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Preparing for the Journey Ho …
Space shuttle Atlantis is sh …
5/28/09
Description Space shuttle Atlantis is shown suspended from a sling in the Mate-DeMate Device at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center during preparations for its ferry...
Date 5/28/09
Preparing for the Journey Ho …
Space shuttle Atlantis is sh …
5/28/09
Description Space shuttle Atlantis is shown suspended from a sling in the Mate-DeMate Device at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center during preparations for its ferry...
Date 5/28/09
X-38
One of NASA's three X-38 Cre …
11/4/09
Description One of NASA's three X-38 Crew Return Vehicle technology demonstrators that flew at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., a decade ago has found a new home in America's heartland. In this image from test flights in 1999, the X-38 research vehicle drops away from NASA's B-52 mothership immediately after being released from the B-52's wing pylon. More than 30 years earlier, this same B-52 launched the original lifting-body vehicles flight tested by NASA and the Air Force at what is now called the Dryden Flight Research Center and the Air Force Flight Test Center. The wingless lifting body craft was transferred this past weekend from NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston to the Strategic Air and Space Museum, located just off Interstate 80 at Ashland, Neb., about 20 miles southeast of Omaha. The X-38 adds to the museum's growing collection of aerospace vehicles and other historical artifacts. The move of the second X-38 built to the museum has a fitting connection, as the X-38 vehicles were air-launched from NASA's famous B-52B 008 mothership. The B-52 bomber served as the backbone of the Air Force's Strategic Air Command during the command's history. Prior to cancellation, the X-38 program was developing the technology for proposed vehicles that could return up to seven International Space Station crewmembers to Earth in case of an emergency. These vehicles would have been carried to the space station in the cargo bay of a space shuttle and attached to station docking ports. If an emergency arose that forced the ISS crew to leave the space station, a Crew Return Vehicle would have undocked and returned them to Earth much like the space shuttle, although the vehicle would have deployed a parafoil for the final descent and landing. Photo Credit: NASA/Carla Thomas
Date 11/4/09
Preparing for the Voyage Hom …
Members of the STS-128 missi …
9/14/09
Description Members of the STS-128 mission crew line up behind Space Shuttle Discovery and the Mate DeMate Device at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center prior to their departure. From left are Jose Hernandez, Kevin Ford, Christer Fuglesang, Rick Sturckow, Danny Olivas and Patrick Forrester. Discovery landed Sept. 11, 2009, at Edwards Air Force Base after an almost 14-day mission to the International Space Station. Image Credit: NASA/Jim Ross
Date 9/14/09
F-15B #836 Research Testbed
Project Description Before t …
9/23/08
Description Project Description Before the Space Shuttle could safely return to flight, engineers needed data on how insulating foam debris or "divots" behaved when these small pieces were shed from the Shuttle's external fuel tank during launch. NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center conducted a series of flight tests of the divots as part of the Return to Flight team effort. The Lifting Insulating Foam Trajectory (LIFT) flight test series at Dryden used the center's F-15B Research Testbed aircraft to test these "divots" in a real flight environment at speeds up to about Mach 2, or twice the speed of sound. Small-scale divoting occurs when the adhesive on the external tank thermal protection system (TPS) foam fails. This occurs as a result of decreasing atmospheric pressure combined with increased heating during Shuttle ascent causing air trapped beneath the TPS to expand. Objectives of the LIFT flight tests on the F-15B included determining divot structural survivability and stability in flight and quantifying divot trajectories using videography. The flight data of divot trajectories could also be used for Computational Fluid Dynamic code validation. NASA's Space Shuttle Systems Engineering and Integration office at the Johnson Space Center (JSC) in Houston, Texas, funded the LIFT flight tests at NASA Dryden as part of the Space Shuttle Return-to-Flight effort. The LIFT flight test required two new capabilities: an in-flight foam divot ejection system, and a high-speed video system to track and record the trajectories of the divots in flight. Both capabilities were developed by Dryden engineers in just over two months. Dryden's LIFT team designed, fabricated, and ground-tested four different divot ejection systems, completing 70 ground tests to determine and refine the best approach. NASA Dryden engineers also designed and procured the very high-speed digital video equipment, including development of a system to synchronize the cameras with the divot ejection system. In addition, they developed videography analysis techniques in order to quantify divot trajectories. Photo Description Two panels of Space Shuttle TPS insulation were mounted on the flight test fixture underneath NASA's F-15B during the Lifting Foam Trajectory flight test series. February 16, 2005 Nasa Photo / Jim Ross EC05-0030-12
Date 9/23/08
F-15B #836 Research Testbed
Project Description NASA's D …
9/23/08
Description Project Description NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base, California, conducted a series of flights with the center's F-15B Research Testbed aircraft in support of Space Shuttle Return-to-Flight engineering efforts. The Shuttle Return to Flight team requested data on the structural survivability of external tank insulating foam debris or "divots" that are shed from the tank during a Shuttle launch. The Lifting Insulating Foam Trajectory (LIFT) flight test series used NASA's F-15B to test these ÔøΩÔøΩ_ÔøΩ__divotsÔøΩÔøΩ_ÔøΩ__ in a real flight environment at speeds up to about Mach 2. Small-scale divoting, commonly called popcorning, results from adhesive strength failure of external tank thermal protection system (TPS) foam brought about by decreasing atmospheric pressure combined with increased heating during Shuttle ascent. According to LIFT project manager Stephen Corda, objectives of the flight tests on the F-15B included determining divot structural survivability in a flight environment, assessing divot stability, quantifying divot trajectories using videography, and providing flight verification of debris tracking systems to be used for Shuttle launches. "We're using the unique capabilities of the supersonic F-15B aircraft and the aerodynamic flight test fixture to provide a means to eject these debris or divots from the fixture, and then photograph them with a high speed digital video system, where we're able to video these divots in flight at up to 10,000 frames per second," Corda noted. The debris tracking systems were verified using the F-15B as a surrogate Space Shuttle while the aircraft ejects TPS foam divots. These tracking systems included a Weibel Doppler radar and a high-definition video system aboard a NASA WB-57 aircraft. NASA' s Space Shuttle Systems Engineering and Integration office at the Johnson Space Center (JSC) in Houston, Texas, funded the LIFT flight tests at NASA Dryden as part of the STS-114 Return-to-Flight effort. JSC aeroscience engineer Ricardo Machin said the current LIFT flight tests will help them validate the models that they use for debris transport analysis. "In particular, it's going to help us understand whether the divots break up once they come off the external tank, and secondly whether they will trim and begin to fly, or if they'll tumble. The difference between trimming and flying makes a huge difference ÔøΩÔøΩ_ÔøΩ__ the amount of kinetic energy that this piece of debris can impart to the shuttle," Machin said. The LIFT flight test requires two new capabilities: an in-flight foam divot ejection system, and a high-speed video system to track and record the trajectories of the divots in flight. Both capabilities were developed by Dryden engineers. Dryden's LIFT team designed, fabricated, and ground-tested four different divot ejection systems, completing 70 ground tests to determine and refine the best approach. NASA Dryden engineers designed and procured the very high-speed digital video equipment, including development of a system to synchronize the cameras with the divot ejection system. In addition, they developed videography analysis techniques in order to quantify divot trajectories. The Dryden team completed the design and ground tests of these systems over a compact 2 1/2-month period. Photo Description A close-up of the panels on the F-15B's flight test fixture shows five divots of TPS foam were successfully ejected during the LIFT experiment. February 16, 2005 Nasa Photo / Tony Landis EC05-0030-03
Date 9/23/08
Shuttle Columbia in the Mate …
The Space Shuttle Columbia c …
10/9/08
Description The Space Shuttle Columbia can be seen in the post-flight processing facility known as the MDD (Mate-Demate Device) at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center, CA, in this aerial view taken shortly after completing its first orbital mission with a landing at Edwards Air Force Base. April, 1981 NASA / Photo ECN-14962
Date 10/9/08
NASA's Crew Transport Vehicl …
NASA's Crew Transport Vehicl …
10/9/08
Description NASA's Crew Transport Vehicle, or CTV, pulls up to the Space Shuttle Discovery to offload the crew after a successful landing August 9, 2005 at Edwards Air Force Base, California. The landing marked the end of the STS-114 mission. Space Shuttle Discovery landed safely at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base in California at 5:11:22 a.m. PDT this morning, following the very successful 14-day STS-114 return to flight mission. During their two weeks in space, Commander Eileen Collins and her six crewmates tested out new safety procedures and delivered supplies and equipment the International Space Station. August 9, 2005 NASA / Photo Carla Thomas ED05-0166-05
Date 10/9/08
Shuttle Discovery Rests on t …
The sun rises on the Space S …
10/9/08
Description The sun rises on the Space Shuttle Discovery as it rests on the runway at Edwards Air Force Base, California, after a safe landing August 9, 2005 to complete the STS-114 mission. Space Shuttle Discovery landed safely at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base in California at 5:11:22 a.m. PDT this morning, following the very successful 14-day STS-114 return to flight mission. During their two weeks in space, Commander Eileen Collins and her six crewmates tested out new safety procedures and delivered supplies and equipment the International Space Station. August 9, 2005 NASA / Photo Carla Thomas ED05-0166-06
Date 10/9/08
Shuttle Discovery on the Run …
The sun rises on the Space S …
10/9/08
Description The sun rises on the Space Shuttle Discovery as it rests on the runway at Edwards Air Force Base, California, after a safe landing August 9, 2005 to complete the STS-114 mission. Space Shuttle Discovery landed safely at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base in California at 5:11:22 a.m. PDT this morning, following the very successful 14-day STS-114 return to flight mission. During their two weeks in space, Commander Eileen Collins and her six crewmates tested out new safety procedures and delivered supplies and equipment the International Space Station. Discovery spent two weeks in space, where the crew demonstrated new methods to inspect and repair the Shuttle in orbit. The crew also delivered supplies, outfitted and performed maintenance on the International Space Station. A number of these tasks were conducted during three spacewalks. August 9, 2005 NASA / Photo Carla Thomasa ED05-0166-07
Date 10/9/08
Shuttle Discovery, with reco …
Space Shuttle Discovery, acc …
10/9/08
Description Space Shuttle Discovery, accompanied by a convoy of recovery vehicles, is towed up the taxiway at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base, California, following its landing on August 9, 2005. Space Shuttle Discovery landed safely at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base in California at 5:11:22 a.m. PDT this morning, following the very successful 14-day STS-114 return to flight mission. During their two weeks in space, Commander Eileen Collins and her six crewmates tested out new safety procedures and delivered supplies and equipment the International Space Station. Discovery spent two weeks in space, where the crew demonstrated new methods to inspect and repair the Shuttle in orbit. The crew also delivered supplies, outfitted and performed maintenance on the International Space Station. A number of these tasks were conducted during three spacewalks. August 9,2005 NASA /Photo Tom Tschida ED05-0166-11
Date 10/9/08
STS-125
ED09-0127-099 Space Shuttle …
6/1/09
Description ED09-0127-099 Space Shuttle Atlantis is carried by one of NASA's modified 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft over California's high desert after leaving NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base on a ferry flight back to the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. June 1, 2009 NASA Photo / Jim Ross
Date 6/1/09
STS-125
ED09-0127-110 Southern Calif …
6/1/09
Description ED09-0127-110 Southern California's high desert provides the backdrop as one of NASA's two modified 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft ferries Space Shuttle Atlantis back to the Kennedy Space Center after departing NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base. Atlantis had landed at Edwards to conclude shuttle mission STS-125, the final servicing mission of the Hubble Space Telescope. June 1, 2009 NASA Photo / Jim Ross
Date 6/1/09
STS-126
Puffy pink clouds form a can …
12/8/08
Description Puffy pink clouds form a canopy over the Space Shuttle Endeavour as processing continues in the Mate-Demate Device at NASA Dryden Flight Research Center in preparation for its ferry flight back to the Kennedy Space Center. &#8250, Read STS-126 Status Report December 7, 2008 NASA Photo / Tom Tschida ED08-0306-86
Date 12/8/08
STS-126
Technicians fasten down the …
12/11/08
Description Technicians fasten down the flanges of the aerodynamic tail cone after installation on NASA's Space Shuttle Endeavour prior to its ferry flight from NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center to NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. &#8250, Read STS-126 Status Report December 8, 2008 NASA Photo / Tony Landis ED08-0306-91
Date 12/11/08
STS-117
ED07-0137-18 The Space Shutt …
7/1/09
Description ED07-0137-18 The Space Shuttle Atlantis receives post-flight servicing in the Mate-Demate Device (MDD) at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, Calif. NASA Photo / Tom Tschida June 23, 2007
Date 7/1/09
STS-126
Under soggy skies on a Sunda …
12/8/08
Description Under soggy skies on a Sunday morning, the Space Shuttle Endeavour is encased in the Mate-DeMate gantry during turnaround processing at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center following its STS-126 landing at Edwards Air Force Base a week earlier. Read STS-126 Status Report December 7, 2008 NASA Photo / Tom Tschida ED08-0306-84
Date 12/8/08
STS-117
ED07-0137-20 The Space Shutt …
7/1/09
Description ED07-0137-20 The Space Shuttle Atlantis receives post-flight servicing in the Mate-Demate Device (MDD) at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, Calif. NASA Photo / Carla Thomas June 23, 2007
Date 7/1/09
STS-128
ED09-0253-09 Members of the …
9/12/09
Description ED09-0253-09 Members of the STS-128 mission crew line up behind Space Shuttle Discovery in front of the Mate DeMate Device at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center prior to their departure. From left are Jose Hernandez, Kevin Ford, Christer Fuglesang, Rick Sturckow, Danny Olivas and Patrick Forrester. Not pictured- Tim Kopra). Discovery had landed the preceding evening at Edwards Air Force Base after an almost 14-day mission to the International Space Station. September 12, 2009 NASA photo / Jim Ross
Date 9/12/09
STS-128
ED09-0253-13 Mission special …
9/12/09
Description ED09-0253-13 Mission specialist Jose Hernandez waves as Space Shuttle Discovery's crew board a Gulfstream II Shuttle Training Aircraft for the trip back to Houston from NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base. Discovery had landed at Edwards the preceding evening to conclude mission STS-128 to the International Space Station. September 12, 2009 NASA photo / Jim Ross
Date 9/12/09
STS-128
ED09-0253-15 The Space Shutt …
9/14/09
Description ED09-0253-15 The Space Shuttle Discovery is parked within the Mate-Demate Device gantry at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center prior to beginning turnaround processing for its ferry flight back to the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Discoloration on Discovery's reinforced carbon-carbon nose cap gives evidence of the extreme heating it encountered during re-entry into the Earth's atmosphere prior to landing Sept. 11. September 12, 2009 NASA Photo / Tony Landis
Date 9/14/09
NASA TV's This Week @NASA, M …
With a green light from NASA …
05/07/10
Description With a green light from NASA managers, space shuttle Atlantis and its six-member STS-132 crew is ready to fly May 14.*The first test of the fully integrated Launch Abort System for the Orion crew vehicle was successfully completed at the White Sands Missile Range on May 6.* Guenter Wendt, the first pad leader for NASA's manned space program, died at his home in Merritt Island, Fla., following hospitalization for congestive heart failure and subsequent stroke.* NASA's Terra and Aqua satellites continue to help the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration keep an eye on the recent Gulf oil spill.* At the Dryden Flight Research Center, the newly-dubbed Full-scale Advanced Systems Testbed, or FAST aircraft, has begun flights to demonstrate the workings of its Research Flight Control System.* The team that operates the NASA rovers already on Mars, Spirit and Opportunity, was honored by the Space Ops Organization with its 2010 Award for Outstanding Achievement.* For the second consecutive year, the nasa.gov Website was honored with a People's Voice award in the Government category by the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences in its annual Webby Awards competition.* The Rockets to Race Car exhibit has a few more pit stops to make this spring, including the Darlington Raceway, the Charlotte Motor Speedway, and the Kentucky Speedway.
Date 05/07/10
NASA TV's This Week @NASA, M …
** SHUTTLE UPDATE – KSC: As …
03/12/2010
Description ** SHUTTLE UPDATE – KSC: As space shuttle Discovery waits at launch pad 39A for its liftoff from the Kennedy Space Center, the STS-131 crew continues to ready itself for its upcoming mission to the International Space Station. Commander Alan Poindexter and his international team of astronauts will deliver science racks for use in the station's laboratories. ... Mission specialists Rick Mastracchio and Clay Anderson are scheduled to perform three, six-and-one-half-hour spacewalks to replace, retrieve and switch out various elements outside the orbiting complex. For Mastracchio, this'll be his third shuttle mission and second series of spacewalks. ... Rounding out the STS-131 crew is pilot Jim Dutton, and Mission Specialists Dorothy Metcalf-Lindenburger, Stephanie Wilson and Naoko Yamazaki of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency. Discovery's launch is targeted for the morning of April 5. ** HUBBLE 3-D – HQ: The final space shuttle mission to repair and upgrade the Hubble Space Telescope is the subject of a new IMAX film. ''Hubble 3-D'' was premiered during a special event held at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington. The movie features the NASA astronauts from STS-125 who serviced Hubble in May 2009, an IMAX 3D camera mounted in space shuttle Atlantis' payload bay filmed their progress. ** TECH TREK -- DFRC: About 25 seventh-grade girls from area middle schools got up close and personal with unique aircraft and high technology when they participated in a "Tech Trek" tour of the Dryden Flight Research Center. The Tech Trek, to develop interest and excitement about math and science and self-confidence among middle-school girls, included tours of Dryden's main aircraft hangar and several specialized research and support aircraft, including the modified Boeing 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft and the Global Hawk and Ikhana unmanned science aircraft. **GODDARD SYMPOSIUM - GSFC: The 48th Robert H. Goddard Memorial space symposium was held in Greenbelt, Maryland, home to the NASA center bearing the name of America's pioneering rocketeer. Sponsored by the American Astronautical Society, the three-day event drew leaders from NASA, the aerospace industry and academia, and Washington policy-makers to discuss the major issues facing space exploration. Among other topics, panel discussions and presentations addressed Commercial Space Missions, Extreme Space Weather, Climate Change, and Space Science and the future of Human Space Flight. ** WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH PROFILE: Madhulika Guhathakurta, Heliophysicist: In March 2006, heliophysicist Lika Guhathakurta was part of a NASA-led science expedition to Libya to witness a total solar eclipse. This international expedition was an unprecedented collaboration with Libyan scientists and researchers from across the globe. It was a project befitting a woman compelled to earn advanced degrees in astrophysics from American universities by a life-long fascination with the sky that began as a child in her native India.
Date 03/12/2010
NASA TV's This Week @NASA, A …
The STS-132 crew completed a …
04/30/10
Description The STS-132 crew completed a series of terminal countdown demonstration tests needed to ensure they and their grounds teams are prepared for their targeted May 14 launch aboard space shuttle Atlantis. * NASA Administrator Charles Bolden joined EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson for a special Memorandum of Agreement signing event at Howard Middle School situated on the campus of Howard University in Washington, DC. * To celebrate the 20th anniversary of this scientific icon, NASA has released a unique collection of Hubble images with commentary. * Operation IceBridge has entered the second phase of its spring 2010 campaign. NASA's DC-8 aircraft has returned from Greenland to the Dryden Flight Research Center in California, following a successful survey of the entire Arctic Ocean. * Weeks before ''first light'' imagery and data missions begin, NASA's Stratospheric Observatory For Infrared Astronomy was on display at the Dryden Aircraft Operations Facility in Palmdale, California. * 49 years ago, on May 5, 1961, Mercury-Redstone 3, launched a Freedom 7 spacecraft from Launch Complex 5 at Cape Canaveral, Florida.
Date 04/30/10
Pilot Major Cecil Powell and …
Title Pilot Major Cecil Powell and the X-24A on Lakebed
Full Description Air Force pilot Major Cecil Powell stands in front of the X-24A after a research flight. Built for the Air Force by Martin Marietta, the X-24A was a bulbous vehicle shaped like a tear drop, with three vertical fins at the rear for directional control. It weighed 6,270 pounds, was just over 24 feet long, and had a width of nearly 14 feet. The first unpowered glide flight of the X-24A was on April 17, 1969. The pilot was Air Force Major Jerauld Gentry. Gentry also piloted the vehicle on its first powered flight March 19, 1970. It was flown 28 times in a program which, like the HL-10, helped validate the concept that a space shuttle vehicle could be landed unpowered. Fastest speed in the X-24A was l,036 mph (Mach 1.6). The pilot was John Manke, who also reached the highest altitude in the vehicle, 71,400 feet. He was also the pilot on its final flight June 4, 1971. The X-24A was later modified with a different nose configuration and became the X-24B.
Date 01/01/1971
NASA Center Dryden Flight Research Center
Pilot Neil Armstrong and X-1 …
Title Pilot Neil Armstrong and X-15 #1
Full Description Dryden pilot Neil Armstrong is seen here next to the X-15 ship #1 (56-6670) after a research flight. The X-15 was a rocket-powered aircraft 50 feet long with a wingspan of 22 feet. It was a missile-shaped vehicle with an unusual wedge-shaped vertical tail, thin stubby wings, and unique side fairings that extended along the side of the fuselage. The X-15 was flown over a period of nearly 10 years, from June 1959 to October 1968. It set the world's unofficial speed and altitude records. Information gained from the highly successful X-15 program contributed to the development of the Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo manned spaceflight programs, and also the Space Shuttle program. The X-15s made a total of 199 flights, and were manufactured by North American Aviation. X-15-1, serial number 56-6670, is now located at the National Air and Space Museum, Washington DC. North American X-15A- 2, serial number 56-6671, is at the United States Air Force Museum, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio. X-15-3, serial number 56-6672, crashed on November 15, 1967, resulting in the death of Major Michael J. Adams.
Date 01/01/1960
NASA Center Dryden Flight Research Center
Public Viewing Area for STS- …
Title Public Viewing Area for STS-4 Columbia Landing
Full Description The parking lot and public viewing area on the Rogers Dry Lakebed. Thousands of spectators gather to watch the landing of the Space Shuttle Columbia on mission STS-4.
Date 07/04/1982
NASA Center Dryden Flight Research Center
Dr. Hugh Dryden Swearing in …
Title Dr. Hugh Dryden Swearing in Dr. George E. Mueller
Full Description Dr. George E. Mueller being sworn in, as Associate Administrator for the Office of Manned Space Flight for NASA, by Dr. Hugh L. Dryden NASAs Deputy Administrator. The ceremony took place at NASA HQ in Washington, DC on September 3, 1963. Mueller served as Associate Administrator from 1963 to 1969, where he was responsible for overseeing the completion of Project Apollo and for beginning the development of the Space Shuttle.
Date 09/03/1963
NASA Center Headquarters
Shuttle Atlantis returning t …
Title Shuttle Atlantis returning to Kennedy Space Center
Full Description The Space Shuttle Atlantis atop the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA) returns to the Kennedy Space Center after a ten month refurbishment.
Date 09/01/1998
NASA Center Dryden Flight Research Center
Shuttle Enterprise Free Flig …
Title Shuttle Enterprise Free Flight
Full Description The Space Shuttle prototype Enterprise flies free after being released from NASA's 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA) over Rogers Dry Lakebed during the second of five free flights carried out at the Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, California, as part of the Shuttle program's Approach and Landing Tests (ALT). The tests were conducted to verify orbiter aerodynamics and handling characteristics in preparation for orbital flights with the Space Shuttle Columbia beginning in April 1981. A tail cone over the main engine area of Enterprise smoothed out turbulent air flow during flight. It was removed on the two last free flights to accurately check approach and landing characteristics. A series of test flights during which Enterprise was taken aloft atop the SCA, but was not released, preceded the free flight tests. The Space Shuttle Approach and Landing Tests (ALT) program allowed pilots and engineers to learn how the Space Shuttle and the modified Boeing 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA) handled during low-speed flight and landing. The Enterprise, a prototype of the Space Shuttles, and the SCA were flown to conduct the approach and landing tests at the NASA Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, California, from February to October 1977. The first flight of the program consisted of the Space Shuttle Enterprise attached to the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft. These flights were to determine how well the two vehicles flew together. Five "captive-inactive" flights were flown during this first phase in which there was no crew in the Enterprise. The next series of captive flights was flown with a flight crew of two on board the prototype Space Shuttle. Only three such flights proved necessary. This led to the free-flight test series. The free-flight phase of the ALT program allowed pilots and engineers to learn how the Space Shuttle handled in low-speed flight and landing attitudes. For these landings, the Enterprise was flown by a crew of two after it was released from the top of the SCA. The vehicle was released at altitudes ranging from 19,000 to 26,000 feet. The Enterprise had no propulsion system, but its first four glides to the Rogers Dry Lake runway provided realistic, in-flight simulations of how subsequent Space Shuttles would be flown at the end of an orbital mission. The fifth approach and landing test, with the Enterprise landing on the Edwards Air Force Base concrete runway, revealed a problem with the Space Shuttle flight control system that made it susceptible to Pilot-Induced Oscillation (PIO), a potentially dangerous control problem during a landing. Further research using other NASA aircraft, especially the F-8 Digital-Fly-By-Wire aircraft, led to correction of the PIO problem before the first orbital flight. The Enterprise's last free-flight was October 26, 1977, after which it was ferried to other NASA centers for ground-based flight simulations that tested Space Shuttle systems and structure.
Date 01/01/1977
NASA Center Dryden Flight Research Center
Endeavour is Delivered to th …
Title Endeavour is Delivered to the Kennedy Space Center
Full Description NASA's 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft No. 911, with the space shuttle orbiter Endeavour securely mounted atop its fuselage, taxies to the runway to begin the ferry flight from Rockwell's Plant 42 at Palmdale, California, where the orbiter was built, to the Kennedy Space Center, Florida. At Kennedy, the space vehicle was processed and launched on orbital mission STS-49, which landed at NASA's Ames-Dryden Flight Research Facility (later redesignated Dryden Flight Research Center), Edwards, California, May 16 1992. NASA 911, the second modified 747 that went into service in November 1990, has special support struts atop the fuselage and internal strengthening to accommodate the added weight of the orbiters.
Date 01/01/1961
NASA Center Dryden Flight Research Center
Endeavour on Runway with Col …
Title Endeavour on Runway with Columbia on SCA Overhead
Full Description The Space Shuttle Endeavour receives a high-flying salute from its sister Shuttle Columbia, atop NASA's Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, shortly after its landing Oct. 12, 1994 at Edwards, California, to complete mission STS-68. Columbia was being ferried from the Kennedy Space Center, Florida to Air Force Plant 42, Palmdale, California, where it will undergo six months of inspections, modifications, and systems upgrades. The STS-68 11-day mission was devoted to radar imaging of Earth's geological features with the Space Radar Laboratory. The orbiter is surrounded by equipment and personnel that make up the ground support convoy that services the space vehicles as soon as they land.
Date 10/11/1994
NASA Center Dryden Flight Research Center
Endeavour with Columbia Ferr …
Title Endeavour with Columbia Ferry Flyby
Full Description The Space Shuttle Endeavour receives a high-flying salute from its sister shuttle, Columbia, atop NASA's Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, shortly after Endeavor's landing October 12 1994, at Edwards, California, to complete mission STS-68. Columbia was being ferried from the Kennedy Space Center, Florida, to Air Force Plant 42, Palmdale, California, where it will undergo six months of inspections, modifications, and systems upgrades. The STS-68 11-day mission was devoted to radar imaging of Earth's geological features with the Space Radar Laboratory. The orbiter is surrounded by equipment and personnel that make up the ground support convoy that services the space vehicles as soon as they land.
Date 10/12/1994
NASA Center Dryden Flight Research Center
STS-26 Welcome Home Ceremony
Title STS-26 Welcome Home Ceremony
Full Description After a two-year hiatus, the STS-26 mission was NASA's return to spaceflight after the Challenger accident. Waiting to greet the STS-26 Discovery astronauts in front of the Dryden Headquarters building are, from left to right: California Governor George Deukmejian, NASA Deputy Administrator Dale Myers, NASA Administrator Dr. James C. Fletcher, Vice President George Bush, Barbara Bush, Brig. Gen (Ret) Charles Yeager.
Date 10/03/1988
NASA Center Dryden Flight Research Center
STS-66 Atlantis Landing and …
Title STS-66 Atlantis Landing and Chute Deployment at Edwards
Full Description The Space Shuttle Atlantis lands with its drag chute deployed on runway 22 at Edwards, California, to complete the STS-66 mission dedicated to the third flight of the Atmospheric Laboratory for Applications and Science-3 (ATLAS-3), part of NASA's Mission to Planet Earth program. The astronauts also deployed and retrieved a free-flying satellite designed to study the middle and lower thermospheres and perform a series of experiments covering life sciences research and microgravity processing. The landing was at 7:34 a.m. (PST) November 14, 1994, after being waved off from the Kennedy Space Center, Florida, due to adverse weather.
Date 11/14/1994
NASA Center Dryden Flight Research Center
STS-66 Atlantis Landing Appr …
Title STS-66 Atlantis Landing Approach at Edwards
Full Description The Space Shuttle Atlantis approaches runway 22 at Edwards, California, to complete the STS-66 mission dedicated to the third flight of the Atmospheric Laboratory for Applications and Science-3 (ATLAS-3), part of NASA's Mission to Planet Earth program. The astronauts also deployed and retrieved a free-flying satellite designed to study the middle and lower thermospheres and perform a series of experiments covering life sciences research and microgravity processing. The landing was at 7:34 a.m. (PST) November 14, 1994, after being waved off from the Kennedy Space Center, Florida, due to adverse weather.
Date 11/14/1994
NASA Center Dryden Flight Research Center
Test Pilot John A. Manke and …
Title Test Pilot John A. Manke and M2-F3 Lifting Body
Full Description NASA research pilot John A. Manke is seen here in front of the M2-F3 lifting body. Manke was hired by NASA on May 25, 1962, as a flight research engineer. He was later assigned to the pilot's office and flew various support aircraft including the F-104, F-5D, F-111 and C-47. The M2-F3 reached a top speed of l,064 mph (Mach 1.6). Highest altitude reached by the vehicle was 7l,500 feet on December 21, 1972, the date of its last flight with NASA pilot John Manke at the controls. The information the lifting body program generated contributed to the data base that led to development of today's Space Shuttle program. NASA donated The M2-F3 vehicle to the Smithsonian Institution in December 1973.
Date 01/01/1972
NASA Center Dryden Flight Research Center
HL-10 In Flight After Launch
Title HL-10 In Flight After Launch
Full Description The HL-10 lifting body is seen here in powered flight shortly after launch from the B-52 "Mothership". The HL-10 was one of five lifting body designs flown at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, California, from July 1966 to November 1975 to study and validate the concept of safely maneuvering and landing a low lift-over-drag vehicle designed for re-entry from space. Ultimately, the lifting body design proved too difficult to control. It had a high landing speed. The design was not used for the space shuttle.
Date 01/01/1969
NASA Center Dryden Flight Research Center
Lifting Bodies on Lakebed
Title Lifting Bodies on Lakebed
Full Description The wingless lifting body aircraft sitting on Rogers Dry Lake at what is now NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, California. From left to right are the X-24A, M2-F3 and the HL-10. The lifting body aircraft studied the feasibility of maneuvering and landing an aerodynamic craft designed for reentry from space. These lifting bodies were air launched by a B-52 mother ship, then flew powered by their own rocket engines before making an unpowered approach and landing. They helped validate the concept that a space shuttle could make accurate landings without power. The X-24A flew from April 17, 1969 to June 4, 1971. The M2-F3 flew from June 2, 1970 until December 21, 1971. The HL-10 flew from December 22, 1966 until July 17, 1970, and logged the highest and fastest records in the lifting body program.
Date 01/01/1969
NASA Center Dryden Flight Research Center
X-15 Mated to B-52 Captive F …
Title X-15 Mated to B-52 Captive Flight
Full Description One of three X-15 rocket-powered research aircraft being carried aloft under the wing of its B-52 mothership. The X-15 was air launched from the B-52 so the rocket plane would have enough fuel to reach its high speed and altitude test points. For flight in the dense air of the usable atmosphere, the X-15 used conventional aerodynamic controls. For flight in the thin air outside of the appreciable Earth's atmosphere, the X-15 used a reaction control system. Hydrogen peroxide thrust rockets located on the nose of the aircraft provided pitch and yaw control. Those on the wings provided roll control. The X-15s made a total of 199 flights over a period of nearly 10 years and set world's unofficial speed and altitude records of 4,520 miles per hour (Mach 6.7) and 354,200 feet. Information gained from the highly successful X-15 program contributed to the development of the Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo manned spaceflight programs and also the Space Shuttle program.
Date 01/01/1959
NASA Center Dryden Flight Research Center
X-24A Powered Flight Drop fr …
Title X-24A Powered Flight Drop from B-52
Full Description The X-24A lifting-body research aircraft begins its rocket-powered flight after being launched from the wing of NASA's B-52 mothership during a 1970 research flight. 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. Between 1966 and 1975, the B-52 served as the launch aircraft for 127 of the 144 wingless lifting body flights. In the 1970's and 1980's the B-52 was the launch aircraft for several aircraft at what is now the Dryden Flight Research Center, to study spin-stall, high-angle-of attack, and maneuvering characteristics. 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.
Date 01/01/1970
NASA Center Dryden Flight Research Center
X-24B on Lakebed
Title X-24B on Lakebed
Full Description The X-24B is seen here on the lakebed at the NASA Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, California. The X-24B was the last aircraft to fly in Dryden's Lifting Body program. Lifting bodies were wingless vehicles designed to fly back to Earth from space and be landed like an aircraft at a pre-determined site. First to fly the X-24B was John Manke, conducting a glide flight on August 1, 1973. He was also the pilot on the first powered mission on November 15, 1973. Among the final flights with the X-24B were two precise landings on the main concrete runway at Edwards which showed that accurate unpowered reentry vehicle landings were operationally feasible. These missions were flown by Manke and Air Force Maj. Mike Love, and represented the final milestone in a program that helped write the flight plan for today's Space Shuttle program. The final powered flight with the X-24B was on September 23, l975. The pilot was Bill Dana, and it was also the last rocket-powered flight flown at Dryden. It was Dana who also flew the last X-15 mission about seven years earlier. Top speed reached with the X-24B was l,l64 mph (Mach l.76) by Love. The highest altitude reached was 74,100 feet, by Manke. The information the lifting body program generated contributed to the data base that led to development of today's Space Shuttle program. The X-24B is on public display at the Air Force Museum, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio.
Date 01/01/1973
NASA Center Dryden Flight Research Center
AC80-0107-11
PHOTOGRAPH BY DFRC SPACE SHU …
2/6/80
Description PHOTOGRAPH BY DFRC SPACE SHUTTLE ORBITER COLUMBIA 102 IS SHOWN BACKING OUT OF ITS MANUFACTURING FACILITY AT PALMDALE, CA THE ROCKWELL INTERNATIONAL SPACE DIVISION PLANT, ENROUTE TO DRYDEN FLIGHT RESEARCH CENTER. THIS ORBITER WILL BE THE FIRST SHUTTLE SPACECRAFT THAT WILL CARRY TWO ASTRONAUTS, JOHN YOUNG AND RICHARD CRIPPEN, INTO EARTH ORBITAL TEST FLIGHT IN LATE 1979.
Date 2/6/80
AC80-0107-12
Photographer: KSC The Space …
2/6/80
Description Photographer: KSC The Space Shuttle Orbiter Enterprise is lowered to the floor of the transfer aisle in the Vehicle Assembly Building during destacking operations. The Enterprise, mated to an external tank and twin inert solid rocket boosters, formed a nonlaunchable Space Shuttle which was used for fit and fuction checks of assembly, test and launch facilities at the nation's Spaceport. Enterprise will be transported to the Shuttle Landing Facility, mounted piggyback on its 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, and flown to NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center, CA.
Date 2/6/80
AC80-0107-13
Photographer: KSC Space Shut …
2/6/80
Description Photographer: KSC Space Shuttle Orbiter Enterprise is lowered to the floor of the transfer aisle in the Vehicle Assembly Building during destacking operations. The Enterprise, mated to an external tank and twin inert solid rocket boosters, formed a nonlaunchable Space Shuttle which was used for fit and function checks of assembly, test and launch facilities at the nation's Spaceport. Enterprise will be tansported to the Shuttle Landing Facility, mounted piggyback on its 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, and flown to NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center, California.
Date 2/6/80
AC80-0107-7
Photographer: KSC The 747 Sh …
2/6/80
Description Photographer: KSC The 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, carrying the Space Shuttle Orbiter Enterprise piggyback, lifts off from the Shuttle Landing Facility's 15,000-foot-long runway at 11:03, August 10. Enterprise flown to KSC on April 10 for use in checking out assembly, test and launch facilities which will be used for the launch of its sister ship Columbia on the first Space Shuttle flight, will make a five-stop flight to NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center in California.
Date 2/6/80
M2-F3 with test pilot John A …
Photo Description NASA research pilot John A. Manke is seen here in front of the M2-F3 Lifting Body. Manke was hired by NASA on May 25, 1962, as a flight research engineer. He was later assigned to the pilot's office and flew various support aircraft including the F-104, F5D, F-111 and C-47. After leaving the Marine Corps in 1960, Manke worked for Honeywell Corporation as a test engineer for two years before coming to NASA. He was project pilot on the X-24B and also flew the HL-10, M2-F3, and X-24A lifting bodies. John made the first supersonic flight of a lifting body and the first landing of a lifting body on a hard surface runway. Manke served as Director of the Flight Operations and Support Directorate at the Dryden Flight Research Center prior to its integration with Ames Research Center in October 1981. After this date John was named to head the joint Ames-Dryden Directorate of Flight Operations. He also served as site manager of the NASA Ames-Dryden Flight Research Facility. John is a member of the Society of Experimental Test Pilots. He retired on April 27, 1984.
Project Description A fleet of lifting bodies flown at the NASA Flight Research Center (FRC--later the Dryden Flight Research Center), Edwards, California, from 1963 to 1975 demonstrated the ability of pilots to maneuver and safely land a wingless vehicle designed to fly back to Earth from space and be landed like an aircraft at a pre-determined site. Aerodynamic lift--essential to flight in the atmosphere--was obtained from the shape of their bodies. The addition of fins and control surfaces allowed the pilots to stabilize and control the vehicles and regulate their flight paths. The information the lifting body program generated contributed to the data base that led to development of today's space shuttle program. The success of the FRC's M2-F1 [ http://www.dfrc.nasa.gov/Gallery/Photo/M2-F1/index.html ] program led to NASA's development and construction of two heavyweight lifting bodies based on studies at NASA's Ames and Langley research centers--the M2-F2 and the HL-10, both built by the Northrop Corporation. The "M" refers to "manned" and "F" refers to "flight" version. "HL" comes from "horizontal landing" and 10 is for the tenth lifting body model to be investigated by Langley. The first flight of the M2-F2--which looked much like the "F1"--was on July 12, 1966. Milt Thompson was the pilot. By then, the same B-52s used to air launch the famed X-15 rocket research aircraft were modified to also carry the lifting bodies. Thompson was dropped from the B-52's wing pylon mount at an altitude of 45,000 feet on that maiden glide flight. The M2-F2 weighed 4,620 pounds, was 22 feet long, and had a width of about 10 feet. On May 10, 1967, during the sixteenth glide flight leading up to powered flight, a landing accident severely damaged the vehicle and seriously injured the NASA pilot, Bruce Peterson. NASA pilots and researchers realized the M2-F2 had lateral control problems, even though it had a stability augmentation (control) system. When the M2-F2 was rebuilt by the Northrop Corporation with the help and cooperation of the FRC and redesignated the M2-F3 [ http://www.dfrc.nasa.gov/Gallery/Photo/M2-F3/index.html ], it was modified with an additional third vertical fin--centered between the tip fins--to improve control characteristics. The M2-F2/F3 was the first of the heavy-weight, entry-configuration (i.e., configured for re-entry to the atmosphere from space) lifting bodies. Its successful development as a research test vehicle answered many of the generic questions about these vehicles. NASA donated the M2-F3 vehicle to the Smithsonian Institute in December 1973. It is currently hanging in the Air and Space Museum along with the X-15 aircraft number 1, which was its hangar partner at Dryden from 1965 to 1969.
Photo Date December 20, 1972
Shuttle Endeavour Mated to 7 …
Photo Description NASA's 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft No. 911, with the space shuttle orbiter Endeavour securely mounted atop its fuselage, taxies to the runway to begin the ferry flight from Rockwell's Plant 42 at Palmdale, California, where the orbiter was built, to the Kennedy Space Center, Florida. At Kennedy, the space vehicle was processed and launched on orbital mission STS-49, which landed at NASA's Ames-Dryden Flight Research Facility (later redesignated Dryden Flight Research Center), Edwards, California, 16 May 1992. NASA 911, the second modified 747 that went into service in November 1990, has special support struts atop the fuselage and internal strengthening to accommodate the added weight of the orbiters.
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
Shuttle Discovery Landing at …
Photo Description NASA Dryden Flight Research Center pilot Tom McMurtry lands NASA's Shuttle Carrier Aircraft with Space Shuttle Discovery attached at Rockwell Aerospace's Palmdale, California, facility about 1:00 p.m. Pacific Daylight Time (PDT). There for nine months of scheduled maintenance, Discovery and the 747 were completing a two-day flight from Kennedy Space Center, Florida, that began at 7:04 a.m. Eastern Standard Time on 27 September and included an overnight stop at Salt Lake City International Airport, Utah. At the conclusion of this mission, Discovery had flown 21 shuttle missions, totaling more than 142 days in orbit.
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 28 September 1995
M2-F1 in hangar with Pontiac …
Photo Description The M2-F1 Lifting Body is seen here in a hangar with its hotrod Pontiac convertible tow vehicle at the Flight Research Center (later the Dryden Flight Research Center), Edwards, California. The car was a 1963 Pontiac Catalina convertible, fitted with a 421-cubic-inch tripower engine like those being run at the Daytona 500 auto race. The vehicle also had a four-speed transmission and a heavy-duty suspension and cooling system. A roll bar was also added and the passenger seat turned around so an observer could watch the M2-F1 while it was being towed. The rear seat was removed and a second, side-facing seat installed. The lifting-body team used the Pontiac for all the ground-tow flights over the next three years.
Project Description The wingless, lifting body aircraft design was initially conceived as a means of landing an aircraft horizontally after atmospheric reentry. The absence of wings would make the extreme heat of re-entry less damaging to the vehicle. In 1962, Dryden management approved a program to build a lightweight, unpowered lifting body as a prototype to flight test the wingless concept. It would look like a "flying bathtub," and was designated the M2-F1, the "M" referring to "manned" and "F" referring to "flight" version. It featured a plywood shell placed over a tubular steel frame crafted at Dryden. Construction was completed in 1963. The first flight tests of the M2-F1 were over Rogers Dry Lake at the end of a tow rope attached to a hopped-up Pontiac convertible driven at speeds up to about 120 mph. This vehicle needed to be able to tow the M2-F1 on the Rogers Dry Lakebed adjacent to NASA's Flight Research Center (FRC) at a minimum speed of 100 miles per hour. To do that, it had to handle the 400-pound pull of the M2-F1. Walter "Whitey" Whiteside, who was a retired Air Force maintenance officer working in the FRC's Flight Operations Division, was a dirt-bike rider and hot-rodder. Together with Boyden "Bud" Bearce in the Procurement and Supply Branch of the FRC, Whitey acquired a Pontiac Catalina convertible with the largest engine available. He took the car to Bill Straup's renowned hot-rod shop near Long Beach for modification. With a special gearbox and racing slicks, the Pontiac could tow the 1,000-pound M2-F1 110 miles per hour in 30 seconds. It proved adequate for the roughly 400 car tows that got the M2-F1 airborne to prove it could fly safely and to train pilots before they were towed behind a C-47 aircraft and released. These initial car-tow tests produced enough flight data about the M2-F1 to proceed with flights behind the C-47 tow plane at greater altitudes. The C-47 took the craft to an altitude of 12,000 where free flights back to Rogers Dry Lake began. Pilot for the first series of flights of the M2-F1 was NASA research pilot Milt Thompson. Typical glide flights with the M2-F1 lasted about two minutes and reached speeds of 110 to 120 mph. A small solid landing rocket, referred to as the "instant L/D rocket," was installed in the rear base of the M2-F1. This rocket, which could be ignited by the pilot, provided about 250 pounds of thrust for about 10 seconds. The rocket could be used to extend the flight time near landing if needed. More than 400 ground tows and 77 aircraft tow flights were carried out with the M2-F1. The success of Dryden's M2-F1 program led to NASA's development and construction of two heavyweight lifting bodies based on studies at NASA's Ames and Langley research centers--the M2-F2 and the HL-10, both built by the Northrop Corporation, and the U.S. Air Force's X-24 program, with an X-24A and -B built by Martin. The Lifting Body program also heavily influenced the Space Shuttle program. The M2-F1 program demonstrated, the feasibility of the lifting body concept for horizontal landings of atmospheric entry vehicles. It also demonstrated a procurement and management concept for prototype flight test vehicles that produced rapid results at very low cost (approximately $50,000, excluding salaries of government employees assigned to the project).
Photo Date April 15, 1992
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