|
|
Experimental Simulations of
…
| Name |
Experimental Simulations of SN Shock Waves |
|
Chandra X-ray Image of Puppi
…
| Name |
Chandra X-ray Image of Puppis A |
|
ROSAT X-ray Image of Puppis
…
| Name |
ROSAT X-ray Image of Puppis A, Wide-Field |
|
Puppis A with Scale Bar
| Name |
Puppis A with Scale Bar |
|
Simulation of Spiral Galaxy
…
| Name |
Simulation of Spiral Galaxy with Hot Halo |
|
Chandra X-ray Image of NGC 5
…
| Name |
Chandra X-ray Image of NGC 5746 |
|
DSS Optical Image of NGC 574
…
| Name |
DSS Optical Image of NGC 5746 |
|
NGC 5746 with Scale Bar
| Name |
NGC 5746 with Scale Bar |
|
Stu Roosa in the KC-135
| Title |
Stu Roosa in the KC-135 |
| Full Description |
Stuart A. Roosa, backup crew command module pilot for Apollo 17, participates in extra vehicular activity simulation training aboard a U.S. Air Force KC-135 aircraft. A mock-up of the Scientific Instrument Module (SIM) bay of the Apollo 17 service module is used in the exercise. Here, Roosa simulates retrieving the film cassette of the mapping camera from the SIM bay. The KC-135 "Vomit Comet" can simulate zero- gravity or partial- gravity conditions by diving and climbing in a series of parabolic arcs in the sky. |
| Date |
09/30/1972 |
| NASA Center |
Johnson Space Center |
|
ACD02-0198-001
Sim Ops 2002 R&D report imag
…
9/27/02
| Description |
Sim Ops 2002 R&D report images, SHARP (Slender Hypersonic Aerodynamic Research Probe) CTV Crew Transfer Vehicle) CGI image created by V Hawke & C Tang (Eloret Corp) |
| Date |
9/27/02 |
|
ACD02-0198-005
Sim Ops 2002 R&D report imag
…
9/27/02
| Description |
Sim Ops 2002 R&D report images, Distributed air-ground (DAG) demonstration study 2002, screen capture of Advanced Concepts Flight Simulator (ACFS) Cockpit Display of Traffic Information (CDTI |
| Date |
9/27/02 |
|
ACD02-0198-007
Sim Ops 2002 R&D report imag
…
9/27/02
| Description |
Sim Ops 2002 R&D report images, Integrated Vehicle Modeling Environment Development (IVME) ESGI image created by Ken Lindsay (NASA Neuroengineering Lab), CVSRF second study |
| Date |
9/27/02 |
|
ACD02-0198-2 att
Sim Ops 2002 R&D report imag
…
9/27/02
| Description |
Sim Ops 2002 R&D report images, Boeing Phantom Advanced Theater Transport (ATT) CGI (Screen Capture) |
| Date |
9/27/02 |
|
ACD08-0179-001
James Marr, NASA JPL present
…
8/14/08
| Description |
James Marr, NASA JPL presents a Director's Colloquium to Ames staff on "The SIM-lite Mission Concept: Detecting Earth-like Planets around Nearby Stars" |
| Date |
8/14/08 |
|
ACD08-0179-002
James Marr, NASA JPL present
…
8/14/08
| Description |
James Marr, NASA JPL presents a Director's Colloquium to Ames staff on "The SIM-lite Mission Concept: Detecting Earth-like Planets around Nearby Stars" |
| Date |
8/14/08 |
|
ACD08-0179-003
James Marr, NASA JPL present
…
8/14/08
| Description |
James Marr, NASA JPL presents a Director's Colloquium to Ames staff on "The SIM-lite Mission Concept: Detecting Earth-like Planets around Nearby Stars" |
| Date |
8/14/08 |
|
ACD08-0179-004
James Marr, NASA JPL present
…
8/14/08
| Description |
James Marr, NASA JPL presents a Director's Colloquium to Ames staff on "The SIM-lite Mission Concept: Detecting Earth-like Planets around Nearby Stars" |
| Date |
8/14/08 |
|
Solar Radiation and Climate
…
| Name of Image |
Solar Radiation and Climate Experiment (SORCE) Satellite |
| Date of Image |
2003-01-25 |
| Full Description |
This is a close-up of the NASA-sponsored Solar Radiation and Climate Experiment (SORCE) Satellite. The SORCE mission, launched aboard a Pegasus rocket January 25, 2003, will provide state of the art measurements of incoming x-ray, ultraviolet, visible, near-infrared, and total solar radiation. Critical to studies of the Sun and its effect on our Earth system and mankind, SORCE will provide measurements that specifically address long-term climate change, natural variability and enhanced climate prediction, and atmospheric ozone and UV-B radiation. Orbiting around the Earth accumulating solar data, SORCE measures the Sun's output with the use of state-of-the-art radiometers, spectrometers, photodiodes, detectors, and bolo meters engineered into instruments mounted on a satellite observatory. SORCE is carrying 4 instruments: The Total Irradiance Monitor (TIM), the Solar Stellar Irradiance Comparison Experiment (SOLSTICE), the Spectral Irradiance Monitor (SIM), and the XUV Photometer System (XPS). |
|
Terra Launch Animation
| Title |
Terra Launch Animation |
| Description |
NASA will launch and deploy the "flagship" to the Earth Observing System series of satellites, part of a precedent setting program designed to provide daily information on the health of the planet. The Terra spacecraft, formerly known as "EOS AM-1," is scheduled for launch Dec. 16, 1999. Terra begins a new generation of Earth science - one that studies the Earth's land, oceans, air, ice and life as a total global system. Terra will carry a complement of five synergistic state-of-the-art instruments. Researchers now recognize that the Earth - land, oceans, life, and atmosphere - operates as a system - one part impacting the other. EOS will help us to understand how the complex coupled Earth system of air, land, water and life is linked. A series of 10 spacecraft, known as the first EOS series, are scheduled for launch into the next decade. "After years of anxious anticipation we're extremely excited about this mission," said Dr. Ghassem Asrar, associate administrator, NASA's Earth Science Enterprise. "The Terra mission has nearly unlimited potential to improve scientific understanding of global climate change." A polar-orbiting spacecraft, Terra is scheduled for launch aboard an Atlas-Centaur IIAS expendable launch vehicle from Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif. The 25-minute launch window opens at 1:33 p.m. EST (10:33 a.m. PST). Separation of the spacecraft from its launch vehicle will occur about 14 minutes after launch. *Terra animations* Terra Home Page Terra Fact Sheet Animation by Reto Stockli, NASA GSFC |
|
Saturn-Sized Worlds Discover
…
| Title |
Saturn-Sized Worlds Discovered |
| Explanation |
The last decade [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap991229.html ] saw the profound discovery of many worlds [ http://origins.stsci.edu/news/2000/01/background.html ] beyond our solar system, but none analogs of our home planet Earth [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/ ]. Exploiting precise observational techniques, astronomers inferred [ http://cannon.sfsu.edu/~gmarcy/planetsearch/planetsearch.html ] the presence of well over two dozen extrasolar planets [ http://cfa-www.harvard.edu/planets/ ], most nearly as massive as gas giant Jupiter or more, in close orbits around sun-like stars. Less massive planets must certainly exist, and yesterday preeminent planet-finders announced [ http://origins.stsci.edu/news/2000/01/ index.html ] the further detection of two more new worlds -- each a potentially smaller, saturn-sized planet. The parent [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap990611.html ] suns are 79 Ceti (constellation Cetus [ http://www.astro.wisc.edu/~dolan/constellations/ constellations/Cetus.html ]), at a distance of 117 light-years, and HD46375 (constellation Monoceros [ http://www.astro.wisc.edu/~dolan/ constellations/constellations/Monoceros.html ]), 109 light-years away. With at least 70 percent the mass of Saturn, 79 Ceti's planet orbits [ http://origins.stsci.edu/news/2000/01/animations.html ] on average 32.5 million miles from the star compared to 93 million miles for the Earth-Sun distance [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap981212.html ]. This arresting artist's vision depicts the newly discovered world with rings and moons, known characteristics of giant planets in our solar system. HD46375's planet is at least 80 percent Saturn's mass, orbiting only 3.8 million miles from its parent star. While Saturn's [ http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/ factsheet/saturnfact.html ] mass is only one third of Jupiter's [ http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/ factsheet/jupiterfact.html ], it is still about 100 times that of Earth, and dramatic discoveries in the search [ http://tpf.jpl.nasa.gov/ ] for smaller planets are still to come [ http://sim.jpl.nasa.gov/science/ planet.html ]. |
|
Other Worlds and HD 38529
| Title |
Other Worlds and HD 38529 |
| Explanation |
After the latest round of discovery announcements [ http://www.iau.org/ga24press/ ], the list of known worlds of distant suns [ http://www.spaceart.org/lcook/extrasol.html ] has grown to 50 [ http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewnews.html?id=200 ]. While extrasolar planet [ http://exoplanets.org/ ] discoveries are [ http://obswww.unige.ch/~udry/planet/planet.html ] sure to continue, none - so far [ http://sim.jpl.nasa.gov/ ] - points clearly to another planetary system like our own [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap991229.html ]. Take, for example, the newly discovered parent [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap990611.html ] star HD38529 [ http://www.obspm.fr/encycl/HD38529.html ]. Shining in Earth's night sky at 6th magnitude, this sun-like star lies 137 light-years away in the constellation Orion [ http://aibn47.astro.uni-bonn.de/~gallery/constellations/orion/ main.html ]. Like most of the known extrasolar planets [ http://www.obspm.fr/encycl/encycl.html ], HD38529's planet was discovered by detecting the telltale Doppler wobble [ http://exoplanets.org/doppler.html ] in the parent star's spectrum. The data reveal that this planet orbits once every 14.3 days at an average of only 0.13 times the Earth-Sun distance and has a minimum of 0.77 Jupiter masses (about 240 Earth masses). There is even evidence [ http://www.iau.org/ga24press/pr000807_3.html#1 ] in the wobble data that HD38529, and other stars with one known planet have additional massive planets orbiting them. In this dramatic artist's vision, HD38529 and its newfound world are viewed from the moon of another massive ringed planet [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap000330.html ] orbiting farther out. The ringed planet's moon is imagined to have a thin atmosphere and a surface covered with icy sheets and ridges similar to those found on Jupiter's moon Europa [ http://galileo.jpl.nasa.gov/moons/europa.html ]. |
|
Two Million Galaxies
| Title |
Two Million Galaxies |
| Explanation |
Our universe is filled with galaxies. Galaxies [ http://www.seds.org/messier/galaxy.html ] -- huge conglomerations of stars [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/lib/glossary.html#star ], gas [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap980301.html ], dust [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap020703.html ] -- and mysterious dark matter [ http://chandra.harvard.edu/xray_astro/dark_matter.html ] are the basic building blocks of the large-scale universe [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap951108.html ]. Although distant galaxies move away from each other as the universe expands [ http://csep10.phys.utk.edu/astr162/lect/cosmology/expansion.html ], gravity attracts neighboring galaxies to each other, forming galaxy groups [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap070727.html ], clusters of galaxies [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap060321.html ], and even larger expansive filaments. Some of these structures are visible on one of the most comprehensive maps of the sky ever made in galaxies: the APM galaxy survey map [ http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/~ppzsjm/apm/apm.html ] completed in the early 1990s. Over 2 million galaxies are depicted above in a region 100 degrees across centered toward our Milky Way Galaxy [ http://www.seds.org/messier/more/mw.html ]'s south pole. Bright regions indicate more galaxies [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap061126.html ], while bluer colors denote larger average galaxies. Dark ellipses have been cut away where bright local stars [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap030323.html ] dominate the sky. Many scientific discoveries [ http://adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-abs_connect?db_key=AST&sim_query=YES&aut_xct=NO&aut_logic=OR&obj_logic=OR&author=&object=&start_mon=&start_year=&end_mon=&end_year=&ttl_logic=AND&title=APM+galaxies&txt_logic=OR&text=&nr_to_return=100&start_nr=1&start_entry_day=&start_entry_mon=&start_entry_year=&min_score=&jou_pick=ALL&ref_stems=&data_and=ALL&group_and=ALL&sort=SCORE&aut_syn=YES&ttl_syn=YES&txt_syn=YES&aut_wt=1.0&obj_wt=1.0&ttl_wt=0.3&txt_wt=3.0&aut_wgt=YES&obj_wgt=YES&ttl_wgt=YES&txt_wgt=YES&ttl_sco=YES&txt_sco=YES&version=1 ] resulted from analyses of the map data, including that the universe [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap010904.html ] was surprisingly complex on large scales. |
|
Deimos: A Small Martian Moon
| Title |
Deimos: A Small Martian Moon |
| Explanation |
Mars has two tiny moons, Phobos [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap010818.html ] and Deimos [ http://www.nineplanets.org/deimos.html ]. Pictured above [ http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/imgcat/html/object_page/vo2_428b60.html ] is Deimos [ http://www.exploringmars.com/science/deimos.html ], the smaller moon of Mars. In fact, Deimos [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap010902.html http://www.solarviews.com/eng/deimos.htm ] is one of the smallest known moons in the Solar System [ http://www.exploratorium.edu/ronh/solar_system/ ] measuring only nine miles across. The diminutive Martian moons were discovered in 1877 by Asaph Hall [ http://www.usno.navy.mil/hallmedal.html ], an American astronomer [ http://www.aas.org/ ] working at the US Naval Observatory [ http://www.usno.navy.mil/ ] in Washington D.C. [ http://www.washingtondc.gov/ ] The existence of two Martian moons was predicted around 1610 by Johannes Kepler [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap010114.html ], the astronomer who derived the laws of planetary motion [ http://observe.ivv.nasa.gov/nasa/education/reference/orbits/orbit_sim.html ]. In this case, Kepler's prediction [ http://www.seds.org/billa/tnp/hypo.html#mars ] was not based on scientific principles, but his writings and ideas were so influential that the two Martian moons are discussed in works of fiction such as Jonathan Swift [ http://www.genealogy.org/~ajmorris/ireland/swift.htm ]'s Gulliver's Travels [ http://www.jaffebros.com/lee/gulliver/ ], written in 1726, over 150 years before their actual discovery [ http://www.ips.gov.au/papers/richard/moons_of_mars.html ]. |
|
Semeis 147: Supernova Remnan
…
| Title |
Semeis 147: Supernova Remnant |
| Explanation |
It's easy to get lost following the intricate filaments in this stunningly detailed image [ http://www.galaxyimages.com/s147.html ] of faint supernova remnant [ http://chandra.harvard.edu/xray_sources/ supernovas.html ] Simeis 147. Seen towards the constellation Taurus [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap020118.html ] it covers nearly 3 degrees (6 full moons) on the sky corresponding to a width of 150 light-years at the stellar debris cloud's estimated distance of 3,000 light-years. On three separate nights in December 2001 and January 2002 astronomer [ http://www.galaxyimages.com/ ] Steve Mandel accumulated a total of over eight hours of exposure time to compose this image. He used an astronomical CCD camera, telephoto lens, and his specially designed adapter to allow such wide-field digital imaging [ http://www.galaxyimages.com/gallery.html ]. He also used a narrow H-alpha [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap020822.html ] filter to transmit only the the light from recombining hydrogen atoms in the expanding nebulosity, defining the regions of shocked, glowing gas [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap000426.html ]. This supernova remnant has an apparent age of about 100,000 years (light from the original explosion first reached Earth 100,000 years ago) but it is not the only aftermath [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap011026.html ] of the massive stellar explosion. The cosmic catastrophe also left behind [ http://www.astro.psu.edu/users/pspm/ arecibo/s147/s147.html ] a spinning neutron star or pulsar, all that remains [ http://oposite.stsci.edu/pubinfo/PR/96/22/pulsars.html ] of the star's dense core. |
|
Two Million Galaxies
| Title |
Two Million Galaxies |
| Explanation |
Our universe is filled with galaxies. Galaxies [ http://www.seds.org/messier/galaxy.html ] -- huge conglomerations of stars [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/lib/glossary.html#star ], gas [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap980301.html ], dust [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap020703.html ] -- and mysterious dark matter [ http://chandra.harvard.edu/xray_astro/dark_matter.html ] are the basic building blocks of the large-scale universe [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap951108.html ]. Although distant galaxies move away from each other as the universe expands [ http://csep10.phys.utk.edu/astr162/lect/cosmology/expansion.html ], gravity attracts neighboring galaxies to each other, forming galaxy groups [ http://csep10.phys.utk.edu/astr162/lect/gclusters/groups.html ], clusters of galaxies [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap020203.html ], and even larger expansive filaments. Some of these structures are visible on one of the most comprehensive maps of the sky ever made in galaxies: the APM galaxy survey map [ http://astro.nott.ac.uk/~sjm/apm/ ] completed in the early 1990s. Over 2 million galaxies are depicted above in a region 100 degrees across centered toward our Milky Way Galaxy [ http://www.seds.org/messier/more/mw.html ]'s south pole. Bright regions indicate more galaxies [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap021021.html ], while bluer colors denote larger average galaxies. Dark ellipses have been cut away where bright local stars [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap030323.html ] dominate the sky. Many scientific discoveries [ http://adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-abs_connect?db_key=AST&sim_query=YES&aut_xct=NO&aut_logic=OR&obj_logic=OR&author=&object=&start_mon=&start_year=&end_mon=&end_year=&ttl_logic=AND&title=APM+galaxies&txt_logic=OR&text=&nr_to_return=100&start_nr=1&start_entry_day=&start_entry_mon=&start_entry_year=&min_score=&jou_pick=ALL&ref_stems=&data_and=ALL&group_and=ALL&sort=SCORE&aut_syn=YES&ttl_syn=YES&txt_syn=YES&aut_wt=1.0&obj_wt=1.0&ttl_wt=0.3&txt_wt=3.0&aut_wgt=YES&obj_wgt=YES&ttl_wgt=YES&txt_wgt=YES&ttl_sco=YES&txt_sco=YES&version=1 ] resulted from analyses of the map data, including that the universe [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap010904.html ] was surprisingly complex on large scales. |
|
NGC 4314: A Nuclear Starburs
…
| Title |
NGC 4314: A Nuclear Starburst Ring |
| Explanation |
Is this old galaxy up to new tricks? The barred spiral galaxy [ http://zebu.uoregon.edu/~js/ast123/lectures/lec13.html ] NGC 4314 is billions of years old, but its appearance has changed markedly over just the past few " millions " of years. During that time, a nuclear ring of bright young stars has been evolving. The inset picture of NGC 4314 [ http://adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-abs_connect?sim_query=YES&ned_query=YES&aut_xct=NO&aut_logic=OR&obj_logic=OR&author=&object=&start_mon=&start_year=1982&end_mon=&end_year=&ttl_logic=AND&title=NGC+4314&txt_logic=OR&text=&nr_to_return=50&start_nr=1&query_type=PAPERS&select_nr=50&select_start=1&start_entry_day=&start_entry_mon=&start_entry_year=&min_score=&jou_pick=ALL&ref_stems=&data_and=ALL&group_and=ALL&sort=SCORE&aut_wt=1.0&obj_wt=1.0&ttl_wt=0.3&txt_wt=3.0&aut_syn=YES&ttl_syn=YES&txt_syn=YES&aut_wgt=YES&obj_wgt=YES&ttl_wgt=YES&txt_wgt=YES&ttl_sco=YES&txt_sco=YES&db_key=AST&version=1&nosetcookie=1 ] taken by McDonald Observatory [ http://numedia.tddc.net/hot/bigbend/mdo/ ] shows the whole galaxy and boxes the small region around the core imaged [ http://oposite.stsci.edu/pubinfo/pr/1998/21/content/prc9821.txt ] by the Hubble Space Telescope [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap950810.html ]. This inner region [ http://oposite.stsci.edu/pubinfo/pr/1998/21/ ] appears much like a miniature spiral galaxy [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap980606.html ] itself, complete with dust [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap980104.html ] lanes and spiral arms, even though it is only a few thousand light-years across. Further study of NGC 4314 [ http://adsbit.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-iarticle_query?1996AJ%2E%2E%2E%2E111%2E1861B&nosetcookie=1 ] might help astronomers understand how the inner and outer parts of this galaxy interact, and what caused this unusual ring of star formation. |
|
The Universe Evolves
| Title |
The Universe Evolves |
| Explanation |
Scroll right and watch the universe evolve. Above [ http://www.mpa-garching.mpg.de/~jgc/hubble.html ] is a computer simulation depicting the evolution of our entire universe. On the far left is a slice of the universe [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap980623.html ] soon after the Big Bang [ http://physics7.berkeley.edu/Education/IUP/Big_Bang_Primer.html ] - over 10 billion years ago. As time progresses toward the right, the initially smooth universe [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap970821.html ] can be seen becoming more and more clumpy. The vertex near the far right marks the present day. The largest slice of the universe actually surveyed is simulated to the vertex's right. This artificial universe [ http://www.astro.lsa.umich.edu/users/iotm/9805/slice.html ], called a Hubble Volume [ http://www.mpa-garching.mpg.de/~jgc/hubble.html ], was designed to mimic what humanity might see were we to have powerful enough telescopes. By comparing different computer simulations to reality [ http://xxx.lanl.gov/abs/astro-ph/9710109 ], we might be able to better tell what kind of universe we live in [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap980302.html ]. |
|
The Universe Evolves
| Title |
The Universe Evolves |
| Explanation |
Scroll right and watch the universe evolve. Above [ http://www.mpa-garching.mpg.de/~jgc/hubble.html ] is a computer simulation depicting the evolution of our entire universe. On the far left is a slice of the universe [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap980623.html ] soon after the Big Bang [ http://physics7.berkeley.edu/Education/IUP/Big_Bang_Primer.html ] - over 10 billion years ago. As time progresses toward the right, the initially smooth universe [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap970821.html ] can be seen becoming more and more clumpy. The vertex near the far right marks the present day. The largest slice of the universe [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap980302.html ] actually surveyed is simulated to the vertex's right. This artificial universe [ http://www.astro.lsa.umich.edu/users/iotm/IOTMS/9805/index.html ], called a Hubble Volume [ http://www.mpa-garching.mpg.de/~jgc/hubble.html ], was designed to mimic what humanity might see were we to have powerful enough telescopes. By comparing different computer simulations to reality [ http://xxx.lanl.gov/abs/astro-ph/9710109 ], we might be able to better tell what kind of universe we live in [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/debate/debate98.html ]. |
|
Artist's concept of SIM Plan
…
| Title |
Artist's concept of SIM PlanetQuest |
| Description |
Artist's concept of the current mission configuration. SIM PlanetQuest (formerly called Space Interferometry Mission), currently under development, will determine the positions and distances of stars several hundred times more accurately than any previous program. This accuracy will allow SIM to determine the distances to stars throughout the galaxy and to probe nearby stars for Earth-sized planets. SIM will open a window to a new world of discoveries. |
| Date |
12.21.2002 |
|
Rans S-12 RPV Takes off with
…
| Title |
Rans S-12 RPV Takes off with Spacewedge #2 |
| Description |
A Rans S-12 remotely piloted "mothership" takes off from a lakebed runway carrying a Spacewedge research model during 1992 flight tests. The Spacewedge was lauched in flight from the Rans S-12 aircraft and then glided back to a landing under a steerable parafoil. Technology tested in the Spacewedge program was used in developing the X-38 research vehicle. From October 1991 to December 1996, NASA Ames-Dryden Flight Research Facility (after 1994, the Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, California) conducted a research program know as the Spacecraft Autoland Project. This Project was designed to determine the feasibility of the autonomous recovery of a spacecraft using a ram-air parafoil system for the final stages of flight, including a precision landing. The Johnson Space Center and the U.S. Army participated in various phases of the program. The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory developed the software for Wedge 3 under contract to the Army. Four generic spacecraft (each called a Spacewedge or simply a Wedge) were built, the last one was built to test the feasibility of a parafoil for delivering Army cargoes. Technology developed during this program has applications for future spacecraft recovery systems, such as the X-38 Crew Return Vehicle demonstrator. The Spacewedge program demonstrated precision flare and landing into the wind at a predetermined location. The program showed that a flexible, deployable system using autonomous navigation and landing was a viable and practical way to recover spacecraft. NASA researchers conducted flight tests of the Spacewedge at three sites near Dryden, a hillside near Tehachapi, the Rogers Dry Lakebed at Edwards Air Force Base, and the California City Airport Drop Zone. During the first phase of testing 36 flights were made. Phase II consisted of 45 flights using a smaller parafoil. A third Phase of 34 flights was conducted primarily by the Army and resulted in the development of an Army guidance system for precision offset cargo delivery. The wedge used during the Army phase was not called a Spacewedge but simply a Wedge. The Spacewedge was a flattened biconical airframe joined to a ram-air parafoil with a custom harness. In the manual control mode, the vehicle was flown using a radio uplink. In its autonomous mode, it was controlled using a small computer that received input from onboard sensors. Selected sensor data was recorded onto several onboard data loggers. Two Spacewedge shapes were used for four airframes representing generic hypersonic vehicle configurations. Spacewedge vehicles were 48 inches long, 30 inches wide, and 21 inches high. Their basic weight was 120 pounds, although different configurations weighed from 127 to 184 pounds. Potential uses for Spacewedge-based technology include deployable, precision, autonomous landing systems, such as the one deployed by the X-38 crew return vehicle, planetary probes, booster recovery systems, autonomous gliding parachute systems on military aircraft, ejection seats, offset delivery of military cargoes, and delivery of humanitarian aid to hard-to-reach locations. Dryden employees involved with the Spacewedge program included R. Dale Reed, who originated the concept of conducting a subscale flight test at Dryden and participated in the actual testing. Alexander Sim managed the flight project and participated in its documentation. James Murray served as the principal Dryden investigator and as the lead for all systems integration for Phases I and II (the Spacewedge phases). |
| Date |
08.14.1992 |
|
Spacewedge #1 in Flight
| Title |
Spacewedge #1 in Flight |
| Description |
A Spacewedge subscale model, built to help develop potential autonomous recovery systems for spacecraft as well as methods for delivering large Army cargo loads to precision landings, maneuvers through the air under its steerable parafoil during 1992 flight testing. From October 1991 to December 1996, NASA Ames-Dryden Flight Research Facility (after 1994, the Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, California) conducted a research program know as the Spacecraft Autoland Project. This Project was designed to determine the feasibility of the autonomous recovery of a spacecraft using a ram-air parafoil system for the final stages of flight, including a precision landing. The Johnson Space Center and the U.S. Army participated in various phases of the program. The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory developed the software for Wedge 3 under contract to the Army. Four generic spacecraft (each called a Spacewedge or simply a Wedge) were built, the last one was built to test the feasibility of a parafoil for delivering Army cargoes. Technology developed during this program has applications for future spacecraft recovery systems, such as the X-38 Crew Return Vehicle demonstrator. The Spacewedge program demonstrated precision flare and landing into the wind at a predetermined location. The program showed that a flexible, deployable system using autonomous navigation and landing was a viable and practical way to recover spacecraft. NASA researchers conducted flight tests of the Spacewedge at three sites near Dryden, a hillside near Tehachapi, the Rogers Dry Lakebed at Edwards Air Force Base, and the California City Airport Drop Zone. During the first phase of testing 36 flights were made. Phase II consisted of 45 flights using a smaller parafoil. A third Phase of 34 flights was conducted primarily by the Army and resulted in the development of an Army guidance system for precision offset cargo delivery. The wedge used during the Army phase was not called a Spacewedge but simply a Wedge. The Spacewedge was a flattened biconical airframe joined to a ram-air parafoil with a custom harness. In the manual control mode, the vehicle was flown using a radio uplink. In its autonomous mode, it was controlled using a small computer that received input from onboard sensors. Selected sensor data was recorded onto several onboard data loggers. Two Spacewedge shapes were used for four airframes representing generic hypersonic vehicle configurations. Spacewedge vehicles were 48 inches long, 30 inches wide, and 21 inches high. Their basic weight was 120 pounds, although different configurations weighed from 127 to 184 pounds. Potential uses for Spacewedge-based technology include deployable, precision, autonomous landing systems, such as the one deployed by the X-38 crew return vehicle, planetary probes, booster recovery systems, autonomous gliding parachute systems on military aircraft ejection seats, offset delivery of military cargoes, and delivery of humanitarian aid to, hard-to-reach locations. Dryden employees involved with the Spacewedge program included R. Dale Reed, who originated the concept of conducting a subscale flight test at Dryden and participated in the actual testing. Alexander Sim managed the flight project and participated in its documentation. James Murray served as the principal Dryden investigator and as the lead for all systems integration for Phases I and II (the Spacewedge phases). |
| Date |
01.01.1992 |
|
Spacewedge #1 Landing at Cal
…
| Title |
Spacewedge #1 Landing at California City Drop Zone |
| Description |
The Spacewedge subscale research model glides in toward a touchdown at a California City landing zone during 1992 flight tests of the vehicle. From October 1991 to December 1996, NASA Ames-Dryden Flight Research Facility (after 1994, the Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, California) conducted a research program know as the Spacecraft Autoland Project. This Project was designed to determine the feasibility of the autonomous recovery of a spacecraft using a ram-air parafoil system for the final stages of flight, including a precision landing. The Johnson Space Center and the U.S. Army participated in various phases of the program. The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory developed the software for Wedge 3 under contract to the Army. Four generic spacecraft (each called a Spacewedge or simply a Wedge) were built, the last one was built to test the feasibility of a parafoil for delivering Army cargoes. Technology developed during this program has applications for future spacecraft recovery systems, such as the X-38 Crew Return Vehicle demonstrator. The Spacewedge program demonstrated precision flare and landing into the wind at a predetermined location. The program showed that a flexible, deployable system using autonomous navigation and landing was a viable and practical way to recover spacecraft. NASA researchers conducted flight tests of the Spacewedge at three sites near Dryden, a hillside near Tehachapi, the Rogers Dry Lakebed at Edwards Air Force Base, and the California City Airport Drop Zone. During the first phase of testing 36 flights were made. Phase II consisted of 45 flights using a smaller parafoil. A third Phase of 34 flights was conducted primarily by the Army and resulted in the development of an Army guidance system for precision offset cargo delivery. The wedge used during the Army phase was not called a Spacewedge but simply a Wedge. The Spacewedge was a flattened biconical airframe joined to a ram-air parafoil with a custom harness. In the manual control mode, the vehicle was flown using a radio uplink. In its autonomous mode, it was controlled using a small computer that received input from onboard sensors. Selected sensor data was recorded onto several onboard data loggers. Two Spacewedge shapes were used for four airframes representing generic hypersonic vehicle configurations. Spacewedge vehicles were 48 inches long, 30 inches wide, and 21 inches high. Their basic weight was 120 pounds, although different configurations weighed from 127 to 184 pounds. Potential uses for Spacewedge-based technology include deployable, precision, autonomous landing systems, such as the one deployed by the X-38 crew return vehicle, planetary probes, booster recovery systems, autonomous gliding parachute systems on military aircraft ejection seats, offset delivery of military cargoes, and delivery of humanitarian aid to hard-to-reach locations. Dryden employees involved with the Spacewedge program included R. Dale Reed, who originated the, concept of conducting a subscale flight test at Dryden and participated in the actual testing. Alexander Sim managed the flight project and participated in its documentation. James Murray served as the principal Dryden investigator and as the lead for all systems integration for Phases I and II (the Spacewedge phases). |
| Date |
06.18.1992 |
|
Spacewedge #3 Being Loaded o
…
| Title |
Spacewedge #3 Being Loaded onto Cessna for Drop Test |
| Description |
Crew members load a Spacewedge subscale research model into a Cessna aircraft for flight testing in 1996. The Spacewedge was drop-launched from the Cessna and then glided back to a soft landing under a steerable parafoil. From October 1991 to December 1996, NASA Ames-Dryden Flight Research Facility (after 1994, the Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, California) conducted a research program know as the Spacecraft Autoland Project. This Project was designed to determine the feasibility of the autonomous recovery of a spacecraft using a ram-air parafoil system for the final stages of flight, including a precision landing. The Johnson Space Center and the U.S. Army participated in various phases of the program. The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory developed the software for Wedge 3 under contract to the Army. Four generic spacecraft (each called a Spacewedge or simply a Wedge) were built, the last one was built to test the feasibility of a parafoil for delivering Army cargoes. Technology developed during this program has applications for future spacecraft recovery systems, such as the X-38 Crew Return Vehicle demonstrator. The Spacewedge program demonstrated precision flare and landing into the wind at a predetermined location. The program showed that a flexible, deployable system using autonomous navigation and landing was a viable and practical way to recover spacecraft. NASA researchers conducted flight tests of the Spacewedge at three sites near Dryden, a hillside near Tehachapi, the Rogers Dry Lakebed at Edwards Air Force Base, and the California City Airport Drop Zone. During the first phase of testing 36 flights were made. Phase II consisted of 45 flights using a smaller parafoil. A third Phase of 34 flights was conducted primarily by the Army and resulted in the development of an Army guidance system for precision offset cargo delivery. The wedge used during the Army phase was not called a Spacewedge but simply a Wedge. The Spacewedge was a flattened biconical airframe joined to a ram-air parafoil with a custom harness. In the manual control mode, the vehicle was flown using a radio uplink. In its autonomous mode, it was controlled using a small computer that received input from onboard sensors. Selected sensor data was recorded onto several onboard data loggers. Two Spacewedge shapes were used for four airframes representing generic hypersonic vehicle configurations. Spacewedge vehicles were 48 inches long, 30 inches wide, and 21 inches high. Their basic weight was 120 pounds, although different configurations weighed from 127 to 184 pounds. Potential uses for Spacewedge-based technology include deployable, precision, autonomous landing systems, such as the one deployed by the X-38 crew return vehicle, planetary probes, booster recovery systems, autonomous gliding parachute systems on military aircraft ejection seats, offset delivery of military cargoes, and delivery of humanitarian aid to hard-to-reach locations. Dryden employees, involved with the Spacewedge program included R. Dale Reed, who originated the concept of conducting a subscale flight test at Dryden and participated in the actual testing. Alexander Sim managed the flight project and participated in its documentation. James Murray served as the principal Dryden investigator and as the lead for all systems integration for Phases I and II (the Spacewedge phases). |
| Date |
07.18.1996 |
|
Spacewedge #3 in Flight over
…
| Title |
Spacewedge #3 in Flight over California City Drop Zone |
| Description |
One of the Spacewedge remotely-piloted research vehicles in flight under a steerable parafoil during 1995 research flights conducted by NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center. From October 1991 to December 1996, NASA Ames-Dryden Flight Research Facility (after 1994, the Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, California) conducted a research program know as the Spacecraft Autoland Project. This Project was designed to determine the feasibility of the autonomous recovery of a spacecraft using a ram-air parafoil system for the final stages of flight, including a precision landing. The Johnson Space Center and the U.S. Army participated in various phases of the program. The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory developed the software for Wedge 3 under contract to the Army. Four generic spacecraft (each called a Spacewedge or simply a Wedge) were built, the last one was built to test the feasibility of a parafoil for delivering Army cargoes. Technology developed during this program has applications for future spacecraft recovery systems, such as the X-38 Crew Return Vehicle demonstrator. The Spacewedge program demonstrated precision flare and landing into the wind at a predetermined location. The program showed that a flexible, deployable system using autonomous navigation and landing was a viable and practical way to recover spacecraft. NASA researchers conducted flight tests of the Spacewedge at three sites near Dryden, a hillside near Tehachapi, the Rogers Dry Lakebed at Edwards Air Force Base, and the California City Airport Drop Zone. During the first phase of testing 36 flights were made. Phase II consisted of 45 flights using a smaller parafoil. A third Phase of 34 flights was conducted primarily by the Army and resulted in the development of an Army guidance system for precision offset cargo delivery. The wedge used during the Army phase was not called a Spacewedge but simply a Wedge. The Spacewedge was a flattened biconical airframe joined to a ram-air parafoil with a custom harness. In the manual control mode, the vehicle was flown using a radio uplink. In its autonomous mode, it was controlled using a small computer that received input from onboard sensors. Selected sensor data was recorded onto several onboard data loggers. Two Spacewedge shapes were used for four airframes representing generic hypersonic vehicle configurations. Spacewedge vehicles were 48 inches long, 30 inches wide, and 21 inches high. Their basic weight was 120 pounds, although different configurations weighed from 127 to 184 pounds. Potential uses for Spacewedge-based technology include deployable, precision, autonomous landing systems, such as the one deployed by the X-38 crew return vehicle, planetary probes, booster recovery systems, autonomous gliding parachute systems on military aircraft ejection seats, offset delivery of military cargoes, and delivery of humanitarian aid to hard-to-reach locations. Dryden employees involved with the Spacewedge program included R. Dale, Reed, who originated the concept of conducting a subscale flight test at Dryden and participated in the actual testing. Alexander Sim managed the flight project and participated in its documentation. James Murray served as the principal Dryden investigator and as the lead for all systems integration for Phases I and II (the Spacewedge phases). |
| Date |
06.14.1995 |
|
STS-93 crew takes part in a
…
| Title |
STS-93 crew takes part in a Crew Equipment Interface Test |
| Description |
During the Crew Equipment Interface Test (CEIT) for mission STS- 93, Mission Commander Eileen M. Collins checks out the flight deck on the orbiter Columbia, in the Orbiter Processing Facility Bay 3. The CEIT provides an opportunity for crew members to check equipment and facilities that will be aboard the orbiter during their mission. The STS-93 mission will deploy the Advanced X-ray Astrophysics Facility (AXAF) which comprises three major elements: the spacecraft, the telescope, and the science instrument module (SIM). AXAF will allow scientists from around the world to obtain unprecedented X-ray images of a variety of high-energy objects to help understand the structure and evolution of the universe. Collins is the first woman to serve as a shuttle mission commander. The other STS-93 crew members are Mission Specialist Catherine G. Coleman, Pilot Jeffrey S. Ashby, Mission Specialist Steven A. Hawley and Mission Specialist Michel Tognini of France. Targeted date for the launch of STS-93 is March 18, 1999. |
| Date |
11.13.1998 |
|
STS-93 crew takes part in a
…
| Title |
STS-93 crew takes part in a Crew Equipment Interface Test |
| Description |
In the Orbiter Processing Facility Bay 3, during the Crew Equipment Interface Test (CEIT) for mission STS-93, crew members pose for a photograph . From left they are Mission Commander Eileen M. Collins, Pilot Jeffrey S. Ashby, and Mission Specialist Michel Tognini of France. Above Ashby's head is Mission Specialist Catherine G. Coleman. Not shown is Mission Specialist Steven A. Hawley. Collins is the first woman to serve as a mission commander on a shuttle flight. The CEIT provides an opportunity for crew members to check equipment and facilities that will be aboard the orbiter during their mission. The STS-93 mission will deploy the Advanced X-ray Astrophysics Facility (AXAF), which comprises three major elements: the spacecraft, the telescope, and the science instrument module (SIM). AXAF will allow scientists from around the world to obtain unprecedented X- ray images of a variety of high-energy objects to help understand the structure and evolution of the universe. Targeted date for the launch of STS-93 is March 18, 1999. |
| Date |
11.13.1998 |
|
STS-93 crew takes part in a
…
| Title |
STS-93 crew takes part in a Crew Equipment Interface Test |
| Description |
In the Orbiter Processing Facility Bay 3, during the Crew Equipment Interface Test (CEIT) for mission STS-93, Mission Specialist Steven A. Hawley checks out equipment in the orbiter Columbia. The CEIT provides an opportunity for crew members to check equipment and facilities that will be aboard the orbiter during their mission. The STS-93 mission will deploy the Advanced X-ray Astrophysics Facility (AXAF), which comprises three major elements: the spacecraft, the telescope, and the science instrument module (SIM). AXAF will allow scientists from around the world to obtain unprecedented X-ray images of a variety of high-energy objects to help understand the structure and evolution of the universe. The other STS-93 crew members are Mission Commander Eileen M. Collins, Pilot Jeffrey S. Ashby, Mission Specialist Catherine G. Coleman and Mission Specialist Michel Tognini of France. Targeted date for the launch of STS-93 is March 18, 1999. |
| Date |
11.13.1998 |
|
STS-93 crew takes part in a
…
| Title |
STS-93 crew takes part in a Crew Equipment Interface Test |
| Description |
In the Orbiter Processing Facility Bay 3, aboard the orbiter Columbia, STS-93 Mission Commander Eileen M. Collins listens to Mission Specialist Steven A. Hawley during the Crew Equipment Interface Test (CEIT). Collins is the first woman to serve as a mission commander on a shuttle flight. The CEIT provides an opportunity for crew members to check equipment and facilities that will be aboard the orbiter during their mission. The rest of the crew members are Pilot Jeffrey S. Ashby, Mission Specialist Catherine G. Coleman, and Mission Specialist Michel Tognini of France. The STS-93 mission will deploy the Advanced X-ray Astrophysics Facility (AXAF), which comprises three major elements: the spacecraft, the telescope, and the science instrument module (SIM). AXAF will allow scientists from around the world to obtain unprecedented X-ray images of a variety of high-energy objects to help understand the structure and evolution of the universe. Targeted date for the launch of STS-93 is March 18, 1999. |
| Date |
11.13.1998 |
|
STS-93 crew takes part in a
…
| Title |
STS-93 crew takes part in a Crew Equipment Interface Test |
| Description |
In the Orbiter Processing Facility Bay 3, during the Crew Equipment Interface Test (CEIT) for mission STS-93, Mission Commander Eileen M. Collins checks out her seat in the orbiter Columbia. Collins is the first woman to serve as a mission commander on a shuttle flight. The CEIT provides an opportunity for crew members to check equipment and facilities that will be aboard the orbiter during their mission. The STS-93 mission will deploy the Advanced X-ray Astrophysics Facility (AXAF), which comprises three major elements: the spacecraft, the telescope, and the science instrument module (SIM). AXAF will allow scientists from around the world to obtain unprecedented X-ray images of a variety of high-energy objects to help understand the structure and evolution of the universe. The other STS-93 crew members are Pilot Jeffrey S. Ashby, Mission Specialist Catherine G. Coleman, Mission Specialist Steven A. Hawley and Mission Specialist Michel Tognini of France. Targeted date for the launch of STS-93 is March 18, 1999. |
| Date |
11.13.1998 |
|
STS-93 crew takes part in a
…
| Title |
STS-93 crew takes part in a Crew Equipment Interface Test |
| Description |
In the Orbiter Processing Facility Bay 3, during the Crew Equipment Interface Test (CEIT), Mission Specialist Catherine G. Coleman (left) and Mission Commander Eileen M. Collins (right) check equipment that will fly on mission STS-93. The STS-93 mission will deploy the Advanced X-ray Astrophysics Facility (AXAF) which comprises three major elements: the spacecraft, the telescope, and the science instrument module (SIM). AXAF will allow scientists from around the world to obtain unprecedented X- ray images of a variety of high-energy objects to help understand the structure and evolution of the universe. Collins is the first woman to serve as a shuttle mission commander. The other STS-93 crew members are Pilot Jeffrey S. Ashby, Mission Specialist Steven A. Hawley and Mission Specialist Michel Tognini of France. Targeted date for the launch of STS-93 is March 18, 1999. |
| Date |
11.13.1998 |
|
STS-93 crew takes part in a
…
| Title |
STS-93 crew takes part in a Crew Equipment Interface Test |
| Description |
In the Orbiter Processing Facility Bay 3, during the Crew Equipment Interface Test (CEIT), Mission Specialist Catherine G. Coleman checks equipment that will fly on mission STS-93. The STS-93 mission will deploy the Advanced X-ray Astrophysics Facility (AXAF) which comprises three major elements: the spacecraft, the telescope, and the science instrument module (SIM). AXAF will allow scientists from around the world to obtain unprecedented X-ray images of a variety of high-energy objects to help understand the structure and evolution of the universe. The other STS-93 crew members are Mission Commander Eileen M. Collins, Pilot Jeffrey S. Ashby, Mission Specialist Steven A. Hawley and Mission Specialist Michel Tognini of France. Targeted date for the launch of STS-93 is March 18, 1999. |
| Date |
11.13.1998 |
|
Free flight simulation lab
| Title |
Free flight simulation lab |
| Description |
Rob Myer is shown at the free flyer sim manager. |
| Date |
10.12.1999 |
|
Free flight simulation lab
| Title |
Free flight simulation lab |
| Description |
David Smith is shown at the free flight sim manager. |
| Date |
10.12.1999 |
|
Interior of Spacewedge #3
| Title |
Interior of Spacewedge #3 |
| Description |
This photo shows the instrumentation and equipment inside the Spacewedge #3, a remotely-piloted research vehicle flown at the Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, California, to help develop technology for autonomous return systems for spacecraft as well as methods to deliver large Army cargo payloads to precise landings. From October 1991 to December 1996, NASA Ames-Dryden Flight Research Facility (after 1994, the Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, California) conducted a research program know as the Spacecraft Autoland Project. This Project was designed to determine the feasibility of the autonomous recovery of a spacecraft using a ram-air parafoil system for the final stages of flight, including a precision landing. The Johnson Space Center and the U.S. Army participated in various phases of the program. The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory developed the software for Wedge 3 under contract to the Army. Four generic spacecraft (each called a Spacewedge or simply a Wedge) were built, the last one was built to test the feasibility of a parafoil for delivering Army cargoes. Technology developed during this program has applications for future spacecraft recovery systems, such as the X-38 Crew Return Vehicle demonstrator. The Spacewedge program demonstrated precision flare and landing into the wind at a predetermined location. The program showed that a flexible, deployable system using autonomous navigation and landing was a viable and practical way to recover spacecraft NASA researchers conducted flight tests of the Spacewedge at three sites near Dryden, a hillside near Tehachapi, the Rogers Dry Lakebed at Edwards Air Force Base, and the California City Airport Drop Zone. During the first phase of testing 36 flights were made. Phase II consisted of 45 flights using a smaller parafoil. A third Phase of 34 flights was conducted primarily by the Army and resulted in the development of an Army guidance system for precision offset cargo delivery. The wedge used during the Army phase was not called a Spacewedge but simply a Wedge. The Spacewedge was a flattened biconical airframe joined to a ram-air parafoil with a custom harness. In the manual control mode, the vehicle was flown using a radio uplink. In its autonomous mode, it was controlled using a small computer that received input from onboard sensors. Selected sensor data was recorded onto several onboard data loggers. Two Spacewedge shapes were used for four airframes representing generic hypersonic vehicle configurations. Spacewedge vehicles were 48 inches long, 30 inches wide, and 21 inches high. Their basic weight was 120 pounds, although different configurations weighed from 127 to 184 pounds. Potential uses for Spacewedge-based technology include deployable, precision, autonomous landing systems, such as the one deployed by the X-38 crew return vehicle, planetary probes, booster recovery systems, autonomous gliding parachute systems on military aircraft ejection seats, offset delivery, of military cargoes, and delivery of humanitarian aid to hard-to-reach locations. Dryden employees involved with the Spacewedge program included R. Dale Reed, who originated the concept of conducting a subscale flight test at Dryden and participated in the actual testing. Alexander Sim managed the flight project and participated in its documentation. James Murray served as the principal Dryden investigator and as the lead for all systems integration for Phases I and II (the Spacewedge phases). |
| Date |
01.22.1996 |
|
Mars Opposition and Equinox
| title |
Mars Opposition and Equinox |
| Description |
Prior to the Mariner 4 flyby in 1965, all we knew about Mars came from Earth-based telescopic observations. At best, Mars is a challenging object to observe, due to its small size, low contrast, and turbulence in Earth's atmosphere. The best times to see the planet are around its closest approaches to Earth, which occur near "opposition", when the two planets are roughly in a line on one side of the Sun. This occurs about every 26 months, when Mars can appear to grow (in the night sky) to as large as about 20 arc-seconds in size. (20 arc-seconds is about the apparent size of a dime seen from 190 meters, or about the length of two football fields, away, it is about the size of a crater 40 kilometers (25 miles) in diameter on the Moon.) In 2001, Mars is at opposition on June 13-14 and makes its closest approach to Earth on June 21, when it is about 67 million kilometers (~42 million miles) away and subtends 20.8 arc-seconds in the sky. For observers in the northern hemisphere, it can be seen as a bright (magnitude -2) red object, low in the southern sky near the constellation Scorpius, in the evening. Southern hemisphere observers have a better view, as Mars is higher in the sky from that vantage. (See http://www.skypub.com/ [ http://www.skypub.com/ ] for more information.) Not only is Mars at opposition June 13-14, 2001, and making its closest approach to Earth since 1988 on June 21st, on June 17-18 Mars will be at equinox, with the southern hemisphere turning to spring and the nothern hemisphere begins autumn. The diagrams below illustrate the opposition and equinox configurations of Mars. The Image above is one of a series of simulated views of Mars as it would be seen from the Mars Global Surveyor space craft. To view the rest of these images please go to the June 2001: Mars Opposition and Equinox page at the Malin Space Science Systems [ http://www.msss.com/mars_images/moc/opposition_6_2001/index.html ] web site. Mars Animation Animation of simulated Earth-based views of Mars. Photo Credit: NASA/JPL/Malin Space Science Systems |
|
Artist's concept of SIM Plan
…
PIA04248
| Title |
Artist's concept of SIM PlanetQuest |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
Artist's concept of the current mission configuration. SIM PlanetQuest (formerly called Space Interferometry Mission), currently under development, will determine the positions and distances of stars several hundred times more accurately than any previous program. This accuracy will allow SIM to determine the distances to stars throughout the galaxy and to probe nearby stars for Earth-sized planets. SIM will open a window to a new world of discoveries. |
|
| General Description |
International Space Station Imagery |
|
| General Description |
International Space Station Imagery |
|
Inside the Vertical Processi
…
| Description |
Inside the Vertical Processing Facility (VPF), workers attach the overhead cable to the Chandra X-ray Observatory to lift it out of its protective container. While in the VPF, the telescope will undergo final installation of associated electronic components, it will also be tested, fueled and mated with the Inertial Upper Stage booster. A set of integrated tests will follow. Chandra is scheduled for launch July 9 aboard Space Shuttle Columbia, on mission STS-93 . Formerly called the Advanced X-ray Astrophysics Facility, Chandra comprises three major elements: the spacecraft, the science instrument module (SIM), and the world's most powerful X-ray telescope. Chandra will allow scientists from around the world to see previously invisible black holes and high-temperature gas clouds, giving the observatory the potential to rewrite the books on the structure and evolution of our universe |
| Release Date |
02/08/1999 |
|
|
