Space Shuttle Atlantis Soars Into History
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Summer 2011 - A Quarterly Publication Lift off! Space shuttle Atlantis soars into history Space shuttle Commander Chris Ferguson and his three crewmates went to the International Space Station after launching from NASA's Kennedy Space Center on Friday, July 8, 2011 on the final This image, taken mission of NASA's space shuttle program. through the window "With today's final launch of the space of a Shuttle Training shuttle we turn the page on a remarkable Aircraft, shows the final liftoff of space shuttle period in America's history in space, while Atlantis as it ascended beginning the next chapter in our na- from Launch Pad 39A at tion's extraordinary story of exploration," Kennedy Space Center NASA Administrator Charles Bolden said. on the STS-135 mission, "Tomorrow's destinations will inspire new Friday, July 8, 2011. This generations of explorers, and the shuttle was the final flight of the Space Shuttle Program, pioneers have made the next chapter of during which the STS- human spaceflight possible." 135 crew delivered the The STS-135 crew consisted of Fer- Raffaello multipurpose guson, Pilot Doug Hurley, Mission Special- logistics module contain- ists Sandy Magnus and Rex Walheim. ing supplies and spare They delivered the Raffaello multi-purpose parts for the International logistics module filled with more than 8,000 Space Station. pounds of supplies and spare parts to sustain space station operations after the shuttles are retired. "The shuttle's always going to be a re- NASA photo by Dick Clark flection to what a great nation can do when it dares to be bold and commits to follow through," Ferguson said shortly before A personal perspective: Watching the launch liftoff. "We're not ending the journey today, BY CATHY WESELBY we're completing a chapter of a journey I had the opportunity to see my first an appearance at the STS-135 Tweetup, that will never end." (and the last) space shuttle launch in much to the delight of the space "tweeps." NASA Ames sent a variety of life sci- person at the Kennedy Space Center last Elmo asked NASA astronauts Mike Mas- ence experiments and technology dem- month. The opportunity came up suddenly, simino and Doug Wheelock questions onstrations aboard the final space shuttle but I was delighted to go and support pub- about space travel. The beloved mascot for to better our understanding of how robots lic affairs activities for Ames. the Solar Dynamics Observatory, Camilla can help humans live and work in space On Wednesday, July 6, I drove from SDO, was also seen rubbing shoulders and how spaceflight affects the human Orlando to the Kennedy Space Center, and with Elmo. body, the growth of cells, yeast and plants. any jet lag that I felt from the night before The weather did not look promising Future astronauts on long-term space mis- was immediately replaced with a surge of one day before the launch. A heavy rain sions in low-Earth orbit, to asteroids, other excitement when I saw the "Two Days Until and thunderstorm hit the center around planets and beyond will rely on robots Launch" sign. Television news satellite lunchtime and lightning stuck within a third and need to understand how to prevent trucks were parked everywhere and the of a mile from Launch Pad 39A. Techni- illnesses during space travel. press center was teeming with reporters. cians inspected the area for damage STS-135 was the 135th shuttle flight, We watched Space Shuttle Weather before the Rotating Service Structure could the 33rd flight for Atlantis and the 37th Officer Kathy Winters say during a pre- be rolled back from the shuttle as sched- shuttle mission dedicated to station assem- launch news conference that there was uled. At the end of Thursday, the weather bly and maintenance. only a 30 percent possibility STS-135 forecast was still 30 percent for launch the Space shuttle Atllantis completed its would launch on Friday. I tried to stay next morning, but the forecast for filling the 12-day mission and landed safely on July optimistic. fuel tanks in the middle of the night was an 21, 2011 at NASA’s Kennedy Space Cen- Meanwhile, the center was abuzz with 80 percent "go." ter in Florida. activity. Sesame Street star Elmo made continued on page 5 www.nasa.gov Allmen helped JSC and the CAIB find NASA Ames’ legacy and its contributions to the Return to Flight Ames researchers to solve the puzzles BY ACK OYD AND LENN UGOS J B G B ture of its reusable Space Transportation Numerical Aerodynamic Simulation facility identified by the investigation, and also The organizational culture and techni- System. opened in 1985, bringing together all of helped Ames see the whole picture of the cal competence of NASA Ames remain, Perhaps more important than their Ames’ expertise in computational fluid technical puzzles. Indeed, this is a cultural today, strongly influenced by its origins basic work on the aerodynamic shape and dynamics. The NAS very early began remnant of its NACA origins still active at as a laboratory of the National Advisory thermal expectations of a lifting body, Allen modeling the complex aerodynamics of the Ames—an appreciation for honest peer Committee for Aeronautics (NACA). Most and his Ames colleagues—notably Alfred shuttle ascent stack. Ames human factors review, for basic research in supporting simply, that means many people at NASA Eggers and Clarence Syvertson-- pio- specialists modeled cockpit concepts in the technical decisions, for the art of problem Ames focus on fundamental research, neered new experimental tools in aerother- Ames flight simulators, and then built the definition, and innovation in experimental experimental validation, and nurturing modynamics. These brought experimental Vertical Motion Simulator to test their ideas validation. disciplines needed for space exploration. proof to the design of space capsules, and about how such a vehicle could be landed. This NACA influence also manifests helped assure the safe return of astronauts Perhaps the most important and per- NASA Ames Contribution to the Return itself in some notable organizational to Earth. sistent contribution of Ames to the shuttle To Flight tendencies: an active interest in building Beginning in the early 1950s, they cre- program was the development of its reus- The Columbia Accident Investigation partnerships, pride in being able to listen ated a series of ballistic ranges, culminat- able Thermal Protection System (TPS). Report made two observations that shaped and define a problem, a belief in the value ing in the Hypervelocity Free-Flight Facility In the early 1970s, Ames worked with how NASA Ames would participate in of intense peer review, a willingness to that created re-entry speeds and validated Johnson Space Center to develop many the Return To Flight efforts leading to the create standards, a distaste for theorizing damping characteristics. They created candidates of TPS materials—including launch of STS-114. First, the CAIB noted without suggesting proof and, perhaps to a series of higher speed wind tunnels, the baseline LI-900 tile system--and tested that the operation programs had generally its detriment, a lack of experience in large culminating in the 3.5-foot hypersonic wind them to understand how to improve future lost touch with the research work done at space project work. The NACA was at tunnel, that allowed them test larger mod- generations of tiles. the centers, and specifically noted that the heart a way for engineers to reach some els for longer times at speeds up to Mach In 1975, Ames scientists invented the shuttle mission team should have con- certainty that innovation would actually 7. And they created a series of arc jets, black borosilicate glass coating called Re- tacted Ames experts in thermal protection work. culminating in the 60 MW interaction heat- action Cured Glass that now covers two- systems before clearing the Columbia for Likewise, the work Ames people did to ing facility, that allowed them to test large thirds of the orbiter’s surface. They also re-entry. Second, while NASA knew a fair make and keep the STS successful, also samples of thermal protection materials at invented a ceramic cloth to solve a difficult amount about the thermal properties of the has its origins in the NACA, and in the sustained high temperatures. problem by filling the gaps between the shuttle TPS, it knew less about its mechan- legendary engineering genius of H. Julian Well before spacecraft actually ven- tiles. Ames continued to conduct thermal ical properties. “Harvey” Allen. In 1952, well before rock- tured into outer space, Ames had modeled protection research, increasingly to provide Building upon Ames’ long-standing ets had enough thrust to launch a payload the re-entry challenges in Earth-bound fa- data to the shuttle program office. capabilities in computational fluid dynam- into outer space, Allen set about figuring cilities. Ames developed all this theoretical ics, Ames teams developed a model of the out how to return them safely to Earth. The and experimental expertise during its days The Operational Space Shuttle aerodynamics around the full ascent stack that was used to understand then modify problem of re-entry heating then was well as a NACA laboratory, expanded it quickly, In the 1980s and 1990s, Ames’ support A composite photo of STS-135 taken by Ames’ Louise Walker and J.T. Heineck who were anticipated, though each of the Ameri- during NASA’s Apollo era, then extended of the shuttle shifted. As NASA began to fly the external tank. Using a combination of funded by the Space Shuttle Program and prepared this image using fusion software to com- can military services had failed to solve these capabilities to help in the develop- science missions aboard the shuttle, Ames Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) and bine six simultaneously captured images they took of STS-135.