NASA Langley Research Center
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National Aeronautics and Space Administration LANGLEY RESEARCH CENTER www.nasa.gov contents NASA is on a reinvigorated “path of exploration, innovation and technological development leading to an array of challenging destinations and missions. — Charles Bolden” NASA Administrator Director’s Message ........................................ 2-3 Exploration Developing a New Launch Crew Vehicle ................. 4-5 Aeronautics Forging Tomorrow’s Flight Today ............................... 6 NASA Tests Biofuels for Commercial Jets .................. 7 Science Tracking Dynamic Change ......................................... 8 Airborne Air-Quality Campaign Created a Buzz ........... 9 Systems Analysis Making the Complex Work ...................................... 10 Partnerships Collaborating to Transition NASA Technologies .......................................... 12-13 We Have Liftoff Two Launches Carried Langley Instruments into Space ..................................... 14-15 A Space Shuttle Tribute ........................... 16-17 Economics ................................................... 18-19 Langley People ........................................... 20-21 Outreach & Education .............................. 22-23 Awards & Patents ...................................... 24-26 Contacts/Leadership ...................................... 27 Virginia Air & Space Center ........................... 27 (Inside cover) Splashdown of a crew A conference room in Langley’s new headquarters capsule mockup in Langley’s new Hydro building uses sections of fan blade from a wind tunnel Impact Basin during a drop test. to highlight the ceiling and honor our legacy. Langley Research Center | 2011 3 Photos: NASA/Sean Smith director’s message Clockwise from right: Langley’s new Clockwise from left: the next building in headquarters building; artist’s concept of the New Town project; a test model in the a supersonic aircraft; a handful of biochar, 16-Foot Transonic Tunnel; deconstruction a soil supplement; a Langley materials of the 16-Foot; artist’s concept of an experiment on the space station; testing Earth-observing satellite; drop test of a futuristic concept in the 30x60-Foot an astronaut crew capsule test article; Tunnel; deconstruction of the 30x60. drawing of an inflatable heat shield. he Langley Research Center landscape has seen some significant culminating with the launch of our CERES instrument and preparing our Tchanges this year – both literally and figuratively. Staff and visitors SAGE III instrument for the International Space Station. In Aeronautics, are immediately drawn to the newly constructed headquarters building we are investing in the next-generation air transportation system and just past the main gate. The ribbon cutting in June for this first building increasing performance by reducing fuel consumption, emissions, and in our New Town initiative was a grand ceremony and it punctuated the airport noise. In Exploration, we are leading the development of the Launch beginning of a renewed Langley, a center focused on what we do best: Abort System and supporting the Space Launch System and Orion in the innovation, collaboration and continual revitalization. critical areas of navigation, guidance, control and landing systems. New Town is a multiyear project that will ultimately result in six new However, we don’t do this alone. Langley collaborates with our diverse buildings and the phased removal of deteriorated and underused build- network of partners ranging from small startup firms and academia to ings and facilities. As a tribute to our past, we incorporated fan blades large corporations and other government agencies. Together we are from the 16-Foot Tunnel into the ceiling system in the new Langley head- driving advances in science, aeronautics and exploration. Accelerating quarters and a complete fan hub assembly from the Full-Scale Tunnel these collaborations is an important part of our center strategy to ensure will be on permanent display at the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space we have the right capabilities for the opportunities of the future. Museum in the “Milestones of Flight” exhibit. I believe Langley’s best days are ahead of us. Our core competencies We are making significant changes not only to address reduced budgets, are critical to the vitality of our nation. A continually revitalized Langley but to also ensure that our center’s technical capabilities, facilities and will ensure we maintain our tradition of technical excellence, develop infrastructure are poised to meet the grand challenges that will enable innovative technologies and solve some of the world’s toughest problems. NASA to fulfill its mission. One of the most obvious additions to our tech- We are reaching for new heights and revealing knowledge that will benefit nical resources is the Hydro Impact Basin opened in July. After facility all humanity. checkout, testing of the Orion crew capsule began in October. This is a Lesa B. Roe critical step to ensure safe water landings for astronauts who will venture Director into space aboard Orion. We are investing in capabilities and technologies that will fuel the innovation of our talented employees. It’s been an extremely busy year in Science Langley Research Center | 2011 4 Langley Research Center | 2011 5 exploration exploration Developing a New Launch and Crew Vehicle ineteenth century Ameri- composite materials, will improve • HYTHIRM or Hypersonic Ther- Ncan pioneers trekking west launch vehicle performance. modynamic Infrared Measure- to new homes in covered wagons ments, which imaged shuttle reen- likely didn’t anticipate the details of Living and Working tries to learn more about heating 21st century solar system explora- Beyond Earth effects on the spacecraft and for tion. They were focused on getting Langley continues to develop use in hypersonics research. from here to there, and they needed game-changing, innovative tech- • STORRM or Sensor Test for Ori- transportation. nologies to efficiently access space on RelNav Risk Mitigation, which So, too, will NASA’s deep-space and to enable people to live and uses sensor technologies that astronauts. Propelling them on their work beyond Earth’s orbit, includ- would make it easier for space ve- ing: hicles to dock to the International journeys will be NASA’s Heavy Lift Artist’s concept of an inflatable heat shield. Space Launch System (SLS) and • Lightweight structures, such as Space Station. the Orion crew capsule, enabling withstand multiple drops. Each test deployable solar arrays and inflat- Supporting Commercial trips to near-Earth objects like as- has a different drop velocity to rep- able structures Spaceflight teroids, to the moon, perhaps even resent possible crew capsule entry one day to Mars. • Nanotechnology advances to As the Space Shuttle Program conditions during water landings. achieve significant reductions in drew to a close in 2011, Langley Drawing upon a unique expertise In addition, discipline-specific ex- mass continued to provide mission- in computational analysis and an pertise from Langley is used to as- • Advanced sensors and controls specific insights to shuttle teams extensive complex of wind tun- sess crew capsule aerodynamic for safe landings working on mission management, nels, Langley, in collaboration with and aerothermodynamic perfor- damage assessment and impact • Systems and tools for predicting Marshall Space Flight Center, is mance, guidance, navigation and dynamics. Additionally, in the radiation hazards and protecting overseeing SLS aerodynamics. The control, flight software design and aftermath of cessation of shuttle crews and spacecraft from them center’s critical design-process testing, and for structural analyses. flights, Langley is now supporting contributions include collecting, The center continues to conduct • Entry, descent, and landing ad- commercial spaceflight companies analyzing, and documenting aero- studies to understand how the use vances including hypersonic inflat- that will soon begin to ferry cargo dynamic data to support rocket de- of advanced technologies, such as able aerodynamic decelerators, and astronauts to the International velopment. lightweight metallics and advanced known as HIADs Space Station. Langley continues to play a central role in the Orion crew capsule, in- cluding managing development of Orion’s Launch Abort System that will fly crews to safety in the event of rocket malfunction or other emer- gency. The center also leads testing of Orion crew capsule landing sys- tems, both on land and in water. Orion Drop Testing In July 2011, engineers began drop testing the 22,000-pound Orion crew capsule mockup into Lang- ley’s new Hydro Impact Basin, which is located at the west end of Langley’s historic Landing and Im- pact Research Facility, where Apol- lo astronauts trained for landing on the moon. The crew capsule test item is simi- lar in size and shape to the Orion The Orion crew capsule mockup lands in the Hydro Impact Basin during a drop test at Langley. capsule, but is more rigid so it can Depiction of the entry into the Mars atmosphere of the Mars Science Laboratory, which was launched in November 2011. Langley Research Center | 2011 6 Langley Research Center | 2011 7 aeronautics aeronautics A concept of a futuristic aircraft that would fly NASA Tests Biofuels for Commercial Jets at supersonic speeds. n an RV nicknamed after an urban assault vehicle, Iscientists from NASA Langley traveled cross-country last year for an experiment with eco-friendly