Volume 36, Issue 2 AIAA Houston Section www.aiaa-houston.org June 2011

Hubble RevisitedProject on NASA’s Aether 50th Anniversary

AIAA Houston Horizons June 2011Page 1

June 2011

T A B L E O F C O N T E N T S

From the Chair / From the Editor / From the Assistant Editor 3

HOUSTON 7 ID of the Lone Man in the 1979 McCall Mural at NASA/JSC Bldg 2

Horizons is a quarterly publication of the Houston section Feature: Project Aether, Inspiring the Next Generation of Explorers 8 of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. NASA Photos: pp. 15, 40, 45, 81, 84 (ISS / Endeavour from Soyuz) 15 Douglas Yazell Editor Feature: An Astronaut Takes a Slow Flight by James C. McLane III 16 Mars Rover Celebration: Fun & Learning with Virtual Space Missions 24 Past Editors: Jon Berndt & Dr. Steven Everett Assistant Editor: Robert Beremand The Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) Chapter 12 (Houston) 27 Editing staff: Don Kulba Contributors: Ellen Gillespie, Lance Borden, Dr. Steven The 1940 Air Terminal Museum at Hobby Airport 28 Everett, Alan Simon, Don Kulba, Daniel Adamo Current Events: Lander Test Starts Grass Fire at NASA/JSC 34 AIAA Houston Section Executive Council Dinner Meeting Report: State of the NASA/JSC Center (Mike Coats) 35

Sarah Shull An Evening with Mary Roach: Best-Selling Book Packing for Mars 38 Apollo Lunar Module LM-2: History by Captain Andrew Hobokan 41 Sean Carter Irene Chan Chair-Elect Secretary Annual Technical Symposium (ATS 2011) / Engineers as Educators 46

Ellen Gillespie John Kostrzewski The 42nd Lunar and Planetary Science Conference (LPSC) 52 Past Chair Treasurer The Red Baron Scenario in an Interplanetary Context: Daniel Adamo 61 Dr. Larry Friesen Satya Pilla Vice-Chair, Operations Vice-Chair, Technical John F. Kennedy and the Race to the Moon: New Book by J. Logsdon 66

Operations Technical STS-133 and STS-134 Crew Return Ceremonies at Ellington Airport 68 Dr. Gary Turner Dr. Albert A. Jackson Mir Splashdown 10th Anniversary Party 72 Lisa Voiles Dr. Zafar Taqvi Svetlana Hanson William West Space Fest: Yuri’s Night Houston 2011 74 Dr. Benjamin Longmier Dr. Steven E. Everett Joel Henry Chester Vaughan AIAA Houston Section Membership Anniversaries (25, 40, & 50 Years) 76 Douglas Yazell Dr. Kamlesh Lulla Melissa Gordon BeBe Kelly-Serrato IAF 2011 Frank J. Malina Astronautics Medal 2011: Yves Gourinat 77 Angela Beck Bill Atwell Rafael Munoz Sheikh Ahsan Horizons and AIAA Houston Web Site Aerospace Projects Review 78 Mathew Easterly Paul Nielsen AIAA National Communications Award Winner Gary Cowan Gary Brown Staying Informed & Calendar 82 Michael Frostad Ludmila Dmitriev Cranium Cruncher 85 Art by Don Kulba 87

Councilors The Back Cover: STS-134 90

Mike Lammers Shirley Brandt Sarah Barr 2005 2006 2007 Daniel Nobles Donald Barker This newsletter is created by members of the Houston section. Opinions expressed herein other than Julie Read by elected Houston section officers belong solely to the authors and do not necessarily represent the Holly Feldman position of AIAA or the Houston section. Unless explicitly stated, in no way are the comments of Gabe Garrett individual contributors to Horizons to be construed as necessarily the opinion or position of AIAA, NASA, its contractors, or any other organization. All articles in Horizons, unless otherwise noted, are the property of the individual contributors. Reproduction/republishing in any form except lim- More information at http://www.aiaa-houston.org/orgchart ited excerpts with attribution to the source, will require the express approval of the individual au- thors. Please address all newsletter correspondence to [email protected].

Cover: Project Aether, led by Dr. Benjamin Longmier

AIAA Houston Horizons June 2011Page 2 Page 3

The AIAA Houston Section Year in Review From the Chair SARAH SHULL

As I write this I am General Manager of Space We often have openings now in my final month Exploration at The Boeing on our section executive as your Houston Section Company. As a service to council that we are look- Chair. It has been a very you, our members, copies ing to fill. It has been a busy year so I am look- of all ATS presentations pleasure to serve as your ing forward to having a cleared for public release Houston Section Chair bit more free time this will soon be available on this past year. I’d like to summer but I am also a our section website at extend a special thanks bit sad to hand over the http://www.aiaa- to all of the council reins just when I feel like houston.org/ members this year, many I am getting the hang of Conferences.aspx. of whom put in numer- being at the top of the ous volunteer hours org chart. I will, of In conjunction with month after month to course, remain involved ATS we also held two ses- ensure that AIAA con- as past-chair and in other sions of the Engineers as tinues to be of service to roles for, I hope, many, Educators Workshop. This the Houston aerospace many years to come. two hour workshops, de- community. veloped and run by the K- Since the publica- 12 STEM Education Com- tion of our last issue we mittee at AIAA National, have held several very strives to teach engineers successful AIAA events, effective ways to inspire K including our Annual -12 students to pursue ca- Technical Symposium reers in math, science and (ATS) and first ever En- engineering. All who par- gineers as Educators ticipated seemed to really Workshop. ATS this enjoy the workshop and year attracted approxi- are eager to reach out to mately 150 presenters students in the area. We and attendees and dis- have had several request to cussed a variety of topics offer this workshop again ranging from future for those unable to attend commercial involvement the recent sessions and are in human spaceflight to working to offer it again in newly agreed to interna- the fall, so keep an eye on tional docking standards your e-mail. to space journalism. Keynote talks were As always, if you are given by Mark Erminger interested in getting more of the NASA JSC Com- involved with AIAA mercial Cargo and Crew Houston Section, don’t Office and Brewster hesitate to contact me at Shaw Vice President & [email protected].

AIAA Houston Horizons June 2011Page 3 Page 4

From the Editor Journalism in Aeronautics and Astronautics DOUGLAS YAZELL, EDITOR

Horizons is a big job for but we get more out of AIAA if we follow a bimonthly our team every issue. Long- volunteering than we put into schedule. time editors since I started it. I purchased Windows 7 at volunteering with our section a Best Buy store. The web It’s amazing how good in 1999 are John Keener, Jon site www.techsoup.org makes Horizons looks on our Apple Berndt (15 issues) and Dr. software available for non- iPad at home using the bun- Steven E. Everett (7 issues). profit groups. Donations for dled app iBooks. Jon gets Bob Beremand and Don administrative costs are re- credit for creating the profes- Kulba are two of our regular quired for each software ap- sional and colorful look Horizons staff who might plication or suite of apps ob- found in Horizons in recent have time to fill in that role if tained in this manner. I now years, but it looks and feels needed in a pinch now and have, on our Apple MacBook much better on the iPad than then. Steve and Jon are also Pro, Microsoft Office Pro on a laptop or desktop com- potential backups when I am 2010 for Windows and puter. Each Horizons page in unavailable. Adobe Acrobat Pro X for the iBooks fills the screen in por- Mac OS, both from this trait orientation. A swipe Following Jon’s innova- source. About one eighth of across the screen with a fin- tions, we use Microsoft Pub- my expenses will be reim- ger takes the reader to the lisher for typesetting. It’s like bursed by our section. At next page. Each page snaps using PowerPoint, but Pub- least one other person from into place easily and quickly. lisher has some features that our editing team will be ob- When we pinch our fingers to make it worthwhile. taining similar apps from this zoom on text, it is crystal web site at his own expense. clear immediately at any size. As a non-profit group For example, it was only $31 (part of the non-profit AIAA for the Office suite of apps. Links to web sites in Ho- national group), we can buy But each order for Microsoft rizons work automatically Publisher and other software software products requires a when “www” or “http” is part at very affordable prices at minimum of five Microsoft of the address. With Adobe techsoup.org. products on the order. Acrobat, we can probably add links to our table of contents. I put a Windows 7 parti- “Real soon now” I will tion on our Apple MacBook install UNIX on a partition on I keep an eye on the new Pro (15” screen, purchased this home computer in order formats for space journalism. when we bought our iPad 1, to keep up to date with the Creating a PDF document for as soon as the Apple iPad related computer skills. Open our Horizons newsletter is was on the market) at home Office is software compara- not new, but it still works in order to typeset Horizons ble to Microsoft Office and well for now. A new book starting last issue. Publisher similar products from Apple, format, an iPad app, is dem- does not work with the Mac so that is worth investigating onstrated in a video presenta- OS. for journalists and engineers. tion at www.TED.com. Search for Al Gore’s new While preparing my pur- Jon and I agree that Hori- book, Our Choices, a follow- chase at techsoup.org, I zons should be bimonthly. up to his film, An Inconven- downloaded a free 60-day Others recommend staying ient Truth. trial copy of MS Office Pro- with our traditional quarterly fessional 10 (includes Pub- schedule. But our Horizons As I mentioned last issue, lisher) from Microsoft. team is finding good con- space collectables are often a tributors and our Horizons bad fit for museums and a I used my own money to calendar will be more useful buy some of this software, (Continued on page 5)

AIAA Houston Horizons June 2011Page 4 Page 5

(Continued from page 4) and relatives. The medallion control system), I concluded From the Editor good fit for private collec- with the NASA logo on one that our human space explo- tions. I recently completed a side was the first one I pur- ration beyond Earth orbit five-medallion collection chased. It was available for (with settlements in mind?) which is now very affordable sale in a space souvenir store was a smart choice in light of at thespacestore.com. These at NASA/JSC. I was not yet the danger of new impacts on medallions are 1.75” in di- aware of other medallions in Earth from meteors, comets, ameter and they are two- this series. Then my wife and and asteroids. Daniel sided. They are pewter- I each obtained one Apollo Adamo’s article on the Red colored (gray) and made in 13 medallion at an Apollo 13 Baron Scenario guides read- China, but I don’t know how 40th anniversary event at ers to some of those relevant many of each were made. NASA/JSC. Later I found the science results, quantifying They are not numbered. One other three medallions in this some of the danger and dis- side of each medallion con- series on sale individually at cussing new spacecraft mis- tains the Apollo 40th anniver- the souvenir stores in Space sions for surveying poten- sary logo and the words, Center Houston, the visitor tially hazardous Near Earth “CELEBRATE APOLLO” center next door to NASA/ Objects (NEOs). and “EXPLORING THE JSC. Months later the five- MOON, DISCOVERING medallion set was available at This June 2011 issue of THE EARTH.” On the other www.thespacestore.com. Horizons is targeted to be side are quite a few words, published online by June 30, “OFFICIAL COMMEMO- Daniel Adamo’s article 2011. We aim for the August RATIVE”, “APOLLO (11, reminds me of past conversa- issue to be published online Below: My set of five me- 12, 13, or 17, etc.) 40TH AN- tions with him introducing by August 31, 2011. If our dallions with a duplicate NIVERSARY”, and “THIS me to the open source astron- bimonthly schedule goes as turned around to show the MEDALLION CONTAINS omy software Celestia. A few planned, readers will be able Apollo 40th logo. My Apollo METAL FLOWN TO THE years ago I installed that on to find a new issue of Hori- 40th anniversary lapel pin MOON ON APOLLO MIS- our older Mac, the Power- zons online at www.aiaa- is also shown. SIONS.” Book G4 with a 17” screen. It houston.org at the end of Image credits: Douglas is an excellent astronomy every even-numbered month. Yazell Since our section con- app. Apollo patch image credits: ducted quite a few Apollo Keep in touch. Send feed- NASA (http:// 40th anniversary events During my years of engi- back and comments to our history.nasa.gov/ (thanks to Dr. Albert A. Jack- neering teamwork on contributors or e-mail me apollo_patches.html) son IV and others), I decided NASA’s Constellation pro- using editor “at” aiaa- to complete that collection. In gram (Orion Crew Explora- houston.org. NASA logo: public domain fact, I bought quite a few tion Vehicle entry mode team duplicates as gifts for friends flight

AIAA Houston Horizons June 2011Page 5 Page 6

From the NASA Photo: Worth a Thousand Words Assistant Editor ROBERT BEREMAND

ISS027-E-036801 (23 May 2011) --- This image of the International Space Station and the docked space shuttle Endeavour, flying at an alti- tude of approximately 220 miles, was taken by Expedi- tion 27 crew member Paolo Nespoli from the Soyuz TMA- 20 following its undocking on May 23, 2011 (USA time). The pictures are the first taken of a shuttle docked to the Inter- national Space Station from the perspective of a Russian Soyuz spacecraft. Onboard the Soyuz were Russian cos- monaut and Expedition 27 commander Dmitry Kondra- tyev; Nespoli, a European Space Agency astronaut; and NASA astronaut Cady Cole- man. Coleman and Nespoli were both flight engineers. The three landed in Kazakh- stan later that day, completing 159 days in space. Image credit: NASA http://spaceflight.nasa.gov, space station, Expedition 27

AIAA Houston Horizons June 2011Page 6 Page 7

The Lone Man in the McCall Mural at NASA/JSC JSC Mural DOUGLAS YAZELL

Left: Howard W Tindall, Jr., second from right, and, left to right, Bill Schneider, Chris Kraft, and Sig Sjoberg monitor a problem with the Command Service Module used to trans- port the Skylab 3 crew to the orbiting Skylab space station cluster. (NASA Photo S-73- 31875.)

We can now update our cover story from last issue, “Who’s Who in the McCall Mural at JSC”. The man in the McCall mural at left (in an image cropped from an image of the entire mural) appears to be Sig Sjoberg, the man in the striped tie at right in the above photograph. Someone e-mailed me (I lost her note.) on about Monday, May 23, 2011, Left and below: Parts of the to explain her conclusion that it is Mr. NASA/JSC mural by Robert Sjoberg in the mural. I found the photograph by searching the internet. McCall. Image credits: NASA

My copy of Kraft’s book Flight, My Life in Mission Control, was moved to our attic (impossible to find for now) about a week ago while we did some home renovation. I seem to recall that Sig Sjoberg was the man who lured Mr. Kraft into a lifelong love/hate relationship with golf. At the end of the book, Mr. Kraft thanks him for that, I think. That book may have more photos of Mr. Sjoberg.

AIAA Houston Horizons June 2011Page 7 Page 8

Feature Project Aether: Inspiring the Next Generation of Explorers ELDON SUMMERSON, BENJAMIN LONGMIER

Project Aether Principal Investigator: Benjamin Longmier, Ph.D. Undergraduate Mentors: Eldon Summerson, Charlie Powell Sponsors: AIAA, Dr. Barry Lefer's University of Houston balloon group, AIAA-Houston, GoPro, Praxair, Dr. Edgar Bering of UH, undergraduate volunteers, Christine Haman and Darrell Anderson of the University of Houston.

Forty years ago when through Project Aether in al- and introductions were made, today’s aerospace scientists and lowing local students from Ben explained the premise of engineers were children, men Booker T. Washington High the project and how it would be were walking on the moon and School to participate in the useful for the students to know becoming an astronaut was construction and release of an some of the details of the every child’s dream. It wasn’t aeronautical experiment. Pro- equipment for their upcoming difficult to understand the im- viding this opportunity to stu- rocket launches. Initial interest pact of the space program a dents from a school that is gen- varied across the group, some generation ago, but for today’s erally underprivileged and low students seemed indifferent students, events like landing on performing turned out to be a while others were busy taking the moon are history lessons special opportunity for every- notes. In an unfamiliar environ- and the space program has body involved. ment the students were re- taken a backseat in national served and timid but once they attention. How then do we ex- The purpose of the project were able to start physically pect today’s students to want to was to launch rugged HD cam- interacting with the experiment become tomorrow’s aerospace eras, provided by GoPro, on a they became active and eager scientists and engineers? In a weather balloon that would to be involved. They based word - opportunities. The rig- reach 100,000 feet while re- their work off of visual obser- ors of a well rounded under- cording video and still footage vations but occasionally an graduate curriculum leave little of the ascent and descent. The energetic leader would come room for the pursuits of the cameras and a GPS unit were ask us questions to make sure imagination so that the avail- attached to a square frame, their design was just right. It ability of first hand experiences suspended from a parachute wasn’t long before everyone is often key to cultivating inter- that was subsequently sus- was involved in some way, and ests among students. This is pended from the weather bal- soon we were preparing for what we tried to provide loon. When the students arrived (Continued on page 9)

Project Aether is a program designed to inspire the next generation of scientists, engineers, explorers, and dreamers. We are composed of a small number of professional rocket scientist men- tors and space physicist mentors and a group of Houston graduate, undergraduate, and high school students. We want to share our experiences with the world. Performed with off the shelf hardware, the inaugural flights of Project Aether document how space exploration can be accessible to the individual. The picture and video data from the flights is shared online where any student with internet access can share in the emotional experiences of viewing the world from the edge of space. Videos from Project Aether flights have reached ~11 Million students on Youtube (as of mid- 2011), and viewership continues to grow at a non-linear rate. Interested high school, undergraduate, and graduate students and teachers in the greater Houston area are encouraged to contact Ben Longmier at [email protected] for more information on participation. For teachers and student outside the Houston area, "Fly-it-yourself" kits are offered for sale at www.ProjectAether.org.

AIAA Houston Horizons June 2011Page 8 Page 9

(Continued from page 8) That afternoon we accom- ship at Ad Astra Rocket Com- launch. Everyone had an active panied Ben and his wife across pany. Feature role in the launch, and after we the Texas countryside in pursuit let go expressions of awe and of the balloons which had Dr. Benjamin Longmier is elation were spread across the landed around 120 miles west a research scientist at Ad Astra students’ faces as they squinted of Houston. Using the GPS Rocket Company, the Profes- up at bright sky, watching the devices, we found the two ex- sional Development Chair with balloon soar into the clouds. periments with ease and recov- Congratulations were shared all ered nearly a thousand photos AIAA-Houston, and founder of around and then the whole and 7 hours of amazing video Project Aether. group got back to work prepar- footage. Project Aether turned ing the second payload for out to be a success in every way launch. We added two small that it was intended and Ben is gyroscopes to the second plat- now scheduling future launches form to help stabilize angular to take place in Costa Rica in rotation and then strung the September and Houston in late whole assembly up as we had October. These projects will for the first balloon. The sec- continue to provide great out- ond launch went seamlessly reach tools to keep students now that the whole group had actively involved in the future some experience in the proce- of aerospace as well as pure dure. You could tell that these visual and imaginative inspira- students were proud of what tion to anyone following the they had accomplished through results of Project Aether at their genuine gratitude at hav- www.projectaether.org. ing been able to build and launch their own balloon. After Eldon Summerson is from all of the equipment was Nebraska, an AIAA Student packed up, we thanked the stu- Member, and a senior mechani- dents for their help and wished cal engineering student at the them luck with their future University of Nebraska. He is projects. completing his summer intern- Image credits: Project Aether

AIAA Houston Horizons June 2011Page 9 Page 10

Feature Project Aether: “I Knew When” CHARLES POWELL, BENJAMIN LONGMIER

Project Aether Principal Investigator: Benjamin Longmier, Ph.D. Undergraduate Mentors: Eldon Summerson, Charlie Powell Sponsors: AIAA, Dr. Barry Lefer's University of Houston balloon group, AIAA-Houston, GoPro, Image credits: Praxair, Dr. Edgar Bering of UH, undergraduate volunteers, Christine Haman and Darrell Anderson Project Aether of the University of Houston.

As I navigate to the AIAA week class - taught by a volun- Not too long ago, one of homepage (www.aiaa.org), I’m teer from NASA - on HAM my internship advisors, Dr. confronted with a prying ques- radio operation. It wasn’t a Ben Longmier, asked me to tion: “when did you know?” calculated undertaking, it just participate in a balloon launch. That’s a question I can’t an- happened to be the class that all The details of this operation swer. As a current undergradu- of my friends were in. As it ambiguous, and with the ate student, I can assure you turned out, amateur radio planned launch at the alienating that I have no idea about what piqued my interest: I got my hour of 9 A.M. on a Saturday, I my future career entails. Al- technician’s license (at the ripe was noticeably hesitant. I only though I share an interest set age of eleven) and became a knew that it was named that is aligned with the aero- fairly active member of the “Project Aether” and enlisted space industry, I have yet to local HAM community. Admit- the use of both high-altitude have a revelatory experience tedly, my current participation weather balloons and HD cam- where I suddenly become has lapsed in recent memory, eras. But, in a vain attempt to aware that aerospace is my the point remains – I was inter- please my superiors, I promised life’s calling. ested and active purely because my appearance. one volunteer teacher spent When I was in sixth five hours a week teaching a When I arrived at the grade, I took a small, nine- class. (Continued on page 11)

Right: (Editor) The only person I recognize is Ben Longmier, second from right.

AIAA Houston Horizons June 2011Page 10 Page 11

(Continued from page 10) had built and launched a bal- once and awhile, when trying Feature launch site, I met 18 obviously- loon, we worked one step to recreate a feature they saw in tired-and-exasperated students ahead of the student team to our payload, they would ask, from Booker T. Washington work out any potential kinks. “how did you do that?” Most of High School in Houston, the answers were as trivial as Texas. They had been dragged The design was pretty tying a certain style of knot, there wearing collared shirts simple, consisting of a square which, after learning, they and khakis on a Saturday morn- PVC frame with cameras zipped right back to work. ing, still during summer break, bolted onto it. We started the Every student seemed to be in the Houston heat. Ben hadn’t students off with assembly, energized, and they buzzed Image credits: expressed much in the way of which was accomplished in all about the launch site purpose- Project Aether plans to me, and apparently had of a matter of seconds. The fully completing one task after decided to build (and design) frame was anything but secure, another. As we began prepara- the payload on-site. So after however, as lifting any side tions to launch the “pro” bal- unpacking all of our materials, unevenly would cause it to loon, the anticipation continued I started to help out by assem- spontaneously disassemble. to build. bling a PVC frame for our bal- Herein lay our first engineering loon’s payload. Perhaps I had challenge. With the limited After inflating our bal- underestimated the power of supplies of duct tape and nylon loon, the next step was letting curiosity, but immediately, the string , the students started the 300–or-so feet of payload students started asking me what fashioning an internal tension line out slowly. We explained I was doing, why I was doing mechanism. After watching me to our students that the string it, and how they could do it progress with more ways to was quite long so that the pen- themselves. Epiphany struck, strengthen the frame, a student dulum’s period of motion was and suddenly we were making dutifully explained the process increased, which helped main- two balloons: one “test” device to the rest of her compatriots, tain stability during flight. With that was built by the “pros”, where they began work without 300 feet of thin nylon line to and a similar device built en- any direction. manage, it’s a logistical night- tirely by the students. The bal- mare, but these students were loons were functionally the As the construction proc- quick on their feet to pick up same, but since this was the ess continued, the students be- the slack (pun intended). They first time half of the “pro” team came more autonomous. Every (Continued on page 12)

Left: (Editor) That’s Ben Longmier in the center of that frame.

AIAA Houston Horizons June 2011Page 11 Page 12

Feature (Continued from page 11) an opportunity to be a part of a any) practical uses, HAM radio organized, completely inde- real design team with a real represents a large hobbyist pendently, in a W-shape and design challenge. The project community - just because it’s spooled the line around like empowered students to lead fun. Planes and spaceships are pulleys during the launch. their own path with their own more than just fun; they are the creativity. Most importantly, future of American industry. If After the collective giddi- the students had an immediate amateur radio can catalyze en- ness and awe after the first lift- sense of accomplishment. They ergy and action within students, off, the students went right saw their project evolve then aeronautics and astronaut- back to work readying their through their own handiwork, ics shouldn’t be any more diffi- Image credits: own craft. The bar had been set cult. Project Aether and saw their work rival the by the relatively painless and pros. Their treat: amazing pho- problem-free launch. Every- tos from the edge of Earth and It is in the interest of body was twitching from ex- the pride attained by a success- AIAA (and any organization citement, ready to repeat that ful mission. aiming to lure the best and the same gratifying moment. In no brightest) to engage in outreach time, we were back to launch Being a part of this men- activities that enchant secon- choreography, and the stu- torship team made me reflect dary school students, and moti- dent’s balloon ascended just as about my not-too-distant secon- vate them to be active in the dutifully and powerfully as the dary school career. In hind- aerospace community. In an era first. sight, I think the only reason where the Space Race no why I became involved in the longer dominates headlines, it’s Project Aether provided a HAM community is simply hard to imagine where students number of experiences that because my teacher shared his will find their inspiration in these students were unlikely to passion for it with me. That aerospace. That and, who actu- find in school. Besides giving a excitement remains contagious. ally knew what they wanted to real world context to many Despite largely being surpassed do in high school (… or col- concepts they might learn in a by modern communication (Continued on page 13) traditional physics class, it was technologies for most (read:

AIAA Houston Horizons June 2011Page 12 Page 13

(Continued from page 12) tial to provide that experience ing his second summer intern- lege)? It is possible, however, to impressionable young adults. ship at Ad Astra Rocket Com- Feature to capture the imagination of an Educational stewardship is pany. otherwise apathetic youth by everyone’s responsibility. simply exposing them to some- Dr. Benjamin Longmier is thing intriguing – or challeng- Charles Powell is a Hous- a research scientist at Ad Astra ing – or practical. If a mentor ton native, AIAA Student Rocket Company, the Profes- can relate to a pupil in ‘why’ Member, and sophomore phys- sional Development Chair with Image credits: they do something, the ‘how’ ics student at Bard College at AIAA-Houston, and founder of Project Aether question will surely follow. It’s Simon’s Rock. He is complet- Project Aether. up to AIAA members to take on the task themselves, to reach out to the community, enlist young scholars, and build the founda- tion of tomorrow’s industry.

So, when did you know? If you can pin- point the exact moment you knew you wanted to join the ranks of aerospace, then you should realize that the answer isn’t as impor- tant as the sentiment it instills, and the poten-

AIAA Houston Horizons June 2011Page 13 Page 14

Feature Project Aether: Glenda Reyes in our Cover Photograph GLENDA REYES & BENJAMIN LONGMIER

What are some of the interesting aerospace projects you worked on in high school?

One project was the One Mile One Pound Rocket. It required that we research, design, and build a rocket that could reach the altitude of a mile carrying a one pound payload. Another project is the building of the Transonic Rocket. I was the project manager of the team. With this rocket we had to do the same as in One Mile One Pound, but also we had to reach transonic speed or higher. An- other recent aerospace project for me is Project Aether, in collaboration with Dr. Longmier. We launched a weather balloon to the Altitude of 100,000 feet. This balloon helped my team and me gather data that was necessary for the calculations of the current project, the High Altitude Rocket. We are required to build a rocket to reach an altitude of 100,000 feet.

Please describe your background and family/friend support for your education and your ca- reer.

Image credit: I came to the United States from El Salvador when I was seven years old. When I came I Project Aether knew I loved to dream big. I started school in the U.S and it was difficult since I didn’t speak Eng- lish. Eventually I learned and that is when I knew I could do anything because the hardest thing, adapting to and learning a new language, had already been accomplished. I am the oldest daughter and I will be the first one to go to college. For this reason my parents are and have always been very supportive with my education and all my dreams.

When did you know that you wanted to pursue a career in aerospace?

I decided I wanted to become an astronaut when I was in seventh grade. It started as I looked at the stars one night and I felt that I wanted to one day be able to be up there in the sky rather than just look at it from Earth. I also had a feeling that there was more to space than just stars. Once I started building rockets I felt that if I could build a rocket today than I could fly a rocket someday. Even though now my interest is not as much in becoming an astronaut, I still want to become an engineer in maybe aerospace engineering.

What are your ultimate career goals (what do you want to be when you grow up), and how do you plan to achieve these goals?

My ultimate career goal is becoming an astronaut, but I also want to establish my own collabo- rative engineering business to help the environment. I love life which is why there are many things I want to accomplish. I am interested in engineering and though there are many obstacles I am deter- mined to succeed. I will set my career goal as a high priority and do what it takes to achieve my goal. One thing I will never do is give up because the day I give up is the day everything will end and it will be the day I will lose the most important thing, my dreams.

What impact on the world do you want to make and how do you see yourself helping others?

I love life as well as people and when I grow up I want to help anybody who I can by sharing with them my knowledge and the mistakes I’ve made so that one day they can correct those mistakes and make things better. Like my teacher Dr. Le says, “The best get better.”, which is what we need to do to make the world more innovative than it already is. I want to make things better. Hopefully with my research we can one day be able to explore beyond our planet to make life for humanity better.

AIAA Houston Horizons June 2011Page 14 Page 15

NASA Photos

ISS027-E-036619 (23 May 2011) --- This image of the International Space Station and the docked space shuttle Endeavour, flying at an alti- tude of approximately 220 miles, was taken by Expedi- tion 27 crew member Paolo Nespoli from the Soyuz TMA- 20 following its undocking on May 23, 2011 (USA time). The pictures are the first taken of a shuttle docked to the Inter- national Space Station from the perspective of a Russian Soyuz spacecraft. Onboard the Soyuz were Russian cos- monaut and Expedition 27 commander Dmitry Kondra- tyev; Nespoli, a European Space Agency astronaut; and NASA astronaut Cady Cole- man. Coleman and Nespoli were both flight engineers. The three landed in Kazakh- stan later that day, completing 159 days in space. Image credit: NASA

http://spaceflight.nasa.gov, space station, Expedition 27

AIAA Houston Horizons June 2011Page 15 Page 16

Feature An Astronaut Takes a Slow Flight JAMES C. MCLANE III

In the early days of the Right: Talking to the manned space program many Goodyear representa- firms made special efforts to tive (in the cowboy show their support for NASA. hat) For example in the summer of 1964 Goodyear sent a blimp to Texas as a promotional gesture to welcome the Manned Space Craft Center (now named John- son Space Center) to Houston. A temporary Blimp base was established in Clear Lake City on a large mowed open field on the northeast side of El Camino Real. Only a year earlier that street had been a rough dirt road. The site was close to rough field where a temporary back then. We also met astro- where the Clear Lake City fire mooring mast had been erected. naut Dick Gordon and his fam- Image credits: station is situated and located The famous Goodyear blimp ily (who would be riding with James C. McLane III about where Hercules Avenue Columbia (tail number N2A) us). The Gordon’s lived on our runs today. was moored to the top of the street in Clear Lake City, just a small tower. I’d never seen one few houses from us, so we Goodyear sent invitations of these things up close so I were neighbors. to certain NASA folks to take a was fascinated. We met the ride. On the first morning of local Goodyear representative. The blimp could carry the event our family (my fa- He wore a Stetson cowboy hat, perhaps 6 passengers. My ther, mother and I) went to the as indeed many Texans sported (Continued on page 17)

Right: From left to right, astronaut Dick Gordon and family, James McLane Jr. and wife Dorothy with Goodyear representative (wearing the cowboy hat)

AIAA Houston Horizons June 2011Page 16 Page 17

Feature

Left: Waiting to board. Astronaut Dick Gordon's family at left, James McLane, Jr. and Dorothy McLane at right.

(Continued from page 16) It was all very interesting. The terrific 360 degree view. No mother and father plus astro- crew and passenger pod rested one, not even the pilot had a naut Gordon and a couple of on one large single wheel with seat belt. The two piston en- Image credits: his kids boarded for the first a pneumatic tire. We boarded gines were inside pods, one on James C. McLane III flight. Gordon’s wife and their by stepping up a short ladder each side of the cabin. They remaining three kids would below a door on the right. The were quite noisy. These were ride with me on the second trip. cabin was roomy and bus-like, (Continued on page 18) with big windows offering a

Left: Walking to the blimp

AIAA Houston Horizons June 2011Page 17 Page 18

Feature

Right: Blimp Columbia attached to temporary mast

(Continued from page 17) rotating one wheel pulled on manual controls (not boosted) pusher type installations with cables that extended back to the that worked very large sur- Image credits: propellers near the aft end of tail elevator to control vehicle faces. In flight the pilot was James C. McLane III the passenger compartment. pitch. The other wheel worked continuously rotating the two The single landing wheel was cables that moved the rudder to (Continued on page 19) also located to the rear of the affect yaw. These were totally passenger com- partment under the engines.

Rather than Right: A steep takeoff moving a central control yoke as in a convent.ional airplane, the Blimp pilot steered the vehicle with large wheels positioned vertically, one next to each side of his seat. These wheels looked something like those on a hospital wheel- chair. Manually

AIAA Houston Horizons June 2011Page 18 Page 19

(Continued from page 18) wheels with his arms and hands Feature –a lot of exercise! The main gas bag was full of helium, but since there had to be way for the gas to expand during the heat of the day (they didn’t Left: Climbing out with the vent the expensive gas over- Webster power station in board) inside the main envelop distance a variable size compartment held ordinary air. This com- partment was inflated by air scoops resembling tubes situ- ated behind the propellers. The prop blast kept the internal expansion compensator ex- panded. The vehicle seemed to have a slight negative buoy- ancy, so in order to climb the pilot would apply power, start moving ahead and then point the nose up. It was possible to point the nose up at a very sharp angle, say 30 degrees or Image credits: more and the machine would James C. McLane III climb away steeply, but slowly and majestically with its loud engines racing.

The sensation for passen- gers was quite different than being in a conventional air- plane. The blimp’s noisy mo- (Continued on page 20)

Left: Blimp disappearing to the east

AIAA Houston Horizons June 2011Page 19 Page 20

(Continued from page 19) Feature tors were a distraction, but the ride was smooth. We passed over deer and cattle that remained graz- ing and seemed unper- Right: Approaching turbed by our presence. Highway 3 (Old Galves- We flew south along ton Road). Webster is to Texas HY#3 and near the right. Clear Lake before tran- siting the Manned Space- craft Center at low level. The term airship is very accurate because the Image credits: handling seemed ponder- James C. McLane III ous and slow like a ship. When the blimp would encounter an uprising thermal of warm air its nose The opposite would happen Passing over the new would be pushed upward. Then when we exited the thermal. So NASA center I took photos of when the tail of the ship got the nose constantly bobbed the massive construction that Below: Webster electric into the same thermal it would slowly up and down in a series was is full swing. We flew di- generating station. This also be pushed up and briefly of gentle oscillations. rectly over Building 32. From is now gone. we would be flying level again. (Continued on page 21)

AIAA Houston Horizons June 2011Page 20 Page 21

soon all blimp Feature flights had to be cancelled. Be- cause of the windy weather very few folks ever got to go up, Left: Pilot steers the so I consider my- Goodyer blimp Columbia self quite fortu- around Clear Lake nate.

I didn’t really think about our neighbors, the Gordons again Image credits: until a couple of James C. McLane III years later. One morning I went out to collect the (Continued from page 20) newspaper from the front yard Below: NASA building 32 Back in Clear Lake City our and saw a long line of cars and space chamber A takes the air I could see the huge landing was smooth and un- news vans parked along our shape under a red metal space environmental Chamber eventful. However, the Texas street and people standing frame A in building 32 being built. wind started kicking up and (Continued on page 22)

AIAA Houston Horizons June 2011Page 21 Page 22

Feature

Right: Low level flying

Image credit: James C. McLane III

(Continued from page 21) around everywhere. Dick Gordon was up in space on Gemini XI. He later flew to the moon as Command Module Pilot on Apollo 12.

Article ends on next page.

AIAA Houston Horizons June 2011Page 22 Page 23

Feature

Left: Approaching to land with the NASA Manned Spacecraft Center in the dis- tance

Image credits: James C. McLane III

Below: Ground crew leads the blimp to its mooring mast

AIAA Houston Horizons June 2011Page 23 Page 24

Feature Mars Rover Celebration Fun and Learning with Virtual Space Missions EDGAR A. BERING, III, PH.D., AIAA ASSOCIATE FELLOW, & JENNIFER T. JAMES

You are unlikely to recall universities. They have made that convince them that science a time when you did not find curriculum decisions in middle and engineering are boring, science and engineering excit- school and high school that incomprehensible, irrelevant, ing, compelling and consuming render them unable to major in and much too hard for them to subjects of your intellectual science or engineering. The K- understand. Ultimately, this passion. For engineers, fascina- 12 STEM Outreach Program is problem can only be solved one tion with airplanes, rockets and the AIAA’s contribution to a teacher at a time. However, the way things work has moti- broad community coalition of what organizations such as the vated and defined our develop- efforts aimed at reversing this AIAA can do is organize and ment from an early age. Unfor- trend. provide enrichment programs tunately, too few of today’s and curriculum units that make young people have been in- The purpose of this article engineering more engaging and spired by their teachers and is to describe one of the fun for kids. All of us know mentors to dream the dream of AIAA’s efforts to make a sub- that engineering professionals building a bigger, faster rocket stantive contribution to solving get paid to spend their time to Mars or designing the next this problem. The University of solving really fun puzzles and generation of airliner or fighter Houston/AIAA Mars Rover playing with captivating toys. It plane. It is indisputable that the Model Celebration is the only should not be so difficult to shortage of American children national student participation K convey that information to entering college with the inten- -8 program the AIAA offers. kids. The Mars Rover Model tion of majoring in science or This program was developed Celebration is an enrichment engineering is becoming a ma- by Houston Section members program designed to help solve jor long-term threat to the fu- and is still offered by UH in this problem. It is based on the ture of the American economy. partnership with the Houston problem of prototyping a mo- This problem is deep-seated in Section. bile robot, or “rover,” to ex- our national culture, and will plore the surface of Mars. not yield to single “silver bul- The heart of the issue is There are two parts to the pro- let” solutions. The critical that far too many students are gram, a curriculum element and problem is that the pipeline has experiencing science in ele- a competition. The curriculum already emptied before the stu- mentary and middle school element is structured as a 6- dents arrive at our nation’s with hackneyed approaches (Continued on page 25)

Right: Former astronaut Joan Higgenbotham and Physics Professor Edgar Bering presenting an award to one of the 2011 winning teams.

AIAA Houston Horizons June 2011Page 24 Page 25

(Continued from page 24) illustrate the enthusiasm and participate in a training seminar Feature week planetary science unit for diversity of the participants. and receive curriculum materi- elementary school (grades 3-5). Figure 3 shows a typical model als developed by Dr. Bering It can also be used as an enrich- rover. and his collaborators. ment program or extracurricu- lar activity in grades 6-8 by Physics Professor Edgar An integral part of the increasing the expected level of Bering, the event’s founder, capstone event involved 90- scientific sophistication in the expounded on the program’s minute campus tours with dem- mission design and adding conceptual underpinnings. onstrations and hands-on ac- more detailed written reports to “Mars Rover Celebration is an tivities offered by faculty com- the end product. The second enrichment program for grades mitted to enriching the event part is a capstone event held 3-8 aimed at creating a much with critical STEM subject annually at UH to select the higher level of excitement matter. Among the day’s favor- most outstanding models. about science and engineering ites included weather balloon than contemporary curricula launches conducted by atmos- Mars Rover Celebration do. This program begins with pheric chemist Barry Lefer; 2011 was the largest and most the children researching Mars experiments conducted by successful in its nine-year his- and choosing a question to in- chemist Simon Bott’s graduate tory. Approximately 550 stu- vestigate that really interests students; a demonstration by dents representing 29 elemen- them. The teams decide how physicist Robert Dubois; and a tary and middle schools they’re going to address the 3D roller coaster ride in the brought 170 model Mars rovers question, then design and build TLC2 visualization theater. to the University Center on a model rover that answers the January 29 to compete in sev- question using what we charita- The excitement was pal- eral categories. Among the bly call art supplies.” The sup- pable throughout the day as University's premiere outreach plies consist of found objects teams presented their mission events, Mars Rover Celebration and art supplies with a maxi- objectives and rovers to a panel offers high-impact engagement mum cost of $25 to maintain of expert judges trained by Dr. in educational activities that budgetary frugality so that even Bering to fairly evaluate the inspire interest in STEM sub- poorly funded schools can par- rovers in accordance with me- jects, teaches students how to ticipate. The program includes ticulously developed criteria define and achieve a long-term six weeks of preparation during for free form, radio controlled, goal, improves their oral and which teams define and de- and solar models. Quail Middle written communication skills, velop their rovers with guid- School student Eisha Rao and emphasizes the importance ance from their teachers, who shared her enthusiasm for the of teamwork. Figures 1 and 2 experience. “I had fun with it and learned how to program Left: Mars, here we come! stuff. I felt like I was an engi- neer making a rover that was actually going to Mars.”

Parents and teachers were nearly as delighted as the chil- dren. Smith Middle School teacher Alex Swing com- mented on the program’s abil- ity to engage students who are typically less motivated. “I’ve seen students who get involved and are excited to participate in this every day after school who I never guessed would be inter- ested in this type of program.”

(Continued on page 26)

AIAA Houston Horizons June 2011Page 25 Page 26

(Continued from page 25) tivities, so any program that the University of Houston’s Presenters included Keri piques children’s interest in University Park campus. Ow- Bean, a graduate student from science, engineering, and ing to the success of the pro- math is just crucial for them.” Texas A&M who summarized gram, it has become necessary the Phoenix mission in “One Summer in the Martian Arc- The event was planned to split the event into two tic;” Microsoft’s Jonathan and hosted by the Texas parts, elementary school in Fay, who discussed World Learning & Computation the morning and middle Wide Telescope; Tess Center (TLC2) in conjunction school in the afternoon. From Caswell of NASA, who pre- with the Texas Institute for the perspective of the AIAA sented the “Future of Space Measurement, Evaluation, Houston Section’s members, Exploration;” and former as- and Statistics (TIMES), and this change has two implica- tronaut Joan Higginbotham, the Departments of Physics who conducted the final and Electrical and Computer tions: the duration of an indi- award presentations. Engineering. TLC2 produced vidual volunteer judging stint Higginbotham also took the a compelling video (see http:// has been reduced from the time to chat and pose for pho- vimeo.com/19771470) that previous 5 hours to 2.5 hours, tos with a large number of captured the essence of the and the number of volunteers participants, which excited capstone event and the posi- required has doubled. The the youngsters enormously. tive impact of the program volunteer registration web “This is hugely important for overall. the children,” said page will become available on Higginbotham. “We’re living Mars Rover 2012 will be November 1. Additional calls in a time where funding is held on Saturday, Jan 28 from for volunteers will be issued tight for everything, espe- 9 am to 6 pm in the Houston in the fall. cially for extracurricular ac- Room, University Center at Right: One of the Mars Rover Celebration 2011 participants proudly displays her work.

AIAA Houston Horizons June 2011Page 26 Page 27

EAA and EAA Chapter 12 Information Chapter Mission brings people together with an tion and aviation technology The Experimental Air- interest in recreational avia- is encouraged to participate craft Association's Chapter tion, facilitating social inter- (EAA membership is not re- 12, located at Ellington Field action and information shar- quired, but encouraged). in Houston, is an organization ing between aviation enthusi- Meetings are generally from that promotes all forms of asts. Many of the services that 6:30 PM to 9 PM at Ellington recreational aviation. The EAA offers provide valuable Field in Houston Texas. We Last issue we started our series organization includes interest support resources for those welcome everyone. Come as EAA/AIAA profiles in general in homebuilt, experimental, that wish develop and im- you are and bring a guest; we and experimental aviation with antique and classic, warbirds, prove various skills related to are an all aviation friendly Lance Borden, who is rebuild- aerobatic aircraft, ultra lights, aircraft construction and res- organization! ing his Inland Sport airplane, helicopters and commercially toration, piloting, aviation an aircraft manufactured by his manufactured aircraft and the safety, and aviation education. grandfather’s 1929 - 1932 associated technologies. Every individual and organi- company. We intend to present zation with an interest in avia- This organization our second profile in our next issue, our August issue. We Ideas for a meeting? Contact Richard at [email protected], Chapter web site: plan to be a bimonthly publica- www.eaa12.org tion starting with this June Experimental Aircraft Association web site: www.eaa.org 2011 issue. Target dates for publication at www.aiaa- Scheduled/Preliminary Chapter 12 Event/Meeting Ideas and Recurring Events: houston.org are June 30, 2011, Monthly Meeting: Chapter 302, 2nd Saturday, 10 AM, Lone Star Builder’s Center, Lone Star and August 31, 2011. Executive, Conroe TX 1st Saturday of each month – La Grange TX BBQ Fly-In, Fayette Regional (3T5) 1st Saturday – Waco/Macgregor TX (KPWG), Far East Side of Field, Chap 59, Pancake Break- fast with all the goodies 8-10 AM, Dale Breedlove, [email protected] 2nd Saturday – Lufkin TX Fajita Fly-In (LFK) 2nd Saturday – New Braunfels TX Pancake Fly-In 3rd Saturday – Wings & Wheels, 1941 Air Terminal Museum, Hobby Airport, Houston TX 3rd Saturday – Jasper TX BBQ Lunch Fly-In (JAS) 3rd Saturday – Tyler TX Breakfast Fly-In, 8-11, Pounds Field (TYR) 4th Saturday – Denton TX Tex-Mex Fly-In 4th Saturday – Leesville LA Lunch Fly-In (L39) 4th Saturday – Shreveport LA Lunch Fly-In (DTN) Last Saturday – Denton Fly-In 11AM-2 PM (KDTO)

Left: A few months ago Richard Sessions took off from the 1940 Air Terminal Museum at Hobby Airport in the LongEZ. The Southwest Boeing 737 airplanes made a nice background when a zoom lens was used and the photograph was cropped. Image credit: Douglas Yazell

AIAA Houston Horizons June 2011Page 27 Page 28

Museum The 1940 Air Terminal Museum at Hobby Airport An AIAA Historic Aerospace Site DOUGLAS YAZELL, EDITOR

Tom Hile and I attended since my wife and I drove to photographs. Currently, the the monthly Wings & Wheels Magnolia, Texas for the an- museum does not allow any- lunch programs in nual Depot Day celebration. one above the ground floor, March and May Celeste Graves probably due to fire danger 2011. He and I (celestegraves.org) is an au- and regulations. But the have the same thor I got to know at the mu- ground floor is a spectacular camera, a Canon seum. She contributed the place to visit, with its main Powershot materials for the WASP dis- lobby being such an elegant SX10IS. The only play at the museum. WASP is room. And the air condition- difference is mine Women Airforce Service Pi- ing in the building is very has a lens hood. lots. That World War II pro- modern and works well. Tom knows how gram would not have existed to use the many at all if its first class did not We were fortunate to features of the succeed, and that first class visit with Captain A. J. High camera better than took place in Houston, not in at the May 2011 Wings & me. I have the Sweetwater, Texas. The city Above: The museum in August Wheels program. We met his instruction manual here at my of Magnolia has a visitor cen- of 2010. wife Claudette, too, for the home somewhere near my ter built around its historic Image credit: Douglas Yazell first time. She was working desk, so I will skim over it train depot building. My wife on payroll for Trans-Texas one day soon. and I enjoyed good music, Airways. That’s the airline good BBQ, and good com- that operated from 1947 to Mr. Michael Bludworth pany during our brief visit 1969 before buying another was there to give a lecture there. Celeste’s book about airline called Continental. both days, and he has a the WASP is called A View Captain High generously do- unique perspective on the from the Doghouse. She has nated the contents of a beauti- building’s history. He was also written a book about the ful display at the museum, there as a child from time to history of Magnolia, Texas. items from his aviation career. time. His father flew in and Captain High also fills an out of there on business and Tom and I spent quite a important volunteer role for vacation with his family, back while looking at the giant the museum. His memoir, when people dressed up for- poster photographs of opening Meant to Fly, is a memorable mally to be on a commercial day for the museum, Septem- book. More details are visible flight. ber 28, 1940. Quite a few at http://meant-to-fly.com/. attendees were outdoors on I missed the April 2011 the roofs of the first, second, (Continued on page 29) Wings & Wheels program and higher floors in those

Right: The 5th annual raffle airplane. Tickets are $50. At most 2,500 tickets will be sold, and the date of the drawing is sometime in July 2011. Photograph: Thomas K. Hile

AIAA Houston Horizons June 2011Page 28 Page 29

Museum

www.1940airterminal.org

Left: The museum on Saturday, March 19, 2011. Twelve air- planes called “Moonies” were on display along with the raffle airplane. Photograph: Thomas K. Hile

(Continued from page 28) traditionally airplane spotting, airplanes are very attractive, Blair McFarlaine was as described at the web site and quite a few other memo- also one of the volunteers for HoustonSpotters.net. You will rable aircraft fly in and out of the May 2011 Wings & see quite a few airplane pho- Hobby airport every day. Wheels. The December tographs by Blair on that web Wings & Wheels theme is site. During that December Wings & Wheels program, an airport minivan or a similar

Left: The MetLife blimp with Snoopy on its nose I recently flew over the museum on flew to Saturday, March 19, 2011. Charleston, Some frieze details are South Caro- also shown. Photographs: lina. Recent Thomas K. Hile renovations are major and quite nice at Hobby air- port. Every- vehicle is used to thing inside has changed for allow attendees to the better. It’s a pleasant visit. take photographs And Hobby Airport is quite a from all around the bit larger than Charleston airport. The South- International Airport. west Boeing 737 (Continued on page 30)

AIAA Houston Horizons June 2011Page 29 Page 30

attended the past two years, Museum the first two years of this an- nual event. This year it took place on May 7. It was quite a Right: “Millionairess” aircraft bit larger in its second year at the May 2011 Wings & than in its first year. Wheels program. Image credit: Thomas K. Hile A collection of posters from past Wings Over Hous- ton airshows is something I would like to collect, espe- cially in digital form. It’s quite an impressive airshow every year, and the posters are memorable. Please feel free to e-mail me at editor@aiaa- houston.org if you care to (Continued on page 31) (Continued from page 29) The following an- nouncement on the museum’s blog describes an event I will attend if possible. “The American Association of Mu- seums is coming to Houston! We have been selected to host Right: A Chevy Corvair on an evening event here at the display at the May 2011 1940 Air Terminal Museum. Wings & Wheels lunch pro- In conjunction with the Lone gram, the third Saturday of Star Flight Museum, we’ll each month. It’s odd to see a take you on a night tour of the motor and a spare tire in museum as if you were taking what appears to be the trunk a flight in 1940. Speak with at the rear of the car. Image the pilots, stewardess’ (yes we credit: Thomas K. Hile. can say that) and all of the aviation-related industry reps that made it happen back in the day. Tour through vintage aircraft and enjoy catered hors d’oeuvres and champagne. Right: This beacon is the Step into our fun photobooth original one from opening and take a silly souvenir day, September 28, 1940. Its home.” It’s an event set for light bulb was a single color. Wednesday, May 25, 2011, Other air terminals later used from 7:00 to 10:00 PM, and a different color for each its admission price is $30. side. This is a relatively new Tickets can be purchased by display in the main lobby of phoning the museum at 713- the museum. Image credit: 454-1940. I am writing this Thomas K. Hile. paragraph on Monday, May 23, 2011. I have not yet seen the museum at night.

I missed Aeros & Auros at Ellington Field this year. I

AIAA Houston Horizons June 2011Page 30 Page 31

“May, 2008 Museum “Houston Airport Sys- tem opens the new Hobby Airport concourse, placing Left: One of the model T into service a massive and Fords at the museum for the modern redesign of much of May 2011 Wings & Wheels the 1954 Houston Interna- luncheon program. Below tional Terminal. that is another eye-catching antique car on display that “February, 2009 same day. Image credit: Tho- mas K. Hile. “The Houston Aeronau- tical Heritage Society com- pletes the second phase of restoration of the 1940 Air Terminal, and more than tri- ples the Museum's area by (Continued from page 30) “When Paulhan decides incorporating the newly re- help me fill that collection. the winds are too strong, the stored space. The Museum's They will not be published crowd becomes unruly. The initial restoration of the 1929 without permission. next day they watch Paulhan Carter Field Airmail Hangar make short, straight flights. Here are a few notes is also completed.” from the timeline on the mu- “February 18, 1910: seum’s web site, 1940airter- AIAA Houston Section minal.org. enjoyed an event or two at the “Louis Paulhan makes museum in recent years. I first airplane flight in Hous- always encourage dinner “Houston's Aviation ton. History Timeline meetings and similar meetings at this place, especially when “November 27, 1917: “The year is 1910. it’s a change of pace for our Horses still provide the pri- section. Details about such “Ellington Field opens event planning are visible on mary mode of transportation to train pilots for WW I.” in Houston. A troupe of the museum’s web site. Frenchmen led by Louis Paul- (Continued on page 32) han visit Houston to demon- strate their Bleriot mono- plane. 2,500 people pay $1 each to watch Paulhan fly the Left: Quite a few an- fragile Bleriot. tique Fords on display for the May 2011 Wings & Wheels luncheon program. Image credit: Thomas K. Hile.

AIAA Houston Horizons June 2011Page 31 Page 32

Museum

Right: An antique car from the May 2011 Wings & Wheels. Image credit: Tho- mas K. Hile.

Quite a few souvenirs are available at the museum’s web site. I especially like the V-neck short-sleeved sport shirts which have a museum logo on the front, but they are a bit short on supplies for the moment. I have one of these shirts in white, but that’s not my first choice among the colors I have seen on those shirts.

When visiting the mu- seum for the first time, do not assume it’s part of the termi- Right: Antique Fords at the nal at Hobby Airport. The May 2011 Wings & Wheels. Image credits: Thomas K. Hile.

AIAA Houston Horizons June 2011Page 32 Page 33

1940 Air Terminal Museum is Museum a few blocks away from the Hobby Airport terminal build- ing. The museum is one or two blocks away from Tele- phone Road. If the Hobby Left: Another view of Mil- Airport terminal building lionairess, an aircraft in were home base in baseball front of the 1940 air termi- and the runways were the nal. This is from the May base paths, the Museum 2011 Wings & Wheels pro- would be up against the right gram. Image credit: Tho- field line just off the field. mas K. Hile. Happy Landings!

Left: A warbird which is now in a private collection. This image is from the May 2011 Wings & Wheels pro- gram. Image credit: Tho- mas K. Hile.

AIAA Houston Horizons June 2011Page 33 Page 34

From AIAA Daily Launch e-mail Current Events news summary

Lander Test Starts Photographs: A view from Space Center Blvd on Friday, June 3, Grass Fire At JSC. 2011, including City of Houston Fire Station No. 72. Image cred- The Houston Chronicle (6/2, Glenn) its: Douglas Yazell reports, "A new lunar lander that NASA workers were testing apparently sparked a grass fire this afternoon on the grounds at the Johnson Space Center, officials said." The lander was part of Project Morpheus. The fire "was brought under control within about two hours" with no injuries reported.

AIAA Houston Horizons June 2011Page 34 Page 35

State of the Johnson Space Center Dinner Meeting SHEN GE, TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY AND ELLEN GILLESPIE, PAST CHAIR

On Thursday, March Steve Robinson) rounded out main stalwart in difficult 24th 2011 AIAA Houston the social portion of the din- times. Section and INCOSE ner meeting. (International Council on JSC Center Director Systems Engineering) held a Jonathan Churchill- Michael Coats then spoke on joint dinner meeting entitled Sandys, the great-grandson of the state of the center, start- “The state of the Johnson Winston Churchill and a big ing with recent Space Shuttle Space Center (JSC) Address” NASA supporter, provided an successes and upcoming at Space Center Houston. inspirational and well re- work. Exciting challenges This dinner meeting had a ceived program opener. remain with the launch of strong showing due to the Winston Churchill defied STS-134, the last flight of excellent promotional and great odds in a time where Space Shuttle Endeavor, to organizational efforts of IN- defeat was not a far possibil- deliver the Alpha Magnetic COSE and the AIAA Hous- ity with dissenters in his own Spectrometer and important ton Programs Chair, Angela government advocating con- parts to the ISS. Mr. Coats Beck. Surrounded by the ditional surrender. Jonathan shared his excitement on the Space Center Houston astro- reminded us that Winston recent return of his favorite naut space suit collection, refused most adamantly with shuttle Discovery to Earth those who attended enjoyed his oft-quoted “…whatever with the conclusion of STS- good food, good music, and the cost may be, we shall 133. (Mr. Coats was Pilot on excellent presentations by fight on the beaches, we shall Discovery’s first flight, and Jonathan Churchill-Sandys fight on the landing grounds, his other two space shuttle and JSC Center Director Mi- we shall fight in the fields missions were also aboard chael Coats. Two-time and in the streets, we shall Discovery.) Since its first Grammy nominee Lydia Sal- fight in the hills; we shall flight in1984, Discovery nikova performed with Clint never surrender…” As Jona- spent 365 days in space. Black’s own Dane Bryant. A than pointed out, the analogy later musical performance by extends very well to the situa- Director Coats stated Bandella (Micki Pettit with tion at NASA today where that per the President’s pol- astronauts Chris Hadfield and there is also the need to re- icy, NASA will work on the following activities: Left: NASA/JSC Center Di- 1.Complete the Space Shuttle rector Michael Coats, Section Program Chair Sarah Shull, and IN- 2.Develop a new launch sys- COSE President Tony Wil- liams. Image credit: Douglas tem Yazell 3.Continue ISS operations and conduct science mis- sions 4.Engage in commercial partnerships to gain ISS access 5.Develop a Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle (MPCV) 6.Invest in Research and Technology 7.Invest in education 8. Cut costs and improve effi-

(Continued on page 36)

AIAA Houston Horizons June 2011Page 35 Page 36

(Continued from page 35) Dinner Meeting ciency Congress is in the proc- ess of considering the fiscal budgets for both 2011 and 2012. Since the continuing Right: Jonathan Churchill- resolution (CR) is ongoing Sandys making a few remarks with more CRs possibly aris- and introducing NASA/JSC ing in the future, NASA’s Center Director Michael fiscal future remains uncer- Coats. Image credit: Douglas tain. JSC Management is Yazell working hard to cut costs and improve efficiency to absorb a proposed 10% budget cut.

Director Coats focused on some of the work being done at JSC that makes him most proud. Space Shuttle stringers were repaired or replaced as needed on all Space Shuttles. Director Coats also talked about how NASA technology and per- sonnel from JSC help save the lives of Chilean miners and autonomous landing and Section will continue to serve last fall by providing medical, hazard avoidance technology. as a forum for growth and psychological, and escape Future software work with development in the Houston capsule design advice and Ford Motor Company is also area. expertise. JSC staff also expected as a result of suc- worked with GM on the de- cessful cooperation with GM This article ends with velopment of the R2 robot on R2. five photographs on the next now living aboard the ISS. page. New exciting challenges An announcement by lie ahead for those at JSC NASA Administrator Charlie who are willing to step up Bolden is expected on April and tackle new Programs and 12th 2011 on the museums projects. The AIAA Houston selected to receive a Space Right: Section Chair Sarah Shuttle for display. Shull, invited speaker Jona- than Churchill-Sandys, and Future JSC work in- INCOSE President Tony Wil- cludes development of a liams. Tony is presenting a heavy lift rocket called the framed set of NASA lapel pins Space Launch System (SLS), to Jonathan. Image credit: and development of a crew Douglas Yazell capsule to explore beyond Earth’s orbit called the Multi- Purpose Crew Vehicle (MPCV), which is expected to have a flight test in 2013. JSC is also expected to re- ceive $50 million for ad- vanced space technology, next generation life support,

AIAA Houston Horizons June 2011Page 36 Page 37

Left column: Top: Left to Right, Micki Pettit, Dinner Meeting Dane Bryant, and Chris Hadfield Middle and bottom: Dane Bryant and Lydia Salnikova Right column: Top: NASA/JSC Director Michael Coats Bottom: AIAA Houston Section Chair Sarah Shull Photographs: Douglas Yazell

Editor’s note: Programs chair Angela Beck continues to attract professional musicians to perform at our dinner meetings. Lydia Salnikova stands out as one who supported two of our section’s events, this dinner meeting and an evening at Chelsea wine bar as part of the 2011 Yuri’s Night Houston events. Her web site www.lydiasalnikova.com now allows free downloads of four MP3s from her live tracks.

AIAA Houston Horizons June 2011Page 37 Page 38

Packing for Mars An Evening with Mary Roach JOHN B. CHARLES, PH.D., CHIEF SCIENTIST OF NASA’S HUMAN RESEARCH PROGRAM, JOHNSON SPACE CENTER

Mary Roach is that most reader unfamiliar with the topic Boulder. She crisscrossed the helpful of writers: the explainer. at hand would ask, and answers country from Denver to Cleve- As a science writer, she makes them, and then asks some not- land, back home (almost) to complex topics comprehensible so-obvious questions, and an- San Francisco for Yuri’s Night, and simple. Plus, she is not shy swers those, too. She provides then east to New York City and about taking on topics that depth through humor, so the Philadelphia before winging New York Times #6 Best- some might consider provoca- reader stays entertained while westward again to Austin and seller tive, like cadavers, ghosts and becoming educated. She has the Houston, finally making it back sex. She honed her combination ability to talk to specialists and to Moffett Field and then home of native talent , curiosity and understand what they are say- to Oakland. ability to explain things during ing, then repeat it back to them twenty-five years of writing for and make sure she has it cor- I was pleased to interview popular science magazines cul- rect. Mary’s writing gives us a Mary in Clear Lake on Friday, minating in a rapid-fire series of chance to share our fascination April 29, at the ninth stop on books, starting with Stiff: The with people not lucky enough her whirlwind 33-day book- Curious Lives of Human Ca- have astronauts as neighbors signing tour for the paperback davers (2003), followed by nor taking periodic trips to Flor- edition of Packing for Mars. Spook: Science Tackles the Af- ida to see rockets being She was invited to speak at the terlife (2005), and Bonk: The launched. Her ability to explain University of Houston at Clear Curious Coupling of Science complex topics clearly and sim- Lake as part of the AIAA- and Sex (2008), and now Pack- ply is an important asset to Houston section’s Space Center The Space Center Lecture ing for Mars: The Curious Sci- those of us who are not gifted Lecture Series Series, initiated a few ence of Life in the Void (W.W. enough to explain what we find (www.spacecenterlectureseries. years ago by Gary Kit- Norton and Co., New York, so fascinating in what we deal com/Mary_Roach.html). Robert macher and Dr. Benjamin 2010). These titles seem to with every day, but which ap- Pearlman of CollectSpace was Longmier. The web site form a natural progression, as if pears to others as non-intuitive originally to have been her in- www.SpaceCenterLecture her earlier works on the human or even counterintuitive, ob- terlocutor, and had plans to use Series.com includes video aspects of death and coitus scure and byzantine (especially items from his huge collection recordings of this and (covering two-thirds, more-or- the bureaucracy), and highly of spaceflight memorabilia and past presentations. less, of Ben Franklin’s big technical and mechanical. artifacts three) were merely preparation (www.spacecenterlectureseries. for this, her first book with a Norton’s publication of com/Robert_Pearlman.html) to multi-word main title. the paperback on April 4 found stimulate the discussion. But Mary already promoting it in (Continued on page 39) In Packing for Mars, Mary takes us along on her journey away from the Earth to show us the earthiness of the human endeavor of space ex- ploration. Her fans are not dis- Right: Mary Roach and Dr. Charles. Image appointed when she includes their old favorites cadavers and credit: Mrs. Charles sex, and augments them with tales of astronaut dandruff and poop and, ultimately, the inspi- ration to be found when sailing the heavens.

Mary asks the obvious questions than any curious

AIAA Houston Horizons June 2011Page 38 Page 39

(Continued from page 38) with Mission Control. experimenting with weightless Packing for Mars when STS-134’s launch slipped welding. Consistent with her by several weeks to that very Mary came to Mars, as to practice of immersion in her date, Mary asked me to substi- her earlier science articles and research, Mary volunteered to tute. Ironically, the launch was books, in the role of a self- put on a space suit and experi- cancelled about midday on proclaimed “absolute outsider, ence faux weightlessness under- April 29, depriving Robert of with a liberal arts degree, not a water in the Neutral Buoyancy both the blast-off and the inter- BS.” Luckily for us, she uses Laboratory here, and applied to view. His misfortune was my that liberal arts education to be locked into the Russian Mars good fortune. understand the human aspects simulation chamber in Moscow. of what might seem to be the Sadly for her readers, she was Even at this late stage in most un-human of human ac- not allowed to do either. But, an exhausting travel schedule, tivities: climbing onto a huge just as space explorers use such her enthusiasm never flagged as rocket and leaving Earth. Away analogs to prepare for the real she told us stories of our own from Earth, she focuses on thing, Mary notes that they let heritage of spaceflight. After Mars, until recently NASA’s an author go to space without about 30 minutes of my leading human spaceflight goal for the leaving Earth, and come closer questions, we asked the audi- third decade of this century. to some of the sensations that ence if they had questions, and are unique to spaceflight. the lively discussion continued One of the guides inspir- for nearly another hour. ing her towards Mars was Rene Finally, at the end of the Martinez, whom she met while long discussion and an equally- I am impressed by the collecting Martian meteorites in long and equally-cheerful book- research that Mary did, includ- Antarctica, and who now helps signing session, Mary Roach ing lots of literature work, inter- manage NASA’s head-down left her Houston fans under- Above: Packing for Mars. views with historical figures, to bed rest facility at The Univer- Image credit: get the straight scoop from our sity of Texas Medical Branch in standing that she is not a starry- www.maryroach.net predecessors in the space busi- Galveston. As Mary explained, eyed space groupie, but, more ness, and an awful lot of hard head-down bed rest is an ana- helpfully, a realist who appreci- work on her part. For instance, log, a convenient but imperfect ates the place of space explora- she interviewed Jim Lovell, not means for imitating some of the tion in the human experience. about Apollo 13, but about his effects of weightlessness on the As she wrote in concluding first spaceflight, Gemini 7, a human musculoskeletal system. record-setting 14-day endur- For her, it typifies the myriad of Packing for Mars, “Yes, the ance test of man’s ability sim- behind-the-scenes ways that money could be better spent on ply to survive in space for the NASA and its international Earth. But would it? Since duration of the longest planned partners are preparing, decades when has money saved by gov- Apollo moon mission. She in advance, to send astronauts ernment redlining been spent on found him to be very good- to Mars. education and cancer research? natured, even when she asked if It is always squandered. Let’s dandruff and flaking skin inside Much of that preparation of the weightless capsule made requires the use of other ana- squander some on Mars. Let’s it seem like they were living in logs for different parts of space go out and play.” a snow globe. (His response: missions, and Mary sampled “Mary, you’re investigating a them as much as possible. In The Space Center Lecture rather unusual aspect of space addition to Antarctica, a well- Series, initiated a few years flight.”) Thanks to NASA’s on- known venue for hardship and ago by Gary Kitmacher and line searchable mission tran- isolation as well as meteorites, Dr. Benjamin Longmier. scripts (one of many resources she visited the Haughton Mars The web site she discovered at Project on Devon Island in www.SpaceCenterLectureSe www.nasa.gov), she has given northern Canada to observe a ries.com includes video re- us a new image of Gemini 7: simulated two-week, two rover cordings of this and past two men, circling earth for two lunar expedition. She also flew presentations. weeks in a space the size of the on the zero-gravity airplane as front seat of a sports car, trying the journalist assigned to cover to avoid discussing skin care a team of university students

AIAA Houston Horizons June 2011Page 39 Page 40

NASA Photos

ISS027-E-036697 (23 May 2011) --- This image of the International Space Station and the docked space shuttle Endeavour, flying at an alti- tude of approximately 220 miles, was taken by Expedi- tion 27 crew member Paolo Nespoli from the Soyuz TMA- 20 following its undocking on May 23, 2011 (USA time). The pictures are the first taken of a shuttle docked to the Inter- national Space Station from the perspective of a Russian Soyuz spacecraft. Onboard the Soyuz were Russian cos- monaut and Expedition 27 commander Dmitry Kondra- tyev; Nespoli, a European Space Agency astronaut; and NASA astronaut Cady Cole- man. Coleman and Nespoli were both flight engineers. The three landed in Kazakh- stan later that day, completing 159 days in space. Image credit: NASA http://spaceflight.nasa.gov, space station, Expedition 27

AIAA Houston Horizons June 2011Page 40 Page 41

Apollo Lunar Module LM-2: Delivered but Not History Flightworthy! CAPTAIN ANDREW HOBOKAN, NASA RETIRED

I hadn’t been at Grumman more about LM-2? It is being crated ble. The NASA contract said than a week or two, trying to find for delivery to KSC and it had a the Navy was responsible, and the elusive or non-existent Lunar Customer Acceptance Review they had no say in Grumman’s Module Project Manager, when (CAR), somebody signed a DD- manufacturing and test opera- RASPO: Resident Apollo the secretary advised me that a 250, and we need to concentrate tions. I asked about the CAR Skylab Program Officer group of RASPO employees on LM-3 and sub.” Someone that usually precedes NASA wanted to talk to me. I immedi- replied, “You don’t understand, acceptance and they said they ately thought, here it comes, they we are trying to tell you that weren’t asked to participate. will say “How do I get a transfer LM-2 is not flightworthy.” I Only Grumman, Navy, and the out of this outfit?” I asked her to was completely shocked. I ex- Manned Spacecraft Center let me have a minute to gather ploded, “How can you say that? (MSC) were participating. my thoughts, and after I made up You were responsible for ensur- my mind that the answer was, ing its design, fabrication, and Our argument continued for “No one leaves without me hav- test. That’s your job. Why are more than an hour, me telling ing a replacement on hand.” I you now saying it wasn’t done them they were responsible for said to tell them to come in. properly? All of that was done. the LM and them telling me Why are you telling me this they had nothing to do with it. I This office had a large, glass- now? Why didn’t you make could tell they were tormented covered conference table and I your worries known at the internally because they could took the seat at the head of the CAR? You were responsible for not answer my questions. No table and asked them to sit down. this vehicle.” one looked me in the eye. They After a few niceties, I asked what looked at each other for sup- was on their minds. To my com- Then I heard something I didn’t port, or they looked at the glass plete surprise, the answer from want to hear. Their response tabletop. I, too, had some terri- several was LM-2. I said, “What was that they weren’t responsi- (Continued on page 42)

Left: March 7, 1969, NASA/JSC image AS9-21-3212

View of the Apollo 9 Lunar Module "Spider" in a lunar land- ing configuration photographed by Command Module pilot David Scott inside the Command/Service Module "Gumdrop" on the fifth day of the Apollo 9 earth-orbital mission. The landing gear on "Spider" has been deployed. lunar surface probes (sensors) extend out from the landing gear foot pads. Inside the "Spider" were astronauts James A. McDivitt, Apollo 9 Commander; and Russell L. Schweickart, Lunar Module pilot.View of the Apollo 9 Lunar Module "Spider" in a lunar landing configuration photographed by Command Module pilot David Scott inside the Command/Service Mod- ule "Gumdrop" on the fifth day of the Apollo 9 earth-orbital mission. The landing gear on "Spider" has been deployed. lunar surface probes (sensors) extend out from the landing gear foot pads. Inside the "Spider" were astronauts James A. McDivitt, Apollo 9 Commander; and Russell L. Schweickart, Lunar Module pilot.

AIAA Houston Horizons June 2011Page 41 Page 42

(Continued from page 41) the systems and they did the was saying. So I told everyone History ble thoughts, like, if I can’t be- work piecemeal, never conduct- to be quiet, do not talk under lieve them now, will I ever have ing full-up systems tests. For any circumstances, do not even confidence in their words? me, this confirmed their doubts breathe hard, this is a conversa- What kind of organization will about the configuration tested. tion between George Low and we have? These were not just- In general, I was appalled with me and I do not want to start an out-of-college people. They their comments and I finally inquisition. I would place the were high-level engineers who gave up, saying, “What would call on the speakerphone and had been with NASA and on you have me do?” Then I got an they could listen, but at no time other programs for some years. answer I didn’t want to hear. should anyone make a sound. Even worse, I was thinking if I Two, in unison, said, “We want didn’t believe them now, what you to call George Low and tell I then asked the secretary to get would they do if another really him we believe that LM-2 is not George Low on the phone so I serious problem showed up? flightworthy.” I couldn’t be- could speak to him personally, Would they tell me about it? Or lieve this, and after all this con- and I’d put it on the speaker- would they just allow the prob- versation, I thought I had no phone. I thought about whether lem to occur, saying I didn’t do alternative. I had to advise or not I should keep going. Fi- anything the last time? I was George Low since they were so nally, when he came on the thinking rapidly. I knew I was firm in their beliefs. line, I blurted out, “I have the in a very serious position. senior RASPO personnel in my Oh my! A short time on the job office and they insist that LM-2 Then I said, “If you had nothing and I have to call the Program is not flightworthy and they to do with LM-2, how do you Manager and tell him I heard so insist that I tell this to you.” I know it is not flightworthy?” many negatives that he most don’t know who held his breath Now they really had answers. probably had a non- longer, George Low or me. They said they had watched the flightworthy vehicle on his After a long silence, he said, manufacturing and test proc- hands. Now I didn’t think I had “Who is saying this?” I looked esses as they were taking place any alternative. LM-2 was to be around the table and gave him and had looked over all the a test in low Earth orbit and I some names. Again he was manufacturing and test data and was not going to have this mis- quiet. Then he said, “Go and there was no accounting for the sion go on without my boss inspect LM-2 by yourself. Take configuration tested. I knew knowing what the RASPO team (Continued on page 43) Lew Fisher was very competent in the configuration manage- Right: March 7, 1969, ment area. He and I and his Air image AS09-21-3236 from Force assistant, a Major, went NASA/JSC. The Lunar through this at every Gemini Module “Spider” ascent CAR. Now a Mr. Liccardi and a stage is photographed Mr. Clickner said there was no from the Command Ser- full-up vehicle to test a mission vice Module on the fifth profile with test results that day of the Apollo 9 Earth would say that all systems func- orbital mission. The Lunar tioned normally in an integrated Module’s descent stage fashion. I didn’t know these had already been jetti- two men very well, Russell soned. Clickner and Terry Liccardi, so I wasn’t too eager to press them. Furthermore, Harry Briggs kept saying the wire harnesses were not secured properly and the harnesses passed through the holes, which were sharp, and would probably cut through the wires on launch. In addition, manufacturing per- sonnel conducted the tests on

AIAA Houston Horizons June 2011Page 42 Page 43

(Continued from page 42) processes did not meet drawing would write a lot of Discrep- History a few days. Dig deep and call requirements. It was going to be ancy Reports (DRs), and they me back.” From that abrupt a long couple of days. would have a lot of bad things answer, I almost thought he to say about Grumman and JSC had expected something like We went over everything in management. Such work cer- this. Now the responsibility had great detail. I didn’t know much tainly would not survive the changed from the RASPO peo- about the technical require- launch environment, in my ple back to me. I hung up the ments for the LM. But after all opinion. And I also thought, “If phone and addressed the group. of my experience on Mercury, this LM was delivered to KSC, I did not hear a deep sigh of Gemini, and Skylab, I could would the workers at Bethpage relief. I think they now knew recognize a well-engineered, think this was acceptable and they had to prove their point. I well-built, and well-checked- do that same bad things on the said, “Now you’ve got me in- out spacecraft by checking the next one?” volved and I have to make the paperwork. The LM and the decision. I want each and every data left much to be desired. We were all pretty upset after one of you to write down every The work that disturbed me this review. I said that I cer- detail that brought you to this most was the wiring. I’d never tainly agreed that this vehicle point. You are going to do the seen such slipshod work before. needed much more work to inspection with me and show The wires were not neatly make it acceptable for flight. I me exactly what is wrong with packed in wire bundles. They said I was going to tell the boss the LM. Be prepared to start at were draped haphazardly over exactly that. I set up a meeting eight o’clock tomorrow morn- and around the structure. In with them for the next morning. ing. No excuses. No excep- some places, large, excess When all were gathered, I again tions.” The QA manager, Harry lengths were coiled up and said no talking under any cir- Briggs, was to show me dis- taped to the structure. There cumstances, it was my opinion I crepancy reports that were dis- was no anti-chafe protection was expressing. positioned, “Use as is.” Lic- where wires passed around cor- cardy was to show me that test- ners or went through holes in The conversation wasn’t very ing was insufficient. Fisher was the structure. I was sure that if pleasant, and Mr. Low said he to show me that manufacturing this LM was sent to KSC, they wanted to think about what to do. Then he asked, “Do you have a recommendation?” I said we could scrap it, but he imme- diately said, “Don’t use that word! I have enough problems with the CSM and MSFC now. That would be all that MSFC (Continued on page 44)

Left: April 21, 1972, NASA/JSC image AS16-113-18339

Astronaut John W. Young, commander of the Apollo 16 lunar landing mission, jumps up from the lunar surface as he salutes the U.S. Flag at the Descartes landing site during the first Apollo 16 extravehicular activity (EVA-1). Astronaut Charles M. Duke Jr., lunar module pilot, took this picture. The Lunar Module (LM) "Orion" is on the left. The Lunar Roving Vehicle is parked beside the LM. The object behind Young in the shade of the LM is the Far Ultraviolet Camera/Spectrograph. Stone Mountain dominates the background in this lunar scene.

AIAA Houston Horizons June 2011Page 43 Page 44

(Continued from page 43) at KSC and showed me the start office when I saw Lilly motion- History would need to invade the LM -up anomaly on a 4-gimbal ing to hurry. George Low was program as they did the CSM inertial platform. I knew that on the phone. I asked if he had program.” I told him the line platform’s start-up anomaly an answer for LM-2. He said between being flightworthy and well. I had seen it perhaps 20 yes. He would have it delivered non-flightworthy was blurry, times. We had the contractor re to JSC and it would be used in a but I was sure that if he had us -work and re-test it at least 12 landing drop test program. He deliver LM-2 to KSC, we’d times, but he could not correct said he’s always wondered why have more DRs than we’d care it. But they consistently verified there was no drop test in the to see. He thought a while and that it was an excellent platform program. He said he would do it then asked, “Would you fly it?” after it warmed up. I didn’t with LM-2. He also said he’d I said, “Not without a detailed hesitate. I said, “Yes, I would been under some pressure to review of all the DRs, a thor- fly it.” He said, “You can go provide an Apollo display at the ough integrated test program, home now. I just wanted you to World’s Fair in Tokyo, Japan. and especially, I’d require a tell me that personally.” He said he would send LM-2 to complete re-do of the wire har- Tokyo after the drop test. He nesses which are so long that The next few days were kind of said sometimes things worked the excess wire is coiled up and uneventful, but I was still trying out OK. I said to myself, “What scotch taped to the structure. It to get a handle on schedules. I a way to start my new job!” wouldn’t survive the launch.” finally got to a Grumman per- son who said that he was in I think LM-2 is now on display He asked me to keep it quiet charge of schedules. When I in the Smithsonian Air & Space while he thought about what to asked to see a schedule for LM- Museum. It’s the only place we do. I agreed. I asked everyone 3, 4, 5, and 6, he asked me for can see LM production hard- to keep this quiet and not to let the delivery dates I wanted. ware. If we can see LM hard- the MSFC representative know “How nutty can this be?” I said ware elsewhere, it’s test item of our meeting. to myself. I couldn’t give him hardware, not production hard- delivery dates. That was his job. ware. This question, “Would you fly We argued for a while. I finally it?” had been put to me once turned and left, saying I needed before. The Gemini program to talk to a more competent manager called me to meet him person. I was returning to the

Right: Image AS11-44-6581, NASA/JSC, July 20, 1969

The Apollo 11 Lunar Module (LM) "Eagle", in a landing con- figuration is photographed in lunar orbit from the Command and Service Modules (CSM) "Columbia". Inside the LM were Commander, Neil A. Armstrong, and Lunar Module Pilot Edwin E. "Buzz" Aldrin Jr. The long "rod-like" protrusions under the landing pods are lunar surface sensing probes. Upon contact with the lunar surface, the probes send a signal to the crew to shut down the descent engine.

AIAA Houston Horizons June 2011Page 44 Page 45

NASA Photo

ISS027-E-036673 (23 May 2011) --- This image of the International Space Station and the docked space shut- tle Endeavour, flying at an altitude of approximately 220 miles, was taken by Expedition 27 crew member Paolo Nespoli from the Soyuz TMA-20 following its undocking on May 23, 2011 (USA time). The pictures are the first taken of a shut- tle docked to the Interna- tional Space Station from the perspective of a Russian Soyuz spacecraft. Onboard the Soyuz were Russian cosmonaut and Expedition 27 commander Dmitry Kondratyev; Nespoli, a European Space Agency astronaut; and NASA astro- naut Cady Coleman. Cole- man and Nespoli were both flight engineers. The three landed in Kazakhstan later that day, completing 159 days in space. Image credit: NASA

http://spaceflight.nasa.gov, space station, Expedition 27

AIAA Houston Horizons June 2011Page 45 Page 46

ATS 2011 Annual Technical Symposium 2011 STEVE EVERETT, CONTRIBUTOR

Right: Volunteers at the Another successful An- registration table. Image nual Technical Symposium credit: BeBe Kelly-Serrato was hosted by the AIAA- Houston section on May 20, 2011, at the Gilruth Center at Johnson Space Center. At- tended by around 80 regis- tered attendees and present- ers, the day started with a discussion of the commercial space activities being over- seen by JSC by Mark Er- minger, Chief Safety and Mission Assurance Officer of the Commercial Crew and Cargo Program Office (C3PO). He explained that the purpose of the Program Office is to implement the administration’s policy and to facilitate space activities of commercial industry. Cargo capabilities are being encour- aged through the Commercial Orbital Transportation Ser- vices (COTS) program, funded through Space Act Agreements. Under these contracts, funding is awarded based on conditionally met Right: Mark Erminger, Chief milestones. (Unable to meet Safety and Mission Assurance its commitments, the funding Officer of the Commercial Crew provisionally awarded to Ki- and Cargo Program Office stler was withdrawn and Below: Attendance at the morn- given to Orbital Sciences). ing’s address by Mark Erminger There is currently a $270 Image credits: Douglas Yazell (Continued on page 47)

AIAA Houston Horizons June 2011Page 46 Page 47

lion, with which it is develop- sel. The Boeing Company ATS 2011 ing the Taurus II launch vehi- used its $18 million to take cle and Cygnus spacecraft. It development of its 7-person consists of a Service Module capsule from concept to Sys- and pressurized cargo mod- tems Definition Review Left: Jennifer Mitchell pre- ule, essentially a mini- (SDR), including construc- senting a talk on Project M/ MPLM, and will be launched tion of a structural test article Morpheus. out of Wallops, VA. A test and heat shield and execution Image credit: BeBe Kelly- flight is planned for August, of a drop test. Paragon is de- Serrato with a demonstration flight to veloping an air revitalization the ISS the following Decem- system with its $1.44 million, ber. and Sierra Nevada used its $20 million to develop the Mr. Erminger continued Dream Chaser. A structural by describing the Commer- test article of this HL20 de- cial Crew Development rivative with hybrid propel- (Continued from page 46) (CCDev) program, which lant has been built and fairing million award to SpaceX for distributed $50 million in tests conducted with ULA. development of its Falcon funds from the Economic CCDev2 funding through launch vehicles and Dragon Recovery Act last year another Space Act Agreement capsule. Capable of carrying among several contractors, was also just awarded in both pressurized and unpres- including United Launch April to four companies, Blue surized cargo, it made a suc- Alliance (ULA), Blue Origin, Origin, Sierra Nevada, cessful orbital demonstration Boeing, Paragon, and Sierra SpaceX and Boeing. fight in December, with an- Nevada. With $3.7 million, other planned to the Interna- Blue Origin is developing a In answer to the ques- tional Space Station (ISS) for biconic space capsule featur- tions following his talk, Mr. this December. Orbital Sci- ing solid pusher abort system Erminger relayed the com- ences was awarded $170 mil- and composite pressure ves- mercial sector’s plans to launch cargo to the ISS by March 2012, followed by a Left: ATS 2011 General Chair crew in 2013 or 2014. He Satya Pilla. Image credit: also clarified the intended Douglas Yazell plans by SpaceX to reuse their launch vehicle, although on the first and second test flights, the situation made this impossible. In response to a concern that a return to manned capsule spaceflight was a mistake, Mr. Erminger pointed out that NASA does not dictate configuration to commercial companies, only requirements (although he did indicate his belief that capsules were the cheapest and simplest method of crewed spaceflight, if not the most versatile). Additional customers which strengthen the business case for com- mercial space vehicles, such as Bob Bigelow and his planned inflatable space sta- (Continued on page 48)

AIAA Houston Horizons June 2011Page 47 Page 48

ATS 2011

Above, left: George Parma during his presentation on (Continued from page 47) Control (GN&C), astrody- when flying with John Young the NASA Docking System. tion as well as other countries namics, structures, etc., were on the Space Shuttle Colum- Photo: BeBe Kelly-Serrato which would like to fly their a series presented by IN- bia. As a pilot on this science own experiments and crew, COSE on Systems Engineer- mission, his duties allowed Above, right: Rob Kelso would ultimately lower the ing and Integration. These him some time to watch the posing a question to Brew- cost of purchased space trans- were followed by an inspira- Earth below from the win- ster Shaw portation to NASA. tional lunch keynote address dow. Marveling at the techni- Photo: Douglas Yazell by Boeing Vice President and cal achievement of which he Along with the morn- former astronaut Brewster was a part, he said that the ing’s technical tracks on Shaw. He related a poignant sense of privilege he felt Guidance, Navigation, and story of an experience he had spurred him on to devote his career to enabling as many others on Earth to share the same experience. He re- flected on the completion of the ISS and the logistical challenge it would pose with the impending end of the Space Shuttle Program, which he described as having not met its unreasonable ex- pectations but nevertheless having an immeasurable value. He listed a few of the numerous innovations intro- duced by that program, and described some of the inno- vations Boeing was incorpo- rating into its new space cap- sule. Agreeing that NASA’s future is uncertain, he Right: Boeing Vice Presi- stressed the importance of dent and former astronaut replacing the space transpor- Brewster Shaw, presenting tation system and how that his views on the future of need is being used to “prime commercial space flight. the pump” for the nascent Photo: BeBe Kelly-Serrato commercial space travel in- dustry. In response to the perceived dullness of devel- oping a mere delivery sys- (Continued on page 49)

AIAA Houston Horizons June 2011Page 48 Page 49

ATS 2011

Top, left: Presentation of appreciation gift to the after- noon’s keynote speaker, Boeing Vice President Brew- ster Shaw Top, right: Presentation of appreciation plaque from (Continued from page 48) the need to avoid overlap of and perceived responsibilities Engineers as Educators tem, he pointed out that this commercial and government as a space journalist. He Image credits: BeBe Kelly- role frees up NASA to do markets through well-defined reminisced about reading Serrato longer range technical devel- contracts, Mr. Shaw was pre- about Sputnik when he was opment and exploration not sented with a poster as thanks twelve and receiving a book appropriate for the commer- for his participation, as well by Jules Verne from his cial sector. He reassured as a plaque from “Engineers grandfather. He claimed not those who are concerned as Educators” for Boeing’s to have any advice on choos- about the future of commer- sponsorship of that organiza- ing the career path he has cial spaceflight that Randy tion. (See page 50 for more followed, calling it a series of Babbitt of the Federal Avia- information about their work- lucky and unlucky accidents. tion Administration (FAA) shop during the ATS.) His biggest client is NBC, for and NASA Administrator whom he spends much of his Charlie Bolder are attempting Among the afternoon’s time correcting misinforma- to define the regulatory envi- various technical tracks was a tion. With some irony, he ronment which would de- planned panel discussion on pointed out that while the crease the uncertainty in en- space journalism. Unfortu- public is very knowledgeable tering this new market. He nately, with the exception of about space, much of that also stressed the importance Jim Oberg, those invited knowledge is incorrect, and for companies to establish the were unable to attend due to that a weakness of existing same checks and balances responsibilities in covering internet search engines is that NASA has attempted to cre- the ongoing Space Shuttle information has no referenc- ate so that safety can be en- mission. However, the ses- ing of opposing or critical sured in the face of business sion evolved into a discussion views. In response to a ques- pressures. After a few brief with Mr. Oberg and those tion on the effect of blogging questions, including one on attending on his background on journalism, he felt some- what surprisingly that the emergence of email rejuve- nated the art of letter writing, although it did seem more effective to produce a two- minute YouTube video than to report on events through typical avenues.

Thanks to all those who participated and attended, making this another success- ful and informative event for Left: James Oberg, discussing our profession. We look for- space journalism. Photo: ward to seeing everyone next Steve Everett year!

AIAA Houston Horizons June 2011Page 49 Page 50

Conference Highlights of the 42nd Lunar and Planetary Science Conference DR. LARRY JAY FRIESEN, VICE CHAIR OPERATIONS

broad hallway area adjacent This is a brief account of going on at the same time, to the registration tables was things I learned at the 42nd and on at least one occasion, available for this, and drinks Lunar and Planetary Science five. Although a person can and hors d’oeuvres were Conference (LPSC). This switch from one session to available. Scientists renewed conference has taken place in another, and occasionally I previous acquaintances, made the Houston area each year did, no one could hear all the new ones, networked with since 1970, when the First papers. Fortunately, as part of each other, and discussed Lunar Science Conference the registration package, each topics of all sorts, some scien- ("Planetary" was added later.) person attending received a was convened to allow scien- flash memory containing the tific, some not. tists to share their initial find- abstracts of every conference ings from the then very new paper. In previous years, con- Paper sessions, Monday Apollo samples and from in- ference abstracts were on through Friday morning and struments that Apollo 11 and CD's, and before that, in large afternoon, were organized by 12 had left on the Moon. This bound paper volumes. topic. I'll not try to list all year, the conference took topics; that list would be rather long. All topics per- place March 7 through 11 in Nor will I detail every tained to solar system objects the Marriott Hotel and Con- paper I personally heard; even (other than the Sun, which is ference Center at the Wood- that would be too lengthy. I not considered part of plane- lands. This is the third year will present an overview of tary science), origin, history the LPSC has taken place at the conference, then highlight or processes. I spent most of that location. In the years im- papers and discoveries that my time in sessions related in mediately prior to 2009, it had seemed to me most signifi- some way to the Moon, since taken place at South Shore cant, newsworthy, or of great- that is the solar system topic Harbour in League City, and est interest to an AIAA read- that interests me most, but I before that at Johnson Space ership. Center, locations closer to the also spent some time in other sessions. Lunar and Planetary Institute Overview (LPI), which is the host or- Monday afternoon be- ganization and which organ- The conference really gan with a plenary session at izes the annual conferences. began Sunday evening. As which the Dwornik Student has been typical for previous Awards were presented and at Jim McLane has also LPSC's, as people arrive and which the annual Mazursky submitted an article about the get registered, they gather (Continued on page 51) 42nd LPSC, which he has around and socialize. A large, kindly let me review. It ap- Right: Career development pears to me that his report award. Image credit: LPSC. deals mostly with the experi- ence, what it is like to be at the conference.

This report focuses more on content; things I learned about the Moon, the solar system, and related topics. Even for content, it hits only the highlights. As is typical, the conference usually had four parallel tracks of papers

AIAA Houston Horizons June 2011Page 50 Page 51

(Continued from page 50) observed, including 585 NEO's, our solar system. Early in her Conference Lecture was given. The 123 comets, 2000 Trojan aster- career, she worked with the Dwornik Awards are given oids (both in the L4 and L5 late A. G. W. Cameron, who for the best papers presented locations of the Jovian orbit). was a real pioneer in giant by students at the previous Among these were 34,000 dis- impact simulations; since year's LPSC. The Mazursky coveries of objects previously then, she has continued such lecture is presented by a lunar not cataloged. work. Her topic for this lec- or planetary scientist in honor ture was the Formation of of the late Harold Mazursky, Another Monday morning Planetary Satellites. She con- a very distinguished lunar paper presented evidence that centrated on dynamical mod- scientist from the Apollo the Moon is not quite so de- els for forming the systems of days. On Monday evening, pleted in volatiles as had once regular satellites of the giant the results of the Planetary been supposed. Greenwood et planets, the ones that look like Science Decadal Survey were al. inferred that water must miniature solar systems. revealed. These are recom- have been involved in the for- mendations from the plane- mation of mare basalts, and All of the regular sys- tary science community as to perhaps in highland volcanism, tems in our solar system, the what missions in the next ten too. This suggests that there regular satellites of Jupiter, years will do most to advance may have been significant Saturn, and Uranus, have their field. Wednesday night cometary water addition during nearly constant mass fractions was NASA night, where a the Moon's very early "magma (when you add up the major NASA representative dis- ocean" phase, when the entire moons) relative to their pri- cussed what planetary science face of the Moon down to a maries, around 2x10-4. Origin plans currently look like from considerable depth was proba- by impact is a workable NASA's perspective, includ- bly molten. model for the origin of Earth's ing the budget situation. I will Moon, the moons of Pluto and present more details later on A paper by Minton and Haumea (a large Kuiper belt the Mazursky Lecture, the Levinson addressed the ques- object), and perhaps even for Decadal Survey, and NASA tion of why Mars is as small as the moons of Mars, but it does night. it is. The solar system formation not seem to work for the regu- simulations they run consis- lar moons of the giant planets. Tuesday and Thursday tently seem to produce a planet Her simulations that do work evenings were devoted to in roughly Mars' orbit that is 5 involve a coupled model of a poster papers. So many poster to 10 times as massive as the growing planet plus an orbit- papers were presented that Mars we actually see in our ing disk of material surround- even though the area devoted solar system. However, when ing it. The pattern that typi- to posters was quite large, the they allowed for giant planet cally emerges in these simula- Tuesday posters had to be migration, they found that can tions is that moons form in cleared away immediately interfere with planet growth. the disk. As they interact after Tuesday evening's ses- gravitationally with the re- sion, in order to make room Mazursky Lecture maining disk material, they for the Thursday poster pa- spiral inward and eventually pers. This has been the case fall into the growing planet. This year's Mazursky Lec- The Roche limit is the dis- for the last several years. ture was delivered by Dr. Robin As moons spiral inward, more tance from a gravitating ob- Canup. Dr. Canup is an experi- moons form in the disk be- Highlights enced modeler of the formation yond them, and the process ject (star, planet, moon, or of planetary systems and of the repeats. (All this time, mate- whatever), within which the Monday morning, a formation of moon systems rial is accumulating onto the tidal forces from the gravitat- group reported observations around planets; she has done disk from the surrounding ing object are so strong they from the Wide-field Infrared much modeling work on the solar nebula, which is itself a will tear apart any object that Survey Explorer (WISE) sat- disk on a larger scale.) In this "giant impact" hypothesis for gets closer. (Approaching ellite which pertain to near the origin of our Moon, where scenario, the icy ring system objects that are held together Earth objects (NEO's). These the Moon originated from the of Saturn can result when a have been put into a database debris of the crash of a Mars- differentiated Titan size moon primarily by their own grav- called NEOWISE. 157,000 size body into the proto-Earth spirals in and gets within the ity, that is.) solar system objects were during the formation period of (Continued on page 54)

AIAA Houston Horizons June 2011Page 51 Page 52

Educators Engineers as Educators Workshop DON KULBA, CONTRIBUTOR

The Engineers as Edu- International Corporation beneficial, but it would be cators Workshop was held on (SAIC), Boeing, United even more effective to appear May 20, 2011, in two ses- Space Alliance (USA), at a school on a weekly or sions at the Gilruth Activity Embry Riddle, Muñiz Engi- monthly basis. It is best to Center of Johnson Space neering, Inc. (MEI), Hamil- discuss the goals with the Center (JSC). There were ton Sundstrand, and retired teachers/administrators of the two sessions, from 10:00 a.m. NASA employees and NASA school as opposed to only to noon and from 2:00 p.m. to contractors. telling them what we will do. 4:00 p.m. Thirty students Interacting with them can get (i.e., potential engineer- Erin McKinley (AIAA them to be part of the out- educators) attended the first STEM teacher) led the les- reach and help things to work session, and 24 students at- sons. Lisa Bacon (Program more smoothly. Teachers tended the later session. An- Manager, AIAA National and students work best with other event is planned in the STEM Outreach), Edgar Ber- volunteers who are involved fall. Two air plunger- ing (Regional AIAA Deputy for the long term. The stu- powered straw rocket launch- Director, STEM) and Daniel dents at the schools can also ers were donated to the Hous- Nobles (AIAA Houston) also remember the activities better ton AIAA Science, Technol- spoke and assisted in teach- with repeat sessions that will ogy, Engineering, and Mathe- ing the lessons. reinforce what they have are matics (STEM) committee exposed to. Homework can for use by the section mem- The hope is that as be assigned and reviewed the bership in STEM outreach. many AIAA members as pos- following week. There is a A plaque was given to Boe- sible would visit kindergarten great deal of outreach at ing in recognition of their through twelfth grade schools Clear Creek and other local generous sponsorship of the for at least two sessions per schools, but downtown Hous- Engineers as Educators event. year. This would have a sig- ton schools and schools out- Represented at this event nificant impact on increasing side of the Clear Lake area were: Jacobs Engineering, student interest in science and have much less outreach from NASA, Science Application technology. That would be (Continued on page 53) Right: Engineers as Educators presenting during the morning sessions. Image credit: BeBe Kelly-Serrato.

AIAA Houston Horizons June 2011Page 52 Page 53

(Continued from page 52) is to be hot-glued on the cross two air plunger-powered Educators NASA and contractor em- by an instructor. Ms. straw rocket launchers, posi- ployees. It was mentioned McKinley then asked us to tioning the elevation angle of that the Conrad Foundation define up, down, left and the tube, and letting the in- has competitions for students, right on the cross. The point structor drop the plunger to and a group of students had is that without a way to estab- launch the straw rocket (by their nutrition bar selected to lish an orientation anchor on air pressure). We all go to orbit after meeting nu- the cardboard cross space- launched our rockets, had the trition, taste and other re- craft in orbit, the astronaut distance to the landing point quirements. Outreach volun- does not know which way is measured, and returned to our teers can search NASA web- forward inside the spacecraft tables to make modifications. sites for educational re- (especially with few windows We then had a second launch- sources. For more informa- on the craft). On the Interna- ing, and the rocket with the tion on STEM events or tional Space Station (ISS), farthest distance was declared training in Houston, please directions are marked inside the winner. It was a good feel free to contact one of the station to provide a direc- demonstration of the engi- your local AIAA officers. tional reference for the astro- neering process for a rela- nauts. Having a sense of tively new design/variation, Several lessons were direction and orientation also and I thought it was lots of given, and Ms. McKinley helps the astronauts with mo- fun. asked the participants ques- tion illness. tions and engaged in dia- Members of AIAA are logues with us. The empha- Another project was to invited to volunteer for out- sis was on using inexpensive build a rocket using a drink- reach at schools by contact- supplies, most of which ing straw, a clay nose weight ing Svetlana Hanson (the teachers have available in and other materials available local AIAA Houston STEM their classrooms (e.g., paper, in a plastic box on our tables. Committee Director). Teach- cardboard, Scotch tape, clay, The rocket requirements were ers at schools can obtain a hot glue, straws). One lesson that the clay nose weigh the $200.00 grant, which coinci- involved cutting two equal- same as a dime, that there be dently would pay for the cost size strips from a piece of at least three fins on the of an air plunger-powered thin cardboard, pushing a rocket, and the time allowed straw rocket launcher, which brass paper fastener through for design and building was can be ordered from a scien- them to form a cross with the only 15 minutes. We fired tific/educational supplier. strips, and then marking the rockets by sliding the where a fuzzball “astronaut” straw onto a tube on one of

Left: AIAA chair Sarah Shull with Dr. Edgar Bering from Engineers as Educators. Im- age credit: BeBe Kelly- Serrato.

AIAA Houston Horizons June 2011Page 53 Page 54

Conference (Continued from page 51) ments (and for planetary sci- sions. Another was to strongly Roche limit. Saturn's tidal entists, missions) would do support research and analysis, forces will strip off the icy most to advance their field. technology development, Dis- mantle, while the rocky core They have ranked those rec- covery class (low cost) mis- spirals on in and falls into ommendations in order of sions, and to support the Mars Saturn. Tidal spreading of the priority, and presented them Trace Gas mission, where ring over the age of the solar to Congress and the funding NASA is partnering with system will reduce the mass agencies. Both groups have ESA. The survey recom- to something like the current found that by settling any mended reducing the cost cap ring system. This process also differences among them- for New Frontiers (the middle forms icy moons (and several selves, and presenting a level of mission cost ranges) of Saturn's inner major moons united front, they get much missions to $1.0 billion, but to are quite icy i.e. they have more traction with members exclude launch costs from this densities very close to water of Congress and funding cap. The survey recommends or ice) from material spread- agencies. selecting four New Frontiers ing outward beyond the for the next ten years, out of a Roche limit. This planetary science list of five. All five would be decadal survey took two years good missions, but the survey Following the Mazursky to complete. The people par- leaders did not expect there lecture Monday afternoon, ticipating in the study com- would be sufficient budget to Williams et al. presented re- mittees sought input from as do all five in the next ten finements of the lunar mo- many people in the planetary years. ments of inertia from the laser science community as they retroreflectors left on the could. They chose to focus on Insisting on realistic cost Moon. Their results provide three overarching themes for estimation resulted in serious further support for the pres- this report: building new sticker shock for some pro- ence of a fluid core in the worlds; planetary habitats; posed missions. However, it Moon. and workings of the solar gives NASA and Congress a system. The leaders of the much better picture of what Also Monday afternoon, survey insisted on realistic they are buying into. As a Weber et al. obtained a more cost estimates for any mis- consequence, some missions detailed picture of the Moon's sions proposed. That meant will have to be greatly de- deep interior by re-analyzing cost estimates by outside ex- scoped if they are to go for- Apollo seismic data with a perts, not just the mission ward. Steve Squyres, who new technique. They find a proponents. Full details of the presented the report, pointed partial melt boundary at a survey results can be found on out that wonderful science radius from the center of the the Web. can be done with de-scoped Moon about 480 km, a core- missions. He reminded every- mantle boundary at about 330 One recommendation one that Voyager, which dis- km, and an inner core bound- was to keep all current, covered so much about Jupi- ary at about 240 km. The in- planned, and ongoing mis- (Continued on page 55) ner core is solid, the outer Right: Mazursky lecture. Im- core is fluid. age credit: LPSC Decadal Report

For the past twenty years, planetary scientists have taken a page from their astronomer colleagues, who started the idea fifty years ago or so. Every ten years, as- tronomers, and now planetary scientists, have collected from their respective communities input about what new instru-

AIAA Houston Horizons June 2011Page 54 Page 55

(Continued from page 54) energy is the only power Moon once human presence is Conference ter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, source adequate for outer so- established. Clive Neal pre- and their rings and moons, lar system missions, and ex- sented an update to the Lunar was a massively de-scoped isting stocks of this isotope Exploration Roadmap. Ver- version of what had been pro- are rather short. The decadal sion 1.1 is on web site http:// posed as the Grand Tour. survey recommended switch- www.lpi.usra.edu/leag. ing to advanced Stirling cycle The decadal report's radioisotope generators, This Roadmap has recommendations for flagship which are a much more effi- added one goal for feed- missions are: cient way to generate power forward. (In LEAG terms, from the Plutonium than cur- feed-forward refers to con- 1. Begin a NASA/ESA Mars rent systems. ducting science and other Sample Return campaign with operations on the Moon a descoped MAX-C1 One factor that which will help prepare for ExoMars. "blindsided" the decadal study human missions beyond the participants was a budget Moon.) This new goal is pre- 2. A strongly descoped Jupiter crunch. When the survey be- paring for future missions to -Europa Orbiter (JEO). gan, they anticipated an ap- other airless bodies. Further proximate budget for plane- discussion focused on syner- 3. A Uranus orbiter and tary science based on recent gies; for example, technolo- probe. history. What the President gies usable for more than one actually proposed for the next target. If funding is less than fiscal year is much less, and originally hoped (see NASA Congress and the President Wednesday afternoon, Night, further on), the report's have been at loggerheads try- Muirhead and Zhong reported recommended strategy is as ing to get any budget passed. on a re-analysis of deep follows: First, descope or moonquakes reported by the delay flagship missions. If Wednesday morning, seismic stations left on the adjustments to flagship mis- Pieters et al. presented a pa- Moon by Apollo astronauts. sions don't solve the problem, per on the composition of the Newer techniques permit in- then skip a New Frontiers or a lower lunar crust, using mate- sights that were not available Discovery mission. In all rial excavated by large in earlier years. They con- cases, protect money allo- (therefore deep) impact basins cluded that 72% of deep cated for research and analy- as a way of investigating this. moonquakes occurred within sis, and money for technology Their findings indicate that 5° of mare basalts. This raised development. There is no the Moon's crust has a great a question in their minds: did point in doing planetary mis- deal of complexity both verti- those deep moonquakes origi- sions if we do not then ana- cally (with depth) and later- nate in residual material left lyze the data they return, and ally (across different regions behind by mare basalts? That technology development is of the Moon's face). raised two further questions: the seed corn that will enable Did mare basalts originate us to do in the future missions LEAG Town Hall from great depths? And does that we can't do with the tools this residual material help we now have. During lunchtime on trigger or facilitate deep Wednesday, the Lunar Explo- moonquakes? A subject of concern is ration Analysis Group that launch costs are growing; (LEAG) held a Town Hall Zanetti et al. presented a they make up a larger portion meeting, open to any Confer- paper about Aristarchus Cra- of mission costs than they ence attendees who were in- ter. The impactor that formed once were, so steps need to be terested. LEAG is a group of Aristarchus Crater impacted taken to reduce them. scientists who advise NASA roughly half on, half off the about what science should be Aristarchus Plateau. They Another concern is that performed in preparation for estimated the crater's age at production of Plutonium 238 or in support of human lunar approximately 175 million needs to be restarted. Nuclear exploration, and what science years. can be performed on the (Continued on page 56)

AIAA Houston Horizons June 2011Page 55 Page 56

Conference (Continued from page 55) Antonenko and Osinski analysis, he said that there Ashley et al. reported on reported that that the Apollo were selectable proposals, but three pits observed on the basin appears to have a lower at the time things were in lunar surface by the LROC elevation than anything else "active grant management". I narrow angle camera that ap- in the South Pole-Aitken ba- understood that to mean that pear to be "skylights" opening sin (SPA), a far side basin funds were being juggled so into lava tubes. One is in the which is the largest, deepest that researchers with grants Marius Hills, one in Mare impact basin on the Moon. could continue to work while Tranquilitatis, and one in the budget situation was being Mare Ingenii on the far side. NASA HQ briefing resolved. All of these are well separated from mare edges. By getting Wednesday night, He then discussed the both nadir and off-nadir im- James Green presented the plutonium 238 situation. This ages, they were able to get a NASA Headquarters briefing. isotope is used to power good sense of the three- All of his information is avail- spacecraft headed to the outer dimensional geometry of the able on the NASA web site. solar system, where solar pits. The Marius Hills pit is First he mentioned some up- power is insufficient. Current 60 by 47 meters across, and coming events. The Messen- supplies are low. A measure 41 meters deep (± 2 meters). ger probe was due to enter has been approved to resume The floor to ceiling distance orbit around Mercury on domestic production as a of the lava tube is approxi- March 17 (which did indeed shared activity with other mately 17 meters. The lava happen). The Dawn space- government agencies; how- that formed its roof appears to craft was (and is) expected to ever this had not been funded have many layers. The Marius go into orbit around Vesta in by the continuing resolution. Hills hole is associated with a July. A possibility of purchasing rille. plutonium 238 from Russia Then he discussed the was also discussed. Hiesinger et al. reported budget climate. At the time, that they finally have good the budget was in a continu- He pointed out that the enough imaging of Mare ing resolution, and Dr. Green plans set forth in the Decadal Crisium to do crater count thought one possibility was Survey would be strongly dating of it. They did crater that we might have a continu- affected by future budgets. counts within spectrally iden- ing resolution for a full year. Those plans were made with tified mare units. Ages de- Evaluations for Discovery the expectation that funding rived for mare units ranged missions were in progress, but for planetary science would from 3.7 to 2.7 billion years. announcements were contin- continue at roughly the same The Luna 24 location in Mare gent on having a full year fraction of the total NASA Crisium is 3.4 billion years budget decision. No selec- budget as they have been for old. Individual samples col- tions were anticipated for the the past several years. How- lected by Luna 24 have been NEO observation program for ever, it appeared to Dr. Green, dated at 3.34 billion years, this year. For research and (Continued on page 57) 3.22 billion years, and 2.52 Right: Poster session. billion years. SAGE, Mission to Venus. Image credit: LPSC. Spudis et al. reported evidence for large lunar shield volcanoes from Lunar Orbiter Laser Altimeter (LOLA) data. (Small shield volcanoes have long been known on the Moon.) Spudis made note that not all shield volcanoes have summit pits, and put forward some larger candidates, in- cluding the Marius Hills and Cauchy.

AIAA Houston Horizons June 2011Page 56 Page 57

(Continued from page 56) can figure out which types of Kaguya lunar orbiter space- looking at the Obama Ad- meteorites come from which craft. After carefully search- Conference ministration's plans, that the types of asteroids. Itokawa was ing through the Kaguya data planetary science budget is already known to be an S type base, on three such holes were likely to go down after fiscal asteroid. By comparing its found, at least in the size year (FY) 2012, and he composition with known range of a few tens of meters guessed the budget would be classes of meteorites, it was in diameter. This means that flat after FY 2016. found to be a large LL chon- these features are rare. Tem- drite. peratures observed within There are typically a these holes were mild significant number of Japa- The horrible irony was (compared with extremes nese scientists present at the that the very week those Japa- elsewhere on the Moon), LPSC. This year, Japan had nese researchers were in Hous- ranging from -20°C to +30°C. an especially large representa- ton to announce their findings Some debris blocks have been tion, because they were pre- was the week when the massive observed at the bottoms of the senting results from their Ha- earthquake and tsunami hit holes. Whether water might yabusa mission at a special Japan. Shortly after news of accumulate within such lava session Thursday morning. that double tragedy reached us, tubes is not yet known. Until the spacecraft returned the conference organizers of- to Earth, no one knew fered assistance to anyone who Walsh et al. offered a possible whether or not the spacecraft needed to extend hotel stays or model for making the equator had succeeded in gathering a change travel arrangements on -circling ridge on Saturn's sample from asteroid Itokawa; account of it. moon Iapetus. During the the craft did not have any formation period of the solar instrument on board capable In other Thursday morn- system, a major impact onto of reporting that. Everyone, ing papers, Renno and Mehta Iapetus can generate a sub- not only the Japanese, was offered spectral evidence for satellite and a ring. Depend- very excited to learn that Hay- liquid brines today on Mars. ing on impact parameters, the abusa did succeed in getting a They discussed possible impli- sub-satellite will tidally sample from the asteroid, and cations of this for habitats for evolve outward and be lost. in returning it to Earth. Sev- life on Mars, noting that certain The ring will tidally evolve eral research teams in Japan organisms on Earth live in inward and land on the moon, have succeeded in performing briny habitats. at low enough speed to pile analyses on it. This sample up as a ridge rather than make helps establish a link between On Thursday afternoon, craters. asteroid classes (determined Haruyama et al. discussed the by telescopic observations) three deep holes on the Moon On Friday morning, and meteorite classes that appear to be "skylight" Ivanov et al. estimated that (determined by laboratory openings into lava tubes; these the projectile that formed the analyses on Earth), so that we were observed by the Japanese large south polar impact cra- ter on asteroid Vesta was 40 to 90 km in diameter, and Left: Hayabusa team mem- suggested that the crater may ber. Image credit: LPSC be deep enough to expose the Vesta mantle inside it.

AIAA Houston Horizons June 2011Page 57 Page 58

Conference Impressions of the 42nd Lunar and Planetary Science Conference (LPSC) JAMES C. MCLANE III P. E., AIAA ASSOCIATE FELLOW, HOUSTON, 3/17/11

From March 7 through 11 returned samples from the as- LPSC were managed in an effi- it was my pleasure to attend the teroid Itokawa. A glance around cient, professional manner, with annual conference of the Lunar the floor indicated that cosmol- strict attention to time limits -15 and Planetary Science Institute ogy, space science and astro- minutes for each talk, including held in the Woodlands north of geology are attracting women. any questions. The Woodlands Houston. From modest begin- It’s likely that more than 40 Convention facility is a modern nings four decades ago this percent of the attendees were venue with several large pres- event has grown into a world- female. entation halls and numerous class exposition on all extrater- smaller meeting rooms. All the restrial things circling our sun. Since I occasionally attend talks I attended had good sound The conference had a major other major annual technical systems, and visual aids in- corporate sponsor, Northrop conferences in Houston (e.g., cluded huge screens. Lighting Grumman, and there were exhi- the Offshore Technology Con- in the presentation halls was bition booths with representa- ference [OTC]), it’s interesting balanced so one could take tives from big aerospace com- to compare OTC to the LPSC. notes and still see the bright panies, private commercial enti- The OTC is far larger and also screens. ties, universities, think tanks features technical paper ses- and government labs. About sions, but the real attraction is I found myself wondering 1,600 people attended and the hundreds of floor displays, about the motivations of the many presented oral papers and hardware demos and booths by speakers. Most of the talks, and displayed fascinating posters on suppliers to that lucrative indus- even the posters resulted from imaginative and often surpris- try. The OTC attracts a mostly collaborative efforts of several ing investigations and projects. male audience of engineers and people, often from institutions The affair had a very interna- sales representatives. Attendees located in different ends of the tional flavor. I spoke with Euro- to the LPSC are mostly scien- country or even different coun- pean visitors who were enjoy- tists, and there are lots of fe- tries. Most presenters seemed ing the balmy Houston weather. males. The focus is not on dis- passionate about their work and Some attendees were college plays of hardware, but rather on highly motivated to be recog- graduate students, and many hearing some astonishing pa- nized as the first to discover or were in their first technical jobs pers and the chance to swap point out some obscure new bit after school. A large contingent notes with some of the world’s of information. Foreigners de- came from Japan. The Japanese greatest scientific minds. lighted in highlighting concepts were celebrities since their Ha- pioneered in their own coun- yabusa space probe successfully Oral presentations at the tries decades ago. Some presen- tations supported hypotheses Right: Planetary scientist (e.g., about the formation of the Steven Squyres at LPSC. Moon) that contradicted hy- Image credit: LPSC potheses put forward in other presentations. I enjoyed such lively conflict.

In general, things related to our Sun or other stars were not covered, nor was there much that was applicable to manned space flight. A few presentations and posters de- scribed desert studies on Earth (Continued on page 59)

AIAA Houston Horizons June 2011Page 58 Page 59

(Continued from page 58) I spoke with an enthusias- near-earth objects. Like many Conference that might help support future tic man from Hungary who conference presentations, it was human missions to the moon or heads a team competing for the streamed out over the internet. Mars. Virtually all the planets Google Lunar X-prize, a private Since a collision with such an and minor objects in our solar effort to land a rover on the object could well terminate life system were the subject of mul- moon. I also heard many novel on earth, it’s a serious subject tiple papers. A link to the syn- theories. One attendee had an where space technology can opsis of all papers is located at: astonishing presentation on her play a critical roll. Current sur- idea that observations of an veys of threatening objects are http://www.lpi.usra.edu/ increasing rate of expansion of hampered by an inability to publications/absearch/? the universe are not due to look between the earth and the meet- some mysterious dark energy, sun. Identification of all major ing=335&keywords_all=&sub but rather to the possibility that threats will probably require mit.search=Search the speed of light in a vacuum that a new detection spacecraft is decreasing over time. be placed in space trailing Ve- Tuesday and Thursday nus. There are major questions afternoons featured a massive I talked to a lady from about what actions might be Poster Session in a cavernous Goddard Space Flight Center taken and who would be in hall. Attendees stood along attending because she obtained charge of the response effort if hundreds of feet of movable project grant money, without Earth were threatened. partitions to talk to passers-by which her NASA project proba- about their pet projects. The bly could not spare funds for A conference highlight range of ideas was tremendous. her travel. I spoke with a Chi- was the release of a study by a Some folks have developed nese graduate student from a prestigious committee of the complex hardware, like cham- school in Florida and his Japa- National Research Council with bers to simulate the environ- nese friend. I talked to old recommendations for prioritiz- ment on Venus or to test the NASA hands who left the Clear ing unmanned programs to so- strength of ice under conditions Lake area after working on lar system objects over the next that might exist on a Jovian Apollo, but still retain an inter- 10 years. This so-called Plane- moon. Other projects involved est in space. I met someone tary Decadal Survey forms the software or computer modeling. from Glenn Research Center basis for long range planning by developing a rocket to bring a the government and NASA, and Photos of conference ac- small sample of Mars rocks it was eagerly anticipated. A tivities can be viewed at the back to earth. He said the rocket link to the report (recorded vid- following web site (search for was so small that it was like eos) is located at: “LPSC 2011 Royalty Free Im- something a hobbyist might ages”): make. http:// www.livestream.com/2011lpsc/ http://www.lpi.usra.edu/ There was a significant video?clipId=pla_18e48f98- meetings/lpsc2011/?view=press panel discussion by experts on 4a78-4acc-ad2a-

Left: Womens’ breakfast at LPSC. Image credit: LPSC

AIAA Houston Horizons June 2011Page 59 Page 60

Conference 29c7a8ae326c&utm_source=lsl exploration game. One of the tions for the purpose of rebadg- ibrary&utm_medium=ui-thumb more bizarre meetings was an ing. The lawsuit took over three informal presentation on the years to wind its way up to the Perhaps the largest contin- history of a lawsuit filled by US Supreme Court. At issue gent of attendees at this conven- JPL employees to try to prevent was the right of the federal gov- tion came from the Jet Propul- Caltech and NASA from under- ernment to require private em- sion Laboratory (JPL), a major taking open-ended, uncon- ployers to investigate an indi- player in the unmanned space strained background investiga- vidual’s personal history with- out a compelling reason to do Right: A speaker at LPSC so. The scientists lost when the in the Woodlands. Image Supreme Court ruled that the credit: LPSC Constitution doesn’t guarantee a right of privacy. More infor- mation about the case can be found at: http://hspd12jpl.org/

As one walked the halls of the convention center, there was the constant buzz of conversa- tion between experts discussing problems. This is the real bene- fit of such a conference, to see your colleagues and compare notes. It was refreshing to ex- perience the enthusiasm of the Right: The Hayabusa conference attendees. It re- team, first to return sam- minded me of the infectious ples from an asteroid to excitement present in the Earth. Image credit: manned space program back LPSC during the Apollo era. There is a renaissance occurring at this time in planetary science akin to the exciting time 500 years ago when the first explorers brought back news to Europe about the New World. Our re- cent space probes have returned massive amounts of fresh data, and even information collected decades ago is being revisited with new computer tools. There is so much data that huge op- Right: A poster session at portunities exist for a researcher LPSC. Image credit: to find something entirely new. LPSC After seeing the amenities and experiencing the efficient or- ganization, I think the confer- ence registration fee ($205 for professionals, $100 for stu- dents) is a real bargain. The programs went on non-stop, and the dilemma was choosing which of the fascinating presen- tations one might want to attend next.

AIAA Houston Horizons June 2011Page 60 Page 61

The Red Baron Scenario in an Interplanetary Astrodynamics Context DANIEL ADAMO, ASTRODYNAMICS CONSULTANT

Even young readers with- km2 of Siberian forest were HSF, a NEO approaching from out aeronautical interests will decimated in June 1908, is Earth's day side greatly ham- recall the dog fighting exploits thought to be associated with a pers mission planning because of a certain heroic beagle in his NEO 30 to 50 m in diameter. the prospective destination re- self-imagined World War I fly- Second, a NEO destination 50 mains undetected until it's al- ing ace persona, as portrayed by to 100 m in diameter is consid- ready receding from Earth. Charles Schulz in the comic ered the minimum size justify- Current human factors limita- strip Peanuts. More often than ing cost/risk of a human space tions from microgravity and not, aerial combat would com- flight (HSF) mission sent to radiation exposure impose HSF mence with Snoopy's archrival, explore it. mission durations well under a The Red Baron, diving at him year on travel to a NEO and from out of the Sun's glare. Due to their small size, back to Earth. Consequently, a Bullet holes would immediately these NEOs must approach viable NEO destination must be riddle our hero's Sopwith Earth closely or they'll escape no more than about 0.1 AU (15 Camel biplane, faithfully de- detection because all our instru- million km) from Earth when picted by Schulz as a doghouse mentation is currently confined humans arrive to explore it. If a with Snoopy astride the ridge- to Earth's surface. Such discov- NEO is near that threshold and pole. eries are typically made in a receding from Earth at arrival, clear dark sky at near-zenith this visit will likely be disap- A similar scenario plays elevation. If a NEO approaches pointingly brief. out all too often as humanity Earth from the Sun's general struggles to detect populations direction, as roughly half do, Red Baron scenarios dur- of small-sized near-Earth ob- it'll go undetected by ing close NEO Earth encounters jects (NEOs). Although we've Earthbound instrumentation develop with surprising fre- found nearly 90% of NEOs until its apparent angular sepa- quency. Let's look at two rele- having diameters 1 km or more, ration from the Sun, or solar vant examples observed so far the population with diameters elongation, approaches 180°. If in 2011 using data from the Jet less than 100 m is far more pro- the NEO's aphelion falls inside Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) lific and more than 95% of this Earth's heliocentric orbit, this Solar System Dynamics Divi- population has yet to be de- geometry never occurs. sion's (SSD's) Horizons online tected. These diminutive NEOs ephemeris computation service, are significant for two reasons. In the case of an impact- accessible at URL http:// First, they encompass the mini- ing NEO 30 to 50 m in diameter ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/?horizons. Our mum size thresholds capable of or larger, approach from Earth's first example, a NEO with pro- Footnote 1 1 inflicting local to regional dam- dayside is a Red Baron scenario visional designation 2011 CQ1, age should a member impact with potential consequences far was benign with respect to the Earth. For example, the Tun- greater than those Snoopy ever Red Baron scenario during its guska impact, in which 2000 suffered. Even in the context of (Continued on page 62)

In our solar system, small body provisional designations consist of the discovery year, followed Footnote 1 by a space, two letters, and zero or more subscripted numeric digits. The first letter is alphabeti- cally incremented such that {A, C, E,..., X} cover the first 15 days of each possible discovery month and {B, D, F,...,Y} cover remaining days of each possible discovery month. Neither "I" nor "Z" is used as a first letter. The second letter indicates the chronological order of discovery during a particular half-month, and "I" is again excluded. No numeric subscript is appended for the first 25 discoveries in a half-month, but it is incremented from 0 and appended each time the second letter recycles from "Z" to "A". Thus, beginning on March 16 and extending through March 31 in a particular year, letters and subscripts would progress through the sequence {FA, FB,...FZ, FA1, FB1,...FZ1, FA2, FB2,...}.

AIAA Houston Horizons June 2011Page 61 Page 62

Astrodynamics discovery timeframe. Accord- UV plots. In this application, position at epoch. ing to Horizons, it came to peri- the "UV" signifies plots are gee on 2011 Feb 04.8 UT at a projections onto Earth's helio- V: unit vector of Earth's geocentric distance of 0.000079 centric orbit plane, the ecliptic. velocity component orthogonal AU (12,000 km). But 2011 From such plots, a NEO's geo- to U at epoch. CQ1 came to perihelion 111.6 centric apparent solar elonga- days later on 2011 May 27.4 tion is readily perceivable, typi- W: unit vector orthogonal UT at a heliocentric distance of cally over many years. As de- to the ecliptic plane at epoch 0.665 AU. With Earth always fined below, Earth's heliocen- such that U  V = W in orbiting the Sun at a distance tric orbit motion at any speci- the right-handed convention. near 1 AU, 2011 CQ1 therefore fied instant in time or epoch

approached Earth in February defines the basis for a Cartesian Figure 1 is a heliocentric from its night side. UVW coordinate system from UV plot for 2011 CQ spanning which UV plots are generated. 1 calendar years 2006 through A NEO's motion relative 2015. The start of each year to the Earth/Sun line can be U: unit vector directed illustrated using heliocentric from the Sun toward Earth's (Continued on page 63)

Figure 1. Heliocentric UV Plot of 2011 CQ1 Relative To The Earth/Sun Line

AIAA Houston Horizons June 2011Page 62 Page 63

(Continued from page 62) 2011 CQ1 became a member of fying geometry necessary for Astrodynamics during this interval is annotated the Aten orbit group due to Earthbound discovery, only adjacent to the UV locus, and Earth gravity perturbations on when 2011 CQ1 lies very nearly "+" time ticks appear on this its heliocentric orbit, and its UV in the +U direction from Earth. locus at 30-day intervals. Prior locus is colored russet. An Figure 1 indicates this geometry to its year 2011 discovery, 2011 Aten orbit also crosses Earth's, prevailed for about 30 days CQ1 was a member of the but its a is less than 1 AU. prior to perigee, but another Apollo orbit group as denoted Consequently, a NEO in an factor undoubtedly delayed by the UV locus colored green. Aten orbit tends to approach 2011 CQ1 discovery: its abso- Footnote 2 An Apollo orbit crosses Earth's Earth from the -V direction. lute magnitude2 H = +32.037. but has a mean heliocentric Assuming 2011 CQ1 is about as distance or semi-major axis a To attain a geocentric ap- dark as conceivable, with a re- exceeding 1 AU. A NEO in an parent solar elongation greater flectivity of 5%, the following Apollo orbit tends to approach than 90° in Figure 1, 2011 CQ1 formula estimates its near- Earth from the +V direction must have a U position compo- maximum possible diameter dX because Earth's orbit period is nent exceeding +1 AU. Elon- = 2.3 m. It's therefore no sur- Footnote 2: shorter. After February 2011, gation can approach 180°, satis- (Continued on page 64)

Absolute magnitude is a measure of an astro- nomical object's intrinsic visual brightness at a distance of 1 AU from the observer. Note that, because visible wave- lengths are used, an am- biguity arises in relating absolute magnitude to the object's size: it could be relatively large and dark, or it could be rela- tively small and bright. A magnitude decrease of 5 units is equivalent to a brightness increase by a factor of 100. To the Earthbound human eye, the dimmest stars have an apparent magnitude of +6, and the brightest star Sirius has an appar- ent magnitude of -1.4.

Figure 2. Heliocentric UV Plot of 2011 JV10 Relative To The Earth/Sun Line

AIAA Houston Horizons June 2011Page 63 Page 64

Astrodynamics (Continued from page 63) evident from the UV arcs at the release can be viewed at URL prise that all 35 usable observa- top of Figure 2, 2011 JV10's http://neo.jpl.nasa.gov/news/ tions of 2011 CQ1 were con- Earth encounter at discovery news170.html. fined to 2011 Feb 04. does little more than slightly increase aphelion. On the other hand, notify- -0.2 H dX = 5,944,000 * 10 ing the public of events like With H = +29.705 and an 2011 JV10's close Earth ap- With observations con- inferred dX = 6.8 m, 2011 JV10 proach would quickly over- fined to an interval less than wasn't an easy object to observe whelm channels with relatively one day, our ability to model from Earth even after it moved insignificant news items issued 2011 CQ1 heliocentric motion into the night sky post-perigee. at roughly weekly intervals. years into the future or past is A total of 18 usable observa- The only known public notifi- problematic at best. For the tions were obtained during cation of the 2011 JV10 Red Figure 1 scale and time interval, 2011 May 08 - 10. Although Baron scenario in 2011 was UV coordinates are reasonably this dataset extends over a posted to JPL's Space Calendar correct, but a 2011 CQ1 ap- longer period than the few homepage at URL http:// proach to Earth sufficiently hours 2011 CQ1 was observed, www2.jpl.nasa.gov/calendar/. close to obtain additional 2011 JV10's perigee distance Because of this scenario, how- ground-based observations and was 0.88 of the Moon's mean ever, the approach was history a refined orbit is likely decades distance from Earth or 28 times by the time it was posted. in the future. Consequently, that of 2011 CQ1's perigee. The Footnote 3 2011 CQ1 has been assigned an relative lack of 2011 JV10 ob- The only public notifica- orbit condition code (OCC) of servational data in close prox- tions of Earth approaches far- 53. It's indeed fortunate that imity to Earth is likely responsi- ther than about 0.001285 AU 2011 CQ1 is of a size not posing ble for its current OCC = 6. are associated with objects of Footnote 3: an impact threat to Earth. From special interest, such as 2005 post-discovery motion in Figure Projected onto the ecliptic YU55. This NEO's next perigee, 1, it's evident 2011 CQ1 will plane, the Figure 2 UV plot's at a geocentric distance of A NEO with an OCC in likely pose a Red Baron sce- russet segment indicates future 0.00217 AU (325,000 km), falls the range of 3 to 5 may nario during its next close Earth close Earth approaches by 2011 on 2011 Nov 09.0 UT. With an or may not be acquired approach. JV could occur before or after OCC = 0, confidence is high in when it's next observ- 10 perihelion, making it difficult to this prediction. Special interest able. With an OCC from determine whether or not such in 2005 YU undoubtedly lies 6 to 9, a NEO is effec- Our second example Red 55 an approach will be a Red with its H = +21.929, inferring tively lost after discov- Baron scenario received provi- Baron scenario. But only post- a d = 244 m. According to the ery observations cease. sional designation 2011 JV10 X perihelion Earth orbit crossings JPL news release at http:// Only at OCC values of after discovery on 2011 May occur near an ecliptic plane neo.jpl.nasa.gov/news/ 0, 1, or 2 is a NEO likely 08. According to Horizons, it crossing or node, so any pre- news171.html, 2005 YU was to be observed during came to perigee on 2011 May 55 perihelion approaches from observed with radar in 2010 the next opportunity to 05.7 UT at a geocentric dis- Earth's night side will also be "and shown to be a very dark, do so. tance of 0.0023 AU (340,000 km). In this case, 2011 JV10 millions of km "below" the nearly spherical object 400 me- came to perihelion 65.1 days ecliptic plane and unobservable ters in diameter". If an object earlier on 2011 March 04.6 UT with current instrumentation. this large impacts Earth, devas- at a heliocentric distance of tation on a continental scale is 0.895 AU. Because 2011 JV10 Public notifications asso- estimated to result. approached Earth from its day ciated with our two Red Baron side in 2011, a Red Baron sce- scenario examples present a As SSD notes in the 2011 nario was in effect, delaying noteworthy contrast. Because CQ1 news release, "small ob- discovery until after perigee. 2011 CQ1 had a geocentric peri- jects of this size create visually This geometry is illustrated in gee distance well under half the impressive fireball events Figure 2's UV plot. Moon's mean geocentric dis- [should they enter Earth's at- tance (equivalent to 0.001285 mosphere] but only rarely do Unlike the 2011 CQ1 ex- AU or 192,200 km) following even a few small fragments ample in Figure 1, 2011 JV10 its discovery, SSD's policy is to reach the ground". In citing remains in an Apollo orbit after inform news media channels of Red Baron scenario examples its 2011 Earth encounter. As is the event. The associated news (Continued on page 65)

AIAA Houston Horizons June 2011Page 64 Page 65

(Continued from page 64) NEO information conveyed in involving harmless NEOs evad- this article is more formally Astrodynamics ing Earth so far, the long-term and thoroughly documented message is that dire conse- by two recent publications quences could easily prevail available for free download as from very similar approaches in follows. which larger objects impact Earth. 1) National Research Council Committee to Review Ongoing research indi- Near-Earth Object Surveys cates the most cost-effective and Hazard Mitigation Strate- Daniel Adamo means of greatly reducing or gies, Defending Planet Earth: Astrodynamics consultant, eliminating Red Baron scenar- Near-Earth Object Surveys E-mail address: ios is with NEO survey instru- and Hazard Mitigation Strate- adamod “at” earthlink.net mentation operating at least a gies: Final Report, The Na- million km from Earth. In addi- tional Academies Press, tion to improving prospects for Washington, D.C., 2010, defending our planet from dev- downloadable from URL astating impacts, such instru- http://www.nap.edu/ mentation will vastly extend catalog.php? our knowledge of arguably the record_id=12842. most extensive and poorly un- derstood territory in the inner 2) Barbee, B. W. (ed.), solar system. This knowledge Target NEO: Open Global will certainly contribute to Community NEO Workshop planetary science's advance- Report, 2011, downloadable ment. It will also greatly in- from URL http:// form our selection of the most www.targetneo.org/. rewarding and appropriate NEO destinations for HSF. With this instrumentation, close Earth approaches by at least some of the myriad NEOs 50 m or more in diameter can be accurately predicted many years in ad- vance. In some cases, this ad- vance knowledge will be suffi- cient to plan and launch HSF missions taking advantage of NEO approaches with adequate accessibility from Earth.

A NEO survey conducted from a deep space vantage point therefore offers a triple payoff, with beneficiaries in planetary defense, planetary science, and HSF exploration. This payoff can be achieved with mature technology, much of it already having flown in space. It's hard to imagine instrumentation with a greater return on investment to offer taxpayers.

Nearly all the general

AIAA Houston Horizons June 2011Page 65 Page 66

New Book John F. Kennedy and the Race to the Moon by John M. Logsdon, Ph. D. DOUGLAS YAZELL, EDITOR

Right: The featured speaker, Roger Weiss took the launch site to be south of the Professor John M. Logsdon. initiative to create an evening Mason-Dixon line in order to This was not an AIAA event, presentation by John M. allow work to be done out- but our membership was in- Logsdon on Monday, May 23, doors year-round in the formed in advance about this 2011, at NASA/JSC Gilruth warmer climate. free presentation. Image Center. This was open to the credit: Douglas Yazell public. Earlier the same day, With the Apollo project Professor Logsdon made the announced, the NASA budget same presentation at NASA/ increased 89% the first year, JSC in a building usually 101% the second year, and open only to badged employ- 40% the third year. Major ees. capital investments included the Manned Spacecraft Center Professor Logsdon’s in Texas and Launch Com- new book is John F. Kennedy plex 39 in Florida. In just over and the Race to the Moon. two years, the civil service John Logsdon is Professor (Continued on page 67) Emeritus of Political Science and International Affairs at The George Washington Uni- Right: Roger Weiss introduc- versity’s Elliot School of In- ing the speaker. Image ternational Affairs, where he credit: Douglas Yazell taught for 38 years and founded GW’s Space Policy Institute. He is also author of the 1970 book, The Decision to Go to the Moon: Project Apollo and the National Inter- est.

As JFK deliberated about his next steps after the Bay of Pigs debacle in Cuba, he was told by Werner von Braun and others that both the USSR and the USA would need a new rocket if they in- tended to land a person on the Moon and return that person safely to Earth. Von Braun said, “In a rocket-building race given adequate resources for me and my team, we will win.”

There was political in- fluence to place the launch site in Massachusetts, so a rule was created with help from NASA Administrator James Webb requiring the

AIAA Houston Horizons June 2011Page 66 Page 67

(Continued from page 66) interstate highway project in Texas. George Brown of workforce doubled and the cost $128B, and the Interna- Brown & Root also influ- New Book contractor workforce quadru- tional Space Station (after enced that decision. Lyndon pled. space shuttle costs are re- Johnson had “not so much” moved) cost $55B. input into that decision, In last year’s dollars, though the center is named for Apollo cost $151B. For com- Representative Albert him. parison, the Panama Canal Thomas was the most influen- cost $8B, the Manhattan pro- tial in placing a NASA center Now that NASA’s Con- ject cost $28B, the 30-year stellation is cancelled due to unrealistic budget planning, this quote from JFK stuck Left: Two images of our guest with me. of honor, Professor John M. Logsdon. Image credits: “I believe this nation should Douglas Yazell commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the Moon and returning him safely to Earth. No single space project in this period will be more impressive to mankind, or more important in the long-range exploration of space; and none will be so difficult or expensive to ac- complish."

John F. Kennedy Special Joint Session of Con- gress May 25, 1961

Video recording of talk by John Logsdon, PhD, based on his book, “John F. Kennedy and the Race to the Moon.” (NASA/Johnson Space Center’s Gilruth Center, May 23, 2011), thanks to Ben Longmier for production assistance.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lgwnj7QXyQA

Recent article, “Analyzing the new Kennedy tape,” by John Logsdon (The Space Review, May 31, 2011)

http://www.thespacereview.com/article/1856/1

AIAA Houston Horizons June 2011Page 67 Page 68

Crew Return STS-133: Last Voyage of Discovery DOUGLAS YAZELL, EDITOR

On March 10, 2011, a Right: STS-133 patch. Image large crowd gathered to wel- credit: NASA come the STS-133 crew back to Houston’s Ellington Air- port the day after their space shuttle landing. NASA/JSC Center Director Michael Coats reminded the audience that this final mission for Dis- covery was its 39th flight, and Discovery completed 365 days on orbit.

Among the short speeches by crew members, Nicole Stott thanked the team (Continued on page 69)

Right: NASA/JSC Center Direc- tor Michael Coats flew on three space shuttle missions, all on Discovery. From left to right, mission patches for 41-D (Discovery’s 1984 first flight), STS-129 (1989), and STS-139 (1991). Image credits: NASA

Right: Crew return at Elling- ton Field with NASA/JSC Cen- ter Director Michael Coats. From right to left: Mr. Coats, Commander Steven Lindsey, Pilot Eric Boe, and Mission Specialists Alvin Drew, Stephen Bowen, Michael Bar- ratt, and Nicole Stott. Stephen Bowen replaced Timothy Ko- pra after Tim was injured in a bicyle accident. Image credit: Douglas Yazell

AIAA Houston Horizons June 2011Page 68 Page 69

It will use the Atlantis orbiter to dock with ISS. Crew Return

Discovery’s final stop will be the Smithsonian Insti- Left: One of the Riders in the tution, where it will replace Sky meets one of the many the Enterprise space shuttle fans. Image credit: Douglas orbiter. Enterprise was never Yazell launched but was used for five free flights during ap- proach and landing tests prior to 1981’s STS-1.

for a horizon-to-horizon view on orbit with ISS as of Satur- from the International Space day, May 28, 2011. STS-134 Station (ISS) cupola while delivered the Alpha Magnetic operating the space station Spectrometer (AMS) to the robotic arm. ISS.

STS-134 is the next-to- STS-135 is the last last space shuttle mission, still planned space shuttle mission.

Left: Riders in the Sky. The wake-up music the prior Sat- urday for this on-orbit crew was Woody’s Roundup, a song from Toy Story 2 per- formed by this group. Image credit: Douglas Yazell

AIAA Houston Horizons June 2011Page 69 Page 70

Crew Return STS-134: Last Flight for Endeavour DOUGLAS YAZELL, EDITOR

Right: STS-134 patch. Image A large and enthusiastic Mark credit: NASA crowd appeared for the his- Kelly pointed toric crew return to Ellington out that the Airport in Houston, celebrat- team completed ing the last flight of space the last four shuttle orbiter Endeavour. spacewalks of The date was Thursday, June the space shuttle 2, 2011, the day after the program, and landing. space station assembly re- Joining NASA/JSC Cen- quired more ter Director Michael Coats than 1,000 were (from left to right in the hours of EVA image below) Commander time. One of Mark Kelly, Pilot Greg H. their four spacewalks was the duced Mike Fincke noting Johnson, and mission special- 6th longest of all time, around that Mike’s three spacewalks ists Michael Fincke, European 8.5 hours. on this mission resulted in a Space Agency astronaut total of nine spacewalks for Roberto Vittori, Andrew Greg Johnson remarked his career, and Mike now Feustel, and Greg Chamitoff. on the solitude waiting for holds the record for an Ameri- launch in the Pilot’s seat, can for the longest time in Endeavour’s final desti- looking east as night turned to space. nation will be a museum ex- day, followed by an explosion hibit in the California Science and sensory overload when Mike Fincke noted that Center in Los Angeles. the launch started. He intro- he is a former International Space Station (ISS) com-

Right: Crew return at Elling- ton Field with NASA/JSC Cen- ter Director Michael Coats. Image credit: Douglas Yazell

AIAA Houston Horizons June 2011Page 70 Page 71

only once chance, with thanks to the engineers and other Crew Return people who made that so reli- able. Retiring the space shut- Left: Italian astronaut tle leaves only the best legacy Roberto Vittorio with the for future generations. He microphone. explained that the sky Image credit: Douglas Yazell changed from blue to pink, then red one re-entry started.

Drew Feustel was the EVA leader for the crew. He noted that he did three space- walks on his prior space shut- tle mission to the Hubble tele- mander, so he was happy to Vittorio explained that this scope, but he was surprised return there. He noted that was his first space shuttle by the size of ISS as they ap- three ISS crew members left flight and he was a member of proached. He wished a happy for Earth in a Soyuz space- the 1998 astronaut class wedding anniversary “today” craft halfway through this known as the Penguins. He to his wife in the audience. mission. described re-entry as a 5,000- mile trip from Mach 25 to the Like Drew, Greg Cha- Italian astronaut Roberto runway with no engine and mitoff is a scientist and a ci- vilian, and both have a Cana- dian background. Greg em- phasized what an adventure Left: NASA/JSC Center Di- this was. He stayed on ISS for rector Michael Coats para- six months mostly with two phrased: “We select our as- Russian cosmonauts. Four tronauts based on their capa- months later Mike arrived. bility to compartmentalize Mike, Drew and Greg were and focus, and Mark Kelly the EVA team, two outside probably had a bigger chal- and one inside. Greg men- lenge than most. He did a tioned that the Alpha Mag- terrific job. Thanks, Mark!” netic Spectrometer (AMS) Image credit: Douglas Yazell was unlike any of the other great observatories since it looks at particles and not light. Why is there more mat- ter than anti-matter in the universe? Is that really the case? The rotations of the galaxies do not match the Left: Pilot Greg Johnson mass we observe, so we signing autographs. Image search for the missing matter, credit: Douglas Yazell or dark matter. AMS will help with those questions. Greg described the view during an EVA from the highest point on the space station and noted an apparent harmony with the natural Earth below and the space vehicle technology in Earth orbit. And he congratu- lated the team on this mile- stone: ISS assembly com- plete!

AIAA Houston Horizons June 2011Page 71 Page 72

Celebration NASA-Mir Reunion and 10th Anniversary Splashdown Party SVETLANA HANSON, CONTRIBUTOR

On March 25, 2011 the Mir. dently cutting the wrong side Clear Lake space community of the package and later real- had yet another reason to Throughout the evening izing that water needs to be celebrate space history: the video featuring various flights added, he followed instruc- NASA-Mir Reunion and 10th and increments was played, tions on the package which Anniversary Splashdown open mike was available for directed him to add water and Party. Almost 80 people at- those willing to jump in and then squeeze to mix. That tended and shared memories, share a story or two from the motion resulted in the content met old friends, and just had a years past on visits to Mos- exiting the package under good time together at Turtle cow, meetings with counter- great pressure and with a mo- Above: Left to right: Svetlana Club on Clear Lake. parts, or some of the funny tion of a missile bulleted strait Hanson and Shannon Lucid. events on board the Mir space to the panel on the other side Image credit: Svetlana Hanson Among the lead organ- station. Among the attendees of the module. It made a huge izers were Bob Hoyt, Susan were two former Mir resi- mess. It ended up being an Freeman, David Wolf, Gary dents: Shannon Lucid and unplanned experiment of zero Kitmacher, Trent and Yvonne David Wolf. -g effects on fluids as well as Mills. They prepared food, an illustration that one should door prizes, event memora- One of the funny stories read instructions before start- bilia (patches, flags, wrist was told by David Wolf from ing any procedure on Mir, bands) that every attendee his time on Mir. There was a even if it involves your food. received. Patches and flags package of “Great Black Cur- given to each guest were rant Jelly (with the pulp)” that “By all accounts, the flown on STS-71, the first needed to have water added to reunion was a smashing suc- Shuttle docking mission with it to make it drinkable. Acci- (Continued on page 73)

Right: Event memorabilia. Image credit: Svetlana Hanson

AIAA Houston Horizons June 2011Page 72 Page 73

(Continued from page 72) 1995 – First rendezvous with Celebration Mir. Space shuttle orbiter cess.” says Bob Hoyt. Discovery performed a fly- around, but did not dock. The next NASA-Mir Reunion and Anniversary March 14, 1995 - First astro- Splashdown Party are planned naut on Mir, Norm Thagard for 2016. Hope to see you there! June 27, 1995 – First docking (STS-71) Pictures and videos from the party are posted on November 15, 1995 - New NASA-Mir Reunion Website Docking Module (STS-74) at http:// nasamirreun- 1996 – Continues US pres- Above: Left to right, ?, David Wolf, Gary Kitmacher, ?, David ion.shutterfly.com/ ence (starting with STS-76 on Hanson. Image credit: Svetlana Hanson March 22) A brief history of the NASA -Mir program: 1998 – Last of seven astro- nauts on Mir, Andy Thomas , 1991– It all started in with was picked up by STS-91. negotiations leading to the Phase 1 came to a close. establishment of the NASA- Mir program. 2001– Mir re-entered

1994– In February, the first cosmonaut, Sergey Krikalev, flew on board of the Shuttle.

Left: The cake. Image credit: Ed Bowers

AIAA Houston Horizons June 2011Page 73 Page 74

Yuri’s Night Space Fest and Yuri’s Night Houston 2011 MICHAEL FROSTAD, YOUNG PROFESSIONALS

The days of April 10th NASA, and the University of in the MD Anderson Library through April 17th were a Houston working in partner- and spoke to students about busy week for AIAA Hous- ship for a 'SpaceGeek' spaceflight firsts before at- ton. During that time five Tweetup. The tweetup was tending Dr. Tyson's talk. His events were attended, three of an event for tweeting space talk was to a packed house which were planned by AIAA enthusiasts to meet in person and many people had to be Houston. These events were and share their passions for turned away at the door. His to celebrate Humanity's first space exploration. The event talk was about the past, pre- steps into Space, specifically culminated in the viewing of sent, and future of America in Yuri Gagarin's flight of clips of the HMNS planetar- Space — a very timely topic Vostok-1 and STS-1 Space ium shows. that was very engaging and Shuttle Columbia's first flight. well done. The 'SpaceGeek' The week began with Tweetup was a pre-event for The next event in the Space Day on April 10th Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson's line-up was at Challenger 7 which was a partnership of talk at the University of Hous- Memorial Park, the Yuri's 5k AIAA Houston, Excalibur- ton the following day. Prior to (Continued on page 75) Almaz, and the Society of his talk we joined the HMNS Women Engineers to provide Image credits: Yuri’s Night space exhibits and hands-on Houston 2011 activities at Discovery Green in downtown Houston. Space- suits and water rockets carried the day to excite young minds passing through the park.

The next event was hosted by the Houston Mu- seum of Natural Science with the AIAA Yuri's Night team,

AIAA Houston Horizons June 2011Page 74 Page 75

(Continued from page 74) event started with a viewing Almaz gave away a very nice Yuri’s Night Fun Run. It is a great course of a space documentary enti- glass enclosed model of their for an early morning race in tled Orphan's of Apollo intro- spacecraft. April with a variety of sur- duced by the director Michael faces and scenery to run Potter. Then it was time for a The private donor gave through. In addition there is great local band to take the away a framed poster of Yuri also a kids 1k run prior to the stage – The Jud Johnson Gagarin with an engraved main event that is also a lot of Band. Their music lit up the quote that read as follows: fun. This event was a great House of Blues and as the success this year with over 501st Squadron made their Circling the Earth in 400 people coming out in the way through the crowd things my orbital spaceship I early morning to raise nearly really got moving. Following marveled at the beauty of $5000.00 for the Challenger the great music of The Jud our planet. People of the Learning Center for Space Johnson Band was the Zero-G world, let us safeguard and enhance this beauty – not Science Education. raffle, the chance for one destroy it!'- Yuri Gagarin. lucky winner to experience The final event of the weightlessness. This year After the raffle the night week took place April 17th at there were also other prizes continued with one final band the House of Blues, Yuri's from Excalibur-Almaz and a directly from JSC, The Night Houston 2011. The private donor. Excalibur - Rocket Scientists. If you want some talented people, The Image credits: Yuri’s Night Rocket Scientists are the real Houston 2011 deal by day and definitely helped rock the night away too!

And with the close of events for the week another celebration of Human Space Flight firsts was complete in Houston. We would like to thank some of our sponsors of Jacobs Technology, Excalibur – Almaz, and ERC. Without their support these events for the public and industry would not be possible. Furthermore, we would like to thank all the people who supported the events; we hope to see you again next year!

AIAA Houston Horizons June 2011Page 75 Page 76

Anniversaries AIAA Membership Anniversaries DOUGLAS YAZELL, EDITOR & LISA VOILES, MEMBERSHIP CHAIR

Our membership and Frank Hughes was one 1951 to 1963, he was located at the community congratulate these of three panelists last year at Arnold Engineering Development distinguished members cele- our section’s lunch-and-learn Center (AEDC), Arnold Air Force brating AIAA anniversaries celebrating the 40th anniver- Base, in Tullahoma, Tennessee. of 25, 40, and 50 years! sary of Apollo 12. From 1960 to 1963, he was a Ci- 25 Years vilian Supervisory Engineer, Space Juergen F. Bahr We note with great ap- Chamber Technology, United Mr. David A. Blake preciation the father and son States Air Force. Dr. Rodney D. Bowersox pair, the father, James C. Dr. John F. Cashen McLane, Jr. (50 years), and His NASA experience was at Mr. Jerry R. Goodman the son, James C. McLane III the Johnson Space Center Mr. Dennis. Halpin (25 years). (formerly called the Manned Tuyen Hua Dr. Amos S. Johnson Spacecraft Center) in Houston Dr. Hyoung M. Kim We thank James C. from 1963 to 1981. He was Patrick K. LeMoine McLane III for those inspiring awarded the NASA Exceptional Dr. Ronald G. Lovely articles in recent issues and Service Medal in 1969. James C. McLane, III the current issue of Horizons. Dr. Jon B. Olansen We encourage him to prepare From 1967 to 1981, he was Mr. Kevin S. Partin more such articles for us in the NASA/JSC Chief of the Space Dr. Jayant V. Ramakrishnan Jesus Reyna the coming months and years. Environment Test Division in the Mr. David L. Strack Engineering and Development Dr. John Valasek James C. McLane, Jr. Directorate. was our section chair for the 40 Years 1971-1972 year, as noted on Thanks to the NASA/JSC Mr. Jonathan C. Coopersmith our section’s web page for our oral history project biographical Mark K. Craig history technical committee. data sheet for those details about Mr. Thomas S. Honeycheck A 1948 graduate of Clemson Mr. McLane’s career. That oral Below: Major James C. Frank E. Hughes McLane, Jr., circa 1945. Mr. John V. Rivers University, he was a P-51 history recording was conducted Image credit: the McLane Mr. Darrell E. Stamper Mustang fighter aircraft pilot on November 13, 2000. A few family. Image taken from in combat in 1945, serving in notes about his military career are that WW II web site speci- 50 Years the United States Army Air here: http://www.world-wartwo.co.uk/ fied at right. Mr. James C. McLane, Jr. Force, which he joined in second_world_war_signatures.php? 1943. His Mustang fighter Signature=512 We note at least two past group was the famous 357th, And let the record show that Chairs of AIAA Houston Sec- where the later famous speed- as a teenager he built and flew the tion in this list, Dr. Jayant of-sound-breaking pilot second gasoline-powered model Ramakrishnan and James C. Chuck Yeager had already airplane to fly in South Carolina. McLane, Jr. come and gone. Congratulations again to all We thank Dr. John From 1948 to 1951, Mr. of these listed honorees for these Valasek of Texas A&M Uni- McLane worked for the Na- 25, 40, and 50 year membership versity for outstanding and tional Advisory Committee anniversaries with AIAA! sustained contributions to for Aeronautics in Hampton, AIAA and AIAA Houston Virginia, at the Langley Aero- Section. nautical Laboratory. From

AIAA Houston Horizons June 2011Page 76 Page 77

International Astronautical Federation 2011 3AF TMP Frank J. Malina Astronautics Medal PHILIPPE MAIRET, 3AF TMP 3AF TMP: l’Association Aeronautique et Astronautique de France, The International Astro- 1981. The IAF created a schoolteacher who died as Toulouse nautical Federation (IAF) medal to be awarded in his part of the crew during the - Midi-Pyrenees chapter recently awarded the 2011 name in remembrance of his Challenger accident. Yves Frank J. Malina Astronautics recognized investment in the Gourinat is the second French Our French sister section is Medal to Yves Gourinat, a service of space programs. citizen to receive this award. 3AF TMP. See our web page professor at The Institute Su- The first was Andre Lebeau in at www.aiaa-houston.org perior for Aeronautics and "The IAF annually 1988. (technical committees, interna- Space (ISAE) in Toulouse, awards the Frank J. Malina tional space activities commit- France, and a member of Astronautics Medal for out- tee). l’Association Aeronautique et standing contributions to Astronautique de France space education, to an educa- English translation by Doug- (3AF), Toulouse – Midi- tor who promotes the study of las Yazell. Pyrenees chapter (3AF TMP). astronautics and space sci- This will be presented to him ence. The most important during the closing ceremony criterion for this award is that of the 62nd International As- he/she has taken the fullest tronautical Congress in Octo- advantage of the resources ber of 2011 in Cape Town, available to him/her to pro- South Africa. mote the study of astronautics and related space sciences.” Frank Joseph Malina, founder of The Jet Propulsion The first laureate was Laboratory (JPL), died in Christa McAuliffe, the

Left: 2011 IAF Frank J. Ma- lina Astronautics Medal awardee Yves Gourinat. Im- age credit: ISAE

AIAA Houston Horizons June 2011Page 77 Page 78

E-Publication Aerospace Projects Review: Bell D-109 VTOL SCOTT LOWTHER

Aerospace Projects Review Bell Aircraft Corpora- considered early on; however, vehicle, better capable of fly- (APR) is presented by Scott tion had studied VTOL fight- early jet engines had such ing and fighting at high speed; Lowther, whose unique elec- ers at least as far back as poor thrust to weight ratios it also provided a much better tronic publication is described 1941, when a patent was ap- that it was some years before environment for the pilot dur- as a “journal devoted to the plied for by Arthur Young for realistic concepts arose. ing takeoff and landing. In- untold tales of aero-spacecraft a tailsitter fighter utilizing a stead of having to have com- design.” More information, in- radial piston engine and con- By 1951, the Bell Air- plex rotating cockpits or cluding subscription prices, may tra-rotating props. Bell was craft Corporation had pro- clumsy mirrors to see the be found at the following ad- studying helicopters at the duced a design for Model D- landing field, the pilot of a D- dress: time, and this configuration 109 Jet Convertoplane 109 could simply look out his was an obvious outgrowth. Fighter. This straightforward canopy as usual. The horizon- Scott Lowther Several designs for tailsitter design featured a single seat tal position of the fuselage 11305 W 10400 N "Convertoplanes" were pro- fighter of generally conven- while on the ground also Thatcher, UT 84337 duced, apparently also includ- tional lines for the time; the made for much easier pilot [email protected] ing jet-powered versions, only difference of note was access and re-armament and http://www.up-ship.com shortly after WWII. the two engines mounted at maintenance access. the wingtips. The engine na- Jet engines became celles could rotate so that Along with the rotating available during the Second thrust was directed down- wingtip jet engines, the D-109 World War and it was obvi- wards, providing thrust for had several features unusual ous that they were here to vertical flight. Compared to for a similar, conventional stay. The use of jet engines tailsitter concepts, the D-109 aircraft. The complex for VTOL propulsion was provided a more aerodynamic (Continued on page 79)

Right: Bell artwork of the D- 109 (via Niagara Aerospace Museum)

AIAA Houston Horizons June 2011Page 78 Page 79

(Continued from page 78) pound-thrust liquid fuel As the aircraft transi- wheeled landing gear of con- rocket engines for takeoff tioned from hovering to for- E-Publication ventional aircraft was re- assistance. For basic fighter ward flight or vice versa, both placed with a much simpler missions (guns only), the D- types of control systems retractable skid system, which 109 was capable of taking off would be used. But difficulty folded against the side of the with just the jet engines; but would arise from the tilting fuselage rather than stowing to carry heavier loads (fuel, nozzles… the system which within the fuselage. This sys- bombs, rockets), the use of would provide yaw control in tem saved weight, cost and nitric acid/gasoline rocket hover would become roll con- complexity; and with vertical engines mounted near the trol in horizontal flight. A takeoff and landing, wheels aircraft CG was needed. Pro- "scrambling" device would be weren’t needed. Small de- pellants for 20 seconds dura- used to control this. Auto- ployable castor wheels were tion was to be carried. matic controls would be used mounted to the skids so that during hover, as the aircraft ground crews could move the The control surfaces would be statically unstable. aircraft around without great were largely conventional in However, it was expected that difficulty. Emergency hori- nature, but at low speeds they even without automatic sys- zontal landings were possible would provide no control at tems the pilot could still eas- with the skids; in fact, the all. For yaw at hovering ily handle the aircraft in skids allowed for safer water speeds, the engine nozzles hover, as the periods around landings than if the aircraft could be tilted fore and aft all three axes were well was equipped with conven- differentially. Pitch control damped. tional wheeled landing gear. was by tilting the nozzles together. Roll control was by Armament consisted of Another unusual feature differential thrusting of the four cannon in the nose. Sec- was the inclusion of two 6500 engines. (Continued on page 80)

Left: Bell D-109-I Jet Fighter. Image credit: NASA

AIAA Houston Horizons June 2011Page 79 Page 80

E-Publication (Continued from page 79) D-109 Data ondary armament could be High speed, sea level 630 knots carried in an internal bomb High speed, 35,000 ft 572 knots bay 33" by 33" by 200" long. Best endurance, 35,000 ft 326 knots This bay was located near the Endurance, 35,000 feet CG. 862 gallons fuel 2.66 hours 1262 gallons fuel 3.82 hours The D-109 was Range at 35,000 ft (after climb) equipped with two Allison 862 gallons fuel 98 6 n. m . J33-A-16 jet engines, provid- 1262 gallons fuel 1400 n.m. ing thrust of 7900 pounds Best range speed, 35,000 ft 416 knots each with afterburners, and Rate of climb, sea level 19,150 fpm weighing 1935 pounds each. Service ceiling 54,400 feet These were rather early jet Time to climb 35,000 ft 2.67 minutes engine designs, being deriva- Acceleration in VTO 14.9 ft/sec² tives of the first American Guns: engines used on the Lockheed 4-20mm or 4-30mm P-80. They were short in Ammunition: 600 rnds (20mm) or 400 rnds (30mm) length, but large in diameter. Overload armament: 4000 pounds While performance was lim- T.O. Wt. Normal 19,640 lbs ited, the engines provided the T.O. Wt. Overload 23,640 lbs advantage of being readily available and well proven.

Though Bell did not receive funding to build the D -109, interest in VTOL fight- ers did not fade. Within just a few years, Bell would pro- duce other, more detailed VTOL fighter designs and also have a test vehicle in the sky. The ultimate result of the D-109 study was the D188A design, a Mach 2 VTOL strike fighter with eight en- gines. This 1960 concept pro- gressed to the point of several full-scale mockups. Bell tried to get the designation "XF- 109" for the D188A but in the end neither the US Navy nor the US Air Force were inter- ested. However, if your are interested in more on the D- 109 or the D188A (and the designs in between), a book has been written on the sub- ject: "Bell D188A: Mach 2 VTOL Fighter Project," avail- able at http:// scottlowther.magcloud.com

AIAA Houston Horizons June 2011Page 80 Page 81

NASA Photos

ISS027-E-036737 (23 May 2011) --- This image of the International Space Station and the docked space shuttle Endeavour, flying at an alti- tude of approximately 220 miles, was taken by Expedi- tion 27 crew member Paolo Nespoli from the Soyuz TMA- 20 following its undocking on May 23, 2011 (USA time). The pictures are the first taken of a shuttle docked to the Inter- national Space Station from the perspective of a Russian Soyuz spacecraft. Onboard the Soyuz were Russian cos- monaut and Expedition 27 commander Dmitry Kondra- tyev; Nespoli, a European Space Agency astronaut; and NASA astronaut Cady Cole- man. Coleman and Nespoli were both flight engineers. The three landed in Kazakh- stan later that day, completing 159 days in space. Image credit: NASA

http://spaceflight.nasa.gov, space station, Expedition 27

AIAA Houston Horizons June 2011Page 81 Page 82

Staying Informed COMPILED BY THE EDITOR

Amazing Wide Angle Photos Taken Outside of the Space Station Thanks to Keith Cowing at www.nasawatch.com for publicizing these pictures. http://www.onorbit.com/node/3422 http://spaceflight.nasa.gov (space station gallery, Expedition 28)

AIAA Guidance, Navigation, and Control Conference AIAA Atmospheric Flight Mechanics Conference AIAA Modeling and Simulation Technologies Conference 8 - 11 Aug 2011, Oregon Convention Center, Portland, Oregon (www.aiaa.org)

Enjoy Space (www.enjoyspace.com/en) Editor: Olivier Sanguy English language version of a French web site devoted to space news and history

Espace & Exploration (Space & Exploration) www.espace-exploration.com New French magazine devoted to space and exploration. Editor: Marie-Ange Sanguy.

Marianne Dyson (www.mariannedyson.com) Author and speaker specializing in space and science. Marianne is a former NASA flight control- ler. She was master of ceremonies for our section’s Apollo 8 40th anniversary lunch-and-learn.

CollectSPACE.com (www.collectSPACE.com) The Source for Space History and Artifacts.

The Space Center Lecture Series (www.SpaceCenterLectureSeries.com) Created by Gary Kitmacher and Dr. Benjamin Longmier. Our section has been a sponsor of this event since it started with a lecture by Apollo 17 moon- walker Harrison Schmitt. The most recent lecturer was Mary Roach, author of the new, best- selling book, Packing for Mars. Videos of this event and past lectures are available on the web site.

Project Morpheus (Text description from the NASA web site) Morpheus is a vertical test bed demonstrating new green propellant propulsion systems and autonomous landing and hazard detection technology. Designed, developed, manufactured and operated in-house by engineers at NASA’s Johnson Space Center, the Morpheus Project repre- sents not only a vehicle to advance technologies, but also an opportunity to try out “lean develop- ment” engineering practices. Morpheus is a NASA-designed vehicle. It was manufactured and assembled at JSC and Ar- madillo Aerospace. Morpheus is large enough to carry 1,100 pounds of cargo to the moon – for example, a humanoid robot, a small rover, or a small laboratory to convert moon dust into oxy- gen – performing all propellant burns after the trans lunar injection. The primary focus of the test bed is to demonstrate an integrated propulsion and guidance, navigation and control system that can fly a lunar descent profile to exercise the Autonomous Landing and Hazard Avoidance Tech- nology (ALHAT) safe landing sensors and closed-loop flight control. For more information about Morpheus testing, visit: http://morpheuslander.jsc.nasa.gov/

AIAA Houston Horizons June 2011Page 82 Page 83

AIAA Houston Section events and other events related to aeronautics and astronautics Editor’s note about recent and upcoming issues of Horizons: July 2010: This was intended for publication online by June 30, 2010. It was a few days late. May 2011: This was targeted for publication by September 30, 2010, then April 30, 2011. It was a few weeks late relative to that latter date. It was published on May 17, 2011. June 2011: This issue is targeted for publication at www.aiaa-houston.org by June 30, 2011. August 2011: This upcoming issue is targeted for publication online by August 31, 2011. Our schedule was quarterly for the two years ending with the July 2010 issue. We now plan to use a bimonthly schedule.

AIAA Houston Section council meetings Time: 5:30—6:30 PM Day: First Monday of most months Location: Recent meetings used the San Jacinto room at NASA/JSC Gilruth Center More information: [email protected] or [email protected]

AIAA Houston Section leadership retreat This annual event usually takes place in August. See the organization chart at www.aiaa- houston.org for contact information if you would like to join the meeting in order to help with our volunteer work.

8 - 11 Aug 2011 AIAA Guidance, Navigation, and Control Conference AIAA Atmospheric Flight Mechanics Conference AIAA Modeling and Simulation Technologies Conference Oregon Convention Center, Portland, Oregon www.aiaa.org

15 October 2011 (Saturday) Wings Over Houston Airshow Our section will join the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) Chapter 12 (Houston) and collectSPACE (www.collecSPACE.com, or just collectSPACE.com), placing our displays and tables together. Our section and collectSPACE will not be there on Sunday, but the EAA group will be there on Sunday.

Horizons will be published bimonthly starting in late June 2011. Current & back issues: http://www.aiaa-houston.org/horizons

AIAA Houston Horizons June 2011Page 83 Page 84

NASA Photos

ISS027-E-036747 (23 May 2011) --- This image of the International Space Station and the docked space shuttle Endeavour, flying at an altitude of approximately 220 miles, was taken by Expedition 27 crew member Paolo Nespoli from the Soyuz TMA-20 following its undocking on May 23, 2011 (USA time). The pictures are the first taken of a shuttle docked to the International Space Station from the perspective of a Russian Soyuz spacecraft. Onboard the Soyuz were Russian cosmonaut and Expedition 27 commander Dmitry Kondratyev; Nespoli, a European Space Agency astronaut; and NASA astronaut Cady Coleman. Coleman and Nespoli were both flight engineers. The three landed in Kazakhstan later that day, completing 159 days in space.

http://spaceflight.nasa.gov, space station, Expedition 27

Image credit: NASA

AIAA Houston Horizons June 2011Page 84 Page 85

Cranium Cruncher Challenge STEVE EVERETT

Recall from the last issue, the reader was asked to find the angle a defined in the figure below without using trigonometry. With a few additional lines, the answer may be found by inspec- tion! The solid blue squares with line segments AB and CD were shown in the original fig- ure. By adding the additional blue dotted squares, it is obvious that the quadrilateral AEFB is a square. Additionally, since the line segment AF is parallel to the segment CD, angle FAB also spans the angle a. AF is a diagonal for the square AEFB, so by inspection the angle a is equal to 45 degrees. Congratulations to Paul Grout (Boeing) for his correct solution, albeit by a more roundabout method , and my apologies to those who tried to response but couldn’t due to a typographical error in my email address. E

F

 A D



C B Now for this issue’s puzzle, a self-referential aptitude test.

The following unusual logic puzzle was designed by Jim Propp, a mathematician at the Uni- versity of Wisconsin at Madison. It has a unique solution, although it is possible to find the unique solution without making use of this fact. Jim writes:

I should mention that if you don’t agree with me about the answer to 20, you will get a different solution to the puzzle than the one I had in mind. But I should also mention that if you don’t agree with me about the answer to 20, you are just plain wrong!

1. The first question whose answer is B is question (A) 1 (B) 2 (C) 3 (D) 4 (E) 5

2. The only two consecutive questions with identical answers are questions (A) 6 and 7 (B) 7 and 8 (C) 8 and 9 (D) 9 and 10 (E) 10 and 11

3. The number of questions with the answer E is (A) 0 (B) 1 (C) 2 (D) 3 (E) 4

4. The number of questions with the answer A is (A) 4 (B) 5 (C) 6 (D) 7 (E) 8

5. The answer to this question is the same as the answer to question (A) 1 (B) 2 (C) 3 (D) 4 (E) 5

6. The answer to question 17 is (A) C (B) D (C) E (D) none of (E) all of the above the above (Continued on page 86)

AIAA Houston Horizons June 2011Page 85 Page 86

Challenge (Continued from page 85)

7. Alphabetically, the answer to this question and the answer to the following question are (A) 4 apart (B) 3 apart (C) 2 apart (D) 1 apart (E) the same

8. The number of questions whose answers are vowels is (A) 4 (B) 5 (C) 6 (D) 7 (E) 8

9. The next question with the same answer as this one is question (A) 10 (B) 11 (C) 12 (D) 13 (E) 14

10. The answer to question 16 is (A) D (B) A (C) E (D) B (E) C

11. The number of questions preceding this one with the answer B is (A) 0 (B) 1 (C) 2 (D) 3 (E) 4

12. The number of questions whose answer is a consonant is (A) an even (B) an odd (C) a square (D) a prime (E) divisible number number by 5

13. The only odd-numbered problem with answer A is (A) 9 (B) 11 (C) 13 (D) 15 (E) 17

14. The number of questions with answer D is (A) 6 (B) 7 (C) 8 (D) 9 (E) 10

15. The answer to question 12 is (A) A (B) B (C) C (D) D (E) E

16. The answer to question 10 is (A) D (B) C (C) B (D) A (E) E

17. The answer to question 6 is (A) C (B) D (C) E (D) none of (E) all of the above the above

18. The number of questions with answer A equals the number of questions with answer (A) B (B) C (C) D (D) E (E) none of the above

19. The answer to this question is (A) A (B) B (C) C (D) D (E) E

20. Standardised test is to intelligence as barometer is to (A) temperature (B) wind velocity (C) latitude (D) longitude (E) temperature, wind velocity, latitude, and longitude

Send solutions to [email protected]

AIAA Houston Horizons June 2011Page 86 Page 87

Below: Soyuz launch to International Space Station (ISS), illustration and text by Don Kulba, contributor Art

Conventional rockets and potentially other innovative types of vehicles will be used to trans- port cargo and crewmembers to the ISS after the last US space shuttle flight. The Soyuz has been flown for fifty years and is a relatively safe and reliable vehicle. One of the reasons for retiring the space shuttle is to improve safety for crewmembers by transporting them in a separable capsule as opposed to the crew compartment that is an integral and inseparable part of the shuttle structure. A capsule can be equipped with an abort rocket to lift it away from a launch rocket that is showing indications of imminent failure or going too far off course. This is a significant safety improvement. A further improvement might be to make the capsule capable of withstanding a sudden explosion of the launch rocket in case the abort rocket is not activated or fails, the capsule breaking free from the rocket and gliding away as it falls from the burning fuel and debris, then automatically deploying parachutes at the correct altitude and landing safely on land or water with the crew inside.

AIAA Houston Horizons June 2011Page 87 Page 88

Art

Below: Orbital space plane takeoff, illustration and text by Don Kulba, contributor

If orbital space planes are developed, they will be much more efficient than manned rocket launchers. They would have far less oxidizer and vehicle weight. A first stage is not required, so they could take off and land on a runway. There would be no stage separation, which is a leading cause of failure on rocket vehicles. The planes could use the jet engines for landing if the ram jets fail when attempting to build up to orbital speed high in the atmosphere. A fuel or propulsion system explosion should be less likely than on conventional rocket vehicles. If there were an engine failure or fuel leak, the craft may be able to land safely with the functioning jet engines (or possibly the rocket engines).

AIAA Houston Horizons June 2011Page 88 Page 89

Art

Below: General Dynamics F-16, illustrated by Don Kulba, contributor

AIAA Houston Horizons June 2011Page 89 Non-Profit Organization U.S. POSTAGE PAID Houston Section PERMIT NO. 1 P.O. Box 57524 Webster , Texas Webster, TX 77598

STS134-S-002 (15 Jan. 2010) --- Attired in training versions of their shuttle launch and entry suits, these six astronauts take a break from training to pose for the STS-134 crew portrait. Pictured clockwise are NASA astronauts Mark Kelly (bottom center), commander; Gregory H. Johnson, pilot; Michael Fincke, Greg Chamitoff, Andrew Feustel and European Space Agency's Roberto Vittori, all mission specialists. Photo credit: NASA

ISS027-E-036759 (23 May 2011) --- This image of the International Space Station and the docked space shuttle Endeavour, flying at an altitude of approximately 220 miles, was taken by Expedition 27 crew member Paolo Nespoli from the Soyuz TMA-20 following its undocking on May 23, 2011 (USA time). The pictures taken by Nespoli are the first taken of a shuttle docked to the International Space Station from the perspective of a Russian Soyuz spacecraft. Onboard the Soyuz were Russian cosmonaut and Expedition 27 commander Dmitry Kondratyev; Nespoli, a European Space Agency astronaut; and NASA astronaut Cady Coleman. Coleman and Nespoli were both flight engineers. The three landed in Kazakhstan later that day, completing 159 days in space. Photo credit: NASA

AIAA Mission & Vision Statement The shaping, dynamic force in aerospace - THE forum for innovation, excellence and global leadership. AIAA advances the state of aerospace science, engineering, and technological leadership. Core missions include communications and advocacy, products and programs, membership value, and market and workforce development. The World's Forum for Aerospace Leadership

Become a member of AIAA Are you interested in becoming a member of AIAA, or renewing your membership? You can fill out your membership application online at the AIAA national web site: www.aiaa.org. Select the AIAA membership option.

AIAA Houston Horizons June 2011Page 90