BWB Arrives at Dryden

National Aeronautics and Space Administration National Aeronautics and Space Administration Volume 48 Issue 1 Dryden Flight Research Center July 2006 Earth Science Dryden capabilities contribute to demonstration missions By Jay Levine X-Press Editor The Western States Unmanned Aircraft Systems Fire Mission is scheduled to begin Aug. 14, with Dryden and Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Calif., assisting the U.S. Forest Service, said Robert Navarro, Dryden’s Altair project manager. The Altair, leased by Dryden from General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc., San Diego, will fly at altitudes of about 43,000 feet during missions, which will originate from the General Atomics facility at Gray Butte, Calif. “Altair is carrying an instrument that will penetrate smoke and ash and transmit the imagery down to a station on the ground,” explained Navarro, referring to the Autonomous Modular System, which uses multi-spectral line scanning that utilizes thermal channels. “The images will be available to the fire commander, in near-real time, and will show the fire’s hot spots to help efficiently use resources on the ground to knock down the flames.” In addition, software in the ground mission planning system will superimpose road maps and other valuable information EC05 0234-28 NASA Photo by Carla Thomas in near-real time to assist firefighters in General Atomics Aeronautical Systems’ uninhabited Altair will begin a series of missions in August to prove the utility of unmanned air systems See Science, page 4 in carrying instruments to help field commanders gather information for use in battling summer wildfires in western states. BWB arrives at Dryden ■ ‘Flying wing on steroids’ could mark Ian Brooks, a Cranfield the shape of things to come in aviation Aerospace employee, works on the Boeing By Jay Levine Phantom Works X-48B X-Press Editor Blended Wing Body A low-speed, 8.5-percent-scale flight research prototype of aircraft. The aircraft Boeing Phantom Works’ Blended Wing Body concept aircraft, and a second X-48B also known as the X-48B, arrived at Dryden in June. used in Langley Research The X-48B is a subscale testbed for exploring and validating Center, Hampton, Va., the structural, aerodynamic and operational advantages of a wind tunnel tests, ar- futuristic aircraft design called the blended wing body, or BWB. rived at Dryden in June. It is similar to a flying wing, an airplane shaped entirely like an The low-speed, 8.5-per- airfoil without a conventional fuselage or empennage. Flying cent-scale flight research wing concepts of the 1940s looked like propeller-driven or jet- prototype is expected to powered boomerangs. The BWB design suggests a flying wing begin a series of research on steroids, with several distinguishing features. flights later this year or The front section of a full-scale BWB airplane, containing the in early 2007. cockpit, extends forward of the wing’s leading edge while the central portion encompasses the passenger or cargo compart- See Blended Wing Body, page 15 EC06 0107-05 NASA Photo by Tony Landis Inside Employees welcome family Dryden teams, individuals Dryden Loads Laboratory has Flight research plants seeds members to work, page 5 win NASA Awards, page 6 multiple capabilities, page 8 for the future, page 10 News July 2006 Constellation: News Program for human and robotic exploration of the at NASA moon and Mars will involve all NASA field centers NASA News Services Clock ticks n a June 5 briefing broadcast agency-wide, NASA officials outlined slowly for agency and center responsibilities associated with the Constellation Iprogram for human and robotic explora- ozone layer tion of the moon and Mars. The Antarctic ozone hole’s recovery is The distribution of work across NASA running late. According to a new NASA centers reflects the administration’s inten- study, the full return of the protective tion to productively use personnel, facili- ozone over the South Pole will take ties and resources from across the agency nearly 20 years longer than previously to accomplish space exploration goals. expected. “Our past experiences have provided Scientists from NASA, the National the foundation to begin shaping the space Oceanic and Atmospheric Administra- exploration capabilities needed to create tion and the National Center for At- a sustained presence on the moon and on mospheric Research in Boulder, Colo., to Mars,” said Scott Horowitz, associate NASA Illustration have developed a new tool, a math-based administrator for the Exploration Systems computer model, to better predict when mission directorate. “Our programs and The above illustration shows the Crew Exploration Vehicle heading out for a mission. The il- the ozone hole will recover. projects are evolving as we develop the lustration below shows how CEV elements stack up. The Antarctic ozone hole is a massive requirements to execute the vision for loss of ozone high in the stratosphere space exploration. At the same time we tion supporting the CEV project, provid- that occurs each spring in the Southern are aligning the work that needs to be ing oversight and independent analysis of Hemisphere. The hole is caused by chlo- accomplished with the capabilities of our the CEV prime contractor’s development rine and bromine gases in the stratosphere NASA centers.” of the system. Langley leads the Com- that destroy ozone. These gases come from In addition to primary work assign- mand Module Landing System Advanced manmade chemicals such as chlorofluo- ments each center will support moon and Development project for the CEV and rocarbons, or CFCs. Mars surface systems conceptual designs. provides vehicle integration and CEV test The ozone layer blocks 90-99 percent Centers also will support additional Con- article module development for the CLV of the sun’s ultraviolet radiation from stellation program and project activities. Advanced Development flight test-0. making contact with Earth. That harmful In the briefing, center assignments were Marshall Space Flight Center, Hunts- radiation can cause skin cancer, genetic described as follows: ville, Ala., hosts the Constellation launch damage, and eye damage, and harm ma- Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, vehicle projects. The projects are responsi- rine life. NASA Illustration Calif., leads the crew exploration vehicle ble for management of all CLV and cargo For the first time, a model combines Thermal Protection System Advanced project to plan systems engineering pro- launch vehicle-related activities. Marshall estimates of future Antarctic chlorine and Development project. Ames is develop- cesses related to operations development provides the CLV first stage design, and bromine levels based on current amounts ing information systems to support the and preparation. JPL provides co-leader- is responsible for launch vehicle demon- as captured from NASA satellite observa- Constellation program’s Safety, Reliability ship for the Constellation program office stration testing including the Advanced tions, NOAA ground-level observations and Quality Assurance office. Systems Engineering and Integration Development flight test-0. and NCAR airplane-based observations, Dryden leads CEV Abort Flight Test Software and Avionics team. Stennis Space Center, Miss., manages with likely future emissions, the time integration and operations, including Johnson Space Center, Houston, hosts and integrates rocket propulsion testing it takes for the transport of those emis- abort test booster procurement and inte- the Constellation program, the CEV for the CLV project. Stennis staff leads sions into the Antarctic stratosphere and gration with the flight test article. project and the Mission Operations proj- sea-level development, certification and assessments of future weather patterns Glenn Research Center, Cleveland, ect. Constellation program staff manages acceptance testing for the upper-stage en- over Antarctica. leads the CEV Service Module and and integrates the program and all related gine; sea-level development testing for the The model accurately reproduces the Spacecraft Adapter integration, providing projects. The CEV project office manages upper-stage main propulsion test article; ozone hole area in the Antarctic strato- oversight and independent analysis of the and integrates all CEV elements, includ- and sea-level acceptance testing for the sphere over the past 27 years. Using the prime contractor’s development of these ing prime contractor work. The Mission flight upper-stage assembly. model, the researchers predict that the segments. Operations project office manages and While these decisions will influence ozone hole will recover in 2068, not in Glenn also has lead responsibility for integrates all activities related to mission budget and personnel allocations at the 2050 as currently believed. design and development of several crew operations. centers, detailed estimates of these will launch vehicle upper stage systems. Kennedy Space Center, Fla., hosts the not be available until after prime contrac- Goddard Space Flight Center, Green- Ground Operations project. All activi- tors are formally selected for the program’s Dominguez belt, Md., provides co-leadership of the ties related to ground operations for the major projects, such as the crew explora- Constellation program’s System Engineer- launch and landing sites, including tion vehicle, crew launch vehicle and nominated ing and Integration Navigation team and ground processing, launch and recovery cargo launch vehicle. Information about Software and Avionics team. systems will be managed

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