; Moore, Richard; Hostetler, Christopher; Ferrare, Richard; Fairlie, T. Duncan; Hu, Youngxiang; Chen, Gao; Hair, Johnathan W.; Johnson, Matthew; Gantt, Brett;

14 CFR Appendix D to Part 420 - Impact Dispersion Areas and Casualty Expectancy Estimate for an Unguided Suborbital Launch Vehicle

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... shall set Dn equal to the last stage apogee altitude (Hn) multiplied by an impact range factor [IP(Hn)] in accordance with the following: ER19OC00.111 where: IP(Hn) = 0.4 for an apogee less than 100 km, and IP(Hn) = 0.7 for an apogee of 100 km or greater. (ii) An applicant shall calculate the impact...

Far red bioluminescence from two deep-sea fishes.

PubMed

Widder, E A; Latz, M I; Herring, P J; Case, J F

1984-08-03

Spectral measurements of red bioluminescence were obtained from the deep-sea stomiatoid fishes Aristostomias scintillans (Gilbert) and Malacosteus niger (Ayres). Red luminescence from suborbital light organs extends to the near infrared, with peak emission at approximately 705 nanometers in the far red. These fishes also have postorbital light organs that emit blue luminescence with maxima between 470 and 480 nanometers. The red bioluminescence may be due to an energy transfer system and wavelength-selective filtering.

What Is and Who Can Do Science? Supporting Youth of Colors' Identities as Learners, Doers, and Change Agents in Science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Visintainer, Tammie Ann

This research explores trajectories of developing the practices of and identification with science for high school students of color as they participate in summer science research programs. This study examines students' incoming ideas of what science is (i.e. science practices) and who does/can do science and how these ideas shift following program participation. In addition, this study explores the aspects of students' identities that are most salient in the science programs and how these aspects are supported or reimagined based on the program resources made available. This research utilizes four main data sources: 1) pre and post program student surveys, 2) pre and post program focal student interviews, 3) scientist instructor interviews, and 4) program observations. Findings show that students' ideas about what science is (i.e. science practices) and who can do science shifted together through participation in the practices of science. Findings illustrate the emergence of an identity generative process: that engaging in science practices (e.g. collecting data) and the accompanying program resources generated new possibilities for students (e.g. capable science learner). Findings show that the program resources made available for science practices determined how the practices "functioned" for students. Furthermore, findings document links between an instructor's vision, the design of program resources that engage students in science practices, and students' learning and identity construction. For example, a mentor that employed a politically relevant and racially conscious lens made unique resources available that allowed students to identify as capable science learners and agents of change in their community. This research shows that youth of color can imagine and take up new possibilities for who they can be in science when their science and racial identities are supported in science programs. Findings highlight the need to re-center race in research involving science identity construction for youth of color. Findings from this research inform the design of learning environments that create multiple pathways for learning and identity construction in science. Findings can be applied to the creation of opportunities in science programs, classrooms and teacher education that foster successful and meaningful engagement with science practices and empower youth of color as capable learners, doers, and changes agents in science.

Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA): Infrared Sensor Development and Science Capabilities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nelson, J.; Ruzek, M.

The Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) is a unique airborne observatory designed to operate in the lower stratosphere to altitudes as high as 45,000 feet and above 99.8 percent of Earths obscuring atmospheric water vapor. SOFIA's capabilities enable science and observations that will complement and extend past, present and future infrared (IR) telescopes in wavelength range, angular and spectral resolution, and observing flexibility. The joint U.S. and German SOFIA project to develop and operate a 2.5-meter infrared airborne telescope in a Boeing 747-SP is nearing readiness for for open door flights and demonstration of early science results. Flying in the stratosphere, SOFIA allows observations throughout the infrared and submillimeter region. The SOFIA instrument complement includes broadband imagers, moderate resolution spectrographs capable of resolving broad features due to dust and large molecules, and high resolution spectrometers suitable for kinematic studies of molecular and atomic gas lines at high resolution. First science flights will begin in early 2010. A great strength of SOFIA is the enormous breadth of its capabilities and the flexibility with which those capabilities can be modified and improved to take advantage of advances in infrared technology. This paper and presentation will highlight the following points: A 2.5-meter effective-diameter optical-quality telescope for diffraction-limited imaging beyond 25 micrometers, giving the sharpest view of the sky provided by any current or developmental IR telescope operating in the 30-60 micrometers region; Wavelength coverage from 0.3 micrometers to 1.6 mm and high resolution spectroscopy (R to 105) at wavelengths between 5 and 150 micrometers; An 8 arcmin FOV allowing use of very large detector arrays; Ready observer access to science instruments which can be serviced in flight and changed between flights; A low-risk ability to incorporate new science-enabling instrument technologies and to create a whole "new" observatory several times during the lifetime of the facility; Opportunity for continuous training of instrumentalists to develop and test the next generation of instrumentation for both suborbital and space applications; Mobility, which allows access to the entire sky and a vastly increased number of stellar occultation events; Unique opportunities for educators and journalists to participate first-hand in exciting astronomical observations. The mid- and far-IR wavelength regions are key to studying the dusty universe. SOFIA science emphasizes four major themes: Star and planet formation; the interstellar medium of the Milky Way; Galaxies and the galactic center; and Planetary science. These capabilities will enable a wide range of science investigations over SOFIA's 20-year operational lifetime. This paper will address SOFIA's nine first-light science instruments, capabilities, and development.

KSC-2011-3329

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-05-05

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Program participants pose for a group photo in front of a replica of a Mercury-Redstone rocket during a celebration at Complex 5/6 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. From left are Hugh Harris, former director of Public Affairs at Kennedy Space Center; Alice Wackermann, Julie Jenkins and Laura Churchley, daughters of astronaut Alan Shepard; Jack King, former chief, Public Information Office, Marshall Space Flight Center; Bob Moser, former chief test conductor for the Mercury-Redstone launches; NBC reporter Jay Barbree; Mercury astronaut Scott Carpenter; Kennedy Space Center Director Bob Cabana; Lieutenant General Susan J. Helms, commander of the 14th Air Force and former astronaut; and NASA Administrator Charlie Bolden. The celebration was held at the launch site of the first U.S. manned spaceflight May 5, 1961, to mark the 50th anniversary of the flight. Fifty years ago, astronaut Alan Shepard lifted off inside the Mercury capsule, "Freedom 7," atop an 82-foot-tall Mercury-Redstone rocket at 9:34 a.m. EST, sending him on a remarkably successful, 15-minute suborbital flight. The event was attended by more than 200 workers from the original Mercury program and included a re-creation of Shepard's flight and recovery, as well as a tribute to his contributions as a moonwalker on the Apollo 14 lunar mission. For more information, visit www.nasa.gov/topics/history/milestones/index.html. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

Performance Characterization of UV Science Cameras Developed for the Chromospheric Lyman-Alpha Spectro-Polarimeter

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Champey, Patrick; Kobayashi, Ken; Winebarger, Amy; Cirtain, Jonathan; Hyde, David; Robertson, Bryan; Beabout, Brent; Beabout, Dyana; Stewart, Mike

2014-01-01

The NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) has developed a science camera suitable for sub-orbital missions for observations in the UV, EUV and soft X-ray. Six cameras will be built and tested for flight with the Chromospheric Lyman-Alpha Spectro-Polarimeter (CLASP), a joint National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ) and MSFC sounding rocket mission. The goal of the CLASP mission is to observe the scattering polarization in Lyman-alpha and to detect the Hanle effect in the line core. Due to the nature of Lyman-alpha polarization in the chromosphere, strict measurement sensitivity requirements are imposed on the CLASP polarimeter and spectrograph systems; science requirements for polarization measurements of Q/I and U/I are 0.1 percent in the line core. CLASP is a dual-beam spectro- polarimeter, which uses a continuously rotating waveplate as a polarization modulator, while the waveplate motor driver outputs trigger pulses to synchronize the exposures. The CCDs are operated in frame-transfer mode; the trigger pulse initiates the frame transfer, effectively ending the ongoing exposure and starting the next. The strict requirement of 0.1 percent polarization accuracy is met by using frame-transfer cameras to maximize the duty cycle in order to minimize photon noise. Coating the e2v CCD57-10 512x512 detectors with Lumogen-E coating allows for a relatively high (30 percent) quantum efficiency at the Lyman-alpha line. The CLASP cameras were designed to operate with a gain of 2.0 +/- 0.5, less than or equal to 25 e- readout noise, less than or equal to 10 e-/second/pixel dark current, and less than 0.1percent residual non-linearity. We present the results of the performance characterization study performed on the CLASP prototype camera; system gain, dark current, read noise, and residual non-linearity.

Teachers' participation in research programs improves their students' achievement in science.

PubMed

Silverstein, Samuel C; Dubner, Jay; Miller, Jon; Glied, Sherry; Loike, John D

2009-10-16

Research experience programs engage teachers in the hands-on practice of science. Program advocates assert that program participation enhances teachers' skills in communicating science to students. We measured the impact of New York City public high-school science teachers' participation in Columbia University's Summer Research Program on their students' academic performance in science. In the year before program entry, students of participating and nonparticipating teachers passed a New York State Regents science examination at the same rate. In years three and four after program entry, participating teachers' students passed Regents science exams at a rate that was 10.1% higher (P = 0.049) than that of nonparticipating teachers' students. Other program benefits include decreased teacher attrition from classroom teaching and school cost savings of U.S. $1.14 per $1 invested in the program.

Accreditation standards for undergraduate forensic science programs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miller, Marilyn Tebbs

Undergraduate forensic science programs are experiencing unprecedented growth in numbers of programs offered and, as a result, student enrollments are increasing. Currently, however, these programs are not subject to professional specialized accreditation. This study sought to identify desirable student outcome measures for undergraduate forensic science programs that should be incorporated into such an accreditation process. To determine desirable student outcomes, three types of data were collected and analyzed. All the existing undergraduate forensic science programs in the United States were examined with regard to the input measures of degree requirements and curriculum content, and for the output measures of mission statements and student competencies. Accreditation procedures and guidelines for three other science-based disciplines, computer science, dietetics, and nursing, were examined to provide guidance on accreditation processes for forensic science education programs. Expert opinion on outcomes for program graduates was solicited from the major stakeholders of undergraduate forensic science programs-forensic science educators, crime laboratory directors, and recent graduates. Opinions were gathered by using a structured Internet-based survey; the total response rate was 48%. Examination of the existing undergraduate forensic science programs revealed that these programs do not use outcome measures. Of the accreditation processes for other science-based programs, nursing education provided the best model for forensic science education, due primarily to the balance between the generality and the specificity of the outcome measures. From the analysis of the questionnaire data, preliminary student outcomes, both general and discipline-specific, suitable for use in the accreditation of undergraduate forensic science programs were determined. The preliminary results were reviewed by a panel of experts and, based on their recommendations, the outcomes identified were revised and refined. The results of this study were used to identify student outcomes and to suggest accreditation standards and an accreditation process for undergraduate forensic science programs based on those outcomes.

The Stanford Medical Youth Science Program: Educational and Science-Related Outcomes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Crump, Casey; Ned, Judith; Winkleby, Marilyn A.

2015-01-01

Biomedical preparatory programs (pipeline programs) have been developed at colleges and universities to better prepare youth for entering science- and health-related careers, but outcomes of such programs have seldom been rigorously evaluated. We conducted a matched cohort study to evaluate the Stanford Medical Youth Science Program's Summer…

Teachers' voices: A comparison of two secondary science teacher preparation programs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kohlhaas Labuda, Kathryn

This dissertation, using cross-case qualitative methodology, investigates the salient and latent features of two philosophically different university-based secondary science teacher preparation programs. Written documents from the two programs and from the Salish I Research project provided the salient data. New teachers' interview transcripts provided the latent data. This study provides the opportunity to hear teachers voice their perceptions of preparation programs. Three questions were investigated in this research study. First, What are the salient features of two different secondary science teacher preparation programs? Second, What are the latent features of two different secondary science teacher programs as perceived by new teachers? Third, How do new secondary science teachers from different programs perceive their preservice programs? The last question incorporates teachers' perceptions of gaps and coherence in the programs and teachers' recommendations to improve their preservice programs. Salient features of the programs revealed differences in the types of certification, and the amounts and types of required course work. Both programs certified teachers at the secondary science level, but only M program certified their teachers as elementary science specialists. Program M required more semester hours of education and science course work than Program S. Although teachers from both programs perceived little coherence between their science and education courses, S-teachers presented a more fragmented picture of their education program and perceived fewer benefits from the program. Lack of relevance and courses that focused on elementary teaching were perceived as part of the problem. M-teachers perceived some cohesion through the use of cohorts in three consecutive semesters of science methods courses that provided multiple field experiences prior to student teaching. S-teachers did not perceive an organized philosophy of their program. M-teachers' perceptions of the philosophy of their program revolved about research based teaching. S-teachers reported more research experiences. S-teachers perceived better student-science faculty relationship, while M-teachers reported stronger student-education faculty relationships. Teachers from both programs recommended more field experiences that resembled more closely the real life situations of teachers. They recommended smaller classes in both science and education courses. They suggested eliminating or altering courses that were not beneficial.

Effective Programs for Elementary Science: A Best-Evidence Synthesis. Educator's Summary

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Center for Research and Reform in Education, 2012

2012-01-01

Which science programs have been proven to help elementary students to succeed? To find out, this review summarizes evidence on three types of programs designed to improve the science achievement of students in grades K-6: (1) Inquiry-oriented programs without science kits, such as Increasing Conceptual Challenge, Science IDEAS, and Collaborative…

Induction Programs for the Support and Development of Beginning Teachers of Science. National Science Teachers Association Position Statement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Science Teachers Association (NJ1), 2007

2007-01-01

The National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) recommends that schools and teacher preparation programs provide new teachers of science with comprehensive induction programs. Research suggests these programs should address specifics for teachers of science, involve trained mentors, provide adequate time to support continual learning of new…

A radiation hardened digital fluxgate magnetometer for space applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miles, D. M.; Bennest, J. R.; Mann, I. R.; Millling, D. K.

2013-02-01

Space-based measurements of the Earth's magnetic field are required to understand the plasma processes responsible for energizing particles in the Van Allen radiation belts and influencing space weather. This paper describes a prototype fluxgate magnetometer instrument developed for the proposed Canadian Space Agency (CSA) Outer Radiation Belt Injection, Transport, Acceleration and Loss Satellite (ORBITALS) mission and which has applications in other space and suborbital applications. The magnetometer is designed to survive and operate in the harsh environment of the Earth's radiation belts and measure low-frequency magnetic waves, the magnetic signatures of current systems, and the static background magnetic field. The new instrument offers improved science data compared to its predecessors through two key design changes: direct digitisation of the sensor and digital feedback combined with analog temperature compensation. These provide an increase in measurement bandwidth up to 450 Hz with the potential to extend to at least 1500 Hz. The instrument can resolve 8 pT on a 65 000 nT field with a magnetic noise of less than 10 pT per square-root Hz at 1 Hz. The prototype instrument was successfully tested and calibrated at the Natural Resources Canada Geomagnetics Laboratory showing that the mostly-digital design matches or exceeds its radiation-soft analog predecessor in sensitivity, noise, frequency range, and RMS accuracy.

Space Test of Bare-Wire Anode Tethers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Johnson, L.; Fujii, H. A.; Sanmartin, J. R.

2007-01-01

An international team, lead by Tokyo Metropolitan University, is developing a mission concept for a suborbital test of orbital-motion-limited (OML) bare-wire anode current collection for application to electrodynamic tether propulsion. The tether is a tape with a 50-mm width, 0.05-mm thickness, and 1-km length. This will be the first space test of the OML theory. In addition, by being an engineering demonstration (of space tethers), the mission will demonstrate electric beam generation for "sounding" determination of the neutral density profile in the ionospheric "E-layer." If selected by the Institute of Space and Astronautical Science/Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), the mission will launch in early 2009 using an $520 Sounding Rocket. During ascent, and above =100 km in attitude, the 1-km tape tether will be deployed at a rate of 8 m/s. Once deployed, the tape tether will serve as an anode, collecting ionospheric electrons. The electrons will be expelled into space by a hollow cathode device, thereby completing the circuit and allowing current to flow.This paper will describe the objectives of the proposed mission, the technologies to be employed, and the application of the results to future space missions using electrodynamic tethers for propulsion or power generation.

Santa Barbara Basin Study Extends Global Climate Record

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hopkins, Sarah; Kennett, James; Nicholson, Craig; Pak, Dorothy; Sorlien, Christopher; Behl, Richard; Normark, William; Sliter, Ray; Hill, Tessa; Schimmelmann, Arndt; Cannariato, Kevin

2006-05-01

A fundamental goal of Earth science is to understand the remarkable instability of late Quarternary global climate prior to the beginning of the Holocene, about 11,000 years ago. This unusual climate behavior was characterized by millennial-scale climate oscillations on suborbital timescales, and a distinctive `Sawtooth' pattern of very abrupt glacial and stadial terminations (within decades) followed by more gradual global cooling [e.g., Dansgaard et al., 1993; Hendy and Kennett, 1999]. The fact that both major (glacial) and minor (stadial) cooling periods in Earth's climate were terminated by similar abrupt warming episodes suggests a common mechanism driving such rapid changes in global climate. Understanding the causes of this instability is crucial given developing concerns about global warming, yet knowledge about this climate behavior has been essentially confined to the last 150,000 years or so, owing to the absence of available sequences of sufficient age and chronological resolution. The high-resolution paleoclimate record from the Greenland ice cores is limited to about 110 thousand years ago (ka), and although Antarctic ice cores now extend back to more than 740 ka [European Project for Ice Coring in Antarctica, 2004], these latter cores primarily provide information about high-latitude conditions at much lower resolution than is required to address abrupt climate change.

Science at NASA field centers: Findings and recommendations on the scope, strength and interactions of science and science-related technology programs

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1988-01-01

Great achievements by NASA and other space agencies have shown us what opportunities lie in the opening of the space frontier. A broad and vigorous science program in NASA is vital to full U.S. exploitation of these new opportunities. Today, science in NASA Centers is characterized by its breadth, relevance, and excellence. The NASA in-house science program and its links to university programs constitute a vitally important national resource. Maintaining excellence as a foundation for the future is a fundamental responsibility of NASA, one that requires constant attention and effort. This report by the NASA Center Science Assessment Team documents the current state of science within NASA and recommends actions to maintain a healthy program. NASA scientists have always played key roles in planning, guiding, and conducting national programs in space science. The review of Center science programs is intended to ensure that both NASA and the nation can depend on their continuing contribution in these roles.

Improving epistemological beliefs and moral judgment through an STS-based science ethics education program.

PubMed

Han, Hyemin; Jeong, Changwoo

2014-03-01

This study develops a Science-Technology-Society (STS)-based science ethics education program for high school students majoring in or planning to major in science and engineering. Our education program includes the fields of philosophy, history, sociology and ethics of science and technology, and other STS-related theories. We expected our STS-based science ethics education program to promote students' epistemological beliefs and moral judgment development. These psychological constructs are needed to properly solve complicated moral and social dilemmas in the fields of science and engineering. We applied this program to a group of Korean high school science students gifted in science and engineering. To measure the effects of this program, we used an essay-based qualitative measurement. The results indicate that there was significant development in both epistemological beliefs and moral judgment. In closing, we briefly discuss the need to develop epistemological beliefs and moral judgment using an STS-based science ethics education program.

Science in action: An interdisciplinary science education program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Horton, Linda L.

1992-01-01

Science in Action is an education outreach program for pre-collegiate students. It is based on the concept that, in order to interest students in science, they must see science and scientists at work. The program encompasses the full range of scientific disciplines - the core sciences, engineering, and mathematics. A unique aspect of the program is the involvement and support of scientists and engineers representing local professional societies, industries, business, and academic institutions. An outline of the program is given.

A study of science leadership and science standards in exemplary standards-based science programs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carpenter, Wendy Renae

The purpose for conducting this qualitative study was to explore best practices of exemplary standards-based science programs and instructional leadership practices in a charter high school and in a traditional high school. The focus of this study included how twelve participants aligned practices to National Science Education Standards to describe their science programs and science instructional practices. This study used a multi-site case study qualitative design. Data were obtained through a review of literature, interviews, observations, review of educational documents, and researcher's notes collected in a field log. The methodology used was a multi-site case study because of the potential, through cross analysis, for providing greater explanation of the findings in the study (Merriam, 1988). This study discovered six characteristics about the two high school's science programs that enhance the literature found in the National Science Education Standards; (a) Culture of expectations for learning-In exemplary science programs teachers are familiar with a wide range of curricula. They have the ability to examine critically and select activities to use with their students to promote the understanding of science; (b) Culture of varied experiences-In exemplary science programs students are provided different paths to learning, which help students, take in information and make sense of concepts and skills that are set forth by the standards; (c) Culture of continuous feedback-In exemplary science programs teachers and students work together to engage students in ongoing assessments of their work and that of others as prescribed in the standards; (d) Culture of Observations-In exemplary science programs students, teachers, and principals reflect on classroom instructional practices; teachers receive ongoing evaluations about their teaching and apply feedback towards improving practices as outlined in the standards; (e) Culture of continuous learning-In exemplary science programs teachers value continuous personal development, teachers are provided on-going science professional development opportunities to improve instructional practices, teachers reflect and share professional practices, and teachers establish professional learning communities within their classrooms; and (f) Culture of shared leadership-In exemplary science programs instructional leadership purposes and values are consistently shared among all stakeholders which are outlined in the standards. These results are potentially useful for understanding exemplary standards-based science programs and science instructional leadership practices as a model for science programs trying to improve science education so that all students can have a true scientific learning experience.

Science and Science Education Go Hand-in-Hand: The Impact of the NASA Science Mission Directorate Education and Public Outreach Program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smith, D. A.; Peticolas, L.; Schwerin, T.; Shipp, S.; Manning, J. G.

2014-07-01

For nearly two decades, NASA has embedded education and public outreach (EPO) in its Earth and space science missions and research programs on the principle that science education is most effective when educators and scientists work hand-in-hand. Four Science EPO Forums organize the respective NASA Science Mission Directorate (SMD) Astrophysics, Earth Science, Heliophysics, and Planetary Science EPO programs into a coordinated, efficient, and effective nationwide effort. The NASA SMD EPO program evaluates EPO impacts that support NASA's policy of providing a direct return-on-investment for the American public, advances STEM education and literacy, and enables students and educators to participate in the practice of science as embodied in the 2013 Next Generation Science Standards. Leads of the four NASA SMD Science EPO Forums provided big-picture perspectives on NASA's effort to incorporate authentic science into the nation's STEM education and scientific literacy, highlighting examples of program effectiveness and impact. Attendees gained an increased awareness of the depth and breadth of NASA SMD's EPO programs and achievements, the magnitude of its impacts through representative examples, and the ways current and future EPO programs can build upon the work being done.