|
|
Browse All
:
Images of NASA Headquarters and Washington and Washington, D.C.
|
Printer Friendly |
Truman Receives Rocket Model
| title |
Truman Receives Rocket Models |
| date |
11.03.1961 |
| description |
On November 3, 1961 former President Harry S. Truman visited the newly opened NASA Headquarters, Washington D.C. Accompanied by former NASA Administrator James E. Webb, he was presented with a collection of rocket models for his Presidential Library in Independence, Missouri. *Image Credit*: NASA |
|
Spare Ion Engine Being Check
| title |
Spare Ion Engine Being Checked |
| date |
07.21.2003 |
| description |
An ion thruster is removed from a vacuum chamber at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., its job done following almost five years of testing. Engineers John Anderson and Keith Goodfellow, from left, are part of JPL's Advanced Propulsion Technology Group. The thruster, a spare engine from NASA's Deep Space 1 mission, ran for a record 30,352 hours, giving researchers the ability to observe its performance and wear at different power levels throughout the test. This information will be vital to future missions that use ion propulsion. Ion propulsion systems can be very lightweight, running on just a few grams of xenon gas a day. This fuel efficiency can lower launch vehicle costs. Xenon is the same gas that is found in photo flash bulbs. The very successful Deep Space 1 mission featured the first use of an ion engine as the primary means of propulsion on a NASA spacecraft. NASA's next-generation ion propulsion efforts are led by the In-Space Propulsion Program, managed by the Office of Space Science at NASA Headquarters, Washington, D.C., and implemented by the Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Ala.. The program seeks to develop advanced propulsion technologies that will help near and mid-term NASA science missions by significantly reducing cost, mass or travel times. JPL is managed by the California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, Calif., for NASA. *Image Credit*: NASA/JPL/Caltech |
|
President Truman and Webb
| title |
President Truman and Webb |
| date |
11.03.1963 |
| description |
Former President Harry S. Truman visits the newly-opened NASA Headquarters in Washington D.C. Accompanied by former NASA Administrator James E. Webb, he was presented with a collection of rocket models for his presidential Library in Indepe *Image Credit*: NASA |
|
Truman and Webb at NASA Head
| Title |
Truman and Webb at NASA Headquarters |
| Full Description |
On November 3, 1961, former President Harry S. Truman visited newly opened NASA Headquarters, Washington D.C., accompanied by former NASA Administrator James E. Webb. He was presented with a collection of rocket models for his Presidential Library in Independence, Missouri. |
| Date |
11/03/1961 |
| NASA Center |
Headquarters |
|
Truman and Webb at NASA Head
| Title |
Truman and Webb at NASA Headquarters |
| Full Description |
On November 3, 1961 former President Harry S. Truman visited newly opened NASA Headquarters, Washington D.C. Accompanied by former NASA Administrator James E. Webb, he was presented with a collection of rocket models for his Presidential Library in Independence, Missouri. |
| Date |
11/03/1961 |
| NASA Center |
Headquarters |
|
Truman Receives Rocket Model
| Title |
Truman Receives Rocket Models |
| Full Description |
On November 3, 1961 former President Harry S. Truman visited the newly opened NASA Headquarters, Washington D.C. Accompanied by former NASA Administrator James E. Webb, he was presented with a collection of rocket models for his Presidential Library in Independence, Missouri. |
| Date |
11/03/1961 |
| NASA Center |
Headquarters |
|
Great Zoom into Washington,
| Title |
Great Zoom into Washington, DC: NASA Headquarters |
| Abstract |
Using data from different spacecraft and some powerful computer technology, visualizers at the Goddard Space Flight Center present you with a collection of American cities in a way you have never seen them before. Starting with our camera high above the Earth, we rush in towards the surface at what would be an impossible speed for any known vehicle. Passing though layers of atmosphere, the colors of our destinations shimmer with their own unique characteristics, and suddenly we find ourselves floating in virtual space just above the ground. |
| Completed |
2001-08-03 |
|
Dr. von Braun at the Farewel
| Name of Image |
Dr. von Braun at the Farewell Ceremony |
| Date of Image |
1970-02-24 |
| Full Description |
Dr. von Braun was honored with a series of farewell events and ceremonies prior to his reassignment to NASA Headquarters in Washington, D.C. Alabama Governor Brewer greets Dr. von Braun following his speech at the front of the Madison County Courthouse in Huntsville, Alabama on February 24, 1970. Behind are Madison County Commissioner James Record, Huntsville Mayor Joe Davis, and U.S. Senator Sparkman. |
|
Dr. von Braun and His Family
| Name of Image |
Dr. von Braun and His Family Being Honored |
| Date of Image |
1970-02-24 |
| Full Description |
Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) Director Dr. von Braun and his family were honored with a series of events prior to his relocation to Washington, D.C., where he was assigned duties at NASA Headquarters as Deputy Associate Administrator for Plarning. (Left to right) Dr. von Braun, wife Maria, son Peter, and daughter Margrit are shown on the steps of the Madison County Courthouse, Huntsville, Alabama. |
|
Dr. von Braun at the Farewel
| Name of Image |
Dr. von Braun at the Farewell Ceremony |
| Date of Image |
1970-02-24 |
| Full Description |
Dr. von Braun was honored with a series of farewell events and ceremonies prior to his reassignment to NASA Headquarters in Washington, D.C. Dr. von Braun speaks to the crowd in front of the Madison County Courthouse in Huntsville, Alabama. Alabama Governor Brewer and U.S. Senator Sparkman are in the foreground. |
|
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. |
|
M2-F1 lifting body and Pares
| Title |
M2-F1 lifting body and Paresev 1B on ramp |
| Description |
In this photo of the M2-F1 lifting body and the Paresev 1B on the ramp, the viewer sees two vehicles representing different approaches to building a research craft to simulate a spacecraft able to land on the ground instead of splashing down in the ocean as the Mercury capsules did. The M2-F1 was a lifting body, a shape able to re-enter from orbit and land. The Paresev (Paraglider Research Vehicle) used a Rogallo wing that could be (but never was) used to replace a conventional parachute for landing a capsule-type spacecraft, allowing it to make a controlled landing on the ground. 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 l20 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, Rogallo wing was never used on a spacecraft, it revolutionized the sport of hang gliding, and a different but related kind of wing will be used on the X-38 technology demonstrator for a crew return vehicle from the International space station., referred to as a `space frame.' The keel and leading edges of the wings were constructed of 2 1/2-inch diameter aluminum tubing. The leading edge sweep angle was held constant at 50 degrees by a rigid spreader bar. Additional wing structure fabricated of steel tubing ensured structural integrity. Seven weeks after the project was initiated the team rolled out the Paresev 1. It resembled a grown-up tricycle, with a rudimentary seat, an angled tripod mast, and, perched on top of the mast, a Rogallo-type parawing. The pilot sat out in the open, strapped in the seat, with no enclosure of any kind. He controlled the descent rate by tilting the wing fore and aft, and turned by tilting the wing from side to side with a control stick that came from overhead. NASA registered the Paresev, the first NASA research airplane to be constructed totally "in-house," with the Federal Aviation Administration on February 12, 1962. Flight testing started immediately. There was one space frame built called the Paresev that used four different wing types. Paresev 1 had a linen membrane, with the control stick coming from overhead in front of the pilots seat. Paresev 1A had a regulation control stick and a Dacron membrane. Paresev 1B had a smaller Dacron membrane with the space frame remaining the same. Paresev 1C used a half-scale version of the inflatable Gemini parawing with a small change to the space frame. All `space frames,' regardless of the parawing configuration, had a shield with "Paresev 1-A" and the NASA meatball on the front of the vehicle. PARESEV-1 After the space frame was completed a sailmaker was asked to sew the wing membrane according to the planform developed by NASA Flight Research Center personnel. He suggested using Dacron instead of the linen fabric chosen, but yielded to the engineers' specs. A nylon bolt rope was attached in the trailing edge of the 150-square-foot wing membrane. The rope was unrestrained except at the wing tips and was therefore free to equalize the load between the two lobes of the wing. This worked reasonably well, but flight tests proved the wing to be too flexible with it flapping and bulging in alarming ways. The poor membrane design led to trailing edge flutter, with longitudinal and lateral stick forces being severe. A number of different rigging modifications to improve the flying characteristics were tried, but very few were successful and none were predictable. Everything seemed to affect stick forces in the worst way. The fifth flight aloft lasted 10 seconds. On a ground tow the Paresev and pilot fell 10 feet. Considerable damage was done to the Paresev with the pilot, Bruce Peterson, being taken to the base hospital. Injuries sustained by the pilot were not serious. After this accident the Paresev was extensively rebuilt and renamed, Paresev-1A. PARESEV 1-A The sailmaker was asked again to construct a 150-square-foot membrane the way he wanted to. The resulting wing membrane had excellent contours in flight and, 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). The Paresev (Paraglider Rescue Vehicle) was an indirect outgrowth of kite-parachute studies by NACA Langley engineer Francis M. Rogallo. In the early 1960s the "Rogallo wing" seemed an excellent means of returning a spacecraft to Earth. The delta wing design was patented by Mr. Rogallo. In May 1961, Robert R. Gilruth, director NASA's Space Task Group, requested studies of an inflatable Rogallo-type "Parawing" for spacecraft. Several companies responded, North American Aviation produced the most acceptable concept and development was contracted to that company. In November 1961 NASA Headquarters launched a paraglider development program, with Langely doing wind-tunnel studies and the NASA Flight Research Center supporting the North American test program. The North American concept was a capsule type vehicle with a stowed "parawing" that could be deployed and controlled from within for a landing more like an airplane instead of a "splash down" in the ocean as was the practice in the Mercury and later the Gemini and Apollo programs. The logistics became enormous and the price exorbitant, besides which, NASA pilots and engineers felt some baseline experience like building a vehicle and flying a Parawing should be accomplished first. The Paresev (Paraglider Research Vehicle) was used to gain in-flight experience with four different membranes (wings) and was not used to develop the more complicated inflatable deployment system. The Paresev was designed by Charles Richard, of the Flight Research Center's Vehicle and System Dynamics Branch, with the rest of the team being: engineers Richard Klein, Gary Layton, John Orahood, and Joe Wilson, Frank Fedor and LeRoy Barto from the Maintenance and Manufacturing Branch, Project Manager Victor Horton, with Gary Layton becoming Project Manager later on in the Program. Mr. Paul Bikle, Director of the Center, gave instructions that were short and to the point: build a single-seat Paraglider and "do it quick and cheap." The Paresev was unpowered, the "fuselage" an open framework fabricated of welded 4130 steel tubing, was made from 6 ounce Dacron. The space frame was rebuilt with more sophistication than the Paresev 1 had. The shock absorbers were Ford automotive parts, the wing universal joint was a 1948 Pontiac part, and the tires and wheels were from a Cessna 175 aircraft. The overhead stick was replaced with a stick and pulley arrangement that operated more like conventional aircraft controls. This vehicle had much improved stick forces and handling qualities. The instrumentation used to obtain data was quite crude, partially as a result of the desire to keep the program simple and low in cost and also because there was no onboard power. To measure performance, technicians installed a large alpha vane on the wing apex with a scale at the trailing edge that the pilot could read directly. A curved bubble level measured the vehicle's attitude, and a Fairchild camera recorded the glide slope PARESEV 1-B The Paresev 1-B used the Paresev 1-A space frame with a smaller Dacron wing (100 square feet) and was flight tested to evaluate its handling qualities with lower lift-to-drag values. One NASA project engineer described its gliding ability as "pretty scary." PARESEV 1-C The space frame of the vehicle remained almost unchanged from the earlier vehicles. However, a new control box gave the pilot the ability to increase or decrease the nitrogen in the inflatable wing supports to compensate for the changing density of the air. Two bottles of nitrogen provided an extra supply of nitrogen. The vehicle featured a partially inflatable wing. The whole wing was not inflatable, the three chambers that acted as spars and supported the wing inflated. The center spar ran fore and aft and measured 191 inches, two other inflatable spars formed the leading edges. These three compartments were filled with nitrogen under pressure to make them rigid. The Paresev in this configuration was expected to closely approximate the aerodynamic characteristics that would be encountered with the Gemini space capsule with a parawing extended. The Paresev was very unstable in flight with this configuration. The first Paresev flights began with tows across the dry lakebed, in 1962, using a NASA vehicle, an International Harvester carry-all (6 cylinder). Eventually ground and airtows were done using a Stearman sport biplane (450 hp), a Piper Super Cub (150-180 hp), Cessna L-19 (200 hp Bird Dog) and a Boeing-Vertol HC-1A. Speed range of the Paresev was about 35-65 mph. The Paresev completed nearly 350 flights during a research program from 1962 until 1964. Pilots flying the Paresev included NASA pilots Milton Thompson, Bruce Peterson, and Neil Armstrong from Dryden, Robert Champine from Langley, and astronaut Gus Grissom, plus North American test pilot Charles Hetzel. The Paresev was legally transferred to the National Air and Space Museum of the Smithsonian Institute, Washington, D.C. Despite its looks, the Paresev was a useful research aircraft that helped develop a new way to fly. Although the |
| Date |
01.01.1963 |
|
Spare Ion Engine Being Check
| Title |
Spare Ion Engine Being Checked |
| Description |
July 21, 2003 An ion thruster is removed from a vacuum chamber at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., its job done following almost five years of testing. Engineers John Anderson and Keith Goodfellow, from left, are part of JPL's Advanced Propulsion Technology Group. The thruster, a spare engine from NASA's Deep Space 1 mission, ran for a record 30,352 hours, giving researchers the ability to observe its performance and wear at different power levels throughout the test. This information will be vital to future missions that use ion propulsion. Ion propulsion systems can be very lightweight, running on just a few grams of xenon gas a day. This fuel efficiency can lower launch vehicle costs. Xenon is the same gas that is found in photo flash bulbs. The very successful Deep Space 1 mission featured the first use of an ion engine as the primary means of propulsion on a NASA spacecraft. NASA's next-generation ion propulsion efforts are led by the In-Space Propulsion Program, managed by the Office of Space Science at NASA Headquarters, Washington, D.C., and implemented by the Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Ala.. The program seeks to develop advanced propulsion technologies that will help near and mid-term NASA science missions by significantly reducing cost, mass or travel times. JPL is managed by the California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, Calif., for NASA. |
| Date |
07.30.2003 |
|
Pacific Dictates Droughts an
PIA05071
Sol (our sun)
Altimeter
| Title |
Pacific Dictates Droughts and Drenchings |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
The latest remote sensing data from NASA's Jason satellite show that the equatorial Pacific sea surface levels are higher, indicating warmer sea surface temperatures in the central and west Pacific Ocean. This pattern has the appearance of La Niña rather than El Niño. This contrasts with the Bering Sea, Gulf of Alaska and U.S. West Coast where lower-than-normal sea surface levels and cool ocean temperatures continue (indicated by blue and purple areas). The image above is a global map of sea surface height, accurate to within 30 millimeters. The image represents data collected and composited over a 10-day period, ending on Jan 23, 2004. The height of the water relates to the temperature of the water. As the ocean warms, its level rises, and as it cools, its level falls. Yellow and red areas indicate where the waters are relatively warmer and have expanded above sea level, green indicates near normal sea level, and blue and purple areas show where the waters are relatively colder and the surface is lower than sea level. The blue areas are between 5 and 13 centimeters (2 and 5 inches) below normal, whereas the purple areas range from 14 to 18 centimeters (6 to 7 inches) below normal. The Jason satellite carries a dual-frequency radar altimeter. This instrument beams microwave pulses-at 13.6 and 5.3 Gigahertz, respectively-downward toward the Earth. To determine the ocean's height, the instrument precisely measures the time it takes for the microwave pulses to bounce off the surface and return to the spacecraft. This measure, multiplied by the speed of light, gives the range from the satellite to the ocean surface. (For more details, visit the Jason Website [ http://topex-www.jpl.nasa.gov ].) The joint U.S.-French Topex/Poseidon mission is managed by the JPL for NASA's Earth Science Enterprise, NASA Headquarters, Washington, D.C. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. Research on Earth's oceans using Jason and other space-based capabilities is conducted by NASA's Earth Science Enterprise to better understand and protect our home planet. For more information on Topex/Poseidon, see http://topex-www.jpl.nasa.gov. |
|
NASA Data Helps Track Heat P
PIA06342
Sol (our sun)
Altimeter
| Title |
NASA Data Helps Track Heat Potential Fueling Rita |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
Tropical Cyclone Heat Potential (TCHP) field in the Gulf of Mexico during September 22, 2005. The path of Hurricane Rita is indicated with circles spaced every 3 hours with their size and color representing intensity (see legend). This hurricane intensified to category 5 as it traveled over the Loop Current and a warm core ring (the finger of red and yellow). Rita diminished to category 3 as its path went over a region of lower TCHP (and cooler waters) outside the Loop Current and ring. The diamonds indicate the National Hurricane Center predicted track and intensity as it makes landfall, and are spaced by 24 hours. Altimeter data on NASA's Jason-1, the US Navy's GFO, and the European Envisat satellites provide sea surface height data used in generating the TCHP fields. The Jason satellite carries a dual-frequency radar altimeter. This instrument beams microwave pulses-at 13.6 and 5.3 Gigahertz, respectively-downward toward the Earth. To determine the ocean's height, the instrument precisely measures the time it takes for the microwave pulses to bounce off the surface and return to the spacecraft. This measure, multiplied by the speed of light, gives the range from the satellite to the ocean surface. The joint U.S.-French Topex/Poseidon mission is managed by the JPL for NASA's Earth Science Enterprise, NASA Headquarters, Washington, D.C. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. Research on Earth's oceans using Jason and other space-based capabilities is conducted by NASA's Earth Science Enterprise to better understand and protect our home planet. For more information on Topex/Poseidon, see http://topex-www.jpl.nasa.gov [ http://topex-www.jpl.nasa.gov ].) |
|
Rita Roars Through a Warm Gu
PIA06428
Sol (our sun)
Altimeter
| Title |
Rita Roars Through a Warm Gulf (September 21, 2005) |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
This sea surface height map of the Gulf of Mexico, with the Florida peninsula on the right and the Texas-Mexico Gulf Coast on the left, is based on altimeter data from four satellites including NASA?s Topex/Poseidon and Jason. Red indicates a strong circulation of much warmer waters, which can feed energy to a hurricane. This area stands 35 to 60 centimeters (about 13 to 23 inches) higher than the surrounding waters of the Gulf. The actual track of a hurricane is primarily dependent upon steering winds, which are forecasted through the use of atmospheric models. However, the interaction of the hurricane with the upper ocean is the primary source of energy for the storm. Hurricane intensity is therefore greatly affected by the upper ocean temperature structure and can exhibit explosive growth over warm ocean currents and eddies. Eddies are currents of water that run contrary to the direction of the main current. According to the forecasted track through the Gulf of Mexico, Hurricane Rita will continue crossing the warm waters of a Gulf of Mexico circulation feature called the Loop Current and then pass near a warm-water eddy called the Eddy Vortex, located in the north central Gulf, south of Louisiana. The Jason satellite carries a dual-frequency radar altimeter. This instrument beams microwave pulses-at 13.6 and 5.3 Gigahertz, respectively-downward toward the Earth. To determine the ocean's height, the instrument precisely measures the time it takes for the microwave pulses to bounce off the surface and return to the spacecraft. This measure, multiplied by the speed of light, gives the range from the satellite to the ocean surface. The joint U.S.-French Topex/Poseidon mission is managed by the JPL for NASA's Earth Science Enterprise, NASA Headquarters, Washington, D.C. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. Research on Earth's oceans using Jason and other space-based capabilities is conducted by NASA's Earth Science Enterprise to better understand and protect our home planet. For more information on Topex/Poseidon, see http://topex-www.jpl.nasa.gov [ http://topex-www.jpl.nasa.gov ].) |
|
Rita Roars Through a Warm Gu
PIA06427
Sol (our sun)
Altimeter
| Title |
Rita Roars Through a Warm Gulf (September 22, 2005) |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
This sea surface height map of the Gulf of Mexico, with the Florida peninsula on the right and the Texas-Mexico Gulf Coast on the left, is based on altimeter data from four satellites including NASA?s Topex/Poseidon and Jason. Red indicates a strong circulation of much warmer waters, which can feed energy to a hurricane. This area stands 35 to 60 centimeters (about 13 to 23 inches) higher than the surrounding waters of the Gulf. The actual track of a hurricane is primarily dependent upon steering winds, which are forecasted through the use of atmospheric models. However, the interaction of the hurricane with the upper ocean is the primary source of energy for the storm. Hurricane intensity is therefore greatly affected by the upper ocean temperature structure and can exhibit explosive growth over warm ocean currents and eddies. Eddies are currents of water that run contrary to the direction of the main current. According to the forecasted track through the Gulf of Mexico, Hurricane Rita will continue crossing the warm waters of a Gulf of Mexico circulation feature called the Loop Current and then pass near a warm-water eddy called the Eddy Vortex, located in the north central Gulf, south of Louisiana. The Jason satellite carries a dual-frequency radar altimeter. This instrument beams microwave pulses-at 13.6 and 5.3 Gigahertz, respectively-downward toward the Earth. To determine the ocean's height, the instrument precisely measures the time it takes for the microwave pulses to bounce off the surface and return to the spacecraft. This measure, multiplied by the speed of light, gives the range from the satellite to the ocean surface. The joint U.S.-French Topex/Poseidon mission is managed by the JPL for NASA's Earth Science Enterprise, NASA Headquarters, Washington, D.C. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. Research on Earth's oceans using Jason and other space-based capabilities is conducted by NASA's Earth Science Enterprise to better understand and protect our home planet. For more information on Topex/Poseidon, see http://topex-www.jpl.nasa.gov [ http://topex-www.jpl.nasa.gov ].) |
|
Wilma's Trek Through Warm Ca
PIA03055
Sol (our sun)
Altimeter
| Title |
Wilma's Trek Through Warm Caribbean/Gulf Waters |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
This sea surface height map of the Gulf of Mexico and the northwestern Caribbean Sea, with the Florida peninsula on the upper right, is based on altimeter data from three satellites including NASA's Jason-1. Red indicates a strong circulation of much warmer waters, which can feed energy to a hurricane. This area stands 35 to 45 centimeters (about 13 to 17 inches) higher than the surrounding waters of the Gulf. The actual track of a hurricane is primarily dependent upon steering winds, which are forecasted through the use of atmospheric models. However, the interaction of the hurricane with the upper ocean is the primary source of energy for the storm. Hurricane intensity is therefore greatly affected by the upper ocean temperature structure and can exhibit explosive growth over warm ocean currents and eddies. According to the forecasted track through the Yucatan Channel, Hurricane Wilma will cross the Yucatan Peninsula and then turn sharply to the northeast, passing over the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico circulation feature called the Loop Current on its way towards southeast Florida. The storm may intensify as it passes over the warm water of the Loop Current. The Jason-1 satellite carries a dual-frequency radar altimeter. This instrument beams microwave pulses-at 13.6 and 5.3 Gigahertz, respectively-downward toward the Earth. To determine the ocean's height, the instrument precisely measures the time it takes for the microwave pulses to bounce off the surface and return to the spacecraft. This measure, multiplied by the speed of light, gives the range from the satellite to the ocean surface. The joint U.S.-French Jason-1 mission is managed by the JPL for NASA's Earth Science Enterprise, NASA Headquarters, Washington, D.C. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. Research on Earth's oceans using Jason-1 and other space-based capabilities is conducted by NASA's Earth Science Enterprise to better understand and protect our home planet. For more information on Jason-1, see http://sealevel.jpl.nasa.gov [ http://sealevel.jpl.nasa.gov ].) |
|
Jason Satellite Observes Mil
PIA01939
Sol (our sun)
Altimeter
| Title |
Jason Satellite Observes Mild El Nino in 2006 |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
In September 2006, NASA satellite data indicated that El Niño had returned to the tropical Pacific Ocean, although it was relatively weak. As of early October, scientists were not sure if the event would persist, and it was much less intense than the last major El Niño episode, which happened in 1997-1998. That event brought devastating floods to California that cost millions of dollars in damage while severe drought struck Indonesia, Australia, and the Philippines. Among the ocean characteristics that signal developing El Niño events is a change in average sea surface height compared to normal sea level. When water warms, it expands a little, which changes its volume slightly. When heat begins to build up in the Pacific during an El Niño event, the sea surface height begins to creep up. NASA observes changes in average sea surface height using its Jason satellite. The image is based on the average of 10 days of data centered on September 15, 2006, compared to the long-term average of observations from 1993-2005. In this image, places where the Pacific sea surface height is higher (warmer) than normal are yellow, orange, and red, and places where the sea surface is lower (cooler) than normal are blue and purple. Green shows where conditions are near normal. The swath of red in the center of the scene reveals that an El Niño was in progress when Jason observed the Pacific. El Niño is a cyclical warming of the ocean waters in the central and eastern tropical Pacific that generally occurs every 3 to 7 years. It is linked with changes in air pressure and high-level winds that can affect weather worldwide. Typically peaking during the Northern Hemisphere winter months, El Niño is the warm phase of the El Niño/Southern Oscillation. It alternates with La Niña, the cooling of ocean waters in the same region of the Pacific. According to Bill Patzert, oceanographer and climatologist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, "The present conditions indicate that the intensity of this El Niño is too weak to have a major influence on current weather patterns. But, if the ocean waters continue to warm and spread eastward, this event would likely strengthen, perhaps bringing much-needed rainfall to the southwestern and southeastern United States this winter." The Jason satellite carries a dual-frequency radar altimeter. This instrument beams microwave pulses-at 13.6 and 5.3 Gigahertz, respectively-downward toward the Earth. To determine the ocean's height, the instrument precisely measures the time it takes for the microwave pulses to bounce off the surface and return to the spacecraft. This measure, multiplied by the speed of light, gives the range from the satellite to the ocean surface. The joint U.S.-French Topex/Poseidon mission is managed by the JPL for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, NASA Headquarters, Washington, D.C. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. Research on Earth's oceans using Jason and other, space-based capabilities is conducted by NASA's Science Mission Directorate to better understand and protect our home planet. For more information on NASA's ocean surface topography missions, see http://sealevel.jpl.nasa.gov/ [ http://sealevel.jpl.nasa.gov/ ] or to view the latest Jason data see http://sealevel.jpl.nasa.gov/science/jason1-quick-look/ [ http://sealevel.jpl.nasa.gov/science/jason1-quick-look/ ]. |
|
Pacific Decadal Oscillation
PIA03460
Sol (our sun)
Altimeter
| Title |
Pacific Decadal Oscillation |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
Like fall and winter of 2000, this year's Topex/Poseidon satellite data shows that the Pacific ocean continues to be dominated by the strong Pacific Decadal Oscillation, which is larger than the El Niño/La Niña pattern. The data, taken during a ten-day collection cycle ending Oct. 29,2001, show that the near-equatorial ocean has been very quiet in the past year, and sea levels and sea surface temperatures are near normal. Above-normal sea surface heights and warmer ocean temperatures, indicated by the red and white areas, still blanket the far western tropical Pacific and much of the north mid-Pacific. Red areas are about 10 centimeters (4inches) above normal, white areas show the sea surface height is between 14 and 32 centimeters (6 to 13 inches) above normal. In the western Pacific, the buildup of the Pacific Decadal Oscillation pattern, first noted by Topex/Poseidon oceanographers more than three years ago, has outlasted both the El Niño and La Niña of the past few years. This warmth contrasts with the Bering Sea, Gulf of Alaska and the west coast of the United States, where lower than normal sea surface levels and cool ocean temperatures continue, as indicated by the blue areas. The blue areas are between 5 and 13 centimeters (2 and 5 inches) below normal, while the purple areas range from 14 to 18 centimeters (6 to 7 inches) below normal. According to oceanographer Dr. William Patzert of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., the striking similarity between data taken in 2000 and the same time period in 2001 indicates that winter weather forecasts for this year will be similar to last year. The joint U.S.-French Topex/Poseidon mission is managed by the JPL for NASA's Earth Science Enterprise, NASA Headquarters, Washington, D.C. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. For more information on Topex/Poseidon, see the Topex/Poseidon Web Site [ http://topex-www.jpl.nasa.gov ]. |
|
Where is La Niña?
PIA04622
Sol (our sun)
Altimeter
| Title |
Where is La Niña? |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
Since the weak El Niño event of last winter, the equatorial Pacific has cooled and oceanographers have been on a La Niña "watch." Thus far, equatorial waters have seesawed between cooling and the present slight warming. Elsewhere, the northern and northeastern Pacific Ocean remains quite cool and sea levels are much lower than normal. These cooler ocean waters off the U.S. West Coast have driven a cooler and foggier spring and early summer along the coast, and guided the North Pacific Jet Stream north, keeping the West and Southwest in the grip of a 5-year drought. Sea-surface heights are a measure of how much heat is stored in the ocean below to influence future planetary climate events. Jason scientists will continue to monitor the Pacific closely for further signs of La Niña formation and intensity, or not. These Jason data were taken during a 10-day collection cycle ending July 3, 2003. The near-equatorial ocean has been very quiet, although sea levels and sea-surface temperatures are near normal or slightly warmer throughout the far western and central equatorial Pacific. Red areas are about 10 centimeters (4 inches) above normal, white areas show the sea-surface height is between 14 and 32 centimeters (6 to 13 inches) above normal. This slight rise in sea levels (warming) contrasts with the Bering Sea, Gulf of Alaska and U.S. West Coast, where lower-than-normal sea-surface levels (blue areas) and cool ocean temperatures continue. The blue areas are between 5 and 13 centimeters (2 and 5 inches) below normal, and the purple areas range from 14 to 18 centimeters (6 to 7 inches) below normal. The joint U.S.-French Topex/Poseidon mission is managed by the JPL for NASA's Earth Science Enterprise, NASA Headquarters, Washington, D.C. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. Research on Earth's oceans using Jason and other space-based capabilities is conducted by NASA's Earth Science Enterprise to better understand and protect our home planet. For more information on Topex/Poseidon, see http://topex-www.jpl.nasa.gov [ http://topex-www.jpl.nasa.gov ]. |
|
Spare Ion Engine Being Check
PIA04668
Ion Engine
| Title |
Spare Ion Engine Being Checked |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
July 21, 2003 An ion thruster is removed from a vacuum chamber at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., its job done following almost five years of testing. Engineers John Anderson and Keith Goodfellow, from left, are part of JPL's Advanced Propulsion Technology Group. The thruster, a spare engine from NASA's Deep Space 1 mission, ran for a record 30,352 hours, giving researchers the ability to observe its performance and wear at different power levels throughout the test. This information will be vital to future missions that use ion propulsion. Ion propulsion systems can be very lightweight, running on just a few grams of xenon gas a day. This fuel efficiency can lower launch vehicle costs. Xenon is the same gas that is found in photo flash bulbs. The very successful Deep Space 1 mission featured the first use of an ion engine as the primary means of propulsion on a NASA spacecraft. NASA's next-generation ion propulsion efforts are led by the In-Space Propulsion Program, managed by the Office of Space Science at NASA Headquarters, Washington, D.C., and implemented by the Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Ala.. The program seeks to develop advanced propulsion technologies that will help near and mid-term NASA science missions by significantly reducing cost, mass or travel times. JPL is managed by the California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, Calif., for NASA. |
|
| General Description |
COLUMBIA Shuttle Mission Imagery |
|
| General Description |
COLUMBIA Shuttle Mission Imagery |
|
| General Description |
COLUMBIA Shuttle Mission Imagery |
|
| General Description |
Behind the Scenes : TRAINING Imagery |
|
| General Description |
Behind the Scenes : TRAINING Imagery |
|
| General Description |
Behind the Scenes : TRAINING Imagery |
|
| General Description |
Behind the Scenes : TRAINING Imagery |
|
| General Description |
Behind the Scenes : TRAINING Imagery |
|
| General Description |
Behind the Scenes : TRAINING Imagery |
|
| General Description |
STS-114 Shuttle Mission Imagery |
|
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -
| Description |
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Mrs. Lalitha Chandrasekhar (right), wife of the late Indian-American Nobel Laureate Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar, addresses the media and other invited guests in the TRW Media Hospitality Tent at the NASA Press Site at KSC as Dr. Alan Bunner, Science Program Director, Structure and Evolution of the Universe, Office of Space Science, NASA Headquarters, Washington, D.C., looks on. The name "Chandra," a shortened version of her husband's name which he preferred among friends and colleagues, was chosen in a contest to rename the Advanced X-ray Astrophysics Facility. "Chandra" also means "Moon" or "luminous" in Sanskrit. The observatory is scheduled to be launched aboard Columbia on Space Shuttle mission STS-93 |
| Release Date |
07/19/1999 |
|
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -
| Description |
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Official portrait of William H. Gerstenmaier, associate administrator for Space Operations at NASA Headquarters in Washington, D.C. As associate administrator, Gerstenmaier directs NASA?s human exploration of space. He also has programmatic oversight for International Space Station, Space Shuttle, Space Communications and Space Launch Vehicles. (NASA Image Credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls) |
| Release Date |
09/23/2005 |
|
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -
| Description |
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- From the KSC television studio, KSC management and other employees applaud President George W. Bush, who addressed the public and an assembly of government officials at NASA Headquarters, outlining a new focus and vision for the space agency. Fourth from left is Mike Leinbach, Shuttle launch director, at right, front row, are Bill Pickavance vice president and associate program manager of Florida Operations, United Space Alliance (USA) and Howard DeCastro, USA vice president and Space Shuttle program manager. The President stated his goals for NASA?s new mission: Completing the International Space Station, retiring the Space Shuttle orbiters, developing a new crew exploration vehicle, and returning to the moon and beyond within the next two decades. Pres. Bush was welcomed by NASA Administrator Sean O?Keefe and Expedition 8 Commander Michael Foale, who greeted him from the International Space Station. Members of the Washington, D.C., audience included astronauts Eileen Collins, Ed Lu and Michael Lopez-Alegria, and former astronaut Gene Cernan. |
| Release Date |
01/14/2004 |
|
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -
| Description |
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- KSC management and other employees gather in the Center?s television studio to watch the address by President George W. Bush at NASA Headquarters in Washington, D.C., stating his goals for NASA?s new mission: Completing the International Space Station, retiring the Space Shuttle orbiters, developing a new crew exploration vehicle, and returning to the moon and beyond within the next two decades. Pres. Bush was welcomed by NASA Administrator Sean O?Keefe and Expedition 8 Commander Michael Foale, who greeted him from the International Space Station. Members of the Washington, D.C., audience included astronauts Eileen Collins, Ed Lu and Michael Lopez-Alegria, and former astronaut Gene Cernan. |
| Release Date |
01/14/2004 |
|
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -
| Description |
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- From the KSC television studio, KSC management and other employees applaud President George W. Bush, who addressed the public and an assembly of government officials at NASA Headquarters as he outlined a new focus and vision for the space agency. Shown from left are Mike Leinbach, Shuttle launch director, David Culp, with NASA, Steve Francois, director, Launch Services Program, Richard Cota, deputy chief financial officer, KSC, Bill Pickavance vice president and associate program manager of Florida Operations, United Space Alliance (USA), Howard DeCastro, vice president and Space Shuttle program manager, USA, Shannon Roberts, with External Affairs, Woodrow Whitlow, KSC deputy director, Bruce Buckingham, assistant to Dr. Whitlow, Lisa Malone, director of External Affairs, Ken Aguilar, chief, Equal Opportunity office, and Cheryl Cox, External Affairs. The President stated his goals for NASA?s new mission: Completing the International Space Station, retiring the Space Shuttle orbiters, developing a new crew exploration vehicle, and returning to the moon and beyond within the next two decades. Pres. Bush was welcomed by NASA Administrator Sean O?Keefe and Expedition 8 Commander Michael Foale, who greeted him from the International Space Station. Members of the Washington, D.C., audience included astronauts Eileen Collins, Ed Lu and Michael Lopez-Alegria, and former astronaut Gene Cernan |
| Release Date |
01/14/2004 |
|
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -
| Description |
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In the KSC television studio, KSC management and other employees applaud President George W. Bush, who addressed the public and an assembly of government officials at NASA Headquarters as he outlined a new focus and vision for the space agency. Seated in the front row, left to right, are Bill Pickavance vice president and associate program manager of Florida Operations, United Space Alliance (USA), Howard DeCastro, vice president and Space Shuttle program manager, USA, Shannon Roberts, with External Affairs, Woodrow Whitlow, KSC deputy director, Bruce Buckingham, assistant to Dr. Whitlow, Lisa Malone, director of External Affairs, Ken Aguilar, chief, Equal Opportunity office, and Cheryl Cox, External Affairs. The President stated his goals for NASA?s new mission: Completing the International Space Station, retiring the Space Shuttle orbiters, developing a new crew exploration vehicle, and returning to the moon and beyond within the next two decades. Pres. Bush was welcomed by NASA Administrator Sean O?Keefe and Expedition 8 Commander Michael Foale, who greeted him from the International Space Station. Members of the Washington, D.C., audience included astronauts Eileen Collins, Ed Lu and Michael Lopez-Alegria, and former astronaut Gene Cernan. |
| Release Date |
01/14/2004 |
|
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -
| Description |
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- KSC management and other employees gather in the Center?s television studio to watch the address by President George W. Bush from NASA Headquarters stating his goals for NASA?s new mission. Seated in the front row, left to right, are Ken Aguilar, chief, Equal Opportunity office, Lisa Malone, director of External Affairs, Bruce Buckingham, assistant to Dr. Woodrow Whitlow, KSC deputy director, Dr. Whitlow, Shannon Roberts, with External Affairs, Howard DeCastro, vice president and Space Shuttle program manager, United Space Alliance, and Bill Pickavance vice president and associate program manager of Florida Operations, USA. The President?s goals are completing the International Space Station, retiring the Space Shuttle orbiters, developing a new crew exploration vehicle, and returning to the moon and beyond within the next two decades. Pres. Bush was welcomed by NASA Administrator Sean O?Keefe and Expedition 8 Commander Michael Foale, who greeted him from the International Space Station. Members of the Washington, D.C., audience included astronauts Eileen Collins, Ed Lu and Michael Lopez-Alegria, and former astronaut Gene Cernan. |
| Release Date |
01/14/2004 |
|
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -
| Description |
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In the KSC television studio, KSC management and other employees applaud President George W. Bush, who addressed the public and an assembly of government officials at NASA Headquarters as he outlined a new focus and vision for the space agency. Seated in the front row, left to right, are Bill Pickavance vice president and associate program manager of Florida Operations, United Space Alliance (USA), Howard DeCastro, vice president and Space Shuttle program manager, USA, Shannon Roberts, with External Affairs, Woodrow Whitlow, KSC deputy director, Bruce Buckingham, assistant to Dr. Whitlow, Lisa Malone, director of External Affairs, and Ken Aguilar, chief, Equal Opportunity office. The President stated his goals for NASA?s new mission: Completing the International Space Station, retiring the Space Shuttle orbiters, developing a new crew exploration vehicle, and returning to the moon and beyond within the next two decades. Pres. Bush was welcomed by NASA Administrator Sean O?Keefe and Expedition 8 Commander Michael Foale, who greeted him from the International Space Station. Members of the Washington, D.C., audience included astronauts Eileen Collins, Ed Lu and Michael Lopez-Alegria, and former astronaut Gene Cernan. |
| Release Date |
01/14/2004 |
|
View of Mission Control Cent
| Title |
View of Mission Control Center during the Apollo 13 emergency return |
| Description |
As the Apollo 13 crewmen entered their final 24 hours in space, several persons important to the mission remained attentive at consoles in the Mission Operations Control Room (MOCR) of the Mission Control Center (MCC) at Manned Spacecraft Center. Among those monitoring communications and serving in supervisory capacities were (from left)Thomas H. McMullen, Office of Manned Space Flight, Shift 1 Mission Director, Dale Myers, Associate Administrator, Manned Space Flight, Chester M. Lee of the Apollo Program Directorate, OMSF, Apollo 13 Mission Director, and Dr. Rocco A. Petrone, Apollo Program Dirctor, OMSF. All four were from NASA Headquarters in Washington, D.C. |
| Date Taken |
1970-04-16 |
|
|