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SSME Post-Test Inspection
A propulsion engineer inspec …
1/1/91
Description A propulsion engineer inspects a Space Shuttle Main Engine following a test firing at the John C. Stennis Space Center in Hancock County, Miss.
Date 1/1/91
Employees View Test Firing
Stennis Space Center employe …
1/1/91
Description Stennis Space Center employees view a test firing of a Space Shuttle Main Engine on the A-1 test stand at Stennis Space Center.
Date 1/1/91
Aurora Australis
title Aurora Australis
description Red and green colors predominate in this view of the Aurora Australis photographed from the Space Shuttle in May 1991 at the peak of the last geomagnetic maximum. The payload bay and tail of the Shuttle can be seen on the left hand side of the picture. Auroras are caused when high-energy electrons pour down from the Earth's magnetosphere and collide with atoms. Red aurora occurs from 200 km to as high as 500 km altitude and is caused by the emission of 6300 Angstrom wavelength light from oxygen atoms. Green aurora occurs from about 100 km to 250 km altitude and is caused by the emission of 5577 Angstrom wavelength light from oxygen atoms. The light is emitted when the atoms return to their original unexcited state. At times of peaks in solar activity, there are more geomagnetic storms and this increases the auroral activity viewed on Earth and by astronauts from orbit. Photographing them requires careful technique with long exposures and fast film (in this case ASA 1600). Such film can only be used on short-duration Shuttle flights and not from the Space Station because it is sensitive to radiation damage in orbit over time. The most recent astronaut photograph of aurora was taken before the April 2001 flurry of solar activity, and showed only a relatively low-energy green glow. This image was taken by the crew of the Space Shuttle Discovery in May 1991. *Image Credit*: NASA
NASA Langley Magnetic Suspen …
Title NASA Langley Magnetic Suspension/Balance System
Full Description A shuttle model is magnetically suspended in the transparent hexagonal test section of the MIT/NASA Langley 6 inch MSBS. Massive power supplies are required to drive electromagnets for model position control. A unique electromagnetic position sensor, similar to a linear variable differential transformer, provides five degrees of freedom for the test model. The low speed (Mach 0.5) wind tunnel was hand crafted from mahogany. Aerodynamic forces on the test model are measured by the proportional electrical current used to hold the model in place. The system was built by MIT in the late sixties, and was relocated to Langley in the mid eighties. In a joint effort with Old Dominion University in 1992 the MSBS was used to test the aerodynamics of store separation, simulating a bomb released from an aircraft. The system has been donated to Old Dominion University.
Date 6/11/1991
NASA Center Langley Research Center
Endeavour Arrival
Title Endeavour Arrival
Full Description The newest addition to the Space Shuttle orbiter fleet, Endeavour, arrives at KSC atop the 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft on May 7. OV-105 will be demated from the Boeing aircraft, and towed to the Vehicle Assembly Building for installation of several major flight components. Next step will be a lengthy stay in the Orbiter Processing Facility for a rigorous series of first flow tests. Endeavour is scheduled to lift off on its maiden space flight in 1992.
Date 5/7/1991
NASA Center Kennedy Space Center
Space Shuttle Endeavour Roll …
Title Space Shuttle Endeavour Rollout
Full Description NASA Administrator Richard H. Truly addresses the audience in attendance at the rollout ceremonies of the Space Shuttle Orbiter Endeavour which occured on April 25, 1991, at the Rockwell International facility, Palmdale, Calif. Endeavour, the fourth Orbiter to join the fleet, replacing the lost Challenger, can be seen in the background.
Date 04/25/1991
NASA Center Headquarters
Stennis Propulsion Test Comp …
Title Stennis Propulsion Test Complex
Full Description Pictured is the John C. Stennis Space Center's propulsion testing complex. In the foreground is the center's largest Test Stand the B-1, along with the A-2 and A-1 stands. These test stands are used to test the Space Shuttle Main Engines. In the distance can be seen the E-1 Test Facility. It is here that fuel tanks and materials for future spacecraft are tested.
Date 01/01/1991
NASA Center Stennis Space Center
STS-43 Launch
Title STS-43 Launch
Full Description The Space Shuttle Atlantis streaks skyward as sunlight pierces through the gap between the orbiter and ET assembly. Atlantis lifted off on the 42nd space shuttle flight at 11:02 a.m. EDT on August 2, 1991 carrying a crew of five and TDRS-E. A remote camera at the 275-foot level of the Fixed Surface Structure took this picture.
Date 8/2/1991
NASA Center Kennedy Space Center
Richard A. Searfoss
Photo Date July 31, 2001
Research pilot Mark Pestana
Photo Date April 16, 2001
STS-37 Shuttle Crew after Ed …
Photo Description The crew of the Space Shuttle Atlantis gives the "all's well" thumb's-up sign after leaving the 100-ton orbiter following their landing at 6:55 a.m. (PDT), 11 April 1991, at NASA's Ames Dryden Flight Research Facility (later redesignated Dryden Flight Research Center), Edwards, California, to conclude mission STS-37. They are, from left, Kenneth D. Cameron, pilot, Steven R. Nagel, mission commander, and mission specialists Linda M. Godwin, Jerry L. Ross, and Jay Apt. During the mission,which began with launch April 5 at Kennedy Space Center, Florida, the crew deployed the Gamma Ray Observatory. Ross and Jay also carried out two spacewalks, one to deploy an antenna on the Gamma Ray Observatory and the other to test equipment and mobility techniques for the construction of the future Space Station. The planned five-day mission was extended one day because of high winds at Edwards.
Project Description 470,000 pounds. The engines burn a mixture of liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen. In orbit, the Space Shuttles circle the earth at a speed of 17,500 miles per hour with each orbit taking about 90 minutes. A Space Shuttle crew sees a sunrise or sunset every 45 minutes. When Space Shuttle flights began in April 1981, Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, California, was the primary landing site for the Shuttles. Now Kennedy Space Center, Florida, is the primary landing site with Dryden remaining as the principal alternate landing site., Space Shuttles are the main element of America?s Space Transportation System and are used for space research and other space applications. The shuttles are the first vehicles capable of being launched into space and returning to Earth on a routine basis. Space Shuttles are used as orbiting laboratories in which scientists and mission specialists conduct a wide variety of scientific experiments. Crews aboard shuttles place satellites in orbit, rendezvous with satellites to carry out repair missions and return them to space, and retrieve satellites and return them to Earth for refurbishment and reuse. Space Shuttles are true aerospace vehicles. They leave Earth and its atmosphere under rocket power provided by three liquid-propellant main engines with two solid-propellant boosters attached plus an external liquid-fuel tank. After their orbital missions, they streak back through the atmosphere and land like airplanes. The returning shuttles, however, land like gliders, without power and on runways. Other rockets can place heavy payloads into orbit, but, they can only be used once. Space Shuttles are designed to be continually reused. When Space Shuttles are used to transport complete scientific laboratories into space, the laboratories remain inside the payload bay throughout the mission. They are then removed after the Space Shuttle returns to Earth and can be reused on future flights. Some of these orbital laboratories, like the Spacelab, provide facilities for several specialists to conduct experiments in such fields as medicine, astronomy, and materials manufacturing. Some types of satellites deployed by Space Shuttles include those involved in environmental and resources protection, astronomy, weather forecasting, navigation, oceanographic studies, and other scientific fields. The Space Shuttles can also launch spacecraft into orbits higher than the Shuttle?s altitude limit through the use of Inertial Upper Stage (IUS) propulsion units. After release from the Space Shuttle payload bay, the IUS is ignited to carry the spacecraft into deep space. The Space Shuttles are also being used to carry elements of the International Space Station into space where they are assembled in orbit. The Space Shuttles were built by Rockwell International?s Space Transportation Systems Division, Downey, California. Rockwell?s Rocketdyne Division (now part of Boeing) builds the three main engines, and Thiokol, Brigham City, Utah, makes the solid rocket booster motors. Martin Marietta Corporation (now Lockheed Martin), New Orleans, Louisiana, makes the external tanks. Each orbiter (Space Shuttle) is 121 feet long, has a wingspan of 78 feet, and a height of 57 feet. The Space Shuttle is approximately the size of a DC-9 commercial airliner and can carry a payload of 65,000 pounds into orbit. The payload bay is 60 feet long and 15 feet in diameter. Each main engine is capable of producing a sea level thrust of 375,000 pounds and a vacuum (orbital) thrust of
Photo Date 1991
Pegasus Mated to B-52 Mother …
Photo Description NASA's B-52 launch aircraft takes off with the second Pegasus vehicle under its wing from the Dryden Flight Research Facility (now the Dryden Flight Research Center), Edwards, California.
Project Description NASA B-52, Tail Number 008, was an air launch carrier aircraft, "mothership," as well as a research aircraft platform that had been used on a variety of research projects. The aircraft, a "B" model built in 1952 and first flown on June 11, 1955, was used on some of the most significant research projects in aerospace history. The aircraft was retired on December 17, 2004 in a ceremony at the Dryden Flight Research Center, after nearly 50 years of flight test and research. It was both the oldest B-52 still on flight status, and had the lowest flight time of any B-52. Some of the significant projects supported by B-52 008 included the X-15, the lifting bodies, HiMAT (highly maneuverable aircraft technology), Pegasus, validation of parachute systems developed for the space shuttle program (solid-rocket-booster recovery system and the orbiter drag chute system), and the X-38. The B-52 served as the launch vehicle on 106 X-15 flights and flew a total of 159 captive-carry and launch missions in support of that program from June 1959 to October 1968. Information gained from the highly successful X-15 program contributed to the Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo human spaceflight programs as well as space shuttle development. Between 1966 and 1975, the B-52 served as the launch aircraft for 127 of the 144 wingless lifting body flights. In the 1970s and 1980s, the B-52 was the launch aircraft for several aircraft at what is now the Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, California, to study spin-stall, high-angle-of attack, and maneuvering characteristics. These included the 3/8-scale F-15/spin research vehicle (SRV), the HiMAT (Highly Maneuverable Aircraft Technology) research vehicle, and the DAST (drones for aerodynamic and structural testing). The aircraft supported the development of parachute recovery systems used to recover the space shuttle solid rocket booster casings. It also supported eight orbiter (space shuttle) drag chute tests in 1990. In addition, the B-52 served as the air launch platform for the first six Pegasus space boosters. During its many years of service, the B-52 underwent several modifications. The first major modification was made by North American Aviation (now part of Boeing) in support of the X-15 program. This involved creating a launch-panel-operator station for monitoring the status of the test vehicle being carried, cutting a large notch in the right inboard wing flap to accommodate the vertical tail of the X-15 aircraft, and installing a wing pylon that enables the B-52 to carry research vehicles and test articles to be air-launched/dropped. Located on the right wing, between the inboard engine pylon and the fuselage, this wing pylon was subjected to extensive testing prior to its use. For each test vehicle the B-52 carried, minor changes were made to the launch-panel operator's station. Built originally by the Boeing Company, the NASA B-52 was powered by eight Pratt & Whitney J57-19 turbojet engines, each of which, produced 12,000 pounds of thrust. The aircraft's normal launch speed was Mach 0.8 (about 530 miles per hour) and its normal drop altitude was 40,000 to 45,000 feet. It was 156 feet long and had a wing span of 185 feet. The heaviest load it carried was the No. 2 X-15 aircraft at 53,100 pounds. Project manager for the aircraft was Roy Bryant. Another B-52 (an A-model), Tail Number 003, also flew as a mothership, launching the X-15 and lifting bodies.
Photo Date July 1991
STS-40 Landing at Edwards
Photo Description Space Shuttle Columbia nears its touchdown on Runway 22 at Edwards, California, at 8:39 a.m., 14 June 1991, as the STS-40 life sciences mission comes to an end at NASA's Ames-Dryden Flight Research Facility (later redesignated Dryden Flight Research Center) after nine days of orbital flight. Aboard Columbia during the extended mission were Bryan D. O'Connor, mission commander, Sidney M. Gutierrez, pilot, mission specialists James P. Bagian, Tamara E. Jernigan, and Margaret Rhea Seddon, and payload specialists Francis Andrew Gaffney and Millie Hughes-Fulford. STS-40 was the first space shuttle mission dedicated to life sciences research to explore how the body reacts to a weightless environment and how it readjusts to gravity on return to earth. Columbia was launched on the STS-40 mission 5 June 1991, from Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
Project Description 470,000 pounds. The engines burn a mixture of liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen. In orbit, the Space Shuttles circle the earth at a speed of 17,500 miles per hour with each orbit taking about 90 minutes. A Space Shuttle crew sees a sunrise or sunset every 45 minutes. When Space Shuttle flights began in April 1981, Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, California, was the primary landing site for the Shuttles. Now Kennedy Space Center, Florida, is the primary landing site with Dryden remaining as the principal alternate landing site., Space Shuttles are the main element of America?s Space Transportation System and are used for space research and other space applications. The shuttles are the first vehicles capable of being launched into space and returning to Earth on a routine basis. Space Shuttles are used as orbiting laboratories in which scientists and mission specialists conduct a wide variety of scientific experiments. Crews aboard shuttles place satellites in orbit, rendezvous with satellites to carry out repair missions and return them to space, and retrieve satellites and return them to Earth for refurbishment and reuse. Space Shuttles are true aerospace vehicles. They leave Earth and its atmosphere under rocket power provided by three liquid-propellant main engines with two solid-propellant boosters attached plus an external liquid-fuel tank. After their orbital missions, they streak back through the atmosphere and land like airplanes. The returning shuttles, however, land like gliders, without power and on runways. Other rockets can place heavy payloads into orbit, but, they can only be used once. Space Shuttles are designed to be continually reused. When Space Shuttles are used to transport complete scientific laboratories into space, the laboratories remain inside the payload bay throughout the mission. They are then removed after the Space Shuttle returns to Earth and can be reused on future flights. Some of these orbital laboratories, like the Spacelab, provide facilities for several specialists to conduct experiments in such fields as medicine, astronomy, and materials manufacturing. Some types of satellites deployed by Space Shuttles include those involved in environmental and resources protection, astronomy, weather forecasting, navigation, oceanographic studies, and other scientific fields. The Space Shuttles can also launch spacecraft into orbits higher than the Shuttle?s altitude limit through the use of Inertial Upper Stage (IUS) propulsion units. After release from the Space Shuttle payload bay, the IUS is ignited to carry the spacecraft into deep space. The Space Shuttles are also being used to carry elements of the International Space Station into space where they are assembled in orbit. The Space Shuttles were built by Rockwell International?s Space Transportation Systems Division, Downey, California. Rockwell?s Rocketdyne Division (now part of Boeing) builds the three main engines, and Thiokol, Brigham City, Utah, makes the solid rocket booster motors. Martin Marietta Corporation (now Lockheed Martin), New Orleans, Louisiana, makes the external tanks. Each orbiter (Space Shuttle) is 121 feet long, has a wingspan of 78 feet, and a height of 57 feet. The Space Shuttle is approximately the size of a DC-9 commercial airliner and can carry a payload of 65,000 pounds into orbit. The payload bay is 60 feet long and 15 feet in diameter. Each main engine is capable of producing a sea level thrust of 375,000 pounds and a vacuum (orbital) thrust of
Photo Date 1991
STS-48 Launch
Name of Image STS-48 Launch
Date of Image 1991-09-12
Full Description The STS-48 mission launched aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery on September 12, 1991 at 7:11:04 pm. Five astronauts composed the crew including: John O. Creighton, commander, Kenneth S. Reightler, pilot, and Mark N. Brown, Charles D. (Sam) Gemar, and James F. Buchli, all mission specialists. The primary payload of the mission was the Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS).
STS-48 Launch
Name of Image STS-48 Launch
Date of Image 1991-09-12
Full Description The STS-48 mission launched aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery on September 12, 1991 at 7:11:04 pm. Five astronauts composed the crew including: John O. Creighton, commander, Kenneth S. Reightler, pilot, and Mark N. Brown, Charles D. (Sam) Gemar, and James F. Buchli, all mission specialists. The primary payload of the mission was the Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS).
STS-48 Crew Portrait
Name of Image STS-48 Crew Portrait
Date of Image 1991-10-02
Full Description The STS-48 crew portrait includes (front row left to right): Mark N. Brown, mission specialist, John O. Creighton, commander, and Kenneth S. Reightler, pilot. Pictured on the back row (left to right) are mission specialists Charles D. (Sam) Gemar, and James F. Buchli. The crew of five launched aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery on September 12, 1991 at 7:11:04 pm (EDT). The primary payload of the mission was the Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS).
STS-37 Crew Portrait
Name of Image STS-37 Crew Portrait
Date of Image 1991-01-28
Full Description This is the STS-37 Crew portrait. Pictured from left to right are Kenneth D. (Ken) Cameron, pilot, Jay Apt, mission specialist, Steven R. Nagel, commander, and Jerry L. Ross and Linda M. Godwin, mission specialists. Launched aboard the Space Shuttle Atlantis on April 5, 1991 at 9:22:44am (EST), the crew?s major objective was the deployment of the Gamma Ray Observatory (GRO). Included in the observatory were the Burst and Transient Source Experiment (BATSE), the Imaging Compton Telescope (COMPTEL), the Energetic Gamma Ray Experiment Telescope (EGRET), and the Oriented Scintillation Spectrometer Telescope (OSSEE).
STS-40 Crew Portrait
Name of Image STS-40 Crew Portrait
Date of Image 1991-01-28
Full Description The STS-40 crew portrait includes 7 astronauts. Pictured on the front row from left to right are F. Drew Gaffney, payload specialist 1, Milli-Hughes Fulford, payload specialist 2, M. Rhea Seddon, mission specialist 3, and James P. Bagian, mission specialist 1. Standing in the rear, left to right, are Bryan D. O?Connor, commander, Tamara E. Jernigan, mission specialist 2, and Sidney M. Gutierrez, pilot. Launched aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia on June 5, 1991 at 9:24, am (EDT), the STS-40 mission was the fifth dedicated Spacelab Mission, Spacelab Life Sciences-1 (SLS-1), and the first mission dedicated solely to life sciences.
STS-37 Launch
Name of Image STS-37 Launch
Date of Image 1991-04-05
Full Description Launched aboard the Space Shuttle Atlantis on April 5, 1991 at 9:22:44am (EST), the STS-37 mission hurtles toward space. Her crew included Steven R. Nagel, commander, Kenneth D. (Ken) Cameron, pilot, and Jay Apt, Jerry L. Ross, and Linda M. Godwin, all mission specialists. The crew?s major objective was the deployment of the Gamma Ray Observatory (GRO). Included in the observatory were the Burst and Transient Source Experiment (BATSE), the Imaging Compton Telescope (COMPTEL), the Energetic Gamma Ray Experiment Telescope (EGRET), and the Oriented Scintillation Spectrometer Telescope (OSSEE).
Space Shuttle STS-37 Launch
Name of Image Space Shuttle STS-37 Launch
Date of Image 1991-04-05
Full Description Aboard the Space Shuttle Atlantis, the STS-37 mission launched April 5, 1991 from launch pad 39B at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, and landed back on Earth April 11, 1991. The 39th shuttle mission included crew members: Steven R. Nagel, commander, Kenneth D. Cameron, pilot, Jerry L,. Ross, mission specialist 1, Jay Apt, mission specialist 2, and Linda M. Godwin, mission specialist 3. The primary payload for the mission was the Gamma Ray Observatory (GRO). The GRO included the Burst and Transient Experiment (BATSE), the Imaging Compton Telescope (COMPTEL), the Energetic Gamma Ray Experiment Telescope (EGRET), and the Oriented Scintillation Spectrometer Experiment (OSSEE). Secondary payloads included Crew and Equipment Translation Aids (CETA), the Ascent Particle Monitor (APM), the Shuttle Amateur Radio Experiment II (SAREXII), the Protein Crystal Growth (PCG), the Bioserve Instrumentation Technology Associates Materials Dispersion Apparatus (BIMDA), Radiation Monitoring Equipment III (RMEIII), and Air Force Maui Optical Site (AMOS).
STS-39 Launch
Name of Image STS-39 Launch
Date of Image 1991-04-28
Full Description Launched aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery on April 28, 1991 at 7:33:14 am (EDT), STS-39 was a Department of Defense (DOD) mission. The crew included seven astronauts: Michael L. Coats, commander, L. Blaine Hammond, pilot, Guion S. Buford, Jr., mission specialist 1, Gregory J. Harbaugh, mission specialist 2, Richard J. Hieb, mission specialist 3, Donald R. McMonagle, mission specialist 4, and Charles L. Veach, mission specialist 5. The primary unclassified payload included the Air Force Program 675 (AFP-675), the Infrared Background Signature Survey (IBSS), and the Shuttle Pallet Satellite II (SPAS II).
STS-40 Launch
Name of Image STS-40 Launch
Date of Image 1991-06-05
Full Description Launched aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia on June 5, 1991 at 9:24, am (EDT), the STS-40 mission was the fifth dedicated Spacelab Mission, Spacelab Life Sciences-1 (SLS-1), and the first mission dedicated solely to life sciences. The STS-40 crew included 7 astronauts: Bryan D. O?Connor, commander, Sidney M. Gutierrez, pilot, F. Drew Gaffney, payload specialist 1, Milli-Hughes Fulford, payload specialist 2, James P. Bagian, mission specialist 1, Tamara E. Jernigan, mission specialist 2, and M. Rhea Seddon, mission specialist 3.
STS-39 Crew Portrait
Name of Image STS-39 Crew Portrait
Date of Image 1991-06-25
Full Description The STS-39 crew portrait includes 7 astronauts. Pictured are Charles L. Veach, mission specialist 5, Michael L. Coats, commander, Gregory J. Harbaugh, mission specialist 2, Donald R. McMonagle, mission specialist 4, L. Blaine Hammond, pilot, Richard J. Hieb, mission specialist 3, and Guion S. Buford, Jr., mission specialist 1. Launched aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery on April 28, 1991 at 7:33:14 am (EDT), STS-39 was a Department of Defense (DOD) mission. The primary unclassified payload included the Air Force Program 675 (AFP-675), the Infrared Background Signature Survey (IBSS), and the Shuttle Pallet Satellite II (SPAS II).
STS-40 Launch
Name of Image STS-40 Launch
Date of Image 1991-06-05
Full Description Launched aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia on June 5, 1991 at 9:24, am (EDT), the STS-40 mission was the fifth dedicated Spacelab Mission, Spacelab Life Sciences-1 (SLS-1), and the first mission dedicated solely to life sciences. The STS-40 crew included 7 astronauts: Bryan D. O?Connor, commander, Sidney M. Gutierrez, pilot, F. Drew Gaffney, payload specialist 1, Milli-Hughes Fulford, payload specialist 2, James P. Bagian, mission specialist 1, Tamara E. Jernigan, mission specialist 2, and M. Rhea Seddon, mission specialist 3.
STS-40 Launch
Name of Image STS-40 Launch
Date of Image 1991-06-05
Full Description Launched aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia on June 5, 1991 at 9:24, am (EDT), the STS-40 mission was the fifth dedicated Spacelab Mission, Spacelab Life Sciences-1 (SLS-1), and the first mission dedicated solely to life sciences. The STS-40 crew included 7 astronauts: Bryan D. O?Connor, commander, Sidney M. Gutierrez, pilot, F. Drew Gaffney, payload specialist 1, Milli-Hughes Fulford, payload specialist 2, James P. Bagian, mission specialist 1, Tamara E. Jernigan, mission specialist 2, and M. Rhea Seddon, mission specialist 3.
STS-43 Launch
Name of Image STS-43 Launch
Date of Image 1991-08-02
Full Description Launched aboard the Space Shuttle Atlantis on August 2, 1991, the STS-43 mission?s primary payload was the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite 5 (TDRS-5) attached to an Inertial Upper Stage (IUS), which became the 4th member of an orbiting TDRS cluster. The flight crew consisted of five astronauts: John E. Blaha, commander, Michael A. Baker, pilot, Shannon W. Lucid, mission specialist 1, James C. Adamson, mission specialist 2, and G. David Low, mission specialist 3.
STS-43 Launch
Name of Image STS-43 Launch
Date of Image 1991-08-02
Full Description Launched aboard the Space Shuttle Atlantis on August 2, 1991, the STS-43 mission?s primary payload was the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite 5 (TDRS-5) attached to an Inertial Upper Stage (IUS), which became the 4th member of an orbiting TDRS cluster. The flight crew consisted of 5 astronauts: John E. Blaha, commander, Michael A. Baker, pilot, Shannon W. Lucid, mission specialist 1, James C. Adamson, mission specialist 2, and G. David Low, mission specialist 3.
STS-43 Launch
Name of Image STS-43 Launch
Date of Image 1991-08-02
Full Description Launched aboard the Space Shuttle Atlantis on August 2, 1991, the STS-43 mission?s primary payload was the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite 5 (TDRS-5) attached to an Inertial Upper Stage (IUS), which became the 4th member of an orbiting TDRS cluster. The flight crew consisted of 5 astronauts: John E. Blaha, commander, Michael A. Baker, pilot, Shannon W. Lucid, mission specialist 1, James C. Adamson, mission specialist 2, and G. David Low, mission specialist 3.
STS-43 Onboard Photograph - …
Name of Image STS-43 Onboard Photograph - TDRS-E
Date of Image 1991-08-01
Full Description The free-flying Tracking and Data Relay Satellite-E (TDRS-E), still attached to an Inertial Upper Stage (IUS), was photographed by one of the crewmembers during the STS-43 mission. The TDRS-E was boosted by the IUS into geosynchronous orbit and positioned to remain stationary 22,400 miles above the Pacific Ocean southwest of Hawaii. The TDRS system provides almost uninterrupted communications with Earth-orbiting Shuttles and satellites, and had replaced the intermittent coverage provided by globe-encircling ground tracking stations used during the early space program. The TDRS can transmit and receive data, and track a user spacecraft in a low Earth orbit. The IUS is an unmarned transportation system designed to ferry payloads from low Earth orbit to higher orbits that are unattainable by the Shuttle. The Space Shuttle Orbiter Atlantis for the STS-43 mission was launched on August 2, 1991.
STS-43 Onboard Photograph - …
Name of Image STS-43 Onboard Photograph - TDRS-E
Date of Image 1991-08-01
Full Description The primary payload of the STS-43 mission, Tracking and Data Relay Satellite-E (TDRS-E) attached to an Inertial Upper Stage (IUS) was photographed at the moment of its release from the cargo bay of the Space Shuttle Orbiter Atlantis. The TDRS-E was boosted by the IUS into geosynchronous orbit and positioned to remain stationary 22,400 miles above the Pacific Ocean southwest of Hawaii. The TDRS system provides almost uninterrupted communications with Earth-orbiting Shuttles and satellites, and had replaced the intermittent coverage provided by globe-encircling ground tracking stations used during the early space program. The TDRS can transmit and receive data, and track a user spacecraft in a low Earth orbit. The IUS is an unmarned transportation system designed to ferry payloads from low Earth orbit to higher orbits that are unattainable by the Shuttle. The launch of STS-43 occurred on August 2, 1991.
STS-44 Crew Portrait
Name of Image STS-44 Crew Portrait
Date of Image 1991-10-02
Full Description The STS-44 crew portrait includes 6 astronauts. Pictured seated, from left to right, are Terence T. Hendricks, pilot, Frederick D. Gregory, commander, and F. Story Musgrave, mission specialist. Standing on the back row (left to right) are James S. Voss, mission specialist, Thomas J. Hennen, payload specialist, and Mario Runco, Jr., mission specialist. The 6 crew members launched aboard the Space Shuttle Atlantis on November 24, 1991 at 6:44:00 pm (EST). Dedicated to the Department of Defense (DOD), the mission?s primary unclassified payload was the Defense Support Program (DSP) satellite and attached Inertial Upper Stage (IUS).
STS-48 Onboard Photo: Upper …
Name of Image STS-48 Onboard Photo: Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS)
Date of Image 1991-09-12
Full Description This STS-48 onboard photo is of the Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS) in the grasp of the RMS (Remote Manipulator System) during deployment, September 1991. UARS gathers data related to the chemistry, dynamics, and energy of the ozone layer. UARS data is used to study energy input, stratospheric photo chemistry, and upper atmospheric circulation. UARS helps us understand and predict how the nitrogen and chlorine cycles, and the nitrous oxides and halo carbons which maintain them, relate to the ozone balance. It also observes diurnal variations in short-lived stratospheric chemical species important to ozone destruction. Data from UARS enables scientists to study ozone depletion in the upper atmosphere.
STS-48 Onboard Photo: Upper …
Name of Image STS-48 Onboard Photo: Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS)
Date of Image 1992-09-12
Full Description This STS-48 onboard photo is of the Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS) in the grasp of the RMS (Remote Manipulator System) during deployment, September 1991. UARS gathers data related to the chemistry, dynamics, and energy of the ozone layer. UARS data is used to study energy input, stratospheric photo chemistry, and upper atmospheric circulation. UARS helps us understand and predict how the nitrogen and chlorine cycles, and the nitrous oxides and halo carbons which maintain them, relate to the ozone balance. It also observes diurnal variations in short-lived stratospheric chemical species important to ozone destruction. Data from UARS enables scientists to study ozone depletion in the upper atmosphere.
Astronaut Sharnon Lucid in M …
Name of Image Astronaut Sharnon Lucid in Mir Space Station
Date of Image 1996-01-01
Full Description In this photograph, Astronaut Shannon W. Lucid, Ph.D., communicates with the ground support team inside the Core Module of the Mir Space Station. Launched aboard the STS-76, the third Shuttle/Mir docking mission, in March 1996, to join the Mir crew in the orbiting laboratory, Astronaut Lucid returned to Earth aboard STS-79 in September 1996. Astronaut Lucid made the U.S. longest record of 188 days in space. Prior to this endeavor, Astronaut Lucid served as a mission specialist on STS-51G in June 1985, STS-34 in October 1989, STS-43 in August 1991, and STS-58 in October 1993. She had logged 5,354 hours (223 days) in space and holds both an international record for the most flight hours in orbit by any non-Russian, and the record for the most flight hours in orbit by any woman in the world. In February 2002. Dr. Lucid was selected as NASA's Chief Scientist at NASA Headquarters in Washington D.C., with responsibility for developing and communicating the agency's science and research objectives to the outside world.
Aurora Australis
Name of Image Aurora Australis
Date of Image 1991-05-01
Full Description Red and Green colors predominate in this view of the Aurora Australis photographed from the Space Shuttle Discovery (STS-39) in May 1991 at the peak of the last geomagnetic maximum. The payload bay and tail of the shuttle can be seen on the left hand side of the picture. Auroras are caused when high-energy electrons pour down from the Earth's magnetosphere and collide with atoms. Red aurora occurs from 200 km to as high as 500 km altitude and is caused by the emission of 6300 Angstrom wavelength light from oxygen atoms. Green aurora occurs from about 100 km to 250 km altitude and is caused by the emission of 5577 Angstrom wavelength light from oxygen atoms. The light is emitted when the atoms return to their original unexcited state. At times of peaks in solar activity, there are more geomagnetic storms and this increases the auroral activity viewed on Earth and by astronauts from orbit.
Compton Gamma-Ray Observator …
Name of Image Compton Gamma-Ray Observatory
Date of Image 1991-04-01
Full Description This photograph shows the Compton Gamma-Ray Observatory (GRO) being deployed by the Remote Manipulator System (RMS) arm aboard the Space Shuttle Atlantis during the STS-37 mission in April 1991. The GRO reentered Earth atmosphere and ended its successful mission in June 2000. For nearly 9 years, the GRO Burst and Transient Source Experiment (BATSE), designed and built by the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC), kept an unblinking watch on the universe to alert scientists to the invisible, mysterious gamma-ray bursts that had puzzled them for decades. By studying gamma-rays from objects like black holes, pulsars, quasars, neutron stars, and other exotic objects, scientists could discover clues to the birth, evolution, and death of stars, galaxies, and the universe. The gamma-ray instrument was one of four major science instruments aboard the Compton. It consisted of eight detectors, or modules, located at each corner of the rectangular satellite to simultaneously scan the entire universe for bursts of gamma-rays ranging in duration from fractions of a second to minutes. In January 1999, the instrument, via the Internet, cued a computer-controlled telescope at Las Alamos National Laboratory in Los Alamos, New Mexico, within 20 seconds of registering a burst. With this capability, the gamma-ray experiment came to serve as a gamma-ray burst alert for the Hubble Space Telescope, the Chandra X-Ray Observatory, and major gound-based observatories around the world. Thirty-seven universities, observatories, and NASA centers in 19 states, and 11 more institutions in Europe and Russia, participated in the BATSE science program.
Dr. Gerald Fishman Working o …
Name of Image Dr. Gerald Fishman Working on the Burst and Transient Source Experiment (BATSE)
Date of Image 1991-01-01
Full Description In this photograph, Dr. Gerald Fishman of the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC), a principal investigator of the Compton Gamma-Ray Observatory's (GRO's) instrument, the Burst and Transient Source Experiment (BATSE), works on the BATSE detector module. For nearly 9 years, GRO's BATSE, designed and built by MSFC, kept an unblinking watch on the universe to alert scientist to the invisible, mysterious gamma-ray bursts. By studying gamma-rays from objects like black holes, pulsars, quasars, neutron stars, and other exotic objects, scientists could discover clues to the birth, evolution, and death of star, galaxies, and the universe. The gamma-ray instrument was one of four major science instruments aboard the Compton. It consisted of eight detectors, or modules, located at each corner of the rectangular satellite to simultaneously scan the entire universe for bursts of gamma-rays ranging in duration from fractions of a second to minutes. Because gamma-rays are so powerful, they pass through conventional telescope mirrors. Instead of a mirror, the heart of each BATSE module was a large, flat, transparent crystal that generated a tiny flash of light when struck by a gamma-ray. With an impressive list of discoveries and diverse accomplishments, BATSE could claim to have rewritten astronomy textbooks. Launched aboard the Space Shuttle Orbiter Atlantis during the STS-35 mission in April 1991, the GRO reentered the Earth's atmosphere and ended its successful 9-year mission in June 2000.
Compton Gamma-Ray Observator …
Name of Image Compton Gamma-Ray Observatory
Date of Image 1991-04-01
Full Description This photograph shows the Compton Gamma-Ray Observatory being released from the Remote Manipulator System (RMS) arm aboard the Space Shuttle Atlantis during the STS-35 mission in April 1991. The GRO reentered the Earth's atmosphere and ended its successful mission in June 2000. For nearly 9 years, GRO's Burst and Transient Source Experiment (BATSE), designed and built by the Marshall Space Flight Center, kept an unblinking watch on the universe to alert scientist to the invisible, mysterious gamma-ray bursts that had puzzled them for decades. By studying gamma-rays from objects like black holes, pulsars, quasars, neutron stars, and other exotic objects, scientists could discover clues to the birth, evolution, and death of star, galaxies, and the universe. The gamma-ray instrument was one of four major science instruments aboard the Compton. It consisted of eight detectors, or modules, located at each corner of the rectangular satellite to simultaneously scan the entire universe for bursts of gamma-rays ranging in duration from fractions of a second to minutes. In January 1999, the instrument, via the Internet, cued a computer-controlled telescope at Las Alamos National Laboratory in Los Alamos, New Mexico, within 20 seconds of registering a burst. With this capability, the gamma-ray experiment came to serve as a gamma-ray burst alert for the Hubble Space Telescope, the Chandra X-Ray Observatory, and major gound-based observatories around the world. Thirty-seven universities, observatories, and NASA centers in 19 states, and 11 more institutions in Europe and Russia, participated in BATSE's science program.
Dr. Fishman Reviewing Data F …
Name of Image Dr. Fishman Reviewing Data From the Burst and Transient Source Experiment (BATSE)
Date of Image 1996-01-01
Full Description In this photograph, Dr. Gerald Fishman of the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC), a principal investigator of the Compton Gamma-Ray Observatory's (GRO's) instrument, the Burst and Transient Source Experiment (BATSE), and Dr. Chryssa Kouveliotou of Universities Space Research Associates review data from the BATSE. For nearly 9 years, GRO's Burst and Transient Source Experiment (BATSE), designed and built by the Marshall Space Flight Center, kept a blinking watch on the universe to alert scientist to the invisible, mysterious gamma-ray bursts. By studying gamma-rays from objects like black holes, pulsars, quasars, neutron stars, and other exotic objects, scientists could discover clues to the birth, evolution, and death of stars, galaxies, and the universe. The gamma-ray instrument was one of four major science instruments aboard the Compton. It consisted of eight detectors, or modules, located at each corner of the rectangular satellite to simultaneously scan the entire universe for bursts of gamma-rays ranging in duration from fractions of a second to minutes. Because gamma-rays are so powerful, they pass through conventional telescope mirrors. Instead of a mirror, the heart of each BATSE module was a large, flat, transparent crystal that generated a tiny flash of light when struck by a gamma-ray. With an impressive list of discoveries and diverse accomplishments, BATSE could claim to have rewritten astronomy textbooks. Launched aboard the Space Shuttle Orbiter Atlantis during the STS-35 mission in April 1991, the GRO reentered the Earth's atmosphere and ended its successful 9-year mission in June 2000.
The Compton Gamma Ray Observ …
Title The Compton Gamma Ray Observatory
Explanation The Compton Gamma Ray Observatory [ http://cossc.gsfc.nasa.gov/cossc/descriptions/cgro.html ] (CGRO) was the most massive instrument ever launched by a NASA Space Shuttle [ http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/shuttle/index.html ] in 1991 and continues to revolutionize gamma-ray astronomy [ http://cossc.gsfc.nasa.gov/gamma/gamma.html ]. Before Compton loses more stabilizing gyroscopes, NASA is considering [ http://cnn.com/2000/TECH/space/01/14/satellite.deorbit/index.html ] firing onboard rockets to bring it on a controlled reentry into the ocean. This orbiting observatory sees the sky in gamma-ray photons [ http://cossc.gsfc.nasa.gov/cossc/descriptions/espec1.html ] - light so blue humans can't see it. These photons are blocked by the Earth's atmosphere from reaching the Earth's surface. Results from CGRO, pictured above [ http://images.jsc.nasa.gov/images/pao/STS37/10064038.htm ], have shown the entire universe to be a violent and rapidly changing place - when viewed in gamma-rays. Astronomers using CGRO data continue to make monumental discoveries [ http://adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-abs_connect?&text=CGRO&query_type=PAPERS ], including identifying mysterious gamma-ray bursts [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/cossc/apod_search?gamma+ray+burst ] that uniquely illuminate the early universe, discovery of a whole new class of QSOs [ http://cossc.gsfc.nasa.gov/cossc/descriptions/egret_blazars.html ], and discovery of objects so strange [ http://cossc.gsfc.nasa.gov/cossc/descriptions/egret_src.html ] that astronomers can't yet figure out what they are.
STS-1: First Shuttle Launch
Title STS-1: First Shuttle Launch
Explanation On April 12, 1981, twenty years ago today, the Space Shuttle Columbia [ http://science.ksc.nasa.gov/shuttle/resources/orbiters/ columbia.html ] became the first shuttle [ http://www-pao.ksc.nasa.gov/kscpao/shuttle/missions/ sts-1/mission-sts-1.html ] to orbit the Earth. In this gorgeous time exposure [ http://www-pao.ksc.nasa.gov/kscpao/captions/bestofthebest/ ksc-81pc-0136.htm ], flood lights play on the Columbia and service structures (left) as it rests atop Complex 39's [ http://www-pao.ksc.nasa.gov/kscpao/nasafact/ padstoc.htm ] Pad A at Kennedy Space Center in preparation for first launch. Flown by [ http://science.ksc.nasa.gov/shuttle/technology/sts-newsref/ stsref-toc.html ] Commander John W. Young and Pilot Robert L. Crippen, Columbia spent 2 days aloft on its check-out mission, STS-1 [ http://history.nasa.gov/sts1/index.html ], which ended in a smooth landing, airplane-style, at Edwards Air Force Base [ http://www.dfrc.nasa.gov/PAO/PressReleases/ 2001/01-21.html ] in California. Ferried back to Kennedy by a modified Boeing 747 [ http://www.dfrc.nasa.gov/PAO/PAIS/HTML/ FS-013-DFRC.html ], Columbia was launched again seven months later on STS-2 [ http://science.ksc.nasa.gov/shuttle/missions/sts-2/ mission-sts-2.html ], becoming the first piloted reuseable orbiter. The oldest operating shuttle, Columbia's 1981 debut was followed by shuttles Challenger [ http://science.ksc.nasa.gov/shuttle/resources/orbiters/ challenger.html ] in 1982 (destroyed [ http://science.ksc.nasa.gov/shuttle/missions/51-l/ mission-51-l.html ] in 1986), Discovery [ http://science.ksc.nasa.gov/shuttle/resources/orbiters/ discovery.html ] in 1983, Atlantis [ http://science.ksc.nasa.gov/shuttle/resources/orbiters/ atlantis.html ] in 1985, and Challenger's replacement Endeavour [ http://science.ksc.nasa.gov/shuttle/resources/orbiters/ endeavour.html ] in 1991. This shuttle fleet has now accomplished [ http://www.spaceflight.nasa.gov/shuttle/ ] over 100 orbital missions. Today also marks the 40th anniversary [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap960412.html ] of the first human in space, Yuri Gagarin [ http://starchild.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/StarChild/space_level2/ gagarin.html ].
Releasing Compton
Title Releasing Compton
Explanation Named for Nobel laureate physicist Arthur Holly Compton [ http://cossc.gsfc.nasa.gov/cossc/descriptions/theman.html ], the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory (CGRO) [ http://cossc.gsfc.nasa.gov/cossc/descriptions/cgro.html ] Satellite was launched in April of 1991 aboard the Space Shuttle Atlantis [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap950812.html ]. CGRO's mission is to explore the Universe at gamma-ray energies. The massive space based observatory is seen here held upright in the shuttle payload bay behind smiling astronaut Jerry Ross [ http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/ross.html ]. Ross and his colleague Jay Apt [ http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/apt.html ] have just finished a successful, unplanned spacewalk to free a jammed antenna prior to releasing CGRO into orbit. CGRO has been operating successfully since, providing the first all-sky survey at gamma-ray energies [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap950623.html ] along with exciting new observations of the sun [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap951025.html ], quasars [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap951023.html ], pulsars [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap950624.html ], supernova [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap951029.html ], black holes [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap951127.html ], and gamma-ray bursts [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap950827.html ].
Southern Lights and Shuttle …
Title Southern Lights and Shuttle Glow
Explanation A background of distant stars, sinuous and spiky bands of Southern Lights (Aurora Australis) [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap951114.html ], and the faint glow of charged plasma (ionized atomic gas) surrounding the Space Shuttle Discovery's engines [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap960101.html ] give this photo from the STS-39 mission an eerie, otherworldly look. This image [ http://images.jsc.nasa.gov/images/pao/STS39/10064171.htm ] reflects Discovery's April 1991 mission well - its payload bay (PLB) was filled with instruments designed [ http://images.jsc.nasa.gov/images/pao/STS39/10064159.htm ] to study celestial objects, aurora and atmospheric phenomena, and the low Earth orbit environment around the PLB itself. The aurora [ http://www.geo.mtu.edu/weather/aurora/ ] seen here are at a height of about 50-80 miles and caused by charged particles in the solar wind [ http://www-spof.gsfc.nasa.gov/Education/Intro.html ], channeled through the van Allen Radiation Belts [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap960210.html ] which excite atoms of oxygen in the upper atmosphere.
Southern Lights and Shuttle …
Title Southern Lights and Shuttle Glow
Explanation A background of distant stars, sinuous and spiky bands of Southern Lights (Aurora Australis) [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap970126.html ], and the faint glow of charged plasma (ionized atomic gas [ http://www-spof.gsfc.nasa.gov/Education/Ielect.html ]) surrounding the Space Shuttle Discovery's engines [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap960101.html ] give this photo from the STS-39 mission an eerie, otherworldly look. This image [ http://images.jsc.nasa.gov/images/pao/STS39/10064171.htm ] reflects Discovery's April 1991 mission well - its payload bay (PLB) was filled with instruments designed [ http://images.jsc.nasa.gov/images/pao/STS39/10064159.htm ] to study celestial objects, aurora and atmospheric phenomena, and the low Earth orbit environment around the PLB itself. The aurora [ http://www.geo.mtu.edu/weather/aurora/ ] seen here are at a height of about 50-80 miles. Aurora are caused by charged particles in the solar wind [ http://www-spof.gsfc.nasa.gov/Education/Intro.html ], channeled through the Earth's magnetic field [ http://www-spof.gsfc.nasa.gov/Education/Imagnet.html ] which excite molecules in the upper atmosphere.
Official portrait of 1990 as …
Title Official portrait of 1990 astronaut candidate Bernard A. Harris, Jr.
Description Official portrait of 1990 astronaut candidate Bernard A. Harris, Jr. Harris, a M.D. and a member of Astronaut Class 13, wears an orange launch and entry suit (LES) with the launch and entry helmet (LEH) displayed on table in front of him and the United States flag and space shuttle orbiter model in the background.
Date 09.13.1991
Official portrait of Albert …
Title Official portrait of Albert Sacco, Jr., STS-50 backup payload specialist
Description Official portrait of Albert Sacco, Jr, STS-50 United States Microgravity Laboratory 1 (USML-1) backup payload specialist, wearing navy blue flight suit with US flag and space shuttle model in the background.
Date 08.23.1991
Official portrait of astrona …
Title Official portrait of astronaut Charles J. Precourt
Description Official portrait of astronaut Charles J. Precourt. Precourt, a member of Astronaut Class 13 and United States Air Force (USAF), wears blue flight suit and poses with space shuttle orbiter model with a United States flag creating the backdrop.
Date 04.03.1991
Official portrait of STS-50 …
Title Official portrait of STS-50 USML payload specialist Eugene H. Trinh
Description Official portrait of STS-50 Columbia, Orbiter Vehicle (OV) 102, United States Microgravity Laboratory (USML)-01 payload specialist Dr. Eugene H. Trinh in blue flight suit with US flag and space shuttle model in the background.
Date 09.11.1991
Pegasus Mated to B-52 Mother …
Title Pegasus Mated to B-52 Mothership - Front View
Description NASA's B-52 launch aircraft takes off with the second Pegasus vehicle under its wing from the Dryden Flight Research Facility (now the Dryden Flight Research Center), Edwards, California. NASA B-52, Tail Number 008, is an air launch carrier aircraft, "mothership," as well as a research aircraft platform that has been used on a variety of research projects. The aircraft, a "B" model built in 1952 and first flown on June 11, 1955, is the oldest B-52 in flying status and has been used on some of the most significant research projects in aerospace history. Some of the significant projects supported by B-52 008 include the X-15, the lifting bodies, HiMAT (highly maneuverable aircraft technology), Pegasus, validation of parachute systems developed for the space shuttle program (solid-rocket-booster recovery system and the orbiter drag chute system), and the X-38. The B-52 served as the launch vehicle on 106 X-15 flights and flew a total of 159 captive-carry and launch missions in support of that program from June 1959 to October 1968. Information gained from the highly successful X-15 program contributed to the Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo human spaceflight programs as well as space shuttle development. Between 1966 and 1975, the B-52 served as the launch aircraft for 127 of the 144 wingless lifting body flights. In the 1970s and 1980s, the B-52 was the launch aircraft for several aircraft at what is now the Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, California, to study spin-stall, high-angle-of attack, and maneuvering characteristics. These included the 3/8-scale F-15/spin research vehicle (SRV), the HiMAT (Highly Maneuverable Aircraft Technology) research vehicle, and the DAST (drones for aerodynamic and structural testing). The aircraft supported the development of parachute recovery systems used to recover the space shuttle solid rocket booster casings. It also supported eight orbiter (space shuttle) drag chute tests in 1990. In addition, the B-52 served as the air launch platform for the first six Pegasus space boosters. During its many years of service, the B-52 has undergone several modifications. The first major modification was made by North American Aviation (now part of Boeing) in support of the X-15 program. This involved creating a launch-panel-operator station for monitoring the status of the test vehicle being carried, cutting a large notch in the right inboard wing flap to accommodate the vertical tail of the X-15 aircraft, and installing a wing pylon that enables the B-52 to carry research vehicles and test articles to be air-launched/dropped. Located on the right wing, between the inboard engine pylon and the fuselage, this wing pylon was subjected to extensive testing prior to its use. For each test vehicle the B-52 carried, minor changes were made to the launch-panel operator's station. Built originally by the Boeing Company, the NASA B-52 is powered by eight Pratt & Whitney J57-19 turbojet engines, each of which produce 12,000 pounds, of thrust. The aircraft's normal launch speed has been Mach 0.8 (about 530 miles per hour) and its normal drop altitude has been 40,000 to 45,000 feet. It is 156 feet long and has a wing span of 185 feet. The heaviest load it has carried was the No. 2 X-15 aircraft at 53,100 pounds. Project manager for the aircraft is Roy Bryant.
Date 07.01.1991
Richard A. Searfoss
Title Richard A. Searfoss
Description Richard A. Searfoss became a research pilot in the Flight Crew Branch of NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, Calif., in July 2001. He brought to Dryden more than 5,000 hours of military flying time and 939 hours in space. Searfoss served in the U.S. Air Force for more than 20 years, retiring with the rank of colonel. Following graduation in 1980 from Undergraduate Pilot Training at Williams Air Force Base, Ariz., Searfoss flew F-111s at RAF Lakenheath, England, and Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho. In 1988 he attended the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School, Patuxent River, Md., as a U.S. Air Force exchange officer. He was an instructor pilot at the U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School, Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., when selected for the astronaut program in January 1990. Searfoss became an astronaut in July 1991. A veteran of three space flights, Searfoss has logged 39 days in space. He served as STS-58 pilot on the seven-person life science research mission aboard Space Shuttle Columbia, launching from NASA's Kennedy Space Center, Fla., on Oct. 18, 1993, and landing at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., on Nov. 1, 1993. The crew performed a number of medical experiments on themselves and 48 rats, expanding knowledge of human and animal physiology. Searfoss flew his second mission as pilot of STS-76 aboard the Space Shuttle Atlantis. During this nine-day mission, which launched March 22, 1996, the crew preformed the third docking of an American spacecraft with the Russian space station Mir. The crew transported to Mir nearly two tons of water, food, supplies, and scientific equipment, as well as U.S. Astronaut Shannon Lucid to begin her six-month stay in space. Completing 145 orbits, STS-76 landed at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., on March 31, 1996. Searfoss commanded a seven-person crew on the STS-90 Neurolab mission launched on April 17, 1998. The crew served as both experiment subjects and operators for life science experiments focusing on the effects of microgravity on the brain and nervous system. STS-90 was the last and most complex of the 25 Spacelab missions. Completed in 256 orbits, STS-90 landed at Kennedy Space Center, Fla., on May 3, 1998. Searfoss is a 1978 graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy with a bachelor of science degree in aeronautical engineering. He earned a master of science degree in aeronautics from the California Institute of Technology on a National Science Foundation Fellowship in 1979. He holds FAA Airline Transport Pilot, glider and flight instructor ratings.
Date 07.31.2001
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